Chapter 166
Chapter 166
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: Infiltrating Mobility
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A deep purple warmth traced the final horizon over the dark green expanse.
Twilight would soon fully settle.
Basen Rak Orazen, aboard his spiral wing in flight, turned back to gaze at the eastern sky.
The heavens were already filled with stars.
'O Wild Heaven, O Apostles, and gods and guardians of our continent, please bestow your blessings. As you desired, we head toward the promised trial.'
Basen and the adventure party assigned to the special mission crossed the open air, the wind roaring in their ears.
Then, a low but massive rumble pushed through the atmosphere, announcing its presence.
-Thud...!
It was Mobility.
Twenty-three legs extended in random directions, forged from metal, supporting the fortress like a city's foundation.
Atop the massive, sturdy rock base rose carved and stacked walls, and within those walls, torches and braziers flickered brightly.
Gray buildings sprouted moss and grass in their cracks, yet their imposing presence remained unshaken.
Basen thought that without the spiral wings, they would have had to prepare for battle against Mobility itself or assemble an even more elite force of minimal numbers.
The tallest inner keep featured a massive gray dome at its center.
'That's where the dragon is, they said.'
Fortunately, the control room that operated Mobility was in a tower distant from the dome.
According to the Rakshasas, the great Asura rarely emerged from the dome unless there was major unrest.
Even during tribal skirmishes among the Rakshasas themselves, the Asura had shown little interest.
'We're almost there.'
Basen looked down, checking the other spiral wings for issues.
An unreliable technology for sure, but fortunately, none had broken away.
The second expedition included skilled Heukrin technicians and quality raw materials, and Mazdari's magic had allowed contact with the palace's technical team—a stroke of luck.
The Oguri craftsmen were excellent by their own standards, but Heukrin tech and materials had resolved several spiral wing flaws.
'Could Heukrin use these spiral wings too?'
Basen pondered briefly.
'But the rubber for the rubber engine comes only from the Duduba trees in warmer lands beyond our continent. Tione says supply won't be an issue once sea routes are fully opened, but maybe there's a better way?'
Basen's musings found no answer.
He was adept at employing technological science but lacked talent for innovating anew—and more pressingly, he had no time left to dwell.
"Something's rising on Mobility's right flank!"
Basen followed the shout to gaze at Mobility.
Upon closer look, amid the vanished sun and faint twilight sky, something was flying up.
'A dragon? No, too small. And not just one. Birds?'
They seemed to have wings, flapping like birds.
But as a dozen silhouettes drew nearer, he realized they weren't as small as thought.
Those who knew their name recognized them even in the dark.
"Wyverns!"
Two-winged, thin-membraned sky reptiles—wyverns.
"Wasn't this in the reports?"
Basen turned toward the voice.
Mazdari had maneuvered his spiral wing close.
Basen replied.
"Who knows. Hoping for no resistance was just our expectation."
"I'm more curious how they tamed wyverns."
Basen ignored the scholarly curiosity.
He knew his lack of curiosity was a strength.
"We'll talk after a safe landing."
Basen eased the engine friction slightly as he spoke.
"Nock arrows! Team 1, draw their eyes! Meanwhile, Team 2 infiltrates inside the walls!"
Wyverns were unforeseen, but expecting enemy resistance, the expedition moved with disciplined precision on Basen's orders.
And as anticipated, the wyverns surged toward Basen's Team 1.
"Mobility's firing arrows!"
Basen gave no separate orders to Team 2.
'Even slow spiral wings are hard to hit if evading. Guns are tricky enough—arrows more so. And Mobility's moving too.'
Just as Basen predicted.
Team 2's advance spiral wings were already crossing the walls and landing.
Most arrows missed the spiral wings.
Mobility moved slowly, but it moved.
Basen, veteran of continental wars and mounted archery's perils, had no reason to falter as an explorer.
He prayed for intact landings where possible, but most expedition members leaped out before touchdown to engage charging Rakshasas or wall archers targeting Team 1.
'Our turn now.'
Basen set aside the controls and drew his bow.
A gun would be ideal, but no time to light the matchlock.
"Hup!"
His slowly descending spiral wing and the wyvern charging head-on—the straight line between was instinctive to Basen.
'Now.'
With a whoosh of wind, the arrow vanished into the dark.
As Basen rued a miss, the lead wyvern lost wing power and plummeted limply.
No time to watch; Basen nocked the next arrow.
In that brief span, wyverns swarmed Team 1.
Arrows flew, sporadic gunshots rang, wyverns screeched shrilly, and expedition members roared in response.
The spiral wings' central wings, mere leather and wood, weren't structurally or materially robust.
Some like Basen shook off wyverns skillfully, but others crashed near Mobility.
'Damn, just a bit more!'
Basen saw half of Team 2 landed, fighting Rakshasas to clear space for Team 1.
He aimed at a wyvern clinging to a lower expedition member's spiral wing.
-Grrrrowl...!
Basen's first sensation was sudden warmth piercing the aerial chill.
Then the spiral wing shuddered; turning, he saw a wyvern head amid blood stench.
"Looks like I got your mate first!"
Basen spun and loosed another arrow.
But the wyvern's neck extension was lightning-fast.
The arrow pierced its lower jaw, yet its fangs neared Basen's nose.
-Kyao!
The spiral wing tilted halfway.
The wyvern had torn into it, shoving its maw at Basen.
No safety harnesses; Basen gripped the fuselage with one arm.
Tilted by the wyvern's talons clutching like a vise, it was effectively hoisted by the beast.
The wyvern cocked its head, then gleefully crowed as realization dawned.
-Grrowl!
Drop the spiral wing, and Basen falls to death.
But as sapiens always outpaced savage beasts, Basen was faster.
"Hmph!"
Snorting, he drew a dagger from his bosom and stabbed through wyvern foot and wing.
-Kyaaaaaooo!
The wyvern flailed to shake the wing free but failed, then lunged its long neck at the dangling Basen.
Basen seized the moment.
He thrust his longsword from his belt into the wyvern's jaw.
The head lolled limp.
Basen yanked the dagger from the foot; the wyvern plummeted.
The main wing sputtered back to rotation, but looked battered.
'Damn, not enough.'
Looking down, Mobility's walls were short of reach.
Not freefall, but headed for crash below.
"Jump!"
Turning, Basen saw Mazdari's spiral wing right below.
Basen shouted.
"Too heavy!"
"Trust me!"
No time for talk.
Basen leaped, trusting Mazdari.
Their arms crossed, wrists gripped.
"Climb!"
With that, Mazdari's spiral wing spun furiously, beyond mere rubber power.
Catching Basen halted its plunge; it sluggishly ascended, finally cresting Mobility's walls.
Basen and Mazdari vaulted over simultaneously, landing atop.
Basen rolled lightly once and stood; Mazdari alighted gracefully despite his bulk.
Basen glanced back.
Mazdari explained.
"I originally learned magic for my kin's dream."
"What?"
"To fly."
Mazdari flicked his wings lightly.
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Forty-six, including Basen, successfully reached inside Mobility's walls.
Having briefly shaken the Rakshasas, Basen summoned two more reliable expedition members as squad leaders.
"Contrary to our expectations, they knew we were coming. So they've prepared. We'll adjust the plan."
The members replied, tension etched on their faces.
"Reform squads into three. Team 1 heads to the control room; Teams 2 and 3 create diversions. Engage but prioritize safety in movement. Even without heavy weapons, Rakshasas are troll-sized and prepared."
Basen issued specific orders to each.
One team starts fires for attention; the other grabs high-rank Rakshasas for hostages.
As numbers were assigned, one member spoke.
"But then Team 1 has no one. Who leads it?"
Basen said.
"I'll go alone."
"But Captain, that's too dangerous!"
"They've fortified the control room. Storming it noisily is worse than diverting attention and slipping in solo."
As another opened his mouth, Basen waved him off.
"No debate. Meeting's over. Move."
Basen turned and left; the members obeyed.
Basen vaulted a low wall toward the control tower.
In a dim short corridor, someone stood.
Basen tensed briefly, then relaxed.
"Mazdari?"
Mazdari stepped into starlight.
"You don't trust your men? Think you can't manage without my help?"
"Maybe. And you? Don't trust me?"
"Exactly."
Basen passed Mazdari, walking on.
"Can't be helped. I showed unreliability. Let's go."
"Hmph."
Mazdari followed, deeming Basen a tricky fellow.