Chapter 316
Episode 316 – Artifact (3) (Revised development)
–
Two streaks of lightning so large that they can be observed from hundreds of kilometers away fall on the ground.
The destination of the thunderbolt running through the sky is the underground of an old city.
The golden light and red sun light combine to create a magical glow. The sand-covered land is burning brightly and the buildings built on it are melting.
The sight was like a divine punishment meted out to those who did not follow providence.
In some sense, that expression may be correct.
The subject who committed this amazing act of destruction was a weapon created in imitation of the authority of God.
The flash of lightning, which lasted for several minutes, fades out.
As the residual fire burned on the sand, two stars floating in the red sky fell to the ground.
The stars, which were hundreds of meters in size, gradually decreased in size as they descended, and soon turned into flying objects with a diameter of 10 meters. A spherical object surrounded by layers of mandala slowly landed outside the burning earth.
“Phew.”
Watching the orbital weapon land with flying sand, Nern barely resisted the temptation to sit down on the sand. Because he had consumed so much psychic power, it was difficult for him to even stand properly.
“Confirmation that the target has been hit.”
“This is a communication from above. “What on earth is the ‘Rain God’ that has just been activated? What do you answer?”
“Call it fire power support and a new Raijin operation test.”
On the other hand, Alshas, who operated another orbital weapon, was giving orders to his subordinates with a sane appearance, as if this was nothing.
“…You used more strength than me, that’s amazing.”
“Thanks to my senior’s efforts in stabilizing the fire, I was able to control the firepower safely.”
“There is no need to say that. What I did was a very small part. “By the way, it’s amazing.”
Nern looked up at the large sphere in front of him.
The Raijin he knew did not look like this.
Originally, Raishin took the form of a tray with complex shapes geometrically intertwined. It is an object made from Novametal, a rare metal, and has the characteristic of becoming gigantic when injected with psychic power.
The weapon in front of him also grew larger when injected with psychic power, but its appearance was very different. Rather than a thin tray, complex shapes were intertwined and combined into a sphere.
“Is this the Raijin new model?”
“It’s still a prototype. Compared to the existing Raishin, its firepower precision has been enhanced and it can hit at a much greater distance.”
“I heard that it was created to counter enemies that infiltrated the planet’s interior. I guess that’s true.”
“you’re right. “The development goal was to attack the cult’s home base or the Outspacer’s bio portal.”
The Cult Empire has many weapons that can destroy planets, but there are not many weapons that can control their power to a large extent. So, when an enemy appeared, like now, by infiltrating the planet and causing trouble, it was difficult to respond.
Therefore, Raishin, an orbital weapon capable of hitting local areas, has been in charge of incinerating enemies that have infiltrated the planet.
The spherical weapon currently in front of them was a thunder god that had been improved to actively reflect that purpose.
“…Still, using Raijin on Berzan 02 would be quite risky.”
“That’s true, but you don’t have to worry. “It will be declared as a weapons test organized by the Temple Guardians.”
“Temple Guardians?”
Nern was taken aback by the sudden words.
“Actually, that’s why Raijin’s operation was delayed. First, get the documents from the Temple Guardians…”
“Wait a minute. “The Temple Guardians entrusted you with operating the new Raijin?”
“yes. I once helped improve their weapons. “Although it has been more than half a year since I was fired from my position as an advisor.”
“…her.”
“Besides, Kissos also helped me.”
The junior said it casually, but Nern knew that it was not as simple as it sounded.
The Temple Guardians are a group as proud and conservative as the Eye of Revelation Priests.
It was impossible for them to appoint the captain of an imperial carrier as an advisor for weapons improvement. It is even more impossible to entrust the operation of a new weapon.
Even with the support of Kisos, the leader of the Innovation faction, it is not easy to move the Temple Guardians. That side supports the Providence faction, so their political orientation is completely different.
In other words, it was entirely Alshas’s personal power that received the new Thunder God and used it to deal with the monster.
‘He had a relationship with the leader of the innovative faction and even developed weapons. ‘What on earth are you doing?’
Nern never thought that his junior would be involved in so many things.
“Confirming the impact point using the camera.”
“good. Once verification is complete, immediately synchronize and output as an image.”
“Check the point of impact. “Print the transmitted image.”
Alshas, whether aware of his senior’s gaze or not, focused on commanding the subordinates he had brought in to use the Thunder God.
When the warrior in charge of communications operated the device, a small translucent image appeared on the sand.
In the image, there was a very large pit with a lot of smoke rising as if a volcano had erupted.
And at the edge, two small beings could be seen coming out of the pit.
A person wearing a bodysuit covered in dust and blood was wearing a reinforced suit with a unique design on a black background. There was no one else in sight other than them.
“Sir, we need to make sure the monster is dead. “Let’s contact them.”
“…okay.”
Nern put aside his thoughts about Alshas for a moment and contacted Sihyeon Eugene, the survivor on the screen, through a communicator.
“It looks like you’re safe.”
“Okay.”
“What happened to him? It’s impossible to check here. “Is he really dead?”
「….」
Sihyeon did not answer those words right away.
Everyone watched Nerne’s communicator nervously.
And….
“…the guy is dead. “I saw with my own eyes the rays of light that fell from the sky and pulverized his body.” “
!”
Upon hearing those words, everyone in the room let out a silent exclamation.
The ‘three-headed devil’ is dead. Nerne almost collapsed in his seat from the joy of finally avenging his enemy.
Alshas, who was listening quietly while everyone was happy, asked her.
“This is Alshas. What happened to his body? What about things like head or heart? “Is there anything left?”
“nothing. He has completely turned into ashes.”
“…Is that so? “Thank goodness.”
At Sihyeon’s confirmation, Alshas stepped back with a relieved expression.
However, I saw Nern. For a very brief moment, there was a strange feeling of regret on her face.
“The guy is dead, but there may still be some danger left. “Tell the punitive force to conduct a thorough search.”
“yep!”
She also lost her family at the hands of the devil. There is no way she would feel regretful, as other people might not know.
‘I must have seen it wrong.’
Is it because I used my psychic power excessively?
Deciding that it was his mistake, he helped the warriors clean up after themselves.
–
「I did it with a bang! “Is the big baby okay?”
“Dwarf” “Strange” “Big adult” “Wrong” “Is it okay?”
“Seeing that something went wrong with the parasite that controls Charas, we can infer that something is wrong with ‘Aimorph.’”
「….」
A parking lot located on the outskirts of Gwangmyeong Street.
Charas’ personal airship is sandwiched between numerous airships parked on top of it. None of the cults out there were interested in those common personal spaceships.
It was inevitable that all the cult members in the parking lot were distracted by the flash of light that occurred in the distance. Orbital weapon bombardment in Berzan 02. Because something that could never happen happened.
Like the cult outside, the monsters inside Charath’s airship were also looking at the golden thunderbolt.
‘…Moff Park. What happened?’
Even though the appointed time had passed, Eimov did not show up. So far, he has never once broken a promise.
That lightning that burns up the entire Avenue of Glory is probably one of the reasons that prevents Aimorph from coming here.
Heavenly Mother knows what that light means. The cult finally took out Raijin.
Seeing the enormous destructive power, it was clear that at least five Thunder Gods had been mobilized.
‘It’s an Eucharist, so you’ll be able to endure it. The problem is…’
Her eyes turned to the cockpit.
Originally, Charas should have been sitting there. The reason it couldn’t be done was because the owner of the place had passed away.
Before the lightning struck the ground, Charas suddenly collapsed. She also died shortly after as the parasites that had replaced part of her brain and spine died.
Eimov also knows how important Charas is to this operation. But what does the fact that the parasite controlling Charas is dead mean?
‘Either we planted new parasites or we lost control of them.’
In the former case, it is better, but in the latter case, it becomes more serious. This means that Amorph has been weakened to the point where he cannot control the parasite.
“He said he had a new strategy. So you don’t have to worry.”
“Really? “You’re sure the eldest baby isn’t sick?”
“Big adult” “We” “I didn’t say that”
“I’m just trying to surprise you like usual.” He does that often.」
「Is that so?」
「Agree」 「Old adult」 「Prank」 「I like it」
「I like pranks too! It’s fun!”
No. 26 and Adhai felt relieved at her words. The guys, who were in a relaxed mood, enjoyed watching the colorful fireworks outside the window.
“….”
PS-111, who was about to voice a dissenting opinion, kept his mouth shut when the Mother of Heaven winked. This was because she also analyzed that telling the truth would not help improve the situation.
‘I can’t change my plans now.’
Her first plan was to disguise herself as a rare creature salesperson. It was already registered in Charas’ name a few days ago and sales permission was obtained.
The administratively registered products are Bubble Amoeba and Albino Gallagon Variant Mountain Crawler. They were No. 26 and Aadhai PS-111 respectively. To achieve this, PS-111 even removed metal from the hover bus center and added it to the body.
Before entering the fortress, they will be placed in a caged prison cell placed inside the airship.
‘The problem is that you have to go in without Charas.’
The dead body of Charas was buried in a pile of sand outside the parking lot. Unless you have the means to keep her alive, you have to enter the fortress without her. The risk has become much greater than in the previously proposed plan.
‘It has become difficult to deal with unexpected situations.’
Moreover, the enemy even brought out the Thunder God. They launched an orbital bombardment on their own city. The defense level of the water fortress must have increased significantly.
‘I deliberately registered her as an attendant to avoid that, but…’
Currently, the Mother of Heaven is officially registered as Charas’ personal attendant, or secretary. I did that on purpose to avoid arousing suspicion, but now it means nothing.
「Is there no way to replace Charas?」
“The voice and body parts can be replaced, but if they come in for inspection from the other side, they cannot be faked.”
“I guess that’s true, right?”
“At this point, there is a 57% chance that high-intensity inspections will occur. “There is a 99% chance it will happen if Charas is not there.”
“…I know, so you don’t have to tell me.”
Time passed and about 30 minutes had passed since the promised time.
The rays of the Thunder God that flashed in the distance had long since disappeared, and only black smoke filled the red sky.
No. 26 and Adhai, who had been waiting and believing the words of the Mother of Heaven, were also touching the facilities inside the airship as if they were bored.
‘It won’t work. I have to go…’
What if Amov was in a situation where he couldn’t come here? If the enemy ranker he was most worried about was out there, he would definitely need her help.
The moment she made a decision in her mind and was about to get up, two cultists jumped out from behind the tempered glass at the front of the airship.
Dressed in warrior attire, they gave her a small hand signal.
“this! “Everyone go into the container!”
The thing I was worried about happened.
She motioned for them to wait a moment and then threw the other kids into the bars. After confirming that the children were safe, she went out of the airship.
“hello? Due to recent disturbances on Glory Street, checks are being conducted. “Please cooperate.”
“I understand.”
“Hmm, what’s your name?”
「I’m Seo-ah. 」
“Seo-ah.” You are registered as a personal attendant of Knowledge Manager Charas. “Is this airship Mr. Charas’s?”
“That’s right.”
“Can you tell me about the purpose and schedule?”
“I am planning to visit the Water Fortress to sell rare creatures. Due to the poor health of the product, the waiting time was longer than planned.”
“I see. You definitely exceeded 30 minutes. “Then, please tell me the list of products for sale.”
Fortunately, the cult warriors did not suspect her too much. It was thanks to Heavenly Mother’s ability to answer their questions without hesitation.
“I don’t think there’s any problem at this level.”
“What about indoor inspection?”
“After comparing it with the registered documents, I don’t think it’s necessary. “Then the inspection will end here.”
“Thank you.”
She barely suppressed a sigh of relief and bowed her head in a polite manner.
Just as the two warriors were about to turn their backs to inspect the next ship, one of them suddenly stopped.
“what’s the matter?”
“It says here that you are accompanying Charas.”
“huh?”
“hey. “Where is Charas?”
The Heavenly Mother became nervous at the question from the strict warrior team member. Of course, he answered calmly without any outward signs of agitation.
“He went to run some errands for a moment.”
“I heard that’s true? “We have a lot of ships to see, so let’s move on.”
“If you’re just running errands, you’ll be back soon. You know I’m interested in the knowledge manager exam. “I want to ask you something.”
“Tsk, anyway.”
As she listened to their chatter, she tried hard to keep the hair on her body from standing on end.
Listening to the conversation, it seemed like he would never leave until Charas came.
The problem is that Charas is buried in the sand of that barren desert.
‘Should I handle it here?’
It is not difficult to kill the warriors here. Because what comes next is the problem.
But her situation will not get better if she stays here like this. In that case, it would be more beneficial to kill the enemy now when they are not on guard.
At that time, claws are slowly sticking out from the fur-covered hands, resembling the front paws of a lion.
A familiar voice came from behind her.
“sorry. “I’m late because I have something to do.”
「!」
A female cult member with goat horns suddenly approached and slightly lowered her head toward the cult members.
“no. “Are you Charas?”
“yes.”
“Thank you for your confirmation.”
“Well, I have something to ask you.”
“The knowledge manager exam is an opportunity to verify the divine wisdom that has been foreshadowed by providence. “If you ask me, I will never be able to answer.”
“Kkeuk keum, I’m sorry!”
“Tsk, I knew that would happen.”
“Then let’s go.”
“May the guidance of Providence be with you.”
Only after the warriors left was the Heavenly Mother able to relax.
She glared at Charas, or rather ‘the thing pretending to be Charas,’ with eyes filled with irritation.
“Providence is damn good. Why are you here so late? 」
[Zuz zuzu zuzuzuzu (Sorry, I had some work to do)]
This was a problem for her colleagues. By conversing with thoughts and emotions through thought waves or waves, you get to know the other person’s feelings.
Sensing that Eimov was feeling sorry, she was about to throw a bunch of curses at him, but then quit. She let out her stiff hair and sighed briefly.
“Are you late because of the Thunder God?”
In the end, those were the only words that came out of her mind. There was no feeling of anger there.
[zu zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzuzu (yes, there were more than that)]
“It looks like you were bombarded by five Thunder Gods. How did you escape?”
Eimoff, who heard her question, answered casually.
[Zuzuzu Zuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzuzuzu Zuzu (I used Fast Speed Navigation on a close range target while getting hit)] 「…Is
that possible?」
[Zuzuz Zuzuzu Zuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzu (I was lucky enough to gain useful powers. Moreover, there happened to be an ‘audience who would imprint my death’)] 「?
」
A female cult who makes incomprehensible sounds.
There was no expression on his face, but she could feel it somehow.
Aimorph on the back of the cult is smiling.