This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 562

“By the way…”

Should I say it’s typical Dogun?

Before being deployed again, I was worried about what to do if the new attack method I had painstakingly learned didn’t have the desired effect.

It seemed my concerns were all unfounded, as the Another Ones I faced again showed themselves to be utterly powerless against my new approach.

I wasn’t just talking about the lower-tier entities.

Even the higher-tier entities couldn’t withstand a single blow.

In the past, it would have taken a considerable amount of time to take down just one higher-tier entity… but now, just one attack was enough.

Of course, since my mastery wasn’t fully developed yet, it took about 30 seconds just to prepare to unleash that attack, but in the Heogye, even heroes typically rely on teamwork.

Thanks to that, asking those around me to buy me some time for 30 seconds was hardly a challenge.

This time too, focusing on the higher-tier entities allowed the RK Guard members nearby to quickly clean up the remaining foes without missing a beat.

“Taking out the higher tier ones first definitely makes dealing with the leftovers much easier.”

“Without a commanding entity around, the lower-tier’s power decreases significantly.”

That wasn’t just idle flattery.

It was indeed true.

If you consider that when a higher-tier entity is present, the power of the lower-tier entities is 100, without the higher-tier around, their power drops to roughly 60 or 70.

So, for someone used to facing the 100 scale, it naturally becomes much easier.

“By the way… you just pierced through the higher-tier’s exoskeleton in one hit… how did you do that?”

“Did you perhaps have some special trick up your sleeve…?”

What they really wanted to say was likely that if I knew the weaknesses of the higher-tier entities, I should share them.

Beating around the bush like this could easily lead to sensitive issues.

It was unfortunate for those trying hard to learn more, but I was completely clueless about such things.

If I had known anything like that, I wouldn’t have had to ask Dogun for training to handle the Another Ones in the first place.

“I don’t really have anything special… but after facing them last time, I thought regular methods wouldn’t cut it, so I trained during the downtime.”

So I answered, honestly but not entirely straightforward, and as expected, it seemed that was precisely what they had hoped for.

I could see the expression of ‘disappointment’ spreading across the faces of those gathered around me.

“I see…”

Despite their visible disappointment, the excavation work was progressing quite smoothly.

Of course, the remnants of modern civilization piled everywhere were still hindering them, but thanks to the significantly reduced time needed to deal with the Another Ones popping up sporadically, the pace was several times faster than before.

“There are really a lot of them.”

“Right? I honestly wish I could bring in a bulldozer and just clear them all out.”

If only that were possible, it would truly be satisfying.

With other machines, even smartphones, functioning perfectly fine, why specifically were only the heavy equipment rendered inoperative?

If we talk about sensitivity, devices like smartphones are likely to be more delicate, not less.

Fortunately, it seemed the Association was also considering such matters, as various attempts were constantly being made, but… with no significant results heard yet, it seemed we shouldn’t expect breakthroughs anytime soon.

After all, setting overly high expectations only leads to disappointing outcomes.

Once we finished clearing our designated area, I turned towards the direction of the Forward Base.

And started retracing my steps…

“…Hmm?!”

As the silhouette of the Forward Base appeared in the distance, it was clear something was amiss.

“An attack?”

“Again?”

Thick black smoke was rising above the Forward Base.

And unlike usual, turrets were diligently spewing orange-hued shells, pointed sharply upward.

Combined, those two sights clearly indicated that the base was under attack, and panic began to ripple through those who had been thinking about returning to the base to rest.

“Everyone, calm down. Let’s just assess the situation.”

That’s why I had no choice but to step forward.

Seeing things this way, it was clear that without action, some would have dashed straight to the base.

It might be fine if the turrets were quiet, but in a situation where they were overheating enough to glow orange from firing relentlessly, rushing in would be extremely dangerous.

Of course, the turrets were controlled by sensors rather than humans, so if we approached, they would recognize our faces and cease fire… but since they were firing shells, the risk of being caught in some stray projectile wasn’t something I could ignore.

Especially since the behavior patterns of the Another Ones were becoming increasingly cunning.

So, in an effort to calm everyone down, I spoke, and thankfully, it seemed to have worked.

The individuals who previously looked ready to sprint towards the base were suddenly tranquil.

That allowed for a moment of calm to check the situation.

‘First…’

Contrary to the turrets unleashing shells energetically, the area around the base didn’t seem to have any visible sign of the Another Ones.

Still, the fact the turrets were going berserk suggested…

“Could it be those flying entities again?”

“Seems like it… yes.”

Honestly, there was no reason for the turrets to behave like that otherwise.

Moreover… the turrets were aimed upwards.

That meant, even if not visible, the familiar flying entities were likely hovering up in the sky.

Maybe everyone realized this as the faces of those around began to harden with tension.

Understandably so.

Getting ambushed by one of those flying entities could lead to a fate of monsterization, isolating us somewhere unknown.

‘Fortunately, we haven’t had any cases like that among our group yet…’

However, among those brought in later, there was talk of one individual having succumbed to monsterization at the hands of those entities.

Of course, no one had seen it directly; it was more of a ‘word on the street’ kind of rumor. But still, it was better to be safe than sorry.

So, there was a hint of tension in everyone’s demeanor, but who would have thought we’d face such a situation?

That said, waiting here to ride it out until things calmed down felt a bit ambiguous.

At this moment, it might seem like the Another Ones had no intention of descending, but we had no guarantees of that for the future.

There was a danger they might rush at us with the mindset that if they were going to get hit by shells anyway, they’d at least take one of us down with them.

Thus, while it was too much to head into the base yet, we needed to reposition ourselves.

Right now, in this wide-open space, there were threats in every direction, making it unsuitable for holding our ground.

“Let’s move to another location.”

One somewhat fortunate aspect in this situation was that there were a few areas nearby where debris gathered during the excavation was set aside.

It felt somewhat like a waste disposal area.

Using those piles as cover, even if the entities discovered us and rushed in, we should at least be able to survive with minimal damage.

So we quickly headed that way, and as expected, they were still preoccupied with the base and hadn’t spotted us.

As soon as we got behind piled-up debris, we hastily established a defensive position, just as buzzing, reminiscent of hornets, began to fill the air from all directions.