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Bermuda Chapter 218
🕑 Added 2024-07-28 12:57:38 +0000 UTCChapter 218
The barrier, filling up from bottom to top, stood in the middle of a dim background. Because of this, one was likely to bump into the transparent membrane if not paying close attention.
Nero, while flying at full speed, continuously checked the undulating surface of the barrier by throwing fireballs. He also used teleportation to fold space and move during the journey, but it was difficult to gauge his current position due to the volcanic ash rising to his chin obscuring his vision.
Therefore, while trying to avoid using teleportation, Nero advanced through the smoke screen, groping along the direction of the wind flow. He thought he might find an exit that hadn't closed yet if he wandered where the air was escaping.
And just then, as expected, he saw a part where smoke was swirling and being sucked in at a fairly high altitude. From the moment he spotted it, he charged madly without even looking left or right. The size of the hole was visibly shrinking as time passed.
As he couldn't gain speed easily due to the limp figure on his shoulder, Nero grabbed the buckle on Felix's back and threw him with all his might towards the hole. Because it was a place where vast amounts of air were passing through, he was sucked in even with a rough throw, and although it might have been masked by the roar from behind, no sound of collision was particularly heard.
Certain there was an exit, Nero immediately raised his guard in front of his head. Then he ignited flames on his heels to add propulsion and launched his body.
Pyung-
Hot air expanded and pushed up from under his feet, and with a sound like a beam being fired, Nero shot out at the speed of sound. Mixed with the swirling dust, he lost balance and spun round and round, then was thrown into the air without a chance to regain his center as soon as he completely escaped outside the barrier.
His vision, at the peak of dizziness, looked like a painting with smeared paint. However, Nero shook his head and opened his eyes wide, searching for Felix who should have come out before him. Scanning the surroundings, he quickly found a familiar form, which was about to plummet headfirst towards the ground.
Nero, startled, instantly moved in front of Felix. Then, grazing him horizontally as he fell vertically, he caught him, minimizing the impact on Felix by positioning his own body below.
'Nice catch.'
As it was the body of an adult male with added gravitational acceleration, Nero, who had caught Felix, was naturally pushed downward. However, thanks to his quick thinking in catching him sideways, they only rolled on the ground a few times before sliding onto dry grass and being pushed into the bushes without much impact.
Of course, he hadn't anticipated encountering the large rock hidden behind.
"Ugh-"
Nero, who was forcibly stopped as his back strongly hit the rock, twisted his whole body at the spreading pain. The impact was greater than expected, perhaps because he had collided while off guard.
After lying on the ground groaning for a moment, he irritably pushed Felix, who was sprawled on top of him. Then, grimacing and shuddering from the lingering pain, he suddenly opened his eyes wide and raised his upper body when he heard an explosion from inside the barrier.
"Ah, this is no time to be like this."
Nero, rubbing his dirt-covered lower back, roughly dusted off the soil on his exterior and stood up. Then he quickly checked Felix's condition, feeling his head and neck.
He was quite nervous, dreading the sight of a corpse with a burst head on the battlefield, worried that Felix might have been scratched. Fortunately, there were no noticeable wounds, and his pulse seemed fine.
Judging Felix's condition to be intact, Nero slung him over his shoulder even more roughly than before. Then he raised his head, looked around, and turned his eyes towards the northern ridge where the barrier was undulating.
Since the light from the barrier stones was rising most in the northern plains area, it was highly likely that the majority of personnel and the temporary headquarters were gathered beyond there. If so, most of the medical staff would be there too, so the urgent task was to throw this guy somewhere within sight of the medical team.
Having made his decision, he kept some distance from the barrier line to avoid encountering anyone. Then, hiding his body in the darkness, he began heading north.
If he could go like this and confirm that the Captain had safely escaped, check if he had any injuries, and verify that the magic he had cast on Felix was working properly, his job here would be done for now. Afterward, if he secretly escaped outside the peninsula and returned before the command center's surveillance network was restored, there would be virtually no physical evidence that he had been on the peninsula.
Kwaaang- Kuung-
A destructive sound that shook the ground resonated nearby. Whether due to the tension it caused, or the thought that everything was almost resolved, Nero's speed increased to the point where it was hard to control.
Forgetting his pain, he advanced towards his destination using teleportation every second. Then suddenly, without realizing it, his gaze shifted to look inside the now-closed barrier.
It was covered in pitch-black smoke, now so dark that even large objects could no longer be identified. Occasionally, only the cries of monsters dying from exposure to gas hinted at the chaos inside the barrier.
Nero, who had been flying while casting meaningless glances, deliberately ignored that place and focused on the front again.
It felt as if he had left something behind that shouldn't have been left, and he hoped that this uneasy feeling was just his own groundless fear because he hadn't seen the Captain with his own eyes yet.
Soon, he found the answer to his ominous feeling after reaching the northern defense line.
As Nero had seen, barrier stones were particularly densely placed near the northern plains. At the bottom of the triple-layered barrier, there were traces of monsters trying to escape by digging up the ground and scratching with their claws.
However, those that couldn't escape were either crushed to death by being pressed against each other or slowly suffocated by inhaling the smoke. Because of this, corpses of those who had died struggling were piled up at the edge of the barrier, and the monsters' bodily fluids were clearly drawn along claw marks on the transparent membrane. Even those that were still breathing were dying miserably, gasping from the volcanic gas and being trampled by incoming monsters.
Nero, scanning this horrific scene with his eyes, moved hurriedly while holding his breath. As expected, not far away, numerous Council members were lined up.
They were busy moving around, reinforcing barrier stones and quickly moving the injured, with occasional groans of pain, shouts filled with thirst, and heartfelt wails being heard.
Those who had died or fallen into critical condition and couldn't escape in time would be left inside, their bodies perishing along with the monsters. It was natural to wail to the point of breathlessness when thinking of comrades whose bodies couldn't even be found anymore.
He had been like that too, just about three years ago.
But there was no time to linger and empathize with the emotions of those unrelated to him.
Nero naturally blended into the chaotic scene and swiftly moved through the gaps between haphazardly erected tents.
Seeing unconscious injured people laid out in a corner, he roughly threw Felix in alignment nearby. After that, he felt his face to check if he had properly put on his human disguise, then picked up a gas mask lying around just in case and covered his mouth and nose.
Eventually, after taking a deep breath, he advanced a bit further towards the center where it was assumed the senior commanders would be gathered. Sure enough, familiar faces soon began to appear. They were certainly battalion and company commander-level personnel of the Council.
Among them were those who had been binding the mother body at the last moment, and those who hadn't. However, the atmosphere seemed somewhat ominous.
"Everyone else has come, but the Commander and Blaine are nowhere to be seen! If they escaped properly, does it make sense that they haven't been seen until now?"
The moment he heard the word 'Blaine', Nero's expression instantly stiffened. His striding steps also came to an abrupt halt.
'The Captain can't be seen?'
"Battalion Commander Rivera, please calm down first..."
"How can I calm down when two people might be trapped in there? We need to organize a search team and deploy them inside the barrier right now-!"
Kwaaang-!
At that moment, an enormous impact sound burst from inside the barrier, loud enough to drown out Delua's excited voice. Not only that, but the emotionally charged voices of everyone nearby were also swallowed by the roar that covered the earth.
At the same time, the ground they stood on shook violently, and familiar mana that erupted explosively flowed down Nero's spine.
'...It can't be.'
Nero's stiffened jaw slowly turned to stare inside the barrier filled with smoke. The Council's commanders were the same. They all stopped speaking and gazed beyond the undulating barrier into the pale day.
There, beams of light that had pierced through the gray dust flickered violently.
The chilling mana surging all around added certainty to Nero's ominous feeling that he had been trying to ignore.
Comments
Jesse Gibson
So itβs not dead? What the f
Victoria
its always the commandet and blaine lost tg π«’π«’
