EP.27 Resistance - 2
Having composed himself, Canisen turned his head sharply and shouted.
“If you’ve straightened yourselves out, come out quickly. We must hurry. There isn’t much time!”
It seemed Alpha and Beta weren’t the only ones who had sneaked into the supply crate. From deep within came an answer mixed with several voices. Right after, with bustling movement, two people grunting and carrying a square metal case climbed out of the supply crate.
Canisen gave them a glance, then strode over to me.
“Comrade.”
*Why am I your comrade, you bastard.* I snarled inwardly, while forcing a smile on my face. With a solemn expression, Canisen grabbed my shoulder tightly.
“We need your help, Comrade. In return, you will help us. Then we will help you escape from this place.”
“Escape? Really?”
“Of course. Unlike the military state, the Resistance does not lie to its citizens.”
*Haha. Sure. Escape, if you can call it that. A great escape to heaven, leaving your body behind.
Look at him, his face doesn’t even twitch. If I weren’t a mind-reader, I would’ve just stood by watching them set up bombs and been blown to bits without knowing anything.
Still, I mustn’t let on that I’ve caught on. The opponent is knight-class in power. Unarmed as I am, I can never match him. I must not give him an opening and follow his orders.
With a bitter smile, I pretended ignorance and gave him the reaction he wanted.*
“Escape? You’ll get me out of this godforsaken place where not even sunlight shines? Is that a promise?”
“Of course. I keep my promises.”
“Just leave it to me! How can I help you, Comrade!”
Canisen looked around once and fell into thought.
*‘The prison is larger than I thought. Even with the amount of explosives we brought, it’s impossible to destroy Tantalos completely. If we just blow up the cliff as originally planned, only the rock will collapse and the main facilities will be safe. What we need now is a point where we can cause maximum effect with minimal explosives. Since we’re here in the Abyss, I’d like to strike at the ground itself.’*
Having calmly laid out his plan, Canisen spoke to me.
“You said you’ve been here for a few days. Then you must have a rough idea of the layout of this oppressor’s prison.”
“Not everything, but I’ve looked around a bit. Apart from the prisoners who were here, I know best.”
“Good. Was there any place that seemed important? I mean, a place where there might be something worth noting.”
“Hmm. An important-looking place.”
*There is. A very nice place I’ve set aside for you.*
I quickly raised my finger and pointed somewhere.
“Over there, the underground armory. There’s a big steel door shut tight, but sometimes it opens on its own. I peeked inside once and it seemed like there was a lot of stuff.”
*Inside, a thousand-year-old vampire will be waiting. A live blood delivery service. Vampire, enjoy your meal. Ah, the packaging is non-disposable, so take care of it yourself.*
“And in the surveillance room on the first floor of the prison, there seemed to be weapons or equipment for controlling vicious prisoners.”
*On the prison’s first floor is Tantalos’s ultimate weapon, a regressor who will cut off your arm in greeting. If he hears about destroying Tantalos, he’ll cut off your head too. Let’s meet next time with head separate from body.*
“What about that place over there?”
The place Canisen pointed to was a management room separated from the prison building. A half-destroyed building with broken walls and a collapsed roof, only debris remaining.
*Hmm. Shouldn’t go there. There’s nothing there to kill you with.*
I said as uninterestedly as possible.
“I went there once, but there was nothing special. Just piles of broken debris, nothing to salvage.”
“Broken debris, you say.”
*But Canisen’s interest was piqued. ‘Other buildings are intact, yet that place alone is full of destruction. Someone clearly broke it on purpose. Then it means there’s something there that shouldn’t fall into others’ hands. Or there might be abandoned equipment. Either way, with our resources short, if we need to search, that’s the place to start.’*
However, my words seemed to have only drawn his attention instead.
*Tch, he certainly thinks fast.
Still, it’s all in the palm of my hand.*
“I’ve decided! Everyone, listen carefully.”
Canisen called the other Resistance members. The tense, vigilant members hastily gathered before him. One, still not fully loosened up, stumbled as they walked. In any case, they assembled with nervous faces.
Canisen pointed to the Resistance members one by one.
“Alpha, you head to the underground armory. If there are any explosives or weapons, gather them and bring them. We are short on weapons.”
“Understood!”
Canisen turned his head. The woman who had shot at Aji earlier flinched and clutched her gun tightly.
“Beta. You head to the prison’s first floor. There might be weapons for controlling prisoners. If you encounter prisoners, avoid combat as much as possible and bluff your way through while searching.”
“Y-yes? I have to face Tantalos’s prisoners?”
Beta shook her head with an unsure expression. Canisen let out a small but clearly audible sigh and said to her,
“You’re the most cautious here, Beta. You’re also the best shot. Searching while avoiding combat is your forte.”
“B-but, Captain. You saw it just now. The prisoners here are monsters who can even snatch bullets. G-guns won’t work on them.”
“We’ve already staked our lives. Coming down here is as good as dead. Are you going to tremble in fear now that we’ve come this far?”
Canisen glared at Beta scoldingly, but she still looked scared. After glaring at her, he soon sighed.
*‘We can’t change her personality right now. Her confidence has taken a hit, probably because the bullet she confidently fired was caught by teeth. In times like this, even if it’s a bit unsuitable.’*
“Hoo. Alpha, we’ll swap. You go to the first floor. I’ll send Beta to the armory.”
Alpha stepped forward briskly and answered loudly.
“Leave it to me. I’m not scared!”
“Confidence is good, but don’t forget the principles. The opponent is likely to be terrifyingly strong. Avoid combat as much as possible. And Beta, you’re going to a relatively safer place, so instead, hand over your military gear to Alpha.”
“Y-yes….”
Beta quickly took out a large disc she had been carrying on her back. The silver disc, as if cast from metal, had dozens or hundreds of characters engraved along concentric circles, with a hole in the center just big enough for a fist. To the uninitiated, it might look like a weight plate used for exercise.
But its true identity was military equipment made by the military state: a Gunjang.
The silver disc, the base form of the Gunjang, was the most powerful weapon they had brought, but Beta handed it over to Alpha as if it were a heavy burden.
Alpha seemed delighted to have such a powerful weapon, but Canisen clicked his tongue, not entirely pleased.
“Tch.”
*‘The Gunjang is a powerful weapon. It would be more rational for Beta, who is cautious and calm but lacks physical strength, to wear it… but it can’t be helped. We’ve already thrown our lives away. Right now, fighting spirit is needed more than talent. Like Alpha has.’*
Unaware of his thoughts, Alpha happily took the Gunjang and looked at Canisen.
“Captain. Can I put it on now?”
“Of course.”
“Alright! Then!”
As soon as Canisen gave permission, Alpha rolled up his sleeve to expose his bio-terminal and slipped his arm into the hole of the silver disc.
At that moment, a flash of magic light gleamed.
The metal disc split vertically. With the sound of metal engaging, the disc transformed with a clatter, sliding up Alpha’s arm as if swallowing it. Hard, crude metal enveloped his left arm. As the armor plates wrapped around, wires connecting the gaps tightened and cinched.
Clank, clank. A regular, perfectly meshing sound that metalworkers might find orgasmic rang out repeatedly. Gears turned, protrusions aligned. Thus, steel plates slowly but seamlessly covered Alpha’s body.
Before long, Alpha was wearing a huge suit of steel armor. A full-face helm, even steel scales filling the gaps. Completely encased in steel with no openings, he clenched his fist in ecstasy, the sound of metal scraping coming from his hand.
“Haha! Now I can die without regrets!”
The military state was a nation that turned everything in the world into a weapon. True to form, the moment clothing packets appeared in the world, they had a novel idea from the start.
Clothes can be made into packets.
Armor is also clothing.
Then, couldn’t armor also be made into packets that can be easily taken off and put on?
Through this straightforward syllogism, the military state researched ways to alchemically forge armor into packets.
The fact that the alchemical difficulty between cloth clothing and iron armor was like heaven and earth was not a consideration. That was a problem for the engineers to overcome.
Regardless of the engineers’ protests, the military state poured countless human and material resources into it and eventually perfected the technology to make armor into packets.
That is this: the Gunjang.
It was the essence of the military state’s alchemical magic engineering.
“This is incredible power. With this, I feel like I can’t lose to anyone!”
Alpha exclaimed, drunk on omnipotence. His confident voice resonated through the metal. Just as Canisen had hoped, Alpha showed no signs of being daunted even after donning the Gunjang.
That, however, was also something Canisen disliked. He clicked his tongue and said,
“Nonsense. The Gunjang only adds to your strength. Whether you defeat the enemy depends on your skill.”
“But with this much!”
Alpha’s heated gaze turned toward Aji. Aji, who had been yawning somewhat boredly, sensed a strange bloodlust, slightly raised his eyes, and turned his head.
*Wow, he’s asking for death. Without knowing his place.
‘This reckless barefaced brat, not knowing his place!’*
I wasn’t the only one thinking that. Canisen’s eyes widened and he shouted.
“Alpha!”
Alpha flinched at Canisen’s rebuke.
“Don’t act rashly! Be faithful to your mission! First, take off that visor that blocks your entire field of vision! Your current mission is not combat but exploration!”
“Y-yes. I’m sorry.”
*‘Hoo. Nothing is ever easy.’*
While Alpha hurriedly removed his helm and visor, Canisen looked at the remaining members: Gamma and Delta. These two were support personnel with lower combat ability compared to Alpha and Beta, so it was better not to expect much in that regard.
Instead, Delta was a meticulous rear-line agent, and Gamma was a talent who had once worked as a technician in the military state. In the current situation where planned demolition was more important than indiscriminate bomb attacks, Gamma was the most crucial person in this party.
“Delta, you stay here and... this...”
His gaze turned toward me and Aji. Especially toward Aji more than me. An emotion akin to awe and fear lingered in his eyes.
“Protect these two. It might be dangerous, so don’t let them near the management room. If possible... yes. Play ball or something.”
“Under...stood.”
*Wow, look at his thoroughness. He’s not letting his guard down until the very end.*
*Never mind me, Aji is the Dog King. A being that could slaughter everyone here if he wished. It’s only natural to be wary.*
*Of course, as the Dog King, he can’t harm humans, so that’s just talk. But it would be hard to think that far.*
“Alright. Gamma, you come with me to the management room. As a technician, you’ll be needed for a more thorough investigation.”
“Yep!”
“Now, gather round.”
The tense Resistance members put their hands together. They stacked their hands, but I could tell their hearts were scattered in disarray.
Some were terrified, others only thought of showing off. There was even one who had followed along with friends without knowing what they were getting into, ended up here by accident, and still regretted joining.
But their inner thoughts don’t show. On the surface, they just looked like a motley crew of a Resistance that didn’t quite fit together.
“Everyone. Let’s throw our lives away. Let’s use our lives to strike a blow against that hated military state.”
“Yes, Captain!”
“Good. Disperse!”
Still, what had led them here was their hatred for the military state and their bonds with each other. Perhaps they had at least that minimum of structure, for no one disobeyed or hesitated. The Resistance members all began moving to their assigned locations.