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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“I demand an audience with His Majesty!”
“I’m sorry, but His Majesty has given orders that no one is to be admitted.”
“This is an emergency! His Majesty will understand!”
“I cannot allow it.”
A knight stood frustrated, blocked at the entrance to the Emperor’s chambers.
“Listen to me! This is a Code Red situation! A 1st Division airship has taken off without authorization and is heading towards the capital! They’ve already fired a gravity weapon! And the airship is armed with a live Annihilation Cannon round! I need to inform His Majesty immediately and request permission to engage—”
“I will inform His Majesty when he emerges.”
“Are you serious?!”
The situation was so urgent he’d rushed to the Imperial Palace immediately after receiving the initial report, but he was being denied access to the Emperor.
The airship from the 1st Division was ignoring all communication and continuing its flight towards the capital. It was highly suspicious, suggesting a hijacking or an act of treason.
The Imperial Army could only engage after the airship fired. They needed the Emperor’s permission for a preemptive strike.
“I just need to ask His Majesty one question. Was he aware of today’s flight?”
“I will inform His Majesty when he emerges.”
“That’s all you ever say!”
His frustration boiled over. He should have brought General Roman with him.
Would they have dared to ignore a higher-ranking officer?
The knight paced anxiously, then made a decision.
“What are you— Ugh!”
“Get out of my way!”
He shoved past the guards and officials blocking his path. He burst through the doors.
A blade stopped inches from his face and neck. He saw the Emperor, sitting with his back to him.
“Your Majesty! Code Red! An unauthorized airship has taken off and is approaching the capital! Did you authorize this flight?”
“…”
“If not, please authorize a preemptive strike! The Annihilation Cannon could cause civilian casualties…!”
Before he could finish, the guards grabbed him and dragged him away. The doors slammed shut. The knight stared at the closed doors, his face pale.
The Emperor hadn’t even turned around.
Was he asleep? Or was he deliberately ignoring him?
“Haa…”
The knight sighed as he was dragged away.
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The Annihilation Cannon.
The pinnacle of Imperial magic engineering. An artifact capable of destroying any fortress with a single shot. Each round cost 10% of the Empire’s annual budget.
It was classified as a siege weapon, but its destructive power far exceeded that, and they were constantly trying to increase its power.
Its true purpose was to exterminate Majins in times of emergency…
That was the Annihilation Cannon in my novel. And now, its muzzle was glowing, aimed directly at me.
“Ugh!”
I activated my internal circuits, straining every muscle, but I could only manage a few steps. It was pointless. The airship would adjust its aim.
I was only putting unnecessary strain on my body. I deactivated my internal circuits, and I almost fell face-first onto the ground.
‘Are they actually going to fire…?’
A crimson light pulsed from the open muzzle. It was an Imperial airship.
Why were they targeting me?
And even if this was the outskirts of the capital, it was still a residential area.
I could probably dodge the shell with Selection and Concentration on Strength and Agility, pushing my internal circuits to their limit. But escaping the explosion was another matter.
And the civilian casualties… The blast would level everything in the vicinity, causing a horrific loss of life. Dodging wasn’t an option. I had to stop the shell.
There was only one way.
‘I have to shoot it down!’
I had about 70,000 mana left. I’d used Selection and Concentration on Magic Power earlier, and it had been steadily decreasing since the time limit expired.
The first time you used Selection and Concentration, your mana capacity and current mana increased to the maximum. Subsequent uses only increased the capacity, not the current mana.
So 70,000 was all I had. And it was decreasing with every passing second. A barrier wouldn’t be strong enough to withstand the Annihilation Cannon. I had to shoot it down.
‘Damn it. This spell is crude.’
I hastily constructed a wind spell, maximizing its power with my remaining mana. I didn’t need the raw power of a Flash or Fire spell.
Even minor damage to the Annihilation Cannon would prevent it from firing. I aimed and fired without hesitation—
Thud!
“What?!”
The spell dissipated mid-air, colliding with an invisible wall. Ripples appeared in the air.
‘A barrier!’
A high-powered barrier was protecting the airship. It was concealed by a perception-blocking barrier, I hadn’t noticed it.
The Annihilation Cannon, its charging complete, glowed ominously, extending from the airship’s hull.
“Haa… This is insane.”
I finally understood the quest. It wasn’t a bluff. They were actually going to fire. Directly at me.
And I’d exhausted my mana. I couldn’t defend against it. Unless I physically deflected the shell…
Quest Complete
“What?!”
I blurted out in surprise. I still had two minutes left. A reward window appeared.
Reward: Limb Hardening function added to Internal Circuits.
I remembered. A quest I’d received shortly after arriving in this world. To maintain top marks for the entire semester. This must have been the reward.
That meant I’d officially secured top marks in both Elemental Magic and Combat Magic.
‘Wait. Deflect the shell with my hand…?’
I’d dismissed the thought as a joke, but…
Selection and Concentration on Toughness wasn’t as effective as I’d thought. It protected me from most impacts, but it wasn’t invincible. Sergei had proved that.
I couldn’t withstand the force of an Annihilation Cannon shell. My hand would shatter like a crushed soda can.
But what about the quest reward? ‘Limb Hardening.’ It didn’t specify the degree of hardening. I didn’t have time to test it. I had to trust it. I had to hope it was invincible.
‘Let’s do this.’
I steeled my resolve. I activated my internal circuits and shifted my weight, extending my right hand beside my head, my eyes fixed on the muzzle.
An eternity passed in that fleeting moment, then—
‘They fired!’
A blinding light erupted from the muzzle.
‘Selection and Concentration. One second each on Agility and Strength.’
I saw the shell’s trajectory. It was still incredibly fast, but I could see it. If I was too early, I’d hit the fuse and detonate it prematurely.
Too late, and it would hit the residential area instead of the plains. The angle had to be perfect.
“Damn it…!”
As the shell approached, I stepped forward and struck it with the edge of my hand.
CLANG! Screech…!
Sparks flew. The shell’s trajectory shifted slightly. My one second was up.
Whoosh!
The shell vanished. A blast of wind whipped through my hair. I stood frozen, stunned. A moment later, the delayed sound of the firing reached me.
The cannon had fired. It wasn’t a dream. Then where was the shell?
BOOM!
“Ugh!”
A bright flash behind me. A shockwave slammed into me. A mushroom cloud rose into the sky.
“I did it…”
The impact point was in the empty plains, far from the city. No casualties.
“Haa…”
And my hand was unharmed. I’d taken a direct hit, albeit a glancing one, from an Annihilation Cannon shell, and I felt no pain.
Limb Hardening was practically invincible. It was a fitting reward for a quest that had spanned the entire semester. My legs gave way, and I knelt on the ground, overwhelmed with relief. But something was wrong.
The gravity magic was still holding me down.
“Don’t tell me…”
I looked at the airship’s cannon. The intense light had faded, but a faint glow was returning.
Were they reloading? Were they going to fire another shot? Two shots, each costing 10% of the Empire’s annual budget? They were insane.
“You’ve got to be kidding me…!”
And my Selection and Concentration time limit had expired. I’d used all five seconds. I couldn’t deflect another shell. The ominous glow intensified, reaching the same level as before.
This was it.
Rumble! Crack!
A series of explosions. The barrier surrounding the airship shattered. A barrage of light erupted in the distance, striking the airship directly. Flames burst from the holes, and the airship began to descend.
The pressure on my body vanished. They’d actually shot it down.
– Are you alright, young knight?
I recognized the voice immediately.
The hero destined to become the second Field Marshal in the Empire’s history.
My debtor.
The tension drained from my body, and I collapsed onto the ground.
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