Aerial Reconnaissance (2)
Aerial Reconnaissance (2)
The Stinger must be launched within 45 seconds of activating the battery.
Otherwise, both the cooling gas and the battery are completely depleted. All portable missiles are like this.
Having accidentally activated the battery, I had no choice but to target a wyvern.
Wyverns are cold-blooded animals with low body temperature normally, but their temperature skyrockets during flight.
The seeker captured the heat signature from the wyvern at the very front.
[locked on]
'Fire.'
Since I fired it anyway, I might as well properly appreciate the effects.
This is my first time firing a portable missile too.
I studied the manual diligently every day, but I'm still nervous.
-Shuuaaaaang!
The main rocket of the missile, having just slipped out of the launch tube, ignited.
In an instant, the missile broke the sound barrier and surged toward the target wyvern.
In just 3, maybe 4 seconds, the missile reached its target, pierced through the chest below its neck, and then the impact-delay fuze detonated.
-Kwa-kwang!
The high-explosive fragments spread, shredding the target wyvern's chest to pieces.
Its upper body flew off, and the wyvern, its long neck torn to tatters, began an endless plummet.
'Wow... so this is the thrill of firing a portable missile.'
It's expensive, but the satisfaction is undeniable, huh?
Once you roughly aim and lock on, the missile chases and detonates on its own—how convenient.
'Shall I fire one more?'
The launch tube I already bought feels like a waste.
Should I fire a few more rounds?
【Remaining Budget: 40,701,370】
There's still this much budget left for the month.
Firing a few more 20,000-budget missiles won't make much of a dent.
'Shall I try a few more?'
***
Rebecca savored the feel of the heavy machine gun in one hand and the anti-materiel sniper rifle in the other.
As a Bow Master, she can accurately fire two weapons simultaneously, one in each hand.
'What kind of magic tool is that one?'
When Piel first pulled out the Stinger portable missile, Rebecca showed curiosity.
Even at a glance, it was no ordinary magic tool.
'It seems similar to the Commander-in-Chief's 105mm cannon, yet the size is far too small. Was it deliberately made small to reduce recoil?'
Naturally, its destructive power must have been reduced as well.
Would it really demonstrate proper might?
"Each of these costs as much as 20 tons of flour per shot."
She almost let out a moan on the spot.
It didn't look like it would be more powerful than Hildea's 105mm shells, yet its value was a whopping 20 times greater.
'Just what kind of weapon is it?'
Hildea also watched from the side, brimming with curiosity.
Piel suddenly made a flustered expression, then aimed the magic tool toward the wyvern.
Rebecca thought it was reckless.
Penetrating a distance that looked to be at least 3 km and hitting the target seemed impossible.
"Piel, no matter how talented you are with a bow, hitting a moving wyvern from this distance is...."
-Shuuaaaaang!
The missile spat flames and flew swiftly.
Rebecca froze at the deafening roar exceeding the speed of sound.
She clearly saw the missile's trajectory curving toward the target wyvern.
'It's chasing it?'
As if it had eyes. As if it were alive.
The supersonic missile lodged in the wyvern's chest and then exploded, ripping its chest to shreds.
"...."
"...."
Both Rebecca and Hildea froze for a moment.
Luna, who had been focusing on the palanquin's aerial maneuvers, also covered her mouth with her two small hands.
"P-Piel Dae-ryeong. Just what is that...?"
"Piel...?"
"It's a magic tool made for catching fast-flying monsters like wyverns."
Rebecca asked, stammering.
"I saw it. It looked like it was chasing as if it had eyes. Did I see that right?"
"Yes, you're correct. This is called a Stinger missile, and once it acquires a target, it chases it until its power is exhausted. It's nearly twice as fast as sound."
Hildea muttered as if deflated.
"Then my 105mm cannon barrel is nothing compared to that Stinger...."
"Hildea-nim, this has weak destructive power, so it's unsuitable for taking down large, hard targets like giant golems. Above all, the price per shot is 20 times higher."
"I-is that so? Am I still useful then?"
"In the first place, withstanding the recoil of a 105mm cannon barrel fired directly while deployed on the ground with your bare body is itself an incredible feat."
The distance to the swarm of wyverns narrowed to within 2km.
Rebecca smirked and aimed her heavy machine gun forward.
"I get it now that you've explained. They're magic tools with entirely different tactical purposes from the start. Right?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Instead of being expensive, it has a tracking function, so it can easily catch flying monsters that flee quickly. Its design philosophy is fundamentally different from the Commander-in-Chief's 105mm cannon."
"Is that so?"
Only then did Hildea feel relieved.
Dududududu! Dududududu!
The Browning heavy machine gun spat fire.
The aura-infused bullets flew faster and farther thanks to minimized air resistance.
Hildea also pulled herself together and aimed her cannon barrel with spirit.
She expertly breech-loaded the training steel shell and charge, then aimed forward.
"Commander-in-Chief, remain on standby! Lie in wait for the wyvern lord to appear!"
"Understood."
The palanquin maneuvered swiftly through the air as Rebecca's heavy machine gun sprayed bullets in all directions.
Shot by shot, she targeted only the wyverns' heads with precise semiautomatic fire.
When the ammo belt wound completely empty, she set the gun down and loaded a fresh belt.
During that time, the anti-materiel sniper rifle in her right hand spat fire, filling the firepower gap.
"Dae-ryeong-nim! Dae-ryeong-nim! May I scatter some incendiary packages as well?"
"Burning the outskirts carelessly is meaningless! Reconnaissance comes first!"
Meanwhile, Piel was diligently accumulating terrain data with the tactical observation equipment.
"Luna, can't you fly up any higher?"
"I'll try pushing the altitude to the limit!"
The palanquin soared even higher, flying swiftly.
All the wyverns initially chasing them were shot down, but far more wyvern individuals took to the air.
"This is too reckless! I and these others are fine, but you won't be able to endure it, Dae-ryeong-nim!"
"I-I think so too. Let's lower our altitude a bit."
"Understood!"
Dududududu! Dududududu!
Even at this moment, the heavy machine gun and the anti-materiel sniper rifle alternately spat fire downward.
"The wyvern lord has appeared!"
"Oh, so that's the wyvern lord?"
Piel let out a light exclamation.
Even at a glance, the wyvern lord was massive.
An ordinary wyvern, the size of a large bus, looked like a chick next to a rooster in comparison.
"Luna, how is the wyvern lord different, besides its size?"
"Dae-ryeong-nim, the lord can use mana!"
"A mana wyvern, you say? Where on earth does it procure the calories for that?"
"That is an undisclosed secret!"
Dududududu!
The bullets spat from the heavy machine gun were blocked by a translucent mana barrier.
Rebecca ceased fire with the heavy machine gun and pulled the trigger of the anti-materiel sniper rifle.
When the high-energy aura bullet struck the barrier, shards of light scattered and shattered it.
Taking advantage of the opening, Rebecca fired the heavy machine gun again, this time in bursts.
Dududududu! Dududududu!
The over several hundred embedded bullets failed to penetrate the tough scales infused with mana.
Rebecca lightly licked her lips.
"Ah, this isn't working."
"Let me give it a try."
Hildea aimed the loaded muzzle.
She adjusted the angle by eye and fired with vigor.
Kwaaang!
The training steel shell surged swiftly toward the wyvern lord, slamming into its chest.
For eliminating large single targets, this is better than high-explosive shells.
The physical energy from mass acceleration converted into thermal energy upon impact.
This was because the shell failed to penetrate and embedded itself in the scales.
"It worked! Keep firing!"
"I will! Two rounds breech-loaded! Aiming! Fire!"
Hildea fired the shell once more.
The second shot hit a spot slightly off from the first.
Rebecca also continued supporting, relentlessly sending bullets from the anti-materiel sniper rifle.
"No! It's escaping!"
"Luna, chase it! Increase speed further!"
"Crazy bastards, I said no! I told you our Dae-ryeong-nim can't endure it!"
"S-sorry."
After being hit by two steel shells, the wyvern lord lost its will to fight and turned its body.
Its escape speed was insanely fast.
"Luna, ease up on the speed just a little. It's too fast, I'm having trouble breathing."
"Understood!"
As the speed decreased slightly, the distance to the wyvern lord widened further.
Piel paid it no mind. He loaded a newly supplied Stinger missile and attached the battery.
As cooling gas spread, the aiming system began its lock-on.
Shuuuuuung!
Watching the missile fly, Rebecca unknowingly shouted.
"No! 20 tons of flour!"
After striking the mana-armored scales, the missile exploded without penetrating.
Piel loaded yet another missile.
Witnessing the scene, Hildea and Rebecca broke out in a cold sweat.
"Piel? Aren't you overdoing it?"
"I-it seems there is no need to waste any more flour. Piel Dae-ryeong."
"Even beasts instinctively learn combat information. We must catch it now so that the next time we encounter a wyvern lord, we can hunt it comfortably."
Shuuuuuung!
Kwa-kwakwang!
Hildea also came to her senses and kept firing steel shells. Rebecca also continued pulling the trigger of the anti-materiel sniper rifle without rest.
Pummeled repeatedly by Stinger missiles, steel shells, and anti-materiel sniper rifle aura bullets, the wyvern lord finally screamed and crashed to the ground.
There were no more attacking wyvern swarms.
The vast sky above the Forest of Life and Death fell silent, as if nothing had ever happened.
Luna looked around with ecstatic eyes and murmured.
"Wow, it feels like a dream. To be able to fly freely above the Forest of Life and Death like this."
"It's thanks to Piel Dae-ryeong."
"All thanks to Piel."
"Luna, I want to see how far north the forest stretches, so fly further."
"Understood!"
***
It was strange.
It felt like we had easily flown over 500km, yet there was no sign of the forest ending.
On the ground, supermassive trees blanketed in pure white snow stretched endlessly.
I shivered, wrapped in a blanket, freezing cold.
I barely endured because Rebecca and Hildea shared their body heat under the blanket.
Even Luna, flying nonchalantly beside the palanquin, said as if fed up.
"Dae-ryeong-nim... how many incendiary packages would it take to burn all of this?"
"Piel, could that napalm bomb thing really burn down this entire vast forest?"
"J-just when the hell does this forest end...."
Just from what we have observed so far, this forest is at least several thousand kilometers wide.
But the horizon still hasn't ended.
"...This, this won't work with napalm bombs."
"Then is there truly no way? A way to burn this forest down completely...."
I closed my mouth.
This is too, too big.
To wipe it all out with napalm carpet bombing would take an eternity.
Without realizing it, I rummaged through the supply category.
▶Unified Strategic Command Strategic Assets
▶Nuclear Missile (Request Impossible)
【LGM-30G Minuteman III (ICBM)】
【Budget: ----】
Even the aircraft carrier and the gunship air tactical aircraft have their budgets set.
But the nuclear missile, alone among all the supplies, has no price tag attached.
'Short of a nuclear strike, there seems to be no answer. How many ages would it take to wipe this out with napalm bombs?'
Looking at the vast elf forest that still showed no signs of ending, I felt it keenly in my bones.
'Even if I never have to fire it in my lifetime, I absolutely must unlock the nuclear missile.'