abcnovels
Chapter 386
Chapter 386
Chapter 386
The Abyssal robots basically loved being rational. Thus, given that they already had to block an incoming attack, they didn’t want to make an additional enemy like Choi Yeonseung.
...Of course, that didn’t mean they would forget about his threat.
-This threat will go down in our records, you barbaric organism.
“Shut up and move, you robotic bastard...”
The robots complained about his attitude but quickly mobilized themselves nonetheless. It wasn’t just the robots themselves that moved; their dwellings also changed according to the emergency.
“...!”
Choi Yeonseung was surprised.
Walls rose in an instant and the residences transformed into domes. Then, a transparent energy shield rose over the entire village, and on top of it were various mechanisms designed to intercept attacks.
It was an amazing sight that looked straight out of a Sci-Fi movie.
Human technology had been advancing ever since magic had come into play, but it still felt like child’s play compared to the technology displayed by these robots.
It seemed like the robot next to Choi Yeonseung read his mind.
-We know that organisms like you are too emotional and greedy to achieve such civilization. It is understandable. But what can you do? It is the innate limitation of your species.
Choi Yeonseung grabbed the robot and used Pressure Point Attack.
It was a lump of metal with a completely different body structure from that of a human, but Choi Yeonseung’s internal energy attack still pierced the robot and paralyzed its vocal system.
After becoming a constellation, he could successfully use Pressure Point Attack on any kind of opponent. A constellation didn’t adapt to the world, but forced the world to adapt to themselves!
-?!
The robot looked around in bewilderment when it realized that its voice wouldn’t come out.
In less than a minute, all the evacuation procedures were completed. The robots were leagues above humans when it came to evacuating and mobilizing for an emergency.
-Organism, take a good look. That attack won’t work on our settlements.
“...Is that tin can calling me an organism?!”
Han Seha doubted her ears. How could these robotic bastards act like this after being saved by humans? The least they could do was bow their heads and express their gratitude for at least a minute or so...
It seemed that these days, it wasn’t just the black-haired beasts that betrayed humans, but also tin cans.
“Seha, calm down. I don’t think it had any bad intentions.”
“Sure, and I’ll also punch this robot in the head without any bad intentions. Can you please take into account the circumstances?”
“No.”
“Why?!”
Choi Yeonseung held Han Seha’s hand and stopped her. Either way, the robot said what it had to say.
-We have been in this area for 371821 years. We’ve continuously mined resources and developed technology.
Listening to this, Choi Yeonseung said with a dumbfounded expression, “Uh, it’s good to develop technology, but why arm the monsters with it?”
-The monsters just picked up the technology we discarded. We didn’t care because organisms can’t understand our great technology. This commotion itself proves the limitations of an organism.
Han Seha’s eyes were wide and quivering, and she started squeezing Choi Yeonseung’s hand really hard. She clearly wanted to teach these robots about the limits of inorganic weapons.
-Everything in this area is under control.
“So that mechanical dragon is under your control as well?”
-That’s right. Its intelligence is low and it thinks of us as its parents.
The robot spoke confidently.
The mechanical dragon had been in this area for a long time. Ever since it had been a weak hatchling, it had grown up with the weapons thrown away by the robots. Eventually, it had become a powerful being that even the constellations were reluctant to face, all thanks to the power of this land.
But as an organism, the mechanical dragon couldn’t help developing an attachment to those who raised it. The fact that it had been staying in its own territory without touching the robots until now was proof of that.
“...Didn’t it leave you alone because it didn’t need to do anything? Dragons are ferocious monsters. They only show that kind of affection to one of their own.”
-You are clueless, but it is understandable.
[The ‘Goddess of Balance Who Walks Ahead’ earnestly asks if she can strike down this insolent creature.]
The goddess of balance glared at the robot. Choi Yeonseung had helped them prevent a devastating attack from the dragon, and yet it kept spewing nonsense.
-Organism, you will know when you see it. Look.
“...?”
The rain of missiles finally reached this area. The robot settlement, which had switched to automatic mode, intercepted them with a barrage of firepower.
Powerful laser beams lit up the sky, and the metal bullets curved downward to strike down the missiles.
The robots were definitely confident for a reason. There was no need for them to evacuate!
‘Did we evacuate them for nothing?’ Choi Yeonseung thought to himself, bewildered. However, the mechanical dragon started twisting again.
-...U-uh...?
The robot next to him seemed flustered for the first time.
The dragon was amassing a huge amount of energy in its mouth.
-Wait! Wait!
-What are you doing?
All of the robots at the scene panicked and shouted at the mechanical dragon. It was terrifyingly clear where the mechanical dragon was aiming the energy it was gathering in its mouth.
It was about to unleash it on the robot settlement!
-......
The dragon’s large eyes were flickering in a strange way, somewhat at odds with the rest of its mechanical body. It almost looked like it was sneering at the robots, mocking them. Then it turned its head and unleashed its Breath at the ground.
Dragons usually used magic power to unleash their Breaths, but this mechanical dragon created its Breath by amassing the energy of the ion and plasma engines that ran throughout its body.
Bang!
With a deafening roar, all the robot dwellings vanished.
The robots were frozen. The power of the mechanical dragon was unimaginable.
Han Seha asked from the side, “I guess you failed to calculate this.”
-......
-......
The robots were speechless.
The mechanical dragon hadn’t just taken the weapons they had thrown away. It had combined and improved them, developing them into weapons of mass-destruction.
Now that the mechanical dragon was at this level, it no longer needed scraps and leftovers from the robots. Given that it was able to clean up these pesky robots, it would do so with all of them!
-Its technology and combat power have exceeded our expectations.
“Oh, you couldn’t predict it with your inorganic computing device?”
-......
Choi Yeonseung decided not to mock the robots like Han Seha. It was difficult to read a robot’s emotions, but he could still tell that these robots were very depressed at this moment.
“Hey, everyone makes mistakes... Humans also make mistakes all the time.”
-We... We don’t make mistakes.
“Learning from your mistakes makes you wiser and stronger.”
“Since when do humans learn from their mistakes?” Han Seha wondered as she cocked her head.
Choi Yeonseung brought his index finger to his lips and shushed her.
***
“...”
“...”
The charging US expedition team was astonished to see the Breath released by the mechanical dragon.
The valley below had simply been erased. Numerous metal mines had been melted away, and the intimidating settlements built by the robots had been reduced to ashes.
“To think it could cause so much destruction... Isn’t it even stronger than the S-grade torch dragon from last time?”
Usually, monsters of the same rating were somewhat similar to each other in terms of strength. However, S-grade was a different story. Everything more powerful than A-grade was considered S-grade, but that was it.
A monster could be slightly more powerful than A-grade or ten times more powerful.
Even so, the hunters involved in the US expedition hadn’t expected the difference to be so big.
‘Was this why the constellations warned us more vehemently than usual?’
This mechanical dragon that drew its power from this unique land was on a completely different level from the regular hunters that emerged from the dungeons of Earth.
The constellations had known that from the beginning.
“So do we retreat?”
“No.”
“...!!”
Isabella Meyer’s curt response shocked everyone present. Even Joseph Grant stuttered. “You want us to raid a monster that’s rampaging like this? Isn’t it too dangerous?”
Of course, Joseph Grant was known for his wicked willingness to sacrifice other hunters, but even crazy people seemed normal in the presence of someone crazier than them.
Isabella Meyer was the kind of person that made Grant look like a well-adjusted individual. She stared at the mechanical dragon with a stern expression and slowly said, “Now that it’s used the Breath, it’s bound to be exhausted for a while.”
“...?”
“This is our chance. A-grade hunters, lead the way. Advance!”
“...”
Before, she had spoken with the bare minimum of courtesy because there were many eyes on her. However, faced with the opportunity to attack the mechanical dragon, Isabella Meyer revealed her true colors.
She would push anyone into carnage for her own gain!
Normally, in cases like this, the clan leaders and highest-ranking hunters would take a step back because they considered that they shouldn’t be the ones to risk their lives.
However, Isabella Meyer didn’t care and asked everyone to take the lead.
Some hunters might hear this and say something like “Indeed, with great power comes great responsibility!” However, the US hunters thought it was complete bullshit. After all, why had they struggled so much to raise their ratings? It was so that they could sit comfortably in the back while the lower-rated hunters marched on the frontlines.
Joseph Grant hadn’t been so distraught and angry in ages.
‘Is that why Choi Yeonseung backed off?!’
He wondered why Choi Yeonseung didn’t participate, but it was clear that he had seen through Isabella Meyer’s madness.
No matter how much support the US government provided, one had to realize if the chalice was poisoned.
Of course, Choi Yeonseung actually had no idea how Isabella Meyer was, but...
“Meyer, I don’t know exactly what state the dragon is in, but I don’t want to take the lead. How about sending other hunters to scout ahead?” proposed one of the clan leaders. However, his idea to send someone scouting was just a euphemism for sending someone else on a death march.
The hunters weren’t all equal. If there was the risk of people dying, it was better to subject the low-ranking hunters to that risk rather than the valuable A-grade hunters.
‘She’s not going to turn down this proposal, is she?’
The senior hunters had thoughts like that while they were looking at Isabella Meyer. However, she cruelly squashed their hopes.
“No, if we do that, we won't be able to attack right away. A-grade hunters, you will take the lead. You will attack as well as scout.”
“Then the casualties...”
“Sacrifices are always necessary in raids. You shouldn’t be a hunter if you’re afraid to spill blood, be that someone else’s or yours... You’re not scared, are you now?”
Isabella Meyer’s eyes were burning ferociously. Even her fellow A-grade hunters flinched at her piercing gaze. They desperately looked at the Homeland Security agent who had come with her, hoping he would save them, but not even someone from that prestigious department could do anything to stop her in this situation.
‘It’s impossible. I don’t have the authority.’
‘This is crazy...’
The clan leaders clicked their tongues. They were in even more danger than the A-grade hunters. They considered deserting, but they would definitely face severe consequences when they got back.
The A-grade hunters would get more lenient punishments, but the clans would be decimated!
“It’s unleashing a Breath again!”
“!!!”
It was a Breath fired with brutal force that completely disproved Meyer’s assertion that the mechanical dragon was tired. It clearly wasn’t, and it was sweeping away its surroundings once again.
Everyone could see from a glance why the dragon was attacking.
It was trying to fight back against Choi Yeonseung!
“Hunter Choi Yeonseung is attacking! If we attack, we might just get in his way!”
“As expected...! Hunter Choi Yeonseung has a great reputation. It might be dangerous if we disturb him!”
“Attack.”
“...”
The hunters genuinely regretted coming here.
***
“Just weaken it by hitting and running. Do you understand?”
“Yes!” Han Seha replied with a nod.
Even though some people called her Mad Dog, Han Seha was always the one following Choi Yeonseung’s orders unconditionally during raids.
‘Grab its attention, provoke it, and attack... I don’t know when it will run out of strength.’
Choi Yeonseung’s strategy was simple.
This monster seemed enraged and arrogant, so Choi Yeonseung kept provoking it to make it exhaust its strength. He didn’t know how many weapons the dragon had on its body, but it was bound to get tired if it kept unleashing attacks.
Pepepepeng!
Han Seha and Adaquaniel dealt blows to the dragon while the hunters unleashed a flurry of magic from the distance. However, the mechanical dragon couldn’t afford to pay attention to them.
The most troublesome opponent was right in front of it.
“Choi Yeonseung!”
“!”
Choi Yeonseung, who was attracting the attention of the mechanical dragon while kicking the air, suddenly turned his head when he heard the cry from below.
Familiar hunters were coming to join them.
“We barged into your raid! You’re angry, right? Surely you feel offended?! Make a formal complaint! Quickly! Please make a formal complaint!”
“What complaint? I guess that the US team recruited some good people after all. You deserve praise.”
“??”
Choi Yeonseung wasn’t offended by the sudden appearance of the hunters. If anything, their lineup was surprisingly good.
“Move to your respective positions! I will give you instructions, so avoid direct attacks.”
“N... No, wait! Choi Yeonseung! Choi Yeonseung!! What we’re doing is extremely disrespectful and illegal! We’re violating international laws!”
“There’s no such thing when there’s a raid with such high stakes. I understand and will move past it. Now get moving!”