Chapter 309:

Chapter 309:

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HELHEIM SCANS

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Operation: Four Hours After the Commencement of Light Bringer

Avalon entered the next zone, the Demonic realm’s 47th sector and the demon horde’s pursuit finally began to slacken.

They seemed to need time to reorganize after suffering greater-than-expected losses.

“We’re moving out of the enemy’s sight.”

“Retrieving power from the turrets.”

“Three, two, one.”

“Cease combat mode.”

“Phew...”

Those seated in the cockpit all let out light sighs in unison.

Karen removed her goggles and looked at the person beside her.

“Hey, you should rest too. Who knows when we’ll get another chance.”

Gerald, who was nursing a wound on his thigh with a grimace, tried to maintain a stern expression.

Karen’s face tightened slightly.

“...Does it hurt?”

“What is pain? Gerald, who has defeated a legion commander, knows nothing of such things.”

“Ugh, acting tough even now.”

Cuculli, who had been watching them, smirked.

“Oho, love blooming in the Demonic realm.”

Surprisingly, Karen didn’t deny it.

Everyone, expecting her usual vehement denial, was taken aback.

Even Gerald blinked in surprise.

Karen frowned at the reactions around her and snapped.

“...What.”

Then, the last to let go of the control stick, Ban joined the conversation.

His bangs were soaked with sweat.

“It’s good to rest, but don’t let your guard down too much.”

Luke added a word.

“They haven’t retreated far. They’re maintaining a certain distance. They can attack again in five minutes.”

“Five minutes...”

“Damn it, let’s just rest for a bit.”

The children staggered out of the cockpit.

Leciel approached the Hero.

“Professor, aren’t you going to rest?”

The Hero shook his head, removing his hands from the controls.

He gestured for them to rest, indicating he would keep watch.

Unlike his human disciples, this much exertion hardly affected his energy levels as a doppelgänger.

“Thank you.”

The children, who would normally have stayed with their master, lay down quietly on the bedding spread out on the floor, unable to endure any longer.

Resting to conserve their energy was more beneficial.

Evergreen rummaged through a nearby shelf, looking for snacks.

Top chefs prepared a variety of food for the assault team.

“Anyone want something to eat?”

“I’m fine. I can’t swallow anything right now...”

“Me! Me!”

“...Alright, give Cuculli something.”

The children chuckled, seeing Cuculli happily munch on preserved food.

It momentarily felt like they were back in the academy café years ago.

The clear sky, cool breeze, and the faint chatter echoing in their ears.

Gerald teased Karen half-seriously, half-jokingly.

Evergreen and Luke gazing at each other, making everyone cringe.

Cuculli devouring the snacks with astonishing speed...

For a moment, their expressions turned bitter.

“Damn...”

They looked around briefly.

The reddish steel walls and the humming machinery.

Though the gunfire had ceased, it still echoed in their ears.

A strange sense of suffocation weighed down on their chests.

Crunch-

It was then that Ban suddenly approached Cuculli and took a snack from her hand.

Cuculli stared wide-eyed in silent protest.

Ban simply shrugged.

“Hmm, tastes better when it’s taken.”

The children, understanding the intention behind the exaggerated tone, snapped out of their reverie and started chatting again.

“So, we’ve been in the Demonic realm for four hours now?”

“Wow, feels like days have passed.”

“But we made it through the 46th sector safely. We’ll get through the 47th, 48th, and 49th too.”

“And then the professor will beat up the Demon King?”

“That’s right.”

“And we’ll return and become heroes in the history books.”

.

.

As Avalon was breaking through the 47th sector with formidable momentum, they encountered an unexpected problem just as they passed through the city center.

The 47th sector was originally a city dense with various research complexes.

The closer they got to the city center, the more numerous the research labs, workshops, and material stores became.

The ‘mutated’ buildings, lurking within the complex ruins, attacked Avalon unprecedentedly.

“Hey.”

“Noubelmag?”

The Hero took off his goggles at the call.

Noubelmag was leaning against the cockpit with a serious expression.

“What’s the matter?”

He got straight to the point.

“The underside of the hull was just damaged.”

The Hero’s face hardened.

“The underside? How did they manage to attack the underside?”

“Well...”

Noubelmag quickly explained the situation.

In the First Era, there were skyscrapers that, the Second Era, people couldn’t even imagine.

These skyscrapers had separate spaces underground and rebar to support the upper structures.

“So, the mutated ones attacked from underground?”

“Yes. Unfortunately, a hole was made in the fuel tank. Our precious fuel is leaking onto the ground. Some other equipment also sustained damage.”

The fuel, essentially the lifeblood of Avalon, consisting of liquefied mana stones and refined mana contributed by the passengers, was leaking away.

Noubelmag continued with a resolute face.

“We need to stop and repair it immediately. If we leave the hole unattended, Avalon won’t even make it to the 48th sector, let alone the 50th.”

...Stopping.

The Hero glanced at the screen.

Beyond the dark mist of demonic energy, grotesque shadows were flickering.

It felt like being thrown into the middle of a nightmare.

“How much time do you need?”

“Thirty minutes. The problem is...”

The Hero felt a sense of foreboding.

Noubelmag wasn’t one to draw out his words.

“... What’s the problem?”

“...The damage can’t be repaired from the inside. We need to go outside.”

The Hero’s gaze turned back to the hellish exterior.

“Of course, I’ll go myself.”

“... You’ll go personally? What about the other engineers?”

“If it’s not me, thirty minutes won’t be enough. I guarantee it.”

“But...”

“You haven’t forgotten who designed and built this, have you?”

The Hero stared at Noubelmag.

He knew from multiple experiences that bending this old man’s will was impossible.

“What do you need me to do?”

“They’ll keep attacking from underground. Once the hull stops, the demons waiting for an opportunity will swarm in. So, assign people to protect me.”

Noubelmag spoke in a subdued voice.

“I’m not joking; it’s going to be extremely dangerous. You’ll have to protect a non-combatant like me in the thickest demonic energy. You might have to die in my place.”

“I...”

“I refuse that as the repair supervisor. Wasting your strength here would be putting the cart before the horse. You know that better than anyone, so don’t be stubborn.”

The Hero and Noubelmag’s gazes clashed intensely in the air.

Noubelmag repeated his conditions.

“Let me reiterate the conditions. First, you can’t go. Absolutely.”

“......”

“No large groups. The lower hull is cramped.”

The conditions continued steadily.

“We need a small number of people with the skill to withstand countless demons and unknown mutants for thirty minutes and the resolve to die if necessary.”

The Hero turned his head.

The eyes of the cockpit were all on him.

Quite a few hands rose simultaneously.

There was no sign of fear.

Everyone was hoping to volunteer for the mission.

“......”

But it felt like choosing who to send to their death for the Hero.

Desperate gazes silently intersected.

The Hero could only make a ‘rational’ decision.

“Alright, it’s decided then.”

Thud—

Noubelmag, with a pipe in his mouth, picked up a hammer.

“Then, lead the way.”

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HELHEIM SCANS

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