Side Story 23
The Northern Monster Subjugation Operation was being screened live.
The outdoor theater and the plaza were packed with people.
Recruits and instructors from the training camp units.
Troops from Northern Army Headquarters.
Merchants who had made a living selling to soldiers.
And even Northern Army units from other bases who had come after hearing the rumors.
At first, they had trembled in fear at the sight of a dragon, too scared to even step outside.
But now, they were getting used to it.
Above all, they could see the hero Veronica Caliber with their own eyes.
A fake?
Commander-in-Chief Fabio Caliber—her relative—had personally vouched for her.
More and more people began to believe she was real.
The Northern Army soldiers especially.
Today again, Major Ver took off from the railway station plaza atop Greeny.
One circuit around the area meant the first airstrike was complete.
Usually three sorties a day.
On busy days, five.
Greeny worked hard, but they'd agreed on one breath attack per sortie.
Every moment, they were racking up staggering achievements.
Since the war against monsters began, had there ever been such dazzling results?
What the entire Northern Army couldn't accomplish together, these people were doing on their own.
Something no one had ever imagined.
Those horrifying monsters burst apart under mana rifle fire and melted under dragon breath.
Why call them "monsters"?
Because there was no other word that fit.
They weren't like typical monsters with defined species traits.
Their appearances varied wildly.
So did their sizes.
House-sized ones, ones the size of large dogs, insect-sized ones.
Creatures with no limbs, with too many limbs, with no heads, with multiple heads.
Crawling, running, hopping, flying.
For all these reasons, close combat was extremely difficult.
That was why they trained ranged mana rifle troops and focused on wall defense.
Of course, close combat wasn't nonexistent.
That was what giants were for.
Arcane magitech piloted giants.
Strategic weapons for close combat against large monsters.
Unlike Juhyeok's colossal Magnus Giant,
Arcane's giants were moderately sized, piloted directly from cockpits, and capable of quite agile movement.
Even now, they were patrolling around the railway station plaza.
The plaza had become a critical stronghold, and Commander Fabio had ordered riders to maintain vigilance.
"…I kind of want to try riding one."
Like the protagonist of a giant robot anime.
Hearing Juhyeok's muttering, Commander Fabio Caliber approached with a smile.
"Would you like to board a giant?"
Huh?
"Is that allowed? It's a military strategic weapon—civilians shouldn't—"
"Hahaha! That much is within my authority. When dignitaries tour the base, they all try it at least once."
Oh.
That got the saliva flowing.
"I have a personal giant. A Master-class one bestowed by His Majesty."
Meaning top-tier.
"I'll take it out for you."
"Take it out? From where—?"
"Not all of them, but some giants have spatial transfer mana circuits applied. A kind of private subspace…"
Fabio pressed the gem set in the center of his belt.
Then—
Tsipit!
Swoosh!
A giant appeared in midair.
"Wow!"
That's impressive.
"Giants with spatial transfer mana circuits are extremely rare and expensive. There are only a few."
In other words—portable.
Normally stored in a subspace, then deployed and boarded in emergencies.
"Please enter the cockpit. Channel mana into the grips to prepare for activation."
"Is it controlled with the grips?"
"No. It moves according to the rider's will. Just picture the motion in your mind."
Convenient controls, too.
"However, there will be some dissonance. There's a delay in response. That's why training is required, but just walking should be—"
Okay!
Experience time.
Clack! Whiiing!
The hatch on the giant's chest opened.
Inside was the cockpit, with a platform to stand on and grips on both sides.
"Pilot Bong! No license, but fighting!"
"Summoner, don't fall—move slowly."
"We pray for Young Master's success."
Clack!
The hatch closed.
Juhyeok grabbed the grips and channeled his mana.
Woooooom—
Ding!
—Giant activation ready.
So that's how it works.
Then… one step forward?
Juhyeok imagined himself walking.
Creeeak—thud! Creeeak—thud!
The giant began to walk slowly.
There really was a delay between intent and movement.
About one second?
They said training reduced it.
Juhyeok kept moving.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
As he continued, he adapted to the delay.
"This is fun."
Greed crept in.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
He tried running.
Then a thought occurred.
"Could I implement Shadow Step?"
So he used the skill.
About a second later—
Spot!
"Oh!"
It worked.
The giant leapt through space.
Spot! Spot! Spot!
Thunderous applause and cheers erupted.
Clapclapclapclapclap!
"Awesome!!!"
"So cool! As expected of Pilot Bong!"
"Hooeee!"
Meanwhile, Fabio was stunned.
"…What?"
He's moving a giant he just boarded like that?
How?
Even veteran riders couldn't do that.
Then—
From the Master-class giant repeatedly using Shadow Step—
Crack! Chzzz! Sizzle! Sparks flashed.
Wheee… pssh—creeeak.
It shut down in a cloud of white smoke.
Clack!
The cockpit hatch opened automatically.
"…Did it break?"
Juhyeok scratched his head as he climbed out.
"P-Pilot Bong, are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine, but the giant—"
Gyeondallae scolded Fabio in a thunderous voice.
"You scoundrel! How dare you give Young Master such defective goods! You need a beating to come to your senses!"
"N-No, it seems the giant suffered an overload."
Overload?
"The rider's mana was too strong, and with such extreme movement, the core engine—"
Ah!
"So you're saying our Pilot Bong is just too strong?"
"…Yes."
"Hm. Very well. Since that's a compliment, I'll let it slide."
But Juhyeok felt bad.
He'd only tried it out and ended up breaking it.
"Sorry…"
It had been an imperial gift.
A Master-class giant with a rare spatial transfer mana circuit.
"I'm sorry, Commander."
"Hahaha, it's fine. It can be repaired."
Still…
"Um, Commander?"
"Yes?"
"Would you like to ride a dragon?"
"A d-dragon?"
"Why not go on a bombing run with Major Ver?"
"…Is that really okay?"
Why wouldn't it be?
"Crackersus?"
"You may ride. However, heavy rounds are forbidden."
Why?
"I will not tolerate a man dangling indecently on my back."
If it's body parts dangling from the recoil of heavy rounds…
"Not wobbling—dangling."
Ugh!
Now I imagined it.
"U-Understood. I'll use light rounds only."
And so Fabio went on a bombing run alongside Major Ver.
If this was the price, he wouldn't mind breaking a hundred giants.
Ziiing! Pashuk! Puk!
"Well done, Fabio."
"…Yes."
Praised by his big sister.
Ahhh!
A joint operation with the Empire's guardian hero.
Who would've thought such a day would come?
The outdoor theater showed Fabio firing a mana rifle.
Northern Army riflemen felt their chests swell.
And at the same time—envy crept in.
Isn't that favoritism?
Why does only he get to ride a dragon?
Even if he is Commander-in-Chief…
The subjugation continued.
They had slain countless monsters, yet their numbers didn't decrease.
They increased instead.
Juhyeok observed the Northern Front while communicating with AI Wiz.
He'd launched a surplus of reconnaissance satellites for this.
"What's the current situation?"
—Monster density around the walls is not high.
That's a relief.
"Where's the highest concentration?"
—There is a region with extremely high monster density. At Dragon Crackersus's speed, it would take about five hours to reach.
"Can we see it?"
—I'll display it.
Pop!
A hologram appeared.
The summoned ones gathered to observe it together.
"Hm."
The screen was hazy.
It looked like a mass of mealworms piled together—
Creepy, writhing shapes, all of them monsters.
—The area of that region is roughly half the size of China on your Earth.
"Holy—"
"That's insane."
"How many are we even talking about?"
"We might not have enough nukes."
"Gah?!"
If those things all surged south at once—
That would trigger a wave.
"Estimated wave timing?"
—At this rate, within ten days.
It was right around the corner.
They needed to hurry to Earth No. 843 and collect the nuclear weapons.
"Anything else? The investigation team coming from the imperial capital."
—The special express train carrying the subjects left the capital a short while ago.
"Wiretap ready?"
—Complete. We can broadcast the investigation team's conversation at any time.
"Do it."
Something similar had happened in the Kalzenia Dimension.
Back then, a five-nation allied force had invaded.
Thanks to the God's Eye—reconnaissance satellites watching from above—they had known exactly when and where the enemies would arrive.
This time, they went one step further.
Reconnaissance drones modified by Dr. El.
First, drones were dropped from the satellites.
They landed on the roofs of train cars racing along the tracks.
At the same time, the drones' bomb bays opened.
But what came out wasn't explosives.
Dozens of tiny insect robots equipped with wiretaps.
They slipped through gaps between train cars and clung to the inside of the VIP carriage ceilings.
Inside, not outside—so they were impossible to notice.
The conversations were transmitted to the drones,
Which relayed them back to the satellites.
Please don't let there be some sinister plot.
Just talk about mundane things.
In contrast, the summoned ones looked full of anticipation.
They were probably hoping something would happen.
For example, a conversation that would allow the application of Clause 3 of the Third Principle of Summoned Ones.
If that happened, even Juhyeok wouldn't be able to stop them.
Wiretapping began.
Three carriages carried the investigation team.
Starting with the first.
"Do you really believe Veronica is alive?"
"Hmph! Do I look that stupid?"
"Then why would Fabio pull something like this? He's not that careless."
"The Emperor must be involved. Can't you tell from the Crown Prince accompanying them?"
"Whether Emperor or Crown Prince, neither of them will die anytime soon."
"Sigh… Duke Ratum Geiger should be Emperor."
"His health makes that difficult…"
"But where did they even get a dragon?"
"Well, they probably woke one that was hibernating somewhere and sweet-talked it."
"True. Dragons, after all, were wiped out by northern monsters."
"So it joined hands with Fabio to take revenge?"
"We should meet it ourselves."
Nothing special.
The usual conflict between Emperor and nobles.
Curiosity about dragons.
"Disappointing."
"Disappointing."
"Disappointing indeed."
"Disappointing."
"Disappointing."
Second carriage?
"Tch—investigation team or not, I just want to ride a dragon once."
"Your Highness, please mind your dignity. Remember the mission His Majesty entrusted to you."
"Hahaha, I'm a mana rifleman too, you know."
"The nobles will nitpick everything and attack Commander Fabio."
"Don't worry. I'll be his shield. Commander Fabio Caliber will be safe."
"They're not to be underestimated. Even His Majesty hasn't fully subdued them."
So the Crown Prince had joined the investigation team.
Seemed he was there to protect Commander Fabio.
"The Emperor and Crown Prince are nice guys—doesn't that break the cliché?"
"Tsk. If they're on the Commander's side, they're on ours. Can't even touch them."
"Disappointing."
"Disappointing."
Third carriage?
"Your Grace, what if Veronica Caliber is real?"
"Hmph! Real or fake, what difference does it make? My only interest is the golem body. Cough!"
Golem body?
Then that means Dr. El.
"Bale, I don't have much time. Within a month, my body will collapse and I'll die. I must obtain a body and achieve immortality."
Huh?
Wait a second—
"If I succeed in achieving immortality through cerebral soul transfer—"
"—I'll pull down the Emperor and take his place. Cough. And you, Bale, will become the greatest noble in the Empire."
These bastards—
"Securing the body won't be difficult. It's humanoid, so its combat power should be low."
"Indeed."
"We should deploy giants and induce chaos. In the confusion, everyone will be distracted."
"You're not planning to deploy all 100 giants, are you? …Cough!"
"Ten will suffice. In the chaos, I'll personally subdue the golem body and bring it back."
"Good."
"I've brought tools for golem disassembly as well. Once secured, I'll open its head and locate the cerebral soul circuit."
"Haa… I hope this works. I feel dizzy. I need to rest."
"…So next up is the Empire."
He more or less understood the situation.
Seriously?
Do they think Dr. El is an easy target?
"Dr. El, should we assign you bodyguards?"
"It's fine. There's absolutely no chance my body will be taken."
Naturally.
The other summoned ones thought the same.
"Even if they come, they'll just get hit by Dr. El's destruction beam and burn to ashes."
"No need to worry. Let's go watch Major Ver's video."
"Dr. El, survive on your own. Well—want help anyway?"
"No need. I don't require assistance."
"They're small fry. Lost all interest."
"Disappointing."
"Disappointing."
Everyone reacted indifferently.
"…That's unexpected."
He thought they'd go berserk and charge in.
In reality, the summoned ones were thinking the opposite.
They had secretly gathered where Juhyeok's gaze didn't reach.
Rajiks was flattened on the ground in a crawling position, keeping watch in case Juhyeok approached.
"Those bastards. We should kill them before they get here."
"Trying to dissect Dr. El just to gain immortality? Insane."
"We'll pound them into the dirt."
"Dr. El, how should we deal with them? Slice their throats?"
Then Gyeondallae spoke.
"Dr. El—if, hypothetically, they managed to secure your body… would soul transfer be possible?"
"In theory, yes."
"Hmm."
"In fact, the cerebral soul circuit requires a key material called a soulstone. Without it, no matter how advanced the magitech, it's impossible."
"In that case…"
"Yes. There is a soulstone inside my head. If it's formatted, another soul could enter."
The summoned ones' faces darkened.
A chilling killing intent spread among them.
"They must die."
"Finish them before the train reaches the station."
"Be careful not to let Young Master notice."
Then El raised a hand.
"Before killing them, there is something I would like to secure."
"What is it?"
"The piloted giants. They said they're bringing one hundred."
"Huh?"
Kosak spoke as if it were nonsense.
"Giants are trash, aren't they? We saw it earlier—Pilot Bong rode one and it broke."
El shook his head.
"They can be modified. And…"
Lowering his voice,
"The Magnus Giant cannot be enhanced."
Right.
It couldn't.
Ralph had explained why—something about being classified as a structure because it was too large.
"But piloted giants are only twenty meters tall."
"Ah!"
"Oh!"
"Joy!"
…
Meaning—they might be enhancable.
"If I modify them, increase their performance, and enhance them…"
Bound enhanced giants.
For example, a +10 piloted giant.
Exactly.
The Magnus Giant was unnecessarily huge.
It was intimidating just standing there, sure—but still.
A twenty-meter piloted giant was just right.
And it could be controlled by a person.
If it didn't break, how fun would that be?
The applications would be endless.
"This old man agrees. Earlier, the Summoner seemed very pleased riding a giant."
"I wish to make a dedicated +10 giant for Young Master. How delighted he would be."
"Once they reach the station, too many eyes will be watching—hard to swipe the giants."
"Then we stop the train midway. Stop it and take them."
"They came here intending to steal Dr. El's body anyway, didn't they? If they planned to steal from others, they should learn their own things can be taken too."
"I'll draft a plan inspired by classic Old West train-robbery films."
And thus, the summoned ones began plotting.
Meanwhile—
Juhyeok was listening.
He could hear the summoned ones' conversation.
After consuming the Heavenly Dao Pill, his hearing had sharpened.
It was almost like a clairaudience technique—if he focused, he could hear from quite far away.
He could even clearly see Rajiks crawling on the ground, watching to see if he approached.
"Tsk tsk… they're going to cause trouble again."
But it couldn't be helped.
The other side started it first.
If someone tried to kidnap Dr. El and he just said, "Sorry, please go back," that would make him a pushover idiot.
When it's time to cause trouble, you cause trouble.
So he had no intention of stopping them.
Above all—
"My own dedicated enhanced piloted giant…"
If possible, he wanted one with a spatial transfer mana circuit applied.
That would exceed the romance limit.
Practically a lethal dose.
[I will not upload the chapters after chapter 350 for time being. But I have completed the translation of A Wimp's Strategy Guide to Conquer the Tower , and I would say this story is fantastic in every aspect. You can buy the rest of the chapters on my website : https://beastnovels.com ,please support me on above link!]