Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Desperately Wanting to Become Stronger
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Kullan Black saw it too. The enemy machine heading toward the central waterwheel.
And he realized. That was his “judgment.”
“I’ll stop it. Prepare the ballista.”
“Master Knight!”
“That’s impossible! Please reconsider! The Master Knight should be commanding...!”
“No. No one else can stop it.”
Kullan Black stood in front of the ballista. He fastened the chain at the center of the spear around his waist.
Thwoong! Thung! Thwoong!
With the vibration of his manacore, heat haze rose above his shoulders.
Eight vibrations in total.
As he drew up his mana, Kullan thought.
‘Even with this power, I could never pilot a Gigant.’
Gigant Riders were born, not made.
It wasn’t about superior swordsmanship or exceptional manacore.
The brutal training at the selection camp was meant to separate those with the talent.
Rapid manacore recovery.
Exceptional synchronization with Gigants.
Only a select few who passed those tests enjoyed the honor of piloting a Gigant before age twenty.
Just as unused muscles weaken and stiffen, those who failed to become Riders saw their synchronization decline with age until they could never pilot one again.
The vast wall separating Riders from regular knights.
Kullan Black was one such case.
His manacore and swordsmanship had matured with age, but he was already beyond piloting Gigants.
He bore the surname Black, yet he was just a regular knight overshadowed by the glory of Gigant Riders.
But Kullan had never once thought his life was insignificant.
Whooooosh—
Heat haze rose along the massive spear.
No, it enveloped the entire ballista beyond the spear, blazing enormously.
An overwhelming sword heat that made the word “monster” come to mind naturally.
Kullan Black fixed his eyes on the enemy custom machine. It was now right in front of the waterwheel. Sir Rikain Gold was charging in his Nephilim, attempting a final stand.
‘I’ll create an opening somehow.’
He would pierce the vital spot of that colossal god.
He was prepared to pour his life’s power into it. All that remained was the right timing.
‘Sir Rikain Gold needs to press it hard enough...’
But regrettably, Sir Rikain Gold was being pushed back badly.
From afar, it was clear that his Nephilim staggered with every clash of greatswords. He was lucky not to be knocked away.
Kullan Black gritted his teeth. There was no clear angle to charge.
‘Truly... merciless to the end.’
But if no opening appeared, a knight’s fate was to create one, even at the cost of his life.
Kullan Black stopped waiting and steadied his breath. He raised his hand to signal the launch.
At that moment, two new Gigants entered his view.
‘What’s that?’
Kang Geohan White Knight.
The passionate young Rider.
Because of him, the knights had been able to prepare for the Gigant battle.
He was climbing the canal with another Gigant. The canal’s end was the pouring waterfall. The massive driving force that turned the waterwheel.
‘Why there...?’
A brief question arose, but he soon understood.
‘Ah... I see.’
That young Gigant Rider was climbing there with the same resolve as Kullan Black.
Willing to stake his life on a desperate strike whose success was uncertain.
Kullan Black bared his teeth in a grin.
‘Perfect timing.’
A ray of light pierced the darkness ahead. Kullan Black took in the sight of Kang Geohan reaching the canal’s end.
* * *
Kang Geohan stood at the end of the canal.
It was a massive structure rising 35 meters from the ground.
Kwaaakwa!
Before him stretched a torrent of a waterfall cascading grandly.
Below, the 25-meter-diameter waterwheel spun powerfully, and the enemy custom machine approached it steadily.
Standing at that edge, Kang Geohan thought.
‘This is all I can trust.’
Manacore? It wouldn’t measure up.
Experience? No need to mention it.
Technique? Not even worth comparing.
Sorry, Femoral, but the Gigant’s performance gap was overwhelming too.
No matter how much he racked his brain, there was only one way to strike a blow against that overwhelming custom machine.
-Are you really doing this?
To Harkruks’ trembling voice, he replied without hesitation.
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
Throwing his entire body into it.
Harkruks’ Gigant climbed onto Femoral’s back. The cockpit pressed down under the heavy weight of the over-25-ton machine.
Preparations complete. Time to run.
‘Overclock!’
The cockpit lit up brightly. The liquid cooling system boiled over.
He twisted his manacore, snapped it, and kicked the ground with full power in a giant’s stride.
Kwaaaang!
The canal’s end shattered.
Fortunately, it wasn’t enough to affect the waterwheel’s motion.
Femoral soared into the sky.
The blue sky rushed toward him, then stopped.
At the sky’s zenith, Kang Geohan shouted.
“Harkruks!”
-Damn it! Let’s go!
Fwoooosh!
Flames burst from Harkruks’ Gigant’s back. The moment the Sonic—Gigant-use jetpack propulsion device—spewed fire, a dizzying plunge began.
The enemy below rushed into view in an instant.
A giant’s leaping stride.
The weight of Harkruks on his back.
The thrust from the Sonic.
And tenfold gravity acceleration slamming down toward the waterwheel area.
All that force converged on Femoral.
“Urk...!”
Fighting the distorting pressure on his face, Kang Geohan pushed the output even higher.
The key to this attack was controlling this absurd speed.
Fortunately, the upgraded SPU recognized this dizzying velocity.
He could see it.
Clearly: the enemy’s movements and Femoral’s. And beyond that,
The enemy’s intent.
‘You noticed!’
The enemy visibly turned its body slowly, detecting the sudden charge of Femoral.
Even if it noticed, there was no helping it. This was the best strike possible.
Kang Geohan raised the Giant Slayer. Compared to the rapidly approaching enemy, the axe rising above his head felt impossibly slow.
‘Berserker Pack!’
Explosions erupted at each joint. The axe’s motion sped up slightly. Thanks to it, he could assume position without being late.
‘It’s going to raise its shield to block. So... strike the shield’s center. Split the shield!’
Feeling the enemy’s intent transmitted by the SPU, he pushed back the pouring pressure again and again.
His vision blackened, blood streamed from his nose, but he concentrated beyond knowing.
And at the moment he swung the axe down,
Shweeeek!
‘Javelin?’
A single javelin, wrapped in blazing sword heat, pierced the instant.
Kwang!
Directly into the left abdomen.
Targeting the SPU, the custom machine tilted awkwardly and took it on the shoulder.
The sword heat carried by the javelin was so majestic that the armor plate tore like tofu, emitting the smell of burning flesh and smoke like a lightning strike.
And Kang Geohan saw it.
The blood-soaked old knight hanging from the javelin, shouting.
“Go! Kang Geohan White Knight!”
‘2RM!’
Was it a miracle?
The moment he heard old knight Kullan Black’s shout, it felt like a flash exploded before his eyes.
The sensation of his entire body’s manacore melting hotly.
The whole world seemed to compress into a single point, surging.
Mana he couldn’t normally draw surged up like a lie. His manacore twisted. His body twisted, creaking and cracking.
[Mana: 63/108]
[Mana: 2/108]
Nearly all remaining mana leaped like salmon past a dam.
All that power surged toward the Giant Slayer.
Dragging a long burning trajectory,
The axe fell. Cleaving earth and sky.
The off-balance custom machine took that thunderbolt in an awkward stance.
Kuaaaang!
The massive shield spun into the sky before smashing into a building.
Kwang! Kwa-kwang!
Around the Giant Slayer deeply embedded in the custom machine’s right shoulder, small explosions chained off.
Giiiing!
The custom machine staggered, glaring toward Femoral.
Somehow, in that moment their eyes met—the enemy Rider’s and his—
Puk!
A silver greatsword blade pierced through the custom machine’s chest. It was Sir Rikain Gold’s lifelong strike, who had been pushed back the whole time.
At the greatsword’s tip, the body of a once-Gigant Rider clung stickily before dripping away as blood.
-I pierced it! I killed the enemy commander!
Sir Rikain Gold shouted excitedly.
-I killed the enemy commander! I did it! Rikain Gold killed the enemy commander!
His voice boomed through external speakers, shaking the entire eastern border fortress.
* * *
The fallen.
187 knights.
528 soldiers.
2 Gigant Riders.
43 damaged golems.
97 buildings burned down.
Damage from a battle lasting less than an hour.
And yet, they had won.
Once the enemy commander fell, the foes showed clear signs of faltering and couldn’t stop Sir Rikain Gold’s Nephilim charging in triumphantly.
Two Titans downed. Four Bayabas. And one custom machine. The remaining 11 Gigants fled, unable to withstand the losses.
Considering the numerical disadvantage, it was a great victory like no other...
But thinking of the casualties naturally weighed heavy on the heart.
Of course, one person felt none of that.
“Hahaha! What did I say? Catch the commander, right?”
Sir Rikain Gold boasted of his feat everywhere.
And indeed, he had taken down the custom machine. No one denied it. Not even Kang Geohan.
‘It was thanks to Sir Rikain Gold that the custom machine fell.’
At the time, Kang Geohan was in exhaustion with only 2 mana left.
Meanwhile, the custom machine had taken heavy damage but was still operational.
Given the Rider’s skill, it could have torn Kang Geohan and Harkruks apart even then.
Ultimately, that sharp sword tip from Sir Rikain Gold had perfectly silenced it.
No room for argument.
But,
Even so,
Somehow, every knight and soldier in the castle directed their gazes toward Kang Geohan.
As Kang Geohan passed, they saluted with deep respect.
“Loyal!”
“An honor, sir knight!”
Soldiers saluting till their throats went hoarse.
“Loyal! It was an honor fighting alongside you! Sir Kang Geohan White Knight.”
Knights meeting his eyes earnestly, eyes full of respect.
As the mood flowed this way, Sir Rikain Gold sensed it too. And surprisingly, he wasn’t a fool.
“Sir Kang Geohan White Knight! Sir Kang Geohan White Knight, where are you?!”
“Yes? Did you call me?”
“Uhahaha! I’ve been looking for you. Sir Kang Geohan White Knight. We won, so let’s raise a glass!”
“Booze... you mean?”
“Haha! Yeah! Scouts confirmed the enemy Gigants retreated far away. They won’t dare come back! Drink! This is our only chance!”
He started keeping Kang Geohan by his side. To absorb the respect directed at him through close association.
“You! You were amazing! When Viscount Luk Heyend returns, I’ll report it properly! Here, take a glass!”
Kang Geohan found the clingy Sir Rikain Gold a bit annoying but didn’t show dislike.
Friend or foe, they were comrades who fought together.
He felt gratitude and affection toward all who survived.
“Yes! Let’s drink today! To the victory in this damned war!”
“Haha! To victory!”
“To the brave knights who fought!”
“To them!”
“To the noble fallen!”
“To them! Oh, and one for my victory too.”
“Cheers! To Sir Rikain Gold’s glorious victory!”
“Cheers! Uhahaha! Cheers! To Kang Geohan White Knight’s bravery! Uhaha!”
That night.
Perched on the ramparts drinking, Kang Geohan poured a bit of liquor below the walls. To honor the dead.
His first experience of war among humans, combining past and present lives.
A night he couldn’t sleep without alcohol.
When Sir Rikain Gold passed out snoring atop the ramparts, Kang Geohan leaned back against a machicolation rising from the wall.
‘Did the Viscount win? What’s happening at the sea maze...’
Today they reveled in victory, but tomorrow could bring anything.
Before the great current, he suddenly felt powerless... and hated the chilling sensation.
“I want to become stronger... desperately.”
Kang Geohan’s drunken murmur scattered on the wind.
The next day,
The sun rose over the ramparts.
Basking in the sparkling morning sunlight,
Viscount Luk Heyend returned.