Chapter 115: Familiar
The command chamber beneath the Corrode Family estate remained unnaturally silent after the deployment of the first wave of King-Class Beasts. Every commander, researcher, and elder stared toward the enormous tactical displays lining the walls, waiting for fresh information to appear. Unlike ordinary military units, those creatures had been painstakingly cultivated over many years through dangerous expeditions, biological enhancement, and countless failed experiments. Every single King-Class Beast represented a strategic asset capable of annihilating entire cities by itself. Losing even one was unacceptable.
Yet they had already lost several.
Without explanation.
Without resistance.
Without even identifying what had killed them.
The old patriarch remained seated in complete silence while his fingers lightly tapped the polished armrest of his ancient chair. Although his expression never changed, everyone present knew that he had entered a state of deep contemplation. Throughout his long life, he had encountered countless strange phenomena, but nothing resembling the events unfolding inside that silent city.
Finally, one of the military commanders stepped forward before lowering his head respectfully.
"Patriarch, perhaps the previous deployment entered some form of hidden spatial distortion. The reconnaissance helicopters vanished without leaving sufficient information, while the King-Class Beasts also disappeared shortly after entering the same region. This subordinate believes another investigation should be conducted before drawing conclusions."
Several elders slowly nodded.
Another strategist calmly added, "Our current information remains insufficient. Every conclusion we make now would merely be speculation. We should continue probing the area from multiple directions until we identify the hidden mechanism responsible for these disappearances."
The old patriarch slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze swept across everyone gathered inside the chamber.
"Proceed."
The single word echoed throughout the underground hall.
Immediately afterward, another series of commands spread through the family’s private communication network.
Hidden steel gates beneath the estate slowly opened once more.
Far below the underground complex, massive cages constructed from reinforced alloy unlocked one after another.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the darkness.
Low growls shook the walls.
Powerful auras surged upward.
Another group of King-Class Beasts was prepared for deployment.
Unlike the first wave, these creatures possessed entirely different characteristics. Some specialized in aerial reconnaissance, while others possessed extraordinary senses capable of detecting hidden lifeforms from incredible distances. Several enormous birds spread wings wider than commercial aircraft, while reptilian monsters covered in black scales slowly crawled from their reinforced enclosures. A gigantic feline with silver fur silently walked forward, every movement radiating overwhelming pressure.
The commanders observed them through thick reinforced glass before issuing the final order.
"Release them."
One by one, the King-Class Beasts launched into the sky.
Their immense bodies disappeared into the clouds as they headed toward the same mysterious city.
...
Inside the command center, every available monitor displayed tracking information gathered from countless sensors attached to the beasts.
At first...
Everything remained stable.
The tracking signals moved steadily across the map.
Their heartbeats remained strong.
Biological readings stayed normal.
One operator quietly reported.
"They’ve crossed the outer mountain range."
Another looked toward his monitor.
"They’re approaching the city perimeter."
The room became completely silent.
Every eye focused upon the displays.
The first tracking signal entered the city.
Nothing happened.
Several seconds later, the second entered.
Still nothing.
Then the third.
The fourth.
The fifth.
For one brief moment, many people believed the second expedition might finally uncover the truth.
Then...
The first signal disappeared.
Not weakened.
Not interrupted.
Simply...
Gone.
A heartbeat later, the second vanished.
Then the third.
The fourth.
The fifth.
Every remaining signal disappeared one after another exactly as the previous expedition had.
No distress call.
No abnormal biological readings.
No recorded battle.
No indication of injury.
One moment they existed.
The next moment...
Nothing.
The operator repeatedly checked the instruments.
He recalibrated every receiver.
He switched between emergency frequencies.
He even rebooted the entire tracking system.
The result remained identical.
Blank.
Every King-Class Beast had vanished.
The command chamber gradually became heavier.
Even the seasoned military officers who had remained calm until now slowly frowned.
One elderly researcher muttered almost to himself, "Impossible... even if an Emperor-Class Beast hunted them, there should have been combat data... some fluctuation... some remaining life signal..."
Another strategist slowly shook his head.
"We’re not observing defeat."
His voice became quieter.
"We’re observing disappearance."
The old patriarch remained silent.
His eyes never left the central display.
Suddenly...
One of the younger technicians froze.
His pupils contracted.
His breathing unconsciously became heavier.
"I..."
He rubbed his eyes.
"...I think..."
The people nearest to him immediately looked over.
"What is it?"
The technician slowly pointed toward a surveillance feed that had unexpectedly restored itself for only a fraction of a second.
The image was blurry.
Filled with interference.
Countless horizontal lines distorted the picture.
Yet...
Something could still be seen.
The room instinctively leaned closer.
The technician enlarged the frozen frame.
The static slowly settled.
The silhouette became clearer.
Standing alone in the middle of an empty street...
Was a young man.
He wore an ordinary school uniform.
His posture appeared relaxed, almost casual, as though he had simply wandered outside while everyone else had disappeared.
For several long seconds...
Nobody spoke.
Then someone quietly whispered in disbelief.
"...A human?"
The image sharpened just enough for everyone to recognize his face.
The command chamber fell into complete silence.
It was...
Someone they know.
Inside the underground command chamber, the frozen image remained projected across the enormous central display. Although interference covered much of the footage, the silhouette of the young man standing calmly in the middle of the empty street could still be distinguished. His posture was relaxed, his school uniform was unmistakable, and unlike every other living creature that had entered the mysterious city, he appeared completely unconcerned by the eerie silence surrounding him.
Nobody spoke immediately.
The elders, commanders, researchers, and military personnel simply stared at the image as if expecting it to change.
One researcher finally broke the silence.
"...Who is he?"
The question lingered throughout the chamber.
Several analysts immediately enlarged the captured frame, enhancing the facial features little by little despite the heavy distortion. The image remained imperfect, but enough details gradually emerged for everyone to study the unfamiliar young man.
A middle-aged family member slowly leaned closer to the display.
"...He looks strangely familiar."
Another elder frowned.
"I was about to say the same thing."
The old patriarch remained silent, but his gaze never left the screen.
One by one, the family members searched their memories.
Some believed they had seen the young man before.
Others insisted they had not.
Yet everyone agreed upon one thing.
There was something about his appearance that felt oddly recognizable.
One elderly woman narrowed her eyes.
"It is not merely his face."
She paused briefly.
"It is... the feeling."
Another elder slowly nodded.
"Almost as though we have encountered him somewhere before."
A researcher hurriedly searched through the family’s extensive database, comparing the blurred image against countless records accumulated over generations.
Thousands of photographs rapidly flashed across several monitors.
Candidates appeared.
Candidates disappeared.
None matched.
The operator finally shook his head.
"No confirmed identity."
The uncertainty only deepened everyone’s curiosity.
The commander folded his arms.
"Regardless of who he is, if he remains standing while every reconnaissance team disappears, then he undoubtedly knows something about that city."
The old patriarch finally spoke.
"Observe him."
The order was simple.
No one questioned it.
Within moments, another deployment was organized.
This time, instead of large reconnaissance groups, individual King-Class Beasts were dispatched separately from different directions. Each creature possessed a miniature recording device protected by multiple defensive formations, allowing the command center to receive visual information for as long as possible before the connection inevitably vanished.
The first beast entered the city.
Its camera shook as it sprinted through abandoned streets.
The image remained stable.
For several seconds.
Then...
The young man appeared.
He stood quietly in the middle of an intersection.
The King-Class Beast released a thunderous roar before charging without hesitation.
The camera violently lurched forward.
Just before reaching him—
A blur crossed the screen.
The recording spun wildly.
Then darkness.
The signal vanished.
Silence filled the command chamber.
Another beast entered.
Different direction.
Different species.
The result remained identical.
The young man appeared.
The beast attacked.
Something moved faster than the camera could capture.
The transmission ended.
The third beast.
The fourth.
The fifth.
Every deployment ended exactly the same way.
Each managed to capture only brief moments of the mysterious student before disappearing completely.
Yet those few moments proved valuable.
The family’s technicians painstakingly synchronized every surviving frame, combining footage from different angles and different encounters.
Gradually, a clearer image emerged.
The young man never appeared frightened.
He never ran.
He never attacked.
He simply stood there while something else eliminated every approaching beast before the recordings ended.
One strategist slowly pointed toward the assembled footage.
"Look carefully."
Everyone focused on the enlarged image.
"The beasts aren’t dying because of him."
Another researcher nodded.
"They’re dying before they can even reach him."
The commander frowned.
"Which means..."
"...someone else is protecting him."
The atmosphere became even heavier.
One final King-Class Beast still remained active.
Unlike the previous ones, this creature specialized in stealth rather than direct combat. Instead of charging recklessly, it quietly climbed across rooftops while transmitting remarkably stable footage back to the command center.
For the first time, everyone obtained an uninterrupted view of the mysterious student.
He slowly walked through the deserted street.
Then...
He suddenly stopped.
His head turned slightly.
Not toward the hidden beast.
Toward someone outside the camera’s view.
His expression remained calm.
Then, to everyone’s astonishment, he spoke.
"Wait."
He casually raised one hand.
"Let me handle it."