[Personal firearm K2 production completed.]
“…….”
[70 mortars have also been completed.]
[Production of the requested white phosphorus rounds has also been completed.]
Dumbfounded…….
Sinhyeok didn’t even have the strength to speak.
His mind felt utterly parched.
“…Am I alive?”
[You are breathing, so you are alive.]
“You’re totally a T.”
[This AI is a search assistant of the Akashic Cabinet that cannot be defined by MBTI.]
“Forget it. Tell them to take the stuff and train, and gather only the company commanders. We have to plan the next combat operation.”
[This AI is not equipped with communication functions. I recommend using the Golem Obsir.]
“Ugh, would it kill you to just do it? You’re connected anyway.”
- Shall I call the company commanders?
“Yeah. Tell them to come.”
- Calling all company commanders.
Baek Arin, Jegal Seyun, and Graywain approach.
“Mister. Are you alive? Your eyes look like they’ve rolled back.”
“They’ll come back soon. Just a moment.”
Sinhyeok staggered and barely stood up, leaning against the World Tree.
“Huuuuh.”
[Inhaling the World Tree’s phytoncides.]
[Your mind is quickly calming down.]
“Commander, sir, we’re all gathered.”
Sinhyeok looked at those assembled and announced the next battle.
“Have you all received the equipment?”
Graywain smirked.
“Aye. Received them well. From this morning, we began mortar training, and from the afternoon, we divided into teams and are training with personal firearms as well.”
When Sinhyeok’s gaze turned to Jegal Seyun, he spoke with a confident expression.
“Though we are also few in number, we are training so that we can function as both martial artists and soldiers. We are training with personal firearms as well. For your information, I plan to make them a unit specialized in formations. I’ll show you soon.”
He spoke with conviction.
“I look forward to it.”
Baek Arin looked at Sinhyeok with a meaningful gaze.
“You’ll do well.”
“Oh, come on. Still, you have to wait. There’s still a difficult problem, so I’ll tell you later.”
At Baek Arin’s words that she needed more time, Sinhyeok nodded.
‘It must be a holy power supply issue. I need to resolve it quickly…….’
First, he brought up the matters to convey.
Everyone focused their attention.
“First, I have something to announce regarding the next battle. This time, we will only open the portal and charge in.”
“Hrmm.”
“Heh-hehm.”
Jegal Seyun and Graywain made slightly flustered expressions.
“Are you saying we will charge in? Our forces are in good shape right now, but even so, charging in…….”
Graywain wondered if that was really possible.
“Of course, it would be too much with our current forces. Last time, the enemy forces we actually faced were limited.”
“Aye. That’s right.”
Jegal Seyun nodded in agreement.
“So it’s not an all-out war like you’re thinking. The main mission is to cause some confusion and capture a few prisoners.”
Everyone was bewildered by the word ‘prisoners.’
“Prisoners? I question why we need prisoners.”
Jegal Seyun raised the question.
“Strictly speaking, it’s my problem.”
When Sinhyeok said it was his own problem, everyone looked at him even more puzzled.
“Transmutation, that is, alchemy, has reached its limit.”
At those words, Malakai, who had been observing quietly from behind in an adjutant role, let out an exclamation.
“Ah. That’s right. That ability wouldn’t use mana.”
“So with my current abilities, there are limits to the equipment and weapons I can create. To improve this, I need mental-type demons.”
It was a battle with a clear objective.
Therefore, they had to strike and withdraw as quickly as possible.
“Hrmm.”
“I see.”
“The strategy I have in mind is as follows. First, we will unleash fire with mortars and modified white phosphorus rounds before entering the portal.”
Everyone listened to Sinhyeok’s words intently.
“After that, amid the confusion, we will deploy Sir Namgung Jincheon, the giant, and Hong Ichan to secure as many prisoners as possible, then return and close the portal. That is the core of the operation.”
“The plan sounds simple. However, the key is how much chaos we can cause. Shouldn’t there be something more after a one-sided bombardment?”
Graywain listened carefully to the details and offered an opinion.
“Wouldn’t we need to cover them with fog or something like last time to carry out the mission safely? The demons won’t just stand there and take it when we hit them.”
At this, Jegal Seyun raised his hand.
“That’s perfect timing. We’ll take care of that. After bombarding them with those mortars, we’ll cover the enemy territory in fog.”
Sinhyeok was bewildered by Jegal Seyun’s confident proposal.
“Is that possible?”
“It is. As it happens, that’s exactly what the martial artists I brought were training in.”
It scratched the exact itchy spot perfectly.
“Smooth. Now what remains is.”
[The Gate connection using the traction engine.]
“Where was the demon we captured again?”
[Corporal Hong Ichan buried it in a tunnel outside the castle.]
“Hm.”
He went straight to that location.
When they dug up the ground, an emaciated vampire barely spoke with a strained face.
“D, don’t bury me.”
Sinhyeok crouched down and looked at him.
“I won’t bury you anymore.”
At the words that he wouldn’t be buried, the vampire’s expression brightened slightly.
“But first, I need to twist you up with Resurrection Herb to make this easy.”
*Tuk.*
A fragment of Resurrection Herb fell toward him with a light tap.
The vampire, seeing it fall on his eyelid, was bewildered.
“Wh, what are you… trying to do, kuaaaack!”
The root of the Resurrection Herb instantly grew, piercing through the vampire’s eye and spreading out.
“Kuaaaack!”
The vampire twisted his body this way and that in agony, thrashing about.
“Send him through.”
[A sacrifice for the Gate traction engine has been selected.]
A horrifying statement came out.
“Sa, save me……!”
Sinhyeok buried the bastard again.
“That’s roughly done.”
Sinhyeok made a determined expression.
“Hit hard and fast, then get out.”
* * *
Dantalian and Andras gazed emptily at their world that had become ruins.
“We got robbed. Every last bit.”
“Damn it.”
Ash scattered over the burned-out ruins.
“Th, th…… son of a bitch!”
Andras spat out curses with a choked-up face.
Soon, he looked up with a defeated expression.
“Ah. I’m screwed.”
Sssst. Sssshhk.
A portal forming in the sky.
Andras, seeing this, shouted with a choked voice.
“There’s nothing! You bastard! I said nothing! Fine! You bastards’ necks!”
Dantalian saw the newly formed portal and grabbed him.
“Why! You bastard! You’re stopping me when I see that?! And you call yourself a demon! Huh!”
Dantalian smirked and said.
“Let’s send that upward.”
“What?”
“Let’s send it to the others too. We just have to pass the space along as is.”
At those words, Andras immediately understood and his expression changed drastically.
“Good. It would be a shame to keep something that nice to ourselves.”
The two immediately got up, clasped hands, and cut through space.
“Bon voyage.”
“Go give the others the same treatment!”
The space where the portal connected was cut and sent off somewhere.
Watching the disappeared portal, the two giggled.
“It would be a shame if only we suffered.”
“Right. While they’re getting hit, let’s quickly expand our kin~”
Andras looked at the disappeared portal and asked Dantalian.
“But where did you send it?”
Dantalian smiled slyly and said.
“To Astaroth, the one whose abilities overlap with mine.”
* * *
Astaroth’s massive palace.
There, Astaroth, with impoverished wings that had mostly lost their feathers, gazed out over the great battlefield of the Demon War.
Srrrk.
A snake was slithering around one of his arms.
He stroked it and asked his subordinate.
“How many worlds have entered beneath my wings?”
“A total of 42 worlds have entered the embrace of the great master.”
Astaroth faintly brightened his faded halo and smiled.
“Two more worlds have increased in that time. Well done.”
At the master’s praise, the subordinate with marble-like skin smiled.
“A total of forty-two Demon Kings have been born. I am pleased.”
The master was very pleased, so the subordinate also smiled.
“More importantly, Lucifer, that bastard, told me to withdraw troops. Tch.”
Astaroth made a displeased expression.
“My master. How shall we prepare?”
“Prepare about 2 realms. Split the source and send them to the Ruin Realm.”
Astaroth begrudged the worlds that would be consumed.
“Since opening a portal straight to the Ruin Realm means we don’t know what madman might be there.”
The subordinate quietly bowed his head.
“I will select the two lowest-class Demon Kings.”
“Yes. Prepare it so, Carrion.”
Astaroth stood up with a relaxed expression, fluttering his wings that had lost their feathers as he came down the stairs.
“I should toy with a pure human cozily in my bedroom.”
“Shall I prepare slaves?”
“No need. Today, I intend to wander around myself. Sometimes you have to put in the effort directly for it to be enjoyable.”
He smiled leisurely, looking forward to the pleasure.
“Hm?”
Walking, Astaroth suddenly stopped.
Soon, he looked to the side.
The large glass window inside the palace.
Beyond it, red shells covering the sky were fully visible.
“Carrion. Has someone opened a festival around here?”
“Th, that can’t be! How dare someone in the master’s territory! What bastard!”
Carrion hurriedly ran out and followed his master’s gaze.
There, enormous red shells were flying in.
“Uh.”
And the shells reached right in front of his nose.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang! Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!
Shells struck Astaroth’s massive palace in succession.
The palace began to shake.
“Kueok! Damn it! What is going on!”
Astaroth wrapped himself with his wings that had lost their feathers.
“How dare some bastard!”
When the bombardment ended, the palace’s outer walls collapsed and fell to the ground.
He was dumbfounded by the absurd situation around him.
“Uwooooh!”
“Sa, save us!”
“Hot! Save me!”
“…….”
The demons in the palace were engulfed in flames and turning to ash.
The flames did not stop, continuing to burn the surroundings.
“Th, th-this!”
Astaroth flew into a rage seeing this sight.
“Carrion! Summon the nearest Demon King immediately! Find out who attacked right now!”
“Yes! My master!”
The moment Astaroth’s order fell, kwa-a-ang!
A giant stepped foot out of the portal opened in the sky.
Kwa-a-a-a-ang!!
The earth struck by the giant’s foot caved in deeply.
“I, I found him. I, it’s him!”
Carrion pointed at the giant blankly.
Einri smirked, looking at Astaroth inside the collapsed palace.
“Found you, demon! Today, I’ll stomp you underfoot.”
Srrrk.
Shadow fell over Astaroth’s sky.
He threw his body aside in panic.
Kwa-a-a-a-ang!!
Astaroth’s palace was completely smashed to pieces.
Looking at his smashed palace, Astaroth made a dumbfounded expression.
“Wh, why! Why is a giant here!”
Soon, fog thickened around them.
“Damn it! Carrion! Right now!”
“Ueok!”
“Noooo!”
“Who are yooou!”
“Kueok!”
Death throes passed, and the giant immediately disappeared.
Soon, as the fog scattered, only his territory in ruins was visible.
“…….”
Carrion glanced around furtively and reported to Astaroth.
“Th, they’re gone.”
“I know too.”
Astaroth let out a hollow laugh, recalling the giant he had seen.
“It was definitely a giant. A descendant of the Giantkin.”
“Y, yes!”
“He must have come from the Ruin Realm.”
Carrion ducked his head tightly.
“I am amending the order I gave earlier.”
“Yes, yes!”
“Summon all Demon Kings and gather all forces. Open the portal immediately.”
Astaroth smiled a mad smile and cursed at whoever it was.
“How dare this fucking bastard! Touch me? Me!? I won’t let it go, kuaaack!”
* * *
“A huge catch!”
“Oh my! It’s a bountiful harvest!”
Namgung Jincheon and Hong Ichan had captured several prisoners with their respective powers.
Demons whose muscles were paralyzed by the Demonic Thunder came out in a line,
and demons whose bodies had stiffened from Hong Ichan’s necromancy were dragged out like sausages.
“Keep them secure and watch them in shifts, you two!”
“Understood.”
Sinhyeok smiled in satisfaction, recalling the scene from earlier.
“Mixing in the World Tree leaves was a good call. It seemed to work well.”
[It appears to be an effective countermeasure against demons.]
“Let’s not go back in for now. We have things to do immediately.”
[Shall we proceed with Project Name: Mountain Sacrifice?]
“Yeah. Let’s bring one of them over first. Let’s check if we can remodel it by mixing my skill with black magic.”