Chapter 531. First contact (5) |
Chapter 531. First contact (5)
However, there was no need to mutter these current thoughts and announce them to the world.
—Hahaha.
He didn't bother to express his doubts about the difference in power into sentences. Consequently, Kang Changho's reaction was just a brief laugh through the golem's cheap speaker.
But for those facing the [Behemoth], this was a situation that could sufficiently be felt as contempt.
[Is he mocking us?]
[Just a big pile of meat...]
[And at his mockery.]
These guys had bad personalities down to their genetic level. Naturally, the creatures that had come to invade Earth reacted to the golem's hollow laugh. They intensified their attacks, and as if to show that no more testing of the waters was necessary, they unfurled a barrier and began preparing a full-scale, powerful incantation.
In the process, they were heavily hindered by the massive golem's sweeping torso as it tied to disrupt their barrier formation. The fins on its torso not only facilitated movement but also acted to tear the skin of any enemy they encountered immediately.
2:2.
The invading limbs, matched in even numbers on both sides, were swept away and tumbled by the Behemoth's movement.
[Gasp.]
Having lost parts of their bodies, the New Era Alphaurins hurriedly sought other plans for survival.
[Dammit.]
[They notified us in society it wouldn't be such a dangerous mission!]
[This is sh*t.]
In any case, the group gathered here was the epitome of selfishness. Therefore, there was no move to deliberately take care of a comrade who had become disabled; those who had been injured by the fins had no choice but to keep hunting for weaker targets.
—But that giant golem. Even while making such a mess, it isn't swallowing the Earth primitives...?
One B-rank.
One E-rank.
There happened to be good targets nearby.
Soon after, the sinister senses of the intelligent monsters focused on the natives who had been left abandoned on one side of the desert. In truth, Kang Changho didn't have much of a particular interest in the entity named Seonwoo Yeon. Of course, the scientific technology built up by mammals was impressively amazing, but come to think of it, not all of humanity had contributed to such development. Kang Changho basically had a tendency to look down on those who were not scientists or engineers.
—If I kill that Earthling, will the engineer be shaken?
In other words, contrary to what this Alphaurin invader thought, Kang Changho didn't plan to be psychologically struck at all even if Seonwoo Yeon and the others died. That might be why he felt so indifferent even when the enemy forces moved suspiciously...
—Shhh.
In fact, there was another reason why the [Behemoth] hadn't supported Seonwoo Yeon.
In the first place, something far more dangerous was coiled in the direction where the Earthlings were huddled.
[+w+]
Kyue.
The fire was a small breath. And the rest was an illusion that the roar of that ferocious beast had sounded.
The invaders who had charged at Seonwoo Yeon and the child soon encountered something. The binary star system inhabitants still only had a low-level eyesight, only confirming the size of the golem they encountered with their unique, sharp echolocation ability.
—It seems to have a somewhat dazed atmosphere?
A golem that was very light and small compared to the one controlled by the Senior Engineer.
But just like a virus. And just like a mosquito in the jungle. In this world, there are many things that are threatening precisely because they are small.
—Snap.
Before the invaders could even think properly, the little dragon in question took action. As soon as it noticed the [hostility] approaching from this side, it suddenly opened its mouth wide...
—Zap!
From the perspective of the one being hit, there was just a flash of light before their eyes.
Thud.
And yet, those who had been charging at the pure Earthlings knelt down one by one, making strange noises.
[Keuh-kuh-uh.]
What unfolded soon after was the "hollowing out of the lungs." Although they had discarded their sticky tentacles and modified their appearance to be easy to move on the ground, in reality, inside this hard skin of the enemies were the same lungs they had when they were Alphaurins. But some monster-like dragon had pierced them like a flash of light.
Why?
How?
It was too late to think about it. Such things shouldn't have happened. The mage's precious organs had clearly been protected in layers by various types of magic...
Thump.
Once the lungs were completely lost, there were many ambiguous parts even to invoke a miracle of regeneration.
[What is this?]
[For now, everyone stay away from that side.]
[I almost got hit?]
[It's fine. I'm perfectly fine anyway. Everyone can get past that much.]
A situation where there was absolutely no analysis of what that dim-witted and small golem had done. Therefore, as some of the invaders collapsed, the surviving New Era Alphaurins braced their lung defense walls even tighter and bought time.
In the meantime, the basic foundation for composing a giant siege spell was secured.
[Barrier.]
Yes.
A barrier.
If he had set it up as such a massive wall, couldn't he prepare as many powerful techniques as he wanted, regardless of whether someone else's golem was running wild or not?
[More than we imagined.]
[The ancient golem is strong.]
Just like these remarks that had just been made, the Senior Engineer was indeed a genius. He had just been overshadowed by the shadow of an acquaintance nearby; the blood-red alien creature had once designed golems for the half planet with his own hands.
—Guoooooo!
[It roars again.]
[The ambient mana is a mess...]
[Modify the magic design to fit the broken flow.]
The golems created by Kang Changho drove the enemies into a pit of bewilderment for some time. However, if they were only pushed like this, they wouldn't be people of the binary star system.
—Crackle...
As soon as the safety zone of the barrier was created, they immediately prepared a high-power attack. For reference, the giant magic created this way had already had its target roughly decided.
—Boom, boom!
It was around the time the [Behemoth] had thrust its mouth, which was like the inside of a blender, into the barrier. The invader with the highest status present thought:
—Still, as the battle continues, the difference in delicacy between each golem is beginning to show.
The method of how a golem moves is firstly automatic navigation, and secondly, manual control. But since Kang Changho had clearly been aboard one of those two massive beasts...
—According to normal logic, shouldn't the one with sluggish movements be the automatic puppet?
If you know the basics of golemology, you can catch a difference of this much. The invader analyzed the giant golem that had attacked him and soon reached a conclusion. Looking closely, those nameless hulks had each [ingested] exactly one Alphaurin. And the other side only made vague attacks, like body slamming, even when it came onto the ground.
—As I thought, the spellcaster must be in 'that one.'
They had roughly deduced the direction in which Kang Changho had been eaten. Moreover, since the [Behemoth] had been slightly different from each other due to the battles so far.
[The one with the scar on its head. Shoot that one.]
The directive was completed in an instant.
—Crunch.
The heavy-weight golem that had come onto the land tried hard to break the barrier. However, because the Alphaurins had invested significant resources into this protective film, it was difficult to break the barrier with this level of attack... and difficult to disrupt the enemy's magic midway.
[Shoot!]
Soon, a feast of flames greater than the midsummer night sky unfolded. Long-range spells presumed to be lightning, or mostly powerful heat attacks. Moreover, the invaders mixed in spells that made the "mana barrier" itself soft, and so hot at the giant machine before their eyes.
The impact made by the current concentration of fire was truly formidable.
—Bang!
A thunderous roar spread enough to shake the entire desert. And as can be seen from this unusual result, that sturdy [Behemoth] had most of its skin blown off in an instant.
[What did you fill the inside with?]
[Obsidian?]
[Anyway, seems like Earth stratum material?]
However, there were still no changes. To stop that golem's actions, the cockpit or a more core part had to be destroyed.
—Crackle.
The selfish ones, whose shells were distorted, immediately prepared their next attack.
—Thud!
They fired magic at the already wounded golem area to collapse the exterior.
[Keep shaving it down!]
Although it looked somewhat primitive because it was a repetition of physical attacks, every action contained non-human precision. It looked easy at first glance, but it wasn't a simple task for mages to execute.
—Crash!
Before long, the Behemoth revealed its internal structure completely. The hard rock layer that had occupied most of its massive body had been blown away entirely... According to tradition, the operator should have been discovered at this point.
[What is this?]
But what the invaders encountered was just the corpse of a gray monster. The inside of the golem, which they had firmly believed was not automatic, was completely empty.
[That is the digestive organ...]
[Why is there no owner?]
[The ones eaten are indeed all dead.]
If the background where they were fighting had been the magic world of Alphauri, the position of the controller would have been analyzed by now. But for some reason, the invaders could not manifest such "highest-level" technology.
[Damn it! And they said this mission would be safe!]
Soon, the result came out.
—Whir.
In fact, Kang Changho had not been aboard either of the [Behemoths]. Of course, if he dropped the main body like this, he had to live trusting only the soft flesh of a mammal.
[If the location of the main body is revealed, it's the end immediately.]
The inside of the [Behemoth] wasn't completely safe anyway. Therefore, Kang Changho decided to be grateful that the situation had gone according to his plan, and pressed a switch he had prepared in advance.
—Flash!
[Eh?]
[No, no way...]
Click.
What followed was a fighting style that some had frequently used since their days as a Senior Engineer. The golem was a destruction. Once one [Behemoth] had accumulated enough damage that it could no longer move, it was only right to melt it down and use it as energy source at this point—
—Boom!
The self-destruction of a golem was a technology that had already disappeared from the binary star system. Pure Alphaurins had become even more selfish as generations passed in a barren environment. However, since those precious engineers had died in droves due to various disasters. To reveal, and even the few remaining upper-class Alphaurins cherished the creations they had made for more than the lives of their living citizens. But the ancient engineer who had suddenly popped out on Earth had blown up the [Behemoth] without a moment's hesitation...
—Clatter!
The barrier was smashed, and the formation of the New Era Alphaurins became a mess. Possessing bodies like gnats, they were terrified by the ancient engineer's actions and tried to calculate new incantations, but unfortunately, the opponent's response was faster here.
—Guoooooo!
There were a total of two [Behemoths] that Kang Changho had brought today. Furthermore, because the enemies' barrier was broken by the attack of the one that had been sacrificed, the remaining survivors immediately revealed their true colors, roaring.
[Roaring is also spell-chanting, broadly speaking.]
What the beast on the desert uttered with its primitive voice was none other than an [Improved Mana Burn].
—Crush!
—Thud..
—Thump.
As it completed a delicate formula unbefitting its giant stature, the invaders draped in asymmetrical skins collapsed into the sand without being able to move a single tentacle. They were left in a miserable state, becoming half-form corpses. Mages are creatures that die of suffocation if their mana drops. Or they could meet their end before that due to organ failure and skin damage as they had. However, even if they wanted to escape this blow, they couldn't do anything in a state without mana in their bodies...
[As long as the effect is successfully activated, there is no attack simpler and better than this spell.]
Rustle, rustle.
There was no need to hide anymore. The middle of the desert undulated. In the midst of this gentle flow, soon, a new structure revealed its form.
—Clack!
A pharaoh's coffin, or, expressed differently, what looked like a creature's cocoon, suddenly surged up from the desert floor. Before long, it divided into two and released a human.
—Hoo.
It was the moment the bluish-purple-haired pilot popped out. In fact, Kang Changho had been tucked away underground riding this kind of structure ever since he had voluntarily been swallowed by the [Behemoth]... so he couldn't be discovered on the surface. But considering the space of a dungeon, it was a danger zone that the binary star system invaders completely possessed the authority over.
[And yet, they still didn't find my location while I was hiding in the dungeon?]
This wasn't a simple operating mistake. Through various circumstances, Kang Changho finally came to hold a truly positive thought.
[Lemming. It seems the spell he cast when he entered this Gate was effective.]
The following idea is consistent with the reason why creatures who were 3,000 years older had collapsed helplessly. [The [Gate Information Blocking] incantation that the Archmage had hurriedly made upon coming to Earth was running smoothly. Moreover, since an ancient engineer had survived in the immediate battle, it was only logical for him to form a new hypothesis.
[ The Alphaurins from 3,000 years in the future do not have an overwhelmingly superior level of thaumaturgy compared to what was expected. ]
It was a very hopeful conclusion. Well, even though the enemy was just about to lose the giant existence of the sun, they had strangely only stimulated the Earthlings weakly through the dungeon.
[The feeder box system is good for automatically stimulating lifeforms... but relying on such things has conversely made the evolution of the people here too slow...]
It is predicted that the enemy force is in an extreme situation where they can't even pay proper attention to the invasion of Earth. Assuming that because they couldn't handle the increasingly large sunlight with only 3,000 more years of life, and their society was a mess because they were pouring their already scarce technical skills into maintaining the in-plane, the situation finally fit together.
[Is this the end of a parasite-like species that has clung to the miracle phenomenon for a lifetime? Well, even though h had poured his entire life on Earth into Gate analysis, the fact that dungeon invasion was possible with a machine like mine was mined from the beginning.]
He had only thought that he would have to die if caught by New Era Alphaurins, but it was very fortunate that the weapon he had honed worked well. However, just because the situation became like this didn't mean all his worries had disappeared. Because a technique called [Mana Burn], no matter how well-structured the spell is, doesn't work on those whose very level of soul is excessively high, like the Magic Master.
[If it had been an entity that received elite education rather than some mediocrity, the outcome might have been different.]
A question he had while he was at it. What kind of result the mage who boarded the wretched body named Kim Gi-ryeo achieved by now? However, the device he had in advance was truly scheduled to activate and open the Gate door for the second time.
[Did he die?]
But since the Archmage still hadn't appeared, Kang Changho raised the corners of the mouth of his body high. In this state of wearing a contradictory expression, he pondered for a while, wondering if he should just run away alone while his limbs were still intact.