Light of Arad: The First to Walk - Chapter 172



Only Noblemtl

172

The small plane finally began to descend onto the deck of the large warship, cutting through the strong winds.

As the engine noise, which enabled vertical takeoff and landing, subsided, Vivi’s swallowing sound could be heard.

This was a part where you could see how nervous she was, as she would normally have been distracting the pilots with small talk like, “How do you make a gunship? How hard is it to learn how to pilot it? Can I try piloting it?”

Jinseong could also understand her tension.

The speed of a moving battleship is by no means slow.

You can see the waves crashing outside the window of the gunship floating in the sky.

How many times has Jinseong even broken a sweat from the strong winds that blew from the Eaton Industrial Complex to the point of arriving here?

‘I thought I’d be fine after going through all the troubles in the Sky Castle, but heights are indeed scary. No, it’s not just because they’re high that it’s scary.’

It wasn’t just a primary fear like acrophobia.

A being that exudes even greater presence at higher altitudes than the home of the chili shrimp.

And this ship, the [Noble Sky], which the gunship had just landed on, was the one that was being chased after.

‘Now Anton is right in front of us.’

The seventh apostle, the excitement and tension that came with approaching the fire-eating Anton affected Jinseong’s body.

“Then I wish you good luck, adventurer! And to you, Jinseong!”

“Thank you! I’ll do my best!”

“Oh my, I’ve done this several times, why bother? Go back carefully.”

Bibi and Chili Shrimp each got off with their own greetings.

Jinseong also got off with a light bow and followed behind the chili shrimp, which was moving its feet naturally.

Then, Jinseong suddenly had an idea and said a word.

“…But you only remember Chili Shrimp, and you don’t remember the other NPCs, right? Even if you do it like a repeat quest.”

“That’s right. I’ve never been caught by an NPC or a user, and I’m good with important people, so don’t worry.”

“Ahem, well, I wasn’t worried… Okay, I understand.”

I was simply amazed at Chili Shrimp’s skill in quickly understanding Jinseong’s intention and responding, saying that he had to be careful not to make the NPCs feel uncomfortable.

It also had the effect of lightening Vivi and Jinseong’s hearts.

“Anton is definitely different from Lotus or Direzi. I guess big is the best. Should I make him bigger than Gae Bolg later? What do you think, Jinsang?”

“……I wonder how ‘later’ it will be. Are you planning to live here for about 300 years?”

“H, huh? What are you talking about! If you want to say something, you can do it right away-.”

“Oh my, Colonel Un!”

It was a shout that meant that joking around to lighten the mood would be the end of it.

Jinseong and Vivi instantly shut their mouths.

At least one thing was certain.

It must have been a bit disconcerting for the celestials to see a young red-haired girl approach a colonel-ranking soldier like that.

NPC Un Lionel looked at Chili Shrimp and Vivi with a subtle expression and said.

“What’s going on?”

“Hey, I’m an adventurer. You’ve probably heard of me.”

“Ah, are you the adventurer who said you would come to help? Nice to meet you. I am Colonel Un Lionel, adjutant to Commander Jackter Errox.”

“Yes, yes, I’ve heard a lot from Mr. Farrell and Mr. Niver.”

Chili Shrimp shook hands with luck in a cheerful manner.

“I’m the adventurer Vivi.”

It was the same for Vivi.

Since the female gunner class is set to be a ‘celestial’, the expression on Yun’s face as he held Vivi’s hand softened, but that was it.

“This is Jinseong…”

The moment Jinseong reached out his hand, Un’s pupils dilated so much that even Vivi and Chili Shrimp could see them.

“I’ve heard stories from the Zodiac. Lieutenant General Niver has also talked a lot about it.”

“It’s actually the adventurer’s work.”

Jinseong responded to the compliment with a soft smile.

Fortune has finally smiled on me.

“……Even that humility……Ah, should I go and greet the Commander first?”

That polite yet restrained behavior somehow touched Jinseong in a warm way.

It’s clear that Jinseong isn’t the only one who thinks Lionel is cool.

‘It’s because I like the storyline of the celestial world, but… … I really like the character of Un Lionel, who rose from the bottom. His performance when he was an APC was also quite good, hehe.’

The NPC that was popular among many users for his name, performance, and even appearance was Un Lionel.

As the thought reached that point, a slightly bitter look appeared on Jinseong’s face as he followed behind Un.

‘It’s a shame that it’s so popular. It’s a weird meme that sticks around… … I almost got ‘Lionelized’ before, ugh.’

Could it be that there are cases where Lionel himself is humiliated even though it has nothing to do with him?

As Jinseong shook his head slightly, thinking of the catchphrase used in the game Dungeon & Fighter that has a negative connotation, a white-haired soldier appeared.

Everyone knew who the white-haired soldier was who was not on the bridge, but came down to observe Anton from afar with his own eyes.

“Commander. We have come to help you subdue Anton.”

“Huh? Are you that adventurer? Welcome, my name is Jackter Eagle-Eye. Eagle-Eye is a nickname my subordinates gave me, and since it’s often confused even in official documents, this will be easier to understand. Hahaha!”

Jackter Errox.

A man who is referred to as Jackter Eagleeye rather than by his real name.

The owner of the intense gaze that made Vivi, who was walking next to Jinseong, flinch for a moment just by making eye contact once, laughed heartily.

“I already heard that you performed great deeds in the lower world. I also heard about how you fought in Ghent. It was very detailed. Aren’t you curious who told you? Haha, there you are. Come say hello.”

Then, he gently lifted up Bibi and Chili Shrimp and pointed somewhere.

Although he doesn’t remember every single word he said, at least at this moment, it was a flow that Jinseong clearly remembered.

“Ugh, ugh…….”

“Hey, Bentinck! Long time no see?”

When the cartel that was sieging the celestial capital of Ghent was destroyed, the first person captured was the arsonist Bentinck.

It was clear that he was here and that Jackter Eagle-Eye had every reason to know the details of the ‘adventurer’s activities’.

“Adventurer- no, he, he rather you- back then he……”

“Wasn’t the flamethrower nicknamed ‘Fire Bat’? The new fire bat is pretty good, isn’t it?”

Jinseong smiled and pointed to Bentinck’s arm.

Bentinck quickly hid his pointed arm behind him and shook his head.

“Not this time! We’re on the same side! I, I’m not the cartel anymore! I’m on the same side! I’ve converted! It’s all because of you- No, whatever! We’re on the same side!”

The fact that Bentinck, who caused a ruckus during the convoy, is currently aboard the Noble Sky means that the pollution from that time has been safely rectified and can flow back.

Jinseong burst into laughter at the sight of Bentinck’s boisterous behavior, feeling a sense of satisfaction for no reason.

“Ah~ha?! I guess I get what it was like. Hehe, I see. I can picture it?”

Vivi also remembered what happened when she first met Jinseong, so she could laugh out loud.

Jackter nodded his head, as if he was pleased with that sight.

Of course, it was not possible to maintain an atmosphere that was always friendly.

“Don’t worry, he’s on our side now. We’re short-handed, so we’ve decided to give a reduced sentence to those who’ve changed their minds from within the cartel instead of imprisoning them. Not everyone will get a reduced sentence, though. Well… Anyway, I think it’s time to get to work. Colonel Lionel, I have a meeting to call, so tell everyone to come.”

This was because a full-scale operation had to begin to stop and subdue the Apostle Anton, who had begun to move in earnest.

Jackter walking towards the bridge, Woon immediately ordering the people to gather around, and Jinseong and Vivi following them.

In the suddenly serious atmosphere, Chili Shrimp’s red eyes stood out.

‘… … I thought he wasn’t an ordinary person, but he’s stranger than I expected. No matter how many people I’ve helped him with, Bentinck has never reacted like that. What’s going on now?’

It was a reaction she couldn’t understand at all, but she had the wisdom to not say anything about it.

There are clear doubts about Jinseong’s true identity.

‘Really… … If I really get together with that person – to the castle of the dead, to the underworld, and beyond… … I might be able to go too.’

But more than that, there was a young emotion in her eyes.

“Chili Unnie! Come quickly! What are you doing?!”

“Ahem, go, go! And you, Vivi, as I’ve said many times before-”

At Vivi’s urging voice, Chili Shrimp ran naked and shouted.

* * *

Un Lionel explained the situation simply.

“The thick, black smoke emitted from Anton’s body as he headed toward the twilight sea obscured his appearance. Not only was the interior invisible to the naked eye, but detectors such as thermal radar and ultrasound were also useless.”

The reason why Apostle Anton suddenly started moving was simple.

Because it can no longer absorb energy from the power station.

Now that all four men dispatched by Apostle Anton have been killed and the power plant itself has been destroyed, there is no need for Anton to be in the vicinity.

The analysis of this matter had already been completed by Lieutenant General Niver, Farrel Wayne, and others at the Eaton Industrial Complex, and it was even known that Apostle Anton had begun moving towards the ‘Sea of ​​Twilight’, which was in the northeast of the celestial realm.

The soldiers of the Noble Sky, who were getting closer to Anton, were trying to track Anton’s path and find out what happened to him, but as Un Lionel is currently saying, such an investigation is impossible due to the ‘black smoke’ that is coming out from Anton’s body as he starts moving.

“It’s the same fog that was usually emitted, but the path or amount of emission has changed….”

Jackter Eagle-Eye chanted.

A man with a silver ponytail muttered softly next to me.

“Hmm, then wouldn’t it be okay to just get rid of the smoke?”

Everyone’s eyes were on him.

Hiram Claff, the most famous of the Celestial Coast Guards and the current Captain of the Coast Guard.

Jinseong knew him, of course.

‘And the crazy guy who tried to blow up the entire zodiac during the civil war in heaven. Technically, he’s also a genius.’

Because I’m one of those people who are planning something huge for the future that hasn’t happened yet.

Jinseong looked at him with a sharp gaze for a moment, but couldn’t find anything unusual right away.

Above all, Chili Shrimp’s words and actions, nodding in agreement with Hiram’s words, played a part.

“Of course, of course. Anton doesn’t go crazy when a small number of people approach in a gunship. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to go and investigate.”

The fact that she has experienced this flow several times so far and is acting without any sense of discomfort means that this flow is also a natural main scenario quest.

“Well, Colonel Lionel. Go with the adventurers and show them what kind of guy Anton is. Also, take a sample of the fog and come back. We have to finish the investigation quickly without being caught by him.”

Jackter nodded, accepting Hiram and Chili’s opinions.

Yun nodded immediately at the instruction.

Then he looked at Jinseong and asked.

“Understood. If you go to face Anton unprepared, you will lose stamina. I will give you a blocking device, so please put it on. We will depart as soon as the adventurers are ready. And…Jinseong will be going too, right?”

Jinseong felt the gaze of Hiram and other NPCs.

Among them, I could also tell who was giving me the most intense gaze.

The chili shrimp looked at Jinseong.

Jinseong also examined her red eyes.

‘You must have noticed that my position is subtly different from that of an adventurer.’

Just by looking at Lionel’s attitude now, anyone with a keen eye would have figured it out.

If it was Vivi’s time, I might have made all kinds of noises and tried to get her to stop.

But the truth now was different.

Because I got to know the character Chili Shrimp vaguely.

“Yes, I will join you.”

He spoke confidently.

The chili shrimp’s eyes sparkled again.

And finally, the operation to stop and subdue the 7th Apostle, the fire-eating Anton, began.