Chapter 299
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 299
Chapter Title: Lesson 58. Spartoi - 4
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Inside Lilith, now transformed into cockpit form, Ban Yu-won took the helm as the head of the combined robot Abel.
The tank-type robot Bungcheon Cannon, equipped with its massive barrel, latched onto the head cockpit from below to form the torso. Frost Fortress, gripping its ice shield, became the left arm, while Hell Drill—shaped like an awl and spinning ferociously with its giant sword—served as the right.
The beast-type robot Black Wolf, with its razor-sharp mechanical claws, transformed into sleek, sturdy legs and attached itself firmly.
And for the finishing touch—the winged beast robot Radiant Bird, bearing the concept stolen from a god and radiating brilliant light, attached to the back and unfurled its dazzling light wings.
Combined Robot Abel Appears!
The moment it appeared, Abel—overwhelming the Mecha Dragon's momentum like an Ultraman special effect—spread its wings and soared into the air, declaring in a booming voice.
"Was that announcement really necessary just now?"
[I was merely putting into action what you, Master, had been hoping for!]
Ban Yu-won had no retort to Lilith's bold response. He silently adjusted his stance in midair and checked with her.
"Operating time?"
[15 minutes. More than enough to take down that monster twice over!]
Ban Yu-won couldn't help but smile inwardly at Lilith's spirited reply, her tension rivaling that of space flight.
The combined robot Abel—Frost Fortress, Hell Drill, Bungcheon Cannon, Radiant Bird, Black Wolf, and core Lilith merging to display overwhelming might, if only temporarily.
When Abel was first born, its operating time had been mere minutes. But thanks to Ban Yu-won's relentless growth, Lilith's core magic power increasing, and crucially, all familiars sharing concepts to evolve, Abel's pure operating time had now tripled.
Considering its capabilities, there were various detailed concepts, but purely in terms of level, it equated to 230 on the status system scale.
Ban Yu-won, piloting inside, had now reached Life 1,300 himself, so the robot's stats had surged dramatically with the amplified pilot ability.
"W-What is that? Is it an ally of that destruction dragon?!"
"No, it just attacked the dragon!"
Glancing down at the noisy clamor, he saw a knight order assembled, with Asha—who had rushed out ahead of him in panic—at the forefront.
Ban Yu-won was surprised by the considerable number of knights and the thick aura enveloping them all.
Turning his gaze, he looked at the mecha dragon, just shaking off the head blow and lifting its head.
It was emanating a similar aura, connected to Asha.
The answer was clear.
"So that's how it is...?"
—KYAAAOOOOOO!
"I said be quiet!"
—KACK!
He thrust out the ice-covered shield, smashing the dragon's head again.
The dragon, trying to bite Abel with its steel-fanged maw, clamped its jaws shut under the robot's immense strength and retreated.
Yet even a full-force strike left no scratch on its head—an impressive fact.
"This thing's on our level too. What kind of D-rank dimension is this?"
[Master, it feels similar to that ruin you investigated before. Looks like the dragon tampered with it.]
Ban Yu-won recalled the interior of the ruin where he'd obtained Requiem and nodded.
There hadn't been much dragon material left there, but now he knew where the rest had gone.
"At least on par with Requiem, then..."
[Without your divine authority when it was completed, its efficiency won't be great.]
The best way to deal with it... would probably be coating Hell Drill with Requiem and piercing it with a holy screwdriver.
Glancing once more at Asha below, Ban Yu-won clicked his tongue and chose the next best option.
He thrust the awl sword forward in midair and shouted.
"Come forth, Abyss! Combine!"
—Whiiiirrr
At his command, the all-piercing drill Abyss burst from his inventory, attached to Hell Drill, and transformed it into an even larger, faster-spinning drill sword.
"Asha, can you hear me?!"
"Y-Yeah!"
Asha, who had been watching the impending monster-versus-robot showdown in stunned awe, snapped to attention and yelled back.
Ban Yu-won spread the mechanical wings, stabbing the drill sword into the Mecha Dragon as it dared to take off without permission, slamming it back to the ground, and shouted.
"Asha, get on that dragon!"
"...What?!"
There was no way Asha would hop on some suspicious dragon she'd never seen before just because he said so.
Ban Yu-won kept suppressing the rising mecha dragon and yelled again.
"It's a machine powered by your energy. So get on it!"
It was also a monster that could gain activity energy by killing dragonkin.
Asha's ancestor had sealed it to use as a weapon upon successfully reclaiming her body, but also embedded a function to siphon the dragon's magic power and rampage destructively if he failed or if another dragon-related figure arrived first.
Vicious from start to finish.
'And right now... probably Asha's father activated that second function before dying.'
This guy took after his ancestor in being utterly useless.
Moreover, having witnessed her father's corpse on-site, Asha likely wasn't thinking straight yet.
Was there any greater trolling by burdening one's child like this?
'Still, too good a weapon to abandon. If Asha gains this on top of the True Dragon Sword...!'
As Ban Yu-won cleared his throat to bark at the dazed Asha, she suddenly sharpened her eyes, raised the True Dragon Sword high, and shouted.
"From this moment, we secure that golem! Guardian Knights, protect me!"
"Understood, Princess!"
"It's Majesty now!"
At Asha's spirited command, the knights snapped to attention as if flipped by a switch, raising their weapons in unison.
As Asha charged forward at the lead, they moved organically, forming a protective phalanx around her.
He'd wondered if it was overkill, but seeing the monsters crawling up from the hole the mecha dragon had burst through—amid the ruined ruins—that thought vanished.
Turtle with a dragon head, wolf covered in scales, deer with sharp dragon horns.
A horde numbering in the hundreds, made of chimeras born from recklessly mixing dragon factors into beasts.
[Seems like trial-and-error products before completing the Mecha Dragon.]
"Forget the name Mecha Dragon—what kind of idiot jumps straight from biology to mechanical engineering?"
Ban Yu-won grumbled but focused on suppressing the dragon.
Once Asha took control, it'd be an ally, so damage had to be minimized... but with the ancestor's scheme fueling it on the previous king's flesh and causing rampage, it wouldn't play nice.
Just as he thought he'd restrained it with awl sword and shield, it finally opened its maw, gathering immense thermal energy in its throat.
"Breath?!"
Ire's voice.
She had landed unnoticed near Abel's shoulder cockpit, pale-faced, glaring at the Mecha Dragon.
"Half-undead at this point... True dragon authority...! To think the True Dragon would commit such atrocities."
"Can you dispel it?"
"True breath inherently nullifies other magic—it's a dragon's unique authority. All we can do is block it with a higher magic barrier."
No choice, then. Ban Yu-won hurled the awl sword to shred and pin its wings to the ground, gripped the now-free shield arm firmly, and thrust it forward.
Pouring in his vital energy and most of Lilith's core power to activate the ice shield, Ire drew her orb and synced her magic with his.
Fortunately, her specialty was also ice.
Moreover, carrying the pure ice magic crystal Ban Yu-won had gifted her from the Diabolo dimension, her magic rank was a full level higher.
—KUAAAAHHHH!
Ban Yu-won's ice shield and Ire's magic harmonized into a massive temporary barrier, slammed by the True Dragon authority-infused breath!
A mysterious, colorless-transparent energy of pure dragon essence—faintly shimmering iridescent—gnawed away at the barrier, closing the distance bit by bit.
"Holy shit...!"
In the cockpit, facing the breath head-on, Ban Yu-won's eyes blazed brilliant gold.
Even close to two dragonkin, this was his first direct encounter with such potent energy, so he seized the chance to analyze and internalize its concepts.
But it was impossible.
A power impossible to imitate—that was dragon might.
Perhaps the dimensional integration centered on the Tower never fully succeeded because of enmity with these inimitable powerhouses.
As vague thoughts swirled, the barrier eroded further, the hideous Mecha Dragon's face drawing closer.
—KUUUAAAAHHH!
"That thing's ugly as sin."
The awl sword pinning its wings kept it from advancing more.
Aware of that, it writhed with a mechanical screech, opening its maw wider.
Determined to smash Abel's skull with every last drop of stored energy.
As Ban Yu-won pondered using holy light magic and spells to shatter parts of it, Asha climbed atop the Mecha Dragon's head.
"I did it!"
"Good job, Asha! Now mount up!"
"How?!"
"Jam the True Dragon Sword into its forehead!"
Balancing atop the vibrating head mid-breath, Asha shot Ban Yu-won in the cockpit a look like he was insane—but per his analysis, that was the sole 'key' to control it.
'Originally meant for the Dragon Slayer Sword... but with True Dragon Sword, it's fifty-fifty. Either it fails, or it even transforms the Mecha Dragon.'
The Mecha Dragon was an artifact whose behavior shifted with the rider's magic power.
Surprisingly, its origin lay in Spartoi... Dragon Tooth Soldiers.
As described in Earth's myths, Dragon Tooth Soldiers 'become foe or friend depending on how they're handled.' The dormant Mecha Dragon, masterless, was the same.
"You can do it, Asha!"
"But really...?"
"Before the shield breaks! Trust me, who trusts you!"
"O-Okay. I'll trust you, who trusts me!"
After a deep breath, Asha gripped the True Dragon Sword and boldly plunged it into the Mecha Dragon's forehead.
"Be quiet!"
"Nah, no need to copy that."
Apparently inaudible to Asha.
Yet her command worked.
The moment the True Dragon Sword seamlessly merged into its forehead as if they'd always been one, the breath-spitting maw snapped shut.
Next instant, Asha—frozen in the stabbing pose—was smoothly sucked inside.
[Did you nail it?]
"Lilith, you're dead."
The Mecha Dragon's crimson-glowing eyes flickered gold, then red, gold, red...
Ting—.
Settling on gold!
The True Dragon's descendant had successfully inherited the Spartoi left by her ancestor!