Hello I'm back, thy leg is healed but I don't have molars anymore.
===BREAK===
["Beyond the White Road…"]
Once the conversation had ended, Shin El fell into sleep—as if dead.
The only reason I knew he wasn't actually dead was because the life-support systems were still operating actively.
'So, he usually maintains life in a near-sleep state.'
Well, the human body was, by nature, closer to a consumable. And for someone like Shin El—whose age was beyond guessing—his body had essentially run its course.
Given that, it made sense he preserved energy by remaining in a dormant state as much as possible.
["…So, what now?"]
Esther's voice creaked out, laden with complex emotion.
I wasn't much different.
The origin of monsters wasn't native to this planet—beasts had transformed due to the ether of Homo sapiens.
Which meant, very likely, that the origin of ghost-class beings wasn't so different either.
"…I'm not sure."
Now, I had some idea why Esther had always struck me as strangely human.
What I had once considered a tactical façade to deceive humans was actually a sign—that they had hearts not unlike ours.
["That's unexpected. You always acted like you had all the answers."]
Esther said playfully.
"Do I look like a god to you?"
["You sure acted like one."]
"Please."
I denied it, but in truth, she wasn't entirely wrong.
There had been a time I believed there was almost nothing I didn't know about this world.
But now, that was no longer the case.
There was still far too much I didn't understand.
"I can't make a decision right now. This isn't something I can resolve so easily."
Even after uncovering the long-sought truth of Project Noah, I still couldn't give a clear answer about what to do next.
Then again, if it had been such a simple problem, things wouldn't have gotten this far.
["So, what now?"]
"For now—we move."
As much as I would have liked to take time to contemplate, sadly, I didn't have that luxury.
The ones outside Ark now had the power to destroy everything Ark had built.
That meant I had to act now.
Whatever my final decision might be, my immediate task was to prevent either Ark or the Kronos Union from being completely wiped out.
At this rate, neither would survive.
'The Church of Morte, I couldn't care less about.'
Even if the Church of Morte had originated from the dissident researcher Morte who once opposed Project Noah, in my memory they were nothing more than a cult that committed inhumane acts without hesitation.
Even if someone tried to tell me "they were actually the good guys all along," I wouldn't be changing my view anytime soon.
"You're ready."
As I exited Shin El's chamber, the El family butler was waiting at the door.
"Access to Class-1 weapons has been approved. Shall I escort you to the family's armory?"
He was referring to nuclear weapons.
I had thought I'd need to visit White Line or Red Line armories, but if they were offering it up this easily, that saved me the trouble.
"Lead the way."
"Yes, this way please."
Following the butler, I headed to the El family's weapon storage.
The fact that a single family, even within White Line, had direct access to nuclear weapons was a clear testament to the El family's power.
"This is the entrance. If you authenticate with your ID card, you'll be granted access."
"Got it."
Arriving at the underground armory, I followed his instructions and scanned my ID card.
Even though my official status in Ark was probably that of a top-tier terrorist, the authentication process was surprisingly smooth.
[Authentication complete.]
[Opening Armory W-L01.]
Inside the El family's vault—there was, quite literally, everything.
'…This is insane.'
From the standard-issue Ark-15 Automatic Conversion Rifle to prototypes of new weapons developed using Machine Cult technology—there was nothing missing.
'I want to grab everything, but… there's no need.'
I headed straight for the tactical nuclear launcher and its warheads.
───────────────
[Zero-999 Tactical Nuclear Launcher] [★★★★★★★★★★★ (11 stars)]
— Ark-made tactical nuclear launcher.
— A simplified weapon system allowing mobile deployment of tactical nukes.
— Brings annihilation to the field.
"View Details"
───────────────
'So, this is it…'
At last, nuclear weaponry was in my hands.
Power overwhelming enough to incinerate the entire world now rested with me.
'Now it really begins.'
In The Defense World, nuclear weapons were the most powerful in terms of area destruction.
While high-tier beasts or special monsters immune to physical attacks might withstand a direct hit, that was the exception.
The beast horde's greatest weapon was its sheer, unending numbers—and nuclear weapons were the perfect counter.
'But the consequences… are just as massive.'
Back when the Shadow Order attacked White Line, Ark had no choice but to use nukes to suppress the Wave.
That quelled the immediate crisis, but the aftermath—though hidden—was undeniably real.
Radiation from the nukes began slowly polluting Ark's soil and water, leading to a major decline in food production.
If nukes were used recklessly, the airborne radiation could eventually render the entire planet uninhabitable for humans.
This was why, despite the ability to mass-produce nukes via Project Noah, Ark was reluctant to actually use them.
'And then…'
I gathered the tactical launcher, the tactical warheads, and several other weapons.
While only nukes were officially authorized, given the urgency, I decided to take whatever I could.
I didn't think Shin El would begrudge me for it.
'Plasma weapons are fragile but powerful—I'll stock up. There's the BB-88 Blaster too. Huh, a new Machine Cult prototype? It uses similar tech to gravity gloves. And also…'
While stuffing weapons into Rift Space, more time had passed than I realized.
Given the urgency, I'd invested quite a bit.
"All done?"
"Yeah."
"I hope you use that power… for the right cause."
The butler bowed deeply.
I returned a modest nod, then immediately left the El estate.
There was no reason—no time—to stay.
"Let's go."
It was time to head for the front.
* * *
Leaving White Line wasn't difficult.
Part of it was that I had neutralized much of their forces on the way in—but mostly, it was because Shin El had intervened directly after our meeting.
'Well, not like they had the manpower to guard White Line any longer anyway.'
Objectively, Ark was on the brink of destruction.
Of course, they couldn't afford to spare troops to guard White Line now.
["…I have no idea what we're supposed to do."]
And that was the truth.
Both Ark and the Kronos Union had their own goals and their own reasons in this war.
Ark wanted to continue running Project Noah, believing they could use the coming end to wipe out the beasts.
The Kronos Union wanted to shut Project Noah down completely—because it was draining the world's ether and halting the cycle of life.
Who could blame either side?
You couldn't say both were right.
But you couldn't say both were wrong either.
Ark fights for the present.
The Kronos Union looks to the future.
Some would say there is no future without the present.
Others would say a present that can't dream of the future is meaningless.
What answer could I possibly give?
Could I even call it an answer?
["We've arrived."]
Lost in thought, I had sprinted to the Red Line front—and at last, I stood atop its outer wall.
Ordinarily, soldiers might have questioned my presence—but today, they didn't have the luxury to worry about someone approaching from behind.
"..."
On the horizon, black dots had begun to fill the skyline.
As if to avenge the lack of Waves before, a colossal Wave had finally descended upon Ark.
'And the most important part: it's not just the beast horde that's come to Ark.'
Though not yet visible, I was certain the troops of the Kronos Union and the Church of Morte had already infiltrated among the horde.
'But that alone wouldn't be enough to bring Ark down. What's their real plan…?'
The Kronos Union and Church of Morte were indeed powerful—but Ark was no pushover either.
At best, this would end in mutual destruction.
And since this war was meant to preserve the future, why would the Kronos Union risk mutual annihilation?
It meant—they had something else.
Something overwhelming.
'There's something I don't know yet.'
And the answer revealed itself soon enough.
To be precise—it naturally emerged over the horizon.
Goooooooooooooo…
Woooooooooooo…!
A bone-rattling roar echoed across the front, overwhelming even the howls of beasts and monsters.
'No way…'
There was no mistaking those massive figures on the horizon.
I couldn't not know them.
How could I?
Each of them… was a ruler of this world.
["What… are those?"]
Esther gasped in horror.
A natural reaction.
Because what now stood before us were beings born to evoke awe and dread.
The Lord of the Grand Forest.
The God of the Overflowing Rivers.
The Emperor of the Barren Desert.
One after another, final-stage boss monsters began revealing themselves on Ark's front line.
===BREAK===
Like the story and want more chapters?
Join and support me by joining my Patreon!
[email protected]/SiRoasa