WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

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◈ The Little Prince in the Ossuary

Chapter 76

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After the Rain (6)

Ten kilometers downstream from Fort Roberts, along the Salinas River, sat a small town called Bradley. Gyeoul's mission today was to seize it. Once secured, the Engineering Corps and refugee laborers were scheduled to move in and begin building a forward base.

Gyeoul watched the force approach the town entrance. Most were Triad volunteers, with one squad detached from Abel Company for management and support, plus drivers. The senior NCO among that group was Sergeant Arturo "Al" Rivera.

Which meant Gyeoul himself was in command of this operation. It was a minor mission, but the shift in U.S. military attitude was still striking. Even if it was volunteer-heavy, the force was nearly a full company. In effect, they had made him acting company commander.

When he received the Silver Star, his promotion had been held back because formal officer training was a required condition. So this seemed clear enough: they were willing to recognize his command ability even before he completed the course. Still, for the future, he would need proper training.

'I might get a recommended progression soon.'

Sometimes the Control AI recommended a specific progression format to preserve plausibility in Situational Computation. That was called Recommended Progression. You could refuse it, but there was little to gain.

Gyeoul keyed the company channel.

"All units, hold for now."

At that single order, the whole force split left and right off the road and took security positions in kneeling firing stance. One thing had not changed since the days of fighting humans: it still worked. Smaller exposed profile, better hit probability. Of course, if conditions changed, they followed updated doctrine.

As soldiers kept stealing glances at him, Gyeoul walked toward the church. It was the first building at the town entrance. The distinct cross with ornaments on each arm and the Virgin statue set into the wall made it clear this was a Catholic church, not a Protestant one.

'Then again, California has always had a strong Catholic presence.'

He knew that from experience. Maybe because there were so many Latino immigrants, about one in three people in California was Catholic.

The church was a whitewashed single-story building. Cute, almost toy-like, smaller than an ordinary house. If you packed the sanctuary, maybe thirty people could fit. The rounded bell tower was barely taller than the roof.

Gyeoul stopped a short distance from the entrance and gestured to the leaders.

"1st Platoon, 1st Squad. Search and secure the church."

This operation was the first live combat for the Triad fighters Gyeoul had selected. So it was half real mission, half training. That was also why the vehicle column was not entering town.

Li Ailing jogged up with her squad at a controlled pace. Even while moving, they kept security, proper tactical movement. Proof they had trained hard in their own way.

Her look was new. She wore combat fatigues without rank insignia, tied her hair back in a single tail, and had on sunglasses from who knew where. The black reinforced lenses reflected the scenery and stood out sharply against her pale skin. It was not a uniform violation. Whatever he thought of Li Ailing personally, Gyeoul had to admit she looked good.

'I should get Yura-ssi and Jin-seok-ssi a pair too.'

It would likely help Yura more, since she had less presence.

Oddly, the message log was not exploding. It used to flood every time he faced Li Ailing, a rare beauty even in this world setting. Things were different now. Maybe viewers from the other world were finally getting used to the boy.

While Gyeoul watched, Li Ailing's squad lined up along the outer church wall. So far they were following training, but the tension was obvious. Men and women alike had a fine tremor in their hands. Li Ailing kept glancing back at Gyeoul. Even with sunglasses covering her eyes, the rest of her face gave her away.

A natural reaction for first combat. Had the Gyeoul Alliance combat group not looked similar in San Miguel?

'They may have killed people before, but they probably have never fought mutants directly.'

Gyeoul pressed the radio receiver.

"No support. Squad leader decides and enters. Do exactly what you trained for."

Pressed to act, Li Ailing bit her lip. Frustration? She seemed to have expected something else.

The female officer from the crime group hesitated and scanned around the building, looking for a way to see inside. There was none. The door was tightly shut, and the windows were opaque.

Another member took off his helmet and pressed his ear to the door. Dangerous move. What was he going to do if the door suddenly flew open? At minimum, his teammates should have prepared covering fire. Instead they stayed glued to the wall and watched. Li Ailing drifted off to the side on her own.

Their training had vanished under stress. Gyeoul only kept watching because 「Survival Instinct」 showed a low threat level. Otherwise he would have stepped in immediately.

"Squad leader! Assistant squad leader! Control your people! Squad members, do not split without orders!"

The sharp warning hit them like a thunderclap. They jolted, flustered and scrambling. Hard to believe they were criminals. Fear made everyone the same.

'As soldiers, ordinary civilians with basic discipline are better than criminals.'

Still, they would improve once they got used to it. Ready for sudden contact, Gyeoul kept his muzzle angled toward the church, stock firm against his shoulder.

Then something felt off, and he turned around. The rest of the force was supposed to be on security, but all of them were watching this side. When Gyeoul stared at them, the Chinese volunteers hurriedly looked away. A few just stared back blankly even after meeting his eyes.

They were proving with their whole bodies that one live mission outweighed a hundred drills.

"Attention, all company personnel except 1st Squad. Watch your assigned sectors properly. Anyone neglecting duty will be disciplined after we return."

Discipline from Gyeoul was not the real fear. The secondary punishment inside the Triad would be worse. The spectators snapped into shape.

By then Li Ailing had split her squad in two. Gyeoul listened quietly to their internal radio. Only now was Squad Leader Li Ailing giving real orders.

[Kuntao! Guard the chapel's left entrance with Gangchuan! Um, and... right, Zhongqiu, Guojin! You two hold the chapel's right exit! Ziyuan! Zeguang! You two... take left and right of the front entrance! Move in the moment the grenade goes off! The rest move with me!]

She stumbled a bit, but it was good enough.

'No need to use a grenade here, though.'

Gyeoul did not interfere. She needed confidence.

Li Ailing smashed the window herself. She swung the rifle butt hard, but the first hit struck the frame. The second connected. Crash. The moment a hole opened, one unnamed enforcer tossed a grenade inside.

They waited.

No explosion.

Gyeoul tilted his head.

...A dud?

Li Ailing exchanged a few words with that enforcer. They were too quiet to hear, but their expressions and gestures were clear. She scolded him for a while, then planted her hands on her hips and looked up at the sky. The one getting yelled at just stared at the ground, face bright red.

'Looks like he threw it without pulling the pin.'

Gyeoul let out a short sigh.

Li Ailing pushed her muzzle through the broken window and carefully checked inside. Quiet. If ordinary mutants were there, they would have reacted to the noise and already thrown themselves at the window.

The tension drained from her shoulders. Too soon. Judging by the structure, there were probably a couple more rooms inside. Gyeoul watched her and her squad closely.

They looked ready to enter through the main door. Li Ailing left troops on both flanks for side security and gathered the rest at the front. Gyeoul stood about five meters behind them, ready for contingencies. Once they confirmed the boy officer behind them, they seemed even more at ease.

They kicked in the main door and went in. As soon as they breached, they spread left and right and established fields of fire. With the worst of the tension gone, their movement became more fluid. Gyeoul stepped onto the threshold.

One wrongly thrown grenade sat alone on the center floor. Li Ailing shot a glare at the man who had thrown it. He hesitated, then moved to pick it up.

Something pale dropped from above.

Gyeoul fired instantly.

Drrrt!

From outside, he had only about 0.3 seconds to acquire the target. It had the shape of a human with all limbs spread. The boy's three-round burst pierced its head.

"Aaaagh!"

A Chinese volunteer screamed and thrashed under the Ghoul corpse. The rest of the squad reacted late and raised their rifles, and Gyeoul shouted at once.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot! It's already dead! Muzzles down!"

If they poured concentrated fire into that tangle, the pinned man would be shredded. The Chinese volunteers who had almost pulled the trigger turned their bleached faces toward the boy officer.

Gyeoul swept the ceiling once, confirmed there was nothing except a swaying chandelier, then strode over and dragged the convulsing man out. The full-body struggle was hard even for Gyeoul. First he kicked away the man's rifle before it could go off by accident. He did it to prevent an accidental discharge, but it terrified the man even more. He squeezed his eyes shut and shoved at Gyeoul with hands and feet.

"Get away! Go away! Aaaagh! Mom! Mom! I'm dead! I'm gonna die!"

"Get a hold of yourself!"

Smack. Gyeoul slapped him hard across the face. Then he grabbed his collar with one hand, hauled him up in one motion, and shouted from inches away.

"Changlong! Changlong! Open your eyes and look at me!"

Calling him by name from the name tape worked. The man opened his eyes and looked at Gyeoul. The screaming stopped, leaving only ragged breathing. Gyeoul said,

"Calm down. You're okay now."

"..."

Gyeoul slowly let him go. His legs gave out and he slumped down, unable to stand straight. Gyeoul checked his wristwatch. Thirteen minutes had passed since operation start.

'This is going to be a long day.'

There were not even that many buildings. Even at a snail's pace, it would not affect mission completion.

The boy conducted the search alone. He wanted to at least assign Li Ailing's squad to cover him, but their faces were still pale. He could not trust his back to them yet.

[Lieutenant Han-nim. Is everything all right over there?]

The voice of Corporal Rivera, the deputy commander, came through the radio. Gyeoul replied at once.

"Yes. Just one Ghoul. It was hanging from the ceiling and dropped down. I killed it. No casualties."

[My God... people said they've been getting smarter lately, and it was true. Any further orders?]

"Nothing right now. It won't take long, so keep waiting a little longer."

[Understood. End transmission.]

After ending the call, Gyeoul moved behind the sanctuary. There were two doors. He kicked one open, and it led to the sacristy. The trapped air felt stuffy. No mutant smell. Even Ghouls, which overcame immune rejection and did not rot like other bodies, still smelled like people who had not washed for a very long time.

Keeping watch on the opposite door, Gyeoul backed into the sacristy and looked around, collecting a few small holy items. They would make good gifts for alliance members who were Catholic.

Then he kicked in the remaining door. This time, the stench of decay hit him hard. But there was no mutant inside. A corpse that looked long dead lay there alone. A pill bottle had rolled beside it. Probably suicide. It had been the priest's quarters, but the dead person was not a priest. He did not know the story, but it looked like someone came to the church before dying and ended their life there.

After finishing the search, Gyeoul called Li Ailing's squad over near the Ghoul corpse.

"Come look. You all need to get more used to mutants."

The Chinese volunteers did not want to go near even a dead Ghoul. Reading their fear, Gyeoul grabbed the Ghoul by the head and turned it toward them. Li Ailing covered her mouth. She did not step back, but her upper body leaned away.

No. Others could avoid it, but not her. She was the one leading them. That was why Gyeoul kept his gaze fixed on her.

"Look straight at it. If seeing a dead one is enough to do this to you, how are you planning to handle a real fight?"

"Ugh..."

To be fair, Ghouls were disgusting to look at. The closest comparison was a severe leprosy patient. Its face looked like flesh had melted, run, and hardened again.

With his free hand, Gyeoul gripped under its face and pulled the jaw open. At the same time, he tilted the head farther back so they could clearly see inside the mouth. The long tongue hung out, and up close it was different from a human one.

"See it? Infection Protrusions are inside the mouth. In other words, you won't be infected unless you're directly bitten or touch those protrusions. So come closer. Touch it. Unless you want to freeze up and die when one grabs you in real combat."

Since the words were clearly for her, Li Ailing had no choice but to step forward and reach toward the Ghoul. Flinch, flinch. Gyeoul gave a cold order.

"Take off your gloves."

"...What?"

"You won't be infected, so take them off."

"Do I really have to?"

Gyeoul did not bother answering.

She took off her gloves.

Her thin, long fingertips touched the gray, caked flesh of the monster. Li Ailing squeezed her eyes shut and trembled. Even if it were not a mutant, it was dirty, foul-smelling, and hideous. A physical sense of revulsion was natural.

After a while, Li Ailing asked in a shaky voice,

"Is this enough now?"

"No."

"..."

At least the effect of 「Instruction」 cut down pointless delay. Only after giving all the remaining members the same horrible experience did Gyeoul finally allow them to go outside.

The operation resumed.

============================ Author's Postscript ============================

Q. SucheonCheonsa-nim: @I was about to sleep at dawn and then the next chapter...

A. I don't want to write until dawn either...

Q. RGZ95-nim: @Actually it's 3 PM right now, isn't it?

A. You lost your sense of time reading my novel...

Come to think of it, other readers have also left comments saying they started casually and then could not sleep, or could not study for exams, or had trouble going to work.

My god... this reality where families collapse, society collapses, and homes are devastated because of me...

I have no choice. It is so sad it almost makes me laugh, but I think I need to take a short break from serialization!

See you again in 40,000 years. Bye!

Q. ChickenIsHalfHalfTruth-nim: @Author this is such a tease please write more fast if you mass-release chapters I'll love you

A. Then I guess I'll be an author who never gets loved. T_T

Q. Atirun-nim: @That person is an elder, right, lending young people the wisdom of years

A. Sadly, it is very hard to meet elders like that.

Q. NeoGGM-nim: @I think the gender controversy around WhiteBean-nim can be explained with quantum theory. In this theory there are three states. Up (male), Down (female), and superposition. It's superposed until observed. I will define this as Schrodinger's gender. Ah this feels like I shouldn't do this. WhiteBean-nim, sorry.

A. WhiteBean-nim, sorry. (2)

Q. Cheongnyuryeon-nim: @Today is another day full of childlike innocence! I really love the wonder you share, author. I hit recommend every time I reread, but if recommendations increase, does it help the author somehow?

A. First, the author's childlike innocence fills up. Most important part.

Besides that, it can help with calculating the Today Best index, but honestly that part has no meaning.

This novel cannot enter the best ranking anyway. :)

Q. Dohwawon-nim: @Is the timing of mutant evolution random?

A. There are many variables. The player's unconscious desires can be reflected too. The rest would be spoilers, so it's hard to explain.

Q. PoktanZgi-nim: @You don't answer unless I add this. Was it intentional that chapter 74 kept referring to Gyeoul as "the boy"?

A. No big meaning.

Q. Aeldatssu-nim: @I have a setting question... can I ask here? In a world where cloning is legal, why didn't the Chairman give the protagonist a clone substitute? Feels like a win-win for both sides.

A. First, it costs more. No reason to buy something on purpose at a higher price.

There are two other reasons, but one is a light spoiler and the other is a heavy spoiler, so it's hard to talk about them.

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