Chapter 35
Governor Johan (5)
“....”
“We don’t need assault rifles. I don’t know how skilled the dwarf soldiers are at shooting, but it’s impossible to shoot down something flying at speeds comparable to a fighter jet with AK-level firearms. We need something much bigger and more powerful. A weapon focused entirely on firepower.”
“Then ordinary soldiers won’t be able to carry it.”
“They don’t need to. The dwarves’ objective is defense. They can mount crew-served weapons inside the fortress and fire them from fixed positions. The ones in a hurry aren’t the dwarves. It’s the enemy.”
“Ah.”
“Modeling it after the M2 Browning heavy machine gun should work. If we assume the dragon is a forty-meter-long flying creature, then its scales and hide must be extraordinarily tough. In that case, we’ll need anti-aircraft guns. Ideally, we’d scramble fighters of our own. Fighting an airborne enemy from the ground is simply too difficult.”
“That... probably won’t be possible.”
“Don’t be too discouraged. Lord Hephaestus, none of this is your fault.”
“Even so, if I were a little more capable....”
Raymond shook his head.
This American was only supposed to be providing consultation, yet he had long since become completely immersed in the world of the little ones.
He had even canceled all of his personal appointments, and visiting Hephaestus had become the highest priority in Raymond’s daily schedule.
“Lord Hephaestus, you are more than capable enough. As I emphasized before, the highest priority in this operation is shooting down the dragon. If we let it continue flying freely, we have no chance of winning. And you’re the one holding the key to knocking that monster out of the sky. Without you, this battle cannot be won.”
“Thank you, even if you’re only saying that to make me feel better.”
Raymond grinned broadly.
“Once you take down that damn dragon and come back, I’ll invite Mr. Lee and Hephaestus over to my house. My wife is an incredible cook.”
“If we’re not going to sacrifice the workers.”
“We can’t sacrifice them.”
“Of course not. Even in games, you have to protect your workers. You only send workers out to stall for time in truly desperate situations. Fortunately, we already know the enemy is coming this time.”
With the help of military expert Raymond, the conventional combat strength of the Red Fortress Gepetto rose dramatically compared to before.
And that was not the end of the dwarves’ preparations.
“This time, you need to create a sacred relic.”
“Didn’t you say before that I should build more structures?”
“The enemy invested resources and produced an overpowered unit. Of course, reality and games are different, but in games, when that happens, you usually invest resources too and produce a special unit of your own. You need a powerful unit to counter another powerful unit. Unless you plan to sacrifice your other production units.”
“This is exactly why we spent all that time strengthening our foundation and stockpiling resources. Now is the time to invest them.”
Using gaming terms, his father explained that among Lee Shin’s current believers, Eve, Santiago, Jude, and Hephaestus were all equivalent to “special units.”
They were individuals who stood apart from the other believers.
He also added that to defeat Governor Johan, who was practically the equivalent of an RPG boss monster, Lee Shin would need to strengthen the specs of those special units.
「10,000 Divine Power will be consumed.」
「You have created a [Sacred Relic].」
「You have designated Intermediate Believer Eve as the owner of the [Sacred Relic].」
「Intermediate Believer Eve possesses a high Faith stat.」
「Intermediate Believer Eve is an [Apostle].」
「Intermediate Believer Eve is a [Saintess].」
「Bonus effects have been applied!」
Her faith was high, she was the only Apostle Lee Shin had personally appointed, and she was also a Saintess, a member of the clergy class.
As a result, several bonuses were applied.
And the sacred relic that emerged was—
“Joy to the world!! The sacred relic has come!!”
Ding!
「Name: Unquenchable Hope」
「Type: Sacred Relic」
「Grade: Mythic」
「[Supreme Divine Enhancement], [Dark Attribute Immunity]」
「Unique Engraving: “Not Today”」
「—For one minute, declares the surrounding area the most sacred space and grants the Immortality (□□) effect to all followers of [Lee Shin’s Faith] within range. (Cooldown: 24 hours)」
「Overall Evaluation: Many collapse before the cruelty of reality, but these faithful ones will not fall.
At least, not today.」
An item that granted immortality to everyone within its area of effect.
It was an option well worth the 10,000 Divine Power.
“This is... truly extraordinary.”
Even Hephaestus was greatly astonished.
“God! God! This lowly Eve can now die without any regrets! Ah! Wait, Eve can’t die anymore because God gave her a sacred relic! Kyahahahaha!”
『....』
“Now I can do a hundred somersaults in a row and be perfectly fine!”
Eve looked as though she might fly away from sheer happiness.
She was certainly delighted to have received such an incredible item, but more than that, she seemed overjoyed simply because Lee Shin had given her a proper gift.
Of course—
『The rest of you have gifts too.』
This wasn’t the end.
“Huh? Us too...?”
Lee Shin’s current Trait Level was 3.
The number of people he could designate as Apostles had increased as well.
To a total of three.
‘I already know who I’m choosing.’
「Low-Rank Believer Santiago has been designated as your glorious Second Apostle.」
「Low-Rank Believer Jude has been designated as your glorious Third Apostle.」
「Believer ranks will increase.」
「Congratulations! Low-Rank Believers Santiago and Jude have become [Intermediate Believers]!」
He could have prioritized Hephaestus, who was a candidate to become a Hero, but Lee Shin chose not to.
Instead, he neatly appointed them as Apostles in the order he had met them.
“I’m happy!”
There was no major outward change in Jude after being appointed as an Apostle.
In Eve’s case, her stats had changed considerably, but Jude had apparently been an extraordinary being before his soul was damaged, so simply raising his believer rank did not seem enough to significantly increase his specs.
Instead—
「Intermediate Believer Jude’s damaged soul has been partially restored.」
「Restoration Rate: 30%」
His damaged soul had been repaired.
That was the only visible change.
Of course, not everyone was like Jude.
“My heart... feels full.”
Santiago clearly seemed to have undergone a substantial increase in strength.
“I feel as though I’ve returned... a little closer to my prime.”
And with that, Lee Shin now had three Intermediate Believers.
There was only one remaining place to spend his Divine Power.
The [Item] category.
Among the options there was also the [Low-Rank Enhancement Ticket] Lee Shin had previously received as a reward.
It was a consumable item that could raise a chosen believer’s Soul Grade from Common to Hero.
The required Divine Power—
A staggering 50,000.
It was incredibly expensive.
But there was no point in hoarding it.
Just as his father had said, when the time came to spend resources, you had to spend them.
「50,000 Divine Power will be consumed.」
「You have created an [Item].」
And there was only one person it made sense to use it on.
Among the four core members, only one possessed a Common-grade soul.
Without hesitation, Lee Shin used the fluttering ticket.
「Using Low-Rank Enhancement Ticket.」
「The status of Low-Rank Believer [Hephaestus] has been updated.」
The next moment, dazzling light descended, and Hephaestus’s appearance began to change.
His body grew larger, his skin turned bronze, and his wild curly hair became a fiery red.
Even his eyes changed to the same color as his hair.
“...I’ll do my best!”
His voice carried far more confidence than before.
Now, truly, every preparation was complete.
This was the best Lee Shin could do.
「A party has been formed.」
「Apostles included: 3」
「Core Combatants: Eve, Santiago, Jude, Hephaestus」
「Synergies are being activated.」
The first synergies to activate were the ones Lee Shin had always seen.
But two new ones had been added.
「Synergy: Holy Legion [Tier 3]」
「Type: Combat」
「Condition: At least 3 Apostles must belong to the same party.」
「Beneficial effects are granted at 3, 6, and 9 members.」
「(3) Effect: HP increased by 20%.」
「Overall Evaluation: Tenaciously, until the very end.」
「Synergy: Kindling Flame [Tier 1]」
「Type: Combat」
「Condition: [Flame Blacksmith] must belong to the dwarf group.」
「Effect: All weapon power increased by 300%.」
「Overall Evaluation: Even a dying flame deserves a second look.」
The effects were staggering at a glance.
Even so, everyone was tense.
“My legs... have no strength.”
“Just imagining the Governor coming makes my knees....”
Fear engraved into their very blood.
Their instincts were screaming at them to run.
“You’re all frightened right now.”
At that moment, Hephaestus’s grandfather spoke.
“When the Governor appears, a fear incomparably greater than what you’re feeling now will come crashing down on you. You’ll forget all the training we’ve done and every operation we’ve repeated dozens of times.”
“When you are most afraid, think of your families.”
His voice was calm.
“If we fail to stop the Governor, he’ll once again ride that damned dragon and burn our world. Just like before, when every priest was burned alive on stakes, every father was crushed beneath giants, and shackles were fastened around the feet of every dwarf.”
“That history must never repeat itself. Our families, our descendants, and we ourselves have no reason to endure that horror again.”
Then Eve spoke.
“The God of the Little Ones will be with us.”
“The most merciful God, who will never abandon us.”
With those words, the dwarves stopped trembling.
But—
“...It’s coming. Everyone, prepare yourselves.”
Reality was always different from imagination.
“Once it appears, begin with warning fire....”
Ding!
「The dwarves have encountered their natural predator.」
High in the sky—
Something no larger than a tiny dot appeared.
“D-Dr... ag... on....”
“Hrk... urgh... blegh....”
They could barely even make it out, but every dwarf knew.
It had arrived.
“E-Everyone... get a grip....”
“Bleegh...!”
One dwarf began vomiting violently.
Several others started foaming at the mouth and convulsing the instant they sensed the dragon’s presence.
The tiny dot in the sky began growing rapidly.
It was approaching them from afar.
They could not allow it to get any closer.
And then—
Bang—!
A powerful gunshot rang out.
“....”
“...!”
“F-Fire!”
It was Hephaestus’s grandfather.
An old man bit his lip until it bled and pulled the trigger.
Several dwarves who belatedly came to their senses finally began carrying out their assigned roles.
To scrape away even a little of the approaching dragon’s scales.
To inflict even the smallest amount of damage.
They formed a wall of fire with their machine guns.
Bang. Bang-bang.
After the first shot, the gunfire multiplied.
Soon, the roar was so deafening that their ears rang.
“Don’t... stop!”
The dragon had now come close enough to Gepetto for them to distinguish its shape.
Its vast outstretched wings.
The imposing horns jutting from its head.
Two reptilian eyes.
A forty-meter-long monster.
The strongest predator that had once brought an end to the World of the Little Ones.
The natural enemy of the dwarves had appeared.
At the same time, its vicious jaws slowly began to open.
Every dwarf knew what that meant.
“Breath...!”
The dragon’s weapon, capable of obliterating everything in sight.
It looked like flame, but in truth it fired surging, concentrated mana.
Even dwarves beloved by fire would die instantly if struck by it.
They would perish without leaving even a trace behind.
“...Do not... leave your positions!!”
They all knew how terrifying the breath attack was.
But they did not flee.
More accurately—
They could not.
“Behind us! Our families are behind us!”
The dwarves had nowhere left to retreat.
The Red City of Gepetto was already the edge of the cliff.
Even if they withdrew from here, all that remained was an endless drop.
If they were going to die while running away—
They would rather die fighting.
From the moment they entered this battle,
every dwarf had resolved themselves to that.
And then—
“Silence—!”
From atop the fortress,
a thunderous voice rang out.
「Intermediate Believer Eve activates the skill ‘Forced Silence.’」
「All soul-based skills within range are forcibly canceled. All mana gathering within the area is forcibly dispersed.」
Immediately afterward, a long harpoon fired with a sharp crack.
「Intermediate Believer Santiago activates [Big Catch].」
「The larger the target, the greater the skill’s power!」
Crack—
The harpoon buried itself between the dragon’s scales.
“We are!”
Santiago shouted as he clenched the rope connected to the harpoon.
“Small!”
“But deadly dwarves!”
“Being small is no reason to live while being trampled! Being small is no reason to wear shackles! Being small is no reason to bow our heads!”
“....”
“Show them, dwarves! Show them who we are!”
The fear that had filled the air began to fade.
“Yaaaaah!”
Eve unleashed her authority once more.
「Intermediate Believer Eve activates [Judgment of Iron].」
「The accuracy of all iron weapons used against those who do not belong to Lee Shin’s Faith rises to 100%.」
Light fell upon the dragon’s head.
At the same time, the bullets flying through the air abruptly changed course as though drawn by magnets.
Every round bent sharply and struck the dragon’s scales.
Eve did not stop there.
「Intermediate Believer Eve activates [Blessing of Flame], [Heart of Steel], and [Punishment of Flame]!」
「Intermediate Believer Eve has used too much authority in a short period of time. She will temporarily enter an Exhausted state.」
Eve drew on her power until there was nothing left.
In exchange, tremendous buffs spread over the entire area.
“Haaah... haaah....”
Eve collapsed where she stood, breathing heavily.
Her eyes struggled to focus.
Yet she was smiling.
“This much... with this much...!”
Because she could feel hope.
The dwarves were fighting back against the dragon and the Governor, beings that had once seemed no different from terrifying natural disasters.
The exhilaration Eve felt at that moment was impossible to put into words.
But—
“...Is that it? This is even more pathetic than I expected.”
Unfortunately,
Governor Johan was no easy opponent.
“Looks like I’ve taken everything they had.”
[Does that mean I can do whatever I want now, Master?]
High in the sky, Governor Johan pulled on the reins and nodded.
“Yes. Go wild, Partmos. Teach those slaves their place.”
“....”