Chapter 201: One-Sided Take-Down
Link: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n7583de/
Author: Hirukuma
Translated by Zzonkedd
Edited by Gumihou
The Generals of the Netherworld are as follows:
Left Arm General | Right Arm General
Pinky General | Ring General | Middle General | Index General | Thumb General
Zooming through the vast ocean was a colossal creature.
Although I cannot guess its exact size from the distance, it looked like it could easily be over 50 meters long. Even larger than the Eight-Legged Crocodile I encountered at Clearflow Lake.
At first glance, it looked a lot like a shark, with blood red skin and a pair of magnificent horns that looked like it belonged to a bull. A single large eye rested at the centre of its face.
“Not. Get. Away.”
A deep voice resonated in my head. Was the shark-bull thing directly communicating with me through telepathy?
“Your escape is intolerable. As the Middle General I cannot forgive such insolence. There is no way I shall let this pass during the absence of the Ruler of the Netherworld.” [1]
Wait, that massive shark thing is the Middle Finger General? Well, that explains why no one has ever seen him before. [1] He must have been lurking in the sea all this time.
I switched form into the <Balloon Vending Machine> and began producing more helium-filled balloons within the barrier, and we quickly started ascending.
However, the creature was pretty fast. Soon, I could see just how huge it was and could not help but shudder at its sheer size. [2] Its blood red body was like a jagged wound against the featureless blue sea.
““You cannot escape.””
We were pretty high up, so there was no way the enemy’s attack could reach us. Or so I thought until a hole appeared on the Middle General’s back and a strange clicking sound was heard…
This is bad!
Water erupted from the hole, firing straight at us. There was no way to avoid the hit, and soon, my field of vision was nothing but rushing water as I focused all my energies on maintaining the <Barrier>.
[Point deduction: 918]
Now was not the time to worry about point deductions! The water jet hit us so hard that it actually propelled us higher into the air.
“Eeeek!”
The impact caused Pitee to let go, and we started to descend. We’re now a freaking target in the air. Oi, Pitee!!
“Ha-nd ha-nd”
“Huh? Ah!”
She frantically slapped her hand against my body, and we started to rise again. When I looked down, the Middle Finger General was like a tiny speck of rice. [2] Well, since he so helpfully put us up so high, maybe we have a better chance of escaping.
“Hakkon… we should run… now…”
[2] We should. We totally should. However, with how far above we were, the enemy had no way of attacking us. Meanwhile, with such a huge target… this was the perfect opportunity to destroy it.
If I can somehow take it out… it could give us an edge in our ongoing struggle with the Ruler of the Netherworld.
As for my options… well, the best way is to form-change into a gigantic vending machine and cannonball into the thing. If I attack it from this height, the momentum alone should be able to kill it despite its size.
However, there are a few problems with this plan. First, if I miss my target, it’s game over for us. I’d plummet to the ocean floor or be destroyed by the Middle General.
Not to mention, if the impact was enough to kill it, it could also destroy me. By the way, don’t look down on the fact that the enemy was swimming around in water. If the impact is powerful enough, there’s not much difference between concrete and the surface of the ocean.
There’s also Pitee to consider.
Yeah, let’s scrap that plan. Now, how else could I make use of my height advantage… Ah, there’s that too!
First, I expelled a few balloons from the <Barrier> to lower our altitude. The Middle General was keeping pace with us easily, another jet of water shot out from his back but did not reach us.
““Coward. Come down and fight me fairly.””
The voice rang in my head, but I ignored it.
Especially since it looked like he had no other long-distance attack aside from positioning himself right below us and launching another water jet attack. Unbeknownst to him, this will be his ultimate downfall.
“Pi-tee”
“At-tach”
I said as I used telekinesis to move one of the balloons close to Pitee’s shield.
“Um… you have a… plan?”
“Ye-es”
Pitee trustingly obeyed my instructions and began tying balloons to her shields. While her absolute compliance makes things easier for me in moments like this, it was a little concerning.
After the balloons had been tied to the shield, I instructed her to climb into the shield. I don’t expect trouble from this, but it’s better to be prepared.
Now, shall we start?
I switched form into the <Giant Vending Machine>, just shy of 3 meters tall, so that I did not exceed Pitee’s limits. Next, I checked out the position of the Middle General. When we’re directly over him, I summoned a <Concrete Stone Slab>. The same type of slab I used to build that pool in the Labyrinth.
However, instead of building something with it, I launched it out of the <Barrier> at great speed. [2] After that, weight, gravity and momentum took care of the rest.
After ascertaining that it could be done, I started launching more and more concrete slabs as fast as I could make them appear.
[2] I have no idea what kind of physical damage it could do to the humongous creature, but there’s no way I’m letting it get away after just one shot.
The first concrete slab punched through the shark’s skin easily. [2] A hole just appeared in its body. More importantly, it started to scream.
“Gwaaahh!!! What, what-!!
The shark started to thrash about confusedly. [2] It dived under water out of desperation, but blooming plumes of blood appeared wherever the concrete slabs struck the water. For some reason, the creature was not able to dive deep enough to escape the falling misiles.
Even as I attacked, I gradually reduced the number of balloons to lower my altitude. [2] The enemy was so busy rolling about that it did not notice us. While the amount of blood flowing out of the huge creature was gratifying, it was still not enough to kill it.
I need a finishing blow.
Once I judged the height to be just right, I cancelled the <Barrier>.
“Eh… Hakkon!”
Goodness, I do believe that this is the first time I have heard Pitee scream for real.
Well, no wonder. With the <Barrier> gone, the remainder of the balloons that were not attached to Pitee’s shield started to float away. Even with Pitee’s gravitational control skill, we started to descend.
Then, I enlarged my <Giant Vending Machine> form beyond the three-meter limit and fell out of Pitee’s control. My huge body plummeted into the bloodied and battered body of the general.
“Whuh, what!! Where did that come from?!”
My body struck something hard. I did my best to aim for the centre mass and guessed that I must have struck bone or something. Even so, the body was so massive that even though I had plunged through muscles and organs, my over 3-meter-tall body did not manage to pierce through the shark.
Which, in hindsight, was actually a good thing.
I reverted back to my regular vending machine form and contemplated my next move when [3] something pinged in my senses as the system alerted me to the sudden influx of XP points.
Well, since the General is now confirmed dead, it’s probably best to get rid of its corpse as quickly as possible. The easiest way would be to take to the skies once again with the usual combination of <Cardboard Vending Machine> plus helium balloons.
Just as I was about to do just that, a huge bivalve fell from the sky. It landed just a little too close for comfort and… goodness, it was Pitee [4].
[4] Goodness, did she pop all the balloons before shutting herself up in her shields to drop down here? How reckless.
[4] I know that I did just that earlier, but since I’m a giant metal box with self-repair properties, it was less of a risk for me. Pitee, with her flesh-and-blood body, is still at risk even after encasing herself in her shields.
“Pi-tee”
“Thank goodness… you’re safe…”
Pitee crawled out of her shell and started patting me down. There were tears brimming in the corners of her eyes. [4] Well, I guess that must have been pretty traumatising.
However, now was not the time to make my apologies. It would take a long time with my limited syllable count anyway. For now, I cast <Barrier> and started producing balloons again.
At least Pitee seems to understand my intentions and adjusted her shield so that she was situated near me. Thanks to her special Gift, there was no need for me to switch form as we began to float upwards again.
Just in time, too.
[2] We had just barely cleared the hole in the body when the giant shark thing shuddered. As we rose into the sky, I looked down and watched as the body started to go belly up, revealing several stubby legs. I guess, instead of a true shark, it was closer to an amphibian?
That aside… if word got out that I have defeated one of the Five Finger Generals, people would become more wary of me. Still… since we’re basically in the middle of nowhere with no witnesses. Moreover, with the body sinking into the ocean, the ‘combat scene’ would be gone too.
Naturally, since the Middle General disappeared while chasing me, some suspicion would fall upon me, but even in this absurd magical world, it was still ridiculous to imagine a vending machine like me as a likely culprit.
“A-”
“Wh-what is it… Hakkon… why did you… yell out…”
I yelled out because I just remembered that I had killed one of the Arm General under the King of the Netherworld in a similar fashion. [2] I looked down at the slowly bobbing body. The deep crater in the back of the shark was hidden now that it was floating belly up. Hopefully, the corpse would sink to the bottom of the sea…
Failing that, please eat up this delicious buffet, sea monsters of Rocky Dog Mountain Floor.
With that final prayer in mind, we continue to fly across the sea, away from the hidden fortress.
Gumihou: Well, well, we have passed the 200 chapter mark!
Author: Please continue to support us!
[1] Reduce over-explanation. Such as ‘no wonder he likes the water, he’s a fish after all. So, of course, he likes water. Water is his domain, because he’s a fish’
Like, the redundancy…
[2] Adjusted details for dramatic purpose
[3] I think the author forgot about the Experience Points Hakkon gets from killing a monster. Included this detail as a way to confirm a death.
[4] Reduced bits where characters go !!!??? Melodramatically.
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