Strike While the Iron Is Hot
As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot.
“Where’s the closest one?”
William’s face twisted into an unfamiliar expression.
“You’re going to clear a gate the moment you arrive in New York?”
“There’s no reason I can’t.”
The back of my head burned. The group’s sharp stares pricked at my nerves, but I pretended not to notice.
“It’s an S-rank gate that appeared on Liberty Island.”
Oh.
That’s where the Statue of Liberty is—the landmark of New York.
“Be happy, Jiyoung.”
“Huh?”
“We’re heading straight to the most famous tourist spot right after arriving in New York.”
“Is working the same as sightseeing?”
“We’ll just clear the gate quickly and then go look at the Statue of Liberty.”
“Wow. An S-rank… haha, hah. It would be really nice if we could do both.”
Jiyoung.
I’m truly glad as your guild master to see you so happy.
Come on.
How many people are as considerate as I am?
“Let’s go right away.”
“Good grief. How big is that guts of yours? It looks like your liver has popped out of your stomach.”
“I’ve always been rather bold.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
Acting all embarrassed.
As expected of the head of a massive conglomerate—he couldn’t be honest.
“I’ll have a vehicle prepared.”
“How long does it take to get from here to Liberty Island?”
“Since we’ll have to switch to a boat, it should take about an hour and a half.”
“We already spent some time getting here. I’ll just head over on my own.”
“Have you prepared another means of transportation?”
Heh heh heh.
Instead of answering, I gave him a wide grin and headed for the rooftop.
The building’s roof, which also served as a helicopter landing pad.
This area should be enough.
When I started stretching without any explanation, question marks popped up over my companions’ heads.
“Mister. What are you doing?”
“Getting ready to give you all a ride. Everyone, prepare yourselves.”
“Mister Yu. At this point, an explanation would be nice.”
“Are there any flight regulations in New York?”
“Airplanes are restricted, but for helicopters… as long as you report in advance…”
“So living creatures aren’t particularly regulated.”
William nodded with a sour expression.
Using Void Projection.
Summons Archlich Lord ‘Ark’.
『You called for me, my Creator?』
“Open a Death Gate and summon that.”
『Will one be sufficient?』
“There are six of us, so that should be plenty.”
Ark pointed at the ground with his shriveled, dry finger.
Ssssssssh!
An ominous magic circle was etched onto the helicopter pad.
The power of death, defying the natural order, began to twist space and time.
From between the open doors, a fleshless skull suddenly popped out.
—Kwaaaaarrr!
A powerful vibration that shook the atmosphere.
The Bone Drake that emerged from beyond the black space radiated its presence in all directions.
“Th-this is…”
“There’s no need to be nervous. It’s a servant controlled by my summon.”
The Paris workshop battle.
It had been the most intense battlefield during France’s Great Collapse.
Arme Rouge, borrowing the power of the Klyphoth, had commanded all kinds of demonic beasts and monsters from the upper floors of the Tower.
One of them had been a Drake.
A powerful monster that appeared on the 67th floor.
Because it was a flying type, even the Yellow Storm and the Peerless had found them difficult to hunt, so we had taken them down one by one.
The Bone Drake before us was one that Ark had resurrected through necromancy.
— Yet even after you returned your summon to the void, it was maintained.
“I took special measures.”
Originally, the undead Ark created would vanish the moment they were unsummoned.
Without the death energy needed to maintain the undead, and with their bodies bound to Ark, it was only natural for them to collapse once their source disappeared.
But here’s the thing.
A Bone Drake wasn’t something you could just throw away.
After wrapping up the France Great Collapse incident, I shared control authority with a totem so it could maintain its existence, and installed a special magic circle on the transport ship that could replenish its death energy.
— When did you arrange such a thing?
“While you and the Goddess were sightseeing in Paris.”
After the situation was resolved, I stayed in Paris for a few days while receiving state guest treatment.
The atmosphere had been chaotic because of Arme Rouge’s atrocities, but the French government had gone out of their way to treat the heroes who saved France from crisis.
But what was the point of just playing around?
While I was pondering how wasteful it would be to lose the Bone Drake, Ark had come up with a pretty good idea, allowing me to preserve it.
“Let’s go.”
I climbed onto the Bone Drake’s back and beckoned with my hand.
“Umm… Master?”
“What is it?”
“You’re not planning to use the Bone Drake as lunchboxes to carry us, right?”
“Khh khh khh. If that was a joke, it was funny.”
……
It wasn’t a joke, you know?
“W-wow! Mister, that’s so cool!”
“Master. Could you possibly lend me one as well?”
On the other hand, the men were red-faced and bursting with excitement.
These guys.
Is it really that great?
If everyone is this simple, what are we going to do?
— Why don’t you manage your own expression first?
Ah.
It seems I’m just an ordinary man after all.
How could I possibly hold back from riding a Bone Drake through the sky?
“Ahem. Hm.”
“What is it?”
“There is no legal prohibition against summons flying through the air.”
“Of course not. Who in their right mind would ride a Bone Drake across the New York sky?”
“Are you aware there are laws regarding flight?”
Apparently even launching a helicopter requires prior coordination.
But with the Rockefeller family’s influence, there was nothing they couldn’t do.
“If I accompany you, the city won’t raise any issues.”
“So Representative Rockefeller wants to ride too?”
“No. It’s not that… I simply wish to spare you unnecessary trouble.”
Honestly.
He really can’t be honest.
Why not just say you want to ride the insanely cool Bone Drake?
Sigh.
It’s a good thing I’m kind. Otherwise I would have exposed his true feelings right then and there.
“Please, get on.”
A rare smile bloomed on the usually stern Rockefeller’s face.
Whoosh!
A refreshing wind brushed across my cheeks.
The Bone Drake cut through the forest of skyscrapers.
People on the ground looked up or reached their hands toward us.
“Yeehaw!”
— This isn’t your first time flying. Why are you so excited?
“That time wasn’t exactly a situation where I could enjoy it.”
When I had ridden the Bone Drake into aerial combat, I hadn’t had the luxury to relax.
The monsters of the 67th floor.
Drakes were essentially considered Master-rank—another level of monster entirely.
If we had let them run wild, our allies would have suffered heavy losses.
So I had flown through the sky without a moment’s rest, hunting the Drakes.
— Can’t you fly with Dragon’s Wings?
“Flying myself and riding are two different things.”
Of course.
Just look over there.
Was I the only one with a flushed face?
“Run! Run faster!”
“I must be the first in the Chinese nation to ride a Bone Drake!”
The thoroughly excited Enrique and Ping Lei shouted at the top of their lungs.
Even William Rockefeller, riding at the rear, silently enjoyed the sensation of speed without saying a word.
“What the heck. Hng.”
“Jiyoung, if you put up a barrier you won’t be able to enjoy the speed.”
“I think I’m going to get motion sickness? Carla! Please help me talk some sense into Master!”
“Training that accounts for multiple situations. I approve.”
“Aaaaaah!”
She’s going to cry at this rate.
The thrilling flight through the forest of skyscrapers didn’t last long.
The Gold Moon headquarters was in Manhattan.
The straight-line distance to the Statue of Liberty was a little over ten kilometers.
If the Bone Drake flew at full speed, it could get there in two minutes.
Even while being considerate of the passengers, five minutes was more than enough.
Flap. Flap.
The police who saw the Bone Drake descending slowly guided its landing with light sticks.
“I already spoke with them in advance.”
“In just five minutes after we took off?”
“The area around the gate is already under the control of the Association and the police, so it wasn’t difficult.”
This guy.
If he hadn’t wanted to ride himself, would he have acted so quickly?
Thanks to William’s handling, we avoided any unnecessary hassle.
“Will you be coming with us?”
“I’m a busy man. Every second is difficult to convert into money.”
A man with so many responsibilities flew all the way to the Statue of Liberty.
“There’s something else, isn’t there?”
“I wasn’t thinking anything.”
“I didn’t ask you anything either.”
I pretended not to see William’s lukewarm gaze and entered the gate.
The moment I entered the gate, I felt a sense of weightlessness.
There was nothing under my feet.
My body began to fall downward.
“They really do come up with all sorts of things.”
I summoned Dragon's Wings and flapped them to maintain altitude.
“Maaaaaaaaster?”
Jiyoung’s scream echoed behind me.
I lightly caught the falling girl and gave her some advice.
“Create a barrier beneath your feet.”
“Ahhh! There was a way like that!”
It was a method the Wall of Lamentation had frequently used before my regression.
Even when flying-type enemies appeared, she had skillfully supported us.
When I shared the advice based on my past-life experience, she quickly regained her composure.
“Oh. It works!”
“Even a single barrier should be able to support a person’s weight.”
“Ah. Then I’ll make a foothold at the entrance.”
She was already at the application stage.
It really is worth training her.
I should push her training a bit harder soon.
“Maaaster?”
“What now?”
“You’re not thinking something wicked like rolling me over again, right?”
“Wicked? That’s a bit harsh.”
“Then why aren’t you denying it!”
Hmmm.
Strange.
Lately it feels like my emotions are being read too easily.
I need to manage my expressions better.
Thanks to the barriers created in front of the rift, the rest of the group entered safely.
“Hmph. How’s that?”
“This time, your power was helpful.”
“There, there. Hurry and thank this big sister.”
Ping Lei shook his head as if he hadn’t heard.
Not everyone needed the help of the barriers.
“Appreciation. Thank you, but it is unnecessary.”
“Big sis can’t fly. I’m fine though.”
Enrique used the magic power of his armor to propel himself through the air, and Carla could step on space itself, so the only ones who actually benefited were the two—Elder Youngsu and… well, two of them.
“Master. Please summon more of those undead dragons.”
『Impossible, foolish one. A gate is a different dimension. You must open a dimensional gate, not merely spatial movement.』
That was why I hadn’t—or rather, couldn’t—use the Bone Drakes during trials or gate clears.
“Guild Master. Enemies are approaching.”
“Those are… birds, right?”
Each one was about ten meters long.
Crackling lightning writhed across their yellow feathers and scattered in all directions.
Kurrrrung!
Monsters that could generate thunderclaps with a single flap of their wings.
Thunder Birds—a monster from the 60th floor’s high difficulty—were flying toward us in a flock.
“So there’s a reason they classified it as S-rank.”
“Maaaaaster. Is this really the time to be leisurely evaluating them?”
“I didn’t raise you to be the kind of weak person who trembles at mere Thunder Birds.”
“God damn it.”
“Jiyoung. Me. Help.”
“Got it. Formation B, right?”
Hoh.
You two are even coordinating formations now.
Carla, stepping on space, leaned her body forward.
The moment she tilted at a ninety-degree angle—
A barrier formed beneath Carla’s feet, which were aligned like a ruler.
“Step on it!”
Booom!
With a barrier shattering under the force, Carla shot forward like a single bullet and swung her scythe.
The Thunder Bird’s wing was sliced without resistance.
Lightning surged from the half-severed wing.
The blue lightning connected the severed part, allowing the wing to function again.
“Not yet.”
The spinning scythe aimed for the head of a nearby Thunder Bird.
Clang! The attack was deflected by another Thunder Bird’s beak.
The flock of Thunder Birds simultaneously spread their wings wide.
A wide-area barrage of lightning poured down.
Evading was impossible.
Pushing in further was obviously out of the question.
Carla didn’t overextend and tore through space to return to the group.
“One strike wasn’t enough.”
“It’s fine! That’s already impressive! They’re S-rank gate monsters!”
“Mm. Lightning. Troublesome.”
“Even the little one’s attack couldn’t cut them in a single blow. Quite annoying.”
Even Ping Lei acknowledged Carla’s offensive power.
Rather than the Thunder Birds’ defense being exceptional, the problem was the lightning that flowed like blood.
In times like these, the master should step forward first.
Besides, there was something I wanted to test.
— Wasn’t the reason you came to the gate first to test your new abilities?
She noticed.
As expected, I can’t like a goddess who’s too quick-witted.
Using Shrink.
Using a slightly different concept from Carla’s.
I folded space and closed in on the Thunder Bird flock, then extended my left hand forward.
Using Hundred Hands.