Chapter 3 : I’m pretty amazing, aren’t I?

One day, they suddenly appeared.

‘Monsters.’

They looked like reptiles but weren’t reptiles, and they had the characteristics of amphibians but weren’t amphibians.

With unimaginable strength and incredible reproductive power, they threatened humanity’s survival.

Ordinary firearms couldn’t even scratch them, and even if they were somehow killed, they would multiply rapidly—two, then three at a time.

If that situation had continued until now, perhaps…

“All major cities would have been destroyed, and it would have turned into a zombie apocalypse-like chaos.”

“Ah, yes…”

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard this story today.

“But I couldn’t just sit and watch the world end.”

“Excuse me, but I need to leave now.”

“Oh ho, but this is the most important part. Where are you going?”

Even though I showed clear signs of being busy, the story showed no sign of ending.

“I captured one of the rampaging monsters. And then, I started researching.”

“…And that research succeeded, allowing me to enhance an ordinary human body to be as strong as a monster’s.”

“Ha! You remember this well. As expected of my student.”

To be precise, I wasn’t his student but his junior at work.

But when will this story finally end?

“Sir, I now fully understand how amazing you are, so please, let me go.”

“No, no, where are you going? There’s only one more thing left to say. Just listen to this last part, please.”

Sigh…

“The power of the monsters is strong but also dangerous. Only a limited number of people could accept it.

I decided to call those people ‘mercenaries,’ meaning they should live freely without being bound by the power of the monsters.

But a problem arose. If a person who had been injected with monster power became mentally unstable, that power would go berserk and…”

The senior suddenly fell silent.

Perhaps recalling a painful memory, his expression darkened.

“Anyway, to prevent such incidents in advance, a middle management role was needed. And that’s what the [Commander] position is, right?”

He gave me an awkward smile and patted my back.

“When you arrive at the command headquarters, there will be a lot to do. Make sure to study the manual!”

“Yes, sir. Goodbye!”

As a parting gesture, he handed me a can of soda before leaving.

I felt tired while listening to his story, but now that he’s gone, the silence feels lonely.

“A manual, huh…”

Standing up, I took a yellow folder from the nearby bookshelf.

It was the [Essential Manual for New Commanders], so frequently read that the edges were worn.

True to its grand title, it was packed with valuable information.

Basic guidelines such as:

Do not provoke mercenaries unnecessarily.

Most assignments and requests are transmitted via the command center computer, so always keep the alarm on.

There were also details like:

Mercenaries are ranked from 1-star to 5-star based on their compatibility with their power. The higher the rank, the stronger and more stable their abilities.

All transactions in the command center are conducted using ‘gems.’ Gems can be used to summon new mercenaries or purchase essential furniture and food supplies.

…Wait, what’s this?

“Summoning a mercenary consumes 100 gems per attempt, and the mercenary that responds is determined randomly…?”

At the bottom, in small text, it stated:

“As a special privilege for new commanders, 120 gems have been preloaded into the command center computer.”

But… random selection?

Can we really choose allies to fight alongside us against monsters in such an unpredictable way?

“Well… they must have a reason for designing it this way.”

Feeling uncertain, I put the manual back on the shelf and sat down again.

I glanced at the soda my senior had given me.

Grape flavor.

How did he know I liked grape flavor?

“He’s a thoughtful and caring senior… if only he wasn’t so talkative.”

Smiling slightly to myself, I opened the can.

Refreshing.

[Commander of Sector C. Your transport time has arrived. Please proceed to the Sector C transport station.]

Oh wow, time flies…

No time to leisurely drink soda.

I quickly gulped down the carbonated grape-flavored drink and stood up.

“This way, Commander.”

Following the staff’s guidance, I arrived at the transport station, where a round doorway, like something out of a sci-fi comic, stood before me.

“Please stand in the center.”

“Understood.”

Deep breath…

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t nervous.

But the excitement outweighed the nervousness, leaving me with a strange, mixed feeling.

Alright, let’s check myself one last time to ease the tension.

Clothes? No wrinkles. Clean, no stains.

Tie? Neatly tied.

Name tag? Oh, it’s slightly crooked. Let’s fix that.

After adjusting my appearance, I stood there for a moment.

[Transporting to Sector C Command Headquarters. Have a great day.]

With that final announcement from the overhead speaker, my vision went dark.

Wow, that was fast.

Though it was called ‘darkness,’ it lasted for less than a second.

“So… this is Sector C Command?”

The inside was cleaner than expected.

I had heard it had been abandoned for a long time, but even when I ran my finger over the surface, not a speck of dust came off.

I was worried I’d have to start with cleaning, but I guess that concern was unnecessary.

The hallway leading to the command center lobby contained various machines.

They looked complicated, but they were surprisingly simple:

An automatic washing machine, a refrigerator with a food preservation function, and a personal safe that no one but its owner could open.

For a facility on the frontlines of monster combat, it had a surprisingly domestic atmosphere.

“Well, I guess it makes sense.”

Since monster appearances were unpredictable, a regular commute-based work schedule was impractical.

They could appear in the middle of the night, or early in the morning.

That meant people had to live and work within the command center.

“First, I need to head to the command room.”

Understanding the current status of the command center was the top priority.

I had a rough idea of the layout from the map, but there was no guarantee it hadn’t changed.

The map was old and unreliable.

“Let’s see… Command room, command room… Here it is.”

The command room was easy to find.

It was right in the center of the hallway.

But just as I reached for the doorknob—

“…munch…munch…”

I heard sounds coming from inside.

I was confused.

There’s someone here?

Who could it be?

Knock knock.

No response.

Knock knock.

Still no response.

“Is someone in there? Why aren’t you answering? I’m coming in.”

“W-wait…!”

Creak.

Just as I opened the door, a panicked voice called out, but it was too late.

And then…

Thud.

…Pudding?

I found myself staring at a mountain of pudding stacked up inside the room.

“U-uh… hehehe. Hello?”

At the center of the pudding mountain, sat a small girl, scratching her head awkwardly.

And now, back to the present.

“So your name is… Maru?”

“Yes, yep!”

Why was our Maru in this room?

“Uh, well… um…”

“Ahem, hands up properly.”

…Right now, I’m in the corner of the command room, being punished with ‘kneeling and raising hands’ in real-time.

Ah, I want to crawl into a hole and disappear. This is so embarrassing!

I’m not even a kid—ah, well, technically, I am right now.

But still, being punished like this, like some little child… Tonight, I’ll definitely be kicking my blanket in frustration…

“Let’s see… order history: 3 puddings, pudding set. Total: 95 gems…”

“Ugh, ugh…”

Like a judge handing down a death sentence, the commander slowly listed my crimes.

He was definitely trying to humiliate me. There was no other explanation for this!

…Though, to be fair, it was my fault. Anyway.

“Sigh…”

The commander let out a deep sigh, as if the earth itself was sinking.

It made me tremble.

Surely, I won’t get kicked out for this… right?

“Put your hands down.”

“Hehe, thank you…”

After sighing a few more times, the commander gave me a reluctant look and canceled my punishment.

Good thing too, because my arms were already shaking.

“Uh, um, about those puddings…”

“Pudding? …Ah.”

Now that my hands were free, I noticed the puddings scattered on the floor.

Of course, it’s not that I want to eat them or anything, but if we leave them like that, they’ll go bad.

How can pudding spoil in less than a day, you ask? It just can.

Besides, there were ants earlier.

What if they bring their friends and steal all the puddings?

That would be a massive loss—like, a 20-pudding-calorie-level loss!

Not that I want to eat them, okay?! It would just be a waste!

“…You really want to eat them, huh?”

“Heh, hehe…”

But if my dear commander tells me to eat them, I must obey.

Following orders has never let me down. Right?

“So, you spent the entire mercenary summoning budget just to get these puddings?”

“Ah, ow ow ow! No, no, I didn’t…!”

Hearing my words, the commander gave me a disapproving look and pulled my cheek, stretching it.

As a result, my speech became all muffled.

S T R E T C H –

Whoa, what is this? My cheeks aren’t mochi, so why are they so stretchy?

“Uwahh…”

“Oh! S-Sorry, I’ll let go.”

After stretching my cheeks over and over, the commander finally let go when he saw my pitiful expression.

“Maru, your cheeks are seriously soft…”

The commander sat back down and flexed his hands, as if reminiscing about how my cheeks felt.

He seemed a little too attached to the sensation.

—Wait a second, mercenaries?

What did he just say?

Did he say I wasted the mercenary summoning budget?

No way…

I mean, come on, there’s no way that’s true.

How expensive could a few puddings be?

Besides, pudding isn’t even the most expensive item in the game.

…Hold on.

There are some games where you get a free character at the start, and you use them for the tutorial…

No way… Is this one of those games?

“Wait… Maru, you’re a five-star tank mercenary?”

Just as I was starting to panic about whether I had ruined the early game, the commander looked at me in shock.

He must have checked the ‘Owned Characters’ tab amidst the messy UI.

It didn’t even respond when I tapped it earlier… Ah, the perks of being the protagonist.

Kinda jealous.

“Maru, you’re more amazing than I thought…”

“Yeah, well… I am kinda great.”

“…You’re not even denying it?”

“Heh, heh.”

Maybe it’s because the commander complimented me, but my mouth keeps curling up into a grin.

Even when I try to push it down, it shoots right back up like it’s aiming for the sky.

Stop! Stop it! You can’t just get all happy over a simple compliment!

“Still, this is a relief. I was worried about handling missions without a mercenary, but I guess I don’t have to worry now.”

“Hehehe.”

By then, I was already grinning from ear to ear.

Just to be clear, this isn’t my fault.

It’s, uh… an involuntary reaction!

They say even whales dance when praised, right?

How could anyone not be happy after hearing something like that?

Right? Right?

“Commander, then about those puddings…”

I was just about to ask if I could have one when—

BANG!

A loud noise suddenly rang out from outside the room, making both the commander and me tense up.

It wasn’t just an ordinary noise.

It sounded like something was being smashed.

“What was that? Maru, is there anyone else in this base besides us?”

“No, I searched every corner, and I didn’t sense anyone.”

“Then… what could that sound be…?”

We didn’t waste time thinking.

The commander and I immediately kicked open the command room door and—

-322…

We were met with the sight of three incredibly disgusting monsters.

One looked like a centipede.

Another looked like a praying mantis.

And the last one… looked like that incredibly vile G.

It was like a nightmare insect combo pack.

Why are the enemies in this game like this?!

I thought this was a cute anime girl gacha game!

Why are the enemies these disgusting, repulsive creatures?!

“Monsters invading the base?! Maru! I’m counting on you!”

W-Wait, me?!

You want me to fight those things?!

Me?!