Rust - Chapter 1027



Only Krnovel

RUST [RUST]-1027

Maru lured the sinkhole monsters that had gathered in droves to where the red curtain was.

There was a way to kill him by surrounding him with the Garden of Death, but his opponent was Leon Bonard. Seeing as he had even brought a vampire, I had no idea what cards he had left.

According to the scout crow, there were some cannibals or vampires mixed in among the scattered imperial troops, so it was right to be cautious as there was a possibility of information being transmitted through dominance.

‘It’s right to hit them simultaneously with a bomb.’

Beep- Beep-

The ticking clock signaled the start of the air raid. The simultaneous explosions in the distance seemed to celebrate the success of the raid.

Pak- The Imperial soldier who lost one arm used all his strength to run towards the red curtain. The Imperial soldier thought that the rippling red curtain was the ability of the shield ability user, and pushed his body into it.

“Here it is! He’s here!”

If it was the ability of a shield user, there was no way to stop them from their own side. I had to let them know that Vladimir Kalin was driving the Imperial Army like a herd.

The moment I touched that red curtain, all my blood started to drain out.

Huu …

Maru’s eyes narrowed at the sight of the shriveled life fading away with a fleeting scream. He had planned to jump in as soon as the curtain opened.

Tsk-

Although he was a wounded soldier with one arm cut off, the bleeding was definitely stopped. Judging by the power of sucking out those with strong vitality, the red curtain was definitely a unique ability of a high-level vampire.

‘······.’

The crow scouts were right. There was no one in the other units who looked like Emperor Leon Bonard. The only place inside the unit that they couldn’t scout was this one place where the red curtain was spread out.

‘If Leon Bonnard and a high-ranking vampire joined hands, why did they absorb the wounded?’

The Imperial soldiers that Maru had brought, unable to see the previous victims, ran desperately towards the red curtain.

“They’re all here!”

“Just a little more!”

“Your Majesty, it’s you!”

“That bastard… Vladimir Kalin is coming here!”

100 million!

A soldier who had fallen and was unable to stand up properly because his leg was twisted cried out for help.

“Help me! Save me!”

And then the immortal monster rushed after him. Several men turned to save the limping soldier, but an officer stopped him with a loud voice.

“It’s late···.”

“······.”

“······.”

Kkaaaaaa-

As the limping soldier was caught by the sinkhole monster oozing pus, something like a scene from a zombie movie unfolded.

Infection that quickly spreads through the victim’s entire body. Erosion that occurs simultaneously with infection. Before the long, flesh-rending screams could even begin, the sounds of writhing in pain soon changed into cries for life.

Aaaah …

The Imperial Army, who were running away, were terrified at the sight of this ability user, who was resistant to most diseases, changing in just 3-4 seconds.

“Fuck···.”

“What are you doing standing there! Get in quickly!”

The officer shouted at the soldiers who had stopped near the red curtain.

“The color is strange.”

“This is red.”

“Get in quickly!”

“It’s just a curtain!”

“It will open when we get in.”

“Just run!”

The Imperial Army jumped into the Red Curtain to avoid the sinkhole monster. Maru waited for the moment when the Red Curtain opened on the tree.

‘This time it will open, not just one or two people.’

But the red curtain did not open. As soon as the imperial army reached the red curtain, spears of blood shot out and pierced the imperial army.

Kkwack-

Ugh!

In an instant, sharp spears of blood shot out and stabbed the wounded soldiers. It was literally a split second. Most of the Imperial soldiers had awakened their abilities, but none of them were able to avoid the spears of blood stabbed at close range.

Aaaah!

Kkaaa-

The sight of someone being stabbed once, without even being able to scream properly, turning into an empty shell. It was the same even if it was stabbed in the limbs instead of the torso. Maru, who was trying to rush in when the curtain opened, shook his head.

‘Did you notice I was nearby? Even so, I thought you’d throw me as vampire food.’

Most of the imperial troops here were soldiers with awakened abilities. So they must have been valuable forces, but how could they kill dozens of troops all at once?

‘That’s true, but the vampire’s abilities are also dangerous.’

Even the simplest of physical abilities awakened were several times stronger than ordinary people. It’s incredible that such a soldier would be instantly rendered incapacitated by a slight stab from a blood spear thinner than a ballpoint pen.

‘Paralysis or stiffness?’

Anyway, I found out that it was dangerous to even touch a vampire’s power, so it wasn’t without its benefits. And another thing I found out.

‘They say that on the battlefield commanded by Emperor Leon Bonnard, no soldier is sacrificed in vain…’

If you think about it the other way around, does that mean you’re the type that doesn’t mind losing troops?

This can be seen from the fact that the ship was designed so that it could operate with only the remaining batteries even if one battery was completely destroyed.

The way the bits were placed and the way the vampires used the blood curtain to absorb the wounded didn’t seem to react at all.

Tsk-

Maru thought that if he had known that it would turn into a vampire lunchbox like this, he should have just harvested all but a few.

‘No. No.’

Going that far-

after-

Maru took a deep breath.

If you think of humans as mere religious shuttles or food for death, then what is the difference between you and them?

If I have to kill, I’ll kill.

I had already killed armed refugees by the hundreds of thousands. So killing them when I had to was not a problem. However, the reason I was killing them was not the same as the vampires.

‘I feel dirty.’

Being involved with vampires made me feel dirty for one reason or another.

Phew-

The red curtain that had absorbed dozens of imperial troops had turned a darker color. The sinkhole monster began to surround it in layers.

The immortal monsters that were expected to rush in like crazy did not rush in until enough companions had gathered.

‘Certainly… Their reactions have changed a bit.’

At first glance, it seemed like a reflex movement without any intelligence, but at some point, the movements began to feel like they had a purpose.

Although it is still simple and difficult to see it as a sophisticated tactic or strategic movement, it is definitely something to be careful about as they have started to do things like waiting or encircling.

Hundreds turned into thousands, and in an instant, thousands and thousands of sinkhole monsters surrounded the red curtain. If there were this many immortal monsters that did not know death, then Maru would not have an easy number.

‘What are you going to do?’

Are we going to just let this immortal monster continue to grow? Using its characteristic of turning into a sinkhole after a while?

‘It was a method that assumed that the sinkhole monster would quietly release itself from its siege without attacking, but it didn’t turn out that way.

Gwoooooooooo-

Gaaaaaaaaa-

Immortal monsters that were transformed from humans, animals, and insects began to surge toward the red curtain like waves.

‧

Across the red curtain, I felt the Imperial soldiers fleeing.

[You know, what should I do? Once I open it, it takes a lot of energy to unfold it again.]

The sinkhole monsters chasing the desperately fleeing imperial army came to mind. And then there was something alien that I could feel not far away.

The aura was clearly something else. It was neither vampire nor superhuman. Leon Bonnard instinctively knew what it meant.

“Vladimir Kalin.”

[?]

“He’s nearby.”

[then?]

If contact is lost at the same time as the trap unit.

‘The crows. They simultaneously attacked with crow bombing.’

How did you know? Anyway, the situation was not good at the moment. When I put together the location information and situation that came to mind, there was only one reason why the sinkhole monster was coming this way.

“He used our soldiers to lure the sinkhole monster. And then···”

[I see. If that monster is nearby, it will try to open the curtain when we do so. What should we do?]

A woman with a red smile looked at Leon Bonnard and asked, as if looking at a fellow human being hidden behind a smile that said, ‘So, it’s okay to eat it?’

Leon Bonnard did not respond to the woman’s gaze, which seemed to indicate that it was her nature to not care about the means to achieve her goals.

[Is it because of the kids left here? I don’t know what happened outside the tent.]

“······.”

[They can’t even hear what we’re saying.]

“······.”

[Then I’ll take care of it.]

“······.”

A moment later, the dozens of reactions in Leon Bonnard’s head disappeared and the red curtain grew darker.

[What are we going to do? It’s possible to break through the siege now. What do you mean, there’s something out there?]

“He doesn’t have the strength to deal with a sinkhole monster either.”

[How do you know?]

“If I had enough strength, I wouldn’t have made it this troublesome.”

Is that so? The woman’s eyes became serious as she looked at the curtain.

[Make a decision quickly. As you know, the sinkhole monsters are increasing in number. If you want to escape, you better run away as fast as possible.]

Leon Bonnard was conflicted.

If we run away like this, if we miss Vladimir Kalin like this, will we have another chance? Even if we had the chance, we couldn’t do it. The elite corps, mostly comprised of capable people, were completely annihilated.

What’s worse, the elite soldiers left in the empire have been annihilated. If this news spreads, will faith be gathered? Will divinity be achieved?

Aside from that, if things continued as they were, there was no way to stop the Holy Kingdom. The empire itself could collapse.

It was over with Den Brown. The only way left was to threaten the Holy Kingdom with strategic nuclear weapons. Threaten them to die together. Or strike them first with strategic nuclear weapons and bring them to mutual destruction.

But what if we catch Vladimir Kalin here?

If only they could catch him, it would have been a last-minute touchdown comeback.

[Reversal? You know. Do you think that’s possible now?]

What if there are sinkhole monsters piling up outside in their thousands?

“This shield. Can it withstand a tactical nuclear attack at close range?”

The aftermath of the explosion that occurred a little distance away was easily blocked. A woman who smiled red at Leon Bonnard’s question.

[It’s difficult if the power is strong. If it’s similar to the power that exploded earlier···.]

“Just the conclusion.”

The woman, who had been thinking about something for a moment, nodded.

[If we absorb all the remaining kids here, we can stop it once.]

“······.”

Leon Bonnard looked outside with his blue eyes, saying that it was possible if he offered everything he had here as a sacrifice.

The vampires and the soldiers who had not heard their story were waiting, ready for battle. They were full of faith in the Emperor and confidence in victory.

There was no confusion even when told that they were surrounded by immortal monsters.

Because there was no damage even from a tactical nuclear bomb detonated at close range.

Because all the evil spirits who tried to assassinate His Majesty the Emperor were killed.

The soldiers were not afraid.

Because they were with their emperor.

Leon Bonnard, who had been looking at their faces as if trying to remember them, slowly nodded his head as if he had made up his mind about something.

Even if they escaped, it was difficult to guarantee how many of the soldiers could be saved. If there was nothing to be gained by leaving behind so many sacrifices, what would be the value of the sacrifices of the soldiers who died here?

If Vladimir Kalin could be captured, the Holy Kingdom would naturally collapse. Afterwards, all the damage could be recovered by absorbing the Holy Kingdom’s legacy.

‘If I kill him, his faith and divinity will become mine.’

The god of war, the god of victory who even killed the god of death. And the eternal emperor of the great empire.

“Vladimir Kalin. Kill him here.”

As Leon Bonnard answered, the woman’s red-glowing pupils turned towards the Imperial Army ready for battle.

Kkwak- Kkwaddeuk-

The smell of blood permeated the air as if it were soaking in blood.

‧

As the sinkhole monster touched the red curtain, a sound like hydrochloric acid was poured on meat rose up.

Cheeeeeeek-

Gwu …

The unique smell of the mountains and the smell of burning proteins mixed together, and white smoke spread in all directions.

Gaaaaaaaaaaaa-

Cheeeeeeek-

Maru was waiting for the moment when the curtain would be pierced. After a while, the curtain suddenly became thicker. The curtain that had been rippling like red silk suddenly changed.

‘The thickness has changed?’

It wasn’t just the thickness that changed. The curtain that had been spread out wide began to shrink in scope. The curtain was shrinking like a balloon that was deflating.

As the curtain fell, the Imperial positions were revealed. Makeshift bunkers and barricades, trenches and self-propelled guns. Even surface-to-air missile batteries and surface-to-surface missile batteries.

‘?’

Maru felt a strong sense of discomfort.

If you were going to take down the curtain and fight the sinkhole monster, you obviously needed the Imperial Army.

But there wasn’t any.

The imperial army was nowhere to be seen.

And what came into Maru’s sight was a pile of combat uniforms behind trenches and barricades. Empty helmets and exosuits were rolling on the floor.

‘It’s empty?’

What about people then?

Heart pounding–

The red curtain was growing darker and thicker.

A cold sweat forming.

Thump thump thump—

A heart that beats as if in warning.

As soon as I thought something was wrong, Maru reacted.

Charrick-

The vines that sprouted from his feet hurled themselves at the floor like catapults.

Booooooo-

Love love love-

And then it flashes.

□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□▫▫▫▫▫▫▫▫—-

A small sun rose, burning the earth.