Chapter 88
* * *
To reclaim Brunel, the monsters had to be exterminated.
Though their appearances and combat capabilities varied, they all shared a common trait: unlike other predators, they lacked the intelligence to strategize.
They moved solely on instinct in search of prey, incapable of planning an attack.
That made this possible. There appeared to be about twenty monsters remaining, five of which had already been dealt with by the soldiers and the thugs from Kintne.
Of course, the two soldiers who survived that initial skirmish were promptly devoured by other monsters, and the Kintne group met the same fate. Everyone was dead except for two.
Since they had been eaten before they could be infected and turn, there was fortunately no need to worry about the monsters’ numbers increasing.
As I used my axe to blow away the two monsters in front of me, a sniper rifle roared and arrows flew to provide cover against a monster attacking from the rear. It was Hose and Harrison.
The sound of rapid fire from atop the clock tower ceased. I saw Eden walking out from the first-floor entrance of the tower.
With five more removed, there were ten monsters left. This was a manageable number for our group alone, thanks in large part to the sniper’s contribution.
The cleanup became even faster the moment Eden, having joined us late, drew his sword instead of his revolver.
While Vanilla and Emmy teamed up to take down one monster, I handled about two, and Hose and Harrison each suppressed one.
Eden, meanwhile, dispatched three or four at once. Using a long claymore, he took their heads off in single strokes.
After about thirty minutes, the monster extermination was over.
* * *
Situation cleared.
Hose, who had been resting the butt of his Sharps rifle steadily against his shoulder, looked up.
“Wow. I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it.”
Having witnessed the combat prowess of Cherry Sinclair and Eden Duncan Lancaster with his own eyes, he couldn’t hide his shock.
“How can humans be like that?”
At Hose’s remark, Harrison, who was setting down his crossbow, remained silent.
In his field of vision, he saw Eden and Cherry exchanging words amidst the pile of corpses. There seemed to be a bond between them so tight that it was difficult for anyone else to wedge themselves in.
He had always thought of her as a child to be protected, but the Cherry he saw here in Brunel felt remarkably foreign.
“You said she gained super strength after taking some medicine? I’m dying to know what that medicine was,” Hose muttered.
Listening to Hose’s mumbling, Harrison tidied his gear and stood up.
Harrison also felt that Cherry’s strength had become even more formidable than when he had last seen her.
Perhaps the strength he had known was merely a fraction of her true potential. Or perhaps Cherry’s power was gradually evolving.
Whatever the case, he simply hoped there were no side effects for her.
* * *
I shook my axe to flick off the messy green blood before sliding it into the holster on my back.
My combat skills were improving by the day. Since I already possessed inhuman strength, my rate of adaptation was much faster than others. My innate power was great, but my rate of improvement was also remarkably high.
“Star Candy, you were seriously amazing.”
Emmy walked up to me, holding Vanilla’s hand, and gave me a thumbs-up. She then spoke tartly to Eden as he approached us.
“And you were kind of cool too, you old fogey.”
Like me, Eden flicked his blade clean before sheathing it. He glanced at Emmy with an indifferent face, then let out a small, amused huff.
Emmy threatened that she’d let it slide just for today, even though his smiling face was annoyingly handsome.
“Your marksmanship was incredible, too. Earlier, those Kintne guys were calling Sir Eden a crazy, lunatic cop.”
She must have heard that while waiting behind the first-floor door of the clock tower for the right timing to come out. Emmy burst into a fit of giggles.
Unfazed, Eden crossed his arms and shrugged. Vanilla asked me a question, seemingly uninterested in our banter.
“You said the villagers are at the Village Chief’s house?”
I nodded. Just then, Hose and Harrison joined us after climbing down from the roof.
“Everyone did a great job.”
At my words, everyone began checking on each other and offering words of encouragement. I looked around the surroundings and spoke.
“Their vision isn’t great. So, as long as we block the village entrance and ensure no loud noises are made inside, we should be able to prevent most intrusions.”
“Right. This is a small rural village to begin with, so the number of monsters roaming the vicinity won’t be as high as in the capital,” Vanilla added.
Harrison briefly summarized the current situation.
“First, let’s release the people trapped in the Village Chief’s house and ask for their help. We’ll need quite a lot of manpower to block the village entrances.”
Everyone nodded in immediate agreement.
Emmy clung to my arm.
“Star Candy, can’t I sleep with you tonight?”
Watching Emmy act cute with eyes sparkling like Puss in Boots, Eden acted petty.
“Why are you clinging so much? Besides, Miss Cherry snores loudly, so she’s better off sleeping alone.”
“What? You said I didn’t snore!”
When I protested, Eden shrugged as if he knew nothing. Emmy, listening to our conversation, suddenly interjected.
“Have you two slept together?”
“Of course—”
“As if. There are so many rooms.”
I answered without a second’s hesitation. Emmy nodded, satisfied with the answer.
Eden suddenly fell silent, resting his chin on his hand as he sank into deep, serious thought. What’s with him?
Ironically, it was only after seeing that sight that I truly realized the battle was over and we had reclaimed Brunel Village.
