[Translator – Asura]
[Proofreader – Gun]
Chapter 76 – Invaders II
The Magical Girl’s Association’s pride and joy, the aircraft carrier (40 tons, equipped with kitchen and rest facilities, previously used as a fishing cleaning vessel before its commissioning as an aircraft carrier in 1996) arrived at the target sea area in less than two hours.
The Magical Girls immediately took their positions and started fishing with the skill of seasoned fishermen.
“Wow, I was just thinking it was time to go fishing since our food supplies were running low,” one of them remarked.
“By the way, Doctor Jang, I’ve heard rumors that there’s an awakened person in Korea with the ability to predict the future. Is that true? You seem so sure a monster would appear at sea this time,” another Magical Girl asked.
I shrugged.
“That’s a secret. But for this incident, at least, it wasn’t a prophet but the constellations who told me.”
“Constellations? Oh, those gods that only exist on the Korean Peninsula,” the Magical Girl said, nodding in understanding.
Interestingly, the Japanese awakened didn’t question why the constellations were so active only in Korea. They seemed to think of them as local deities.
Though they are now absorbed in Magical Girl cosplay, before the voids opened, they were all highly perceptive individuals—mediums or shrine maidens.Rread latest chapters at novelhall.com
“...!”
In the middle of our fishing, a usually quiet Magical Girl perked up her ears and pointed to the sky.
“Meow? What’s up, Ciel?”
“Hmm?”
The people on the aircraft carrier looked up, and their eyes widened.
A UFO was falling from the sky.
“Meow?! What is that?”
“My goodness.”
The UFO tore through Earth’s fragile atmosphere with a deafening roar. But from 600 meters above the sea, its speed dramatically slowed down, as if it were being welcomed by the ocean’s furious waves.
With a thunderous splash, the UFO landed—or rather, water-landed.
The tsunami it created rocked our aircraft carrier violently.
“Meow! Save me!”
“Slow down—balance—defense.”
The ship, almost capsizing, regained its balance thanks to the magic of our group.
As the sea spray subsided, the massive body of the UFO gradually emerged on the water’s surface.
“My God, Doctor Jang was right. A monster really did come from the sky.”
“...! ...!”
“Shocking. Evidence that the origin of the monsters might be space. Paper preparation needed.”
“Even if you prepare a paper, there’s no academic society to review it! Besides, are we even sure it’s a monster? Could it really be aliens?”
Wiping the seawater from my face, I spoke calmly, “Prepare for battle. Whether they are good aliens or bad ones, we’re about to find out.”
“Right.”
“Yeah, makes sense.”
After a brief moment of shock, we all quickly assumed our defensive positions.
“Warning. Detecting presence.”
The blind Magical Girl, specialized in reconnaissance and detection, muttered as steam hissed from the UFO.
Unlike the last turn, where all aliens inside were found dead, this time there was a clear sign of life.
“...”
“...”
Everyone held their breath at the possibility of making first contact with an intelligent life form from outer space.
From behind the steam and vapor, shadows loomed.
The smell of gasoline suddenly wafted in, clinging to our faces.
The blind Magical Girl muttered, “Approaching.”
Boom!
As soon as she finished speaking, the figure beyond the steam leapt into the air and landed on the aircraft carrier.
An incredible jump. If the intention had been to communicate peacefully, it was a poor approach.
“It’s an enemy!”
“A bad alien!”
The alien-like creature extended its arms, causing the ship to sway violently.
– Screech!
Perhaps, in its own way, the alien was saying, “Hug me,” with its arms wide open. However, it had eight arms instead of two, each ending in a meter-long scythe instead of fingers. Not exactly inviting for an embrace.
Given the circumstances, my response was not an overreaction.
“Prepare for battle!”
Clang!
I carefully parried the alien’s eight scythe swings with my blade—or at least tried to.
‘What kind of strength is this?’
A heavy blow. I had expected the alien to be about as strong as a village-level monster, but my sword nearly flew from my grip with one strike.
It wasn’t just the strength that was surprising.
– Screech!
The alien’s eight scythes moved in a dazzling, rapid flurry of attacks. It was difficult to discern, but there was undoubtedly a highly developed martial art behind its swings.
Just as I steeled myself for a desperate struggle.
– Screech......
– Screech, screech. Screech...?
The aliens, who seemed ready to pounce at any moment, hesitated. It wasn’t because they were suddenly scared of my aura... or so it seemed.
Their eight arms trembled, and their tails swished erratically.
They craned their necks upward, screeching “Screech! Screech!” while twisting their limbs and scratching at their own melting skin.
It was almost as if they were... in pain?
One of the aliens flipped onto its back and started writhing on the deck like a bear scratching its back against a tree. But unlike a bear, it screamed in agony as it did so.
– Screech!
– Screech! Screech, screech!
Other aliens began to flail about. One crashed into the control room, while another sliced its own skin with its scythe-like limbs.
“What the hell is this...?”
Just moments ago, they were exuding the aura of the strongest lifeforms. Now, why were they acting like this?
I lowered my sword in confusion. Approaching one of them, I stabbed its belly, and it simply collapsed without resistance.
“Ugh...”
Upon closer inspection, the aliens’ skin, which had been melting like candle wax, had now evolved into something more like a chocolate fountain.
Their flesh was oozing. Their skin, muscles, and bones, which seemed four times thicker than a human’s, were all dissolving, revealing their grotesque innards, which also began to melt.
– Screech, screech...!
Despite their frantic thrashing, the aliens’ chocolate fountain show only accelerated. Their muscles and bones, which were thicker than those of humans, were laid bare, along with their bizarre organs.
And then, all of it melted away.
After just two minutes, all that remained on the aircraft carrier’s deck were black, slime-like masses.
“Ugh...”
I ventured into the UFO, but there was no twist to the story. Though the numbers were fewer, the corridors were still littered with alien corpses, just like in the 98th turn.
These creatures, potentially the strongest in the universe... were all dead.
And humanity hadn’t even done anything yet.
“......”
I scooped up some seawater in my hand and poured it on one of the more intact corpses.
To my surprise, the alien’s skin dissolved instantly.
“Ugh...”
I tested it again, this time using fresh water from the aircraft carrier. The result was the same: the alien’s skin, bones, and organs turned into a sticky liquid.
“Oh...”
I realized why these formidable creatures had perished. Why they hadn’t shown up in any of the previous turns.
“These bastards are weak to ‘water’...?”
Then they shouldn’t have come to Earth.
Idiots.
5
I named those alien beings the “Warrior Race.” After the 99th turn, I stopped paying attention to UFOs and the Warrior Race crashing into the East Sea altogether.
No matter how powerful the Warrior Race was, no matter how difficult they were to deal with—even for a time-rewinder like me—it didn’t matter at all.
Their weakness was water.
As simple as it sounds, 71% of Earth’s surface is covered in water. And, surprisingly enough for the aliens, Earth has many days when H2O falls from the sky. Sometimes it even lasts for days.
Oh, aliens, you might not know this, but it’s called “summer monsoon.”
‘How can a creature’s weakness be water?’
It’s quite strange, but considering that water is a rare substance in the vast universe, it might be the lifeforms on Earth that are the odd ones.
“Look, Guild Leader! A shooting star...!”
“Mm.”
Occasionally, in turns when I was near the East Sea, I witnessed meteor showers. I often found myself gazing at the night sky with a sense of unease.
The fact that these creatures, who might have been my greatest foes, were diving into the East Sea and getting wiped out every turn was, well, it was strange.
‘...But what if the Warrior Race aren’t just monsters, but actual aliens?’
What if the UFO was just a small scout ship and their main force was still out there?
What if they realized their weakness was water and developed high-tech suits to cover themselves completely before invading again?
What if humanity and the monsters on Earth were annihilated together by the Warrior Race’s invasion?
“Quick, make a wish, Guild Leader! If you wish before it falls, it will come true!”
Faced with Sim Aryeon’s special skill of pestering, I raised my hands in surrender.
“Alright, fine. I’ll make a wish.”
If a full-scale alien invasion happens, what can I do? I’ll just have to rewind time again and fight a space war this time.
Hoping that such a disaster wouldn’t occur, I clasped my hands together in prayer.
‘Just give up on Earth, alien friends. I don’t know what your home planet is like, but I guarantee it’s less messed up than our place.’
Twinkle—
As if acknowledging my wish, a shooting star glittered over the East Sea in my ninth year.
– Invaders. End.
[Translator – Asura]
[Proofreader – Gun]