Chapter 54
World Collision (4)
Ever since the World Collision began, Lee Shin’s world and Beliar’s world had drawn even closer together.
True to the word “collision,” the two worlds had completely merged.
The World Made of Chains and Shackles and the Small but Deadly World now coexisted within a single world.
「Both gods may choose to end this ‘collision’ at any point while the World Collision is underway.」
「Unless the collision is ended, the two worlds will not separate.」
They would not separate.
The implication was simple.
‘If I lose, I’ll lose my world. But if I win, I can swallow the opponent’s entire world?’
Beliar’s world did not merely possess more followers.
Its total landmass, the resources it produced, and the overall scale of the world itself were overwhelmingly superior to Lee Shin’s.
That was only natural. Lee Shin was a lower god, while Beliar was a well-established upper-intermediate god.
Whether it was divine power or interference power, the amount Beliar had invested in his world was likely incomparable.
「TIP: That is why a World Collision is always both a crisis and an opportunity.」
「TIP: If you can achieve victory, an entire world personally crafted by an ‘upper-intermediate’ god will fall into your hands.」
「TIP: That is why World Collisions occur constantly throughout the World of Stars. It is far easier and more efficient to build a minimally functional world and then steal someone else’s than it is to strengthen your foundations and construct a world from the ground up.」
It was a bitter truth.
If that was the case, no god would lovingly care for their followers or devote themselves to cultivating their world—not in a place teeming with those constantly seeking opportunities to seize other worlds.
‘There’s nothing great about that.’
Lee Shin’s understanding of “greatness” was different.
「The opposing world’s legions have located the [Small but Deadly World].」
「The [World Made of Chains and Shackles] has declared war upon you.」
「Be warned. Souls forged from steel will trample your little ones—unless you have prepared sufficiently.」
It was a chilling warning.
But those words applied equally to Lee Shin’s opponent.
If they had failed to prepare sufficiently, they would be the ones trampled beneath his forces.
Specks of dust could gather to form a mountain.
Falling droplets of water could pierce stone.
Sometimes, small things changed the world.
Today, the Ironmen who had never been defeated would learn a new lesson.
***
Beliar was a fortunate god.
Within the World of Stars, where all manner of worlds and gods existed, Beliar possessed an overwhelming advantage among the lower gods of what was commonly called the “newbie zone.”
Every world he collided with was crushed.
Every god who encountered Beliar immediately bowed their head and conceded defeat. They did not even consider fighting him properly.
That was how powerful Beliar’s world was.
His world had been blessed.
Its environment was the first blessing.
Most of the world consisted of plains that were easy to develop. Although it did not produce any particular resource in exceptional abundance, nearly every resource was available in balanced quantities without any major shortages.
It was perfect for enslaving and exploiting any race.
Furthermore, since it consisted of plains, none of its land was wasted. The amount of territory that could actually be utilized was far greater than that of other worlds.
When compared to the gods who had despaired after receiving worlds filled with rugged mountains or deserts—or worlds whose surfaces were half-covered by oceans—it was undeniably an extraordinary blessing.
Beliar had begun far ahead of the others.
On top of that, the race he created by projecting his own soul—the Ironmen—was an outrageously powerful warrior race during the early stages of development.
To newbies who had yet to develop any proper means of countering them, Beliar’s Ironmen were practically invincible.
One could strike them all day without inflicting so much as a scratch, let alone killing them. Even if someone poured divine power into an attack and somehow brought one down, it would quickly revive as long as a new suit of armor was available.
They were monstrously powerful, virtually immortal, and required neither food nor rest.
To gods who had only just acquired their first worlds, Beliar and his Ironmen seemed like nightmares given form—an unavoidable natural disaster.
Most importantly, this world suited Beliar perfectly.
That a god who ruled through strength and fear and demanded absolute obedience had received a world with such an environment could only be described as a stroke of incredible fortune.
Had Beliar sought peaceful exchanges with other worlds and attempted to gather their inhabitants into a harmonious civilization, he would never have grown as quickly as he had.
Instead, he built enormous legions around a small but powerful race and developed by devouring worlds weaker than his own.
His barbaric strategy of conquest was unexpectedly well suited to this world.
However, the strategy possessed one weakness.
Once Beliar climbed higher and encountered a world whose unique qualities could not be overcome through scale alone—or a world approaching perfection—his civilization would collapse far too easily.
‘He might have become troublesome if I had encountered him after more time had passed.’
But Beliar was aware of that fact.
‘However, that time is not now.’
Beliar was not an incompetent god. If he had been, he could never have conquered hundreds of worlds and risen to the position of an upper-intermediate god.
‘Optimistic fools who manage their worlds like you always say the same thing. “I would have won if I’d had more time. If only I’d been given enough time, I would have become the greatest.”’
Beliar understood his own strengths better than anyone.
‘No one waits for you in the World of Stars. This is not a place where stars survive by remaining dormant for an uncertain future. The stars burning brightest at this very moment are the ones that survive.’
Beliar was certain.
At this point in time, no god below the higher ranks shone more brightly than he did.
Before that light faded, all he had to do was devour as many other stars as possible and make himself burn even more brilliantly.
That was the survival strategy of the World Made of Chains and Shackles.
「Forming a party.」
「Dispatching a [Reconnaissance Unit] into the opposing world.」
Uniqueness and perfection were merely things he could trample, shatter, and seize for himself.
No matter how valuable an unpolished gem might become, it possessed no value if it failed to shine at present.
‘In the end, I am the one holding the chains, inferior human.’
With that thought, Beliar formed a reconnaissance unit centered around three Ironmen.
He intended to raise the morale of his legions, which had fallen because of Lee Shin’s schemes, and reverse the atmosphere by immediately securing news of victory.
‘Once this becomes a direct battle, I will—’
Then Beliar sensed something strange.
「The reconnaissance unit has entered the [Small but Deadly World].」
“...”
「The reconnaissance unit has encountered [Half-Dwarves]!」
「Your reconnaissance unit has been ambushed!」
But by then, it was already too late.
As always, the dwarves of the Small but Deadly World had prepared thoroughly.
Dwarves were a race that never allowed themselves to lower their guard.
Since the arrival of their new god, they had never fought a single battle from an advantageous position.
The little ones had always been the underdogs, and their strategies had invariably begun with finding a way to bring down those who sought to devour them.
This time, the fundamental principle was no different.
“Prepare yourselves.”
Invading the opposing world first had never been an option.
The dwarves abandoned all thought of an offensive and poured their entire productive capacity into building an impregnable fortress.
It was not merely a fortification composed of iron walls.
They laid out dense fields of barbed wire, buried mines capable of wiping out ordinary soldiers in an instant, and filled every gap with defensive structures equipped with machine guns, crew-served weapons, and all manner of turrets.
The dwarves’ explosive productive capacity, combined with Lee Shin’s unstinting investment of divine power, had made it possible to construct this entire fortified region in only ten days.
In truth, it was a strategy the dwarves had already been preparing even before the Preparation Period began.
An indomitable fortress that could never be breached.
A strategy built around drawing a “line” that no one could cross.
The fortress contained the dwarves’ determination never to be invaded again.
It carried the sorrow of a people who had spent their entire lives bound by chains and shackles.
And it embodied their resolve never again to be ruled by anyone.
‘We were able to build it thanks to Raymond.’
While exchanging knowledge with the military expert Raymond in preparation for the battle against Governor Johan, Hephaestus had learned about the military history of another world.
One thing in that world’s history had immediately captured his attention.
The Maginot Line.
That “fortified region,” whose name had eventually become an idiomatic expression in Raymond’s world, had finally been recreated by Hephaestus in this one.
He gave it a new name.
The Land of Steel.
‘We can never allow ourselves to be shackled again.’
Their new friends, the dinosaurs of the Great but Slothful World, had transformed the Land of Steel into an even stronger fortress.
They twisted the earth and rivers and created swamps and jungles throughout the region.
As a result, the Land of Steel became both an artificial fortification and a natural stronghold protected by the terrain itself.
‘We fought so hard to obtain our freedom.’
This fortress was Hephaestus’s greatest creation.
‘And we fought so hard to receive our new God.’
A new God.
A new world.
A new future.
Everything the boy had once dreamed of while bound in shackles, breathing dust in the darkest depths and gazing only at the sunlight filtering between prison bars, had finally been given to him.
To avoid losing those precious things, he had to fight.
He had to fight and defeat those who once again sought to take everything from him.
It was something that had to be done.
Something that absolutely must be done.
「Enemies have appeared!」
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The installed bells rang loudly.
It was the signal announcing the enemy’s arrival.
Without hesitation, Hephaestus brought down his hammer.
“Let’s go!”
His thunderous voice rang out.
At the same moment, the dwarves waiting within countless outposts pulled their triggers.
A storm of bullets began pouring down amid deafening gunfire.
Without pause.
The reconnaissance unit from the World Made of Chains and Shackles consisted of three Ironmen, three hundred and seventy lizardmen, and thirty kobolds.
The commander of the reconnaissance unit was the Ironman Mars, one of the more renowned generals in the World Made of Chains and Shackles.
“There is no need to rush.”
Mars spoke after crossing into the opposing world.
“God wishes us to accomplish something extraordinary during this mission. It would be good if we could, but we must not become greedy. Do not forget the role we have been assigned.”
“Our assigned role is to achieve a glorious victory, General.”
“Every victory is glorious. But no matter how glorious the process may have been, if it does not end in victory, then it is nothing but the greatest disgrace. The outcome is what matters most.”
“Our enemies are insignificant. But insignificant enemies driven to the edge of a cliff sometimes accomplish astonishing things. A beast that walks while staring only ahead will inevitably step into a trap. As long as it avoids the trap, no hunter can bring down the beast.”
“...”
“Our role is to illuminate the darkness. We must discover what traps the enemy has prepared, where they are hidden, and how many there are. Once we have thoroughly illuminated this darkness, our brethren will advance along the open path and seize a glorious victory. Our role is to pave that shining path.”
The other two Ironmen nodded curtly at Mars’s words.
They appeared deeply dissatisfied.
They had probably hoped to cross into this world, slaughter every insignificant life-form they encountered, become heroes, offer their achievements to their god, and receive a sweet reward.
After all, their god always bestowed the most valuable gifts upon the victors.
‘The enemy is not stupid.’
Mars never allowed himself to forget those words.
They had always brought him victory.
After they waited for a short while, the kobold scouts Mars had sent ahead returned.
They were natural scouts gifted with exceptional senses of smell and tracking abilities.
“This place is different from what we were told. Sniff.”
“Different?”
“According to the reports, sniff, there should have been nothing but barren deserts and plains. But all I can smell around here is grass, sniff. And it isn’t just this area. An enormous jungle stretches out before us.”
“A jungle...”
The enemy possessed a druid.
Had the druid altered the environment along the front line?
If so, they might have to request additional support.
The World Made of Chains and Shackles possessed multiracial legions containing all kinds of races capable of handling virtually any situation.
Failing to exploit that exceptional advantage would be incredibly foolish.
The kobold scout continued his report.
“For some reason, I can also occasionally smell iron—”
Then—
“Was that... already here?”
Jingle.
The sound of small bells colliding came from the kobold scout’s foot.
Startled, the kobold lifted his leg. A long, transparent cord had become tangled around it.
It was a taut line resembling fishing line, with countless bells attached to it.
The moment the kobold lifted his foot, the bells shook and rang loudly.
Their sounds spread like birdsong, echoing throughout the vast jungle.
At the same moment, a gunshot rang out.
“Ghk!”
Blood burst from the kobold scout’s chest.
As the kobold collapsed, Mars immediately understood the situation and shouted.
“Ironmen, protect the ordinary soldiers!”
Gunfire.
It was the distinctive sound produced by the dwarves’ weapons.
They were ranged weapons that utilized iron and flame. Although they could not even scratch an Ironman’s body, they possessed more than enough power to kill ordinary soldiers made of flesh and blood.
“It is time to earn glory!”
“Build a tower from the heads of the little ones!”
However, at the moment of the ambush, the other two Ironmen ignored Mars’s order.
They could simply laugh off the storm of bullets raining down upon them. Instead of protecting their allies, they charged toward the enemy—in the direction from which the gunshots had come.
‘Why are those fools...?’
Mars did not know.
『Show them your greatness.』
『Teach them who stands above whom.』
『Prove how mighty my creations are.』
He did not know that they had already been enthralled by their god’s voice.
It was a side effect of the doctrine of Obedience.
Absolute fanatics could not be controlled.
Sometimes, not even by their own god.
‘My God, their purpose is to serve as barricades. Until we locate the dwarves and force them to exhaust their firepower, the Ironmen must form a wall and endure their attacks. If they act like this...’
Mars hurriedly offered a prayer.
But his prayer did not reach its destination.
Their god was watching only the followers who charged forward.
『Teach those contemptible things their place!』
Mars realized that his god had no intention of listening to his prayer.
No matter how desperately he cried out, his voice would never reach him.
Then what should he do?
Fortunately, this was not the first time Mars had experienced something like this.
“Those who can fit behind me, stand there. The rest of you, build a wall, dig into the ground, or conceal yourselves somehow. Do not allow those pieces of metal they are firing to take your lives.”
Mars clasped his hands together and expanded his body, transforming himself into a wall.
The small kobold scouts hid behind Mars, while the lizardmen disappeared into the jungle foliage or pressed themselves flat against the ground in preparation for the gunfire.
Then—
“Huh? I smell fire... Erk.”
Boom!
Several kobold scouts who had failed to hide—and others who had been scrambling to escape—stepped on land mines.
The mines exploded the instant they were triggered, tearing apart the kobolds’ bodies and extinguishing their lives in an instant.
‘The enemy is not stupid.’
The blackened corpses of kobold scouts now lay scattered throughout the area.
The deafening bells, the thunderous explosions, and the violent deaths...
All of them were horrifying.
But they were also painfully familiar.
Mars stared intently through the storm of bullets.
‘And neither am I.’
He continued staring.
Very carefully.
***
At the outskirts of the enormous fortified region known as the Land of Steel—
“You damned dwarves!”
Two Ironmen struggled helplessly, suspended in midair.
“Bow your heads, inferior creatures!”
“How dare you gaze upon the creations of the Greatest One with such contempt!”
They trembled as though suffering convulsions while shouting.
A dwarf snorted when he heard them.
“They tried to break through this place head-on. Just the two of them.”
Clang!
The sound of a hammer rang out between their voices.
A red-haired, red-eyed dwarf stood there.
It was Hephaestus.
“So you’re the ones I heard about. The creatures whose entire bodies are made of steel.”
“Silence! Bow your head!”
“Your bodies certainly seem remarkably sturdy. Bodies made from armor forged of ancient steel... We can’t obtain that material in our world anymore. I suppose you plundered all of it when you devastated our world long ago and used it to make your bodies?”
“Worship him! I command you to worship!”
“Insignificant creature, our god will inflict divine punishment upon you!”
Hephaestus did not even pretend to listen.
Instead, he said—
“Creatures made of steel from head to toe came to this Small World intending to harm the dwarves—the beings closest to steel itself? How foolish can you be? Are your heads packed solid with scrap metal too?”
“I told you to be silent!”
Hephaestus spun the hammer in his hand.
“Fine. I’ll be quiet.”
He adjusted his grip on the hammer.
Then he grinned.
“What need is there for words?”
The two Ironmen who had recklessly charged forward were now caught in a trap.
Hephaestus intended to show these arrogant creatures the ingenious plan he had prepared.
“Between a blacksmith and his materials, the sound of a hammer is all that’s needed.”
An Ironman was, in essence, a spirit inhabiting a suit of armor.
The higher the quality of the metal composing its body and the greater the craftsmanship with which that body had been created, the more its combat power increased.
Then what would happen if the opposite were true?
What if an Ironman was given a body made of scrap metal so worthless that no one would accept it even for free?
What if it was forced into a wretchedly crafted body that no one would spare a second glance?
What would become of the Ironman then?
“I heard about your kind from God. You’re a race that lives from birth until death seeking to inhabit ever more ‘magnificent works,’ aren’t you?”
“...”
“It was a shame to hear that. Under different circumstances, perhaps we could have become friends.”
Hephaestus was the finest blacksmith in this world.
The greatest blacksmith, capable of producing countless masterpieces.
And at this very moment—
“Living weapons that do not even fear death... But let me tell you something. There are many things in this world more terrifying than death, you heaps of scrap.”
The greatest blacksmith had finished preparing to create his worst work.
“You don’t fear death because there’s something you fear even more, isn’t that right?”
Flames began swirling within Hephaestus’s eyes.
At the same moment, the new gift Lee Shin had bestowed upon him to ensure that his ingenious plan succeeded appeared.
No—
「The Sacred Relic is beginning to absorb flames.」
A Sacred Relic revealed itself.
“Time to change your clothes, boys.”
Hephaestus had never said that he would kill all the Ironmen.
He had said he would tear them apart the moment they crossed over.
It had not been a figure of speech.
He had meant it literally.
Acquiring magical means within such a short period had been impossible from the outset. Without magic, they could not kill metallic life-forms whose true nature was that of spirits.
But what did that matter?
“I’ll reshape you with the utmost care.”
After all, some fates were worse than death.