“Now, everyone, gather around.”
Leaving the giant to inhale potatoes, Sinhyeok gathered the others.
“I have some good news.”
When Sinhyeok said he had good news, everyone looked slightly expectant.
“We’ve found a way to escape from here.”
At those words, everyone cheered.
“Finally!”
“We’re getting out of this damned neighborhood!”
But at the words that immediately followed, they all fell silent.
“However, we can’t leave right away. We need to make a device that will let us get out, but we’re short on materials.”
The old knight, Malakai, Namgung Jincheon, and even Sohye all wore regretful expressions.
“Ugh.”
“So what, exactly, are we lacking?”
[Extraction - Fragment of Bu Sinhyeok’s Origin]
He immediately took the core out of his lower dantian and showed it to them.
“We need several tons of this thing, but exactly how much?”
[When converted into internal energy, the currently required estimate is assessed to be 200 gapja.]
“Two hundred gapja of internal energy.”
Namgung Jincheon and Jegal Seyun’s mouths clamped shut.
The residents, unfamiliar with the concept, looked at the two of them.
When the two kept their mouths firmly closed, their gazes naturally turned to Sohye.
Namgung Sohye raised two fingers and said,
“One gapja is sixty years, so two hundred times sixty is…”
Malakai explained the rest.
“It is energy accumulated over twelve thousand years. I once heard a brief explanation of internal energy from them.”
He compared it to magic, which the residents were at least somewhat familiar with, so they could understand more easily.
“The amount a mage who has only just awakened to magic would gather over sixty years is one gapja. Ordinarily, that amount corresponds to around the 5th or 6th Circle.”
Graywane said with a startled expression,
“At that Circle, wouldn’t one normally be able to cast 6th Circle magic at least ten times?”
“That’s right. Two hundred gapja is an enormous amount.”
Everyone was stunned by the sheer quantity of energy.
“Wait. Young captain, you’ve got that much in your body?”
A startled resident looked at Sinhyeok.
“The problem is that I don’t. We need to solve that now. Fortunately, we have a method.”
Everyone perked up their ears.
“Levels. We awakened, didn’t we? Though all of your levels are probably extremely low.”
“Right! No matter how much we hunt, it doesn’t go up!”
“Exactly! Only the skill levels tick up!”
Everyone vented their frustration about their stagnant levels.
“To solve that, we have to enter something called a gate, break the core I showed you, and absorb it.”
“Ahhh!”
Everyone nodded.
“So we’re going to do that, but the things that come out of those gates are dangerous bastards, just like last time.”
At that, the people began murmuring among themselves.
Seeing signs of worry on their faces, Sinhyeok gave them a warning in advance.
“But this time, it’ll be a little different. We’ll summon them to a place we’ve designated beforehand. In other words, we’ll set traps in advance, call them in, and then slash them down. Okay?”
As everyone instantly understood the operation, wicked smiles spread across their faces.
“Oh!!”
“That’s a very fine idea.”
Sinhyeok smiled in satisfaction and addressed the residents.
“So everyone, please keep working hard like you are now. I’ll call you again when we’re ready.”
[Beginning virtual simulation of the Gate Towing Device.]
Once again, Sinhyeok’s mental power began spinning fiercely.
“Good. One thing’s been settled.”
As Sinhyeok watched the residents scatter in all directions, he felt as though he had forgotten something.
“Ah. Our Opsir…!”
He remembered only now.
“I need to fix this guy too.”
[Currently simulating the Gate Towing Device.]
“Fine. You’re telling me not to talk to you, right?”
[Correct.]
The Akashic was developing by the day.
[Multi-mode will be possible once sufficient mental power has been secured.]
“Yeah. I’ll make it myself, so don’t worry.”
With no other choice, Sinhyeok picked up the broken Opsir.
“I should take another look at the spaceship.”
* * *
Sinhyeok entered the spaceship the giant had brought over.
He returned to the captain’s room and looked around the space once more.
“It’s fascinating. A spaceship…”
Sinhyeok projected a map into the air and slowly looked around.
‘It’d be nice if I could revive this thing as it is.’
Soon, he left the captain’s room and headed to the engine room where the engine was located.
“Wow. It’s completely burned.”
It was pitch-black.
Anyone could tell it was in no condition to be used.
Even so, when he touched it, his hand came away covered in dust and soot.
“This place is beyond saving.”
He left the engine room and headed to another area.
Looking at the map, he went to the place that occupied the largest space in the center.
“What’s this?”
[It is a cultivation chamber.]
[This flight vessel was the final ship sent down with the purpose of pioneering and settling a new planet.]
He heard bleak news.
[All currently stored fetuses and seeds have rotted and cannot be used.]
When he went inside, the vast interior was filled with rows of cultivation tubes.
“Seeing this reminds me of that fierce elf lady. I wonder if she’s doing well these days.”
For some reason, it stirred up a nostalgic feeling.
“She said what she wanted was an elixir.”
[Elixir.]
[A mythical potion passed down through oral tradition, said to be a miracle medicine capable of reviving even the dead.]
[No specific manufacturing method has been handed down.]
[However, several oral traditions related to it exist.]
[Most claim it was made by melting down a god.]
“…”
That was a pretty horrifying turn of events, wasn’t it?
“I don’t really want to know. I suddenly lost interest.”
Sinhyeok left the cultivation chamber and carefully checked the map.
“There aren’t any weapons here.”
[Most of the weapons appear to have been lost.]
[However, the main cannon, the ship’s shield, and auxiliary cannons are installed.]
[At maximum power, this main cannon can erase the nation of the Republic of Korea in an instant.]
“Wow. Now I really want it.”
[If you restore the ship, you can have it.]
For some reason, the Akashic was coaxing him gently.
What was this thing planning to do later?
“Let’s put it on hold for now. How am I supposed to fix this?”
At that moment, the system displayed a notification.
[Notification.]
[The production simulation for the Gate Towing Device has been completed.]
[Would you like to begin production?]
“Hold on. Let me finish looking around here.”
[Production has been put on hold.]
“If I do that, I’m going to collapse again, aren’t I?”
It was only a guess, but the higher the production difficulty, the more he had to pay for the convenience by fainting.
[Correct. Your insufficient mental power must be compensated for with stamina and lifespan.]
“When I think about it, you’re pretty vicious too.”
[The expression ‘vicious’ is inappropriate. Please consider it merely the optimal method for achieving the objective.]
“Hmph!”
It seemed he really didn’t get along with that thing.
“What’s over there? The door’s size is kind of awkward.”
[Checking.]
[That space appears to be the server room.]
“Let’s check only that, then make the Gate Towing Device.”
Sinhyeok headed straight to the server room.
When he forcibly tore open the entrance and went inside, the interior was quite intact.
“This place is in the best condition.”
[It appears reusable.]
[If the engine and automatic operation program are restored, most functions can be used again.]
“What does the engine use?”
[As an engine utilizing antimatter…]
“Yeah, no explanations. Just from that, I can tell it’s something I won’t understand.”
[Correct. A considerable amount of information is required to understand it.]
“What kinds of substitutes are there?”
[Cores. However, they must be cores that can be used continuously, and not one-time-use.]
At that explanation, three beings naturally came to mind.
The Akashic immediately voiced that thought.
[As entities suitable as substitutes for the engine:]
[1. Blue.]
[2. The Night World Tree.]
[3. Administrator.]
“Ha, haha…”
[Among these, the currently most suitable being is the Administrator.]
“Why! Me!”
[The Administrator is less utilized. Usage frequency is low. The World Tree is continuously operating the system.]
“…”
[The Administrator is the most efficient.]
It was true.
But why say it again?
“Fine. We’ll pass for now.”
After looking around the entire interior of the spaceship, Sinhyeok came out and immediately gave the Akashic an order.
“Make the Towing Device right away.”
Wooooong.
Once again, he heard the sound of his head spinning.
“Ugh. Why can’t I get used to this?”
Sinhyeok sat beneath the World Tree and waited calmly.
As he waited for the pain to subside, he looked over the spaceship.
‘Is that the main cannon?’
Below the captain’s room, he could see something resembling a massive gun barrel.
Were the things attached here and there energy emitters used as support weapons?
It looked highly useful in many ways.
[Production complete.]
A black crystal orb appeared in Sinhyeok’s hand.
“How do I use it?”
[An object to track the coordinates is required. You must use traces of an entity that came from the target to be towed.]
[It is advantageous if the entity is alive, or if its soul is engraved.]
“So you’re telling me I need to search the corpses.”
[Correct.]
“I’ll send Ichan to secure that.”
“Me? You want me to search corpses?”
Ichan, who had been near the World Tree, reacted to Sinhyeok’s words.
“Yeah~ Go see if there’s anything useful.”
“Got it!”
And with that, Ichan disappeared.
Soon, Sinhyeok glanced once more at the spaceship that kept catching his eye.
Then he looked at it superimposed over the World Tree.
“What do you think about expanding this and reviving it?”
[I do not understand the question.]
“I’m saying we combine this spaceship with the place where the World Tree is. Then can’t we make this city float around? Is that too absurd?”
[Analyzing data.]
[Feasibility.]
The Akashic suddenly cut off mid-sentence.
A moment later.
[Feasibility: 65%]
[There are substitutes for the main engine, but expanding the flight devices that lift the vessel is difficult.]
“Let’s replace that with magic.”
[Mana consumption will increase enormously.]
[A substitute related to this exists in the Doom Realm.]
[It has been confirmed that a past passenger discovered a mineral with the property of controlling gravity.]
“So you’re saying it can be done.”
[Yes.]
Sinhyeok soothed his regret as he looked at the spaceship.
“Can we at least revive that main cannon and the weapons for now?”
[It is possible. However, please choose a substitute for the main engine.]
“Urgh.”
Blue, who was passing by, subtly glanced at him.
Then he stiffly turned his head and swiftly ran away.
“Hey! You coward!”
“No!”
Blue caught on and hurriedly fled.
“Blue is out.”
[The remaining entities are the World Tree or the Administrator.]
[My recommendation is to use the Administrator as the engine’s power source…]
“Sssip.”
[At present, that is appropriate.]
“Sssip!”
[Even so, there is no other method…]
“To think I’d end up as a living battery…!”
[If the World Tree grows sufficiently, you will be able to escape.]
[Of course, other substitutes also exist. Demon kings, for example.]
Life returned to Sinhyeok’s eyes.
“Oh. They’ll work too?”
[It is possible. Of course, suitable restraints and measures are required, but securing just two Demon Kings would be enough to operate the spaceship.]
“Nice. Draw up the design for now.”
[Yes. I will proceed with the design in the direction of producing the spaceship as a golem.]
[Shall the ego of this golem reuse ‘Opsir’?]
“Yeah. And additionally, make it so it can self-produce unmanned craft and control drones en masse.”
[Understood. I will add a function that uses the cultivation chamber to autonomously gather resources and produce unmanned craft.]
[Shall the golem’s main functions be the spaceship’s basic functions, unmanned craft production and control, resource gathering, and exploration?]
“Yeah. And make sure the unmanned craft have a good exploration function. Add stealth too.”
[Yes.]
[Design in progress.]
[Estimated time until design completion: 49 hours, 35 minutes, 24 seconds.]
“Good. It’s progressing steadily.”
Now there was only one thing to do.
Wait.
“Now it’s your turn to suffer.”
Sinhyeok smiled wickedly.
Then he thought of Earth.
‘The place that needs this the most right now is Earth.’
“Akashic. We can’t send the Gate Towing Device to Earth, can we?”
[It is difficult with current technology.]
“Tsk. That’s a shame.”
[However, the blueprint can be transmitted.]
“What?! They can make it there?”
[There are several individuals suited to understanding the blueprint.]
“Then send it right now!”
[Executing.]
* * *
“Haha. To think it would be solved this easily.”
The interim Chairman of the Joint Chiefs looked at the citizens standing within the enormous magic circle.
“So these crystals are all magic and abilities?”
At his question, I Gangyeol nodded.
“If we process them and supply them to the front lines, even ordinary soldiers will be able to deal with monsters sufficiently.”
“Excellent. So we’re not completely doomed after all. But how do we process them?”
At that question, I Gangyeol thought of Bu Sinhyeok.
“In the past, a certain noncommissioned officer once produced something similar to this. We were able to apply it immediately by replacing the bullets’ warheads.”
“Ahh! Good. Then they can be used on the front lines right away!”
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs exclaimed in admiration.
“Where on earth is that noncommissioned officer! I should reward him at once.”
At that, I Gangyeol’s expression turned extremely bitter.
“He went somewhere far away, that damned bastard…”
When the interim Chairman of the Joint Chiefs heard I Gangyeol curse the unidentified noncommissioned officer, he roughly guessed who it was.
‘It’s him, then. The one he raised like a son…’
“Ahem. Then keep up the good work. I’ll go inspect the other fronts.”
“Loyalty.”
[Quest assigned.]
[The Night World Tree assigns a special mission to you and several others.]
“Hm?”
I Gangyeol was bewildered by the system’s mention of a quest.
“Hey, Yggdrasil. What are you doing?”
[It is not me.]
[It is Notdrasil.]
Two messages appeared at the same time.
[Contents.]
[Let’s produce a Gate Towing Device.]
[The blueprint required for production will be provided.]
For a moment, I Gangyeol could not understand what they were being asked to produce, but once he finished looking over the blueprint, he grinned broadly.
“Bu Sinhyeok, you little shit!”
He clenched both fists tightly.
‘It’s time to change the course of this war.’
Every member of the battalion workshop came pouring out.
“Hey! You ignorant human bastard!”
“Something fun came out! It’s that guy’s handiwork!”
“My. How did he come up with something this novel?”
“It’s fairly difficult, but it looks interesting.”
I Gangyeol looked at them and chuckled.
“Let’s make it right away.”