WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Natty
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◈ Black Badger ◈
Chapter 24: Outside the Core (2)
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That sounds terrifying enough.
At this point, it seemed better to just seal off the subway entrances. Was there another reason they had to go down into the subway?
The question came to mind, but there was no time to ask.
Yoon, who had been standing in the distance looking somewhere unknown, turned his head.
“Let’s begin.”
His voice was calm.
“There’s a mountain of cargo to move.”
“Where are we moving it?”
Yoon met my eyes.
With a dry look, he pointed a thumb over his shoulder. Tom and Hessi followed the direction of his finger.
“That big building.”
His finger pointed to a large white building standing among the decayed structures.
It looked like it must have had spacious, well-kept grounds before the world fell apart. Its windows reflected the sunlight brilliantly. Green grass covered the grounds, and turrets stood at every corner.
Was that some kind of cannon near the entrance?
“The Library of Beginnings.”
As I studied the building, Yoon’s flat voice reached my ears.
“It was the first supply depot the Badgers created after Breath was established.”
* * *
We worked all morning.
The work itself was not too exhausting since we had basic strength. But there was just too much of it.
We formed a line like ants and kept moving supplies. When lunchtime came, we stopped working. We went inside and ate the lunch stocked on the train. Afterward, we rested in our respective train cars for about an hour, then came back outside on time.
The afternoon work began.
Before we started, Yoon approached Tom and Hessi’s senior partners.
“About the supply depot inventory. What exactly did that bastard say?”
Yoon looked at Kal.
“I heard Tvein reported it.”
“The food supplies are decreasing,” Angela answered.
“He says the count goes down by one box every night.”
“One box?”
Yoon raised an eyebrow.
Kal and Angela nodded. Yoon faintly furrowed his brow and muttered as if to himself.
“The amount missing is too vague.”
“So we asked whether someone might be eating it or taking it away....”
Angela answered while putting on gloves to begin work.
“He said it was likely that someone was taking it.”
“Well, I don’t care about that person’s claims. The facts matter. His imprecise guesses are completely useless.”
My senior partner was as rude as ever.
I was impressed by his consistency. He had not said anything wrong, but still. Did he have to say it so unpleasantly...?
But the conversation that followed made me understand why Yoon had answered that way.
I realized who Tvein was.
“So where is that bastard now?”
“They said he is returning from D Zone. He said he would arrive here around midnight.”
“The train?”
“He said he was debating whether to take it back.”
“Put him through to me when he contacts you again. And don’t tell him there are three recruits here. It’ll be annoying if he runs into them.”
Yoon spoke indifferently.
“Especially Hildebert. He already seems to have it in for him, calling him a parachute hire or whatever.”
“Senior Jason Tvein?”
Was that the person from then?
The one who had been badmouthing Ye-hyeon in the hallway right after introductions. I had only seen the back of his blond head at the time.
Angela said she understood. Kal nodded silently.
As I put on my gloves, I watched their reactions before gathering the courage to ask.
“Who is Senior Tvein?”
I might have been falsely accusing an innocent person, after all.
The senior partners turned to look at me.
Yoon answered.
“The blond guy who was talking behind your back.”
Ah, as expected.
“Talking behind your back?”
Kal raised a thick eyebrow.
I gave an awkward smile. It was embarrassing to explain every detail in front of my fellow recruits’ senior partners.
So I simply trailed off.
“I did enter in a strange way. My low recovery ability could become a burden to other Badgers.... It makes sense that he would not like me.”
“He just hates Ye-hyeon.”
Yoon spoke without interest.
“So he also dislikes you because Ye-hyeon is paying attention to you. That bastard is an old fogey, too.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Kal had been studying my expression carefully.
It seemed Kal thought I had taken the gossip to heart. That was not wrong. I had taken it to heart.
“Yoon’s explanation is accurate. That person just hates the Commander-in-Chief.”
“Why does he hate him so much?”
Hessi asked.
Since Hesh had said he wanted to become a Badger because he admired Ye-hyeon, it made sense that he would wonder why anyone disliked him.
Yoon answered again.
“Because Ye-hyeon rose through the ranks.”
Huh?
Really?
“He thinks they fought a Level 10 creature together, but Ye-hyeon got all the credit. He’s absurdly simple-minded.”
“Is that really the reason...?”
“Officially, Ye-hyeon was promoted because he was credited with killing the Level 10 creature.”
The fact that he said officially meant there was more to it.
But Yoon did not explain further, and Angela took over.
“If he contacts us again, I will put him through to you.”
“Fine.”
Yoon nodded without interest.
He turned his head, stared somewhere, and spoke.
“Let’s finish replenishing the supplies first.”
Everyone began moving with crisp coordination.
* * *
Work began again. Like in the morning, we worked without complaint. We formed a line like ants and moved cargo. I moved my hands quickly so I would not hold anyone back, leaving no time to wonder what was inside.
By the time we finished, the sun was setting.
The final box passed through Yoon’s hands and settled inside the Library. My senior partner, who had disappeared inside for a moment, walked back out with his hands in his pockets.
“How is it inside?”
Angela approached Yoon as he walked out of the grounds. He did not look at the Badger approaching him. Even as he walked, he was staring somewhere.
It was the same direction as before. What was he looking at?
Without taking his eyes off whatever it was, Yoon spoke.
“At a glance, there doesn’t seem to be anything unusual.”
“Then is someone really taking things?”
I narrowed my eyes and tried to figure out what he had been watching.
What was it...?
“If the inventory keeps failing to match, we should report the matter in more detail to headquarters....”
“Put the three rookies inside.”
His words cut her off.
Click. The sound of Kal assembling and loading a gun changed the mood. The sunset colored the surroundings, and the relaxed atmosphere snapped taut in an instant.
Hessi, who had been sitting on the asphalt, jumped up. Tom, who had been removing his gloves beside me, straightened.
Angela abruptly stopped speaking and turned her head.
Then I figured out what Yoon had been watching.
[Creature “Witch.” Level 5. It floats through the air as it approaches and fires energy blasts. The more skilled the witch, the stronger its energy blasts. Spears and swords are more effective against it than guns. Its weakness is its head. No designated habitat. Never sighted inside a Core.]
The bestiary spoke.
It seemed to explain things on its own whenever we encountered a creature. I was glad I did not have to ask what the ragged figures appearing one by one on the horizon were.
Kal sharply turned his head.
“You three, get inside the Library.”
As Kal walked toward Yoon and Angela, his deep voice rang out.
“Do not come out until we return.”
“We can fight too!”
Hessi shouted, gripping his gun with both hands.
“Let us fight!”
“Why are there so many...?”
Angela’s startled voice carried on the wind.
Their numbers were still increasing.
The horizon was turning black. Yoon took out a cigarette pack with the expression of someone watching a boring television program.
“It seems they came looking for the rookie.”
“What?”
“Let’s save time. As you suggested, the three rookies will go to the Library.”
Yoon gave the order with an unlit cigarette between his lips.
“We’ll go greet them.”
“Senior!”
Hessi protested.
“We came out here to fight!”
“I’m not putting you in the Library to protect you, so quietly do as you’re told.”
This time, Yoon pulled out something that looked like a car key from another pocket.
When he pressed a button, the sound of an engine starting came from somewhere.
“I don’t care one bit whether you live or die. We’ll split up. The three rookies defend the supply depot. Everyone else clears those things out.”
“Yes.”
“Yes, Senior.”
“While you’re defending, find the cause of the missing inventory if you can.”
Three riderless black motorcycles shot out of the Library.
They stopped beside the senior partners. My fellow recruits and I widened our eyes. Apparently, there were things like that inside the supply depot as well.
Yoon lightly got onto a motorcycle and turned his head.
His dark eyes met my yellow ones.
“I want to get off work as soon as we’re done.”
“Yes.”
“Search every inch of the place.”
“I will inspect every corner and report back.”
I had no idea what I was supposed to do, but I answered eagerly.
Tom, who had remained silent until then, spoke calmly.
“We’ll defend the rear.”
“Do not let your guard down.”
Angela, seated on a motorcycle, warned Tom.
“There are so many that we do not know when or how many might get past us and head your way. Defending the supply depot is important work too. Do not think of it as an insignificant assignment. Do your best.”
“Yes, Senior.”
“Watch the fuel tanks.”
Kal jerked his chin toward the Library.
“If an energy blast hits one, it’ll be a disaster.”
So there were fuel tanks within the Library grounds as well.
The loud sound of engines starting filled the area. Yoon immediately set off on his motorcycle.
Vrooom!
The motorcycles raced forward with a thunderous roar.
Kal and Angela followed closely behind Yoon. The senior partners, who had taken off at tremendous speed, quickly grew distant. We watched the motorcycles race through the decayed city, then backed toward the supply depot while keeping our eyes on the shrinking dots.
“Shall we begin too?”
When the senior partners had shrunk to the size of thumbs, I turned around.
Hessi was biting his lip. Tom looked calm.
They looked at me and nodded.
I turned around.
“Let’s go inside the Library.”
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