Chapter 186
Chapter 186
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 186
Chapter Title: Powered Exo-Skeleton
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Chapter 186.
Roooooar—!
It wasn’t all that big.
Bigger than the personal firearms Kim Da-hye had “summoned” so far, but much smaller than something like a Tomahawk missile.
As the light faded, her new weapon came into view.
“…A powered exoskeleton?”
An external skeleton made of black metal.
The inside was hollow, designed for someone to wear it, which made it feel oddly empty, but just looking at it was enough to make one’s heart pound with how cool it was.
It was gear commonly known as an exo-suit.
Seo Woo-jin let out a whoosh of breath and chuckled, unconsciously stepping closer to it.
‘It looks tough.’
He didn’t know what metal it was made of, but at first glance, it seemed incredibly sturdy.
“This what you came up with?”
Seo Woo-jin asked, running his hand over the cold surface of the suit.
Kim Da-hye nodded.
“Yeah.”
At her response, Seo Woo-jin turned to look back at her.
“By any chance, is this…”
He wondered why she’d suddenly designed something like this.
Surprisingly, the answer came easily.
‘Luden Gardo.’
It had to be inspired by the ‘Luden Gardo’ she’d shown him before.
She’d wanted to make armor with near-invincible defense, but since that was impossible, she’d pivoted a bit.
When Seo Woo-jin voiced his guess, Kim Da-hye nodded again.
“That too.”
“Of course…”
Rather than joy at being right, a bitterness welled up in Seo Woo-jin first.
‘Most heroes wouldn’t need it.’
What good was top-tier performance?
Their bodies had long surpassed human limits.
It meant they didn’t need help from gear like this.
If anything, the suit might get in the way, unable to withstand a hero’s power.
“I know.”
Kim Da-hye spoke up suddenly, reading his expression.
“Huh?”
When Seo Woo-jin looked at her, she shrugged.
“That it won’t help.”
Kim Da-hye wasn’t stupid.
She often came off as slow or spacey, leading to misunderstandings…
But in reality, she was very smart.
Smart enough that no one had the right to look down on her.
So she’d known all along that an exo-suit wouldn’t help the heroes.
“Then why make it?”
It wasn’t an accusation of wasting time.
He was just purely curious.
What had driven her to create an exo-suit?
After hesitating at his question, she answered.
“…Wanted to help.”
“Help?”
He echoed her, not quite getting it.
Kim Da-hye was already plenty helpful.
Even during the Demon Realm Heldein subjugation.
Without her “summon” ability, they would’ve struggled a lot more.
Help? She was already doing that.
Seo Woo-jin tilted his head, and Kim Da-hye sighed before continuing.
“Not the heroes.”
He still couldn’t follow.
If not the heroes, then who…?
“No way?”
A sudden flash of insight hit him.
Seo Woo-jin made a face like, ‘Nah, couldn’t be.’
It was that absurd a thought.
But Kim Da-hye’s answer matched it perfectly.
“The soldiers.”
He couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.
Equipping soldiers with exo-suits would definitely boost their combat power immensely.
But was that even feasible?
Right now, Kim Da-hye’s limit was probably arming a hundred—no, maybe just ten soldiers.
Summoning consumed so much mana.
It’d be far more effective to summon a few more Tomahawks and rain them down.
Seo Woo-jin shook his head.
“Da-hye, you know your mana isn’t enough for that yet, right?”
“I know.”
Kim Da-hye nodded.
She knew her limits better than he did.
“Then why…”
“Experiment’s important now.”
As Seo Woo-jin tried to dissuade her, she cut him off.
It was the first time this girl—who usually just blankly followed others—had interrupted someone to voice her own thoughts.
Seeing that, Seo Woo-jin shut his mouth.
Kim Da-hye pressed on.
“Not enough yet. But it will be.”
Her words were still choppy and hard to follow.
Even so, Seo Woo-jin got the gist.
Impossible now, but keep growing, and someday…
Level up, mana increases.
It could happen, like she said.
The problem was it wouldn’t be easy, but she was this insistent— he had no grounds to stop her.
Instead, he asked something else.
“…Why help the soldiers, though?”
A more fundamental question.
Why burn her mana on gear for them?
The answer was simple.
“War comes, they die.”
To save them.
Obvious, really.
When the Descent War broke out, soldiers’ lives would snuff out like flies.
Kim Da-hye didn’t want to just watch that happen.
Seo Woo-jin had never even considered it.
He’d only ever thought about his own survival, not the soldiers’.
‘Kinda embarrassing.’
Memories of Massive Guardian surfaced.
That day.
The day countless soldiers died because of his one bad call.
Hadn’t he vowed never to let it happen again?
And he’d completely forgotten.
Too much had happened since—no excuse.
‘I just didn’t care about others.’
Seo Woo-jin scratched his head.
This young girl had thought of it; he hadn’t.
“Want some help?”
He couldn’t do much, but he could help her grow fast.
He still had plenty of summon stones from Martes, and if needed, he could personally carry her around for levels.
A transcendent powerhouse giving her a piggyback ride?
Even as a C-rank, she’d level faster than anyone.
“Thanks.”
Kim Da-hye didn’t refuse.
She bowed her head calmly, as if it was only natural to accept his help.
Seo Woo-jin chuckled at the sight.
‘Soldiers in exo-suits, huh…’
They couldn’t handle apostle-level monsters, but against monsters and demonic beasts, it’d be a huge boon.
What if it scaled to hundreds?
Imagining soldiers clad in black powered exoskeletons made his heart race.
‘Fantasy meets sci-fi genre mashup.’
He wanted to see it already.
“Anyway. Looks like there are a few things to tweak. Let’s talk it over.”
Seo Woo-jin calmed his excitement and dove into a serious discussion about the exo-suit with Kim Da-hye.
Most of the talking was him, of course.
* * *
Aier was the Holy Kingdom that worshipped the main god Benian.
Under the Holy King were three archbishops, and beneath them, thirty cardinals.
The nation’s operations were mostly handled by the cardinals, but true power lay with the archbishops.
Miteon of Brilliance.
Urea of Faith.
And…
“Philoyan.”
One of the three archbishops at the pinnacle of power—Philoyan of Moderation—bowed deeply in haste.
“Your command.”
Utter reverence.
The man who pulled the strings in Aier acted this way because the one before him was none other than Holy King Mardetain.
“Raise your head.”
A solemn voice rang out.
Philoyan lifted his head slowly, as if entranced.
“I have an urgent request for thee.”
“A request…? Unthinkable, Your Holiness. Simply command, and it is done.”
He looked ready to bite his tongue and die on the spot if ordered.
Mardetain smiled in satisfaction.
‘He’s the most loyal, as expected.’
The other archbishops and cardinals offered loyalty and faith too.
But Philoyan outshone them all.
Even if Mardetain ordered the empire’s emperor slain, he’d go without a shred of doubt.
“I intend to send thee as an envoy to the empire.”
Philoyan bowed even lower at Mardetain’s words.
“I shall prepare.”
No need to ask why.
He simply obeyed.
But Mardetain wasn’t done.
“Officially, it’s for fostering friendship with the empire, but thou hast another task.”
“Your command.”
Mardetain paused before speaking.
“Enter the Sky Tower, by any means.”
“What must I do there?”
“Find an egg that glows blue. Bring it to me.”
“As you command.”
Philoyan showed utmost reverence once more and exited the Holy King’s sacred office.
“Hmm…”
Mardetain watched him go, then furrowed his brow.
“What could it be that even he came begging me for it?”
He wasn’t on good terms with the Lion.
They cooperated for the greater good out of necessity, but he didn’t like it.
‘Not knowing what he’s thinking irks me.’
The Lion likewise disliked Mardetain, who constantly questioned him.
Yet he’d come in person to ask a favor.
“Not something ordinary, that’s for sure.”
He tapped the armrest of his jade throne thoughtfully.
Nothing came to mind.
With a sigh, Mardetain clicked his tongue.
“Lupera.”
Silently, someone appeared behind him.
A beautiful woman in pure white priest robes, smiling.
She was Lupera, one of the thirty cardinals.
“You called?”
Lupera asked with a flirtatious eye smile.
But Mardetain ignored it completely, issuing only orders.
“Go with Philoyan and uncover the egg’s nature. Ensure no one suspects thee.”
“That all?”
Her smile deepened.
A smile laced with murderous intent unbecoming a cardinal of the faith.
“Kill any obstacles in the process. No matter who.”
“Oh, thank you. I’ll carry out your orders perfectly.”
At his permission, Lupera let out a mad laugh and vanished.
“…Crazy bitch.”
Why was everyone around him insane?
Mardetain sighed in lament and rose from the throne.
“Guess it’s time for me to prepare for the plan too.”
As he stepped forward, his eyes burned with madness and killing intent rivaling Lupera’s.