Black Badger

Just hearing about it sounded brutal.

At this rate, it might have been better to just seal off the subway entrance. Was there some other reason we had to go down into the subway?

A question popped into my mind, but there was no time to ask.

Yoon, who had been standing far off staring at some unknown spot, turned his head.

"Let's get started."

He said flatly.

"There's a mountain of stuff we need to move."

"Where are we moving it to?"

Yoon met my gaze at my question.

The man sent a dry look my way and pointed his thumb over his shoulder. Tom and Hesi followed the tip of Yoon's finger with their eyes.

"That big building over there."

His finger pointed to a large white building that stood amid the dilapidated structures.

It must have boasted a wide, pristine site before the world went to hell. The building's glass windows reflected the sunlight and gleamed brilliantly. Green grass grew on the site, and turrets stood at every corner of the grounds.

And that thing near the entrance—what, was it a cannon?

"Library of Beginnings."

As I observed the building, Yoon's monotonous voice flowed into my ears.

"It's the first supply depot the Badgers created after Breath was established."

*

We worked all morning.

Thanks to our basic strength, the labor wasn't too grueling. But there was just so much of it.

We formed a line like ants and kept moving the supplies. Then, at lunchtime, we stopped. We went inside and ate the lunch that had been packed on the train. After eating, we each retreated to our train cars for about an hour's rest, then came back out on time.

Afternoon work began.

Before starting, Yoon approached Tom and Hesi's mentors and said,

"About the supply depot inventory issue. What exactly did that guy say?"

Yoon made eye contact with Kal.

"I heard it was reported by Tvain."

"Food supplies are decreasing," Angela answered.

"By one box every night."

"One box?"

Yoon raised an eyebrow.

Kal and Angela nodded. Yoon furrowed his brow slightly and muttered to himself,

"The missing amount is too vague."

"So, he asked if someone was eating it or siphoning it off..."

Angela replied as she put on her gloves to start work.

"He thinks it's most likely someone siphoning it."

"Well, his claims are none of my business. The facts matter, not his imprecise guesses—they're useless anyway."

My mentor was consistently rude, as always.

I admired his unchanging demeanor. He wasn't wrong, but... wasn't the way he said it just too obnoxious?

But the conversation that followed made me understand why Yoon responded that way.

Because I realized who Tvain was referring to.

"So, where's that guy now?"

"He's on his way back from D Zone. He said he'd arrive here around midnight."

"And the train?"

"He's debating whether to take it back or not."

"When he contacts again, forward it to me. And don't mention the three new recruits to him—it'll just get annoying if he runs into them."

Yoon said indifferently.

"Especially Hildebert. He's already marked him as a parachute drop or whatever."

"Senior Jason Tvain?"

That guy from before?

The one who was badmouthing Ye-hyeon in the hallway right after introductions. I hadn't seen anything but the back of his blond head at the time.

Angela said she understood. Kal nodded silently.

I put on my gloves, gauged the mood, and mustered the courage to ask,

"Who's Senior Tvain?"

It might have been grabbing at straws.

The mentors turned to look at me.

Yoon answered.

"The blond guy who talked behind your back."

Ah, as I thought.

"Behind my back?"

Kal raised his thick eyebrows.

I smiled awkwardly. It was embarrassing to explain in detail in front of the cohort mentors.

I just trailed off.

"I did come in a weird way, after all. My low recovery rate is a burden on the other Badgers... I can see why it rubs people the wrong way."

"He's just dislikes Ye-hyeon."

Yoon said indifferently.

"So he dislikes you too, since Ye-hyeon pays attention to you. Well, that guy's a bit of an old fogey anyway."

"Don't mind it."

Kal said, watching my expression closely.

He must have thought I was holding onto the fact that I overheard the gossip. Not wrong there—I was holding onto that gossip.

"Senior's explanation is spot on. He just dislikes the commander."

"Why does he dislike him so much?"

Hesi asked.

Since he admired Ye-hyeon and aspired to be a Badger, it made sense he'd be curious why someone hated him.

Yoon answered again.

"Because Ye-hyeon got promoted."

Huh?

For real?

"We took down a Tier 10 creature together, but he thinks all the credit went to Ye-hyeon. The guy's ridiculously simple-minded."

"Really, that's the reason...?"

"On the surface, Ye-hyeon's promotion is credited to taking down that Tier 10 creature."

If it was just on the surface, that meant there was a deeper story.

But Yoon didn't elaborate, and Angela took over.

"If he contacts again, I'll forward it to you, Senior."

"Yeah."

Yoon nodded without much enthusiasm.

The man turned his head, stared at something, and then said,

"Let's finish restocking the supplies first."

People began moving in unison.

*

Work began. Like in the morning, we got to it without a word. We lined up like ants and moved the cargo. To avoid getting in the way, I moved my hands quickly, with no time to wonder what was inside the boxes.

By the time we finished, the sun was setting.

The last box passed into Yoon's hands and settled inside the library. The mentor, who had disappeared inside briefly, walked out with his hands in his pockets.

"How's it look inside?"

Angela approached Yoon as he walked out of the grounds and asked. The mentor didn't look at the approaching Badger. Even as he walked, he kept staring at something.

The same direction as before. What the hell was this guy looking at?

Yoon replied without tearing his gaze away.

"At a glance, nothing seems off."

"So, someone really is siphoning stuff?"

I narrowed my eyes, trying to figure out what he was looking at.

What was he seeing...?

"If the discrepancies keep happening, we'll have to report it in more detail to the higher-ups..."

"Send in the three rookies."

Interrupted words.

Click. The sound of Kal assembling and loading his rifle shifted the atmosphere. The sunset tinting the surroundings. The lax mood tensed up sharply.

Hesi, who had been sitting on the asphalt, jumped to his feet. Tom, removing his gloves beside me, straightened his spine.

Angela cut off mid-sentence and turned her head.

And that's when I figured out what Yoon was looking at.

[Creature 'witch'. Tier 5. Floats in the air and fires energy cannon. The stronger the witch, the more powerful the energy cannon. Spears and swords are more effective against it than guns. Weak point: head. No specific habitat. Never sighted inside the Core.]

The codex spoke.

So it explained like this automatically when you encountered a creature. I was glad I didn't have to ask what the ragged horde appearing one by one on the horizon was.

Kal whipped his head around.

"You three, get inside the library."

He said in a heavy voice as he walked toward Yoon and Angela.

"Don't come out until we get back."

"We can fight too!"

Hesi shouted, gripping his rifle with both hands.

"Let us fight!"

"Why are there so many...?"

Angela's surprised voice carried on the wind.

And the numbers were still increasing.

The horizon darkened. Yoon, with the bored look of someone watching a dull TV show, pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

"Looks like they came for the rookies."

"Huh?"

"Save some time. Like you said, the three rookies stay in the library."

Yoon ordered, a unlit cigarette in his mouth.

"The rest of us go greet them."

"Senior!"

Hesi protested.

"We came out here to fight!"

"It's not about protecting you by locking you in the library, so just listen."

Yoon pulled something out of another pocket that looked like a car key.

When he pressed the button, an engine roared somewhere.

"I'm not the least bit interested in your lives. Split up. Rookies defend the supply depot. The rest wipe out those things."

"Yes."

"Yes, Senior."

"The defense team, if possible, figure out the cause of the missing inventory too."

A pitch-black motorcycle burst out from inside the library.

Three unmanned motorcycles stopped beside the mentors. Our eyes widened. Guess there was stuff like that in the supply depot.

Yoon hopped onto the motorcycle and turned his head.

His black gaze flew to my yellow eyes and stuck there.

"I want to clock out right after we finish."

"Yes, sir."

"Search every inch."

"We'll check every corner and report back."

I had no clue what to do, but I answered enthusiastically anyway.

Tom, who had been silent, spoke calmly.

"We'll hold the rear."

"Don't let your guard down."

Angela, on her motorcycle, warned Tom.

"There are so many; you never know when some might slip your way. Defending the supply depot is crucial. Don't think of it as a minor task—do your best."

"Yes, Senior."

"Watch the fuel tanks."

Kal jerked his chin toward the library.

"If an energy cannon hits them, it'll be a disaster."

Looks like there were fuel tanks on the library grounds.

The roar of engines starting up filled the air. In an instant, Yoon revved off on the motorcycle.

Vroom!

The two-wheeler sped forward amid the loud engine noise.

Kal and Angela followed closely behind Yoon. The seniors, starting at tremendous speed, vanished in moments. We watched the motorcycles race through the ruined city, then backed toward the supply depot, eyes fixed on the shrinking dots.

"Shall we get started too?"

I turned my head as the mentors became thumb-sized in the distance.

Hesi, biting his lip. Tom, with a composed expression.

They looked back at me and nodded.

I turned my body.

"Let's head inside the library."