Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Chapter 14 - Asain Canyon #3
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[Master, it might be best to hurry.]
Having pinpointed the fragment's location based on the fairies' information, Integra spoke to Luther immediately after completing the drone reconnaissance.
[Anomalies caused by the fragment seem more severe than anticipated.]
[The Fairy Queen may also be affected, so we need to retrieve it quickly.]
Luther closed his eyes for a moment and shared his vision with the drone to assess the situation.
Deeper in the crater than where he had first laid eyes on it, a twisted, pure white structure stood, resembling a tree rooted into the ground at first glance.
"Its size itself is small, right?"
[It's about a meter tall, roughly the size of a small sapling.]
[A faint life signal, presumed to be the Fairy Queen, is detected inside.]
[But the bigger issue is the surroundings.]
[Here's the scan of life signals in the vicinity.]
As Integra spoke, the screen shifted to a deep green hue, revealing monsters and sub-dragons hidden among the foliage and rocks.
[At least dozens of monsters and sub-dragons are gathered around the fragment.]
[Many show abnormal life signals due to ongoing mutations.]
[They're likely holding back from approaching the fragment while keeping each other in check.]
While it varied by species and individual, most sub-dragons possessed intelligence above a certain level.
Not to mention monsters like kobolds, lycas, and goblins—some even had human-level intellect, so they couldn't be taken lightly.
"So the ones aware of the mutation from the fragment are checking each other to prevent any one from monopolizing it?"
[That seems to be the case.]
It was good news and bad news at the same time.
It prevented any single one from monopolizing the fragment and gaining overwhelming power, but it also made retrieving the fragment far more difficult.
Dozens of evenly matched foes, rather than one powerhouse.
A frontal assault to claim the fragment was impossible, no matter how he thought about it.
"But... the Fairy Queen trapped inside the fragment shows no abnormalities?"
[We can't be 100% sure from external observation, but based on the life signal alone, she's actually suffering negative effects.]
[It seems the influence from the fragment varies by species.]
[We can't draw conclusions until we gather more data.]
Luther nodded slowly at Integra's explanation.
Lately, she'd been acting up with flattery and whining so much that he'd almost forgotten, but Integra was truly a proper support AI.
[Master?]
"No, nothing. Anyway, let's move closer and figure out a plan."
Luther opened his eyes again, briefed Karen and Max on the general situation, and took the lead.
Though three fairies, led by Videl, had joined the group, considering they'd been chased by the massive salamander-like sub-dragon—Tanus—they didn't seem particularly helpful.
[Master, your heart rate is higher than usual per minute.]
[Are you tense?]
At Integra's gentle question, Luther hesitated briefly before moving his lips to voice his honest feelings.
'A bit.'
It was different from the battle at the Gleston County estate.
The fight to find the fragment wasn't a foreseen event, and since the opponents weren't Hecatoncheires, he couldn't predict exactly what enemies would appear.
Fear of the unknown.
Of course, it wasn't so great that he'd abandon the fragment hunt.
But as Integra pointed out, he couldn't help feeling a bit more tense than usual.
At Luther's response, Integra seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking in her usual kind voice.
[Master, did you know?]
'What?'
[When have you ever fought a battle exactly as it appeared in the game?]
'Huh?'
[Think about it. Like the battle at Gleston County.]
In the original story, it was a fight against Balboa.
But in reality, it had been Astra instead.
[If you go back further, you've never once fought an enemy exactly as in the original progression.]
The fight with Jogres, with Kapu, even with Balboa.
Luther had never encountered and battled foes precisely as scripted.
'You're right.'
Just as Integra said.
Even this battle over the second fragment—a matter of utmost importance—wasn't fundamentally different from the previous ones when stripped to its essence.
[Heart rate stabilizing.]
[My advice seems to have been remarkably effective.]
As Integra spoke in a mock-boastful tone, Luther couldn't help but laugh.
She'd probably feigned it expecting exactly this reaction.
'Thanks, Integra.'
[Don't mention it. Assisting Master to the best of my ability, anytime, anywhere, is my duty and joy.]
[That said, Master, it looks like we've arrived.]
In the midst of their rare heartwarming exchange, they'd reached the target spot.
A location about a hundred meters from the crater where the second fragment lay.
Karen and Max crouched low, gazing at the white structure inside the crater, while Luther addressed Integra again.
'Integra, can the drone make contact with the structure?'
[Simple contact is possible—but you're asking if it can alter the structure's form, right?]
'Exactly.'
Though its shape had changed now, the fragment was originally part of a spaceship made of nanomachines from Star Savior.
If Integra could reshape this second fragment like the first, it could change the entire situation.
'What if we retract the roots into the ground, snag it with the drone, and lift it into the air? Using stealth mode and vertical ascent might work.'
[An intriguing plan.]
[It has plenty of merit to try.]
Thanks to that earlier embarrassing incident in the valley, Luther could now think of the drone and Integra separately.
That allowed him to devise this risky plan of sending the drone right into the midst of the monsters.
[Given the fragment's size, it needs to merge with the backpack.]
'Alright, merge.'
[I sense an odd excitement in Master's voice.]
[Does the word "merge" make your heart flutter?]
[How cute.]
And there she went again, chuckling.
Instead of responding, Luther extended his right arm as if to say, "Just get going already."
Integra promptly merged the backpack and drone, then launched it into the sky.
'Alright, now explain to Karen and Max...'
That was when Luther turned to the two.
[Both seem very focused on the fairies.]
Just as Integra said.
They were surveilling the surroundings but kept glancing at the fairies, their lips twitching into smiles at the sight.
'Well... yeah, makes sense.'
Real fairies straight out of a fairy tale were right in front of them.
It was their first time seeing fairies, so their wonder was natural.
[Karen's one thing, but Max too? That's a bit much.]
'Why? Guys can like cute things too.'
[Oh? What about Master?]
[Do you prefer cute over seductive?]
'No comment.'
Luther cut off the budding banter and relayed the rough plan to Karen and Max.
"Even if it works as planned, we can't avoid clashing with the monsters entirely. Get ready."
"Got it."
Max nodded gravely, setting down the throwing spears on his back, while Karen closed her eyes and steadied her breathing.
[Master, we're here.]
[Commencing operation.]
Luther closed his eyes and shared vision with the drone.
Despite flying as quietly as possible, he felt eyes on them, though no special movements were detected.
Ten meters vertically above the tree-like fragment.
The drone slowly descended to one meter, then extended a thin metal tendril toward the fragment.
[Contacting fragment.]
[Insufficient data.]
[Data corrupted.]
[■■■ Code invalid.]
[■■■■ Code invalid.]
[■■■■■■■■■■■-■■■■■■■■■]
[Attempting simple electrical circuit.]
[Response detected.]
[Altering fragment form.]
[Initiating additional contact.]
Three more metal tendrils extended from the drone's body, touching the fragment.
At the same time, the fragment swayed slightly left and right.
The metal roots embedded in the ground retracted into the main body.
[Fairy Queen's life signal is faint.]
[Surrounding monsters and sub-dragons are watching us.]
[Master, your orders?]
Luther exhaled deeply.
The drone was a machine.
Thus, it couldn't detect hostility or killing intent.
But Luther definitely felt the gazes.
Dozens of eyes fixed on him, making his hairs stand on end.
Yet none had moved yet.
Over a hundred meters separated him from the fragment.
'Start, Integra.'
[Activating stealth mode!]
[Beginning vertical ascent!]
The fragment vanished in an instant.
Simultaneously, a stir rippled through the surroundings.
The air shifted.
The monsters and sub-dragons reacted all at once.
'Up!'
[9]
[8]
[7!]
The drone rocketed upward.
Monsters and sub-dragons poked heads or bodies from their hiding spots.
Invisible to the eye.
No, a faint incongruity lingered.
And that wasn't the only problem.
Olfaction and hearing.
Some scented it.
Some heard the drone's faint engine hum.
[6]
[5]
[4]
The drone soared over thirty meters into the air.
The fragment's weight prevented higher ascent, so it shifted to full forward thrust.
Naturally, the engine noise grew louder, and the air churned in its wake.
[3]
That very moment.
The monsters' and sub-dragons' wandering gazes locked onto the same spot.
One let out a cry.
"Krheung!"
[2]
[1!]
[Stealth mode off! Revealing!]
-Boom!
The instant the drone appeared.
With a deafening roar, one shot up from the ground.
A massive lyca with pure white fur.
At least twice the size of the one from the Primordial Beast Forest.
Transcendent leaping power.
It vaulted nearly twenty meters straight up, lunging at the drone.
The ten-meter height difference spared a direct hit, but the momentum was terrifying.
[Master! This path makes ground approach impossible—]
"Dodge! Integra!"
Luther shouted, manually pitching the drone vertically upward, but by then, the rock hurled by the giant lyca had already streaked through the sky.
"Disconnect!"
Luther severed the fragment contact instantly; the sudden weight loss let the drone surge higher, evading the rock.
But as payback, the fragment began plummeting.
And the giant lyca moved again.
Shockingly agile for its bulk, it kicked off the ground once more, snatching the fragment in its massive hand.
The sub-dragons eyed it.
Luther watched through the drone's camera.
The lyca rolled its yellow eyes, meeting all those gazes, then suddenly gaped its maw wide.
Landing on the ground, it swallowed the fragment whole.
Its throat ballooned as if tearing, and blue light spewed from its eyes, ears, and every orifice.
[Master, giant lyca's life signal is spiking.]
[Mutation starting—]
"Krheung!"
The giant lyca bellowed.
Its already huge muscles swelled further; horns sprouted from its shoulders and back.
Its tail split from one to five, and its hands grew massively to match the unnaturally bloated upper body.
But the scariest part was that the changes weren't over.
Its eyes still emitted blue light, and the life signal kept surging.
"Krr!"
"Kyung!"
Then two sub-dragons charged it.
Cateradons enlarged by the fragment's influence.
Clearly intent on killing the lyca and stealing the fragment.
But the giant lyca was far faster.
It whipped around like lightning and clapped, shattering a cateradon's head.
The force was so immense, no skull-crushing sound came.
"Kyaak!"
Stunned by its comrade's death, the second cateradon tried to retreat late, but it was futile.
The giant lyca's hand shot out, seizing the upper and lower jaws, ripping them apart.
"Kha."
Blood and guts rained down like a shower.
Tossing the cateradon corpses gripped in its hands, the giant lyca roared at the revealed sub-dragons and monsters in warning.
The sub-dragons flinched.
The monsters didn't dare charge.
But the cunning giant lyca, far from relaxing, backpedaled before repeatedly leaping away, widening the distance from the sub-dragons.
Clearly to mutate in a safer spot.
[Fragment reaction is abnormal.]
[Life force overflowing from giant lyca's entire body.]
[Signs of new mutation detected!]
Luther could tell.
And he intuited.
Leaving it be would spell doom.
Measuring the fragment's influence precisely was impossible yet, but abandonment would birth a catastrophe.
"Karen! Max! Go!"
Shouting, Luther donned his visor and sprinted in the giant lyca's direction.
'Integra! Attack!'
The distance to the sub-dragons had already exceeded two hundred meters.
At Luther's command, Integra fired a missile at the giant lyca.
-Boom!
The missile, loaded with three Fire Arrow scrolls, erupted in crimson flames on impact.
But the giant lyca's mutation was advanced.
Newly grown scales on its back shielded it from the blaze.
"Kha!"
The giant lyca roared at the drone.
Simultaneously, Luther unleashed energy gun fire at it.
-Papapapapapap!
Firing with both hands, Luther read the giant lyca's stats.
Height around six meters.
Weight at least seven tons.
A colossal size disparity impossible to compare with his own.
But he had to fell it.
[Giant lyca's defense exceeds energy gun power.]
[Energy gun can't inflict damage!]
Luther knew.
Thus, he drew both swords from his waist.
Boom!
Not Luther—the giant lyca.
The moment it kicked the ground, space seemed to warp.
Like a charging truck, it closed in on Luther instantly.
Clap—!
It clapped as it had the cateradon's head.
Its abnormally huge palms could engulf Luther entirely.
But it missed.
Luther had timed a backward leap perfectly with its charge.
Still, the impact wasn't zero.
The air vibration and sonic boom from the clap assaulted him like savage fangs.
[Initiating self-repair.]
[Enhancing visor functions.]
[Noise cancellation active!]
Sound cut off.
His momentary balance loss recovered instantly; Luther spotted the giant lyca thrusting at him with both hands.
-Kwahak!
Practically a battering ram.
Twisting sideways to evade the stab, Luther dropped low and charged the giant lyca's ankle.
-Slash!
Propulsion-boosted blade sliced across the ankle.
But the hide was too thick.
Dark red blood flowed, but the wound was too shallow to topple it.
"Krheung!"
It turned toward Luther, roaring.
A sonic attack worthy of the name, but the visor mitigated it; Luther widened the distance, catching his breath.
What to do.
How to bring down this lyca.
-Boom! Boom!
That moment.
Throwing spears slammed into the giant lyca with ferocious force.
Undoubtedly Karen and Max.
Max threw; Karen amplified with telekinesis.
The target so huge, she focused solely on power boost, turning Max's spears into siege weapons.
-Boom! Boom! Boom!
Staggered by the barrage, the lyca reeled back.
Good that Karen and Max's attacks worked, but spears were finite.
Five left.
No lethal blows possible.
This was just buying time.
[Master!]
Then lightning struck.
No—the giant lyca's fist smashed the ground.
It missed.
But this time, he couldn't escape the aftershock.
The ground convulsed like an earthquake under the lyca's monstrous strength, toppling Luther's balance.
Barely one second.
Less than that.
But that sliver doomed him now.
-Kwaang!
The giant lyca's right hand backhand struck Luther.
A glancing floor-skimming blow, yet its power defied imagination.
One hit could've pulverized and exploded Luther's body.
Luther blacked out briefly.
Vision went white; thoughts ceased.
Then another second.
No, a fraction thereof.
Luther exhaled.
Felt like his upper body was gone, but illusion.
He lived.
Upper body intact.
At impact.
He'd blasted energy from both energy guns, flattening his body.
One second—no, 0.1 second later, and the backhand would've crushed him fully.
[Master!]
Integra's voice rang.
Simultaneously, vision snapped back, capturing everything.
The giant lyca's right hand slicing air.
Left fist still ground-bound.
Thus, its front exposed.
He held his breath.
Blasted energy again, exploding upward, and yelled.
"Stealth mode!"
[5!]
Luther vanished.
Stealth so recent, only five seconds left—but enough.
Burrowing into its guard needed just one second.
The giant lyca sensed him.
Head down in extended-right-arm pose, it eyed the dust Luther kicked up.
And Luther swung.
Despite mutation, he struck the unarmored, unenhanced weakness precisely.
-Slash!
Luther's sword severed the giant lyca's genitals in one stroke.
Blood gushed from the stump; it collapsed, unable to bear the pain.
But Luther pressed on.
Thrusting the sword into the genitals again, he springboarded off the screaming lyca.
[2!]
[1!]
Stealth ended.
Luther vaulted from its shoulder skyward.
Then, like striking heaven, thrust his right fist straight.
"Integra!"
[Combine sequence!]
[System all green!]
The drone merged with Luther's right arm.
Taking a new form.
Based on data from absorbing Astra's dragon heart.
Instead of a long barrel, thick armor formed over his right arm, ending in a large, sharp spike.
A pile bunker—firing massive spikes via explosive powder.
"Krheung!"
The giant lyca flailed its arm up in desperation.
But Luther wasn't alone.
-Boom! Boom! Boom!
Karen and Max's spears hammered its shoulder.
Its balance crumbled again; Luther mounted its head and delivered the first strike.
[Firing!]
-Kwaang!
Powder exploded within the armor, propelling the spike with brute force.
The pile bunker's massive spike pierced the giant lyca's skull, boring a huge hole.
"Kiaak!"
It thrashed, screaming, but Luther gripped its head, enduring.
Retracted the spike; second strike.
-Kwaang!
Head exploded again. Blood and brains fountained from the hole.
But Luther didn't stop.
Continued the barrage.
Third, fourth, and final fifth!
-Kwaang!
Safety disengaged, the spike launched fully, penetrating the skull.
Unable to withstand, the lyca's occiput burst like an explosion.
"Graa...."
Head shattered, the giant lyca groaned and collapsed.
The ground quaked under its over-seven-ton bulk; dust billowed thick.
"Hah... hah... heuk...."
Inside the visor, Luther gasped raggedly.
Right arm with pile bunker felt ready to detach.
But not yet.
Couldn't relax.
[Giant lyca's life signal not fully stopped.]
[Risk of new fragment-induced mutation.]
[Must retrieve fragment quickly.]
And that wasn't all.
Sub-dragons and monsters witnessed its demise.
None charged yet, lacking full certainty, but their stares burned.
Had to hurry.
The Fairy Queen inside worried him too.
"Luther!"
Karen and Max ran up.
Luther detached the drone, yanked his sword from the lyca's lower body, and sliced its belly.
-Thud!
Exposed innards pulsed.
Simultaneously, sub-dragons stirred.
Air churned.
The ground trembled under dozens of sub-dragons and monsters charging.
"Her Majesty!"
Amid the fairies' anxious cries, Luther's sword rent the giant lyca's guts.