Chapter 304: War of Liberation (3)

Translator: Dreamscribe

Fire! And fire again!

Shells carrying the highest-level Named Heroes poured down like rain.

The shells were incredibly fast.

As the shells collided with the Dimensional Energy flowing around the Satellite Weapon, they glowed red-hot. Shell after shell continued pouring down from the fleet, turning into blazing comets as they hurtled toward the Satellite Weapon.

GRRRRRRIND! KRAAAAH!

Haebyul and the Romance Heroes could see the surrounding scene through their Information Windows.

The enemy fleet tried to disrupt the barrage of shells, but Arsilan's fleet did not simply stand by and watch. It began pouring firepower into the enemy fleet.

“Damn! It really is a sight to see.”

“Uuuugh! It's shaking way too much!”

“Look over there!”

Small fighters radiating red light poured out from the enemy fleet and began firing indiscriminately at the shells heading toward the Satellite Weapon.

KRAKAKAKA!

Countless shells burst apart in explosions, and Arsilan's colossal ships immediately responded. The Magic Armor units standing by were launched and revealed themselves.

Their crude exteriors had become somewhat sleeker, and the mana particles streaming from their backs looked almost like cloaks. Wielding weapons imbued with Aura, they cast Dark Magic and annihilated the fighters.

“That looks fun too.”

“Should've gone Undead.”

“You can't pilot those unless you're Undead, right?”

“Yeah, because they have to cut off your head and put it inside.”

Even among the Undead, only high-ranking Undead who had undergone their Third Class Change could survive having their heads severed. The Heroes' conversation sounded peaceful, but the situation was anything but.

The shells drew long trails behind them as they rapidly closed in on the Satellite Weapon. The instant they passed through the area where the shield had been, the Satellite Weapon's surface split open, revealing more than ten thousand gun barrels.

“Holy shit....”

“Wow, it even has those.”

“No wonder it seemed too easy.”

Energy rounds erupted from the barrels as they began intercepting the incoming shells.

-Aaaaaagh!

-Fuck! We got hit!

-Agh!

-Guys, you can steer these! Switch to manual control!

All kinds of shouting came over the communication channel.

Haebyul unfastened her seat belt and ran toward the front of the shell. There was a steering wheel there that looked like something from a ship. By regulating the mana particles blasting from the back of the shell, she could change its direction.

UruBear jumped in alarm at the incoming energy rounds.

They filled the entire space ahead like a bullet hell game. All of the Romance Heroes were looking at her.

Haebyul closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Then she boldly spun the wheel.

FWISH! SWISH!

Round energy blasts grazed past them. Haebyul focused, weaving between the energy rounds like she was playing a bullet hell game as they rapidly descended toward the Satellite Weapon.

It was exhilarating!

Even UruBear and the Romance Heroes riding inside felt a jolt of exhilaration, so there was no need to mention how Haebyul felt with her hands on the wheel.

“Khehehe!”

“More, more, more!”

“Should we speed this thing up even more? I think we can.”

It was insane, but everyone agreed. A mage drew up his mana and stretched a hand upward. Mana seeped into the shell, and a magic circle appeared across it.

WHOOOOSH!

Wind blasted outward, accelerating the shell.

“Ugh!”

“Now it finally feels like we're falling!”

“That's more like it!”

The acceleration subjected them to enough g-force to strain even the sturdy bodies of Named Heroes. Only then did the Romance Heroes grin in satisfaction. The other shells also used magic like the Romance Heroes and began plummeting even faster.

The surface of the Satellite Weapon drew near.

Its surface was covered in pure white ice. The Satellite Weapon's cooling system caused snow to fall continuously, and it froze solid as it accumulated.

“Impact soon! Survive however you can!”

After shouting that, Haebyul quickly returned to her seat and fastened her seat belt.

Red emergency lights lit up inside the shell.

It was the signal that impact was imminent. Haebyul summoned a Spirit and formed a shield, while UruBear raised his shield and activated a skill. Everyone used whatever defensive skills they had and braced for impact.

KRAAAAAABOOM!

The shell slammed into the surface of the Satellite Weapon, causing an explosion that gouged out a massive crater. When the shell shattered, Haebyul and the Romance Heroes inside were hurled upward.

They shot several kilometers into the air before falling straight back toward the ground.

“Ghk!”

“Kugh!”

“Ugh!”

The surface ice shattered as the Heroes' bodies slammed into it and became embedded. Coughing up blood, Haebyul barely managed to pull a healing potion from Subspace and drink it. Her twisted limbs returned to their proper positions, and her shattered organs slowly recovered.

“U-Ugh! I'm alive. Everyone okay?”

When Haebyul shouted while looking around, hands rose from within the ice. Every one of them gave her a thumbs-up.

There was a faint atmosphere on the Satellite Weapon. Gases released by its cooling system had been trapped by the Satellite Weapon's gravity.

Breathing was somewhat difficult, but it was hardly an obstacle for Heroes who could already move freely through outer space.

Haebyul got to her feet and looked upward.

“Oh....”

The shells that continued descending were struck by energy rounds and exploded spectacularly. The mana carried by the Heroes scattered through the air, creating beautiful fireworks.

The shells that pierced through the barrage and struck the surface formed mushroom clouds as they smashed apart the solid ice.

“Arsilan Saga really is the best.”

The words came out on their own.

In the distance, countless ships painted the sky in blue and red light. It was truly magnificent.

Where else could anyone experience something like this?

Arsilan Saga was so much fun that it made everything else seem dull!

When a massive ship worth as much as an apartment in Seoul exploded, Haebyul and the Romance Heroes who had gotten back to their feet all exclaimed in admiration.

“So war really is fought with money.”

“Losing a ship is a massive loss..., but we'll just have to make that much back this time.”

It was like a scene from a movie, no, it was a war so enormous that no movie could ever capture it.

-U-Ugh!

-I survived!

-I'm heading to the rally point!

Transmissions from the surviving Heroes came over the communication channel.

Haebyul pulled an analyzer from her clothes and drove it into the surface. The Satellite Weapon's surface was scanned, and a minimap was generated. They needed to get inside the Satellite Weapon.

Haebyul marked the rally point and sent out a transmission.

Comfortable, the emotional anchor of the Romance Heroes and their finest healer, rapidly healed everyone and restored them to perfect condition.

UruBear shivered.

“Ugh, it's freaking cold.”

“Still, it's pretty romantic, isn't it?”

Haebyul said with a smirk, and UruBear shrugged.

The sound of energy rounds firing, the explosions, and the vibrations shaking the ground. Standing atop pure white ice made the whole scene oddly romantic.

UruBear picked up a piece of ice and ate it with a chuckle. The ice reeked strongly of oil, but it did not taste bad.

“Let's go to the rally point, gather the Heroes, then head inside.”

HandGenius said that while checking the magically protected bag. Haebyul and the Romance Heroes all pulled out thick jackets and boots and put them on. Once they added goggles, the whole look really came together.

Haebyul and the Romance Heroes summoned mounts and raced across the ice.

When they reached the rally point, they could see the surviving Heroes. Quite a lot had gathered.

“Oh, it's Haebyul-nim.”

“Hey.”

“How'd you survive?”

“The durability buff saved me. I seriously almost fucking died.”

As always, the Heroes were cheerful.

Several hundred had survived, and they chatted noisily as though they had gathered for a meetup. Haebyul contacted command.

“We've arrived at Rally Point A-31. I'll transmit the completed map.”

[Confirmed. Based on the analysis, we have located a base that can provide access to the interior of the Satellite Weapon. We will mark it on your minimap.]

Beep! Beep!

A marker appeared on the minimap floating in the upper-right corner. A Hero at command had been assigned exclusively as their operator.

[Multiple transport craft are approaching that location. We recommend avoiding combat and prioritizing entry into the interior.]

“How many Heroes have reached the surface?”

[There are currently 3,112 Heroes with active communications.]

The survival rate was far worse than expected.

It seemed most of them had died before reaching the surface of the Satellite Weapon.

“Three thousand..., feels like old times. Nice. Guys, listen up!”

Haebyul nodded and immediately explained the situation.

They could see transport craft approaching in the distance. They were clearly packed with soldiers.

“Oh, they're coming at us like a swarm.”

“That's a lot.”

“Let's move.”

If they tried to fight all of them, they might be fighting for the rest of their lives.

The Heroes summoned their mounts again and began racing toward the location that led into the Satellite Weapon.

Soldiers jumped from the transport craft flying in from ahead. After landing, the soldiers set the bags they were carrying on the ground, and the bags transformed into jet skis.

The soldiers mounted the jet skis and began pursuing the Heroes.

BANG! BANG!

Energy rounds skimmed past the Heroes. The Heroes unleashed ranged attacks behind them while continuing forward.

[The Satellite Weapon's cooling system has been activated! It appears they are attempting to cool the Satellite Weapon even faster!]

There was still time before all of its energy finished gathering, but perhaps it had sensed the danger and was attempting to fire sooner.

Haebyul and the Heroes looked back.

GRRRRRRRR!

The cooling system activated, sending a gigantic wave of freezing air sweeping toward them like a tsunami. The Heroes who had fallen behind froze solid on the spot, turning into frozen statues.

“Run!”

“Aaaaaagh!”

“Hahaha!”

The Heroes began racing like mad.

The surface of the Satellite Weapon split apart, and a massive earthquake struck the Heroes.

“Ugh?!”

“Huh!”

Heroes who lost their balance and fell were frozen solid where they lay.

After running for a long time, they finally found a base that led beneath the surface of the Satellite Weapon.

Was it because the cooling system had been activated?

There were no soldiers guarding the base. The door was tightly locked, but with HandGenius there, it was not a problem. HandGenius pulled out his tools and approached the locked door.

Haebyul let out a sigh of relief and got off her mount.

“Oh, they stopped chasing us?”

“They must really be in a hurry.”

UruBear replied in relief.

They could feel vibrations through the ground.

They were strong enough to knock someone off their feet if they were not careful.

It seemed the Satellite Weapon had begun operating. It had not fully charged its energy, so it would not be able to display the same power they had seen in the footage, but it would still be enough to end this war in a single shot.

“It's open!”

HandGenius opened the tightly locked door.

A blizzard gusted inside. The Heroes hurried through the entrance. Only after getting inside did the cold become bearable.

The interior was dark.

Only the emergency lights were on. To reach the Satellite Weapon's core facilities, they needed to descend farther.

Just as the Heroes found a route downward,

Bright lights came on, and soldiers poured out. The Heroes hurriedly prepared for battle. There were not that many soldiers, so it seemed they could kill them quickly and keep moving.

The soldiers surrounded the Heroes with guns raised, but they did not fire. They seemed to be waiting for someone's order.

THUD!

Someone leaped down from the upper floor and landed in front of the Heroes.

“An Executioner...!”

It was one of General Gord's direct subordinates, an Executioner.

“You insects from the backwater have done well to find your own graves.”

The Executioner said that and extended a hand. A massive hammer was summoned into his grasp. Haebyul and the Heroes tensed and raised their weapons.

[Executioner! Appearance confirmed!]

The operator quickly informed everyone. Elite soldiers surrounded the Executioner. It looked like it would be a difficult fight, but they were confident they would not lose.

“Now that I look at him, his level isn't even that high.”

“Yeah, we can take him.”

“Ooh! Nice gear.”

“Let's strip it off him.”

According to the Appraisal Skill, the Executioner was level 285.

Back during the prologue of Episode 6, that would have been a level they would not even have dreamed of challenging, but not anymore.

The Heroes stared at the Executioner with vicious expressions. One of them even licked their lips as though looking at a delicious meal. Their intensity was so fierce that the Executioner visibly flinched.

The Executioner cleared his throat and took something from inside his clothes.

It was a sphere containing enormous energy. When the Executioner threw the sphere into empty space, the air rippled, and something enormous appeared.

It was a gigantic, hideously deformed monster. It looked as though an ogre and a troll had been fused together and fitted with machinery. A barcode indicating that it was a Test Subject had been engraved onto its chest, and a collar resembling a control device hung around its neck.

GRRRRRAAAAAAA!

The giant monster roared.

A shockwave burst outward and swept through the surroundings, causing the soldiers' bodies to explode.

The Heroes used their Appraisal Skills on the monster.

“L-Level 304....”

“Is it a boss monster?”

It was a level 304 boss monster.

They could feel endless hatred and rage from it.

The monster reached out, grabbed a pillar, smashed it free, and wielded it like a club.

GRAAAAAAAH!

When it swung the pillar, the nearby soldiers were swept away. The Heroes retreated a long distance and stared at the monster.

“Test Subject No. 21.”

JOLT!

When the Executioner held up the control device and called the monster's name, the monster, Test Subject No. 21, abruptly stopped moving.

“Destroy them.”

The muscles of Test Subject No. 21 swelled enormously.

It began charging toward the Heroes like a dump truck. The Executioner was already a difficult opponent, and with Test Subject No. 21 added to the fight, the situation became hopeless.

“U-Uwaaagh!”

UruBear blocked Test Subject No. 21's charge with his shield, but he was sent flying backward and slammed into the wall.

Its strength was tremendous.

When the Executioner swung his hammer, space distorted and bore down on the Heroes.

The soldiers opened fire from every direction.

“U-Ugh! We're gonna get wiped out at this rate! Requesting support! Is there anyone who can support us?”

Haebyul shouted while dodging attacks.

[Every Hero on the Satellite Weapon is currently engaged in combat! Haebyul-nim's group has penetrated the deepest!]

There was no support.

Somehow, they had to combine the strength of the Heroes here and break through. The mages erected shields to block the hail of bullets and deflected the shockwave unleashed by the Executioner.

“Hehehe! Hahahaha! Die! You vermin!”

The Executioner raised his hammer and laughed loudly in delight. He even had the leisure to taunt the Heroes. The Heroes bristled with anger, but the situation continued to worsen.

“Ghk!”

“Crazy...! He's fucking strong!”

“Th-That thing's seriously bad news!”

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Test Subject No. 21 stamped its feet and snorted as though it were a bull preparing to charge. Enormous energy erupted from Test Subject No. 21's body and vaporized the surrounding debris.

The Priests reinforced the shield with Sacred Spells, but it did not look like they would be able to stop it.

[An A-rank energy response has been detected! Get out of there immediately!]

“There's nowhere to run!”

[...Good luck.]

That was all the operator could say.

Just as Test Subject No. 21 was about to charge the Heroes,

PLING-LING-LING!

Suddenly, the sound of an instrument rang out, completely out of place in the situation. Even the soldiers flinched and stopped firing, while Test Subject No. 21 stumbled slightly. The Executioner, who had been about to attack, also lowered his hammer and raised his head.

As the sound of the instrument rang even louder from above, the Heroes tilted their heads and looked upward.

A suspicious man wearing a white mask adorned with a bird feather and dressed in a white robe was playing a small guitar.

“O light that illuminates despair! Your courage has summoned me!”

PLING-LING!

His skill with the instrument was terrible.

He was basically just plucking the guitar strings.

“I am the adversary of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire! The white bird that symbolizes freedom!”

PLING-LING! TWANG!

As he plucked the strings, one snapped.

He set the instrument down and raised both hands. His white robe billowed outward, taking the shape of wings.

Haebyul's mouth fell open.

The other Heroes reacted the same way.

“I am the Adversary of Light! The Mage of Hope! White of the White Wings! Brave ones! I have come to aid you!”

Haebyul blinked.

His voice was low, and his face and entire body were covered. He was even wearing high-heeled shoes, yet for some reason she felt like she knew exactly who he was.

That distinctive presence, like a halo and brilliant light were radiating from him, was impossible to hide.

Leon...-nim? What is Leon-nim doing here?

Haebyul nearly blurted out the name, but held it back.

[His Majesty Leon? What is he doing there? I'll establish communications....]

“W-Wait. Um..., let's just watch for now.”

The operator had also immediately recognized the man's identity.

When the operator tried to establish communications with Leon, Haebyul desperately stopped them. Somehow, it felt like this was the kind of atmosphere where they were not supposed to say his name.

“B-But Leo..., no, um..., the Mage of Hope?”

“Well..., that's what he called himself....”

The Heroes tilted their heads.

Leon could use magic, but he was not skilled enough with it to be called a mage. His primary weapon was the Holy Sword.

When Leon raised a hand, a solid steel staff was summoned.

It was thick and long. A huge ball made of a special alloy was attached to the end, making it look incredibly heavy.

“White Magic First Form....”

Leon spoke as though chanting an incantation and raised the steel staff.

Was he going to cast magic?

And what was White Magic?

All the Heroes stared at Leon.

Leon gripped the steel staff tightly, then

“Iron Spear!”

He shouted the activation phrase and hurled it straight at Test Subject No. 21.

KRAAAAAASH!

The steel staff flew at tremendous speed and buried itself in Test Subject No. 21's body, sending the monster flying sideways into the wall.

Leon nodded proudly.

“...That's magic?”

“Looks more like brute force....”

No matter how they looked at it, he had simply thrown a sturdy steel staff with incredible strength.

Haebyul and UruBear stared blankly.

[...We will mark the individual designated White as an ally. A-Anyway, he appears to be a powerful reinforcement.]

The operator sounded extremely flustered.

They could hear a commotion coming from command.

-Leon-nim?

-No....

-Uh....

-Um..., guys, let's keep this secret for now.

-Let's protect Leon-nim!

As the scene was rapidly shared, the communication channel came alive.

The strongest reinforcement of them all!

White, the Mage of Hope, had appeared!

*****

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