There Is No World For ■■

***Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Siberia became a land plagued by all kinds of monsters.Surrounded by a massive mana barrier, the region was no longer accessible to ordinary people.Even the dwarves who survived the Gulag¹ called it the ‘Land of Sorrow’.On the other side of the globe, the Americans who won the Cold War referred to it as ‘Stalin’s Arrogance’, while Moscow and the Europeans preferred the term ‘The Great Mistake’.Each name was either literary or educational—Names that could be used to describe something one could observe from a safe distance without personally experiencing the suffering caused by the monsters beyond the barrier.However, the Manchurians despised such names.Because for them, Siberia and the monsters contained within were a grim reality they had to face daily.“...Although the reason has not been revealed, the mana barrier surrounding Siberia happens to be particularly thin near the region where it borders Manchuria.”And that was commonly called the Manchurian Rift.“Because of that, for Manchurians, Siberia signifies… hell—a hell that lays waste their homes and spawns demons that reap their lives.”Tian Lin, who had been giving an explanation up to that point, glanced at Cheon Yeomyeong.Sitting in a military transport truck, Yeomyeong was listening to him without any particular complaints.Although it would be normal for a newcomer to feel motion sickness from a terrible ride in a military truck, Yeomyeong had a calm expression, as if he was sitting on a normal chair.“I’m worried that I might have rambled on needlessly. It must have been a bit dull for a young person like you.”When Tian Lin said that, Yeomyeong shook his head.“No, Sir. I didn’t even notice the time passing by.”“Heh, this newcomer really knows how to butter up someone.”Just as Tian Lin was about to continue speaking with a smile, the military truck jolted up and down as it ran over some rocks on the Manchurian plain.For Yeomyeong and Tian Lin, it was just a slight pain in their butts, but for Kim Mansoo, lying next to them, it felt like he was hit by a hammer from hell.And as soon as the truck’s shaking subsided, he immediately gagged and retched. Yet, since he had already thrown up once, nothing came out.“Jeez, Vice Captain, why on earth is someone who suffers from motion sickness tagging along?”“Ugh, ugh, isn’t it natural for the instructor to accompany the new recruit…”“Then you should have taken some motion sickness pills and gone to sleep like usual. It’s harder for us to watch, you know?”“If I f-fall asleep, who will look after the new recruit… Blehh!”Ah, right. This newcomer must be someone really important.Turning his attention away from Kim Mansoo, who had his head out the truck window, Tian Lin looked at Yeomyeong with renewed interest.His body had a considerable amount of muscle, a neat posture, and a sharp demeanor.To put it grandly, he looked like a well-polished sword.Without having known that he was a newcomer, one would easily mistake him for a Superhuman, which made it understandable to see the Vice Captain so invested.“Hey, Newcomer, aren’t you nervous?”“...Should I be?”“Well, people usually feel nervous. You don’t seem to be ordinary, though.”Tian Lin took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. It was a habit he formed on feeling a sense of despair after realizing he couldn’t become a Superhuman.“By any chance, were you an aspiring Superhuman?”Yeomyeong didn’t reply and just gave him a vague smile. Tian Lin interpreted that smile in his own way.It seems he failed the academy entrance exam, just like me.Feeling like he had needlessly reopened someone’s old wounds, he scratched the back of his head awkwardly and changed the subject.“So, do you know exactly what this mission is?”“…From what I understand, it's to support the expedition that’s in North Manchuria.”Seeing that the young guy remembered the name of the mission quite accurately, Tian Lin nodded while taking a deep drag from his cigarette.“But you don’t know the exact details of the mission, right?”“…Yes, other than the fact that North Manchuria is located right in front of the Rift, I don’t know much.”“I see, it seems like I’ve been talking aimlessly instead of sharing important information.”The cigarette smoke flowing from Tian Lin’s mouth was carried away by the chilly wind.“As you said, North Manchuria is right at the doorstep of the Rift. It’s pretty much a front-line position.”“…”“The problem is that there are so many monsters that they’ve created their own ecosystem. If not for periodic cleaning, they will multiply and move south.”The monsters moving south would always flock towards civilian residential areas, as if they had made an agreement. The victims of these monsters were always the weak.“…The expedition team probably refers to the mercenaries who go there to clean up monsters.”Tian Lin nodded in agreement.“Well, you don’t need to stress about it. It’s an annual event, nothing special. Once we start firing bullets and shells, we can consider the task completed.”“Is there anything we should keep in mind?”“Well, monsters that don’t fit the usual standards do show up occasionally, but there are Superhumans stationed in North Manchuria to deal with them. But if you’re really worried…”Tian Lin trailed off and turned to Kim Mansoo, who was still struggling to return to his senses.“…Just stick close to the Vice Captain. At least that way, you won’t die.”It was ridiculous to see a Superhuman unable to endure motion sickness, but he was still someone who had risen to the position of Vice Captain of the mercenary group. Hence, his skills were reliable.Yeomyeong looked between Kim Mansoo and Tian Lin, then smiled awkwardly.“I’ll keep that in mind.”