Rust - Chapter 527



Only Krnovel

RUST [RUST]-527

The crow spread one of its wings wide and bowed its head. It untied the small tube it was carrying on its ankle with its beak and held it out respectfully.

Na Ju-yeon’s eyes changed from surprise to curiosity. Her eyes, which looked like twinkling stars, turned towards the crow.

Caw?

The crow tilted its head, and an exclamation mark and a question mark seemed to appear above its head, and then the crow slowly moved away. Na Ju-yeon clicked her tongue at the movement of slowly and naturally stepping out of the range of the perfume’s scent.

Tsk-

As expected, he was picky because he was raising the animal.

‘They say you can handle crows, but it’s not easy.’

By the way, a letter sent by a crow? This was the second letter I received since I met him. Once during my school days, and now.

Should we say that it is more heartbreaking because their families were enemies, like Romeo and Juliet?

Although he couldn’t protect his parents until the end, he did his best.

Honestly, if it weren’t for his mother and the drugs she invented, he would have been addicted to worse drugs and ended up in a mental hospital a long time ago.

His father? If it weren’t for the medicine he made, he would have died long ago from cancer that spread throughout his body.

Younger sister? She must have worked part-time, not to mention the contest, and lived off her pretty face. It wasn’t easy to live pretty in a time like now, when the end was near, so the ending was obvious.

I used to bully him because of my old pride. I tried different medicines because they didn’t seem to work.

But are you finally realizing my true feelings now?

‘It was a good decision to send Kim Ki-soon.’

Although I sent it after considering various variables, it was still a good sign that I received a letter. In fact, if you think about it, it was she who saved Kim Ki-soon’s life.

It was she who prevented him from completely fusing with the barnacle and turning him into a sea monster, and who helped him to completely heal himself in the early stages but maintain his attack and defense power by mixing them in the right proportions.

‘If I had erased the barnacle contamination, I wouldn’t be alive today.’

Since he is not a very gentle person, he may be able to survive in the harsh reality with training and practical experience, but that alone would not have been enough.

So she had saved her best friend’s life, too. His parents and his younger brother. She truly believed that. Now he had finally recognized her efforts.

[···When you arrive at the designated coordinates, Miss Kim will come out to greet you···]

As she read the letter, Na Ju-yeon’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

‘Miss Kim is coming out?’

Why that girl? Miss Kim was a girl who had been involved with him for quite some time.

The official record states that she worked as an accountant and secretary at World Livestock, but that is a false identity. In reality, she worked as a killer for World PMC.

I don’t know why, but I felt like the good feeling was slightly diminished.

‘Anyway, if I work hard on it, it will be useful in many ways. I guess I’ll just have to buy some time.’

Although Ojin had completely absorbed the World Group’s military power, more than half of the power he had gathered was lost in the Battle of Ulleungdo.

The halved force was also reduced by half in this Seattle operation. So, perhaps it was an opportunity to meet someone with decent skills like Kim Yang.

‘You said you were the commander of the guard.’

Since I had been looking into the kingdom’s information, I was able to roughly figure out the key figures. First, I had to start with Kim Yang, the commander of the royal guard, and gradually build up my own side.

Wasn’t it the same when you took control of the Ojin Group? Even if you had a weak start, you didn’t have to worry.

‘I brought in two Director Kims. Was it over before we even met?’

Considering that there is no mention of Director Kim in the letter, the situation in Seattle must have been easy. If Director Kim had been active, he would have definitely asked about his identity. In many ways, the military power of the Empire and the Holy Kingdom must have been high.

“Mr. Chairman, time is running out. Would you like to take a walk some more?”

“No. I’ll be back in about five minutes.”

There was no need to go through all that trouble, so Na Ju-yeon sprayed perfume again. As the sweet scent spread, the squirrels that were fluffing their fur to avoid the crows gathered around her.

“I’ll call you later. Everyone, go back.”

!!!

!!!

“Hey, crows. Don’t eat the squirrels. I’m raising them.”

Swish swish-

The crows sitting on the branches began to preen their feathers, pretending not to notice.

So, it means that they are going to eat them all. Na Ju-yeon held back from taking out the medicine bottle in her pocket due to the shameless actions of the crows.

“I’ll be back soon, and if you don’t touch the squirrel until then, I’ll give you something even tastier.”

What’s better? (What’s tastier?)

Kak- (Call!)

Although she didn’t know what she was saying, the crows’ atmosphere changed as if they had understood what she was saying. Na Ju-yeon shook her head, feeling as if she had been tricked.

As she stepped off the trail, the squirrels that had been clinging to her scattered in all directions.

“The squirrels follow along well.”

The agent, intoxicated by the sweet scent, followed her closely.

“Because they are the first friends I made when I came here.”

“Is that so? By the way- what is the crow’s sound?”

“I don’t know because it’s my first time seeing it.”

“Is that so? Since crows are omnivorous, the squirrels we raise might be dangerous.”

“Huh? Is that so?”

“I’m not sure, but it’s probably likely.”

She made a weak voice.

“What should I do? These are the first kids I’ve met here.”

“Don’t worry. Crows are already a pest. I have a friend who cleans up the bird hunting area, so I can take care of it quickly.”

It was the agent who calmed down the worried Na Ju-yeon. The agent who sent her down to the underground laboratory immediately turned on the radio.

“A crow has come into the forest and needs to be cleaned up. The place where it appears is near the path that Chairman Na walks.”

[Confirmation of receipt of cleaning request. Cleaning will begin immediately.]

One feather, two feathers, three feathers…

A crow counting its feathers gave a long cry.

Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! (I told you it’d be here soon!)

Kaaaah. Kaaaah! (Human females take forever to get out.)

Kkak- kwak- (Those squirrels from earlier. I checked which side they are on.)

It was still a long way to the place where the airship landed. I had to scout out in advance, and on top of that, I had to escort a human female. If I didn’t eat well in advance, I might get left behind.

Kkeu- Kkeu-kaak- (Let’s wait 20 more minutes.)

Has it been 10 minutes?

A crow standing guard at the edge of the forest suddenly let out a long cry.

Kaaaak!

Gunshots were heard at the same time as warning sounds were heard.

Taang!

It’s a raid!

======

======

The crows’ response was quick.

First, check what happened to the guy who was standing guard. If he’s dead, find out who killed him. If he’s injured, find out if he can move, and then respond accordingly.

A natural division of roles took place, and a local supply hunt began immediately to prepare for the worst.

Since they were under a non-aggression treaty with the Confederacy, they could not use bombs that would reveal that they were crows belonging to the Kingdom. The crows, accustomed to bombs and bombing, had to fight the enemy with only their talons and beaks as before.

Foodduck-

Even if I could muffle my sounds like an owl or a buzzard when gliding, there was nothing I could do about the sound I made when accelerating rapidly.

Three crows soared through the forest almost vertically into the sky. A gunshot sounded as if targeting the crows.

Not a burst, but a single shot. And several of them.

Kkak-Kkak (Minimum 3 snipers)

Kkaak- Kkaak (12 o’clock to 4 o’clock)

Kaaaak (not a siege)

The scout crows, flying high and irregularly to reduce their chances of being hit, scurried down into the forest as if they were fleeing from gunfire.

Crows gathered in a circle began drawing pictures in the dirt with broken branches.

(Shooting from this side. 3 or more sniper humans.)

Three Zolamen holding long sticks are depicted.

Cackle- Cackle? (If there’s a sniper, there must be a back-up human, right?)

The stick moved again.

(If there is one, here or here. And on the other side, there is a possibility of a herder.)

Although the hunters did not appear in earnest, judging from the sniping, it had to be seen as a sign of a large-scale hunt.

Kaaaak? (Shouldn’t we notify the airship?)

Kkaaak? (What if there’s a human following behind you aiming for that?)

······

······

Kaaaak! (The mission is the most important!)

The stick began to draw the crows, dividing them into three parts. Those who would attack the snipers between 12 and 4 o’clock, those who would hunt for supplies in the rear, and finally those who would escort Na Ju-yeon when she appeared.

Kkack-kkack-kkaak! (Move at the same time.)

If the human female doesn’t come out on time, then she broke her promise. She is either an incompetent female who told me to wait without being able to get out, or she is a female who betrayed me.

The crows began to move between the branches like flying squirrels.

[What are those guys doing over there?]

The sight of three crows soaring into the sky in an acrobatic manner, then plummeting back down again. The observer muttered in disbelief.

It was the same with soaring like a rocket and falling like a missile. The observer lost sight of the target due to the maneuver that was far beyond the crow’s ability to perform.

[It seems like it’s the crow that caused the mutation.]

[I haven’t heard of it growing around here.]

[Then they must be just passing by.]

[Whether it’s passing by or something else, it’s right to clean up the mutated monsters as quickly as possible.]

[Is this happening again? Am I unlucky or am I lucky?]

[Lucky beggar, how much is the reward for one?]

It didn’t take long for the smiles to disappear from the faces of the cleaning team who had been giggling and chatting.

[Where the hell are the crows?]

[Didn’t you say it was around the walking trail?]

The joint Confederate and Virginia Company sweep was an elite force, but they were unable to find any signs of the unexpectedly mobile crows.

[Alpha- This is Alpha- Can you see it in the sky?]

[Bravo – I can’t see the crows.]

[Charlie- Same here. I can’t even see where these guys have gone.]

The birds that should have been startled by the sound of gunfire and flew up were nowhere to be seen.

[What happened to the moll?]

[After installing the repeater, we decided to move right away.]

A moment later, a signal came from the long-awaited mob team.

[Chijijik – This is the mobbing team. The mobbing will begin.]

Pfft! Pfft!

A burst of noise and light from one side drove away the shadows in the forest.

[Don’t miss it. Those mutants are smart, so if you miss them once, it’s hard to catch them.]

The binge continues again.

Boom! Boom!

[What the heck? These kids.]

Kwaaang!

Boom! Boom!

[Those guys are just throwing grenades?]

[Once you’ve blown it up, why don’t you wait and blow it up again? What the hell are you talking about.]

[What the hell happened?]

[I think something is going to go wrong, so come to your senses.]

As expected, the previously quiet forest began to tremble.

Starting with deer, all sorts of animals poured out, and birds also soared up all at once.

‘How can I find a crow there?’

The observer, with a relieved expression, chewed out the driving team while checking the flock of birds that had gathered like a black cloud.

[Bravo- Unable to confirm. Beep-]

[Chiiik- Alpha- Beep in sight- Not coming in.]

[······.]

[Beep beep- It seems like the radio interference has gotten worse.]

[Chijijijik- Molly Team- Check the beeping repeater-]

[Hey- The radio interference has gotten worse. Beep-]

[Chiiik- Charlie?]

[···Charlie? Please check the beep.]

[Beep- Beep- Beep- Beep- Beep- Beep- Beep- Beep- Beep- Beep-]

???

What the fuck is this?

The observer and sniper turned their heads to check if the transmission they had just heard was correct.

‘Did you hear?’

‘What the Fu···.’

The Bravo Team observer moved reflexively. He turned his observation scope in the direction of Charlie Team, and something was vaguely visible through the thick branches, heading in that direction.

[Shit!!!]

For a short distance, it was bouncing between the tree branches, and for a long distance, something black was caught in the binoculars, gliding like a flying squirrel.

[It’s a crow!]

Before the sniper could even turn his gun at the observer’s shout, a crow landed on the sniper’s back without a sound and pecked at his eyeball.

!!!!

Kyaa!

The moment the sniper, with one eye pierced, instinctively crouched and shouted, a round metal filled his mouth.

Ting-

The last thing I heard was a familiar sound

Kwaaaaang!

Bravo Team was silent.