Chapter 414 - The Siege of the Hidden Den
While we waited for Valeria to return from her reconnaissance, my main duty was to keep an eye out for any signs of the enemy.
Even inside the warehouse where mana detection is hindered, I could roughly sense the movements of anyone clumsily walking around on the same floor, thanks to my heightened hearing. By keeping a keen ear, I could detect any suspicious movements, but for the most part, it was a relatively quiet wait.
Considering the way Valeria dashed off to scout, I figured the Gulgandi operatives were probably not on this floor. They likely followed the usual tactics and moved underground.
Seeing as I couldn’t rely on sound for long, I decided to use my spare time and energy for more destructive purposes.
The floor was cluttered with stacks of supplies, making it difficult to see anything. I started smashing these stacks with my bat, creating loud noises and vibrations to pressure any hiding enemies.
Tension can be a powerful drain. There’s a reason for my destructive antics.
These aren’t just mindless acts. Our foes certainly don’t plan to lose from the start. They probably intend to drive us off and resume their sabotage.
I bet they find it incredibly frustrating to have their base and supplies destroyed. If I play my cards right, I might flush them out.
This isn’t just aimless destruction. I walked through the desolate floor, leaving nothing but broken debris in my wake.
Fear me. The harbinger of destruction is coming for you.
I demolished the mountains of supplies in a chaotic frenzy, and in the process, I discovered a room that seemed to be a break area. I decided to bury it beneath a mountain of rubble. I even saw what looked like family photos, but they didn’t matter.
I crushed them underfoot. Whether they were treasured possessions or cherished memories, it didn’t concern me.
If they didn’t like it, they should have tried to stop me. But I doubt these enemy agents are looking for sympathy.
War is about more than just taking lives; it’s about stripping away all dignity. They were the ones who invaded another country, after all.
They have no right to complain, and they don’t intend to. They knew what they were getting into when they infiltrated the enemy territory.
They even took hostages. This made it even more imperative to show no mercy.
Our adversaries are elite soldiers and professionals, but they also specialize in covert operations. While they might be honorable soldiers in a straightforward battle, when they operate undercover, they’re little better than common criminals.
And that’s exactly how they’re being dealt with—secretly and ruthlessly. There’s no glory in this.
"Onee-sama!"
Valeria approached at a sprint.
"How did it go?"
"I did a quick sweep. It’s a ghost town. However, there were eight half-empty cups on a table, so at least eight people must have been here."
"So, they’ve moved underground, as expected. Did you find an entrance?"
"There’s a sturdy door that doesn’t seem easily breakable. It’s over there."
I continued smashing supplies, now adding iron balls to the mix for even more destruction.
To keep the pressure on, you can’t give them a moment’s respite. I wanted to keep them on edge, leaving no room for relaxation.
Finally, I sensed a reaction. I locked eyes with Valeria, and we both went on alert. Someone had definitely appeared on the floor.
Even without perfect mana detection, human presence can be felt. They might have thought they were moving stealthily, but the sound of their heavy boots on the floor was unmistakable. Footsteps, especially when they follow a regular pattern, are easy to detect.
Three people were hiding behind mountains of supplies, likely using some kind of magical device to observe us and waiting for the right moment to attack or scout.
They were being too cautious, underestimating us. Little did they know we were fully aware of their presence.
With their movement halted, they were nothing but targets.
"I’ll teach you the importance of striking first."
I threw a solid iron ball, estimating their position from the sounds. This wasn’t just for show; I meant to hit.
It hit with a satisfying thud. The iron ball plowed through the supply stacks and turned one of the enemies into a messy puddle.
I didn’t stop there. I kept throwing, one after another.
Ordinary enemies would have been stunned and overwhelmed, resulting in a quick massacre. But these weren’t ordinary foes. They quickly adjusted, taking evasive action.
Without precise mana detection or a clear line of sight, hitting their evasive movements was nearly impossible. I kept throwing, knowing that even if only a few hits landed, it would be enough to stop them in their tracks.
Meanwhile, Valeria used her speed to close in on the enemies.
Too focused on dodging my throws, they failed to notice her approach. She launched a surprise attack and dispatched one of them. The sound of the enemy falling confirmed the kill.
The remaining enemy, realizing his companion was down, switched to a full retreat. He zigzagged through the supply-strewn corridors, but his panic made his movements loud and predictable.
Futile.
The speed of my iron balls was incomparable to his movements. I locked onto his position by sound, and with each throw, I aimed to turn him into a lifeless mass.
Just as I was about to throw, a powerful magic spell was cast. The heat wave from the spell, returning through the corridors, revealed it as a fire spell.
It wasn’t aimed at me but at the stacks of supplies, causing them to collapse and block my line of sight.
"Attacking their own supplies, huh?"
They were smart. Supplies could always be replaced, but the lives of operatives were far more valuable.
"Onee-sama, he got away."
"They must have set the supplies on fire to cover his escape. But as long as we know where he’s headed, it’s not a problem. He’s probably gone to the underground, right?"
"Yes, I’ll check. The fire is intense."
The fire was spreading rapidly, fueled by some highly flammable materials, and the temperature in the warehouse was rising. While my Purifying Engraving could neutralize toxic gases, the heat and flames were a significant threat. The smoke also obscured vision, which I hoped to avoid. The fire suppression systems, if they existed, were likely disabled by the magical devices I had already destroyed.
"The fire is more intense than I thought. Without a water magic affinity, I doubt I could extinguish it… Guess I’ll have to find another way."
They were taking advantage of my limited resources. I had a fire-suppressing spell derived from a medicinal magic, but using it on such a large scale would be too draining, and it was a complex spell that required too much concentration, especially in my current state. I needed to conserve my energy.
"…Let’s try this. Valeria, check if there are any magic devices among these supply stacks. Any kind will do, but a large mana stone would be ideal."
"I found a setup-type magical device nearby."
"Perfect. Let’s go."
We found a series of offensive magical devices, likely intended as traps. They were scattered among the fallen supplies.
"Could this be a malfunction?"
"Yes. If we can trigger a malfunction, I won’t need to use my magic to extinguish the fire. The blast will do it."
There was a risk of a larger fire, but that was a problem for later. For now, I needed to save my strength.
Generally, magical devices are designed to be safe and never malfunction when used correctly. However, with malicious intent, they could be modified into bombs. The potential for a blast to extinguish the fire was significant.
I quickly modified the devices.
"…Damn, the smoke is getting to me. This will have to do."
With a reasonable level of magical skill and knowledge, anyone could modify a magical device. To cause a malfunction, precise work wasn’t necessary. I made quick, rough modifications, connecting multiple devices to amplify the explosion.
"I’ll dig an escape hole."
Valeria used magic to create a hole in the floor, but it led to solid ground rather than the basement.
Once she had dug the hole, I finished modifying the devices. I channeled mana into the devices, igniting the trigger, and we dove into the hole, shielding ourselves with a magical barrier.
The explosion rocked the warehouse, extinguishing the fire and clearing the path. The explosion would also blow away some of the obstructive supply stacks, improving our visibility.
The explosion didn’t last long. We quickly emerged from the hole, casting a light spell to replace the broken lighting.
"Nice, it worked.
"There are still some smoldering spots, but the fire is mostly out."
The explosion was just right, not too large to cause external damage. The outer walls of the warehouse remained intact, though many magical devices and lighting fixtures were destroyed. Unfortunately, the effect of blocking mana detection remained, though it was slightly diminished.
"Is that the entrance to the underground?"
"It looks pretty sturdy."
Behind the collapsed stacks, a heavy door was visible. This was the entrance to the underground, where the enemy who had fled must be.
The idea of descending into the underground, where the enemy lay in wait, was far from appealing.
"Onee-sama, there’s someone on the other side of the door. They’re hard to sense with mana, but I can feel their presence. There seem to be many of them."
"You’re right. They just came up from below."
This was convenient. The clearer warehouse floor, while cluttered, made it harder for the enemy to ambush us. Fighting in the narrow, underground spaces would have been more challenging. But why would they abandon their territory?
Perhaps they lacked the space to fight underground.
The heavy door slowly opened, but the darkness inside made it difficult to see clearly.
"…A flute sound?"
A faint, out-of-place sound accompanied a thin spread of mana. At that moment, someone appeared from the other side of the door.
They moved slowly and deliberately. They wore an impressive, heavy, black full plate armor made of what looked like magical minerals, and carried a large black sword. Their face was hidden behind a helm, and their mana was completely undetectable, which was unsettling, even considering the obstruction.
"Damn, there are more than I thought."
When I first saw them, I assessed their strength, but they weren’t alone. More armored knights, identically equipped, emerged one after another.
I counted over a dozen at first glance, but there might be more. How many were there?
Considering my current state and the ongoing battle, I needed to conserve my energy. Avoiding close combat and using ranged attacks and simple spike magic would be the best strategy. I didn’t relish the idea of fleeing through the warehouse, but it was a necessary approach.
Valeria, anticipating my thoughts, charged forward, using guerrilla tactics to threaten the enemy’s flanks and rear. By moving and coordinating, we could disrupt their formation.
First, I needed to halt their advance.
I cast a spike spell, covering the ground from my feet to their waists, aiming to create a barrier and hinder their movement as well as deal damage.
The stone spikes hindered their steps, but the spikes that hit their armor and legs were bent rather than piercing. It was a strange phenomenon, but stopping them in their tracks was enough for now. Next, I aimed to deal damage.
I threw an iron ball at the foremost knight.
I was curious about the black full plate armor and decided to test it lightly. If it could be shattered by a simple throw, it wouldn’t be much of a threat.
The iron ball flew with a simple overhand throw.
Even a light, straight throw would cause significant damage if it hit. How would they react?
The black knight, clearly seeing my throwing motion, didn’t attempt to dodge.
In the next instant, I was left in astonishment.
The iron ball, which should have hit the armor, silently and smoothly deflected.
The ball, deflected to the side, struck another knight behind, only to be deflected again, before finally colliding with the debris.
My mind froze in shock for a moment.
If the throw didn’t work, I would try something else. If that failed, I’d find another method.
But first…
"Let’s see if a stronger throw will do the trick."
Instead of a light throw, I took a step and threw the ball with a full swing.
If this didn’t work, I’d have to admit it was ineffective. The knight’s sword, which had easily cut through the spikes, was also a threat.
The black knights approached, striding confidently and infuriatingly unalarmed. I decided to shatter their composure.
I switched from iron to tungsten and threw the ball with all my strength. No human could react in time.
The tungsten ball hit the armor dead center and, despite deflecting slightly to the side, still penetrated.
"Yes… What?"
However, instead of shattering into pieces, it only stopped the knight’s advance.
The impact should have been enough to cause catastrophic damage. While a partially damaged armor might be acceptable, the person inside should have been severely injured, even if they were under the influence of pain-numbing drugs. Such a wound could not be ignored.
But the knight only paused for a moment before continuing to move.
Observing from a distance, I realized something was off. The knight should have been severely injured, and there should have been significant bleeding. But there was no blood.
There was nothing inside the armor. The interior was empty.
How could that be in a fantasy world?
Could these be highly advanced magic dolls? Could it be possible?
I had to consider every possibility. This hideout was equipped with multiple barrier spells and radar devices, and the equipment they used suggested a massive military budget. Dealing with a national military force was different from facing a private organization.
This was intriguing. I wanted to see what these elite Gulgandi forces had in store.
The stronger the enemy, the greater the reward when I defeat them. The medals of victory shine all the brighter.