Chapter 323: Metamorphosis (5)

“Whew…”

Lennok, having sent Pallard away, immediately rose from beneath the pile of carapaces.

It was a trophy he had merely carried around since defeating Bishop Walter, unsure how to use it, but now it was proving to be a quite useful shield.

Its rigidity and weight were incredibly, ridiculously sturdy.

Directly manipulating this object with Lennok’s mana would be a waste, but calling it to the desired location via summoning rituals whenever needed posed no major problem.

This was impossible without the spatial data and cognitive abilities he had accumulated while researching the world’s rifts in the fortress, and the applications he had built up by understanding the principles of summoning magic from their very roots. But wasn’t that precisely what Lennok excelled at?

It was the result of proving his strength, taking from his opponents, and ceaselessly accumulating time and effort.

All those things that made up Lennok, bore witness to the time he had passed through as a being.

Treffen, the man in the iron mask, stood atop the Machine God’s head, which was stuck to the wall of the mechanical sphere, and sneered at Lennok.

“O’Con has vanished. Did you help him escape in that brief moment?”

“……”

“You’re not going to answer. It doesn’t matter. Once I finish assimilating with this body, I’ll quickly know where he ran off to anyway.”

Lennok nodded at Treffen’s words.

“So, you truly reformed your Miniature Universe by making this entire fortress your body.”

“Oh, so you think so?”

“For an Archmage-level ability user’s Mind Imprint to change this much, there must be a considerable cost. Even if by some chance Lieutenant General, you’ve reached an unprecedented realm, it’s unlikely that the Mind Imprint you built within has transformed into a Domain.”

Lennok continued, meeting the gaze of Treffen, who was observing him with folded arms.

“The only conclusion I can draw is that you’ve used the entire Mobile Fortress as your physical body to manifest a Miniature Universe within it, using it like a Domain.”

“……”

Treffen fell silent at Lennok’s pointed remark.

It was difficult to find words that so accurately pinpointed the reason for the existence of this mechanical sphere.

He hadn’t twisted his inner Mind Imprint significantly to turn his Miniature Universe into a Domain.

Instead, he had synchronized his own body’s defined scope to its absolute limit, making the entire Mobile Fortress his own physical form.

The essence of the Machine Domain, which had thereby transformed the entire interior of this magnificent mechanical apparatus into a Miniature Universe, was the true identity of the sphere that trapped Lennok and Pallard.

“Choosing this old fortress, which you’ve used for twenty years, is probably along the same lines. It would have been difficult to make it your body if it wasn’t something you’d resided in for so long and grown attached to.”

Gearsight’s technology, capable of completely transferring the consciousness of an Archmage-level physical ability user, and Treffen’s mental fortitude, which endured even after redefining his entire physical body.

Among the ‘ways of transcending humanity’ chosen by level 7 superhumans who sensed their end, who could say that Treffen’s choice was not the most advanced?

Commander Treffen’s chosen method had already completely abandoned humanity, both causally and externally.

“I’ll admit it’s an incredibly audacious idea. To think that what you chose after abandoning a human body was to imbue this entire massive Mobile Fortress with your consciousness…”

Lennok let out a sharp laugh.

“You, and Gearsight, are truly excellent at one thing: the frantic struggle to escape humanity. This will be quite a spectacle.”

Crack!

Something broke from behind the iron mask, and Treffen’s voice resonated lowly.

“A brat whose blood hasn’t even dried yet… prattling on as he pleases.”

“And you no longer have any blood to flow.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Treffen lightly brushed off Lennok’s provocation and raised his hand.

“I was waiting to show O’Con this sight, but his vessel must have been limited to that much.”

Kagagagagagak!!

At that moment, thousands of components rippled from the ceiling and walls of the mechanical sphere, beginning to fall like rain.

The components that fell to the ground immediately assembled themselves from all directions, transforming into countless human forms.

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of soldiers, whose entire bodies were made of machinery, stood up and turned their heads towards Lennok.

Bzzzzzzzzzt!!

“That guy’s words about me abandoning the military were wrong.”

Treffen slowly rose from his seat and said.

“The souls of my fallen comrades will still remain here and be with me.”

Clang, clang, Kwoooong!!

The steel army, which had risen from all directions, began to advance towards Lennok simultaneously.

The mana emanating from their bodies was incredibly diverse. Their equipment and stances, formations and ranks, were all exceptionally unique.

Lennok recognized familiar mana and stances among those approaching from the front and nodded.

“So, you intended to utilize the accumulated combat data in this way. You plan to become a living superhuman army?”

“Not plan to be. I already am, and more…!!”

Treffen shouted, spreading his arms wide.

“With this, I shall transcend the meaning of an individual and truly reach the pinnacle!!”

Kwaaaaaang!!

A wave of machinery surged across the vast deck, rushing towards Lennok.

Even as he repelled them with shields and wielded lightning, the overwhelming numbers quickly encroached upon his surroundings, pressing in on Lennok.

In terms of sheer numbers, the disparity was so immense as to be meaningless to count.

“Aren’t you thinking too simplistically about what it means to transcend humanity?”

But Lennok shook his head, even as he witnessed the flood of machinery surging from all directions.

“At least the level 8 monsters I met didn’t abandon their humanity so easily.”

“What do you know to babble like that!!!”

“Indeed, that’s not wrong.”

Lennok chuckled, then immediately rotated the mana within his body and took a step back.

“Who is right will be proven now.”

Pazzzzzzzzzzt!!!

Blue lightning swirled and ignited in his hand.

Quickly closing the distance with Lennok, the mechanical soldiers each wielded various mana, raining down blades and bombardments.

The violently rising wave of machinery and the blooming lightning conjured by Lennok intersected, unleashing a blinding flash.

From both sides of the mechanical sphere, two superhumans, facing each other, wielded their mana with full power.

Kwoooong!!!

Hundreds of cannons protruding from the walls and ceiling of the sphere spewed fire, while on the ground, alternating whirlwinds of scorching heat and freezing cold swept through, testing the durability of the metal to its limits.

Supporting a rifle, augmented with marksmanship magic, on a carapace, he unleashed automatic fire, one shot per head of the charging mechanical army.

The head of a mechanical soldier, swaying in the vortex of mana, exploded and fell.

Even without a reliable vanguard, he maximized the defensive line built on the durability of the summoned carapace pile, focusing on projecting firepower.

He stubbornly clung to the still-unsynchronized deck floor, buying time and concentrating on depleting the enemy forces to an irrecoverable state.

Kwagwagwagwa!!

Scorched and shattered components began to pile up like mountains on the deck, forming hills.

The power of the wizard, who single-handedly established firepower and deterrence surpassing an entire army, erupted ceaselessly, manipulating the mana on the ground as if it were his own.

The contradiction: the regeneration and re-advancement speed of the mechanical soldiers couldn’t keep up with Lennok’s barrage.

But even as the mechanical sphere was being filled entirely with metallic debris, Lennok’s eyes remained cold.

‘He’s not stepping in directly. Why?’

His pious posture, kneeling on the palm of the giant Machine God he created.

Even if the entire Mobile Fortress was his body, if he had created such a combat body separately to represent his will, its combat power would undoubtedly be considerable.

If there was a reason he hadn’t acted even after raising such a massive army, there could only be one.

‘Is he buying time…? His body synchronization isn’t complete yet.’

He could see slow cracks forming at the edges of the iron mask covering Treffen’s face.

Considering the speed at which Treffen’s unmoving iron mask was coming off, there were roughly three minutes left.

Was he planning to move directly only after that mask was completely removed? In that fleeting moment, as Lennok carefully calculated the remaining time and preheated his mana,

The remnants of mechanical soldiers, which Lennok had thought were crushed by his mana, began to cling to the carapace piles.

From the mouth of one of the soldiers, who had somehow clung to the front of the carapace and was madly wielding mana, a voice completely different from Treffen’s burst out.

“Nice to meet you, Adamant Thunder. It’s my first time seeing your face directly.”

“……”

As Lennok stared intently at the soldier who had projected its voice, another voice came from right beside him.

“Number 8 was defeated so easily that I was very curious about what kind of person you are.”

“So?”

Swish!!

Shadows rising from beneath his feet instantly grabbed two of them by the waist and severed them.

Lennok looked down at the instantly tattered mechanical soldier corpses and asked,

“What are your impressions of seeing my face directly?”

“You’re ordinary. Much more than I expected.”

The mechanical mass that embraced Lennok from behind whispered and then exploded.

Kwaaaang!!

Dozens of robots with shattered limbs crawled on the ground, slowly approaching Lennok.

Voices of various kinds echoed from all directions.

“We thought that if you had a high enough understanding of cyber-electronic space to tamper with Number 8’s backup data, you must be close to us.”

“If you know about the floating nature of the network, it’s strange not to find physical bodies stifling.”

“Aren’t you tired of the limitations of the human body, trapped in the shackles of protein?”

Puff-puff-puff-bang!!

They self-destructed with determination, spreading explosions in all directions.

In the rapidly heating air, voices continued without end.

“We need a paradise built on logic and reason. We yearn for an angel to lead us there.”

Lennok slammed down four robots clinging to him with shock magic and lifted his head.

“So, you’ve decided to create the angel you desire yourselves, is that it?”

Crackle, crackle!!

Treffen’s iron mask continued to crack.

Why he wore the mask, and why he was now taking it off, he didn’t know, but guessing its meaning was not difficult.

His inner humanity. He must be preparing to shed everything related to it and fully synchronize with the Mobile Fortress.

Once the synchronization was complete, even this deck floor, which was currently the only part unchanged, would probably fall into Treffen’s hands.

It would naturally put Lennok at a great disadvantage, losing the floor and a place to stand.

It was something he had braced himself for the moment he accepted being trapped in this mechanical sphere, but he had no intention of letting it happen before his very eyes.

However, as if seeing through Lennok’s thoughts, the Gearsight researchers somehow continued to cling to Lennok and talk to him.

“The Agent Deputy Director should just give up. He must be pulverized by now in this impact.”

“I don’t know what you expected by sending him down into the cramped deck basement, but he’s probably just an artifact needed to save his own skin. Do you really think that man can be the card to dramatically turn this situation around?”

“I’d like to hear why your researchers came forward yourselves.”

*Fwoosh! *

Lennok slowly began to walk forward, pushing through the severed wires.

“The combatant you sent to collect my combat data. If you’re here knowing that his consciousness data backup was damaged, you must know that you yourselves aren’t entirely safe. Yet you’re willing to sacrifice yourselves and buy time just for this moment?”

“If we were obsessed with life and death, we wouldn’t have chosen this life, would we?”

Crackle, crackle…

The robot holding his ankle with trembling hands replied.

“In this world, where not a single moment has been satisfying… we are simply doing our best to find the answer we desire.”

This was by no means a situation that unfolded as planned.

A situation that could never be called optimal or ideal.

But even in such a moment, to move without hesitation or despair to grasp what one desires.

Without such determination, how could they have survived until now, searching for answers?

There was little difference between these individuals, who threw themselves into the fray to buy time for Treffen’s awakening to complete, and Lennok.

“Understood.”

Lennok also understood and quietly nodded.

“Then, I’ll show you what I’ve prepared.”

At that moment, the entire mechanical sphere sank several meters below the ground.

Kwoooong!!

Simultaneously, the mechanical components beneath the deck all writhed and began to split the floor like a wave, rising up.