Chapter 35: Crocodile

****

“My brothers.”

“Today, thanks to all of our efforts, we have finally succeeded in summoning the Pitch-Black King into this world.”

“Nourished by the blood of this city’s vermin and the other blasphemous gods, the Pitch-Black King will break through this egg and claim the mortal world.”

“One cannot see the bird without breaking the egg.”

“The egg is a world, and today, the avatar of our sovereign and master of pitch black is destroying one world with its beak.”

“Worship eternity! The Pitch-Black King—”

****

A colossal explosion shook the earth and split the sky. The ground seemed to dance as it vomited dust toward the heavens, and a massive mushroom cloud bloomed over the town center.

Deicide Weapon No. 1. Tactical nuclear warhead.

Fortunately, our armored vehicle seemed to be outside the direct blast radius of the nuke. Though about half of Yulje-myeon’s town center had been erased.

Layered over the fog, the dust cloud and fierce winds churned and obscured everything around us. Nothing in the vicinity was visible.

“Did we get it?”

The eyeball-tentacle-balloon that had been hanging over the city seemed to be dead or had fallen to the surface. It was too early to judge, but it didn’t seem likely to be alive.

Our vehicle slowly moved away from the epicenter.

The armored vehicle aimed its cannon at something in the distance. Each time the main gun fired, it rattled our skulls and kicked up dirt and dust.

****

I looked at the cat.

“Overseer. What the hell were you thinking?”

“Sorry if I startled you.”

“Even so, who drops a nuclear bomb on a city based on just my opinion? Civilians or friendlies could have been caught in the blast.”

In truth, the opposite was far more likely.

A tactical nuclear warhead’s direct neutralize radius against personnel is about 200 meters. The primary neutralize mechanism is neutron radiation.

The physical destruction radius is smaller than that.

Not only were there no friendlies within the blast radius, but even if something had been inside it, it wouldn’t have been able to inflict meaningful damage on the armored vehicle.

Anyway.

Christopher shook his head.

“I think you’re under a misconception. I am an Overseer of the Foundation. I don’t need anyone’s permission to make a decision.”

“Enough to blow up a city without a second thought?”

“I didn’t just listen to your opinion, Dr. Geum. I listened to your opinion, of all people. It’s not like I had the luxury of consulting other experts.”

That’s… I can’t argue with that.

I closed my mouth.

An Overseer is one of the highest-ranking positions in the Foundation, of which there are only a handful.

Even if Christopher is currently in the form of a cat. He’s not the top authority of the most powerful organization on Earth for nothing.

“Understood.”

“Is the eyeball balloon moving?”

“It still seems to be moving.”

“Let me ask you again, Dr. Geum. What do you think we should do here?”

I closed my eyes for a moment and thought.

I couldn’t know what threats were lurking in the town center now, but whatever existed, the chances of surviving a nuclear blast were slim.

Civilians included, of course.

No matter how strong or tenacious an anomalous organism, most of them can be broken with sufficient force. The reality bender we met before was like that, and so was the Returnee.

In the end, it was a matter of firepower. And if the problem wasn’t solved, it was necessary to increase the firepower. I let out a sigh.

My opinion was that there was no need to conduct the operation with hypothetical civilians placed at the target.

In a town center where zombies and all sorts of monsters were running rampant, and which had just been hit by a nuclear bomb, the chances of an ordinary civilian surviving were not high.

“Since we’ve already deployed the tactical nuclear warhead, I think it would be safer to fire a few more to cover the entire town center before moving in.”

Christopher nodded.

“Your thinking is correct. Whether it’s an information lifeform, a divine entity, or whatever else—there’s no way it can function properly in a nuclear blast and fallout. We fire one more. Pop the balloon, then send the task force into the town center.”

The cat climbed back onto the communications equipment.

“Firing the second round.”

Was this how Oppenheimer felt, sitting in the desert right after the test? A second mushroom cloud began to bloom over the town center.

“Dr. Geum, grab the mic. Let’s give the order.”

Christopher looked at me. I uncrossed my arms and picked up the microphone on the communications equipment.

“All units, advance into the town. Radiation exposure risk is present—make sure to use your safety equipment.”

It was an order that could come with losses.

We didn’t know what we’d be fighting, and there was still radioactive fallout across the area. The Foundation’s armored vehicles began advancing toward the town center once more.

I sat down in front of the communications equipment.

****

[This is Task Force Mistilteinn.]

[Tactical nuclear warhead successfully fired.]

[Multiple hostile instances in the town. We will eliminate as many hostiles as possible before dismounting.]

[Engaging hostiles!]

[Task Force Mistilteinn, currently advancing into the town on foot. Requesting fire support.]

[This is the science officer of Task Force Purifying Flame.]

[Anomaly P-1682, “Crocodile,” confirmed present at the site. It’s a regenerating-type organism. Please prepare special ammunition.]

[Anomaly O-1129, “Wooden Doll,” confirmed present in large numbers at the site. Assume Group of Interest involvement and proceed accordingly.]

[Radiation levels in the town measured. Operations can proceed in the Yulje-myeon town center at this time. Do not approach the epicenter on foot.]

[We will escort the command vehicle.]

[This is Dr. Geum. We’re within expected parameters, and no escort is needed. We’re in a tank on our end as well. Proceed with the operation as planned.]

[Task Force Mistilteinn has successfully entered the town. Dispersing deicide gas.]

[You may enter the town.]

****

Was dropping the tactical nuke really the right call?

There was no way to know yet.

Maybe when we got to the site, there wouldn’t be a single hostile monster left—just the scorch marks of vaporized humans plastered all over the epicenter.

Though it didn’t look that way.

Rrrrrrrrrr.

The autocannon mounted on the armored vehicle raked the surroundings.

Most of the buildings in the town were low-rise, and some were made of tin or brick instead of concrete. Not exactly cover suited for hiding from an anti-tank autocannon.

A fair number of buildings collapsed helplessly under the armored vehicle’s autocannon fire. Along with the humanoid figures hiding inside them.

“Can you see what they are?”

Christopher squinted at the screen. The things visible on the monitor right now were—for some reason—more familiar than I’d expected.

“They look like Wooden Dolls. Not sure yet.”

“Wooden Dolls?”

Ugh, disgusting.

Why were those things here? Looked like the mad artists I’d seen at the museum had shown up. No idea what they wanted.

“Either way, I’ll grind them all to dust.”

The Wooden Dolls began shambling toward the armored vehicle in a manner similar to the zombies. Who knows what the bastards who made them had hidden away.

The armored vehicle started backing away.

We need to confirm who’s—

*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!* Explosions rang out in succession. The buildings hit in front of the armored vehicle collapsed like sandcastles.

I stared at the town. Up close, the city looked even more grotesque. The drug’s effects were still lingering.

It was a horrifying, incomprehensible sight.

Bizarre plants in garish colors sprouted everywhere, and some buildings were twisted into shapes that shouldn’t exist, unable to even collapse properly.

Grotesque humanoid forms—Wooden Dolls, zombies, monsters—filled the streets.

The autocannon opened fire again.

I decided to ignore the gunfire. The gunpowder smell and the shock were intense, but they’d be firing all day. I couldn’t flinch every time a round went off.

Still, Wooden Dolls and zombies alike were ground away like dust. Heads pulverized and limbs sent flying at the mere graze of a bullet.

“We should’ve brought the research team.”

“I was thinking the same. If we’d had a helicopter available, I would’ve done just that. A shame.”

The situation was still progressing smoothly—

“Tank commander here. Something is chasing the vehicle.”

“Large hostile instance detected. Moving out.”

The armored vehicle surged forward at maximum speed. The tank crew must be planning to run.

Large hostile instance, whatever that—

Ah, there it is.

The vehicle’s ground radar feed flashed onto the screen. Over the battlefield map, friendly positions and the locations of the large hostile instances were marked.

“It’s coming this way?”

The armored vehicle fled at full throttle, groaning like mad. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The main cannon poured as much ammunition as it could into the pursuer.

Whatever had been chasing us—it went quiet after taking three 105mm shells to the face. Finally, I got a proper look at the monster.

“Do you know what that is?”

“Not sure. A giant… crocodile?”

“I don’t know either.”

This is bad.

****

First, let’s calmly assess the situation.

Inside this armored vehicle, excluding myself, there are five people. Three tank crew, one engineer, and one task force operative.

“KYAAAAAAAH!”

I pressed hard on my temple.

I can’t even tell which of the five is screaming. Not that I’m saying it isn’t a situation worth screaming about. Another crisis, huh…

I’ll think of a solution this time too.