TATS 21

TATS

Chapter 21

The Assault (1)

‘I must be crazy.’

I sighed at my own foolishness.

Originally, I had planned to stay awake all night, keeping watch over Go Attack.

Based on everything Go Attack had shown so far, the chance of him harming me was almost zero.

But humans are creatures who can easily transform from dazzlingly good to disgustingly evil, depending on the situation.

So I had set up a plan as a final precaution.

I had put him to bed early under the pretext that we needed to alternate driving shifts, and I went to bed early too, letting the accumulated fatigue wash over me.

Then I woke several hours earlier than usual, moved the items I would use for the trade, and made it look like I had been working late into the night.

After that, I handed the minibus over to Go Attack and lay on the bed, pretending to sleep.

Everything had been perfectly planned… or so I thought.

‘I made a ridiculous mistake.’

Had I become too comfortable around Go Attack?

Or was I so excited by the speed at which we worked together that I neglected my stamina and focused entirely on the task?

I had only intended to pretend to sleep, but I couldn’t resist the drowsiness and passed out as if unconscious.

It was a critical mistake, but one that I could have managed up to this point.

If Go Attack had truly been the foolishly good person I’d seen, nothing would have happened.

And if he had been hiding a wicked nature, planning to take advantage of me like a piece of trash, I could have made him pay with the hidden gun.

The real problem began after I woke up.

‘I should have assessed the situation properly before acting.’

When I awoke, Go Attack was holding a suspicious object and grabbing my shoulder.

I had seen his special abilities before, and I often witnessed various relics that couldn’t be replicated with modern technology.

Mistaking it for something dangerous, I subdued him.

Luckily, I later realized it was just a [Soup Can]; otherwise, I would have committed a serious offense.

“No, I already did.”

This happened because of my preconception that Go Attack would be like that trash.

I sincerely apologized to Go Attack, but it didn’t reach him.

No, it clearly couldn’t.

After he realized I was wary of him but still kept close because I wanted something, he had politely revealed his feelings, asking me not to distrust him. By attacking him, I had trampled on his heart.

“I must have been the only one.”

As the golden lady in my diary had said, Go Attack was like a newborn.

He knew nothing about this world and had only me to rely on.

And yet I suspected and even attacked him.

“You knew exactly how that felt.”

I could still vividly recall the cold gaze of those who had received my mother’s goodwill, claiming they wouldn’t forget her kindness, as cold as the wind blowing on the night they asked for help.

I couldn’t believe I had acted that way.

“Phew.”

I exhaled, pushing away the dark memories spreading like sand dust.

Then, through the rearview mirror, I glanced at Go Attack.

He seemed to be deeply asleep, unresponsive even to his own muttering.

“When you wake up, I’ll apologize. And…”

Once we entered the city and the trade was over, I promised myself I would explain what had happened and why I had helped him.

Was it the stress? Or the change in sleeping arrangements?

I woke up still full of fatigue.

I stared blankly at the swaying ceiling of the minibus, then turned my head to look outside.

Perhaps a long time had passed while I slept—the sun had sunk below the horizon, leaving only the bitten white moon and the edge of night.

Previously, the scenery had evoked many feelings in me, but after seeing it so often…

Nothing stirred within me anymore.

Just one thought:

‘I want to go home quickly.’

I wanted to meet Changwook and the Rankers, destroy the relics, and return home.

I turned my head back, staring blankly at the ceiling.

After a while, I heard Camilla’s voice.

“You’re awake?”

Hearing her voice struck something deep in my chest.

Should I respond? Should I not? I hesitated, then said:

“Yes. I’m awake.”

Feeling as though there would be no end if I stayed like this, I propped myself up and spoke.

I thought I was speaking normally, as usual, but my voice sounded unnervingly lifeless even to me.

Camilla, taken aback by my cold, emotionless tone, stared straight ahead while driving, unable to respond immediately.

One minute. Three minutes. Five minutes. The uncomfortable silence stretched on, so I composed my voice and spoke first, trying to prevent the awkwardness from continuing.

“Do you want me to take over driving? You should rest; it’ll be fine.”

After all, we would be stuck together for the next month and a half.

Camilla glanced at me through the rearview mirror, slightly surprised, and then replied after a moment:

“No, it’s fine.”

Then, she sighed deeply and apologized.

“Sorry.”

I replied calmly:

“It’s fine. It could happen.”

“No, it shouldn’t have.”

Camilla insisted, even as I tried to brush it off.

“For everything you’ve shown me so far, and for saying you would never harm me…”

She briefly listed my past efforts, then said:

“You did your best to reassure me. But I remained vigilant and prepared, making your efforts seem meaningless.”

She admitted her mistake.

“This is entirely my fault. I’m really sorry.”

Though she couldn’t express it fully while driving, I could see the sincerity in her eyes through the rearview mirror.

Before sleeping, or even just after waking, I had thought my relationship with Camilla was over.

Yet, whether because of her sincere apology or her beauty, her words struck a surprisingly deep chord in me.

She continued:

“I know apologizing won’t erase the hurt I caused or undo my mistakes.”

She took a short breath before adding:

“But this will never happen again. I swear it with everything I have. I’m truly sorry.”

After finishing, she kept her gaze on the road, not speaking again until I did.

Overcome by the sincerity, I couldn’t resist asking:

“Why did you react so strongly?”

“I had a bad experience with a relic of that size before.”

Camilla explained everything without holding back, even details I hadn’t asked for.

“That person treated you well, just like me, but I don’t know if they were hiding a dark heart, waiting for the chance to harm me… it was really dangerous.”

She instinctively rubbed her left arm while recalling that moment.

‘So that’s why she reacted so sensitively.’

In a desert filled with monsters that could tear humans apart and lawless marauders that devoured souls, it was a miracle she hadn’t developed full human hatred.

Of course,

‘I understand her head…’

…but my heart still didn’t fully agree.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and focused on the important word Camilla had mentioned: ‘relic.’

‘Speaking of relics…’

During my time with Camilla, I had never seen one.

Had they all been removed after that bad incident?

Lost in thought, Camilla suddenly spoke with a determined expression:

“You can ask me anything. I’ll answer everything.”

I briefly considered what to ask, then unloaded all the questions I had kept about Camilla’s motives:

“Why did you help me?”

Camilla looked troubled, sighed, and then answered seriously:

“That is…”

“That is?”

I focused all my attention on her, waiting for her answer.

A minute passed, yet she said nothing.

Was she trying to annoy me on purpose? I wondered.

“…It’s here.”

Camilla’s voice, full of lethal intent, startled me.

At that moment:

Thwoom!

Something heavy was launched from afar.

Boom!

A huge explosion sounded right next to the minibus window, sand scattering like an eruption.

Whoooosh!

Sand fell like rain as I gawked at a massive spear flying past the minibus.

It was a giant harpoon, the kind used for whaling.

“What… what is that?”

Before I could recover, another heavy object shot toward us.

“Hold on tight!”

Camilla shouted, contorting her face. I grabbed the corner of the bed.

Crash!

The sound of metal scraping accompanied a massive impact that rocked the minibus.

We were thrown into the air as if experiencing zero gravity, only to slam down by gravity.

Thwoom!

“Ugh!”

Luckily, we landed on the soft bed inside. Any other spot would have caused serious injuries from metal boxes.

Shivering, I asked Camilla:

“They’re those guys, right?!”

“Yeah, damn hyena bastards.”

Camilla gritted her teeth and watched the direction of the attackers.

With only the broken moonlight and headlights to illuminate the area, I couldn’t see clearly, but I could tell five vehicles equipped with harpoons were following us.

“How did you know they had harpoons on all of them?”

“One missed shot, one that hit the minibus, and the remaining three they fired in succession. Crazy bastards!”

Thanks to Camilla’s insane driving, we dodged all three.

‘They’ve used all their harpoons; hope they give up!’

I silently prayed.

Thwoom!

A harpoon barely missed the minibus, smashing past us.

It seemed they could reuse or reload missed harpoons.

Fearing continuous attacks, I shouted:

“Don’t we have anything?!”

“Sorry, sold everything!”

Biting her lip, Camilla quickly equipped gear and loaded [Python].

She opened a window to try popping the attackers’ tires, but

Tat-tat-tat!

As she leaned out, bullets flew toward her. Sparks erupted as they hit the minibus. Thanks to her [Arrow-Blocking Robe], she wasn’t harmed despite dozens of bullets.

Phew!

The realization of how close we had come hit me like a wave.

Another harpoon shot precisely at the minibus roof where I had been.

Crack!

“Argh!”

It pierced the roof, narrowly missing my head.

Then a mechanical click, like an umbrella opening, and the harpoon’s hidden hook latched onto the roof.

“You okay?”

Camilla anxiously checked on me.

“I-I’m fine.”

But the minibus wasn’t.

The second harpoon lodged into the minibus, and if attacks continued, it would eventually break through.