Chapter 57: HTSCF CH 052 Emil & Freyr

“What’s with this stench?” 

The moment Skye Lennox heard these words, he was, of course, offended. Any normal person wouldn’t like others to perceive themselves as smelly. As a transmigrator who read the novels, he knew what his pheromones smell like: a light garden aroma, fragrant but not overwhelming, sweet, the kind that lingers and makes you desire more. Yet, Niall Atlas called it a “stench?”

“Too disgustingly sweet,” Niall grumbled. “Babe, come here.” 

“What am I? An air freshener?” Despite his griping, Jun obediently walked over to Niall, who immediately wrapped his arms around him and buried his face into his neck to inhale the cleansing pheromones. 

Feeling his irritation subsiding and his nose declogging, Niall exhaled a sigh of relief and kissed Jun’s nape. “I can breathe again. Thanks, babe.”

“That’ll be one—no, three—milk teas.” Jun smiled and held up three fingers.

“Don’t sell yourself so cheap, babe.” Niall held Jun’s hand and traced the infinity symbol on his palm. 

Blushing, Jun hurried over to where the omegas were bunched together. Using his spiritual powers, he constructed a giant boat paddle and commenced whacking away any muddled alpha that got too close. Cyrus ran over to help Jun while shouting at Niall: “You go give that idiot an inhibitor!”

Indignant, Niall snarled, “Why me?”

“Because!” 

There was no way Cyrus would admit his soreness over Niall one-upping him. When did that low EQ guy learn to be romantic? In any case, someone had to do it. Why not Niall? Cyrus was already in position next to Jun, so with much dramatic reluctance, Niall dragged his feet to search for an inhibitor.

“Um…” One of the omegas spoke. “I have an inhibitor… But I’m not sure it’ll work on Skye Lennox…”

“Anything is worth a try.” Jun thanked him and took the inhibitor, giving it to Cyrus, who flung it at Niall. With the inhibitor clutched in his fist, Niall leaped to where Skye Lennox sat and injected him with it while pinching his nose. Directly after, he returned to Jun’s side and held him with his face burrowed into Jun’s neck. 

Although the inhibitor wasn’t 100% effective, it lessened the effects of Skye Lennox’s heat to the extent some stronger alphas managed to recover their sanity. After assessing the situation, they understood what had transpired and a few even thanked Jun for protecting their omegas. Others were disgusted or too embarrassed, wishing to disappear or blend into the background. 

The Emperor almost wanted to murder his son and Skye Lennox. Of all days and of all the things they could have perpetrated, they chose something so humiliating. Worst of all, they failed at what they strived to accomplish! The Emperor ordered his private guards to capture and put the Crown Prince and his Crown Princess under house arrest. 

It was then the broadcast ended abruptly, but it was too late, and the entire royal family had lost face. Skye Lennox suffered the worst backlash from netizens when he tried to whitewash himself, claiming to be a victim. Whether he was a victim or not, there was no changing the fact he was caught smirking in satisfaction on the live broadcast.

By the end of the night, once everything was settled, Jun received a notification from the System. 

|Congratulations on completing the Side Mission, dearest Host. When you return to Limbo, you can ask me any question and I will answer as truthfully as possible!|

|As possible, eh?|

|This System is under certain restrictions, so I will answer as much as I’m allowed.|

|Uh huh. Sure.|

Was that skepticism he heard? System 00 didn’t think too much of it and happily went back to sleep.

The house arrest lasted a month before Van Windham and Skye Lennox were allowed to resume their normal lifestyle, though it wouldn’t ever be the same. Even so, Skye Lennox continued to live a good life due to his status as a valuable omega. He was second only to Rain Linden, who was completely off the market and impossible to attain ever since Niall Atlas and Cyrus Albert revealed their upgraded attributes.

Their terrifying power was displayed for all to see over several live broadcasted skirmishes with the Zergs. Cyrus Albert no longer required a mecha and could rip apart Zerg spaceships with his bare hands. He had also become immune to all sorts of poisons, venoms, acid, and so on. 

As for Niall Altas, who also didn’t require a mecha, he could shred a Zerg spaceship with his spiritual powers from afar. He didn’t need to be immune to physical harm when he could just strike from a distance, not to mention he could create a shield with his spiritual powers if necessary. 

There was more good news for the general populace of the Empire—Rain Linden was confirmed to be around two months pregnant. Medical technology had advanced to the point that they could detect the gender and father of the baby within a month of conception. The fetus was a female alpha and the father was Niall Atlas. Cyrus Albert was surprisingly not sour at all. 

As a pregnant omega, Jun was excused from strenuous physical training at the academy, so he focused on the Parasites, developing a method to detect them that didn’t require high spirituality. Zergs emitted something akin to pheromones to communicate amongst each other, so any alpha or omega could use their pheromones to drive the Parasite out, as the Parasite’s Host would be agitated by such stimulation. Though this did nothing for betas, it decreased the number of deaths and increased the number of Parasites detected.

Unfortunately, Jun’s solution arrived too late. A week before he completed the Main Mission, enough Parasites had invaded the depths of Capital Star’s highest authorities to induce a sudden, unexpected Zerg invasion. At the same time, Jun received another Side Mission from the System: Successfully defend Capital Star against the Zerg invasion.

|System, I’m pregnant.| 

To think he’d be pregnant again for the third time. Jun never thought he’d one day use that as an excuse.

|You don’t have to accept the mission if you don’t want to, Host. It’s just an opportunity for you to ask a second question that I must answer as truthfully as possible!|

|Yeah, yeah.|

|Do you accept the mission?|

|I will. Even if I fail, nothing bad will happen, right?|

|That is correct, dearest Host!|

The invasion of the Zerg mothership had to occur on a day Niall and Cyrus were off-planet on another scouting mission, having been denied their one-year leave request by the Emperor. 

“There is no place safer than Capital Star,” the Emperor said. Niall and Cyrus cursed him the entire way back after receiving the emergency transmission.

Indeed, there was no place safer, since Capital Star still had its third, fourth, and fifth armies on the planet, which should have been more than enough to handle one Zerg mothership, except there was also a Jun on the planet, a Death inviting, Misfortune calling, Disaster summoning cannon fodder: the master of self jinxing. One mothership became two, then three until there were a total of five motherships hovering in the sky. Jun wept tears of blood as he bemoaned his “luck.”

Although Jun couldn’t risk physically fighting, he was able to use his spiritual powers to attack and defend from afar, as its use was less burdensome on his unborn baby. However, part of his spiritual powers was being used to protect his baby, and he couldn't hold out for long.

Nearby, Skye Lennox was likewise helping to defend against the Zerg invasion, but he couldn’t help cursing Rain Linden in his head: Hurry up and die, hurry up and die, hurry up and just die already! The more Skye Lennox cursed, the more disastrous the Zerg invasion developed. A sixth and seventh mothership showed up, practically covering the entire sky.

“Oh, come on! Really?” Jun shook his fists at the sky. Just a week before he completed his mission, the world appeared to be working on hyperdrive to try and kill him. 

Fortunately, Niall and Cyrus arrived in time with their mechas, rushing over to Jun’s side, which was being overrun by Zergs without anyone to help him except Skye Lennox.

At the sight of the two alphas, his face twisted. Something concealed deep inside Skye Lennox snapped and the world began to collapse. Everywhere, the ground began to level and crumble away as the sky above cracked, revealing a black space.

“Jun!” His eyes gleaming with fury and unadulterated hatred, Skye Lennox yelled, “I refuse to accept you as Freyr!” 

How did Skye Lennox know his real name? And Freyr? Who was Freyr?

While clutching his throbbing head, Jun grimaced. An old memory struggled to emerge but faded when the ground underneath quaked harder. Niall Atlas and Cyrus Albert’s expressions distorted, their countenances hostile as their eyes locked on “Skye Lennox” with contempt, disgust, and deeply buried loathing.

You are reading story Falling: How to Survive as a Cannon Fodder at novel35.com

“Skye Lennox” attempted to ignore them but couldn’t stop himself from casting a lingering glance at “Niall Atlas” before refocusing his attention on Jun.

“Freyr—no—Jun.” Hearing that other name again, Jun flinched. “Next time I will kill you for sure.” 

Another name emerged in Jun’s mind. “… Emil…?”

The earth below Jun’s feet fell apart and he was falling…

Jun closed his eyes. Such a familiar feeling—this was how he “died.”

Why could he never have a proper goodbye with Azazel and Elior? Why were their goodbyes always so sudden and unfinished?

Why keep trying? What was the point?

...

“Jun!” Two voices called his name, impatient, desperate, angry. Jun’s eyes snapped open and saw Niall Atlas and Cyrus Albert. Each held out a hand to him. Always, they called him “baby” or “babe” in every world, and he had assumed they didn’t know his real name. 

“Azel?” Niall nodded and tightly grasped one of Jun’s hands. Jun’s surprised gaze met Cyrus’s solemn one. “Eli?”

Cyrus smiled and caught hold of Jun’s other hand. “Who else, baby?” Though Jun had always known it was them in every world, it was a different experience to have them acknowledge their true identities to him.

“Let’s go.” Niall’s smile was full of reassurance. “We’ll meet again in the next world, Jun.”

Cyrus squeezed his hand, full of warmth. “Wait for us, Jun…”

Jun’s soul stretched and was whisked away. He closed his eyes again, and the comforting presence of Azazel and Elior embraced him.

—

“Host? Dearest Host?”

Staring at the familiar space, Jun swore, “Damn that Emil!” 

“Who is Emil, Host?”

Who was Emil? Someone he once knew?

“… I’m not sure, System,” Jun replied. “… What happened to that world?”

“As you’ve probably guessed Host, that world collapsed.”

“Why? Or can’t you answer?”

“I can answer. The world collapsed because the interference broke the rules by trying to take over control of the world.”

“Then what about the Main Mission and Side Missions?”

“Because the collapse of the world was caused by the interference, this system has been authorized to count the Main Mission of that world as completed. As a result, the Host just has to complete the Main Mission of 3 more worlds. Do not worry, dearest Host. The interference has been permanently removed.”

“… But?”

“But there might be leftover influences of the interference in the following worlds. However, something like what just happened won’t ever occur again.”

“Ok, that’s nothing new.” He was referring to the bullshit he often encountered in every world. “Can I use my question from the Side Mission now?”

“… Yes.”

“How was the interference removed?”

“… By my Creator.”

“I see.”

System 00 coughed. “Since the Host completed a Main Mission, you may choose another skill to learn. Would you like to?”

“Yes.”

“Here is the list of skills. Please choose, dearest Host.” 

Jun glimpsed at the screen. He knew what he wanted. “Magic.”

“Ok, while the Host is training, the System will be undergoing another upgrade. Sending the Host to the training space in 30, 29, 28…”

As Jun waited for the System’s countdown to end, the memory that had tried to surface earlier materialized. Before him, he watched the blurry visage of a woman and a small boy with fluffy red hair and light pink highlights. His eyes were a stunning emerald green, much like Jun’s.

“Freyr, my little Freyr.” The woman spoke. “You must promise me to never reveal your true name to anyone. Do you understand?”

“Yes, mama.” 

“From now on you are just Jun…” The woman sighed. Her soft voice was pleasant, nostalgic. A voice from a distant time. Jun’s nose ached.

“Freyr, my poor, little Freyr…”

—

A/N: Andddd that’s the end of the ABO arc. Sorry about all them abrupt endings but now you know why! The interference is gone! Next arc is called “Swords and Shields” and is mainly influenced by magic/fantasy… 

I’ve uploaded some name information for SH readers in the glossary if you wanna check some name meanings lol.

You can find story with these keywords: Falling: How to Survive as a Cannon Fodder, Read Falling: How to Survive as a Cannon Fodder, Falling: How to Survive as a Cannon Fodder novel, Falling: How to Survive as a Cannon Fodder book, Falling: How to Survive as a Cannon Fodder story, Falling: How to Survive as a Cannon Fodder full, Falling: How to Survive as a Cannon Fodder Latest Chapter