Chapter 524 - 328: What Zog Never Expected (2)

"You can't think that way. Why can't new weapons be used to protect life?" Zog retorted. "Besides, weapons can also prevent wars."

"Prevent wars?" Old El assumed Zog was about to launch into one of his usual sophistries.

"That's right. Let's assume—just assume—that a weapon suddenly appears. Its destructive power is so immense that no faction could withstand the losses from an attack. At the same time, this weapon is in the hands of multiple factions. In that case, wouldn't they all avoid large-scale wars because none of them could accept such losses?" Zog said.

He, for one, didn't believe that things like moral character or a yearning for peace could stop the world from erupting into large-scale wars.

Making the damage so high that no one could afford to fight just seemed more plausible.

Hearing Zog say this, El wanted to object, but after a moment of thought, he stood there, stunned.

"'Make every faction unable to bear the losses of an attack... every...'"

El kept repeating Zog's words, over and over, until Zog started to get a little creeped out, worried that the Old Elf might be losing his mind.

A few minutes later, a look of ecstasy suddenly appeared on El's face. The years had robbed his features of a young Elf's smoothness; the mass of wrinkles bunched together, making him look almost fearsome.

"You're right. You might be right. No, you must be right! You're a genius! Oh, I have to go now, time waits for no Elf! Goodbye, goodbye! For peace, for the peace of weapons, and for peaceful weapons..."

El charged maniacally into the research institute, clearly having some urgent research to attend to.

From his perspective, he had found a way for his completely unmotivated fellow Elves to survive in this increasingly fast-paced world.

As long as every race was given the same terrifying weapons, no race would dare to launch a war of extermination. The Elves didn't need the ability to win; they just needed the ability to ensure mutual destruction.

'It'll work. It has to work.'

Zog watched El's departing figure, completely bewildered.

'I hope he doesn't go crazy. I wonder if Elves can get dementia.'

'I'm still counting on him to mentor some graduate students for Hogwarts in his final years.'

Although "final years" sounded a bit like exploiting an elderly Elf, in Zog's estimation, El's "final years" would last a few decades at least. It would be a waste not to let him put that last bit of energy to good use.

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The brand-new weapons were quickly distributed to the patrol teams.

A six-man squad, equipped with Magic Firearms and newly-forged Thermic Cutting Swords, ventured deep into the wilderness outside Deepwater City.

Their patrol area was already much larger than it had been when they first started defending against the Magical Beast invasions.

It was no longer a case of Magical Beasts chasing people, but people chasing Magical Beasts.

The mission of the Deepwater City Police Department's patrol teams was to gradually shrink the Magical Beasts' territory, preparing for the city's future expansion. The city was bound to get bigger and bigger.

Therefore, they had no choice but to compete with the Magical Beasts for living space.

It sounded a bit cruel, but that was reality. The Magical Beasts hadn't done anything to provoke anyone; they were simply in the way of progress and thus fated to be cleared out.

However, Zog had still designated a wilderness nature preserve as the final area for the unlucky Magical Beasts to survive in.

Thus, the patrol teams' primary objective was not to kill every Magical Beast they encountered, but to drive them into the designated area.

The Magical Beasts weren't entirely unintelligent. After witnessing the power of the patrol teams' weapons, even if they didn't understand what the things were, they generally realized they were not to be trifled with.

Their first reaction upon seeing a patrol team was to run. Only a rare few, panicking and charging blindly at the squad members, required extreme measures.

These would be the Magical Beasts to get a firsthand experience of the Thermic Sword's power.

Venturing deep into the wilderness was a tough job—dangerous and exhausting—but the patrol team's captain actually quite liked it.

Before joining the police department, he had been a Hunter. He was used to roaming the wilds; the environment of the woodlands and wilderness was more comfortable for him than the city.

Besides, there was extra pay for fieldwork—twenty percent more than he'd make in the city.

He was proud of his profession and was genuinely good at it.

The squad he led hadn't had a single injury since its formation, let alone any deaths.

The "Best Patrol Squad" traveling banner was practically nailed to the wall of their barracks.

It was for this reason that the newest equipment was given to the best squad for field testing.

The captain led his five squad members through the woods, maintaining standard tactical formation.

As an experienced Hunter, the captain took on the responsibility of being the point man.

The fog was a bit thick today, with visibility under twenty meters, which significantly increased the danger.

To be safe, the captain decided not to push any deeper today and instead check the old routes.

Footsteps crunched on dry twigs and moss, making a rustling sound.

"Halt!" The captain suddenly raised his hand, signaling to his squad. "Movement."

He immediately dropped to the ground and pressed his ear to the earth. The soil was a better medium for sound than the air.

The captain didn't know the physics principle behind it; it was purely experience accumulated over his career as a Hunter.

After listening with bated breath for a few seconds, he came to a conclusion.

"Footsteps. Not many. Coming our way. Defensive formation."

The well-coordinated squad members immediately changed formation, waiting for the source of the footsteps to appear.

A few minutes later, the chaotic and dense footsteps were audible to all the squad members. Their fingers rested on their triggers, awaiting the order to attack.

The wait for the unknown was inevitably agonizing.

Finally, a lean, tough-looking figure darted out of the fog.

The captain took a closer look, then relaxed. It was just a Snake Chicken Beast, a rather unimpressive Magical Beast. They weren't scary even without guns, let alone now that the squad was fully armed.

The first Snake Chicken Beast that burst from the fog also froze, staring blankly at the patrol squad. Soon, more Snake Chicken Beasts emerged from the fog—a small flock, it seemed.

The captain didn't give the order to attack. Instead, he spread his arms wide and let out a howl.

This was the standard procedure for scaring off Magical Beasts.

Make yourself look bigger and add a strange noise.

Normally, the weak Snake Chicken Beasts would definitely flee after a scare like this.

But today was an exception.

The lead Snake Chicken Beast hesitated for a long time, as if its small brain was struggling with a difficult thought.

Finally, it made its choice, screeching as it charged at the captain.

The captain was completely unfazed. He didn't shoot, but instead drew his newly-issued Thermic Sword.

In one fluid motion, he sidestepped and the blade sank into the Snake Chicken Beast's body. The resistance was so minimal the captain wondered if he had missed, and no blood spurted out.

It was the fragrant smell of roasted meat that finally confirmed he hadn't missed.

The Snake Chicken Beast, nearly cleaved in two, fell to the ground, motionless.

The captain's tears of sympathy shamelessly dripped from the corner of his mouth.

'It really does smell delicious. We'll eat it later.'

'But first, we have to finish the job.'

He figured this flock of Snake Chicken Beasts had just never seen a patrol team before and didn't know how formidable they were, which was why the scare tactic hadn't worked.

Now that he had killed their leader with a single strike right in front of them, even the stupidest Magical Beast should understand the difference in strength.

So the captain repeated his earlier intimidating gesture.

However, contrary to his expectations, the flock of Snake Chicken Beasts still didn't flee. They seemed determined to run toward Deepwater City.

"Fire!"

The captain gave the order, and in less than thirty seconds, the entire flock of Snake Chicken Beasts was eliminated.

The objective was technically complete, but the captain couldn't relax.

He was puzzled. Why were these Magical Beasts running out of the wilderness, ignoring the danger?

He bent down and checked the eyes of a corpse. They weren't discolored. It wasn't the influence of a Devil.

'Then why?'

'If they wouldn't turn back even when facing the patrol squad, it's highly likely there's something even more terrifying than us deeper in the wilderness.'

A guess popped into the captain's head.

It was the only explanation that made sense.

'What could have scared the Snake Chicken Beasts this badly?'

'According to previous surveys, there shouldn't be a Magical Beast of that caliber here.'

The captain gazed into the fog, lost in thought.

After hesitating for five minutes, he gave the order. "Withdraw!"

He chose not to investigate. Report it, and let someone more capable handle it.

The squad had remained casualty-free to this day. Besides their excellent training and rich experience, there was another very important reason.

Don't let curiosity get you killed. Stick to the jobs that match your level.