00:00To his utter astonishment, a talking mosquito suddenly appeared right before the man's eyes.
00:04Just as he stood there, dumbfounded, the mosquito actually flew straight into his mouth.
00:08The very next second, the man underwent a cross-species evolution.
00:11As it turned out, ever since the Japanese government began discharging treated wastewater into the ocean,
00:16deep-sea monsters had been emerging periodically to exact revenge for such foolish acts.
00:20Stepping in to counter them was a defense force equipped with high-tech weaponry.
00:23Boasting elite gear and formidable physical prowess,
00:26their top-tier members were capable of instantly obliterating even the most powerful monsters with a single shot.
00:31Once a monster was neutralized, a specialized cleanup crew would move in to clear the battlefield.
00:35The protagonist was a member of this very cleanup crew.
00:38However, the monsters eliminated by the 3rd Division of the Defense Force were often left in a truly gruesome state.
00:43Sometimes, the soldiers failed to identify and avoid the monster's hazardous internal organs,
00:48resulting in ruptured viscera and severe chemical burns to their own bodies.
00:51Watching his injured colleagues being carried away on stretchers, the protagonist couldn't help but grumble.
00:56Couldn't the 3rd Division be just a asterisk little asterisk gentler with the monsters?
00:59Just then, the commanding officer called out to the protagonist, who had drifted off into a daze.
01:03Since someone had been injured, the protagonist was ordered to step in and take his place.
01:07However, the moment he heard he was assigned to handle the long blade section, a particularly nasty area,
01:12the protagonist's face went ashen with dread.
01:14After all, it was a truly gruelling job,
01:16the kind that could easily make you lose your lunch right inside your uniform.
01:19Even though the protagonist had plenty of experience in this line of work,
01:23by the end of the night, the stench was still so overpowering that it left him retching uncontrollably.
01:27At that very moment, a promotional video for the 3rd Division began playing on the television screen.
01:32Featured in the video was the Division's 27-year-old female captain,
01:35none other than the protagonist's childhood sweetheart.
01:37Years ago, when they were just little kids,
01:39they had sworn an oath that when they grew up, they would fight monsters side by side.
01:43Yet, more than a decade had passed since then,
01:44Mina had risen to become the captain of the 3rd Division, while the protagonist remained merely a cleaner.
01:49That day, a new recruit joined the cleanup crew.
01:51Like the protagonist in his younger days,
01:53the newcomer was driven by a burning ambition to become a full-fledged member of the defense force.
01:57The recruit, whose name was Sichuan,
01:59clearly looked down on his senior colleague for having abandoned his dreams so early on.
02:03Without uttering a single word,
02:04he simply walked away with a cold, disdainful expression on his face.
02:07Although Sichuan's attitude made the protagonist clench his teeth in frustration,
02:11the work, as always, had to go on.
02:12On this particular day, Sichuan was assigned the task of cleaning long blades.
02:16The protagonist was just about to make a few snide remarks when,
02:19unexpectedly, he too was called out by name,
02:21leaving him stuck doing the dirty work for two days straight.
02:23The protagonist was beginning to feel overwhelmed,
02:25yet the moment he heard the captain praise his performance,
02:27he would instantly find a renewed burst of energy to go right back to scrubbing away at the fill.
02:31During their break, Sichuan was so nauseated by the stench that he couldn't stomach any food,
02:35the protagonist felt a secret twinge of smug satisfaction at this.
02:38Nevertheless, he tossed Sichuan a bottle of vitamin quick charge,
02:41admonishing him that without some nutritional replenishment,
02:44he wouldn't have the strength to work that afternoon.
02:46He even handed him a pair of earplugs to help block out the smell.
02:48Sichuan was baffled by the protagonist's sudden kindness,
02:51but the ever-enthusiastic protagonist wasn't about to give up so easily.
02:54And so, the two of them worked together harmoniously to complete the day's tasks.
02:58Before leaving, Sichuan sincerely expressed his gratitude to the protagonist.
03:02Thanks to his help, he had managed to survive his very first day on the job.
03:05As a token of appreciation, he shared a piece of good news.
03:07The age limit for recruitment into the defense force had been raised to 33.
03:11He couldn't bear to see the look of dejection on the protagonist's face whenever the subject came up,
03:15which was why he had kindly decided to pass along the tip.
03:17Just as the protagonist was thanking Sichuan for the information,
03:20a monster suddenly lunged at Sichuan, jaws gaping wide.
03:23In the nick of time, the protagonist shoved Sichuan out of the way.
03:26The monster missed its target, yet the danger was far from over.
03:29The protagonist ordered Sichuan to run to safety and alert the defense force.
03:32Realizing that staying behind would only make him a liability,
03:35Sichuan turned and fled without hesitation.
03:37The protagonist grabbed a steel pipe to defend himself,
03:40but in the very next instant, the monster swatted him away like a fly.
03:43Fortunately, the steel pipe had absorbed the brunt of the impact,
03:46sparing the protagonist from serious injury.
03:48However, as the monster lunged at him once again,
03:50the protagonist found he no longer had the strength to stand up and run.
03:53Just as the monster was about to devour him,
03:55Sichuan suddenly reappeared, wielding a street sign,
03:58and charged in front of the protagonist.
03:59The monster was left momentarily dazed and confused by the blow,
04:03though such a meager attack was hardly enough to take it down.
04:05Just as the monster was poised to swallow them both whole,
04:08the protagonist gazed at Mina's retreating figure,
04:10her back turned, walking away with effortless grace,
04:12and found that he lacked even the courage to reveal his identity to her.
04:15As night fell, the protagonist lay in his hospital bed,
04:18feeling somewhat despondent.
04:19Fortunately, thanks to the encouragement he had received,
04:22he once again mustered his former courage and confidence,
04:24renewing his efforts to achieve his goal of becoming a member of the defense force.
04:27Just then, a bizarre-looking insect suddenly appeared right before his eyes.
04:31The very next second, thankfully,
04:32the protagonist managed to retain his consciousness,
04:35though he did scare a passing elderly man nearly to the point of fainting.
Comments