Book 16 Chapter 30

Science VS Superpowers,

The AIN's Technology is the Best in the World (2)

[Relic of the 10th Great Archmage. Search and retrieve order #3 has been issued for this item. If you do not wish for conflict, we request peaceful handover.]

A decisive battle with the Abyss was an everyday occurrence, but confronting the relics of <The Ones Who Came> was enough to embarrass Rista and Frie.

'Is it Berater…!'

At that spot, only Kiese, who had experience as a mercenary (platinum rank 1 before royal appointment), could identify the enemy.

Berater.

It is the name for the direct aides of 'Greta Visor', the #1 mercenary, a Diamond-class mercenary.

Befitting the 'Pure AIN Mercenary Group', which earned the #1 spot solely based on their technology, the number of artifacts they operated was incomparable to other mercenary groups.

"This is ridiculous. Are you messing with me right now, or what?"

It was Lin who scoffed at Berater's almost coercive command.

Was it perhaps that they weren't even worth recognizing as an enemy? He didn't even look up at Keltoros, merely turning the pages of his book.

Perhaps his mood had soured, as his gestures were quite irritable.

"To come all the way here for something like this… Are you trying to make this [Strongest Mage] an enemy? I'm getting a bit pissed off."

Of course, Lin was merely angry at the 10th Great Archmage because the magic recorded in the grimoire was all useless!

To others, who had no way of knowing his true feelings, it could only be interpreted differently.

Frie, too, was able to collect himself at Lin's usual, incredibly arrogant but precisely for that reason, reassuring attitude.

"Right, if you're going to pick a fight with us, you'll need to use quite a bit of strength. Are you confident?"

For beings who held the #1 position, was conversation truly nothing more than rhetoric right before battle?

[Negotiations failed, show of force initiated.]

Keltoros fired a towing anchor cable mounted on its underside.

Unlike a normal anchor, this three-pronged anchor, like a bird's claw, could grab a target and pull it in, or pull the ship along.

The target of that anchor was none other than Lin! More precisely, it was the grimoire the boy was holding.

KAAANG…!

Of course, the anchor could not carry out its command. Because of the blade that protected sacred light, the Holy Sword Schilpen, which stood before it!

"Since you attacked our Lin, we can recognize you as an enemy from now on, right? And the Abyss's toxic aura is no joke."

In the power struggle that ensued the next moment, Rista was surprised, and Keltoros's pilot was also surprised.

'I was planning to drag that unknown ship down to the ground and smash it with this towing anchor cable, wasn't I?'

The anchor's power, gripping Schilpen's blade, far exceeded Rista's expectations, groaning and creaking, but wasn't it holding its own against Rista's physical strength?

'This is equipment that can even lift rocks embedded deep in the ground, and it's gaining an advantage in a simple test of strength?'

This was why Keltoros's pilot was surprised. It would be no exaggeration to say that this was truly a power that transcended human standards.

[Danger level elevated to 'Stage 0', autonomous use of Deep Detonation (深爆) weapons authorized.]

Keltoros's gunports opened.

Keltoros was a transport vessel, but it was reportedly designed to also account for combat it might face during transport missions.

The barrage of fire Keltoros unleashed was truly a product of the distant future. To those living in the age of cold weapons, it was close to a catastrophe.

"Look at this, even the bullets are from the Abyss?"

But that was a story that only applied to those 'living' in this era.

For these heroes who were 'pioneering' the era, this much was merely one of the many everyday occurrences they faced.

It was said that Frie was the only one in recorded history capable of a condensed incantation of the Genesis Psalms. The Genesis barrier blocked all of the Abyss's bullets!

"They must be Abyss's minions, so blowing them away shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Keltoros was about to prepare a second barrage, but the hull suddenly tilted, and emergency lights flashed red inside the cabin.

That was a blank (空白)!

A pure blue light that surged up at high speed created a massive hole in Keltoros's right wing.

'This shot… is that Manuki (Manuki; a derogatory term used by AINs for humans, meaning 'monkey') archer, isn't it!'

In the cleanly pierced entry point, residual heat (殘熱) of the World Tree's magic remained, and this heat began to spread its stems and roots, corroding the entire hull.

[Danger Warning.]

Amidst that chaos, Keltoros's observation monitor barely managed to capture the pure white blade… Schilpen, which had slashed diagonally across the hull.

'Yes, it's these guys…'

Varnavi, the pilot of Keltoros and one of the eight Beraters in total, sensed his end.

'These guys will definitely hinder Greta-nim's progress plan. I'll deal with them here.'

Therefore, without an ounce of hesitation, he slammed his fist down on a switch sealed behind glass and shouted.

"All Hail Evolucion! For glorious progress!"

At that very moment, as Rista was slashing across the stern with Schilpen, Keltoros's hull was engulfed by the Abyss's frenzy.

Keltoros was originally a troop transport.

However, there were no troops aboard this Keltoros. Instead, it was loaded with a crystal (結晶體) of the Abyss, so large and powerful that it filled the transport vessel.

"Ri, Ristaaaaaa───!"

As Rista was enveloped by the Abyss's rampage and disappeared, Frie cried out in dismay.

"Huh?"

So urgent was that cry, and so fierce was the Abyss's rampage, that even Lin, who had been engrossed in his grimoire in [Reading a Grimoire to a Cow's Ear] mode, snapped back to attention.

"…!"

Kiese immediately scrambled through the tunnel's opening and ran out to the surface.

But the entire area caught in the Abyss's rampage had changed.

How should this situation be described? In the altered world, there was nothing. Only a swamp imbued with the products of corruption, with poison boiling up from all directions.

"Rista, Rista, Rista."

Pipi, who came to the surface with Kiese, flew around in the sky, shouting. Kiese had to cover his nose and mouth with his cloak collar.

'This toxic aura… is so dense that even detection isn't functioning properly.'

I've never seen an Abyss like this before? Should I call it a primeval Abyss?

'I did see something similar in the deep labyrinth of Trident Point, but that was strictly in the depths…'

As he turned his head this way and that, searching for Rista's whereabouts, a voice was heard from afar.

"Kiese, Pipi! I'm fine. You don't have to worry."

But something was strange.

The voice was thin?

No, should I describe it as delicate?

"What is it, though? Was Schilpen always this big? It seems like some change occurred when I was caught in that explosion."

Kiese, who turned to the direction of the voice, instantly doubted his eyes. He tilted his head, and had to blink several times.

"Rista? Rista? Rista?"

Pipi landed on Kiese's White Spear Bow and tilted her head with a questioning voice. Her attitude was wary.

"Kiese, did you find Rista?!"

Frie, who had flown out to the surface on a broom, shouted and asked. Lin also raised the ground to easily come out of the tunnel and asked.

"What was that just now? What happened here?"

Frie and Lin had to widen their eyes as they looked at where Kiese and Pipi were pointing.

"Why is everyone like this? Like people who've seen <The Forgotten Kings>. Frie, Schilpen got too big. Is it some kind of curse? Take a look."

The 'girl' who received the perplexed gazes of the three heroes asked.

Truly, in a 'girl's' voice.

Not only her voice, but her physique as she dragged Schilpen across the swamp and approached was also that of a 'girl' no older than five or six.

"Who are you?"