Chapter 41

“KHAHAHA!!”

“Run, run, run!!”

The thunderous roar of engines echoed across the wilderness. Thick, acrid smoke billowed from exhausts blackened by soot, spreading in all directions.

A fleet of heavily armed vehicles, based on crude modifications of old-fashioned cars, stretched far and wide.

The riders atop these vehicles were adorned from head to toe with tattoos and piercings, as though these marked the shells protecting them from the harsh wilderness.

“More, more, moremoremore!!”

“KYAAHHOOOO!!!”

They shouted meaningless war cries, fixing their eyes on the approaching target.

The target was a solitary brown tank that had dared to crawl into their territory.

Even though they knew full well that tanks represented dangerous opponents, it was just one.

With more than twenty vehicles and nearly a hundred men, their leader was confident that they stood a good chance.

“Boss, are you really going to do this?”

“Whether it’s a tank or nonsense, it’s just a ruffian wandering alone! If we all charge together, that’s all there is to it!! Increase the speed!!!”

Adrenaline surged. The fear of death slowly faded, and the thought that they were predators dominated their entire being.

Yes, we are predators, not creatures to be plundered weakly!

…

From all sides, the fallen masses approached.

Those on cars and motorcycles quickly accelerated, their aggressive momentum heading straight toward us.

“That’s perfect. Saver, keep the distance while continuing to move. Avoid extreme maneuvers.”

[Understood.]

Saver followed my instructions faithfully; judging by the increasingly rapid vibration I felt, it seemed the speed had increased.

“And Saver, is there a suitable place for battle?”

[If you’re planning to use your special skill, I recommend utilizing the rear cupola. I’ll lower the foldable chair for smooth operation.]

With a metallic sound, a corner of the ceiling descended, and the chair stored in the corner unfolded.

Of course, this was quality work by Banetta, leaving no room for faults.

“Nisia, can you help me sit on that chair?”

“Yeah, got it.”

Nisia carefully lifted me with both hands and placed me on the chair, which simultaneously signaled Saver’s confirmation.

[Passenger confirmed, raising the chair.]

Ruckle, Wiiiing—

“Whoa?”

The chair swiftly moved inward while the lowered ceiling ascended, enclosing the space again.

Upon reaching the cupola, I found myself in a spacious structure with an unobstructed view of the surrounding landscape. Right below the window was a tool resembling an old-fashioned intercom, commonly seen in tanks.

Using the hands interface, I grabbed it and placed it near my ear, where Saver’s voice predictably came through.

[How is the ride?]

“It doesn’t seem bad.”

[That’s good. Is there anything else you need?]

“Hmm… Can I see the enemies up close?”

Through the cupola, I could already see the fallen coming toward us, but it was merely a general view. Considering the combat methods I planned to employ, I needed to observe the enemy’s appearance.

Because this world resembles yet differs from AOE. After all, even the Hunter bot self-detonated last time, and I’ve experienced various other aspects.

‘But it’s not entirely different either.’

Since the overconfidence mechanism observed in the Valley of Bloody Winds operates normally, the unique systems and quirks of AOE aren’t completely dismissed.

This suggested the hypothesis that the big picture is shared, but the restrictions on each individual’s actions can vary.

That is, despite sharing certain concepts and system elements, the fallen may exhibit movements outside the limited patterns typically seen in games.

Moreover, what I was most worried about now was the possibility that the enemies might flee and leave us behind.

After all, we didn’t come here just to gain experience points through a chase with the tank, right?

[Through the external camera, I will show you a close-up view of the approaching enemies.]

“Got it.”

A hologram appeared before me, revealing the faces of the fallen approaching us from all directions.

Most of them had patched up old motorcycles or cars with scrap metal and weapons, fitted with large rugged tires designed for off-road use.

However, among them, one particularly flashy and eye-catching vehicle stood out.

“Ugh…”

An automatic reaction of discomfort accompanied by a frown as I spotted it.

The dark SUV racing toward us from the rear had what looked like a throne mounted on top and human skulls hanging around it.

The kind of decoration you often see in apocalyptic settings where human remains are used as ornaments.

It was clear from all sides that this was their chief. I repressed my discomfort and called out to Saver.

“Saver, is the main gun ready to fire?”

[At any time.]

“Then see this. Not this one, but pick another nearby one among the approaching enemies and take it out.”

[Understood. Main gun target locked, firing.]

A thunderous sound resounded, and the intense vibration rippled through the vehicle, then subsided.

The shell quickly launched towards the enemy, piercing through the truck’s hood, followed by a massive explosion that pulverized the fallen in the cargo area and turned them into a mist of blood.

– 21 experience points gained.

– 18 experience points gained.

– 20 experience points…

A series of notifications.

Simultaneously, movements occurred in the lines of fallen pursuing us. I turned to Saver.

“Saver, can you amplify the sounds of the enemy?”

[I shall attempt this, though the quality may not be ideal.]

“Still, that’s fine.”

[Understood. Using external audio devices to amplify the sounds.]

Listening attentively to the headset as Saver spoke.

…Hey! One shot … right?

…Boss! Is there really… a chance… to catch them?

…Shut up… increase speed! Follow…

The broken voices conveyed that the enemies were not planning to give up.

Good, so far, everything is proceeding as expected. Let’s start the act, then.

However, before doing so, I asked Saver in preparation for the worst-case scenario.

“Saver, is there any possibility that the enemy’s armament could be dangerous to the tank?”

[According to calculations, it’s at 0%. Judging by the level of their weapons and artillery, even the weakest armor plating on our vehicle won’t sustain meaningful damage.]

“Alright, could you slightly reduce the speed? Just enough for their artillery to reach us.”

[Reducing speed.]

The vibrations slowly died down as the fallen rapidly approached us. Following a command signal from what looked like the boss, a barrage of bullets rained down.

Tatatata-

Duduudu-

Ting, Ting, Dong-

The metallic sounds rang out in quick succession with gunshots. Just as Saver had predicted, none of their bullets inflicted significant damage to us.

“Alright, then fire one shell but deliberately miss. And when they attack again, pretend the main gun is broken.”

[The instruction is unclear. Are you asking me to deliberately miss one attack and feign a malfunction of the main gun?]

“Exactly.”

[While the action doesn’t seem rational, I shall proceed.]

The sound “Czing” rang out again. The ground kicked up dust with the blast, and the shell quickly flew toward the enemy but, as per my command, grazed over their heads and exploded behind them.

And then the gunfire resumed.

Turning my head slightly to glance at the turret, I observed Saver moving the gun barrel about, stopping occasionally, and superbly acting as if something had gone wrong.

Even though you were skeptical, you act well, don’t you?

…Look! There’s… something wrong… Increase speed!!

…Charge!! Increase speed…

And, just as expected, the fallen took the bait perfectly.

Alright, now the real show begins.

“Saver, open the cupola hatch.”

[Opening the cupola hatch. As a precaution, I’ll activate the barriers surrounding us.]

“Thanks.”

The cupola slowly opened, emitting mechanical sounds. Using the hands interface, I stepped outside the cupola and was immediately hit by fierce winds rushing past.

Hwiiiing – Wuuuuung!!

“Yow, it’s cold.”

The biting winds struck my face as I wiped my nose and gazed at the fallen, lowering my voice.

“Summon, Hand Glider. Armament COMP-A1(S).”

– MP is consumed to spawn the summoned unit with the designated armament.

A small glider appeared before my face.

The small wings and streamlined body looked cute enough, but inside this tiny frame were packed explosives capable of turning a person into dust.

“Umm, let’s summon more then. Summon, Hand Glider. Armament…”

I continued summoning hand gliders.

One became two, two became four, four grew further, and before long, my back was surrounded by hand gliders. Their total count reached about 40.

‘This should suffice.’

The vehicles following us were originally about 20, but one was taken out by the main gun, leaving 19. Even if I use two per vehicle, I’d have four left over.

Should we start the fireworks show, then?

“Alright, targets from you to you. Got it?”

The hand gliders responded by slightly adjusting their bodies up and down as if understanding my instructions.

“One unit per vehicle! All charge! Blow them all away!!”

Wuuuung-

Twenty hand gliders scattered at the same instant as my command.

The hand glider squadron swiftly charged toward the enemy.

“Huh?”

“Something’s flying toward us-”

The fallen noticed them, but before they could raise their voices, the hand gliders reached them.

Veeeing – Boom.

The hand glider crashed into the hood of the vehicle instantly.

“What, what is this?!”

“Something collided…?”

The fallen looked at the dented hood.

Subsequently, a clicking sound emanated from the glider, freezing their minds.

BOOOM!

The violent explosion and sound waves swept across.

The sedan, enveloped in black smoke, rolled across the ground and exploded again, fully engulfed in flames.

– 19 experience points gained.

– 22 experience points gained.

The alerts began one after another.

Following this, a symphony of explosions and death commenced.

“Aaaaa!”

Poooouueng!!

– 20 experience points gained.

– 19 experience points gained.

– 20 experience points…

“Protect, protect-”

Kaboooom!!

– 23 experience points gained.

– 18 experience points gained.

The vehicles and the fallen were continually shattered by the incoming gliders.

Occasionally, some motorcycles managed to evade a glider by luck, but just as they smiled, another glider descended and exploded.

Kabooom! Poooouueng!!

“Aaaaagh!!”

“Aaah!!”

– 18 experience points gained.

– 19 experience points gained.

Screams, explosions, splattered blood, and the continuous alerts for gained experience points.

Every explosion brings in experience points, and the villains meet their death amid screams.

What a beautiful flow it is.

Now that I think about it, there was a character in a manga where a great sage appeared, claiming that explosions are art.

Initially, I thought he was just some lunatic obsessed with explosions, but I now realize it was the foolish pride of someone who knew nothing.

Explosions are art, and art is explosions!

Kaboom! Poooouueng!!

Even as I mused, the explosions never ceased.

“Damn it! Everyone retreat! Turn the cars and-”

At last, the leader of the fallen mob realized something had gone drastically wrong and raised his voice, but it was already far too late.

Vwing! Kabooooooom!

“Kraaaagh!!”

Caught in the explosion of a flying glider, the fallen boss was thrown off.

“Ugh, Ugh!”

Tumbling across the ground repeatedly due to the relentless speed, numerous injuries quickly accumulated on his body.

“Grrr….”

Even though severely injured, the fallen boss managed to survive thanks to reflexively curling to reduce the impact. But the sight that greeted him as he painfully stood up was far too terrible to be grateful for surviving.

Thick black smoke and acrid gunpowder smells permeated the air.

Everywhere, the groans and screams of his subordinates, now on the brink of death, echoed across the wasteland.

More than twenty vehicles and over a hundred armed soldiers, everything was obliterated in an instant.

“Aah, demon…!”

The fallen boss screamed, but another glider came flying toward him.

“Aaaaagh!!”

Poooouueng!

He was swallowed by the explosion.

Edu, observing the final scene from within the cupola, nodded in satisfaction at the ensuing alert.

– 109 experience points gained.

– Level increased. LV 11 → LV 12.

“Alright, let’s keep rolling with this momentum!”