Chapter 291
Chapter 291
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 291
Chapter Title: Stellaria's Fury ~Hope Dormant Beneath the Ruins~ -4
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The enemy was just one 『Great Kaiju』.
Only one, but that single foe was far too much to handle.
It had used hypnotic waves to trigger a nuclear war on the opposite side of the planet, sowing chaos to prevent humanity's forces from uniting in one place.
Which meant that perhaps Stellaria was the only organization capable of actively standing against the Great Kaiju.
The fate of the world rested in their hands.
They had to muster every available resource to topple that massive, horrifying monster. But with limited supplies, every expenditure had to be calculated carefully.
In the end, the scientists and mages reached a consensus.
"We need to hit the Great Kaiju's weakness with a counterpunch."
"We have to design the robot to counter its abilities."
"...Goldie, stop copying me."
"Where's the crime in repeating obvious points? If you want exclusivity on phrasing, patent it—"
After their childish spat, the finalized plan boiled down to this.
※ First, the patterns on the Great Kaiju's skin scatter all forms of 'aiming.' Radar detection and the like are heavily distorted as well.
Research showed the misalignment effect vanished within 50 meters of the Great Kaiju.
Considering its 100-meter size, that meant firing from practically point-blank range. They'd be fully exposed to its physical might—the kind that could topple buildings with a swing of its arm or tail.
Hence, the giant robot.
"It needs to withstand the Great Kaiju's physical attacks while landing effective hits. I figured size and weight were the answer. To go toe-to-toe, you have to match its weight class."
"And if you're building it big and heavy anyway, no need for fancy weaponry. A solid punch would pack plenty of punch on its own."
A close-range brawler giant robot, swinging fists.
"...Don't look at my robot like that, Goldie."
"It's our robot now."
※ Second, the Great Kaiju possesses a mana barrier that reduces physical damage by a certain amount.
"Estimated at around 40%."
"That's exactly why we need to perfect the mana engine, Dr. Woo. Infuse it with mana, and we can ignore up to 30% of that reduction."
"30% magic damage penetration is an option no one can resist... I pulled all-nighters chasing builds like that. But you keep throwing wrenches in, dragging research along like a snail. Compromise with the world a little, compromise."
"Ignore expert advice, and you're doomed. You love your games, so you think magic's simple, but real magic doesn't just snap into place."
"That doesn't mean we scrap everything and build a new robot—!"
It did mean that.
This world's mana manipulation was based on human physiology, so even with personal variations, it required four limbs and a head.
Gordius argued that for optimal mana engine efficiency, the giant robot needed a humanoid form. The current prototype resembled heavy machinery more than a person, so it wouldn't perform well.
As a bonus, he criticized swapping legs for tank treads as the worst choice.
Woo Chae-rin clashed with him about 13 times over scrapping the investment already made, but they ended up rebuilding from scratch.
The performance gap was undeniable.
Woo Chae-rin stared in shock at the 32nd experiment report.
"...Why is the efficiency like this?"
"Nothing harmonizes like the human form. I win the bet, Dr. Woo, so the robot's head gets painted red. No takebacks."
"No, but this mysterious intangible force... How does it arbitrarily boost or drop efficiency based on shape? Why?"
Woo Chae-rin was briefly baffled by the whims of mana, but she accepted it. The numbers didn't lie; a total overhaul was warranted.
"Don't take it hard, Dr. Woo. The prototype might come in handy somewhere, and Unit 1 will be easier to build now. Let me show you what a Golden Magic Tower mage can do."
"Get your hand off my shoulder."
Stellaria halted prototype development and shifted to Unit 1, a fully humanoid design. Mana engine refinement progressed steadily alongside it.
Gordius's earth magic proved invaluable. No massive cranes needed— a gesture from him handled joining and shifting parts effortlessly.
"Goldie, nice as it sounds, scale it down."
"It's fine. Arms this size are okay... Whoa."
"I said scale it down—!"
Of course, too big meant the occasional drop.
Sometimes Gordius was wrong, sometimes Woo Chae-rin. But when one erred, the other was right. The scientist and mage bickered their way to the truth.
At first, they truly thought they didn't mesh...
"That last idea was solid. Didn't expect you'd unfold the joints like that."
"...I still have much to learn about science. I have a chocolate bar left from last time, Doctor. Lessons for it?"
"Think that'll cut it? One bar's cheap for a PhD's tutoring. Sweeten the deal, Goldie."
"...Two?"
Now they saw it differently. They were perfect partners.
Gordius chased ideals but was coldly pragmatic; Woo Chae-rin grounded in reality but surprisingly emotional and hot-tempered. They filled each other's gaps.
Even heated debates resolved when data spoke.
So they assumed the days of bickering toward harmony would continue—
But one sticking point remained.
"Make it unmanned. No safety measure makes riding a robot brawling a 100-meter monster survivable. The pilot risk is too high!"
"It needs a pilot. On-site judgment boosts success odds. One rider makes a real difference!"
The question of manned or unmanned.
Pilot. The need stemmed from the mana engine's nature.
Mana-to-power conversion drawing from ambient mana, and power-to-mana internally. The near-complete engine handled both energy forms.
And it ran on either.
An incredible feat.
Even without the giant robot, operating a mana engine allowed firing magic with mana, then recycling the backlash as energy.
Efficiency gains hit 15% even in development.
Not every mage was a transcendent monster spamming spells endlessly or a genius squeezing hundreds from a trickle. Efficiency was every mage's dream.
Size was a minor drawback now— it was for a giant robot anyway.
For peak theoretical efficiency in a mana-engined giant robot, a 40% power / 60% mana mix was ideal.
Here's where trouble arose.
Mana—for now—couldn't be precisely manipulated by computers or machines. Without a mage's clear will, that exact 4:6 split was near impossible.
Hence, a mana-attuned pilot was essential.
"Data proves it. We need a pilot, Dr. Woo. You've always bowed to data— why dig in now?"
"...There has to be another way."
"Maybe. Someday. But not now. What we've built is already a miracle. You said it yourself— feels like a god's helping hand. Doubt we'll top it in our lifetimes!"
"That's why we research more! Find a remote mana engine control method!"
Unrealistic idealism.
Gordius shook his head. Woo Chae-rin overvalued lives. With the nation collapsing, what were one or two casualties?
He didn't want deaths either. When the Great Kaiju appeared, he'd used magic to save refugees.
But confirming the hypnotic waves changed that. Rescue then meant massive losses.
Same now. One pilot versus the world's weight on the scale.
"No victory without sacrifice. Everything's give and take— unmanned's a huge loss. Doctor."
Gordius's point hit Woo Chae-rin like a gut punch, leaving her gasping.
She led well but was soft. He'd seen her sleepless with worry every time Stellaria's scouts ventured out.
Which meant he had to stay ice-cold. So he thought.
After silence, Woo Chae-rin spoke.
"...Then I'll pilot it."
"That's a loss too. You're Stellaria's leader, core, scientist. Robot cockpit isn't your place. Not thinking of failure scenarios?"
"Gordius, then who?!"
Gordius pointed at himself without hesitation. Woo Chae-rin shook her head firmly.
"No."
"You've opposed everything."
"No, even picking a pilot— it can't be you. Same logic you used. You're irreplaceable. For contingencies... you especially can't ride, Gordius."
You're our only mage.
"......"
Stalemate. For the future, neither could pilot.
Yet someone had to face the Great Kaiju head-on— a perilous, pivotal mission. Logic demanded it.
"......"
"......"
Cold silence filled the space between them. They hesitated, but did what must be done.
Under reason's banner, they ran comprehensive mana aptitude tests on all of Stellaria. Prioritizing internal tuning over external emission.
Five pilot candidates emerged.
Woo Chae-rin explained the role and risks. Murmurs rose. Life-on-the-line work. Hesitation was natural. They eyed each other... and fell silent.
Amid the quiet buzz, one middle-aged man stepped forward.
"I'll pilot."
"...You."
Gordius recognized him. The truck driver hauling robot materials.
The man who'd faced looters, begging them to take him as a slave but spare humanity's resources. Gordius asked,
"Any reason? Dangerous mission. You could die— we said it again."
"Yes. I know."
The trucker adjusted his horn-rimmed glasses and smiled wistfully.
"...My daughter's turning six this year. School age soon. Childhood memories matter. People live on those."
"......"
"So... I want to show her the world wasn't always like this. Kill the Great Kaiju, Republic of Korea returns to peace. My girl goes to school properly. So—"
I want to gift her a peaceful future.
Worth risking my life for, right?
"...I see."
Gordius nodded gravely.
Thus, Mr. Kim the truck driver became the pilot.
The giant robot's completion crept ever higher, and Pilot Kim began robot and mana engine training.
Unit 1 stood 80 meters tall— 30 meters above the prototype, its skeletal frame now thick and robust. It dwarfed the old design.
Conversations between Gordius and Woo Chae-rin grew sparse. More businesslike, faster consensus, but an emptiness lingered... a quiet regret.
One late night,
Woo Chae-rin approached Gordius, nose in a workbook.
"...Goldie, got time?"
"My time's pricey... What's with those? Soju?"
Three bottles in hand.