Miserable Reincarnation

60 – Black Magician (3)

Time passed quickly. The vehicle brought by Muller was modest but equipped with a protective barrier, allowing it to remain unaffected by the attacks of the corpses.

Initially, he had been shot and fallen before even approaching the vehicle, but thanks to that, they could avoid being affected by the attacks of the corpses.

That’s how they continued the surrounding reconnaissance for a few hours. Thanks to the fog clearing up slightly before sunset, they were able to barely finish the reconnaissance.

The marketplace was much larger than they had anticipated.

Chen, who was examining the map, muttered under his breath.

“…There must be at least a million buried here.”

Although there were two battalions of border guards stationed, even considering that, it wasn’t a size that could be handled by just five people.

Of course, if the purpose was surveillance rather than combat, it would be possible, albeit risky.

“Gear up. The sun is setting soon.”

Muller said so and tossed night vision goggles to Lian. He watched Muller, who seemed familiar, tighten the bolt while looking down the barrel in silence.

‘He doesn’t even ask how I’m doing. Well, he probably wouldn’t have told me even if I asked.’

Once he started to think about it, his thoughts kept drifting in that direction.

Lian, who was checking beyond the night vision goggles, opened his mouth.

“Did you get the interrogation results?”

“He’s just a reconnaissance soldier sent to track the movements of the investigation team. He doesn’t even know who’s behind him or why he was sent there in the first place.”

Well, that makes sense. Those big shots who undermine the military wouldn’t be so careless.

They must have prepared several safety measures to ensure their identity doesn’t get exposed.

“But I didn’t expect them to use such a powerful sorcerer as a mere reconnaissance soldier.”

After all, sniping at an opponent located beyond thick fog was not something anyone could do.

Lian, who was once again looking at the marketplace covered in dense fog, opened his mouth.

“When do you think those bastards will show up again?”

“Soon, if we’re lucky. Tomorrow, if not.”

“You seem to expect them to appear sooner than I thought.”

“They sent scouts even after knowing that investigators were dispatched. It means there’s a shortage of corpses.”

The fact that dark sorcerers used corpses as catalysts for their potions was a poorly kept secret, just like any other public secret.

Due to the strict regulations in the city of Turas, obtaining corpses had become difficult for dark sorcerers. Temporary burial grounds must have been an invaluable source for them.

They could easily plunder hundreds of bodies in a day if they were skilled enough.

But with the arrival of investigators, their supply was now under control. For them, it was like their insides were burning.

Losing what they once enjoyed only fueled their anger further.

“These impatient ones. They might as well show up now and wreak havoc in the burial grounds.”

“Have you encountered dark sorcerers before?”

“On the front lines, you encounter all sorts of monsters. Creatures like me feel like nothing, really.”

“…”

Muller was smiling, but his eyes betrayed an indescribable sense of helplessness.

Lian nodded, as if understanding. The wars in this world were much more brutal and ruthless than those of their past lives.

Just the Black Society alone had enough power to be called a natural disaster.

“Though, in my opinion, you’re the weirder one.”

“But still not a monster.”

“I’m not crazy enough to call someone who’s in debt for their life a monster.”

Muller lit a cigarette, and the distinct sharp smell of tobacco spread through the air. Watching the scene unfold, Lian spoke.

“The scent is strong.”

“I deliberately chose a strong one.”

“Can you smell it from a distance?”

Muller, who was exhaling smoke, chuckled. He gazed at Rian with a face full of satisfaction.

“hehehe. As expected, you like it. Your intuition is amazing. I was curious, how old are you?”

“I haven’t become an adult yet.”

Muller nodded as if he had expected it.

It was a fact he had known for a long time, but this kid’s intuition was exceptionally quick.

It felt fortunate to be on the same side.

“No need for complicated explanations, and that’s great.”

Where did he acquire this intuition? The battlefield? Who knows. It didn’t matter; knowing wouldn’t change anything.

“Tina, Chen, and Miller plan to keep watch here. Considering there are only four of us as guards, we’ll be tempting prey for hot-tempered dark sorcerers.”

“You intend to be the bait.”

Muller nodded.

Even though the sun had set a long time ago, he had been keeping the truck’s headlights on and exuding a strong tobacco smell all this time, all for this reason.

The sloppier we appear, the more tempting we’ll be to the dark sorcerers.

If the dark sorcerers decide to attack, five won’t be enough to stop them. Even reducing their numbers in advance due to the dense fog has its limits.

“It’s an environment perfect for a surprise attack.”

But looking at it the other way around, it’s also an ideal environment for us to launch a surprise attack.

With that in mind, Muller slowly lowered his head.

Lian looked down at herself with a calm gaze, just like when they first met.

As if she knew what words would come out next.

“…You monster.”

It was chilling. But it was strange that the feeling wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

Müller, who had barely regained his composure, spoke.

“When we confront them here, you will infiltrate the rear through this route.”

Alone.

If he had said this to other members, they would have immediately accused him of being insane.

But Lian didn’t ask. She just nodded calmly.

It seemed as if she was demanding an explanation or continuation, no matter what.

Müller continued with his explanation. The terrain to be cautious of, the things to consider, and the manual for when variables arise…

“And you will strike their leaders.”

“There will probably be quite a few guards around.”

“There will be some, of course. But not many. Dark wizards are autocratic and selfish. They don’t trust anyone but themselves.”

It was a conviction born from experience.

Lian thought for a moment. It may have seemed reckless at first glance, but it was also the best course of action that could be derived from the current situation.

Besides, it was proof that Müller trusted Lian’s abilities to that extent.

“…”

Whether Müller understood Lian’s silence in a different way or not, he added.

“Originally, this mission was primarily for monitoring and hunting. It’s not about capturing their leaders.”

It was said that the reward would increase as the difficulty rose.

“Two artifacts.”

Lian’s contemplation didn’t last long. He strapped the shotgun to his waist and aimed it towards the sky.

“…What are you doing?”

“I think there’s not much time left.”

“What?”

“It’s an ambush.”

Click!

Instead of explaining further, Lian pulled the trigger.

Boom!

The bullet shot out like an explosion, making a sound as if it bounced off something. Soon, he understood the reason.

A eyeball the size of an adult male’s head was floating in the air.

Lian stared at the eyeball intently. It seemed too alien in terms of the magic contained within. Rather…

“It’s close to magic.”

It seemed like they had been watching this side since they realized that the scout had been captured. It must be the work of the dark mages.

Muler narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth.

“Miler, shoot it.”

[Confirmed.]

Zing!

Crack!

The eyeballs torn apart as they were. Naturally, it seemed impossible to withstand the sniper rifle. The shield had already cracked when Lian attacked.

The eyeball, now crushed and splattered with blood upon hitting the ground, didn’t startle or confuse anyone. Just as planned, they began preparing to counter the assault.

Through the radio, Chen’s voice echoed.

[Muller. Should I request support for Lieutenant Kevin?]

“No. They’ll be keeping an eye on that side too. If they sense support coming from this direction, they’ll flee immediately.”

If that happens, there’s no way to apprehend them. From then on, the vigilance would increase several times over.

To penetrate thoroughly, they had to be willing to take some risks on their end.

[…Fight with the dark sorcerer in the corpse field?]

“Better than facing the behemoth.”

A faint curse echoed. But that was it.

Given the current situation, it was better to stand and fight than to run away, knowing that the alertness would increase significantly.

To think that way, Lian was no different.

‘A surprise attack.’

Lian’s gaze pierced through the dense fog.

“Muller.”

“Buy us about an hour.”

“Understood.”

It was an approval.

*****