"Sir!" A soldier saluted sharply as the commander approached, flanked by two four-star officers.
"What's the situation here?" the commander asked, his gaze sweeping over the chaotic scene before him.
The soldier straightened, his expression grim. "Reporting, sir. My team and I received orders this morning to halt all incoming hunters at the western drop point, but by the time we arrived, it had already come to this." He said, his voice steady.
The commander hummed in acknowledgment, his gaze shifting to the drop point where hundreds of hunters were clashing with soldiers, desperately trying to force their way into the territory.
"And the Marquis?" he asked, turning to the captain standing at attention beside him.
"We have informed him of the situation, sir. He is currently seeking authorization from Duke Herion to shut down all spatial access to this zone," the captain reported.
"I see." The commander nodded, his brows furrowing in deep thought. "But what's causing this sudden influx of hunters?"
"Sir, if I may…" the captain hesitated.
The commander gave a curt nod, signaling him to continue.
"I don't believe this is a coincidence," the captain said quietly.
The commander's eyes narrowed. "You don't mean—"
"I do, sir. And if my suspicions are correct, the situation may be far more severe than we realize," the captain replied with a solemn expression.
The commander studied him intently for a long moment before shifting his attention to the two officers standing behind him. "You two—henceforth, will assume command of this zone."
The officers saluted immediately.
"Sir?" The Captain spoke, his tone neutral.
The commander's lips curled slightly. "I see something in you, Captain....," He looked at the name on his top right pocket, "....Moren. We have much to discuss."
Captain Moren saluted. "It would be my honor, Commander."
The woman standing to the commander's right stepped forward. "Sir," she said, awaiting permission to speak.
He gestured for her to continue.
"What do we do with the hunters?" she asked.
The commander exhaled slowly, then turned to the captain. "I want to hear your opinion."
Captain Moren didn't hesitate. "We can't send them all back—there's a high risk of overloading the teleric. But…" He paused.
The commander's lips curled into a grin. It seemed he had just stumbled upon a rare gem. "Go on," he prompted.
Captain Moren nodded. "Given the nature of mystic worlds, I believe we could use them as… beta testers. It would benefit both us and the nobles waiting for results."
A deep, throaty laugh escaped the commander. It had been a long time since he'd encountered someone so ruthlessly pragmatic.
"You heard him," the commander said, his amusement evident. "Move them to the Nerai."
At that, the officers nodded in understanding. They knew exactly why he had chosen that place—it was the very heart of the territory, the closest point to the rift.
<....>
"Haah." I felt a weird, uncomfortable sensation rising inside me as I passed through the gate. It was like a truck slamming into my head. A wave of nausea hit me, but in a second, it was over.
I opened my eyes.
"Huh?"
I blinked.
"WAIT."
I blinked again.
But no matter how many times I did, the sight before me remained the same.
A multitude of people had gathered.
"Was… was this how it happened?" I thought, frowning.
I didn't have direct knowledge of what exactly took place here. Most of what I knew revolved around Jason. Anything beyond his perspective was vague at best—I didn't know everything.
"This… is a problem," I muttered, watching as men were being forced into queues by soldiers. Where were they taking them?
Whoosh!
I turned at the sound, just in time to see the teleric deactivate for some reason.
Hmm.
Something was definitely wrong.
"You, get in line."
I watched as those ahead of me—like myself, who had just arrived—stood frozen in confusion.
"No, you can't tell me what to—" A man with a pickaxe grunted, but before he could finish—
Shink!
…Oh no.
In a flash, too fast for my eyes to follow, he was decapitated.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"
"HELP! GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"
Panic exploded. People screamed and scattered, running frantically.
What the hell is going on?
I might not know everything about this place, but something like this… I should remember.
So why can't I?
"GET IN LINE OR YOU WILL BE KILLED WHERE YOU STAND!"
A roar cut through the chaos, and suddenly, those who had been panicking were being cut down on the spot.
Oh god.
"You. Get in line."
A sharp blade pressed against my neck.
Great. Just great.