A Dynamic Dive Into Lava
No battle plan ever survives more than a few seconds after combat begins. Isn't a life of diving headfirst into lava the very definition of dynamic?
Hunting monsters is something plenty of people do. But how many of them dive into lava? Who knows. With the world having grown just as dynamic, there might already be someone soaking in molten rock right now. Still, I can say with absolute certainty that I'm the only lunatic who endures the agony, sneaks inside, and personally delivers the bombs.
She plunged deeper. Slipping through the viscous sludge, she barely maintained her sight with sorcery until the creature's enormous bulk finally came into view.
The bombs had been sealed in lead to hide the catalytic reaction, but they were never meant to last long at these temperatures. She had to descend further. The deeper she went, the more the lava cooled, allowing refined metals to flow out and feed the gastropod.
She steeled her mind in place of a deep breath. Then she detonated the energy she had been holding back, jamming the creature's control. At the same time she guided three bombs with her qi, shoving them beneath it, and shot forward like a swordfish streaking toward its prey.
The gastropod, of course, did not welcome the intruder. It moved its body—no, the metals and lava itself—to interfere, but she blasted them aside with a surge of qi. With a sharp ping, she arrived directly beneath the creature.
See you from above.
At that instant, blue light flickered behind her.
Abnormal seismic waves detected from underground!
“HQ, did the bomb detonate properly?”
The epicenter of the small-scale seismic waves matches the target. Signal interference preventing confirmation. Hammer Two and Three, stand by.
The real fight had begun.
Go Gamchan and Jang Bora focused on confirming the target while their hands moved to the switches. The signaling devices given to the two—excluding Ha Dowol, who was still working inside the lava—acted as authentication keys. When both activated simultaneously, they sent a signal to headquarters, which would detonate the bombs planted around the outer rim of Baengnokdam. Since fighting underwater was impossible, the plan was to drop the gastropod out of the crater.
It would cause some flooding, of course. But killing the monster took priority.
BOOM!CRAAAAASH!
A ferocious surge of qi erupted, sending a colossal explosion and a rush of bubbles skyward. The only things that came to mind were the target gastropod and Dowol. The pair locked eyes, gave a silent nod, and pressed their switches without a word.
After a brief pause… the explosion! The explosion…
“...?”
“...What the hell? It didn’t go off properly… HQ! We sent the signal! Detonate it now!”
Jang Bora shouted into the radio, but only indifferent static answered.
Meanwhile, violent bursts of qi continued to explode inside Baengnokdam.
“...Fuck! Is it mana noise?!”
“We prepared for that!”
“If the output exceeds what we prepared for, we’re screwed! Damn it—reserve team! Detonate the bombs manually!”
Go Gamchan’s urgent cry, infused with qi, reached the reserve team that had wired fuses as a backup. Yet their movements stuttered as if something had seized their nerves.
Go Gamchan frowned. He recognized the phenomenon that sometimes appeared on battlefields: external mana suddenly stimulating and contracting the nervous system and muscles, causing total rigidity. In the game it had been categorized as Fear and Killing Intent.
“Gamchan, catch!”
Jang Bora tossed him a stone the size of a baseball. It was no ordinary rock—it carried divine power bestowed by a Blessing.
“I packed enough holy energy that even a rough hit should trigger a chain reaction.”
“...Good thing I really was the ace pitcher for the weekend baseball club.”
Go Gamchan proved his boast was no exaggeration. He took a perfect stance and hurled the stone toward the buried explosives. The throw was a simple fastball, yet its speed far surpassed anything a human arm should produce. It struck the bomb dead-on. The resulting blast was so spectacular that even the “catcher” seemed stunned by the fireworks.
The titanic explosion shook the heavens, the waters, and the earth itself, more than enough to crack Baengnokdam open. Water began draining through the fissures according to the laws of nature. The Scaly-foot Gastropod tried to resist the physical force, but—
“If I say go in… then go in!”
Ha Dowol’s dropkick, launched from the water, knocked the creature off balance and sent it tumbling into the rushing current.
““Dowol!””
“Stick to the plan! We’ll follow it closely to the engagement zone. Reserve team, move out by helicopter!”
At the order a green smoke grenade popped, and a helicopter began its descent.
The operation was straightforward. They had artificially flattened a gentle slope where the flood-driven gastropod might try to stop, then positioned termination users there like a living screen. The intangible barrier created by their emitted mana would hold the creature in place for a few precious moments. During that window Ha Dowol and the other three would engage it directly, supported at all times by the auxiliary firepower of the near-termination users.
Haste
Golden light wrapped around Dowol and Go Gamchan, filling both with a sensation of sudden lightness. Jang Bora, whose physical stats were the weakest, simply climbed onto Go Gamchan’s broad back.
They ran. The pair sprinted at full speed as though an invisible hand pushed them from behind. Whether it was Jang Bora’s added weight or the inherent sluggishness of a Berserker, Go Gamchan lagged slightly. Dowol took the lead without hesitation.
“Ha Dowol! Dead ahead!” Go Gamchan shouted.
Trees and boulders shattered by the flood and the gastropod blocked their path.
“I’ll handle it!”
Dowol raised a talisman.
"Act with haste according to the decree."
"Prize Barrier!"
⟨ Modified Ice Wall ⟩
The talisman flew. The spell unfolded exactly as she intended: a gigantic wall of ice stretched long and thin like a board, then slid down the newly formed river of floodwater.
“Get on!”
Go Gamchan eyed the ice board with mild displeasure, but decided—trusted—that riding it would be faster than dodging obstacles on foot. He jumped.
“Uaaaaaaaah!”
Whether it was a battle cry or a terrified scream was unclear.
Contrary to his fears, the landing felt firm. The surface was not slippery but bumpy.
Plus the shape is angular and we’re picking up even more speed.
While Go Gamchan studied the Prize Barrier, the ice board continued its overwhelming advance. It was a death skateboard with zero safety features, yet the three willingly bet their lives on reaching the battlefield quickly.
A few minutes later a yellow flare shot up from the side. The termination users released their mana all at once.
RUMBLE—!!!
Startled by the sudden surge of energy, the gastropod slammed on the brakes. An avalanche of water and mountain debris slammed into it from behind, but the creature held firm. Its defense was strong enough to withstand that much kinetic energy. The reserve team began to doubt whether their attacks could ever pierce that armor.
“Try enduring this!”
At that moment the razor-sharp tip of the Prize Barrier stabbed into the Scaly-foot Gastropod.
"Act with haste according to the decree."
"One Strike, Pierce the Heavens!"
⟨ Modified Flight Spell ⟩
The collision launched Dowol skyward. The same spell that carried her also stabilized the other two despite their ruined posture, allowing them to land safely.
Strength
The holy blessing descended again—not replacing the previous one but stacking atop it. Multiple blessings meshed like perfectly aligned gears instead of clashing. Go Gamchan’s weapon glowed with divine power while Dowol’s blade darkened with jet-black sword energy.
“The crack formed at the rear! I’ll draw its attention!”
With a light leap Dowol swung her sword, releasing a slash born not from skill but from pure instinct and qi control. Yet even that refined strike failed to penetrate the gastropod’s armor.
The creature realized it too. Seeing the mana sources make no significant moves, it finally took the initiative. Metal shards began rising from its scales. Even the smallest was the thickness of an adult man’s forearm. They did not simply float—they spun around the gastropod like a blender, shredding everything nearby.
“Leave it to me!”
Holy Shield
Jang Bora thrust both hands forward with a shout. A Holy Shield enveloped all three. Most of the metal fragments were blocked, but—
“...Shit?!”
A log-sized chunk of metal hurtled straight at Jang Bora. She knew it was coming and threw herself aside, yet the projectile neither struck her nor landed nearby.
KWAAAAANG!
Go Gamchan’s hammer smashed into it, cracking the metal and twisting its trajectory.
“Thank you.”
“Save the gratitude—get clear!”
Even as he spoke, Go Gamchan launched himself toward the gastropod confronting Dowol.
BANG!
He vaulted over the creature and brought his hammer down on the crack at its rear. But his expression remained grim.
Using fragments to reinforce the defense…? I expected it, but that was fast.
Go Gamchan frowned at the sight of other metal plating over the damaged area. The attack hadn’t been completely nullified, but it had fallen short of expectations. The price arrived as a spike hurtling toward his head.
He feared it might pierce the Holy Shield.
“Ugh!”
Go Gamchan twisted desperately and jerked his head back. The spike altered course mid-flight, aiming for his waist instead. Having already committed his body in mid-air, further evasion was impossible.
At least, impossible for him right now.
"Act with haste according to the decree."
"Ice Explosion!"
⟨ Frost Detonation ⟩
Yet before the spike could strike, Dowol’s talisman reached Go Gamchan first. A controlled explosion that left the Holy Shield intact shoved him safely aside.
“Haha! Nice catch!”
Having dodged the lethal projectile, Go Gamchan landed and flashed Dowol a bright grin.
“Save the thanks for later. Let’s do this properly!”