Chapter 154

Episode 154. The Strongest Hero (4)

****

The hero and Jörmungandr continued their battle. Every time the giant serpent thrashed, the warships shook, and every time the holy sword moved, flashes of light erupted.

It didn’t seem like it would end easily.

To kill a god, strength alone isn’t enough. Wait, no—if I think about what Jörmungandr said right before the fight, maybe just beating it up a bit would suffice?

I don’t know. Let’s watch the fight first and think about it later. Watching the fight was more boring than I expected.

[Why do you call it Jörmungandr?]

The Crystal Clock ticked. Well, there wasn’t any special reason. It’s just a big snake monster, so we called it that.

It doesn’t seem like a human god to begin with.

If I had to analyze it—

“The gill-like structure behind that monster’s head resembles that of an immature amphibian. Its black color also seems similar to the Obsidian-class Supernatural Phenomenon… Anyway. We’ll have to compare it with literature when we get back.”

[Is there no basis for calling it Jörmungandr?]

“On the other hand, from a mythological perspective, if it’s a snake adorned with something resembling feathers, it might be closer to Quetzalcoatl than an immature amphibian.”

[Dr. Kim, do you just memorize this stuff?]

“Yes. It’s just something I knew.”

[That’s impressive.]

You have to know everything. If you don’t, you can’t have a conversation with the Foundation people. Especially with those who study symbolism or mythology—if you’re not prepared, you won’t be able to say anything.

Anyway.

“It’s a problem we’ll have to look into when we get back. For now, we need to subdue Jörmungandr, retrieve the Science Officer, and escape this subspace.”

The ancient god’s scream once again filled the area. If the hero can’t resolve this, we’ll need to think of a new solution.

Since entering this subspace, the situation has been rushing forward without a moment’s rest.

Because of that, I haven’t had the chance to properly think about how bizarre this place is…

Black birds are still gathering in the sky, the hero is swinging the holy sword to kill the black serpent, and dozens of rusting warships are scattered everywhere.

This is a really strange place.

Boom! The battle between the monster and the hero continued inside the cave. Jörmungandr thrashed around, splashing water everywhere, and the rusted warships crumbled.

But I need to look closely.

Even though Jörmungandr seems to be thrashing around wildly now, it’s actually on the defensive, lashing out in desperation. It doesn’t seem like it can catch the hero, so it’s just destroying the terrain.

Boom!

Sword energy lit up the cave again, and the ancient god’s blood spread everywhere like a burst vein. This time, it seems like a critical hit landed.

I checked Jörmungandr’s wounds through the scope. I’m not sure—it seems like it’s healing already. It’s all black, so I can’t see clearly.

“Can you keep fighting for 10 more minutes?”

A knight in armor nodded from a distance.

10 minutes. What can we do in 10 minutes?

****

Anti-tank rocket.

I don’t carry something that heavy around, so I’ll ask Popo to bring it. A few minutes later, a Popo grunted as it dragged a box of anti-tank rocket launchers to me.

The box was too big to carry in its mouth, so it dragged it here by the strap. It’s about the same weight as the Popo, so it must’ve been tough.

It was grumbling a bit, but it succeeded in bringing it. But how do I fire this thing?

– AT4 Anti-tank Rocket Launcher

– For use against giant monsters

– Use only on irregular targets

A giant ancient serpent god definitely counts as an irregular target. I took out a disposable anti-tank rocket launcher from the box. No assembly required.

“……”

Luckily, the AT4 has instructions written on the side. Let’s read them slowly.

1. Remove the safety pin.

2. Load the firing mechanism.

3. Set the range. If you know the distance to the target or if the target is more than 250 meters away.

4. Lock the safety.

5. Pull the trigger to fire.

But how do I know which button is which?

Oh, never mind. Each button on the anti-tank rocket launcher has a large number and instructions written on it. It’s surprisingly user-friendly.

1. Safety pin. Pull it.

2. Firing mechanism. Lift to load.

3. Range. Turn to set the range.

4. Safety. Press until ready to fire.

5. Trigger. Pull to fire.

Ironically, this is the most user-friendly machine I’ve ever seen. Not only are the instructions written in large letters on the machine, but the components are also numbered according to the instructions.

Now’s not the time to be impressed.

It’s time to fire. Honestly, if I said I wasn’t excited at all, I’d be lying.

I pulled the safety pin, fixed the firing mechanism, left the range alone since I don’t know it, pressed the safety, and placed my finger on the trigger.

Now, all I have to do is pull the trigger.

I checked Jörmungandr’s position and aligned the crosshairs of the scope with the serpent’s head. Can I kill it in one shot?

I swallowed.

Time seemed to slow down.

Fire.

****

The backblast was worse than I expected. They said it was recoilless, but the backblast from the recoilless rifle and the sound of the bullet passing by alone created a deafening noise.

A moment later, another explosion occurred, and the anti-tank rocket lodged into Jörmungandr’s neck.

The monster’s scream, like boiling blood, echoed, and the serpent staggered like a collapsing building before falling to the cave floor. Black blood oozed out.

The hero stood on Jörmungandr’s head. The hero probably didn’t understand the situation. It all happened in an instant, so they might not have seen me fire the anti-tank rocket.

That’s the downside of full-body armor. I have Popo to watch my surroundings, but with that steel helmet on, it’s hard to grasp what’s happening around you.

Since the situation seems somewhat resolved, let’s head over there. I checked my equipment, picked up Niguras-5, and headed toward Ahn Yuri.

****

“Kweeek.”

Jörmungandr lay wounded on the side. The hero, having removed their helmet, looked at me triumphantly.

“I caught it!”

Why are they speaking informally?

Do I look younger than them?

I nodded. Actually, I was the one who caught it with the anti-tank rocket, but there’s no need to tell the hero that.

“Ah, yes. Good job.”

“I did well, right?”

“Yes. You’re amazing.”

It seems they’ve given up on killing me.

The Popo were still staring intently at Ahn Yuri, but it seems they didn’t like how the hero threatened me earlier.

“What are you going to do now?”

I thought about it while walking over, and it’s probably better to just leave it here. I’m not sure if we can kill Jörmungandr now, and there might be some use for it.

Didn’t it say something about wishes earlier?

There’s almost certainly some use for it. The Abyss calling humans, the ancient god manipulating tarot cards to summon me here. We’ll need to find a way to control its power, though.

“I’m thinking of leaving it here.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

Now that I’ve met it, Jörmungandr itself seems more cute than dangerous.

The temple, and the humanoid beings who were researching—or worshipping?—Jörmungandr, are a different issue, though.

“Are you treating me like a person now?”

“Well, I’ve always treated you like a person.”

Ahn Yuri’s words had a hint of mockery. I hesitated before answering.

“Do you know what usually happens to humanoid supernatural phenomena that the Foundation doesn’t recover?”

“How would I know?”

“The government kills them. After killing them, they use the corpses for research and such. Hostile groups sometimes recruit them, but if the group grows too large, problems arise, so they usually dispose of them.”

“……”

“It’s presumptuous to ask for gratitude. But I can’t ignore practical considerations. It’s a world where just carrying a gun is illegal.”

“Fine, just let me go out sometime.”

The hero pouted and looked away.

I nodded.

“Let’s find the Science Officer and go home. When we get back… I’ll give you a gift.”

****

[Hero, Holy Sword, Armor]

[Author: Dr. Seo, Mold Team, Materials Engineering Department]

[It’s not hard to make armor to fit the dimensions. There’s nothing difficult about it. Use special materials and work some overtime, and it’ll take about a week.]

[We’ve received the target design.]

[But.]

[Why are we making this? It’s not for the Director to use, is it? It seems like it’s for a detained Returnee, but honestly, isn’t that a bit dangerous?]

[Anyway, here’s our plan. The metal parts of the armor will be made of chromium-cobalt-nickel high-entropy alloy. The interior will likely be filled with bulletproof fabric.]

[We’ll include rubber ventilation tubes, partial temperature control devices, and tracking equipment to control the humanoid supernatural phenomenon.]

[If we work hard, we could add some supernatural upgrades, but since it’s not for the Director, we won’t do that.]

****

[Hero, Holy Sword, Armor. Reply.]

[Author: Research Department Head Lee Se-ah]

[Why are you talking so much?]

[It’s not you, your team, or even me who’s facing and fighting incomprehensible entities in the field. If the Director needs something like this, there must be a reason.]

[Just do as you’re told.]