Rust - Chapter 620



Only Krnovel

RUST [RUST]-620

Number 7 suddenly collapsed during training.

Since one falling meant that the others could fall as well, Hee-yeon had no choice but to hold back her anger and stop training in the cold weather.

The doctor who examined patient No. 7 prescribed an antipyretic.

“There is nothing seriously wrong except for the high body temperature.”

It wasn’t a low body temperature of over 38 degrees, but it wasn’t over 40 degrees either, so there was no need to go to the emergency room.

‘This bitch, isn’t this just faking it?’

Hee-yeon had reasonable doubts.

“Why are you like this when all the other kids are fine?”

“······.”

No. 7, who was in a daze, had a fever that did not go down even after taking a fever reducer. Only after putting water and ice in the bathtub and soaking his body in it did his temperature go down.

“···It’s hot.”

“It’s hot?”

During training in extreme cold, severe frostbite can sometimes feel like a burn. This is because when the pain exceeds a certain threshold, the nervous system mistakes it for cold or heat.

‘Was there a problem with the clone production process?’

Nervous system or mental issues. A body temperature of 38 degrees is not low, but it is not hot enough to be considered hot after being in ice water.

No. 7, who had been dazed again, blinked. The pupils began to contract and relax repeatedly as if trying to focus. The eyeballs moved as if chasing a moving object.

“What are you looking at now? Do you see something?”

“···Fire. It’s burning everywhere.”

At the end of the story of being crushed by a collapsing building, having his ankles bitten by rats, and being eaten alive, No. 7 passed out.

‘Link? From this far away?’

That wasn’t it. If it was a link, it would have been able to control the movement of the connected side.

Could it be telepathy? Or shared senses?

If I had shared 100% of the senses, I would have died from shock, but I don’t think it was to that extent.

Hee-yeon was able to confirm that No. 7 had awakened to some sort of psychic ability. The information that No. 7 relayed after losing consciousness and regaining it was serious.

“New York is under attack by rats?”

“···yes.”

A drone ship soared toward Detroit.

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Winter. Regular trade with the Empire was suspended for nearly a month due to the extreme cold, with temperatures dropping below -45 degrees Celsius. The only things that could operate in the extreme cold were small airships and unmanned contact ships that incorporated new technologies and materials.

“I thought the Empire was going too far···.”

“In places where prey is relatively scarce, field mice have proliferated to the point where their numbers have reached the millions, so New York will be no exception.”

Even before the incident, New York was overrun with rats. An estimated 400,000 pairs were estimated. More than two years later, there was no answer as to how many 200,000 pairs of rats had grown.

“Weren’t you holding on to it? You even pushed the clone in.”

At Kim Yang’s words, Hood uploaded the data he had previously acquired onto the monitor.

“There are records of large-scale rat hunting last year and the year before. It appears that Yania Kim and her guards caught a considerable number of rats and cockroaches at that time.”

The incident where the Royal Guard and Kim Yang went to catch rats and were accused of being terrorists. The incident where they used an x ​​on a small V to push it away.

“The Empire believes that the reason rats developed resistance to nerve gas was because of the indiscriminate use of nerve gas at the time.”

“Why is it my fault? If you had pulled out the roots back then, we wouldn’t be in this situation. They did something wrong, so you’re blaming us?”

“Given the nature of rats and cockroaches, if they had been properly exterminated, even if they could not be uprooted, they would have been safe for several years. In any case, it seems that there are quite a few people in the upper echelons of the Empire who blame the Holy Kingdom. In any case, it is true that we were the ones who abused the nerve gas at that time.”

Maru, who was trying to console Ms. Kim, who was about to explode at the story of the hood, brought up a map on the monitor.

“It’s not just us who used gas. You used gas too, so it’s not just our fault. I think what to do with New York is more important.”

Should we help or should we just leave it? As Ki-sun said before, the current situation of the empire is not good.

Carnivorous mutant monsters were rampant on the outskirts, and rats were running rampant in the big cities. Even if they were to expand their forces through mass production of clones, it would take at least two years, and at the earliest, more than a year.

But coincidentally, it was the rat that struck first.

This was when production was halted due to clone verification experiments and escape problems.

That too, during the bitter cold of winter, a season when it is difficult for reinforcements to travel.

“···It would be hard to call it a coincidence.”

Hood muttered, as if he hadn’t thought that far ahead.

“Rats handle information. Let’s assume they think tactically and strategically.”

The Confederates caught mutated rats in North Texas. The rat pups had flashcards. Not only did they have thumbs, but they clearly understood human words.

What if, over a year later, a mutant rat living in the New York underground could understand human language?

It wouldn’t be easy for Den Brown and the Empire, but it wouldn’t be an easy situation if they made a mistake in their initial response.

“If we are pushed back, it is clear that we will use nuclear weapons.”

Sure. They are the ones who will use nuclear weapons if necessary. Ms. Kim stated with an expression that said, “When has the US ever shown any leniency?”

And it was right to avoid nukes. The situation was already changing so much that it was undesirable to have mutant rats contaminated with radiation appear.

“The collapse of the empire is not good for us.”

If the empire were to collapse immediately, the Holy Kingdom would have to deal with mutant monsters on both sides. The refugees that would arise from the collapse of the empire would also be a problem.

There are those who left for the Empire because they disliked the Holy Kingdom, so if the idea of ​​Imperial refugees flocking to the Holy Kingdom arises, there is clearly a problem.

However, it was not possible to accept them and tell them to just freeze. The more humans the mutant monsters ate, the smarter and stronger they became.

What would happen if New York, with its population of over ten million, were eaten? Whatever happened, it would not be good.

Everyone agreed with Gi-sun’s story. Above all, the Holy Kingdom had an effective way to help the empire.

“We have rats. We can solve the New York situation. Even if the numbers are different, we can drag the rats down from the ground.”

There was a small, hidden heat in Ki-sun’s voice. Maru could tell because they were old friends. ‘This guy is not the type of person to be so enthusiastic about this.’

“In exchange for saving New York, we must demand the Naru clones and research materials.”

Ki-soon insisted that this was a chance to get what Dan Brown had refused to give him. ‘Then that’s right.’ Maru clicked his tongue internally and wrapped up the meeting.

“First of all. Let’s prepare the field mice to be deployed at any time. And let’s send a negotiating team to the empire right away.”

Gi-sun, who was given full authority to negotiate, set out for the empire.

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Ki-sun was sitting alone on the new airship heading to the empire.

Ki-sun looked outside. Outside the window, there was nothing but white, white-covered ground. Beneath the white snow, there was nothing more, nothing less, but the frozen past.

‘Is it because of the Naru clone?’

When Maru asked directly, Ki-sun answered yes.

‘If the reports are correct, the Empire is grinding out clones.’

‘······.’

Naru clones were produced and immediately deployed to the field. They were literally holding back the rats with their bodies.

‘Even if the purpose of creating clones was for war, this is not it.’

As the situation worsened, more clones were needed. Several processes were skipped to speed up production. Clones were being pushed to their deaths before they could even learn the crude combat information they had been given.

‘They are mistaken in thinking that they are effectively stopping the rat horde and that they have changed the situation by using clones. In reality, they are no different from providing high-quality food to the rat horde.’

The Naru clones were different from the Yu Isa clones. Unlike the Yu Isa clones who had their individuality and personality removed, the Naru clones had their own personalities. They had their own individuality.

Ki-soon suddenly thought of the chattering Naru clones. Those kids were being used as meat shields. He couldn’t stand it.

The idea of ​​using the field mice to free the Naru clones and take the body and research records of the main Naru to prevent more victims from being sacrificed in vain was clearly contradictory.

‘···And then you keep asking me to pick you, and you think you’ll leave if the situation calls for it?’

‘······.’

Maru knew that Ki-sun’s thoughts were contradictory, but he let it go. Ki-sun also knew that Maru had just let it go, so he just apologized.

‘···sorry.’

‘······.’

Maybe that’s why. No, I just couldn’t stand by and watch Naru’s clones die so meaninglessly.

[Arrived in New York.]

Ki-sun’s eyes lit up at the voice of the assistant AI.

Wheeeeeeeeeeing-

Dan Brown was quite surprised to see the new airship that Ki-sun had arrived in.

‘I can’t believe we can move in this weather.’

When the temperature dropped below -50 degrees Celsius, it was virtually impossible to take off. If you increased speed, the temperature would drop to -60 degrees Celsius in an instant, which would be impossible with normal aviation fuel.

‘Aircraft guidance used in high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft freezes at -53 degrees Celsius.’

Even though it had only been a little over a year since the exosuits and special bullets were introduced, the technology of the Holy Kingdom had advanced rapidly.

‘Did a genius scientist join us?’

Security in the Holy Kingdom was almost paranoid.

Even if you somehow managed to get to Detroit, it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack to get into Ark Town, which was divided by an outer wall. Not to mention the Ark Tower, which could only be entered by passing through the inner wall.

“It’s amazing. An airship can fly even in this cold.”

“This isn’t a situation where we can be leisurely talking about airships.”

At Gisun’s words, General Dan Brown’s eyebrows moved slightly. It was because the nuance was that while they did not know the situation in the Holy Kingdom, they knew the situation in the Empire.

“···What does it mean?”

“That’s literally it. Unless you’re planning on nuking New York, you don’t have much time left.”

When he heard those words, Dan Brown’s eyes turned cold.

“······.”

“Even if we replace the clones, all we can do is maintain the front line. The plan is to use the time we save to call out the troops stationed on the outskirts and push forward all at once. But don’t you think we can figure out that the situation won’t be resolved that way?”

“······.”

“Wow. I didn’t know there were so many rats in the empire. No. They say that birds listen to what’s said during the day and rats listen to what’s said at night. Is that a crow?”

“The important thing is that the situation is dangerous right now.”

“Yeah. It’s dangerous. Is that why you came? Are you afraid that the shit from the Empire will spread all the way to the Holy Kingdom?”

“To be honest, I don’t care if the entire empire gets eaten by rats. We’ve already stopped a million rats.”

“What? You blocked a million units?”

At the sound of Dan Brown’s incredulous voice, Ki-soon shrugged and turned the page of the recorded video.

“Come and see for yourself.”

“······.”

The footage, taken from a distance due to electromagnetic interference, was filled with death. It was as if the god of death had descended. Dan Brown was speechless.

“Is Prince Vladimir Kalin himself coming to help?”

“The method doesn’t matter, right? The important thing is whether we can solve the situation in New York right now.”

“What do you want?”

“It’s the same as what I asked for last time. Even if we pull out the clones and push them in, there’s no chance of a good outcome, right?”

“Ah- yeah. That’s it. What if we give up New York?”

“Whether to give up or not, the decision is made by the Empire. By the way, I heard that the capital relocation project is underway.”

Dan Brown felt bitter at Ki-soon’s response that such nonsense would not work.

Of the 2,752 individuals put in the first batch, only about 500 survived. The second batch

The third batch of 3,000 was pulled out and put in, but if you look at the survival rate for a week, it would be around 200 to 300.

Although the production process was simplified and training time was drastically reduced for rapid deployment, the Vladinaru clone itself had its own problems.

‘Do you know that and still do that?’

Since they were preparing a new program by identifying the problems with the Vladinaru clone, handing over the Vladinaru clone, the main body, and the research data was not a one-sided loss.

What the Empire needs is absolute time. That is why Führer Den Brown proposed.

“One year. If you clean up the underground of New York for at least one year. I’ll make a deal.”

It was practically impossible to eradicate the rats. Even if they were driven out immediately, if the underground was still intact, problems would surely arise again. That was why it was President Dan Brown who proposed a period of one year.

“Yes, but there is a condition. As soon as the horde of rats that have come to the surface is cleared out, the Bladinaru clone, the body of the original, and the research materials must be handed over.”

“···Good.”

Not long after President Dan Brown and Gishun shook hands, a gray tsunami swept down the Hudson River and engulfed New York City.

“crazy-”

“······.”

“HOLLY···.”

“Oh Lord···.”

The streets of New York were filled with a gray, swaying noise.