Chapter 39. Light of the Sky
The stars shine and endlessly do something. In the process, they emit heat, radiation, and visible light. So what would happen if we recreated that on the ground? I’m not talking about the buried nuclear fusion that was achieved in the 20th century.
A small hammer in hand. A red light symbolizing my name. An uncontrolled small star. The stars in the sky. One day, the librarian said, to never use it beyond a certain limit. It could kill me, they warned.
Controlling energy in a quasi-otherworld and applying pressure with my immense power, I start using mana as tinder.
The extreme physical power that creates stars. When you break it down, it’s just simple nuclear fusion, but there was a lethal problem in this process. The existence of a limit where it can no longer be controlled at some point. The endlessly heavy hammer becomes an overwhelming pressure by itself. The heat that can’t escape the hammer makes the process repeat infinitely. Resulting in an endless fall, a fusion reactor in my hand created to reach a point of physical force.
And… let’s skip the complicated theories. This isn’t even my major. Baek Sihyeon or the librarian might know more, but in any case, this is about recreating that distant star in the sky on the ground. I didn’t reach the final stage due to my lacking power, but I demonstrated enough force as my hero in this intermediate stage.
I held the overwhelmingly heavy hammer. It was barely manageable with my power, and I adjusted the direction of the released neutrons behind the hammer. The ejected particles propelled the hammer forward, and I swung it.
But that power was not liberated. Once more around. Again around. Centrifugal force gathers around my axis.
The force trying to move away changed direction according to my will, accelerating the hammer, and this act was continuously repeated. -0.5 seconds to go! Unho’s telepathy informing me of the remaining time. The weight of the stars combined with speed put a strain on my arm. I instinctively sensed that the time had come. It was time to let go.
The moment I tried to release the endless power gathered in my arm.
An ominous sound came from my left shoulder. Did the stitch reach its limit? Damn. I can’t do this. “Unho! Left arm damaged! Assist!”
I removed my left hand from the hammer handle, entering the final rotation. Massive energy converged on my right arm. Numerous magic circles formed on the hammer’s handle and head, alleviating the burden, but at this rate, the power would fall short of expectations. Regrettably, I would have to leave the finishing touch to others.
As my right arm swung, I released the seal of the red hammer.
Shimmer.
The light and particles, byproducts of the star, bounced off the hammer, forming a gigantic hammer of light big enough to cover the Pacific Ocean. It embodied my will, a symbol of my power. It swung widely.
And then, nothing happened.
The gigantic hammer of light swung silently over the ocean’s surface. Leaving only a momentary flash behind. Stunning. Clang. Swoosh.
The red-hot hammer’s head quickly regained its original color, and the perforated handle was once again covered in iron, restoring its original form.
Clatter.
The lightened hammer rang as it hit the ground.
It clashed, and I temporarily lost strength enough to drop my weapon in the battle. I was exhausted.
As the heat pouring from the hammer disappeared, the evaporating sea water rushed back to my feet before my boots could submerge in it, and I leaped atop the barrier.
At the same time, something bright shone behind me.
It wasn’t the light of my hammer.
The deafening explosions of numerous weapons.
Those gathered at the barrier unleashed their attacks.
The deafening gunfire heralding the start of war.
Countless flowers bloomed over the sea. I had no intention of entering that flower garden to swing my hammer, so I sat atop the barrier and watched.
“Unho. Communication magic.”
– Well done, Haram.
I thought I would connect to the command center, but instead, I heard the calm mechanical voice of the librarian.
The librarian must have taken over immediately upon anticipating my communication. No need to request a change.
“Did you observe the effect range?”
– It veered right more than expected. I thought it would burn half of it.
So that’s how it turned out. I was supposed to sweep half here, yet my left hand went out at that crucial moment.
“So, did the group heading toward the Oceania zone get wiped out?”
– According to satellite observation, the advance has halted. Whether they were completely wiped out is still unknown. However, in my personal opinion, it seems safe to say so.
Aside from the brief burst of light from my hammer’s swing, there were no reactions, making it look weak, but the power was sufficient as a symbol of my might.
The overwhelming energy included in radiation stretched out, shredding all enemies inside the hammer with pure force.
“I could have wiped out the vanguard as well.” With an emphasis on clearing the Southern Hemisphere, perhaps the left hand’s problem contributed to the overall rightward diversion of the attack.
That is the result before my eyes. Flesh ripened, skin peeling away, gray blood bubbling out over gray skin, yet they still fought on, moving toward the barrier.
The leading creature was hit by someone’s attack, and the gray crustacean disintegrated into pieces, disappearing into the sea.
They were only slightly killed. The insides must be wrecked.
“Shoot at the one running from the back.”
With a slight wave of Unho’s hand, tiny stone fragments broke off from the barrier and flew at high speed.
Not a particularly strong attack. No matter how top-tier magic it came from, if the material is like that, it won’t have great power. At best, it had a strength slightly stronger than a rifle.
Yet, the tiny stone fragment lodged into the gray crustacean’s body.
The part it struck burst forth gray blood.
The claws fell helplessly, and separating the shell and flesh, it stopped moving and vanished into the sea.
“Did the insides get burned?”
“Looks like it’s barely alive.”
Even though my attack missed, the aftermath was inevitable. I don’t know why, but they took all attacks without minimizing their evasion.
“Why didn’t they deflect?”
“What do you mean?”
Right. Unho was Unho. Even after telling, they couldn’t remember.
“Those guys. When trying to sweep them with widespread attacks, they transfer all energy to a portion and survive as a group.” If 90 out of 100 are ruined and unusable, it’d be better to kill 15 and maintain an intact 85. Why wasn’t it the case this time? Why did the entire army suffer instead of just a few?
“It’s simple, isn’t it?”
“Simple?”
Boom. Boom.
The deafening explosions of numerous attacks showering outside the barrier. Glancing away, I saw the gray crustaceans being brutally crushed.
I had predicted a tough time from the get-go, but due to unforeseen events, things were working out better than anticipated.
The original plan was for me to decimate them overwhelmingly, raising morale through that, but it wouldn’t be bad to kill off such half-dead foes.
Seeing their weakness, it might uplift allies’ spirits.
Wasn’t it said that no matter how you go, as long as you reach Seoul, it’s okay?
Thanks to that, I had some time to think.
I tightly held Unho over my head, dragging them down.
“Tell me. What does it mean?”
“Behind! Behind, a crab!”
What does a crab matter? It won’t die anyway.
I swung my hammer carelessly at the gray crustacean climbing the barrier, turning it into scraps and locked eyes with Unho.
“It’s important. Hurry.”
“Even if energy is transferred to another, the total energy doesn’t decrease!”
“Say it simply.”
“A single entity has a limit to the strength it can withstand! If it exceeds that, no matter how much energy is transferred through otherworldly erosion, the remaining energy…”
Flap. Flap.
Unho waved their limbs rapidly within my grip, continuing their explanation.
“If this attack were directed at a few, most of the swarm would die. So, wouldn’t it be about keeping the numerical advantage instead…?”
I understood.
If each entity can withstand 100 energy, and there are 100 entities, when 1,500 energy is applied, it wouldn’t be divided as 15 per entity, but rather focused 100 energy onto 15 entities, offsetting the damage.
However, since close to 8,000 energy was applied this time, instead of sacrificing 80 out of 100 entities, they chose to each bear 80.
“Wait, this is strange, isn’t it? If they could transfer so flexibly…”
A solution popped into my rigid brain. “Wouldn’t it be possible to distribute energy to all incoming entities instead?”
The incoming crustaceans could be in the hundreds or millions. If that number all shared the energy…
It would create virtually no impact at all!
“If you’ve experienced otherworldly erosion, you’d know! The effect of otherworldly erosion is… “It is dependent on the will and interpretation accepting that sentence.”
While I swung my hammer at the crustaceans crossing the barrier, I kept my gaze fixed on Unho. “Do those tasteless-looking crabs show any will or knowledge? Probably only the leadership-level ones could share energy in a narrow radius around them!”
Indeed. Meaning the higher-ranked entities could transmit damage to all other entities.
Wait… if that’s the case…
“Unho, cover the others for a moment.”
I tossed my partner towards the advancing gray army over the walls.
“Poyoooo!”
Turning my gaze from Unho, who flew toward the gray crustaceans, I placed my hand on the white magic circle left in my ear.
“Respond, Commander Macbeth.”
– Wrap it up quickly. We’re busy here too.
Crack. Crunch. Crackle.
The sound of smashing crustaceans echoed beyond the communication magic. Not just here, but are the other areas also engaging in combat?
“I request a change in strategy. I’ve obtained additional information on the target.”
– Speak.
“No combat on the homeland of Japan but demand a fight on the territory of Grand Mage Line.”
– Denied. There’s no time to set up a defense line now.
Ignoring Commander Macbeth’s words, I continued speaking. “Furthermore, I request the use of nuclear weaponry.”
Macbeth’s mouth froze, likely not expecting that to come from me.
“Poyoooo! Save Ferret!”
My partner shouted in the background as they sensed death approaching, but seeing the swirling magic, it seemed I didn’t need to help just yet.
– What’s the basis for that?
“It’s too long to explain, so I’ll drop consciousness in 5 seconds.”
– Understood.
3. 2. 1.
I detonated the mental algorithm in my head, evaporating all consciousness.
All that remained was the information I would transmit.
A horrible headache and nausea hit me as the mental manipulation fell over my brain.
It’s a dangerous magic that scrapes information from my mind, but now that my consciousness had evaporated, there was no way to stop it, and the mental magic that consumed my consciousness left after taking all the needed information.
“Ugh!”
As consciousness returned, the first sensation was a terrible headache and a wave of nausea. It’s a method only usable by enduring the side effect of nearly killing myself.
I thought I was accustomed to it since I used to do it often, but after a long time, that wave of nausea was even more sickening than old memories.
– Confirmed. Approved. The execution timing for the operation will be delivered later, so until then, minimize the numbers as much as possible.
“Understood.”
I cut off the communication magic and gripped the hammer again. Since I got the operation approved, I should reduce the number of those crustaceans as much as possible.
“Ferret’s dying!”
I saw Unho, with wind swirling around their hands, trying to push the incoming crustaceans below the barrier. I jumped in to swing my hammer.
I felt the satisfying crunch of something solid breaking neatly, gripping my floating partner and bringing them back over my head.
“I thought I was going to die!”
Unho showed discontent, frantically tapping my head with short hands.
“The strategy has changed.”
“Poyo?”
“By any means, reduce the number as much as possible.”
With that, I jumped over the railing and down below the barrier, launching myself toward the incoming crustaceans.
“Let’s catch Ferret!”
Though Unho pulled at my hair desperately, trying to change my mind, I ignored it and hurled my body toward the sea of gray crustaceans.
My partner’s complaints were not a significant issue.
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