The Foreigner on the Periphery

“…Then, this concludes the last strategy meeting before entering Earth. Each battalion commander should check the troops and supplies under his command one more time and stand by. There are only 30 minutes left until the jump is completed. Strictly manage the soldiers so that they don’t get unnecessarily excited and rampage.”

“All right!” 

Inside the jump ship as long as it faced Earth. 

After departing from the center of her dimension, the ship passed through several dimensions and was now about to arrive at its final destination. After the middle commanders dispersed according to the order, the corps commander who presided over the meeting checked the details one last time. 

A translucent display then rose in the air. The internal status and troop deployment of this ultra-large military jump ship, the arrival situation updated at the departure level several hours ago, the alert posture of the terminal there, and the exact time remaining in the future were now unfolded. The corps commander scanned it with a keen gaze. 

Arrival was imminent. It was a big operation that he had been participating in for a long time, and it was also an important hunt that should never fail.

‘Asif-666.’ 

Thanks to his status as a corps commander, he had access to some secrets and knew the weight of that inmate number. A jailbreak of Asif-666 was unlikely, yet it must be stopped Also, in keeping with the guidelines of not killing and subduing, he intended to project some emotion into this mission. 

Old Toad remembered how horribly his people had died on Earth earlier. It was the work of Asif-666. The footage from the scene, reported by spirit world communication, stimulated his instincts. 

‘I won’t be able to stop breathing, but I won’t drag you away in a good way.’ 

It would definitely make him suffer the pain of his fellow countrymen who were sacrificed. That was Toad’s nature. eye for an eye. In this, it was hate for hate. 

“·······?!” For a moment, the corps commander’s concentration was broken. Inside the control room, where only the two of them were left, a gas with a unique molecular composition was spreading. 

The feeler on the commander’s forehead sensed it and flinched. As the atmosphere stiffened, a voice came from behind. “I’m sorry… Corps commander!”

The corps commander replied without looking. “You must be very nervous, Adjutant.” 

That young Toad sitting in the back was a generation that had never experienced war. Such a weak temper, unique to that age, was disapproving of the commander of the corps. However, since he received a request from the leadership, he had no choice but to choose. The corps commander’s deputy position was the best place for young people of an ancient race with no experience to start their career path. 

In other words, it meant that access was impossible without a ‘parachute greeting’. Even if you didn’t have any experience, if you wanted to do something that would help your career, of course you would need connections. 

The sudden spread of an unpleasant smell was due to the adjutant’s nervousness. A green liquid then formed on Todd’s rock-like skin, which quickly vaporized and spread. It was a smell that Endelion and Carbite hated. 

“You’ve already taken a few leaps. Are you still nervous?” 

The peace had gone far too long look at that sloppy look. It was a disgrace to Toad’s bravery, who knew battle and revenge as an honor. One day, a large-scale war, frequent battles, and a time when talented soldiers would be needed would return. Then, the young people would be different too. 

However, it wasn’t going to happen right away. As he lost his concentration, he decided to give his lieutenant some comfort. In any case, it would be beneficial for that blue-eyed young guy to say a few nice things about himself to his powerful father after being discharged. 

“Don’t worry too much. The odds of an accident while jumping are absurdly low. Who built the jump ship and the guidance tower? The jumping off point is riding the tentacles of those psychopaths who paranoidly calculate probabilities when their lives are at stake and never try once the odds exceed a certain level.” 

Of course, that was also the response of a few high-ranking tentacles, and ordinary people would never come out of the home dimension

“Sorry. I know this, but I can’t help but feel nervous…” 

Still, the words seemed to have an effect, and the corps commander felt the air gradually become more pleasant. It was also thanks to the air conditioning ventilation system working so fiercely that he had wondered if there was a fire. 

“By the way, Commander.” He had now relaxed a bit, and now he could ask questions without hesitation. The unique innocence of this person who grew up without constraints or frustration was reflected in his tone. 

“Is that really our only mission this time? To catch an escaped prisoner named Asif-666.” 

“Right. Didn’t you listen to it during the countless strategy meetings so far?” 

“In fact, this was the first time I knew that the mission of the former headquarters included such a thing.”

After looking through the manual, the young man continued, saying that he was really surprised to find instructions for arresting escaped prisoners. “By the way, I’m asking because I really don’t know. Now, isn’t this an excessive amount of troops? Even the corps commander stepped forward.” 

The question was whether it was reasonable for the corps to move for one prisoner. The corps commander knew why it wasn’t mentioned at the meeting. Evidence from the scene suggested that the memories recovered by Asif-666 were minimal. Even that piece was highly likely to have awakened while fighting Todd.

 At this timing, sending ambiguous troops and repeating the conflict, there was a risk of helping him by stimulating his awakening. That was why the committee headquarters wanted to finish the operation in a very short period of time through overwhelming troops. Instead of explaining the situation in detail, the commander of the corps simply evaded it. 

“The commissioners gave direct orders. End the operation as soon as possible. There is nothing good about the news that a prisoner who has already been sentenced to a correctional labor sentence has escaped from prison. It can agitate the other inmates. That’s why I’m trying to root out the grass even if I feel excessive.” 

“Oh, I see.” The adjutant nodded. 

From there, the corps commander added. “Even we are just an advance party of troops prepared by the headquarters. When we finish our leap, the follow-up corps will leap in turn.” 

“I know that.”

“And troops are being deployed to other dimensions besides Earth.” 

“Yes?!” 

From the point of view of the adjutant, it was the first time. “The higher ups assume that Asif-666 is unconditionally trying to escape from Earth. Arrangements for that.” 

“But if I were that escaped prisoner… I’d rather hide in that fringe dimension than risk it for nothing.” 

The boss evaded once more. “I don’t know why. There seems to be grounds for speculating that way.” 

He was probably trying to retrieve the remaining fragments of Asif-1 that had spread throughout the plane. “Anyway, I’ve left a few empty jumpships at Earth’s terminal in case he tries to escape.” 

The adjutant exclaimed, “It’s a bait!” Read the most updated version of this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at Novel Multiverse – “NovelMultiverse dot com”

“Yes. The council’s technicians, those tentacles, are much more advanced than when Asif-666 was captured. Now, if you use your hands in advance, it is possible to intercept a ship that has started to jump midway. He directs him to the wrong dimension before he gets there, wherever he’s trying to escape.”

“And where the ship arrived, there must be another legion waiting for us!” 

“No matter what scenario he moves, he has no place to escape. In the end, the fate that awaits the escaped prisoner is…” 

It was then… 

-Brigade commander! This is an urgent report! 

All the screens in front of them were then moved to a corner, and one Todd’s face came up in a big way. The adjutant remembered who the opponent was a few seconds later. He was the navigator who managed the course of this giant jumpship. 

Unless you were an Endelion, you would need a separate dedicated person who had studied professionally to move the jump ship. 

“What is it?” The expression was unusual. A waterfall of green sweat was pouring down the sailor’s forehead and nape. It was an amount incomparable to what the adjutant had just spilled. extreme tension. 

Parr, the beak-like lips trembled. 

– The signal… has been lost! 

The corps commander frowned. “What do you mean?”

Was it an early signal? In fact, the navigator should have been able to understand it naturally the moment he brought it up. Nevertheless, it was because the commander of the corps considered it practically impossible to ask. “The homing signal from the destination dimension… Earth has been cut off!” 

“·······?!”

What? But, how… Why did that happen…? 

The corps commander recalled what he had learned a long time ago. What happened when the guidance signal was lost? Theoretical understanding soon returned as excruciating terror. 

“That means…” 

Thud! A strong shock, as if struck by something, hit his stomach. His eyesight was suddenly shaken. The navigator shouted harshly. – The route deviation has already begun! Get off the safe path that has weakened the resistance of the dimension wall in advance, and go to the dangerous path…! 

Kurrureung!

The vibration hitting the jumping ship intensified. Already, the adjutant was having difficulty breathing and was blowing out a terrible gas again. ‘No! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die! Father!’ 

Ignoring the young man’s cries in his ears, the corps commander desperately shook his head. It didn’t matter how this happened. So how could he live? 

-Brigade commander! instructions! 

From there, a display pushed aside came into his eyes. Despite being an advance party, there was a layout of enormous troops that the adjutant evaluated as ‘excessive’. 

How could he live? This mighty power here, so futile… 

-Brigade commander! 

There came a scream beyond the screen. The sailor’s voice cracked harshly. The corps commander opened his mouth. “I···” 

At that moment…

—! 

A blinding flash and intense pressure hit the corps commander. He lost consciousness as he felt the pain tearing his body apart.

The fierce light disappeared in an instant, and thick darkness collided with him. That was it. 

*** 

Ha Eun-seong blankly saw the light filling up in front of him. That huge tentacled monster was casting a spell. Seeing the borrowed body’s senses tingle, it was clear that it was a terrifying spell he had never encountered before. For example, speaking of teleportation… it didn’t seem like it would move them to the other side of the world ‘just.’ 

It was much farther than that power to go so far. His head, which had been hardened by the shock, slowly began to move again. In Hong Kong today, he followed Ye Minjun, who ordered him to move, saying, “It is time” as usual, without hearing any explanation. 

However, the destination was New York, contrary to expectations. he was puzzled. ‘Wasn’t it the North Pole or the South Pole?’ 

It was really shocking to see this particular scene The giant monster that had appeared in Hong Kong was in front of them. How big it was could not simply be captured at a glance… A majestic tentacle that seemed to be more appropriately described as a feature rather than a living creature. And while conversations between the monster and the agent, such as ‘I wish you eternal happiness’ and ‘The times we were together’, were going back and forth, Ha Eun-seong was unable to dwell on the important part. 

-Have you given up running away? However, staying on Earth is a pointy number… 

– It’s okay to leave Earth. But I’ll have to ride another one.

-···What does that mean? What are you going to wear? ······Me? 

The last sentence made his vision dizzy once again and he lost the context of the conversation. It was a mistake. 

In the first place, the point Ha Eun-seong should pay attention to was not what he was riding. So, the problem was where he should go with those tentacles. At that time when Ha Eun-seong was very anxious, the three-eyed alien broke the silence and asked the agent. “May I ask where your destination is?” 

The dimension where Ellahu-Praga headquarters was located could not be reached by a single leap from Earth and must be reached through an intermediate stop. 

Minjun answered him, and the priest tilted his head in surprise. This was because it was a dimension that did not show much advantage among the numerous stopover candidates. 

Why do you have to go there? Is the incarnation suddenly in need of a large quantity of gold? On the other hand, thanks to the decisive response that Minjun just brought out, Ha Eun-seong understood perfectly. No matter how bad the atmosphere was, he couldn’t hold back any longer. “Yeah, agent. Weren’t we going to the North Pole?” 

Minjun looked at him with an expression saying, “What kind of sudden response is that?” and Ha Eun-seong felt like he was about to cry. “Now, now, wait! Agent! Are you an alien? It’s not a foreign country, is it an alien? I’m still mentally ready… Ugh!”

Ha Eun-seong could not finish his words. This was because the seething shadows swallowed Yuntus and him again. It was Minjun’s kind consideration to protect them from being crushed by the pressure accompanying the leap. After he wrapped himself and all his occupants in darkness, Minjun approached Dell. 

The composition and chanting of the spell had already been completed. All that was left was to wait for the action of the force to be amplified and manifested. He finished his work, and his ex-wife began to speak with a slightly weary look. “···How. Was it perfect?” 

Minjun nodded in reply. The reason he didn’t bother to say anything was because he had other thoughts in his head. ‘Was this really the right thing to do? If Dell changed her mind later, would he be able to fully control it?’ 

Was it right to borrow Asif-1’s power even at the risk? However, he didn’t want to. If he were to give a name to this irrational choice, ‘Resentment’ would be appropriate. Minjun recalled the time when he captured and killed the Toads who attacked the shopping center a few days ago and fled. At that time, he took the first thing in the sealed desk drawer and left. 

Normally, he kept only two things there. One was a blood sample secretly collected from a homunculus corpse that was found hanging in the wild, and the other was a special dagger. He repeated the words engraved on the handle of the dagger. Memories then began to flow through time. 

When they first met, Dell made a promise. She said she would pay for the crime she committed against Minjun from now on. 

“…” Could he believe in it? 

Hwaat! Before continuing that thought, Dell’s spell was finally activated. The sparks that broke the space and jumped out, and the innumerable shimmers of bluish light gathered. Everything surrounding them repeated endless contraction and expansion again. 

Whoops! Minjun was overcome with a momentary sense of elation and liberation. As his body disintegrated into tiny particles, he felt like he was re-engaging. And so, for the first time since becoming his prisoner, the prisoner chose his next destination of his own volition rather than the Commission’s dictates. 

—! 

And from there, he leaped.