Dungeon Break (3)
"I accidentally snapped it..."
I checked the photo I'd taken from the monitor in the cab of car 1. While I was at it, I went ahead and completed the trading post the constellation had put up first.
◈ A gift from the laughing constellation.
"A paper with coordinates?"
I decided to set the paper that had fallen from the sky aside in one corner of the cab. I'd check the reward later—for now, my priority was handling this rescue.
The elf's pale fingers filled the screen, fiddling with the reconnaissance drone's camera lens and tiny propeller blades.
"...She won't break it, right?"
The drone let out a whirring mechanical whine, twisting its body like it was throwing a tantrum, but it couldn't budge an inch. The elf's slender fingers had it gripped tight. With the body held like that, there was no escaping.
"Kieeeek-!"
That's when it happened. A scream that tore at my eardrums exploded from high above. The drone's camera peered through the elf's fingers up at the sky.
Shiiik-!
An enormous shadow engulfed the rooftop. A bird-like monster with a yellow beak, its wings alone far larger than an adult man's body—wingspan several meters at least. It bared its razor-sharp talons and dove ferociously at the elf.
"...!"
The elf's eyes changed in an instant. She released the reconnaissance drone onto the ground and, without hesitation, threw herself into a roll across the floor.
Kwaang-!
The giant bird's beak stabbed into the spot where she'd rolled, shattering what looked like concrete flooring into pieces. Having dodged the attack by a hair's breadth, the elf used the momentum from her roll to snatch up a wooden bow from the ground and spring to her feet.
"...So this is the rooftop."
The drone's camera, freed from her grasp, captured the standoff between the elf and the giant bird. That's when I finally realized it was a building rooftop. From the drone's view, the elf looked impossibly fragile compared to the massive bird monster. The light, flowing fabric and thin leather barely covering her chest and shoulders seemed like scant protection. If that huge beak so much as pecked her, it wouldn't end with minor injuries.
"Kyaaak!"
The giant bird flapped its wings again, thrusting its beak at the elf's nape. But she didn't panic. With graceful movement, she rolled aside to evade the charge once more, then kicked off the ground to instantly widen the distance.
Kkigig-!
Tension rippled across the rooftop as she drew back the bowstring. Pung-!Shwaaaak! The twang of the string released was followed by a spreading whoosh and the whistle of an arrow slicing through the air. The arrow left her hand like a guided missile, piercing straight through the giant bird monster's forehead.
Pak! Thud!
With that single shot, the massive bird crumpled to the rooftop floor. The fight was over in one arrow.
"That arrow packs that much power...?"
I was awestruck. If my drones had to fight that elf, they'd all end up as scrap metal. The reconnaissance drone filmed the hunt for a moment, then—as soon as the monster was down—bolted downward like it was falling, fleeing back toward the train.
"##$%!#$%!!"
The moment the drone pulled away, a strange, beautiful voice I'd never heard before echoed briefly through the monitor speakers. Was the elf calling my fleeing drone? Or summoning something else? Either way, there was no time to linger.
"Come back."
Chiiik-!
After safely recovering the reconnaissance drone that returned to the train, I decided to move out immediately. Saving those nine people came first.
"Guide me to the building where the nine are hiding."
The drone, despite its ordeal, led the way confidently as if to say trust me. We advanced through the city streets turned forest, sticking to cover as much as possible. The shopping building where the nine were holed up wasn't far, but even that short stretch crawled with monsters. Fallout from the dungeon break.
"...Did they spot us?"
Wolves, leopards, boars—various animal-form monsters with sharp hearing and smell. Every time I moved, their ears perked up and noses twitched. I gripped my spear tighter, thinking we'd been made, but... no.
Thud.
Thud.
"...Oh."
The heavy steel legs of the bombardment golem following behind me were stomping the asphalt with each step, making all the animal monsters' ears swivel toward us in unison. The golem tilted its body as if wondering what they were staring at.
Hmm...
Thinking about it, sneaking around with a golem was impossible from the start. I patted its sturdy plating, nodded, and whispered to it softly.
"Can you draw their attention?"
It shrugged its cannon-mounted carapace once, then bolted out of the alley without hesitation. A golem would draw eyes well and tank hits just fine—its armor was that tough. It stomped the ground boom boom like it was advertising neighborhood-wide, making all the noise it wanted. The animal monsters, riled by the racket, charged at the golem en masse.
Despite its bulk, the golem nimbly scaled a vertical building wall using its legs. It couldn't fly, but wall-climbing was a huge help.
"Kyung!"
Most beasts barked futilely below the wall it climbed, while only the nimble cheetah-like ones pursued all the way up. Then the golem leaped from the rooftop, gliding to land lightly on the neighboring building's wall. The enraged monster pack chased after it like they were mesmerized.
"Now...!"
Seizing the gap with the path cleared, I followed the reconnaissance drone's lead and moved fast. Soon, the familiar shopping building came into view.
Thud!
It was definitely inside there, but in that short time, they'd piled up barricades of junk—the glass doors were completely blocked.
Knock knock-
The moment I rapped on the door, a hand shot through a gap in the barricade, yanked it open in a hurry, and someone grabbed my sleeve, dragging me inside.
The beefy arm that pulled me had a vivid tattoo.
"...Huh?"
"Huh?"
My eyes met those of the tattooed woman who'd yanked me in. She stared at me intently, like she vaguely remembered meeting once before. Others rushed out from deeper inside at the commotion, their faces lighting up in surprise at the sight of me. And their eyes widened even further.
Whiiiing-! Shwaaak!
Drones smoothly flew in through the open door crack behind me, hovering at my sides. That's why.
"Those drones..."
"No way...!"
They all knew about the girl who traveled with drone escorts. Since they'd come here using the gallery diligently, no one was unaware of the rumors.
A trembling voice leaked from one of the survivors.
"Blue Manager?"
"..."
No point hiding my appearance anyway. I lightly planted my spear on the ground, awkwardly curling my lips into a smile.
"Yeah... Blue Manager, that's me."
Well, positively speaking, becoming Blue Manager meant I didn't have to say my actual nickname, so less embarrassing.
"No time to waste. We need to get out of here fast."
"Oh, yeah, the beast noises seem farther now..."
"L-Let's go! If it's her, she's got the train too."
"Right!"
"Trust Blue Manager!"
At my words, the nine hiding behind the barricade gripped their weapons, faces tense as they stepped outside. My reputation built up on the gallery and the train skill must've earned their trust. The immediate threat sharpened their focus.
...Someone actually calls me Blue Manager in real life, huh.
Shwoook-!
The instant we burst through the building doors, a horned rabbit rocketed out like a bullet, leaping at my nape. But before my spear could react, the tattooed woman's machete slashed through the air beside me.
Sslash-!
"Eugh..."
The rabbit split in two mid-air, tumbling to the ground. The tattooed woman casually flicked the blood from her machete and took point. She seemed like a different person from her gallery persona.
The survivors behind gasped but there was no time to hesitate. Beasts that gave up chasing the golem were gathering.
"Process 'em quick and move."
"Got it."
The rest were apocalypse-hardened survivors who'd seen it all. They wielded skills and weapons precisely, dispatching the swarming animal monsters.
Perhaps noticing the commotion, a pack of starving wild dogs from afar started circling us low and growling.
"Take out that dog pack."
At my command, the combat and sniper drones hovering overhead swiveled their guns in unison.
Tatang, tatang, tatang-!
Precise, rapid fire. Combat drones put exactly two rounds per wolf, no misses, punching through heads and chests. Sniper drones didn't even need two—one shot blew heads apart.
"Eugh..."
"The monsters almost seem pitiful..."
"Look over there! What the hell is that?!"
Then someone pointed down the alley. There was my bombardment golem, the one that had volunteered as bait. Surrounded by dozens of beasts, it stood unmoving.
"Kyaaak! Grk, grrrk!"
Fanged beasts gnawed desperately at its legs and claws, but inflicted zero damage on the steel golem. Kakagak-! Far from biting in, their fangs were snapping instead—the sound almost carried over here.
Tough as expected.
Perfect matchup. But it wasn't counterattacking, just calmly tanking the aggro as ordered—
"You're clear to fire now!"
The moment my voice reached it, the golem's back cannon opened, casually launching a small orb below itself.
Tok.
"Is that a monster too?"
"Doesn't look like an animal... kinda mechanical?"
"Huh?"
"Did something just come out?"
I held back the nine inching closer and watched the orb. Soon, a massive flash and roar swallowed the golem.
Ku-ku-ku-kwang-!
"Wh-What...!"
"It just went boom out of nowhere...!"
The ground shook, thick smoke blotting vision. People recoiled in shock or clutched each other. Even the tattooed woman gripped my shoulder.
Then, heavy metal footsteps thudded from the smoke.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
From the explosion's epicenter emerged the golem, its sleek steel body unscratched and gleaming. Around it lay the beasts that had bitten it, reduced to meat chunks. As if nothing happened, it clomped over to my side and stamped its foot clack.