Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 056
Chapter Title: Quantitas Siege Battle (1)
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Having finished his recollection, Kyle looked up at Lieutenant Roden.
"What the fuck..."
"Core facility?"
"Doesn't that mean it's crawling with chimeras like bugs?"
Lieutenant Roden added,
He continued,
With a heavy thud!, the armored vehicle touched down on the ground, and the lieutenant shouted,
The officers quickly checked their body cams as usual.
Then, unlike before, radios crackled to life among them.
In that instant, a deafening BOOM! echoed as the main gun fired.
It wasn't just their Vehicle 3.
RATTA-TAT! Rat-tat-tat-tat! Rat-tat!
Over ten armored vehicles tore across the snowfield, unleashing a barrage in unison.
Shells streaked through the air at ferocious speeds.
The moment they slammed into what appeared to be empty sky...
BOOM! BWOOOM!
The previously invisible barrier warped and revealed itself.
But that was far from all.
Old-model attack helicopters rocketed overhead.
The squadron leader targeting the warped barrier ahead barked into the radio.
The helicopter formation unleashed dozens of missiles as if on cue.
Walter, ears ringing from the chain of explosions rippling across the snowfield's barrier, let out a groan.
"No fucking way... this is a real war!!"
Kyle chimed in.
"It's been a war since the mafia days."
"..."
He was right.
BOOM! BWOOOM!
The barrier finally crumbled under the onslaught.
A massive pyramid emerged, leaving the officers gaping.
"Those Al Kimia Alliance psychos..."
"They built that here?"
At that moment, an officer peering out the ceiling hatch with binoculars spoke up.
"...Lieutenant, something feels off, doesn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well... isn't this some kind of chimera factory? But..."
He looked down at Roden.
"There aren't any chimeras in sight."
"...!"
Just as Lieutenant Roden flinched...
A frantic radio blast froze every face.
The lieutenant scrambled to the hatch with binoculars just as...
An incredulous voice pierced his ears.
As if answering, a roar that shook the air boomed across the vast snowfield.
"■■■■■■■■■■■■...!!"
A pyramid piercing the heavens.
An ice dragon perched atop it, wings spread wide, roared skyward again.
Franz Reberk, possessing the dragon's mind, burst into mad laughter.
Even though it was a relatively young dragon, not an ancient one, an overwhelming sense of omnipotence filled his mind.
Drunk on the fullness of ruling the vast skies like an absolute sovereign, Franz laughed.
His gaze turned to the armored convoy charging fiercely toward them.
Butcher? Side gig?
With a mighty whoosh!, he spread both wings.
Unfamiliar spell formations unfolded over them.
Seeing this, Franz shouted gleefully.
Thousands of ice spears filled the skies above the pyramid.
The armored convoy descended into utter chaos at the unbelievable sight.
A scream-like voice cut through them.
Lieutenant Roden yelled desperately into the radio.
"...!"
Kyle's mind pierced by [Nebras's Super Sense], he lifted his head.
"Scattering won't save us!"
Lieutenant Roden, hand over his mic, shot back.
"What'd you say?"
"I said scattering won't save us!"
"!?"
Kyle, thinking fast, unbuckled and stood.
"Lieutenant, do you trust me?"
"...!"
Lieutenant Roden's eyes widened, then he nodded gravely.
"Of course."
"Then trust me and floor it!"
"!!"
Roden snatched the mic to his mouth and bellowed.
"W-wait, you madman! What bullshit is that?!"
Walter, face drained white, yelled up at Kyle.
"Straight ahead? Are you insane? Didn't you hear 'dragon'?!"
"I heard."
Kyle replied to him.
"That's why we're going."
"What?!"
Kyle double-checked the trait added to his mana.
He climbed out the ceiling hatch onto the armored vehicle, a tremendous wind whipping past his ears.
Before him stretched an endless snowfield horizon.
Towering in its midst: a golden pyramid and an ancient ice dragon coiled above it.
Amid the raging storm, ice spears multiplied into dozens, hundreds, thousands.
Gripping the vehicle's groove, Kyle narrowed his eyes at them.
Then, in his skill tree, he found one he'd long ignored.
Flame Shield
Deploys a shield of fire to block enemy attacks. Defense range expands with more mana consumed.
He honestly didn't know if this skill could block that spell.
But every time he used [Nebras's Super Sense], Kyle felt his instincts sharpen inexplicably.
That's how he'd sensed the Viper assassins early and stopped their final protocol.
No clear reason.
Nebras's Super Sense
Sometimes, what eyes can't see, super sense can.
Probably the vague description's effect, he guessed.
And it held true now.
Flame Shield [Enhanced]
Deploys a shield of fire to block enemy attacks. Defense range expands with more mana consumed. Furthermore, shield defense increases with more mana consumed.
Kyle smirked at the added line.
'As expected...!'
Fierce winds and snow pelted his combat suit.
Aimed at him: the ancient ice dragon's draconic magic.
Kyle deployed his newly acquired skill, [Flame Shield].
WHOOSH!
Scarlet flames bloomed over the armored vehicle, dispelling the frigid chill.
But that was just the start.
He poured endless mana into the shield before him.
The moment it hit its limit, a howling voice echoed in his ears.
The storm of ice spears rained down on the snowfield as if waiting.
Just as the massive bombardment threatened to obliterate the vehicle...
Kyle shouted.
"Stop the car!"
Roden yelled over internal comms.
The vehicle screeched to a halt with a piercing skreeee!
Using the momentum, Kyle lunged forward and released the spell clutched in his hand.
A colossal flame wall erupted, splitting the snowfield like a chasm.
Thousands of ice spears slammed into it simultaneously.
BWOOOOOM!
The colossal impact rocked the vehicle, drawing screams from officers and prisoners alike.
"Aaaagh!!"
"Aaaah!!"
"We're gonna die..."
Steam exploded from the clash of extreme cold and blistering heat, unleashing devastating force.
KABOOM!
Blasted by the shockwave, Kyle revived and shouted,
"Catch me on the landing!!"
Ancient winds enveloped his body.
Bursting through the wall's flames, Kyle landed on the snowfield and slid smoothly to a stop.
"......"
What followed was an unreal silence.
Amid swirling white smoke, only the crackle of embers echoed.
A massive shadow loomed over the quiet snow.
BOOM!
The ancient ice dragon landed before him.
"■■■■■■■...!!"
Thwack! Its tail whipped the snow as its eyes glared at the lone human daring to block its path.
To block his ancient draconic freezing magic so easily, borrowed from the ancient dragon's power.
Its tone dripped with disbelief.
Feeling the thick displeasure, Kyle chuckled.
"Interesting."
Looking up at the snarling ice dragon, he said,
"Why does a dragon summoned by summoners know the name 'Butcher'?"
"......"
Even the subtle hostility pinpointing him in that voice.
Kyle asked,
"Are you really a dragon?"
"...!"
The ice dragon flinched as if struck at a vital point.
"Hold on, let me guess."
Using [Super Sense], Kyle asked,
"...No way, but are you Reberk?"
"?!"
Reading the reaction, he smirked.
"Bingo?"
In that instant, solar-bright lightning crackled from Kyle's hand with a zzzap!
Meanwhile, in Armored Vehicle 3, which had screeched to a halt.
The sudden brake from full speed was bad enough, but getting caught in the steam explosion turned the interior into pandemonium.
Lieutenant Roden, who had clung to a handhold only to get flung upside down anyway, muttered,
"Lucky my spine's an implant..."
He pulled a pipe from his coat and lit it.
Click! Tobacco smoke wafted up.
Taking a deep drag, he glanced at Walter, still clutching his belt.
"Heard you've been begging to stay in the same squad as Kyle."
Chuckling, he asked,
"Still feel that way?"
"......"
Walter looked up, face green like he might puke.
"No. Gotta rethink that... Urk."