Ch.241Jagang Ducheon (9)

“A caliper? Why are you carrying something like that around?”

“Doesn’t everyone keep at least one tool in their pocket?”

The researchers stared at Eidel with blank expressions.

GROOOOAR!

The cluster of monsters waved their arms as they tightened their encirclement.

Creatures with white liquid dripping from their crowns and blood trickling from their three pairs of arms. Their appearance alone was enough to drain one’s mental strength.

The staircase Eidel had just climbed was blocked by monsters in a matter of seconds.

Escape was impossible.

Either die.

Or break through.

Those were the only options.

Eidel naturally chose the latter.

“Everyone stay against the wall and follow me. Don’t get too close or too far away.”

“O-okay.”

Eidel lowered his upper body and tensed his thighs.

Tap!

He moved forward swiftly. His target was the creature at the front. Before it could swing its arms, he struck its jaw.

CRUNCH!

The sound of flesh tearing. The monster stepped back. The blade of the caliper gleamed coldly. The cluster staggered and fell backward.

Once.

With just one strike, the monster collapsed like mush.

[— You have acquired 100 Pron as a reward for elimination.]

He had forgotten while being immersed in research.

The Caliper of Wisdom.

This artifact not only measures physical quantities accurately but also extracts Pron from subdued monsters or avatar bodies.

The current artifact grade is A.

Monsters of the same A-grade can be dealt with in one or two strikes.

“Wow, the m-monster in one hit…”

“Weren’t you just doing research like us? Why are you so good at fighting?”

“Lord Rheinland, what exactly do you do?”

There was no time to answer.

He calmly dealt with them one by one, opening an escape route.

Ding!

That’s when his status window updated.

It was a quest.

[— The ‘God of Wisdom and Curiosity’ as a foreign deity of the Descartes system, cannot stand the sight of Darwin system foreign deity’s servants running rampant. Right now, your will and hers are aligned.]

[— Eliminate the monsters that have invaded the laboratory and subdue or kill ‘Bruce Aizof’.]

[— Success reward: Caliper of Wisdom(S), 30000 Pron, Favor of the ‘God of Wisdom and Curiosity’]

[— Failure: <Critical matter> You must not die here.]

S-grade caliper.

That was definitely necessary.

In the future, he would face attacks from special forces of foreign deities, so wouldn’t it be prudent to acquire a weapon that could easily subdue S-grade monsters?

Anyway.

Knowing there was a reward waiting made it more motivating. Eidel’s blunt strikes gradually gained momentum.

THWACK!

[— You have acquired 100 Pron.]

He had accumulated over 3000 Pron already. Not bad.

“My, my thesis! It’s still intact!”

After successfully rescuing the thesis.

Eidel looked around and said:

“Let’s find something we can use as a weapon around here. Everyone should have something for self-defense.”

The researchers searched offices and labs and brought back:

“There’s a pool table. We used to secretly play pocket billiards and hid it here, then completely forgot about it, haha!”

“The professor’s #4 iron and a framed group photo from the lab. Especially the frame. It’s wood but should make a decent shield.”

“Two micropipettes and a burette! I’m not sure how effective they’ll be… but maybe we can throw them at the monsters and run away in an emergency?”

Lancer.

Warrior.

Thief.

Eidel held his head. This is maddening. My weapon is the most normal one here.

“That’s enough. Let’s go.”

Just as they were about to descend the stairs.

CRASH!

The outer windows shattered as two large scorpions burst in from both sides.

Their pincers were grotesquely swollen, and their heads resembled human forms.

At the end of their bow-curved tails were poisonous stingers, dripping white liquid just like the clusters.

“Ugh, disgusting…! What are those now?”

“EX-grade, Scholarants.”

“Scholarants?”

“Oh, I’ve heard of those! They’re monsters that grab people with their pincers and inject their species’ seeds with the poisonous stinger in their tails…”

“Urgh.”

Eidel was slightly perplexed.

His body was already stiff from disuse, and now they were throwing EX-grade monsters at him after fighting C-grade ones.

He could probably handle them somehow with his A-grade caliper, but it would be a clear gamble.

Fortunately, the Scholarants weren’t blocking their escape route.

What needed to be done was clear.

“Everyone, stay calm and follow my instructions.”

First, reassure and lead the researchers.

“These creatures have a habit of jumping suddenly like frogs. Don’t scream or try to run away first. It might trigger their hunting instinct. Now… let’s slowly go down the stairs.”

Second, evacuate them.

Defeating the monsters would bring in a lot of Pron, but it was important not to lose sight of the objective. Protection took priority over elimination.

But then.

SHHHHHHK!

One of them leaped without warning.

A shadow fell over Eidel’s head. The researchers couldn’t help but scream.

In a split-second decision, Eidel threw his caliper.

THUNK!

Being a higher-grade monster, it didn’t immediately pierce its shell.

But it was enough.

Since weapons of the Descartes system can damage not only the body but also the mind.

SCREEEECH!

The creature twisted its legs mid-air and fell. Eidel hurriedly opened his subspace to retrieve the caliper.

At that moment, the other waiting monster lunged from a blind spot.

Eidel realized.

The first one’s reckless charge wasn’t mindless.

It was a strategic time-delay attack.

These creatures had some form of communication.

In that split second.

‘Future Vision’ told him. If he saved the researchers here, he would definitely be harmed. Don’t make a foolish choice.

But even if he would be mocked.

Isn’t there something a head of the Rheinland family must do?

“Get down!”

Time was short. He retrieved the caliper and threw himself forward. Eidel pushed the researchers down to the lower floor and took their place instead.

“Lord Rheinland!”

In the panicked eyes of the researchers, Eidel felt relief instead.

THOOM!

His body was sent flying by the direct hit from the Scholarant. There was a cracking sound, like something breaking. Soon after, a terrible chest pain followed.

The monster that landed in front of Eidel opened its pincers.

“Young master!”

“Lord!”

[“You stubborn youngster!”]

Just as the pincers were about to grab Eidel’s shoulders.

Pina and Sonia dove in simultaneously.

The two androids each grabbed a closing pincer and pushed back with all their might.

CREEEEAK!

They were gradually being pushed back.

Even with high-performance combat modules installed, they couldn’t overcome the fundamental weight difference.

“Young master, snap out of it!”

“Lord! You can’t sleep here!”

Eidel rose with a creaking body.

His vision was blurry, and there was a ringing in his ears.

Feeling something warm, he touched his head and found blood seeping out.

“…Ha.”

All those times he had defeated high-grade monsters or avatar bodies.

He had been incredibly lucky.

This is the norm.

No matter how smart or strong you are. The essence of the human body is that one mistake can take you down.

“Young master, run quickly…!”

SHHHHHK!

The stunned Scholarant attacked from the side. Sonia and Pina couldn’t help as they were busy blocking the existing pincers. The researchers were too panicked to move.

There was nowhere to run.

“…Alright, come on.”

Eidel drew his caliper from subspace and aimed.

His body wasn’t intact, but.

‘Future Vision’ clearly showed where the creature would attack, so if he could just dodge properly and strike back.

“Young master——!!”

Just as Sonia cried out.

BANG!

A gunshot rang out.

And slightly before that, the two Scholarants were slammed into the wall.

“…What?”

Eidel, who had been preparing to strike upward after dodging the attack, turned his gaze in confusion.

And there stood a girl aiming a gun flowing with starlight.

“Monsters, with a gun?”

“It shouldn’t be easy to infuse Aether into ranged weapons…”

Holy bullets.

In this world, there was only one chosen talent who could face foreign deities with firearms.

“…Ireh.”

“You…”

A cold voice pierced like a dagger.

“You’re really insane.”

Ireh raised her hand toward Eidel.

She looked like she was about to slap him, but instead, that hand gently caressed his cheek.

Thick blood stained her palm.

Ireh’s expression hardened like stone.

“…You’re hurt, aren’t you?”

“Somehow ended up that way.”

“You, you reckless fool… I told you it was dangerous! It’s just a minor injury, right? Tell me it’s just a minor injury right now!”

“I’m a bit dazed but I’m fine. Dizzy, with ringing in my ears. Ah, this is a concussion.”

Ireh clenched her teeth and frowned.

She thought she was going to die from anxiety.

No, she’s still anxious.

If by any chance Eidel were to die, how on earth would she fight the foreign deities alone?

“Researchers, are you all alright?”

“Yes, thanks to you… But more importantly, is the lord okay?”

“I’m, ugh. I’ll be fine. Ireh, tell me how much you’ve cleared on the other floors. If possible, let me know if anyone is injured or dead.”

Ireh’s face crumpled.

This man really does worry about others first, even when he’s injured himself.

Why?

She’s angry, but somehow her heart feels heavy.

Biting her lip, Ireh answered:

“…No civilian casualties yet. The shelter is completely secured. The monsters haven’t been warping for the past few minutes. Maybe that guy’s Aether has run out.”

“I hope that hypothesis is correct.”

Eidel staggered forward.

“Wait, you’re going like that?”

“It’s not over until it’s over.”

“Stop trying to act cool and move with me!”

Ireh reloaded her holy bullets. After safely evacuating the three researchers to the shelter, she headed with Eidel toward the third-floor window.

[— Notice: ‘Great Triangle (Lv.04)’ is being activated.]