Chapter: 145. Mobilization Order Record – Someone’s Diary (2)
Day 1.
“Did you really see a rat?”
“I can’t say for sure if it was a rat, but there was something suspicious.”
Chaotic restaurant sounds.
In the late afternoon, skipping breakfast due to the morning attack, those gathered in the dining hall were discussing the rat.
A suspicious entity moving around the lodging has been announced, urging everyone to be on high alert.
In a place where the only entertainment is medicine, alcohol, and cigarettes, this announcement was just a minor incident.
“Was it you who found it, as the Commander said?”
“I only saw it through Meteor, and I just confirmed that such a thing exists.”
One hair in the darkness.
That soon disappeared, though.
“A foe with strong stealth abilities… difficult to find?”
“Pretty tough. I wouldn’t have found it if not for Meteor telling me.”
“Hmmm… if you’re saying that, it must really be difficult.”
“I didn’t actually see the rat myself, just the leftover hair, so I can’t say for sure what it was.”
With just the hair remaining, it could’ve been quite hard to find.
If the monster had been there, it might’ve been easier to locate…
“Well… I guess it will be resolved quickly.”
Right. It should be resolved quickly. After all, there are several top-ranking Awakeners here.
Day 2.
Numerous monster corpses were laid out in the plaza.
Day 5.
The number of people claiming to have seen the rat sharply increased.
At the entrance to the residence, the monster’s head was lined up neatly in a straight line.
Day 8.
Upon hearing news that the reconnaissance unit had been ambushed, the remains of massacred otherworldly foes and the dead soldiers were found.
A blackout occurred across the entire residence.
Day 13.
Wild animal carcasses piled up like a mountain. Upon checking, they were determined not to be monsters.
People reported hearing strange voices while sleeping.
Day 16.
The personnel officer of the residence was murdered.
His face was found intact on the bed, but his lower body was scattered throughout the room as flesh.
Communication was cut off but was soon restored.
Day 19.
Reports of monsters approaching from the observatory came in, yet nothing happened.
The soldier at the observatory was diagnosed with hysteria.
Day 20.
A giant monster carcass was discovered in the warehouse.
The flesh was separated from the bones.
Day 24.
The commanding officer of the residence berated the Awakeners to resolve this incident quickly.
Day 25.
The former commanding officer of the residence was found hanging in the middle of the dining hall.
Day 26, daytime.
Contact was made stating the military police were coming.
Day 26, nighttime.
Two soldiers were left behind while the military police were en route, and all were slaughtered.
A blackout occurred. Communication was cut off.
Day 28.
A new military police unit was urgently dispatched.
Upon confirmation, it was verified that it was not the work of the Duchess.
The military police turned back.
Day 29.
There was a large-scale invasion from the otherworld.
Probably the 33rd day.
Against all expectations, they managed to fend off the invasion with minimal casualties.
Someone said on the 34th day.
A new commanding officer was dispatched.
That day, he was found dead in the bathroom. The cause of death was exsanguination due to a carotid artery cut.
Day 35.
Monster corpses hung from trees.
Everyone had become accustomed and buried them calmly.
Day 36.
Food ran out.
In the chaos, the exact consumption levels weren’t verified.
Day 38.
Food appeared in the warehouse.
Upon confirmation, it was said to have been transferred from another residence.
Day 40.
A new commanding officer was dispatched.
He was a retired former Awakener who voluntarily re-entered the military.
A day passed, but fortunately, he had not died.
Day 42.
The logistics officer was found dead in the warehouse.
CCTV only showed footage of him entering and locking the door himself.
Day 44.
An incident occurred where one friendly soldier stabbed another.
Fortunately, it ended in injury, but the victim was evacuated to the rear.
Upon interrogation, it was revealed he thought his comrade was a monster.
Day 46.
The first soldier casualty occurred. The same soldier opened fire on friendly troops.
Typically, he would need to be interrogated, but there were too many undergoing psychological assessments, so he was restrained and placed in solitary confinement.
Day 47.
The soldier placed in solitary confinement committed suicide.
A blackout occurred.
Day 48.
While the commanding officer was away, the staff meeting was massacred.
There was one survivor, but he testified he saw nothing.
Day 49.
The higher-ups decided.
To abandon the residence.
Despite the constant deaths of the alliance’s higher-ups, the Awakeners couldn’t even discern who was behind it.
Moreover, the reason no Awakeners had died amidst the chaos was that Commander Macbeth was captured by the military police.
The charge was treason against humanity.
Though everyone knew how absurd that was, Commander Macbeth willingly submitted, stating someone needed to be calmed down.
That’s just ridiculous.
Lying in bed, recalling the chaotic atmosphere of the encampment.
It only took seven weeks to dismantle a frontline base.
Unable to trust each other, waking up each day to find someone had been brutally killed.
The belief that locking doors would prevent rats from entering spread, leading to more individuals refusing to leave their rooms, and the watch shifts quadrupled in the seven weeks.
And yet, they still couldn’t find the rat.
Communication between people was paralyzed, and the dining hall closed.
Thanks to the preservation rations provided by the higher-ups, they weren’t starving, but nerves were frayed, resulting in combat loss rates shooting through the roof.
Unable to trust others and with no opportunity to release pent-up frustrations, and unable to even converse, the results were obvious.
“If only we could’ve fought outright.”
What kind of situation is this?
We can’t even swing a weapon at the enemy and have to give up the frontline.
They used to say a rat hole becomes a cow hole.
This is no cow hole; it’s a world hole!
Thinking that, as I lay down and turned off the light, an indescribable sound echoed.
A sound that grated on my nerves like a broken string, yet…
It was a crystal-clear sound, as if perfectly playing an instrument.
I could hear it clearly, yet I couldn’t pinpoint its source.
Then. It appeared.
In the deep, shadowy darkness, a being with shining eyes possessed the only light.
The moment I saw it, I instinctively knew. That was the rat we were looking for.
Beyond visual information, I couldn’t feel anything else, yet its existence was clearly sensed.
It seemed like it would vanish with just a reach.
Yet, the sense of reality embedded deeply in my eyes couldn’t dismiss it as an illusion.
I understood enough of why Meteor had clenched his teeth and insisted it wasn’t a hallucination.
Such a formidable being stood right beside my head…
“Tsk… Lusd ov za… 私. Hmm. This isn’t it.”
It opened its mouth.
It was a clear statement. Though mixed with the sharpness of a beast, it was the fluency of a human speech.
Caught off guard by such an unexpected situation, I couldn’t respond.
“Sorry to startle you. Orva… resident… Hmm, neither is correct. It took me a bit to learn how to speak human language.”
It can talk?
…I guess we need to converse a bit.
I straightened up from the bed.
Of course, I summoned my hammer and swung it, just in case.
“That dangerous weapon… this world’s language is quite difficult. There are so many diverse expressions. For beings like us, it’s quite challenging to learn.”
The chattering rat said that as it dodged backward.
…No, it didn’t dodge.
If it had, I should’ve felt something.
It was probably something beyond my understanding.
That must be the reason it had gone undetected until now.
Then…
“What is your purpose?”
I needed to draw out some information.
As soon as I voiced my question.
“Tsk. I was waiting for that.”
The rat’s atmosphere shifted.
Revealing its teeth as it spoke.
Though twisted, it was likely a smile.
“How did you like my gift? I thought I’d prepared it quite well.”
A gift…
Was there such a thing?
Sneaking into the lodging at midnight and leaving bodies in the middle of the base cannot be considered a gift.
…Could it be a custom in your world to gift your kin’s corpses?
“Zazqu… cannibal… Ah, not human. It is true we have a practice of interspecies predation, but that wouldn’t be the norm… Hmm, could it be…”
The rat seemed to contemplate and closed one eye.
“Did it not appeal to you?”
It opened its mouth.
This lunatic.
Just as I was about to scream for help.
“Killing someone despised among people and slaying invaders… Didn’t I offer you food? It was my goodwill…”
Hearing that, I understood this being’s actions.
Most of the dead officers weren’t well-regarded among the soldiers and Awakeners.
The discoveries of the monsters and beast corpses were also its doing.
The still-mysterious food transport was also executed by this thing.
Goodwill…
Goodwill, huh…
“What made you want to be kind to us?”
My head might be a bit off, but since this was the first time I was able to converse, I felt inclined to ask.
“Ah, that’s all, really. Sqad… invasions are tiresome. So vuza u… we need a new place to live… It seems like the strongest individuals around are here.”
Hmm. A new residence.
It doesn’t seem like it’s just by itself.
I stepped into my boots laid on the bed and repositioned myself.
“Why did you approach me? There are better negotiation partners than me.”
“100t sy… connection… I thought you would be the most communicative person.”
Someone I could communicate well with…
“Okay, I get the gist of what you want. And about that…”
Bang.
I stomped my foot.
My body propelled forward.
“Die.”
I swung the hammer.
To smash up the whole room.
So it couldn’t escape.
I felt a touch.
The sensation of metal clashing with metal.
But that was all.
Amidst the flying debris and dust, the shadowy rat stared back at me.
“…Well then. I seem to have miscalculated regarding the offerings. What should I do?”
Bang.
I charged forward, answering back.
“If you die, everything will be solved.”
Right.
No matter how friendly they appear.
The existence is from the otherworld.
Everything is different from us.
Appearance. Power.
Way of thinking.
This encounter merely drove that poignantly home.
The actions they performed while harboring goodwill towards us were…
Nightmares.
Fears.
Massacres.
Even if those officers were jokingly called our arch-enemies…
Would they qualify as beings deserving death?
With that resentment, I struck the rat’s head.
With that sound, the shadow scattered.
Into the darkness of the night, the rat disappeared.
…I should study a bit more.
I’ll see you again next time.”
Leaving only ominous words behind.
Day 50.
During Commander Macbeth’s trial, the rat appeared.
It was said to have threatened him. The content remains unknown.
Day 53.
The Secretary-General of the Union was attacked while visiting the trial venue for deliberation.
Commander Macbeth defended against the rat’s attack.
Day 54.
Commander Macbeth was released.
Day 55.
Nothing happened.
Day 70.
The mobilization site regained stability.
No strange incidents occurred any longer.
Day 80.
The rat was designated as an O-Rank entity.
The designation is “Umbra Rat.”
It was recorded as the O-Rank entity with the least casualties.
O-Rank Monster – “Umbra Rat.”
Failure to eradicate one of the ()-Ranked monsters.
It is currently presumed to be affiliated with a group known as the Monster Cult.
Frequently discovered in numerous locations, research regarding its abilities is actively ongoing, yet there has never been a successful extermination.
This is partly due to the abilities possessed by the Umbra Rat, but it is also believed to be due to its strong capability to infiltrate human society.
In particular, it has been strongly suspected to be involved in sabotage operations, elite assassinations, and intelligence gathering.
It is concluded that although it possesses an extremely low number of reanimates compared to typical O-Ranks, its threat level is deemed immense.
Through this, Article 23, Section 2 of the Management Bureau Agreement has been newly established.
If the existence of the said monster is confirmed, during an emergency meeting, if more than 1/3 agrees, all weapons will be authorized for use.
Amendment No. 1425.
Amend Section 2 of Article 23 from “If more than 1/3 agrees during an emergency meeting.” to “If more than 1/3 of participants agree during an emergency meeting.”
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