This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 478

The firepower itself is sufficient even now, but perhaps there’s a worry that increasing it here could affect the machine responsible for rift formation.

Thud, thud—the sound of the baton swinging echoed off the walls.

Could it be because we’re dealing with the Another Ones, designated early on as humanity’s enemies?

Or maybe they wanted to show off just how strong they are in this very moment.

With thick batons in hand, those wielding them showed no mercy.

Thanks to that, everything turned to mush in an instant—taken away by those from the Association, leaving only those who’ve decided to participate in this expedition behind.

From the RK Guard, two members introduced themselves as the team leader and deputy team leader, while from the Hero side, all five participants included Yoonseo.

Additionally, among those dispatched from headquarters to form the Artificial Rift, a person who seemed to be in charge along with the most experienced staff member also participated.

So, nine individuals gathered in one place, yet the expressions on their faces were all grim.

The reason was simple.

Nobody expected something like this to happen before even launching.

At least seven out of the nine present felt that way.

That was why the gazes of the other two were completely fixed on those seven.

However… given the affiliation of the opposing side, it was natural for everyone to be cautious.

No one dared to speak up; they merely watched.

In hindsight, that was quite understandable.

Even if their status might not be as lofty as before, the name of the Association headquarters still held a sense of ideal for all awakened individuals.

And currently, the affiliation of the one drawing all seven pairs of eyes was precisely that same headquarters.

Thus, amidst the silent tension, the first to break the silence was none other than Yoonseo.

“If it’s not too much trouble, may I ask just one thing?”

In that moment, her simple English phrases that she learned under Dogun’s coaching began to shine.

“Of course. If English is inconvenient, feel free to speak in Korean.”

“Oh, is that okay?”

“Yes, both I and this friend here can speak Korean, which is why we were assigned to this position.”

“I see…”

Yoonseo thought it was a relief to hear that.

After all, the English she learned with Dogun’s help was strictly for interviews.

In regular conversation, that’d be one thing, but considering the technical content she was about to discuss, smooth communication would be virtually impossible.

So, she was mentally preparing to whip out the translation app on her mobile phone… but who would’ve thought they could speak Korean?

With that, she thought she wouldn’t have to awkwardly hold out her phone and began to carefully choose her words.

“What I’d like to ask is… about the situation earlier.”

“Uh… I’m sorry, but could you please be a bit more specific?”

Thinking this was clear enough, she had intentionally brushed it off a bit, but perhaps it felt lacking when viewed from someone whose native language isn’t Korean.

Nodding to show she understood, she continued.

“As far as I know, the headquarters has already conducted several tests on the safety of the Artificial Rift. Is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s correct. After all, the Association’s stance was that we couldn’t just throw heroes into something whose safety hadn’t even been minimally confirmed.”

Worried about the possibility they’d say they couldn’t disclose any information or that it was confidential, Yoonseo was relieved to find that wasn’t the case.

The woman, who introduced herself as Emily Turner, nodded as if it was obvious.

The woman beside her, presumed to be the most senior staff member, nodded in agreement as well.

“I see. So… in the process of testing the Artificial Rift’s safety, were there any situations like the one just now?”

“A situation like just now…?”

“When the Another Ones come through the rift into this world.”

Aside from the current situation, wasn’t it obvious that they just watched the previous events unfold?

When she spoke with that nuance, Emily’s face flush with embarrassment.

The response of the woman standing closely beside her wasn’t terribly different.

That alone gave insight.

It was quite likely that this was the first occurrence of such a situation in the countless safety tests they must have conducted.

“Well then… it seems there haven’t been any situations like just now.”

“…Yes, that is correct.”

In that case… there was no point in digging deeper into that.

After all, the other party likely wouldn’t know either.

Thus, what needed to be asked now was not about that but rather…

“Uh… when we cross over through the rift.”

“Yes.”

“You mentioned earlier that there could be slight motion sickness symptoms upon crossing; how long does that last?”

I don’t know why those who were quiet during the tests in America suddenly went wild when ripping open a rift in Korea, but if the issue is the Another Ones coming through, then it wouldn’t it be best to prevent their passage?

But even so, they couldn’t just close the rift after finally forcing it open…

The answer was only one.

Someone would have to go over first and hold those Another Ones back from crossing over until the others arrive.

The real problem was… who would take on that role?

‘Handing it over to the RK Guard…’

That would likely be tough.

No one knows how many Another Ones are lurking beyond the rift at this point, but if a sizable group is waiting, even an ordinary awakened person would struggle.

Considering that the moment they crossed over, they’d experience motion sickness or similar symptoms, it made matters even more difficult.

So, putting that role on them would mean essentially forcing unnecessary harm onto someone else.

And that means one of the five here would have to take it on… but who would be willing?

Glancing over the faces of everyone gathered, wondering whether anyone would volunteer for that position, it seemed that none were willing.

Even one who had stated a desire to join the expedition for family revenge felt the same.

Well, it makes sense.

If they succeed, they would receive due credit, but if luck turns, they might die before they even get to try.

‘The idea that Another Ones are simply mindless is outdated…’

Everyone currently active agrees.

They’ve changed from how they once were.

‘In fact, that’s quite accurate…’

Just think about that crazy little brat who tried to kidnap Dogun; their actions and appearance weren’t much different from a human.

When considering this too… it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for the Another Ones to discover the rift opened on this side and wait in hiding, ready to ambush those crossing over.

In contrast, the moment someone crosses, they’ll be left vulnerable for anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes…

Of course, no one would want to take on that role.

‘Sigh…’

It feels like the road ahead is incredibly long, yet here we are at the starting line.

At this rate, I might struggle to keep the promise my sister Chae-rim had made to me.

She had told me to think only of myself as much as possible, but now, I’d be lucky to even find a way to restore Dogun’s left arm to its original state.

So, what can I do?

The truly desperate will end up stepping up.

“Well, it can’t be helped at this point.”

That’s why I stepped forward among those who remained tight-lipped like they had eaten honey.

“I’ll go first and clear the area…”

And perhaps everyone had been waiting for someone to say those words.

“Are you sure it’s alright?”

“It could be dangerous…”

“I’d really appreciate it if you could…”

Voices expressing unspoken relief mingled with needless worry flew in from everywhere.

Because of that, I couldn’t wipe the bitter smile off my face even until I crossed over through the rift.

And the moment I did so, what greeted me was—

“Huh? This isn’t as dizzying as I expected…”

It was an entirely red world, nothing like the expected nausea.