Rust - Chapter 435



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RUST -435

The man shuddered at the video, which should have been titled, ‘A Really Easy Way to Capture a Destroyer.’

It really feels like I’ve been struck by lightning.

It felt like a cold electric current was running vertically from my scalp to my anus.

Is that something a human can do?

The man recalled the list he had been studying in his secret laboratory.

If the ultimate goal pursued by the new human race is to reach the same level as Vladimir Kalin, then this was research that had to be done without fail.

But even if the new human’s weakness of controlling desires was blocked by blood absorption, it was out of the norm. Their physical abilities could have been similar.

But is that explosive movement even possible?

Could you mimic the maneuverability of jumping over 40 feet (12 m) in one breath?

I was skeptical.

The result that the upper line wanted was Dhampir, in fact a vampire, but the results of the experiment mostly ended up as blood suckers. You could say that it went as the name given to the program.

“······.”

“······.”

The man who turned to look at the woman wearing the half-mask noticed the confusion on her half face. It seemed like it was the first time that a woman who was on the same side as Vladimir Kalin had captured a destroyer.

[With two destroyers, we can catch the one coming now, right?]

The man was moved by Maru’s words.

‘Don’t think about catching it, just capture it… Why don’t you capture it in 20 minutes?’

The man almost said it without realizing it. As if he had noticed his thoughts, Banban Hood answered.

“What if we capture the destroyer that is returning now?”

[I’ll think about it, but it’s difficult if we continue like this. It’s hard to get over there, and if things go wrong, there’s a chance they’ll launch a preemptive strike, and in the worst case scenario, they might not even dock here and just go somewhere else.]

To capture it, you have to get at least 20 to 30 meters close, but there has never been a time when a destroyer-class ship would get this close, except when it was anchored in a port.

Above all, it was difficult to ignore the possibility that the other side would launch a preemptive attack. So, if they thought this side had been captured and fired a torpedo, this side would have been anchored and would have just been hit and sunk.

“Could that be true?”

[Don’t you know what we did at this research center? Some people even pressed the self-destruct button, whether it was through brainwashing or control. Can we be sure that no one will launch a preemptive strike?]

The man who thought, ‘Are you delusional and persecutory? Why are you suddenly firing a torpedo when you came here because of a rescue request?’ was taken aback by Maru’s explanation.

Even though it was a bit far-fetched, wasn’t there actually a guy who pressed the self-destruct button and went crazy? If there were new humans on the destroyer, they could have shot first, like Vladimir Kalin said.

“Then we should launch a preemptive strike here.”

[···If you focus fire on the bridge with crossfire···.]

Listening to the two people’s story, the man felt a strange sense of discomfort.

So, it’s a bit of a subtle feeling. Why would they show real-time battle scenes and have them watch it while holding a strategy meeting?

‘···It’s fucked.’

If you gather all these stories and lump them together like this, you will get rid of them right away. I was thinking of getting rid of them if necessary and was checking their usefulness.

The man immediately decided to convert.

escape?

Is there a way to capture a destroyer by jumping in with just a sword?

Loyalty?

Loyalty to those who order self-destruct through brainwashing and domination?

Besides, this one was too scary. The guy who was scary with just one swing of his sword was now shaking at least two destroyers. Not just any destroyers, but two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers equipped with the Aegis system, even though they were old. It might be three soon.

The current power is scary, but the future is even scarier.

There would also be a biotechnology and genetic engineering research team on Vladimir Kalin’s side, and it was clear that they would call for bold decisions if the conflict escalated or became truly dangerous.

‘If we continue like this, we will all die.’

‘Vladimir Kalin. Please mass produce clones…’

Of course, any researcher with brains would shout clones. Think of a unit made up of Vladimir Kalin.

Even if there’s just one, it’s possible to capture a destroyer in close combat, so how can you handle it if there’s something like that in a unit?

Even if what you’re holding is a gun rather than a knife, the killing power is still…

‘Why use a knife? Not a gun?’

Could it be that that sword has some special power?

Like that lightning hammer, or that cube that fell from space.

The man’s eyes turned blurrily toward the young man in the video.

To be precise, it was aimed at the knife he was holding.

======

======

The more I exchanged opinions with Hood, the more thoughts I had.

At first, I thought that if I just returned to the second ship and fired a shotgun, that would be it, but that wasn’t the case.

‘Nothing is easy.’

If they went into battle, they had to be prepared for their destroyers to suffer a lot of damage. The problem was that then the meaning of capturing two ships would be lost.

‘If there is fatal damage, there is no way to repair it.’

The navy was split into two forces.

The Eastern Navy in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security, and the Southern Navy in partnership with Virginia Langley.

These two forces divided the shipyards and docks.

Since most docks would have been controlled by the military, there were bound to be problems no matter where the damaged destroyer was taken.

The reality is that even if the Department of Homeland Security tells the Navy that the three destroyers are the spoils of war for Vladimir Kalin, it will not work.

It wasn’t anything else, but two or three destroyers equipped with the Aegis system rolled in, and the Navy wasn’t going to just hand them over.

Of course, Maru had no intention of leaving alone those who were after what was his, so it was inevitable that the Navy and Maru would become enemies.

‘If you think about it, the Aegis system is absolutely necessary.’

Although the Vladiak Tower had radar and goalkeeper systems installed, they were actually quite inadequate. Even if the Raven air defense system was to be operated, Aegis was needed.

[···It would be nice if we could definitely secure the Aegis system.]

Even if two ships were difficult, at least one had to be taken intact. So the plan to engage was abandoned. Hood and Maru made plans to sneak aboard the destroyer Russell, which was returning after receiving a distress signal.

“Can’t I get in disguised as a seriously injured survivor?”

[If it’s a serious injury, should I take it with me? I’ll take it straight to the infirmary of the destroyer I’m on.]

“What about the non-commissioned officers who survived on the bridge? Since they are survivors on the bridge, I will call them to personally hear their situation.”

[That may be true, but where are you going to put the knife?]

“Can’t we just call it evidence? It’s not like I can’t shoot a gun either.”

[Not bad.]

A man who had been listening silently intervened.

[The operation fails.]

[Why is that?]

[The destroyers here have been together for a year. The NCOs have been together and spent the night out together. But what would you think if a stranger came out and said he was a NCO and brought a knife as evidence?]

“······.”

[······.]

I thought the NCOs would get together and play.

The plan to enter through a disguise method has gone down the drain.

‘Just on the water-‘

A memory suddenly came to mind. I remembered the fight I had in Japan.

A fight involving motorboards, jet skis and inflatable boats.

I jumped onto the enemy’s boat, so if I could just step on the water…

[Is it possible in a blizzard?]

[···Huh? Running on water?]

======

======

A heavy tension filled the bridge of the destroyer Russell, which was patrolling outside the harbor.

“DDG-57. Not yet. No response.”

“DDG-58. Labunham. Again, no response.”

DDG-59. Captain Russell let out a slur. It had taken less than 40 minutes to get from the reconnaissance area to the port. In that short time, both destroyers in the port were silent.

“What do you think of the sight report?”

“They say the snowstorm is so bad that it’s hard to see with your eyes.”

Should I go back to another port? That wasn’t good either.

“On a cruiser?”

“I drew the line, saying it was none of my business.”

Well, if he really cared, he would have sent a rescue team a long time ago.

How did this happen? Was it due to a mutant virus? A personality change as they evolved into a new human? The aftermath of the war with China? Or was it due to rapid climate change and disaster?

Inside the breakwater, two destroyers were quietly anchored in the harbor. No response to the flashing signals, all lights off.

The captain swallowed without realizing it.

Should we send a rescue team or give up?

Could it be that the enemies have already captured us and are now setting traps?

Could it be that the ones who were shouting for us to come under them have struck down the leader?

An emergency signal came to the captain, who was deep in thought.

[Captain, there is a lifeboat in the harbor.]

“A lifeboat?”

[Yes, it is spread out all over the inside of the port.]

“Approach so that the lifeboat can be salvaged. Go in slowly. Be prepared to back out at any time.”

As the saying goes, lifeboats were spread out. Inside the breakwater, fluorescent orange lifeboats were scattered everywhere, unable to be hidden by the snowstorm. Even at a guess, there seemed to be over 50 of them.

[Woohyun. It’s empty.]

[The one on the left is also empty.]

Captain Russell’s thoughts were complicated when he received reports of empty lifeboats. Where were the crew members who were supposed to be in the lifeboats?

[Captain. Two o’clock. There’s something wrong with the lifeboat at two o’clock.]

The captain looked directly at the two o’clock direction through his binoculars. Through a brief pause in the snowstorm, he could see the fluorescent orange octagonal lifeboat.

Kulung – Falling into the water and then rising again due to buoyancy.

“That?”

‘What the heck?’

Then another lifeboat went into the sea and popped up again.

Cool- sway- ripple-

The second-in-command spoke to the captain, who was momentarily absent-mindedly watching the lifeboats come and go without reason.

“Captain?”

“Hmm. Did you see the first officer too?”

“Yes. It doesn’t seem to be the rumored sea monster.”

A sea monster that was encountered by destroyers from the Pacific Fleet and the Atlantic Fleet.

There was no evidence or combat records, just a few crew members who saw the monster, but when you see something so bizarre, stories about monsters or whatever else come to mind.

The captain, who couldn’t put down his binoculars even while talking to the vice-captain, muttered.

“It looks like something is coming this way.”

“yes?”

The first officer also took up his binoculars again. He drew a straight line through the lifeboats that were diving in and out, and it was headed toward the Russell.

“Huh? It seems so to me.”

“Forward at a slow pace.”

“Forward at a slow pace.”

The captain slightly increased his speed to get out of the straight line.

Then, the line began to bend to the side.

Under the lifeboat. Is there something? Is it following the Russell?

“Sonar! What about sonar?”

“There is nothing that can be caught separately in water.”

As the Russell moved forward, the lifeboats’ writhing in and out became faster and faster.

Something was visible through the binoculars, through the hazy snowstorm.

There was something that kept my eyes glued to it.

The captain looked at the thing as it jumped over the lifeboat and said, ‘Hey, hey, over there. Look at that.’ Before he could say anything, it landed on the deck of the Russell.

Kuung-

A lively spirit flowed out onto the spacious deck.

[Keu-uh. There’s something.]

[Footprints. Whoosh. It’s a person!]

A person? That’s what a person did?

[Enemies! Enemies with stealth gear!]

[Bridge. Footsteps are heading towards the bridge.!]

Everyone started to panic.

“The enemy is after the bridge. Deploy your troops.”

“Defend the bridge!”

As if in response to those words, the sound of flesh and bones, and the sound of metal plates being cut, could be heard through the speakers.

[Stop it, you idiots!]

[Stop it!]

[Shoot!]

[I can’t see it!]

[It’s a stealth device, so you can’t see it!]

[Shoot even if you can’t see it!]

[Just spray them like you’re filling the hallway with bullets!]

Doo doo doo doo doo doo-

Big, big, big –

[Eww- Mom!]

[Sa- Save me···.]

Kkaddddddddd-

Kkieeeeeek-

The sharp sound of the destroyer’s armor ripping apart echoed like a scream.

A red scream lingered around Russell’s ship.

In this way, Maru came to possess three destroyers.

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In New York, the conference room at the Department of Homeland Security was filled with shouting.

A map of New York City showed areas overrun by the monster rats. The harbor area, John F. Kennedy Airport and surrounding areas were all painted a deep red.

With temperatures still hovering around minus 20 to minus 30 degrees, the fight against the monster rats has come to a halt. The Department of Homeland Security has begun a meeting to decide when to launch a counterattack, but things are going awry.

The war against rats, the dangers of food and heating,

There was even talk of establishing a Federal Reserve Board in New York to use the dollar.

The problem was that the condition of New Yorkers, who were his support base, was not good.

Unprecedented events and harsh weather quickly made New Yorkers sick.

“What about coal distribution? What’s left?”

“We are distributing it in quantity. There is enough for April.”

Thanks to Director Dan Brown’s foresight, he had prepared ample coal and stoves for heating, so there were almost no people who froze to death.

With many agencies predicting that half of New Yorkers would not survive the winter, Director Dan Brown could be seen as having essentially saved the city.

[Director. We have a transmission from Vladimir Kalin on the high seas off New York.]

“Are you sure it’s the sea? It’s not an airship?”

[Yes, we detected the destroyer with radar.]

[DDG-57 Micheol, DDG-58 Rabun, and DDG-59 Russell.]

Dan Brown’s eyebrows twitched.

‘crazy.’

Three destroyers?

What on earth have you been doing?

Why did you bring the destroyer?