LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 038
Chapter 38. 23:59:47 (2)
Silently seated on the wall, I waited for the enemies to come. Usually loud Unho was now quietly perched above, gazing toward the horizon. As the sun set and darkness approached, the murmurs of the people wandering above the wall began to swell.
“What’s that?”
“Why is only that side gray?”
It seemed that now they could see the strange phenomenon. A thick gray line between the dark sea and sky. Once the line started to grow, it began expanding rapidly.
– Combat formation! To designated positions!
– Repeating! Combat formation!
As the loud siren blared, people started to run.
Those lost in thought as they gazed at the sea, or those jogging on top of the wall, all rushed down below.
Here it goes.
“What are you doing over there? Didn’t you hear the broadcast?”
Did someone dawdle?
“Can’t you hear me?”
So noisy. Normally, they would follow orders.
As I slowly turned my head toward the direction of the noise, I saw a soldier approaching me.
An older man with an unfamiliar rank badge that didn’t belong to the Association. A commander level, perhaps?
“No matter how much of a hero you are, you need to follow our orders until the freedom action directive is given…”
He was talking to me.
“Can’t you hear me? If you keep this up, I’ll call someone from the Association…”
His anger flared when I showed no reaction, and he raised the radio, attempting to contact someone.
“Registration number 01-005-M Haram Lee here. I have received permission for free action, so please confirm.”
The moment I spoke, the soldier’s face changed to a rigid expression.
The middle-aged soldier slowly raised his head and looked at me from behind the obscuring shadows with a changed voice.
“Crimson Hammer… is that you?”
“You know me?”
“Hardly anyone with a registration number starting with 01, you see.”
He suddenly became polite, bowing his head.
“It’s an honor to fight alongside you again on the battlefield.”
“Were you part of the multinational coalition?”
“Yes. Southern China People’s Liberation Army, Heoshin.”
No idea who that is. I can’t possibly recall all the soldiers I’ve seen from the coalition.
But one thing I knew was that the man before me was probably part of the faction that was friendly to Awakeners. If not, he would have already been eliminated from the intelligence operations.
He leaned against the railing, peering down at the thickening gray line as if trying to take it all in.
“This moment always makes me anxious.”
“If you were part of the coalition, you’ve seen this scene often.”
“Yes, I’ve seen it several times. And each time, I hoped to return alive.”
“You’ve fulfilled that wish.”
He smiled grimly at my reply and took a cigarette out of his mouth.
The flare from his lighter briefly illuminated his face, showing the wrinkles and slightly sagging skin. A typical middle-aged man’s visage.
“Would you care for one?”
“I’m quitting.”
I lightly tapped the white stick between my lips to express my refusal.
“That’s surprising. They say you should bring cigarettes to ask for a favor from the Crimson Hammer.”
Did such a bizarre story circulate among soldiers? That would explain the abundance of cigarette presents.
Looking over at Heoshin, who was exhaling smoke, I pulled out a metal stick. Though it didn’t emit smoke, the feeling mattered.
Just as the last cigarette burned down and its ashes fell toward the sea, I finally spoke.
“Can I not go?”
“Five minutes should be fine. I have a hobby of going around the battlefield just before combat starts.”
A diligent commander, I see.
“What a strange hobby. Your subordinates would likely think it’s excessive.”
“Thanks to that, I got to meet you, Crimson Hammer, so it’s not such a bad hobby after all.”
A hearty laugh escaped him as he tossed the cigarette butt into the ocean.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave…”
I suddenly grabbed his shoulder and forcefully pushed him back.
Thud.
Surviving in the coalition wasn’t a lie; he immediately rolled onto his back on the stony floor.
“What’s going on?”
Even after pushing someone, he questioned, ‘What’s the matter?’ rather than ‘What are you doing?’ Apparently, I was more respectable than I thought.
“Enemy ambush! Hurry to the command center!”
I threw the gray thorn I was holding right in front of his eyes.
He changed his expression upon seeing it and quickly dashed below the wall, as if he valued even a moment’s time for a goodbye.
“That gray line was a ruse.”
“Well, there’s no guarantee they’d come together.”
I unfolded my seated posture and stood up.
As my viewpoint elevated, the dark sea came into view.
Click. Click. Click.
Countless crustaceans revealed themselves from the darkness of the sea.
(The sea’s existence is one single life)
(Power transcends distance)
As the first wave of troops emerged, the echo of their Otherworld invasion resonated.
“What’s that sound?”
“It’s the Otherworld invasion! Everyone stay calm! It’s not the laws of physics, so don’t panic! Just act as you’ve been trained!”
Right, many of them probably had yet to experience an Otherworld invasion.
Voices of panic over experiencing an unprecedented situation erupted from within the wall.
Panic-stricken voices.
Fear of the first encounter.
Those who had experienced Otherworld invasions frantically tried to enlighten those around them, but the number of those panicking far outweighed them.
That’s why I spoke loudly.
So everyone could recall the old field manuals.
“八뫼”
(The sea’s existence is one single life!)
(Power transcends distance!)
For an instant, the battlefield fell silent.
An overwhelming volume surged out, drowning out all other voices and spreading across the wall.
“Embed it in your minds! Think! How you interpret the phrase and understand it is up to your will!”
From a distance, voices resonating actions similar to mine echoed.
Those who spoke with powerful volume like me.
Those who whispered to everyone with magic.
Those who conveyed it through telekinesis.
Those who broadcast it throughout the area.
– Damned bastards! Did you forget about the Otherworld invasion? Stay alert!
– The Otherworld invasion is the force that changes the very foundation of existence. Think of how to interpret and utilize the phrase!
– Are the commanders on it? Follow the expected response measures provided by the Association! Just follow that!
– Soldiers! Listen up! The enemies are beings who have reached the “Wu Ge!” They are soon to impose their will on the world!
– To reach the truth…
From distant zones, I couldn’t quite understand what they were saying, but it must have been similar sentiments.
From everywhere, the shouts of heroes from a bygone era raced across the battlefield.
A quiet tension replaced the once noisy battlefield.
With their accumulated experiences, the older commanders and Association staff, as well as the heroes, probably thought of their previous selves—Awakeners who once charged the forefront of the battlefield, letting that sense spread across the ranks.
That’s the nature of collective morale; someone’s thoughts and emotions convey and spread to others.
Even for those who don’t know us, they can feel the hope and passion of returning alive through others.
Feeling that, I truly regained a sense of reality on the battlefield.
Still, it wasn’t enough.
The morale that had just surged only shook off the fear of the unknown.
From here on out, what we needed was overwhelming hope capable of paralyzing the fear that lay ahead.
Crack.
I bit down on the stick and tapped Unho on the head.
“Let’s go.”
Above me, Unho stood tall on its hind legs, arms wide open.
Flash.
Complicated white magic circles appeared on either side of Unho.
“How many seconds?”
“13.”
“That’s quite a lot.”
“Only by draining their strength in the first wave can my son return alive.”
“13 seconds. I’ll lift the limits.”
Choosing a precarious time, I could use one more time before it would become too late.
“Beyond that, far-off world’s architect. I’ll call upon the queen of magic.”
Unho‘s voice echoed in my ears, a growl like a beast’s tongue. It was definitely a language of the Otherworld, yet it rang like a mystical song in my mind.
A chant used solely by beasts, not by mages.
For 30 years, the incredibly efficient magic of humanity has evolved, but these phrases were deemed useless, meaningless, and a waste of time.
Yet, every time I heard it, it was beautiful. It felt as though it defined the very essence of the world.
“A being trying to protect their own world wishes with bloodied hands.”
Even when I fought in the Pacific Ocean, my limits were never fully released.
For a Magical Girl is a being complete only with a Mascot.
“Guide the direction of that power. Let it not reach my family.”
Whoosh. Krrrrick.
The final seal of the hammer was released.
The iron plates attached to the handle steamed and fell away, revealing the many hidden holes within.
The round holes drilled in a gyoza-like shape began to suck in the air as if preparing for what was to come.
“Grant me the power to repel the invaders of this world. To grasp the shining star beyond that.”
The final limit, which I could use solely on my enemies, was now released.
The limits of physical power against those who transcend physics.
It had been over 10 years since I last used it.
The Golden Hammer glowed red hot.
Bzzzzzzttt!
Steam surged from the myriad holes in the hammer’s handle.
It was hot.
An unbearable heat that my body could scarcely withstand.
As if desperately trying to control the hammer’s heat, steam continued to pour out, drawing the air in.
The fierce red hammer, which was the source of my name, gripped tightly in my hand.
“Agent of the Queen. By the authority of the Selector, I approve this.”
(Power shall possess a will)
Otherworld invasion.
But this sound couldn’t be heard by anyone else. Only I and Unho could hear it.
A control mechanism that turned the overwhelming physical quantity of the surrounding environment solely toward the enemy.
A small pseudo-Otherworld that was uniquely ours.
“Unho. Communication magic. To the command center.”
A white magic formation appeared near my ear.
“Limits lifted. I’ll initiate the operation.”
– Confirmed. The moment the attack is confirmed, all out fire from the perimeter will commence, so dodge!
“Confirmed.”
With one leap over the wall’s railing, I dove toward the oncoming gray forces.
Thud.
The heat pouring from the hammer vaporized the surrounding seawater, exposing the solid foundation of the hidden wall beneath the waves.
I landed on that foundation and gazed at the enemy.
Heavy.
The hammer, endlessly growing heavier as it absorbed my mana and surrounding materials.
Feeling that heaviness, I steadied my posture with all my might.
I lightly swung the hammer.
But that lightness was merely an illusion.
This attack, with the hammer’s weight multiplied thousands, tens of thousands of times, created a concussive impact with my overwhelming strength—a force capable of annihilating a town.
The shockwave created blended with the heat erupting from the hammer, transforming into a blast of fiery wind.
A pure energy aggregate that incinerated all.
And, within that power, I infused my will.
All of my strength to my enemies. For justice and humankind. Now, not a single drop of power shall be wasted.
A scorching wind burst forth across the sea, separating and sizzling as it went.
An invisible barrier of heat collided with the gray army. Despite being scorched by the overwhelming heat, the gray crustaceans absorbed the heat and pressed forward.
No problem. This first attack was merely a means to hold them back.
“Fiery winds, become the spear that holds them in place.”
Pwaaaaak— Flame.
From the hammer’s eruption, steam coalesced, forming a transparent spear.
Unho swung its hand, and the transparent spear poured over the sea.
Splosh. Boom. Boom.
The ocean where the spear landed erupted, shooting high into the air.
The spears continued to rain down, and the rising water would become a wall against the advancing enemies.
A little more.
A little more, come together.
“What’s the remaining time?”
I readied my stance.
Only 9 seconds left. Did I take too long?
Sweat poured down like rain under the unbearable heat, and my vision blurred.
The weight of the hammer had already surpassed the limits of rationality.
As it endlessly consumed mana and materials, my final technique exerted pressure through my strength. Through this action, this hammer would transform into the ultimate weapon.
This was the destructive power I possessed as an S-Rank.
Though I couldn’t use it right now, I could release immense power as a midway step toward that.
“Unho. Trajectory control.”
Fwoooooosh.
The tip of the red hammer opened, releasing the particles I had contained.
Neutrons erupted, born from the overwhelming heat and infinite pressure.
The culmination of the nuclear engineering that Baek Sihyeon had studied.
The strongest physical force the universe possesses.
That was unleashed.