By Zephyria 
Something flickered, as if it were almost within reach of his fingertips, but it remained indistinct and unsettling. Just then, a mount passed before his eyes.
A military truck passed by relatively slowly next to a jeep that was speeding ahead. Another jeep then overtook the lead vehicle.
Each mount moved at a different speed. Even those of the same type differed depending on their durability and fuel status, resulting in a chaotic tangle of all sorts of vehicles before him. And amidst them, he spotted a single means of transport moving exceptionally slowly.
‘A cart.’
It was a cart being pulled by a resource gatherer. The speed of a cart transporting resources is unaffected by any environment except for the individual’s transport level. This is because, ultimately, it moves at the same speed as a person walking…
**
The Alliance Core is under attack!
**
An emergency mobilization alert has been triggered according to pre-set configurations.
⚠ Core Shield Status: 100% → 95% (Rapidly deteriorating)
The Alliance Territory will collapse if the Core is destroyed!
At that moment, the screen turned bright red as the warning window popped up.
Startled, Mo Yeon-hu straightened his posture. Simultaneously, the voice chat room erupted into chaos.
—What the, why is the Core—!!
—Side C is fine, how about Side D?
—D is intact. How did they get through to the Core?!
—A is…!
—Side A is obviously fine!! B is too!
There were no breaches anywhere in the outer walls.
**
The Alliance Core is under attack!
**
An emergency mobilization alert has been triggered according to pre-set configurations.
⚠ Core Shield Status: 95% → 90% (Rapidly deteriorating)
The Alliance Territory will collapse if the Core is destroyed!
Despite that, the core shield status percentage continued to drop.
‘There are no breaches, so how on earth?’
While he was wondering, Kwon Mi-eon, who had been silent, spoke up.
—Jadu-nim, you’re on the move, right?
—Yes!
It seemed that Shin Jadu and Kwon Mi-eon, both of whom knew the location of the Core, had already leaped into action and were heading there.
—We’ll follow right behind you!!
—I’m coming!
—Please turn on the GPS!! Or at least the Core coordinates…!
Currently, the GPS that allows members to check each other’s locations within the Alliance was turned off. This was because the locations of buildings were constantly leaking, and they feared the real-time positions of Alliance Members would also be exposed.
—I will reveal the Core’s location now. I’m turning on the GPS as well.
The Core cannot be moved while under attack. Since moving it was already out of the question, it was better for everyone—spies or not—to share the location and defend it together.
—Heading there now!!
—Ah, fuck. Why is the Core being attacked? I’m going too!
As people flocked to follow Miu, Kwon Mi-eon stopped them.
—If everyone follows me like this, how will you defend the walls? Discuss among yourselves and have only two people from each squad join me.
—Ah… yes!
—Yes!!
—GoodLuck-nim. You found the repair kits, right?
—Yeah~. I’m on my way!
He had even deactivated building mode to hide the locations of major structures, but continuing to hide information was no longer a viable solution. In fact, it only served to restrict the activities of the Alliance Members.
—I’ll switch building mode to full permission now. You may now judge and change the terrain at each outer wall on your own.
Alliance Notification: GPS transmission has been switched to ON.
(Remaining wait time: 05:59)
Alliance Notification: Building mode has been activated.
With nowhere left to retreat, 47 had now revealed all information.
—Boom, BOOM!!
The Mechanic Alliance gave them no time to rest. At the sound of artillery striking their ears, the Alliance Members hurried their pace even more.
Hidden Mechanic Quest
Current Progress: 99 / 100
Time Remaining: 00:57:10
There was now less than an hour left.
Mo Yeon-hu noticed a map appearing in the bottom left, showing the locations of the Alliance Members.
‘Everyone is moving busily.’
With the GPS on, the movements of the Alliance Members were clearly visible. Dots that had been scattered sporadically were converging into one, heading toward the Core. They were likely Kwon Mi-eon, Shin Jadu, GoodLuck, and a few other members.
—Did you arrive?!
—What’s happening at the Core?
—We arrived, but…
Seeing that the Core team had stopped moving on the map, it seemed they had arrived.
**
The Alliance Core is under attack!
**
An emergency mobilization alert has been triggered according to pre-set configurations.
⚠ Core Shield Status: 90% → 86% (Rapidly deteriorating)
The Alliance Territory will collapse if the Core is destroyed!
The Alliance Members could not shake their bewilderment. Mo Yeon-hu was the same.
“Di-didn’t you go to the Core?”
—What the hell. Why is the Core value still plummeting?
—What’s going on… seriously…
—What is happening?!
Whether there was a spy or not, Miu, Shin Jadu, and the Alliance Members were there, so the shield value shouldn’t have been dropping further.
—Ha, fuck.
—This is bullshit.
However, the cursing from Shin Jadu and the voice of Pincette, who seemed to be accompanying them, sounded ominous. Soon, Kwon Mi-eon’s cold voice followed.
—Some bastard attached a parasitic bomb here.
‘…Parasitic bomb?’
Mo Yeon-hu immediately searched for the item information, having never heard the term in his life. He soon let out a groan of despair.
☣ Cursed Parasitic Bomb
When thrown, it parasitizes the target, drains its vitality, and explodes.
Erodes 3%~5%p of HP every 30 seconds.
—Wait, then Hyungs, if we just blow it up quickly…!
—Then the Core will explode along with the parasitic bomb.
—What?
Hearing those words, Mo Yeon-hu froze as he read the description below.
Special Notes
If damage is dealt to this item, it will explode immediately, and the attached target will be removed as well.
Immediately deactivated upon the death of the parasitic bomb’s installer.
‘Are they insane?! What kind of item is this!’
Mo Yeon-hu wasn’t the only one horrified.
—Is the Core a living organism?! Why can that be installed on it!
—That parasitic bomb can be installed on buildings too. It’s sometimes used instead of dynamite to blow up buildings… Wow, this is driving me crazy. We can’t even see who the user is. Ha.
—Wait, why can’t we see who attached it?!
—If someone in a hostile relationship installs it, the name appears, but if someone in a friendly relationship installs it, it doesn’t. It just shows up as green.
—Then you’re saying it’s not that someone snuck in, but that someone from our own Alliance installed this here?!
—What kind of lunatic!!
—I knew it was fucking weird since our buildings started getting raided! Who the hell is the spy?
—Isn’t it MouseTrap?
—That bastard isn’t even logged in, and even if he were, he’s in jail! Dammit!
**
The Alliance Core is under attack!
**
An emergency mobilization alert has been triggered according to pre-set configurations.
⚠ Core Shield Status: 86% → 83% (Rapidly deteriorating)
The Alliance Territory will collapse if the Core is destroyed!
—Ah, I’m going crazy!! At that rate, won’t it explode in 10 minutes?!
—How did we protect this until now, only for it to end so hollowly…!!
—Hurry up and catch the bastard who installed that! Forget the outside, we have to find the installer first…!
—Who is it!
—How the hell should I know!!
—Then let’s just grab them one by one and beat them down.
—Should we make a PVP zone?
—If we kill them via PVP, does it count as a kill?
—Or can’t we find out by making them leave the Alliance to turn them into hostile relations? Why don’t we try kicking them out a few at a time?
—Oh. Not bad.
—What’s not bad about that? When are we going to kick out this many people and then invite them back!! And it’s not like they get their permissions back and can participate in the Siege Warfare immediately after joining!
—Ah, that’s true…
**
The Alliance Core is under attack!
**
An emergency mobilization alert has been triggered according to pre-set configurations.
⚠ Core Shield Status: 83% → 80% (Rapidly deteriorating)
The Alliance Territory will collapse if the Core is destroyed!
—Ah~ that’s true~? You’re sounding awfully complacent right now! Are you the spy?
—What do you mean I’m a spy, fuck. And when am I being complacent? I’m not complacent at all!!
—Then we have to find a way, a way!
—What do you want me to do, what can I even do!!
—That’s why we need to have a serious meeting starting now…
—The Core is getting smashed to pieces, where is the time for a meeting? Let’s just spend that time killing all the Mechanics instead?!
—How are we going to kill the Mechanics…
—Ha, how the hell should I know! I’m just saying let’s do something!
—Oh, Lord…
—Why are you screaming and acting crazy!!
—Um… stop fighting…
—Crazy? Did you just say I’m acting crazy?!
—Hey!! Punk and Biqu, shut the fuck up! Is the rest of you just watching a show? Why are you just standing there listening to them fight!! Aren’t you going to defend? The wall is collapsing again!!
—Wait, BQ-hyung, why are you getting so worked up!
—Then you’re not annoyed? I’ve been packing lunch boxes and feeding you guys for 12 hours, and you’re all fighting and acting crazy?!
—When were we fighting!
The atmosphere among the Alliance Members grew increasingly hostile, and it was absolute chaos, when Kwon Mi-eon spoke.
—Everyone, be quiet.