LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 271.1
Chapter 271.1. Infiltration
The headquarters building of the Amatsugahara Corporation. It stands as a pillar of support for the people living in the ruined city. Although there are still some buildings and houses in the area that remain in ruins, they will likely be demolished within a few years. In fact, by the end of this year, they will disappear completely, and newcomers won’t even know they were once ruins.
As she gazes over the lively cityscape, the goddess of fate, Fortune, thinks to herself. The world is different from before. Many buildings are under construction, and workers are busy sweating in the cold air, working tirelessly.
“Where are we supposed to move that desk?”
“Isn’t it to that building? No, is this the right address?”
Delivery workers are discussing their delivery orders while attempting to move furniture into the newly completed buildings and homes. It seems that the addresses in the ruined city are unreliable, which causes a bit of confusion.
“Fried noodles, fried noodles! Only 300 yen! We’ve added plenty of smoked meat for extra flavor!”
“How about some skewers? Ours are safe! No additives in the meat. It’ll make your cheeks drop! Only 50 yen!”
The vendors are likely hoping to attract workers as customers. There are many food stalls with skewers and fried noodles being grilled, and the shopkeepers are shouting to draw in business.
Though the sales pitches seem a bit suspicious, some customers are still willing to give it a try. A few people are even taking a break, laughing and joking about how it would be nice to have a drink.
This is the construction boom around the headquarters. Demolitions of ruined buildings are ongoing non-stop, and rubble is being loaded onto trucks and transported away.
At times, large rats, slimes, and even goblins appear, causing panic. Adventurers quickly arm themselves to deal with the threats.
“They went that way!”
“Got it! [Flame Arrow]”
As the goblin is cornered, a male magician shoots a fire arrow, and when the goblin falters, the frontline warrior thrusts his spear and defeats it.
“Watch out for the arrows!”
“Right! [Gentle Breeze]”
The tank uses a magic shield enchanted with a breeze spell to create a wind barrier, deflecting arrows from the goblin archer. In the meantime, other adventurers charge in and take down the goblin archer.
Previously, goblins were a symbol of fear, but now the adventurers dealt with them effortlessly, as if they had done it a hundred times before.
Various types of people were working here, all with lively expressions on their faces. To Fortune, their presence was blindingly bright, and she squinted slightly, a faint smile forming on her lips.
“What’s wrong, Fortune?”
“The people living here are full of energy. Back in the old world, most of the people had dead eyes.”
Ares, walking beside her, noticed something was off with Fortune and asked. Fortune smiled slightly, thinking, he was surprisingly considerate, as she pointed to the surroundings, responding while gazing at his too-perfectly sculpted Greek-statue-like face.
“Oh, I see.”
Ares nodded in agreement after looking around.
“Our world is on the brink of destruction. We’ve been holed up in a space fortress, waiting for the end. There’s no hope left.”
“The monsters were too powerful, and we didn’t have the time or resources to level up humans properly.”
“High-level humans either died or became incapacitated from the drawbacks of skills they couldn’t stop acquiring. Now, humans only had angels they mass-produced or the powerful god machines with unique skills to rely on.”
Though the fortress was a self-sustaining stronghold with a weapons factory capable of supporting human life, the isolation made people feel hopeless, and depression lingered.
The military leaders kept shouting to defeat monsters and reclaim Earth, sometimes devising reckless strategies that only wasted resources.
The inhabitants of the fortress complained about the air quality and the food. The fortress, powered by element cores, had air cleaner than Earth’s, and the food—vegetables and meat—was pristine.
But, looking up at the sky and seeing nothing but the endless void of space was unbearable for humans. The fortress itself felt like humanity’s coffin, Ares thought.
Had he been able to fight, it might have been a bit better, but no matter how many new weapons were developed, they were all too advanced for humans to handle, further driving the people into despair.
This world, though still under siege, was vastly different from the old one. Due to its far lower technological level, it was on the verge of ruin from the low-level dungeons. The old world, on the other hand, was on the brink of collapse from high-level dungeons.
Conversely, if humanity could adapt to the low-level dungeons, there was a chance they could fight back. Indeed, the inhabitants of this world had already begun pushing back against the dungeons. The possibility of victory was becoming clearer.
“This world’s dungeon monsters are still weak. If we prepare thoroughly, we might be able to win.”
“I’m not sure about the technology here, but it seems you can select and acquire skills. If Fortune and the others use them, becoming the strongest is no longer just a dream.”
Fortune nodded to Ares’s words and glanced at the adventurers who had just finished their battle with goblins. They were warriors or mages, people with specific skills. Just observing them, one could see the potential. If they could gather enough skilled people, the army would grow strong.
With the Core Store, where one could freely obtain skills, dreams, and hopes were born again.
And if they, the god machines, used them, they would become even stronger.
“I believe it’s probably an item with admin privileges…”
Arriving at the towering Amatsugahara Corporation headquarters, Fortune murmured.
“For us, it’s an easy task. Let’s retrieve it and offer it to the gods.”
Next to Ares, another man walking with Fortune spoke in an unusually serious voice. Fortune glanced at him and sighed quietly.
The well-built man had his hair slicked back, with emotionless blonde eyes. He wore a cardinal-like robe, white with golden thread, making him stand out quite a bit.
Surrounding people whispered, and both Fortune and Ares sighed in unison. Why did he come along?
The man in front was Metatron, the strongest archangel of the Mech-Ten Unit. That doctor suddenly changed his mind and ordered that Metatron accompany them.
“This is the fortress protected by Silky. It might be even more dangerous than the dungeon.”
“No problem. I will carry out the mission as commanded by the gods. And with my power, house fairies won’t stand a chance.”
He placed a hand over his chest, speaking in a polite yet emotionless tone, exuding confidence that made Fortune frown. This is definitely a losing flag, she thought inwardly, sticking her tongue out.
Exchanging a glance with Ares, they both nodded slightly. If that’s the case, then fine. They had no qualms about Metatron, but unlike Sandalphon, this angelic machine lacked emotions, and so they felt no guilt. After all, he worshipped that thoughtless doctor as a god.
If Metatron were to fall, the remaining powerful units in the Mech-Ten Unit would be limited to Sandalphon. There should have been more, but after coming to this world, they had only managed to create one unique angel. Angels and Powers, being mass-produced, were weak. The Mech-Ten Unit was essentially a shell of what it once was, but they didn’t care. It was the commander’s fault for being an idiot.