Chapter 71.1

Chapter 71 – Rule 24. The Leader Pursues to the End (8)

The jurisdiction of Mayeon High was dotted with many buildings that looked like traditional Korean houses. More precisely, it was a blend of modern and traditional styles, with high-rise buildings incorporating old cultural elements.

The vehicles of the special task force traveled with some distance between them. The Disciplinary Committee officers, including myself, did our best to remain hidden and silent.

“It’s over there. The place with the unusually strange electromagnetic waves. We’ll detect it soon if we get closer.”

Lee Se-Ah, sitting beside me, pointed out.

Before we knew it, the special task force had reached the outskirts of Mayeon High’s jurisdiction.

I looked out the window of the moving vehicle. The horizon was filled with empty wasteland, and there was an abandoned building that looked like construction had stopped midway. It was indeed a ruin.

South Korea hadn’t fully developed the lands blessed by Geumyang. More precisely, the development wasn’t completed yet.

This area was undeveloped.

It was natural for there to be nothing here.

However…

“…The electromagnetic waves are getting weird.”

As if on cue, changes occurred as soon as we arrived.

Our communication devices became inoperative, and the electromagnetic waves were unnaturally disrupted by some bizarre force.

Lee Se-Ah looked at me and flashed a sly smile.

“They seem to be welcoming us?”

“Looks like it.”

This was Moon Chae-won’s doing.

She had noticed our arrival and started using her unique ability.

It was essentially a welcoming gesture.

RUMBLE!!

“Ahh!”

Suddenly, a strong earthquake shook the vehicles of the special task force violently.

It had come.

Se-Ah nearly fell over. I grabbed her shoulder and held her in my arms.

Lee Jeong-mi, Se-Ah’s bodyguard, glared at me sharply, but I ignored it. I had no choice.

“Wow. You’re reliable, senior.”

Se-Ah commented playfully while in my arms.

“More importantly. They’re coming.”

A massive amount of magical energy was surging toward us.

We turned our heads in the direction of the energy source.

A cloud of dust was rising from the barren field.

Something gigantic was emerging from the ground.

Upon closer inspection, it was a worm-like creature with a round mouth. However, its body was entirely mechanical.

It was a machine.

A very large one at that.

BUZZ!

The mouth of the giant mechanical worm opened, and with a soft metallic sound, a swarm of mechanical soldiers poured out.

They had the shape of centaurs, but with wheels instead of legs.

WHIR!!

The wheels spun rapidly, and the mechanical soldiers charged at us, spewing mechanical sounds and trailing dust.

They were clearly ready for war.

It was evident that Chae-won had no intention of underestimating us anymore.

─ Leader, they, they’re coming…!

I heard Park Minhyuk’s shout from the communication artifact we had brought instead of walkie-talkies.

‘So these are the soldiers she’s been preparing all this time.’

I’ve seen them in the game before.

Among the Six Sinners, there are those whose power increases the longer they have to prepare. The Technomancer and the Gluttonous Twins are prime examples.

The most efficient one is the Technomancer, Moon Chae-won’s ability.

She could assemble and manifest mechanical soldiers over time and have them ready.

Although the risk is lower compared to the Gluttonous Twins’ abilities, in terms of troop augmentation and utility, Chae-won’s ability was overwhelmingly superior.

I could feel Chae-won’s magical power from those centaur-like mechanical soldiers. They were definitely scrap metal born from her unique ability.

“……”

Judging by the magical power.

They were numerous, but each one wasn’t that threatening.

These were merely appetizers.

I couldn’t afford to waste time on such things.

I grabbed the communicator and issued orders.

“Volunteer Department, I’m counting on you.”

─ Leave it to us.

I heard the reassuring voice of Kang Hee-yoon, the Volunteer Department Leader, through the communicator.

─ Hehe…! Bring it on…!

─ I’ll show you the righteous strike that crushes evil…! Cack!

I heard sinister laughter from the other side of the magical communication device. It was the Volunteer Department members.

They were reliable enough.

No, they were perfect for this battlefield.

The vehicle carrying the Volunteer Department members took the lead. The other vehicles followed behind.

Hee-yoon stood up through the sunroof of the vehicle. She held a large two-handed axe.

Ahsung High was one of the top academies.

As one of the top fighters in such a prestigious school, the Volunteer Department Leader was a formidable individual.

Her power was about to be revealed.

Ssss!

Greyish magical power enveloped the axe. They were crystal-like particles.

Hee-yoon swung the axe.

WHOOSH!!

A sharp greyish aura sliced through the air horizontally, quickly cutting down many mechanical soldiers.

Clang! The mechanical soldiers fell helplessly like soulless humans.

Her unique ability, Antithese.

Magic Technique Type 1, Magic Negation.

An ability that nullifies things made of magic.

The effect applies to anything made with less magical power than half of what the user expends.

It was a tricky condition.

But these mechanical soldiers seemed to be manufactured with quantity over quality. To them, Volunteer Department Leader Kang Hee-yoon was their natural enemy.

However,

─ Ugh…! My throat… burns…!

I heard Hee-yoon’s groan through the communicator.

The penalty of Antithese was thirst.

It seemed that using the Magic Technique on a large scale at once had brought immediate and strong recoil.

While Hee-yoon gulped down water from a prepared bottle, firearms poked out from the vehicle windows.

Shortly after,

TATATATATAT!!

Many muzzles spewed flames.

“Kyakakakakak!!”

“Keekeekee!!”

The sinister laughter of the Volunteer Department members echoed as a barrage of magical bullets poured out.

The remaining mechanical soldiers had their cores pierced by magical bullets before they could even counterattack with artillery.

Their shooting skills were precise.

‘They’re reliable.’

From what I saw in the original story, Se-Ah didn’t bother recruiting useless individuals into her group.

So I expected her followers to be somewhat useful, but…

I didn’t expect them to perform this well, exceeding expectations.

Most people would be terrified in such a battlefield.

─ Good! Phase 1 is cleared easily…! Huh?

Minhyuk’s voice cut off from the communicator.

A loud noise and a sense of unease followed.

It came from the direction of the abandoned buildings.

Turning my head, I saw the strange sight of the abandoned buildings slowly moving.

─ L-leader…!! The buildings…!

I had a feeling something was off.

ZZT!

The holographic images surrounding the abandoned buildings turned off.

Then the colors and the magical flow, which appeared when Chae-won used her ability to create machines, were revealed.

Those structures were made of magical steel, not cement.

RUMBLE!!

BUZZ!

The abandoned buildings assembled and formed a gigantic mechanical golem. Its head lifted, and its red LED eyes glowed ominously.

Another of Chae-won’s mechanical creations: the Iron Golem.

─ What the…!

Static crackled, cutting off Minhyuk’s voice abruptly. Then a new voice came through the communicator.

─ Ah, can you hear me?