A Dark Fantasy Spy

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The dizzying madness of the human modification furnace, where sand boils fiercely!

This wasn’t merely something found in the red desert of the Mauritania Continent.

The Republic of Korea’s Marine Corps loves their red badges just as fiercely as the red sands! Here lies the original—human modification furnace.

They take great pride in being part of Special Forces! (Navy Headquarters: ? / Ministry of Defense: ?)

With nothing but airborne capabilities, they effortlessly suppress those who call themselves the “Tanaek Special Forces” from the Misari Training Ground! (Special Forces Training Instructor: ? / Dongmyung Unit 29th – Monitoring and Reconnaissance in the Lebanon Conflict Zone – Special Forces Man: ?)

The all-around underwater infiltration unit is thousands of times more powerful than the Jinhe boat seal UDT, which is only capable of underwater demolitions! (Training Battalion Instructor: ? / Cheonghae Unit 40th – Currently establishing a mill on a warship: Pro-gman: ?)

Even the special intelligence unit known as HID, UDU is overwhelmed by their abilities—it has even been publicized that they possess sea special forces! (XX Area – Cadet Graduate: Did something happen? / XX Area – Senior Graduate: Dunno?)

World’s strongest! Republic of Korea Marine Corps! (U.S. Marine Corps: lol)

Red symbolizes blood, while yellow represents sweat. The red badge is inscribed with a yellow name on a red background.

In other words, marines are born as “human weapons” forged through blood and sweat!

The Marine Corps itself is the “human modification furnace” that creates these human weapons!

*Marine Jajang – Represented by Hwang Keun-chul, ‘Marine Literature Universe’ along with creatively modified problems in ‘Marine Non-fiction’ serve as malicious propaganda and slander from North Korean puppet information warriors envious of the Marine Corps.

In that sense,

Tanaek Infantry Administrative! – (TMI 1. The Army Intelligence Corps is actually an abbreviation for ‘real infantry’)

Administrative work! – (TMI 2. Information Officers may superficially appear as mere clerical workers)

The adversaries of soldiers! – (TMI 3. Intelligence/Counterintelligence units are ‘originally’ run mainly by executives)

A talent meeting these three conditions!

Those not worthy of being men, the unforgiven, Tanaek of Tanaek, beings that should not exist!

“Jiiienjaaaa….”

“Run, Frederick!”

“I’m running!”

The human modification furnace shall reject you!

—

Episode 18 – The Man Club

Born as a man, daring to apply to the ‘Army’—not the Marine Corps—and even as an adversary of soldiers, being a ‘staff officer’ was an unquenchable disgrace.

Since the liberation, one plus one plus one plus one… (ellipsis) Seventy-seven years have passed. In that long time, can one truly fathom how deep the resentment of the young men who served as soldiers must run?

(Of course, many served as sergeants and officers, but to even mention that right now is the purest cringe that is neither FUN nor COOL nor SEXY.)

And did he alone become a staff officer? No, it was not. His father was actually a commissioned officer!

Proud marines actually use the term ‘from the Navy’ in Korea.

Then! Through the process of elimination, one could guess that ‘from a commissioned officer’ refers to Tanaek Infantry (Army) or Tanaek Sparrow (Air Force) officers!

For reference, marines dislike Tanaek Sparrows intensely.

Not just dislike—it’s a fierce opposition. If one were to spot a ‘stinking cargo truck’ while in a specific self-censored metropolitan area, there’s a saying to immediately break into the song ‘Red Muffler.’

Thus, they completely erased any memory of the Tanaek Sparrow training camp (Air Force Academy), leaving only one remaining thought.

A barracks producing Tanaek like ones that spark joy for those whose resident registration number starts with ‘1’—akin to those who adore StarCraft! (Military Academy: ?)

In other words, this man has walked an unmanly path for two generations as a Tanaek officer!

…Of course, if someone were talking that way in front of him, a shovel might find its way into their mouth, or a fist might change their jaw.

Likewise, had this reached the ears of the Army Academy Commander, there would have been an airstrike utilizing the Marine Corps’ “natural enemy” helicopters raining havoc on the Marine Fortress!

Alas, due to the extreme contamination of that place, even more serious than the pollutants discarded by the North Korean rogue army in 2024, it was deemed impossible to push valuable helicopters and precious rotary-wing pilots into such a contaminated area, thus the debauchery of the Marine Fortress continues.

Frederick’s situation was not that different.

“……”

Hollow eyes. Sunken cheeks. Rotten skin and an ashen face!

Covered lightly with sand and bruises, he was a mess!

Whether a tattooed pig beside him was doing handstands or the red pig (had he flown around in a biplane, such narration would not exist), Frederick found himself too drained to scream, merely rolling among the furnace of human modification!

Though devoid of energy, he had finally shed some of that lady-like Tanaek demeanor and regained his manliness.

Proud marines of the Republic of Korea think about this.

Of course, the country of Korea does not exist here either.

Every young man serving in Korea, including the Marine Corps, had no clue about where or what they were doing. A ‘trivial’ and ‘adorably clueless’ being existed!

But what does it matter?

None of that was of any importance!

“…Let me go.”

Wanting to stay in this state was utterly absurd!

Look at that pitiful figure, unable to properly speak with tears blurring vision!

The spirit of man moving those who observe!

“I want to go back!”

Damn…

Get a grip!

—

The final recruit (forced enrollment) has led Duke Alexandra Petrovna to present three conditions.

First, eliminate all monsters within the barrier.

Second, through this training, each must gain a new understanding.

Third, all must safely return.

The meanings of numbers one and two effectively signify the completion of training. In other words, these are conditions for leaving this place.

Eliminate all monsters or gain a new understanding. Fulfill either one, and you can exit the barrier.

Conversely, number three held little significance. The group had no blood feuds with one another. Having already fought demons and returned alive, how could they possibly fall to mere monsters?

So, they just needed to clear out the monsters and exit.

…However, our hope was tragically shattered right at the start.

“We added more monsters!?”

Just after we had tidied up the monsters and Aida screamed with joy (not), the words “I want to go back!” echoed amidst the chaos, followed by Camila screaming at the sight of the pouring monsters.

The slumped Duke chuckled nonchalantly.

“Did you think we would let you all leave peacefully after cleaning up all the monsters? You’re such a cunning disciple.”

With the knowledge that she already anticipated everything, she laughed while waving her finger.

The air split apart, and a rift formed.

– Swish.

As space tore apart, flesh began to squirm its way out.

Like people rushing out, stepping on each other, the flesh stormed into the open sky and eventually through the opened ceiling of the barrier.

Above their heads.

“Damn…”

What isn’t food, but monsters raining from the sky. Is this an all-you-can-eat restaurant?

“I will help you not to die. However, it’s best if you try to survive situations of near death yourself.”

The Duke, surveying the ground from her carpet, adds in a reassuring tone. Her kind smile was an added bonus.

“Don’t worry too much. I once trained in this manner myself.”

No! What kind of madman would practice magic like this in today’s world!

I tried to protest with all my might, but it fell on deaf ears. Whether she couldn’t hear me or chose not to, it wasn’t clear.

The mysteriously silver-haired Archmage continued to speak typical old-person nonsense:

“Back in my day, we all did it this way. During my time, we fought monsters in the snow for days on end…”

“I see you’re pretending not to hear.”

“Focus! Look ahead!”

The method of training the Duke often practiced was nothing special. Just throw in a bunch of monsters, driving humans into extreme situations.

Truly, this was the pinnacle of inefficiency and lack of structure, a vague boundary between romance and barbarism!

However, for an Archmage born in an era where only the strong survived, even this seemed to evoke a nostalgic memory of youth.

Watching us fight desperately against monsters (though we were the ones actually fighting, not her), brought back the Duke’s fond memories of long ago.

“This training holds significance in transcending one’s limits. On the twelfth night into my training, I wandered through a pitch-black path until I finally reached the wall I had to overcome…”

Avoiding the spikes shot by a monster, Lucia, holding a rock to poke out its eyes, muttered wearily.

“Extreme or not… I feel as if I’m nearing death right now.”

“Lucia, to your four o’clock! Be careful of the eight-legged King Lizard!”

Camila, wielding two skewers of flame, dashed forward, continuously stabbing at the soft underbelly of the monster. It was the one Lucia had blinded moments ago.

Honestly, from the perspective of these monsters that were just trying to live their lives, being suddenly thrown into a Coliseum might feel a bit unfair.

They had been content (to eat people), but suddenly, they wake up to a crazy old lady saying, “Now, kill each other!” while a blonde woman pokes rocks in their eyes.

Wasn’t this somewhat reminiscent of the plight faced by Jews forcibly moved when Nazis struck? I’m not sure.

Because I was the Nazi myself.

-Bam. Bam. Bam.

As the desert resonated with pounding tremors, the Duke, lazily lounging about while watching clouds, perked up, exclaiming “Oh!”.

A gigantic lizard (twice the normal size!) was descending. It was so cute, thrashing about with its eight legs in a desperate effort to escape the extra-dimensional space.

“I do say it looks quite… substantial.”

Of course, this was merely how it appeared to the Duke.

To everyone else, a terrifying monster resembling a deep-sea anglerfish was stomping about, intending to devour them with its grotesquely large eight limbs. (Meanwhile, Camila, frantic, was yelling, “That—That!” and got slapped by Frederick, puffing up her cheeks in indignation.)

The good news was that the super gigantic King Lizard’s ample backside was trapped, making it difficult for it to make its way out.

In essence, they were stuck waiting like Seoul citizens trapped on a crammed subway, begging, “Oh come on! Can we please go forward, Sir?” “Dude! Can’t you see there are people behind me?”

If that lizard had grown up in Korea, it would have either been a blocking champion or perhaps a troll. Maybe it was both.

“Such large species should only be seen in the treacherous northern regions of the Empire. The Red Desert is quite a treacherous territory indeed.”

Just as I was observing the massive lizard with intrigue, the Duke suddenly tilted her head, saying,

“…Have I caught one of those before?”

Is it forgetfulness? Damn it.

Whether she heard those words or not, Francesca and Akande chimed in one after another.

It was banter between a crazy sorceress (aren’t all sorcerers mad?) and a fool (Cat Daddy—though he never brought any cats).

“Hm… To me, that monster looks more like an iguana than a lizard.”

“An extremely massive one! Plenty of meat, can feed us for quite some time! Let’s take it back!”

“…Just came for a field trip, and I’m stuck with the world’s dumbest people.”

So, no help from anyone.

In pursuit of efficient magical use, Camila, holding what seemed like small flames, jabbed at the monsters, alternating between them.

Overwhelmed with emotion, she protested.

“Frederick isn’t helping at all!”

“Ha! Of course!.”

The Duke didn’t even hand me a gun—just tossed a greatsword my way!

What was I supposed to do with just that? I asked him, and he merely returned my words, saying if there weren’t any bullets, I should find a way to fight.

Meanwhile, he added, “If fate permits, perhaps there might be some special opportunities?”

What nonsense. Even half-baked astrologists say things like that!

I slammed my fist into a monster, taking down the smaller one, engaging in a full-on fisticuff.

“Isn’t this a bit too much?” I grumbled.

But it’s all good. Hope still remains.

The regional officer is missing; surely the company would want to look for him, right?

I clung to hope for the embassy (to be precise, the Embassy through Abas’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Kien’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs… I read it as a rescue).

Even the Duke wouldn’t want a diplomatic incident!

“……”

But what are those guys doing?

Whether they heard any news or not, people who appeared to be from the embassy showed up in the distance.

Upon spotting the vehicle raising dust, the Duke pulled in the “conceal and disguise,” and the people began observing from afar.

They saw the Duke in the clouds and then shifted attention to the gathered cult/Al-Yabd/Magic Tower officials (on-call due to the emergency), alternating their gaze to me and the Duke.

Then, all of a sudden—

“Gulp…!”

They gave us a thumbs-up and left.

“Yo—what the hell—”

Are you people even human? Just you wait, I’ll blow up the embassy when I return. You’ve never felt a 120mm shell, have you?

I swear, I’ll have the Hassan Warlord blow up the backyard pool for real. They’ll shout they’re dead.

In the midst of my wild raving, a monster charged in with a “Waa-ang!” and I quickly kicked it aside, fleeing in the opposite direction.

“Whoa!”

“Quiet down, tattooed pig!”

“Eh…?”

Despite his waning strength, Akande still rampaged. Camila yelled at him in response, it was a truly heart-pounding sight.

Lucia struggles to hold the monster’s lower and upper jaws, while Francesca used basic elemental magic to slice a chunk from its neck.

“Thank you.”

“They just keep on coming!”

True to her word, they continued pouring in.

This barrier was teeming with every monster that existed in the Red Desert. How many were there? No matter how many were slain, there seemed no end.

With a languid expression, the Duke stretched, yawned, and licked her lips.

“If it’s insufficient, just say so. I’ll go catch some more.”

That one comment pressed the button of my patience. We must break this cycle of barbarism and savage mischief this time!

Unable to hold back, I drew my concealed pistol (which I always carry for self-defense).

Sorry, Grandfather. I never wanted to use this…!

—

Central Intelligence Agency, Unofficial – Hidden

“Your Grace! We need to train on a grand scale—cough, cough…!”

“Hm?”

My nationalistic resolution towards the Duke went unrealized. The companions in the midst of battling dashed in to cover my mouth and hold me down.

(*Referencing the June 28, 1914 patch notes, had I shot while holding ‘the Beast’s Heart’ instead of the ‘Serbian Nationalism’, the result may have been different.)

Camila quickly concealed my gun, while Lucia and Francesca grabbed my limbs and pushed me to the sandy ground. For reference, my face was buried in the sand heated by the midday sun.

Though screams erupted, there was no way they could be heard.

“Let me gooooo….!”

As Frederick, slowly frying (progress 0%) screamed, Camila shouted.

“He keeps on rampaging! What do we do?”

“We must press down harder.”

Still thinking he wasn’t aware, Lucia hurriedly pinned Frederick down with her knees. Obviously, there was no malicious intent; they simply hoped to restrain him until he calmed down.

If three adults bear down on someone lying flat on the hot, dried-up sand, what could possibly happen?

“Grahhh…!”

No matter how much he cried out for release, the three of them amusingly managed to put Frederick (progress 0.1%) on a sort of makeshift frying pan, cackling as if they were frying chicken in sand.

They flipped him forward, then backward. To be honest, I started noticing what they were doing from the middle, yet it was amusing enough to keep watching.

Either way, with that oversized King Lizard blocking the entrance, no monsters would be coming out for now. (??: Damn that lizard! / ?? : That freak is so annoying.)

“Mm? What? Why are there screams? You look to be having a blast.”

After catching some small monsters, Akande arrived, joining the fun, holding Frederick, cheering him on like he was a playground piece.

Thus, finally!

The Tanaek Infantry Administrative Soldier’s loyal enemy, as red as his red badge, boiled fiercely in the hot sand!

Creating a red (scarlet) handmade fry even more intense and stunning than the crispy sand-dusted memories of summer days in New Delhi!

“……”

And for the great magical Tanaek Sparrow (Archmage), Alexandra Petrovna, it looked like this.

Noticing the sounds of fighting had come to a sudden halt, she peered down, thinking it was time to wrap things up, only to find her students rolling clumsily in the sand during broad daylight.

“…? What are you guys doing there?”

Had the heat gotten to her, or was she still a bit dazed?

Peering over the edge of her carpet, Alexandra Petrovna let out an exasperated sigh.

“I fear I can’t live a full life due to you all.”

“Grahhh…! Just let me go already…!”

“Oh my….”

Looks like they are having fun.

The great magical Tanaek Sparrow let out a sigh! With a flick of her talons (fingers) into the clouds, the clouds instantly turned a deep, dark sea color, quickly turning into storm clouds—

– Whoosh.

Swift, crackling bolts of lightning rained down upon the students who were playing around instead of studying.

Seeing this, the lizard yelled, “Hey, hey. Go inside. This isn’t right. Seriously, back up! Back up!” as it hurriedly retreated.

The five students playing on ground level were all met with the love spank of lightning.

Thus, the Duke, after scolding her irritating disciples (though there’s technically only one disciple) finally remarked.

“That’s enough for today. Come out and eat. A person must eat to live.”