The Druid Who Devoured the Great Nature

“……”

Was it not just a normal headhunting? If he was going so far as to stop the operation of his own mercenary corps and chase after it, it meant that it was not a problem that could be simply ignored. In addition, if he couldn’t even easily talk about it to his subordinates…

“We’ll know what the situation is if we go and find the mercenaries in this area.”

There were few clues to make a rash guess. There was no suspicious story that had come to my ears, as it was an incident that had occurred in the mercenary industry.

I had no intention of taking on another request until I heard from Hazel, as we had a deep friendship. It was something worth doing as a way to kill time. …If the Drexier Mercenary Corps was normalized, I might be able to get help from them later.

“But it’s inefficient to move cautiously in this maze-like space.”

“Then what do you want to do?”

“We have to turn on the lights.”

“So how do you…”

“Beta.”

Lights turned on one by one in front of us. The amount of light was low, so it didn’t brighten up the front, but it was much better than before.

At least there was no difficulty in identifying which way the road led, and also in identifying the traces of people.

“Oh… if this was possible, you should have done it sooner. We’ve been moving around uncomfortably for no reason.”

It was because I had been cautious because she had dragged me here without explaining any circumstances. Hella, who was complaining unreasonably, was ignored, and I moved at a faster pace.

There were quite a few forks in the road, but it was not difficult to find the way. It’s not easy to erase traces in a dark space, and in the first place, there’s no need to.

The traces of the mercenaries’ movements were clear.

“We’re almost there.”

At the point where we had advanced to some extent, a bustling sound that was not erased by the sound of water was heard. As the lights brightened, they seemed to have noticed our presence.

A tension, as if blades were clashing, was mixed in with the gloom of the underground.

“Who are you!”

And so, we arrived at a deep place in the sewer. A group of people were on guard in a formation in the middle of the gushing water from the barred water gate, which was like a waterfall.

Their gazes, which were watching us as if not to miss a single small movement, were sharp. In the midst of the sharp suspicion and wariness, I asked back.

“Who are you guys to be gathered here in the underground sewer with that many people?”

They were definitely mercenaries. Even with their free-spirited attire, they were orderly, and even in the chaos, I could feel their trained movements.

‘They’re not just a bunch of nobodies.’

They were all at least middle-aged. They were skilled veterans who had accumulated enough experience.

But compared to their veteran atmosphere, they all had one physical disability. Someone had an injured eye, and someone else had an injured arm or leg.

And they had all replaced their injured body parts with machines. It was a common thing.

Even Malay Krekter, the head of the 85th branch of the Brotherhood, had replaced his skull with a machine. It was not a rare type of person in this city to deliberately replace their body with a machine because they were more attracted to machines than to the human body.

However, in the realm of superhumans, it was an act that made one tilt their head. No matter how much stronger or more flexible a machine was than a human body, it could not compare in terms of mana conductivity.

There was no way that mercenaries who had accumulated that much experience would not know this fact. There was also a story that the products of the top-of-the-line lineup produced by megacorps had more advantages than disadvantages… but their machine bodies were cheap, mass-produced models.

‘So it’s true that only a few, including Drexier, were discharged with all their limbs intact. Hella’s explanation was just as it was.’

Drexier’s comrades, the veterans. It must be a wound from the war.

Hella twirled her spear and said in a threatening tone.

“You don’t need to know who we are, just explain what you were doing. If you don’t want to be handed over to the Public Security Bureau and tortured, you’d better talk obediently.”

“Public Security Bureau? Are you a city government official?”

“I definitely checked the schedule! Why are those heavy-bottomed guys suddenly…”

“……No, don’t be alarmed. It’s a familiar face. The Drexier Mercenary Corps, the colt that belongs there.”

The mercenary who seemed to be the leader was calm from beginning to end. He saw through Hella’s identity alone among his flustered comrades.

Hella suddenly became enraged and shouted.

“Why am I a colt?!”

“Did Drexier betray us?”

“No, Drexier said she was a tomboy who was hard to control. He said he was still in the process of persuading her, so there’s a possibility that she acted on her own.”

They chattered on without paying any attention to Hella’s outburst. After chattering among themselves, they seemed to have come to a conclusion and said in a slightly gentler tone.

“Go back. I don’t know why you came all the way here, but tell the kid. Drexier will explain.”

“What are you talking about? I came all the way here to find out what the old man is doing. Stop with the tricks and just tell me everything.”

“……”

While they were chattering, I looked around. They seemed to be gathered in a disorderly manner, but they were secretly hiding something from us without us noticing.

But they couldn’t take any special measures at our sudden approach and were just trying to hide it with their bodies. Of course, that kind of thing couldn’t block my vision.

“They were planting bombs on the water gate.”

“……!”

Not all of them were good at acting, as a flustered expression appeared on some of their faces. Hella asked with a bewildered expression.

“Bombs…? Why that?”

“It’s one of two things. They either want to bring chaos to the city, or they want to threaten the city government.”

The sewer is the basic infrastructure of the city. The supply of water is an inseparable part of life, so if the sewer is destroyed, the damage is in some ways more threatening than a direct act of harm to the city government’s leadership.

“If that’s the case, then a bunch of washed-up mercenaries are gathered to defy the city government. Are they crazy?”

“The authority of the city government is not as high as it used to be due to various incidents.”

The war threat from the city of savages, the terrorist acts of Al-Raid, and recently, even the show of force by the Brotherhood. They were all incidents that had not been handled quietly and had become known to the public.

Through this, the authority of the city government, which had reigned as an absolute power, had fallen a lot. It was a city where even the security was given to the dogs, but the recent atmosphere was different.

The fact that the mercenary industry had been eagerly recruiting talent recently was not without its influence on that atmosphere. But to think that they could beat the city government like a neighborhood drum was something only a fool would think.

If there was an ideology or thought that could replace the city government, I don’t know, but a group of washed-up mercenaries would just be trampled by the ruthless retaliation of the city government.

“They’re not so senile that they don’t know they’re nothing, so who instigated them?”

“……Damn it, he brought a troublesome guy.”

A killing intent that went beyond wariness and was clearly hostile to us. My whole body tingled as if I had been pricked by a small needle.

“I don’t know who you are, but there are secrets in the world that you should pretend not to know.”

“I haven’t seen a face like that among Drexier’s subordinates. It’s fine to deal with him.”

“……”

Doesn’t he know me? It was a different feeling, perhaps because I had only met people who pretended to know me recently.

But the contractor industry and the mercenary industry were quite close, so there were many overlapping areas in their activities. I’m not trying to brag, but if he was a mercenary who had been active recently, there was no way he wouldn’t know my name or characteristics.

I don’t know the details, but he probably hadn’t been active in the industry. In the end, they were old soldiers who had been away from real combat for a long time, so what was the confidence in gathering among themselves and causing trouble against the city government?

“Drexier’s colt?”

“If he came all the way here, he’s not just an acquaintance. Rather than being a nuisance, just beat him up together.”

“I’ll get an earful from Drexier.”

“……I don’t know what you’re talking about, but are you trying to fight me right now?”

Hella grinned as if it were a good thing, given their hostile atmosphere.

“It would have been great if you had just talked when I asked, but since you’re coming out like this, I have no choice. I’ll have to ask the old man after I show him your corpses.”

It was an energetic expression, as if this was the plan from the beginning. Well, it was unreasonable to expect Hella to have the subtle eloquence to get the other party to talk or the acting skills to gently persuade them.

She must have come all the way here with the shallow thought that she could just beat them up foolishly. I had already prepared myself for the possibility of a battle.

I wasn’t unconfident either. Similarly, Hella joked and suggested.

“Shall we make a bet on who can knock down more?”

“The place is not good for two people to fight at the same time.”

A narrow path, a waterway flowing next to it, and the sewer could not be destroyed.

“I’ll support you, so you go ahead and move.”

“That’s good too. I’ll be able to relieve my stress to my heart’s content.”

“You brats…”

A flustered mercenary threatened.

“They say a puppy doesn’t know how to fear a tiger. Your arrogance pierces the sky.”

“Oh, look at how you talk. You’re just advertising to the whole neighborhood that you’re old. Do you want to show it off that much?”

“You little…!”

The mercenary, whose face had turned red, gained nothing from the argument and was instead exposed to Hella’s surprise attack and started at a disadvantage.

He had instinctively extended his sword to block the spear, but in an awkward posture, he could not block all the force contained in the spear. The blade was deflected, and his chest was wide open.

“Verban!”

But they were many. Backup came in from both sides right away.

One firmly blocked the vital point that Hella was aiming for, and the other swung his blade directly at Hella. The optimal movement to cover the gap of the mercenary called Verban.

Like a single organism, their breathing was natural and their limbs were in perfect sync. It was basic common sense that even a rookie who had not experienced real combat would know how important it was to reduce the number by at least one in a battle with many.

It was an efficient choice to take the mercenary’s life, even if it meant taking some damage… but Hella gave up the golden opportunity without any lingering attachment.

“Keok!”

It was because she knew she didn’t have to overdo it. A bullet that pierced the mercenary’s chest.

Hella deflected the blade aimed at her shoulder and pushed away the shield that was blocking the vital point of the mercenary called Verban.

The head of the mercenary holding the shield was caught in the trajectory of the half-moon and fell into the water. At the same time, her tightly tied hair came undone and blocked her vision, and from within, a spearhead shot out and pierced the mercenary’s abdomen.

A powerful kick followed. The mercenary, who was clutching his abdomen, sank deep into the sewer, leaving behind a trail of red blood.

“Is this all you’ve got?”

The mercenaries answered Hella’s excited question with a heavy silence. Hella’s movements were not flashy.

Instead, they were concise and clean. It was like twisting the wrist of a child, there was no need to make a fuss.

It was a part that clearly showed how big the difference in skill was between them.

‘As expected, their actual skills are not as outstanding as their spirit.’

Apart from their good breathing, their lack of skill was noticeable, perhaps because they had been away from real combat for a long time. Most of all, the machine-replaced bodies did not properly support their movements.

The limit of a mass-produced prosthesis. The story that the majority is advantageous is only valid at a similar level.

Does a tiger need to be nervous when facing a flock of sheep? In the first place, this terrain was not a good structure for many to attack together.

Hella, who had completely grasped their level, jumped in without hesitation.

“Keuhak!”

“Kkeuk!”

There was no enemy who could block Hella’s spear more than twice. Every time the ray of light flashed, a scream erupted.

The meticulousness of digging into and biting only the gaps, while seeming to be rampaging wildly in excitement. Hella’s skills had also improved incomparably compared to our first meeting.

It was a one-sided battle, to the point where my support was meaningless.

‘If they were trying to rebel against the city government with these skills, I’m disappointed.’

Were they just a bunch of small fry?

Just as I was thinking that, Hella’s attack was blocked for the first time.

“Oh.”

Hella’s eyes widened.

“What, I thought you were not that great, but you were hiding such tricks?”

Blood vessels, muscles, and skin were growing and covering the mercenaries’ machine-replaced bodies. As if the frame was metal, but it was their original body.

(End of Chapter)