Free Web NovelEarth NO.843 Black Tower Management Office.
The administrators were currently in a state of panic.
Kabalan’s Curse of Average had been lifted.
For the time being, the work of accelerating the Tower collapse was a lost cause.
Despite all that, the damn Earth NO.1001 Summoner showed no signs of tiring.
Five times a day, and extremely fast at that, he was climbing the Tower like a madman.
The floors in the 70s here were downgraded versions of the giant beasts from the 80th Floor range.
Even so, they were absolutely not easy for Players.
They were much more difficult than the undead zone.
Because their sheer size was overwhelming.
But that Summoner was a Player who had even finished the giant beast zone above the 81st Floor with the highest-grade clears.
Mere large beasts?
They would not even be a snack for him.
They knew this too.
What he had done on Earth NO.675 and Earth NO.1001.
His goal was surely the 90th Floor clear.
To fill the sinkholes and make the monsters disappear.
They had to stop him.
This was not about whether they could mine dimensional energy or not.
Their lives were on the line.
[Has there still been no contact from headquarters?]
[N-Not yet. It seems they are deliberating on their end as well.]
[Shit! What is there to deliberate about?]
Blocking entry entirely was impossible.
They had to let him enter somehow.
In the past, when the 91st Floor and above had been terminals connected to other worlds, they could have banned dimensional travel after entry.
But after the Black Tower renewal, it had changed to direct entry with direct mission assignment, so that did not work either.
Only one method remained.
Let him enter the Tower, but do not assign a mission.
That was it.
They just needed headquarters to approve.
Then they could process it immediately.
[Surely headquarters isn’t thinking of giving up this time too?]
[No, there’s no way. If this place is taken from us too, there won’t be a single dimensional energy supply location left.]
That was right.
Headquarters would not give up.
They were surely formulating countermeasures even now.
[What if they send an archangel......]
[Hmph! Everyone knows, don’t they? That even if an archangel comes, it won’t work.]
[What about three archangels coming at once?]
[Whether it’s three or thirty, there’s no time. The 90th Floor clear must be stopped no matter what.]
They knew why headquarters was hesitating.
The aftermath of kicking away the ladder and blocking normal Tower progression.
If they did that and still could not stop the Summoner, the virus-like White Tower’s influence would grow to an unignorable degree.
But was this the time to be thinking about the aftermath?
When their own lives were at stake.
***
Juhyeok was at the White Tower 6th Floor Comprehensive Workshop Center.
It was an unexpected gain.
To think he had brought back a Mechanic Goliath Combat Golem from the 75th Floor.
He had to put this to use too.
There were only three for now, but if he cleared repeatedly, the numbers would increase.
‘If I deploy them for sinkhole wave defense, they should be useful.’
The size was just right.
Their movements would be more agile than the Gigant too.
But the 90th Floor would be cleared in a few days anyway.
Was there really a need to go this far?
‘No, it’s right to prepare excessively, even if it seems like overkill.’
You never knew what might happen in this world.
Would those administrator bastards just sit still?
They would try to obstruct the 90th Floor clear by any means necessary.
He absolutely could not let his guard down.
He was someone with experience clearing all the way through the 100th Floor.
On the other hand, they also had the experience of being cleared.
‘Just as I know the Black Tower, they must know me too.’
He always had to keep in mind that something could happen.
‘By the way, what was El researching with the archangel corpse?’
El showed Juhyeok the results of her research.
A cubic metal object roughly one meter in length, width, and height.
Circuits were engraved on its surface, along with unidentifiable formulas and patterns.
As expected, they seemed to be mana circuits.
Though its volume was quite large.
“This side has divine power storage circuits attached. I received Bardin’s help. And this side is demonic energy storage. Diamat lent her strength. The inside is filled with highest-grade Magic Stones, and here......”
The part El was pointing to.
There was a deep groove carved into it, as if something could be inserted.
“It’s empty?”
“Yes, but there is something to put in. It’s the most crucial component.”
Crucial, she said.
“It’s this.”
“Ah!”
The cylindrical metal rod El showed him.
“This is from the dimensional energy storage......”
“That’s correct.”
A cylindrical rod about one meter long.
It was definitely a battery.
It would contain dimensional energy.
He had researched hard to figure out how to use it, but ultimately could not discover anything.
Dimensional energy was not ordinary energy as they knew it.
It was likely a power related to the Authority of Creation.
“This cubic component is a copy of an archangel’s heart—the engine core—as closely as possible. The reason the device is this large is to accommodate the dimensional energy rod.”
El then began explaining the device.
‘I see.’
He did not really understand even after hearing the explanation, but he nodded along anyway.
“Actually, this was an Archangel Heart Engine Core device I made to install in the Gigant. But because the Gigant’s size was far too massive, the output was woefully insufficient.”
Ah!
“I was about to manufacture a smaller golem when just then......”
“The Mechanic Goliath Combat Golem came along?”
“Yes, exactly.”
A ten-meter-tall combat golem.
The perfect size for installing the Archangel Mana Core Device.
“Then I’ll try installing it.”
They came out to a wide open area.
El removed the existing engine core installed in the chest and inserted the newly manufactured Archangel Engine Core.
After connecting circuits, checking for errors, and finishing the welding of the chest armor plate.
He was curious.
Would it move?
“Is this one a manual type, by any chance?”
“It’s a manual and automatic hybrid. You can operate it with a remote, and when combat begins, you can activate the Active Combat Ego System.”
“So it can move on its own even without Dr. El present?”
“That’s right. I transplanted the Magnus Gigant Ego Function, so it’s optimized for Tower monster combat.”
When El pressed the remote button with a click!
-Ziiing! Clank! Ziiing! Clank!
The Mechanic Goliath Combat Golem began to activate.
“Ohhh!”
It was moving.
The connected movements were very smooth too.
He wanted to see it fight.
Then?
“Meatshield-ssi, I’m sorry, but......”
“Understood. This warrior will be its opponent.”
Then El manipulated the golem’s mana circuit.
“I’ve set Meatshield-ssi as the enemy.”
Click!
The Active Combat Ego System activated.
-Swoosh!
The golem’s head turned toward the gigantified Meatshield.
“Come at me!” freewebnøvel.com
In that instant!
-TSHHT!
A destruction beam fired.
When Meatshield blocked the beam with his palm.
-SPOT!
It charged straight at Meatshield.
-SHWAAAAK!
-CRASH!
The combat golem’s massive body slam.
But Meatshield did not budge an inch.
“Weak.”
Of course it would be.
“What about against a Death Knight? Could it crush one?”
“This warrior thinks it would be more than enough. It would win even if five or six attacked at once.”
Perfect.
The engine core contained divine power too.
But it seemed there was more to show.
Dr. El, the magical engineering expert, raised the remote.
“Now I’ll activate the core function.”
Hm?
“Core function?”
Moving and fighting were not everything?
“There’s a fission option.”
“......What?”
Did he mishear?
Fission?
Click!
El pressed the red button on the remote.
That was when it happened.
-FLASH!
-CRRRRZZZZT!
-Swoong, swoong, swoong, swoong......
The Mechanic Goliath Combat Golem began to divide.
“Th-This is insane!”
So this was it.
The core function, that is.
The Replica Archangel Heart Engine Core equipped with dimensional energy.
It was the Power of Creation.
Golems generated endlessly like copy and paste.
Division did not mean illusions or holograms.
They had physical substance and exhibited power similar to the original.
-Swoong, swoong, swoong, swoong......
Before long, the fission stopped.
Wow!
What on earth......
“How many?”
“About fifty. That’s disappointing. I thought it would divide into more.”
So she installed a replicated Archangel Engine Core in a golem, and an ordinary golem transformed into a fission golem?
“This seems too OP.”
“Don’t worry. It ain’t too OP.”
Why?
“If it were too OP, we’d have to start with the archangels. Same goes for the Great Sage Equal to Heaven’s fur. Besides, the fission count is only fifty.”
That was true.
Dimensional energy itself was the Authority of Creation, wasn’t it?
It was the power of gods.
Deus Ex Machina.
The White Tower’s influence—God Baek’s influence—was actually related to dimensional energy when you looked into it.
After all, the White Tower itself was a space of creation.
A base environment that could be changed at will, plus copy and paste.
Fifty-unit golem fission was actually tame in comparison.
“How many Dimensional Energy Fuel Rods are there?”
“Excluding the ones sent for commissioned research, there are 127.”
- If he secured 127 Mechanic Goliath Combat Golems, that meant he could obtain a large-scale army of 6,350 units.
“Can you reset the fission too?”
“Press the red button on the remote once more and they disappear.”
Good.
If he deployed these around sinkholes?
‘It would effectively be an automatic defense system.’
Fifty Level 75 Mechanic Goliath Combat Golems.
What would their power be like?
He was curious.
Let’s start with a trial operation.
***
Martial Law Commander Jeon Seongil received Juhyeok’s call and arrived at the military supply warehouse with Colonel Lee Minseon.
A warehouse where the logistics warp gate connected to the White Tower was installed.
They had not received any goods yet, nor sent any in.
“......You’re saying something will come out of here?”
“Yeah, that’s what he said.”
“Haah, honestly, I still feel like I’m dreaming. Nothing but unbelievable things.”
“Think I’m any different? Just accept it.”
Colonel Lee Minseon shrugged.
Then he glanced at Commander Jeon Seongil’s face.
“Commander!”
“What?”
“You look very healthy these days.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“I’m curious about your secret. Are you taking something special......?”
Jeon Seongil casually threw out,
“It’s because I awakened. I’m at Level 2 now.”
“Aha! So you awakened. That’s why you look so heal— wait.”
Hold on, he just heard something strange.
Awakened? No way?
Lee Minseon widened his eyes and asked again.
“Commander Jeon Seongil! I-I must have misheard.”
“I said I awakened. Summoner Bong Juhyeok-nim recommended that I awaken.”
“......H-He recommended it, and you awakened? How?”
How else?
By eating a rune.
That aside.
“I know I look healthy, but how is it? Do I look younger?”
Lee Minseon studied Jeon Seongil’s face carefully.
“I’m sorry, but age-wise, you look the same...... What about your Trait? Did you get a good one?”
“It’s something called [Superhuman Strength]......”
That was when it happened.
-Woong!
The logistics warp gate began to stir.
“It’s coming! Get ready.”
What could it be?
What kind of object?
Before long.
Something began to emerge.
-Swoooosh!
An object that looked like a massive metal lump.
That was when it happened.
The metal lump suddenly started growing larger.
-CLUNK, CLANK, ZIIING! CLUNK!
“Huk!”
It was not growing larger.
It was unfolding.
“Th-This is insane!”
“......Good heavens?”
It was a robot.
It had been curled up tight to come through the gate and was now standing itself upright.
Jeon Seongil and Lee Minseon stumbled backward.
A robot?
Why was that coming out?
In that instant!
“This is a golem I brought from the Tower.”
“Oh my! You startled me.”
“S-Summoner Bong-nim!”
Juhyeok and El had appeared before they knew it.
“......A golem? Is it like a summoned entity?”
“It’s not a summoned entity. Originally, it was a 75th Floor monster, the Mechanic Goliath Combat Golem. I brought it back and modified it.”
“......”
This was maddening.
Was that possible?
“It can also be piloted. With this remote.”
“Ahh......”
“Anyone want to try?”
Piloting?
Without any hesitation, both raised their hands.
“Me! I want to try.”
“Colonel, step back.”
“How could a general pilot a golem? I’ll do it.”
“It’s fine.”
“No. I’ll......”
“That’s an order.”
“......”
He pulled rank on him.
Jeon Seongil took the remote.
Following El’s instructions and pressing the buttons.
-ZIIING, CLANK, CLUNK, CLANK!
Walking, sitting, lying prone, running.
Almost all movements were implemented.
“Can it be deployed in combat too?”
“Of course. That’s what I brought it for.”
Then?
“In combat situations, press this blue button. The Active Ego System will activate and it will fight on its own.”
“Ah!”
“The target enemies are all Tower monsters. It won’t attack allies.”
Jeon Seongil’s eyes trembled.
A robot.
Its size alone was roughly ten meters.
How would people react when they saw this?
“I’m planning to unveil it at the Daegu sinkhole wave battle. Would that be alright?”
“W-Well, it should be fine.”
“Transportation is a bit of an issue. It can’t exactly walk there.”
He could have Rajix put it in his subspace backpack and deliver it.
But this golem was planned to be handed over to the Awakened Military.
Transportation and deployment would all have to be handled by the military.
“Don’t worry. We transport tanks, after all.”
Transportation was solved.
“How many regular Player Awakened Military defense units are there usually?” fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
“They’re divided into eight sectors, with one division deployed per sector.”
“Then let this one take charge of one sector.”
“Excuse me?”
One golem handling a division-level defense sector?
Was that possible?
“Don’t worry. You can pull the Players out. I promise you ironclad defense.”
“Uh, understood. I’ll reorganize the units.”
Tomorrow at twelve, they would be able to verify this thing’s true worth.
Before that, he should clear up to the 80th Floor and head to Daegu.
Or should he just go to Daegu and enter the Black Tower there?
“Oh! You know this red button?”
“Ah, yes, yes.”
“Press this button when combat really gets going.”
“......What will happen?”
“You’ll find out when you get there. Just don’t press it early.”
“Yes! Understood.”
He had to give them a surprise.
And late that night, a military trailer left Daejeon and headed for Daegu.
***
The next day.
Daegu Sinkhole Wave Defense Headquarters.
The Republic of Korea’s sinkhole wave defense battles had long since become a matter of global interest.
The brilliant new weapons first showcased in Chuncheon.
Everyone had watched closely.
The undead being helplessly sliced apart.
Their identity was holy-attribute weapons.
Holy Weapons.
Could they resist?
Oh my, I have to buy that.
It did not matter how many.
Were sinkhole waves all there was?
What about Tower conquest?
They had to break through the undead zone.
They had to stack collapse deadline overlap too.
So they flocked to Korea.
To watch the Holy Weapons’ performance with their own eyes and purchase them.
Actually, sinkholes where waves occurred were extremely dangerous zones that should be strictly controlled, but the Korean Martial Law Command allowed civilian access.
Thus, the people who came to observe the defense battle.
Domestic and foreign journalists, high-ranking officials dispatched from each nation, ambassadors, diplomats, and Players and military generals too.
To see the Holy Weapons with their own eyes.
Even better if they could purchase them and take them back to their home countries.
From early morning, observers chatted while waiting for the wave to begin at a specially prepared location.
“I never imagined it. He’s climbed to the 75th Floor.”
“I heard he’ll climb from the 80th Floor before the wave starts today.”
“That’s insane speed. The 90th Floor is right before his eyes. Everything might really end.”
“Then there’s no need to acquire weapons.”
“That’s not true. Who knows what unexpected situation might arise midway?”
“You’re right. And just the fact that they work on undead makes them valuable. We have to break through the undead zone. That’s how we can stack the collapse deadline.”
There was a monitor in front of the observer VIP section too.
They could see the units preparing for defense.
But then.
“Hm? That area...... has very few troops compared to other places?”
“You’re right. Excluding regular soldiers, I don’t see any Players.”
“Are they short on troops?”
“That can’t be right. Didn’t they succeed at the Chuncheon defense without any casualties?”
Then a large trailer arrived.
A vehicle carrying troops?
Or weapons?
The tarp covering the trailer bed was removed.
Simultaneously, something was revealed.
Something long and massive.
A metal structure......
Like a statue erected in a plaza.
That was when it happened!
-Creak-creak-creak!
The statue was being raised upright.
Then its form became clearly visible.
“Huh?”
“Huk!”
“Wh-What is that?”
“What in the world?”
“Good lord!”
ROKA—Republic of Korea Army—was engraved on its torso.
A large statue.
No, a robot.
A robot?
A model?
It was not.
-Creak, THUD! CLUNK, THUD!
The robot was getting up from the trailer and walking.
-THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!
And very stably at that.
The observers followed the robot with their eyes, dumbfounded.
What was this?
Why was a robot coming out of there?
And so, Mechanic Goliath Combat Golem Unit 1, equipped with the Replica Archangel Engine Core,
finally revealed itself at the Daegu Sinkhole Wave Defense battle site.
