Labyrinth Exploration 101 - Chapter 259

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Labyrinth Exploration 101 Episode 259

Uprising(3)

About 300 wounded soldiers returned. They were carried to the warship’s medical office, and I was summoned by the major general.

“Loyalty. Colonel Seol Ha-woon reporting.”

The major general buried himself in his plush chair and looked me over.

“…Right. The mage sent from command center.”

“Yes.”

I handed him the documents. This was also forged using experience points. The major general skimmed through the papers and lit his pipe.

I’m quite familiar with this kind of posturing.

“How many can you possibly save by requisitioning mere fishing boats?”

I remained silent for a moment. The major general chuckled and held up one finger.

“10%. If you can save just 10,000 men, that would be a success.”

“Yes. I agree.”

Always agree in front of superiors. It’s a survival skill I learned after discharge.

“It’s a good plan. Fishing boats won’t stand out, and they’re hard targets for air raids. But is there nothing more? Those fishing boats won’t be nearly enough for 10,000 men.”

“I intend to immediately construct small vessels for additional deployment.”

They’re called small vessels, but they’re essentially ferries.

“I heard you’re cutting down trees to make boats. Can such things traverse the rough straits?”

“I am a mage. Not to boast, but my abilities are quite exceptional.”

With one magic stone and my spells added, I can operate wooden boats like yachts.

“…”

The admiral looked at me. I told him what he wanted to hear.

“If we fail, we’ll only lose some fishermen and old fishing boats. But if we succeed, the credit will belong entirely to you, Admiral.”

The admiral’s wrinkles twitched momentarily. He stroked his white hair and asked back.

“…Don’t you need manpower?”

I answered.

“If possible, I’d like to put up just a few posters on the warship.”

│Volunteer Recruitment for Return Operation│

I posted flyers throughout the warship and returned to the fishing village.

Clang clang- Clang clang-

The spoils from Wolryeong Village, [Haunted Tools], were making boats from trees cut in the forest.

I entered the shack that was no different from a barracks. Second Lieutenant Michael Grant quickly stood up and saluted.

“Loyalty!”

“…Were you sleeping?”

“No sir!”

There were thick drool marks around his mouth. He resembles Im Hae-jun somehow.

“The fishermen deployed immediately!”

I looked toward the coastline. The fishermen said a ‘blue harbor’ had been created over there.

It was something an ordinary mage couldn’t do.

It must be those guys.

I smiled faintly.

Knock knock-

Then I heard knocking.

Knock knock-

“Ah, what is it.”

Second Lieutenant Michael got up and opened the door. His body froze instantly.

I looked over his shoulder. The lieutenant turned his head with a dazed expression.

Soldiers were standing outside.

It wasn’t just one person.

“We came to volunteer for the operation.”

Behind the soldier who said that, there was another person, and behind him another person, and behind him another person.

The line was so long I couldn’t see the end.

Michael swallowed and asked.

“All of you, like this?”

“Yes. My brother is there.”

The number was at least several hundred. They were all volunteer soldiers.

I told them.

“Come in.”

Now I needed to possess the proper authority as a superior officer.

Colonel was naturally a rank I was trying for the first time. And it carried great authority. I commanded a unit capable of independent tactical operations, with the lives of hundreds to nearly a thousand personnel depending on this pinecone-sized rank.

I needed to bear that weight.

Kang Hyeon’s party joined the ground forces’ defensive line. Near the path leading to the beach, an intense standoff was taking place across the trenches.

The soldiers unloaded food and medical supplies from Yoon Hwa-rim’s cart, and Kang Hyeon assessed the battlefield situation.

“…Tank incoming over there!”

Im Hae-jun shouted. Kang Hyeon looked in that direction and kicked off the road surface without hesitation.

His body shot up like a streak of lightning. He advanced while breaking through the pouring artillery fire. Before the tank could fire its shell, he was already standing on top of the armor.

Screeeeeech──!

The blade cut through steel. With a roar of tearing metal, the thick gun barrel was cleanly sliced like tofu.

Kang Hyeon didn’t stop there. He tore off the hatch and jumped inside the tank.

A few seconds later, the tank fell silent from within.

“Wow.”

Lee Jun-ho also licked his lips with his tongue. His eyes opened wide as if excited.

Lee Jun-ho leaped into the battlefield. Bullets and shells rushed at him, but he swung his longsword and cut them all down in an instant.

His longsword flashed.

Whoooosh──!

It was a sword wind. Wind as sharp as metal surged forth and devastated the enemy territory.

“Hyaaaah!”

Lee Jong-soo was a human siege engine. He ran toward where firepower was most concentrated and crashed into it with his whole body.

Crash!

He pushed forward with his greatsword and blew away the enemies’ entire trench.

Behind them, from a safe position, Im Hae-jun provided cover for everyone. Arrows flew in parabolic arcs, piercing the foreheads of heavy weapon gunners.

Boooooooom──-!

Meanwhile, Seo Ji-woo heard the artillery sounds echoing from afar. But she had no time to worry about them.

Yoon Hwa-rim and Seo Ji-woo focused on loading wounded soldiers onto fishing boats and invested mana to maintain the dock.

“Air raid!”

Suddenly enemy fighter planes appeared, tearing through the clouds.

Crash─!

Kate shot one down with her javelin without delay, but there wasn’t just one aircraft.

Six fighter planes formed a formation and dove toward the coastline!

Instantly, Seo Ji-woo’s pupils were dyed blue.

She raised her hand and drew a grid pattern in the sky.

Whoooosh─!

Thousands, tens of thousands of blue mana threads shot up into the air.

Rustle— Rustle—

The lines intertwined with each other, becoming a massive net that covered the sky above the coastline. The bullets fired by the fighter jets were caught within it.

“…Ji-woo! Over there! More boats are coming!

Suddenly, Yoon Hwa-rim pointed at objects following behind the fishing boat.

Dozens of small wooden boats. Only one soldier was aboard each one.

“So wooden boats can move like that.”

Seo Ji-woo chuckled as she watched them.

This definitely required a mage’s assistance. It also meant there was someone beyond coordinating and organizing them.

“So you’re there?”

A person came to mind in Seo Ji-woo’s head.

Five thousand people.

In 36 hours, I had only rescued 5,000 people.

“To evacuate as many as 5,000 people. As expected of a mage sent by command?”

However, the Major General was delighted. Though confident of achieving the goal, his expression hardened momentarily.

“But we’ve received intelligence that a large-scale air strike will occur in two days. The ground forces will also retreat starting then. Make sure you can handle the remaining 5,000.”

I looked at the Major General. I looked at the three stars embroidered on his shoulder.

I told him.

“Please provide me with just one destroyer. I’ll exceed the target by 50%.”

“….”

The admiral’s face stiffened.

He quietly stared at me.

“There will be no loss of warships.”

Destroyers are the navy’s main fighting force. As such, they can carry many people.

“50%…. Would 100% be possible?”

The admiral increased the number to 20,000. It was actually better.

“Of course.”

I returned to the fishing village, walking with my walking stick. There were many soldiers. Newly made ferries lined up at the dock I had personally expanded, and supplies were continuously delivered.

“Loyalty!”

Salute sounds echoed whenever I walked. It was bothersome for me, but it was an essential cry in this place.

I opened the barracks door. There was no room to step with all the soldiers. They quickly turned to look at me and saluted.

Loyalty!

My ears hurt.

I stood in front of the panel. They all quietly looked at me.

Dozens of people held their breath and looked only at me. I wasn’t used to it.

I had always been someone who preferred being alone.

I didn’t trust them, and they didn’t trust me.

“A large-scale air strike will occur in two days. How many small vessels have been prepared?”

These were boats too embarrassing to even call ‘vessels.’ Just ferries made of wood with magic stone engines. Still, each could carry about ten to twenty people.

“400 vessels have been completed.”

400 vessels.

Adding the fishermen’s boats, civilian vessels that volunteered from here and there, plus the destroyer borrowed today, it would be about 550 vessels.

With just this much, I had to rescue 95,000 people in two days.

It was difficult, but not impossible.

Because there was a reliable ally on the other side.

Boooooo—!

Suddenly, a ship’s horn sounded from outside. The destroyer I had requested from the admiral had arrived.

“Follow me out.”

I came outside with the soldiers.

A warship larger than dozens of ferries combined was docked at the wharf.

I boarded the destroyer, walking with my walking stick. The soldiers also followed me onto the deck.

“Loyalty.”

Receiving the crew’s salute, I briefly looked around at the soldiers.

Most were soldiers whose younger siblings or friends were trapped on the coast.

Of course, they were all Labyrinth People. Even their stories were nothing more than fabrications. They were fragments that would disappear, pieces that would vanish.

However, they came to me as a new sensation. A strange yet moving experience.

I was someone unsuited to be a commander. I wasn’t even a good superior.

Such a position would have been more fitting for Seo Ji-hyuk. That guy had cold decisiveness, but was someone who never lost his warm heart in the end. He was a friend who preserved himself even on battlefields where everything was destroyed.

“Listen well.”

Seo Ji-hyuk killed a comrade to save the children. But his choice definitely had a greater purpose.

“We have only one objective.”

I’m still wandering, searching for your will.

I’m imagining a future where you might have existed.

I’m overlapping myself with you.

Though I’m still lacking in many ways, someday I will definitely….

“We will safely return ‘all’ soldiers who couldn’t come back to their homes.”

Because I too will reach the place you ultimately arrived at.

“A general offensive is scheduled for two days from now.”

Colonel Kaine received an encrypted telegram from allied forces.

“Tonight. Multiple vessels are coming to pick us up…!”

It was good news. Kaine looked back at Seo Ji-woo and Yoon Hwa-rim in surprise. Both nodded resolutely.

“There’s not much time until night. Let’s have everyone on standby. Hwa-rim, please.”

“Okay!”

Yoon Hwa-rim got on Unit 2. She went to find the scattered soldiers to deliver the news, while Seo Ji-woo drew lines on the ground for an orderly evacuation.

“Row 1, Row 2, Row 3, Row 4….”

Since we didn’t know how they’d come, as many as possible. The dock as wide as possible too.

Seo Ji-woo allocated her magic power to form what was essentially a port.

Meanwhile, the sun set and soldiers gradually came out to the beach.

“…There really are a lot.”

The number 90,000 was indeed tremendously large.

It was enough to make one’s head spin slightly.

“Everyone please line up!”

Seo Ji-woo shouted. The commanders also shouted loudly, arranging the soldiers in formation.

Seo Ji-woo looked at their faces. Gray complexions wearing steel helmets, still mixed with doubt and anxiety.

Just as Seo Ji-woo was about to shout for them to be reassured—

At that moment.

“They’re coming!”

A soldier pointed somewhere and shouted. Everyone quickly turned their heads to look beyond the sea.

Moonlight reflecting on the water’s surface, and distinct forms shimmering above it.

Boats.

There were tremendously many small boats.

Not just one. Not just two. Not a number you could count on your fingers.

Beside a destroyer at the center, hundreds of small boats were approaching, cutting through the waves.

Waaaah—!

Cheers rang out. Joy bloomed on the soldiers’ faces. Hope spread where distrust had disappeared.

“Don’t make a commotion and keep your positions!”

Seo Ji-woo also suppressed her overwhelming emotions and controlled them. Everyone looked toward the main unit, anticipating their return.

───-!

Just then, enemy forces appeared. Bombing commenced from the distant sky.

A baptism of bombers and fighters that approached silently.

It was a night flight. They had exploited the vulnerability of not deploying aircraft at night.

Whiiiiiii──-!

Artillery shells poured down with trumpet-like roars. Their distance was too far to provide cover from here….

Pusssssss──-!

Blue magic power rose from the destroyer. Those thread-like flashes that sparkled in an instant soon spread like a spider web, accurately predicting the trajectories of the shells and shooting them down.

Pababat! Pabat! Pabat!

Blue lights flickered countless times in the night sky. It was a quiet annihilation resembling fireworks. Not a single shell or machine gun could penetrate his defense system.

Everyone was stunned by the unnecessarily spectacular scene that seemed to decorate the night.

“…That thing. I’ve seen it on TV before.”

Seo Ji-woo smiled with certainty at ‘someone’ standing on the destroyer.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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