Chapter 55 : A colossal mech

The last treasure left behind by humanity of Earth No. 10,459, hidden from the world for five thousand years.

It was a colossal mech.

Not some trivial nuclear bomb.

A hero who fights against giant monsters from movies.

Every boy’s dream.

How could anyone resist giant robots?

As a child, didn’t you once imagine riding a toy robot your parents bought you, battling evil villains with style?

The giant robot, once only imagined in dreams, now stood right before their eyes.

Its sleek silver body, Gundam-like helmet, and a nucleus-shaped object embedded in its chest.

Beep!

Of course, I wasn’t the only one excited.

Our genius inventor, Somi.

Her eyes were brighter than any moment before.

Clenching her tiny fists tightly, she was eager to get closer, almost climbing onto my shoulder.

“Alright. Let’s take a closer look.”

Up close, its size was overwhelming.

A massive torso like a fortress.

The chest was adorned with a sophisticated black metal.

As we cautiously approached the mech, it began to react to our presence.

Only then did I understand why the greatest leader entrusted the key to this place to the Elven Queen.

How much doubt and despair must they have felt?

The Black Tower appeared, and the world was on the brink of destruction, yet the high-ranking leaders fought selfishly for their own greed.

And now, with the existence of this colossal mech revealed, the survival of not just humanity but all life on this planet was in peril.

The greatest leader was no fool.

He was a hero who loved this planet.

Now, only his legacy remained.

The pinnacle of all scientific technology.

A colossal mech robot.

As we approached within a certain range, the chest opened, revealing a staircase.

A blue glow of .60 lit up, unveiling an ultra-modern interior.

“Is this it?”

There were no dozens of monitors or countless buttons.

Just an ergonomically designed chair and a helmet.

That was all.

Perhaps the pinnacle of science is simplicity.

Looking at the sleek interior, it all made sense.

Well then, shall we try using it?

Just sit in this chair and wear the helmet.

Pop –

A system window appeared before my eyes.

[System activation in progress]

[Bio-response detected]

[Mana energy sensed]

[Atomic self-power generation in progress]

[Activation readiness 1%]

[Activation readiness 2%]

[Activation readiness 99%]

[Activation readiness complete]

With the activation complete message, the mech’s eyes lit up.

Then—

Koo-goo-goong.

The massive body began to move.

The ceiling of the spacious warehouse opened, and the mech stood upright on its own.

It towered through the incoming seawater.

At last, the legacy of humanity was revealed to the world!

***

Kwoong – screech. Kwoong –

The colossal mech’s majestic first step.

Its large foot hit the water, sending a pillar of spray soaring.

The controls weren’t complicated.

You just had to think inside your head.

However, precise movements were still difficult.

When we play with our fingers, we don’t pay attention to every knuckle joint, but the mech was different.

Every joint had to be controlled one by one in sequence.

For stepping, you’d first bend the knee to lift the leg.

Then straighten the knee, tighten the ankle, and plant the foot.

This process repeated.

Adding hand movements?

My head might explode.

More mental energy was required than I expected.

I was quickly getting tired.

My mind felt blank and I kept yawning for no reason.

Then—

Bbiee!

Somi urged me.

She wanted to try it too.

Alright then.

Our Somi deserves a try.

Look at her sparkling eyes since earlier.

How could I say no?

She climbed out of the seat, swapped helmets with me.

Would the helmet designed for a human’s head fit a rabbit-sized one?

Of course.

This isn’t just any helmet.

It’s a marvel of future science.

It automatically adjusts to the wearer’s size.

Somi, seated in the chair, nervously gripped the controller.

Then—

Kwoong –

The mech began to move.

And she was good at it.

Even though it was her first time, her movements weren’t weak.

Could it be that Somi’s innate talent is mech piloting?

It’s entirely possible.

Somi had a knack for inventing and enhancing items.

She was always fascinated by science and technology.

Together with Toto, she had dismantled and reassembled dozens of home appliances.

In her spare time, she invented new items.

Talents are shaped by passionate hearts and natural abilities.

Dusik was forged into a swordsman by his strong muscles honed in the mines, sharp senses, and his desire to protect friends.

Bbyak and Toto were the same.

They all developed their unique abilities.

Then Somi?

She wasn’t just a creator.

She showed genius talent in operating as well!

Freely piloting the colossal mech robot.

Walking, running, spreading arms and jumping, she struck various heroic poses.

Bbiee!

But then, something seemed off; she shook her head.

What could be wrong?

Even to the untrained eye, her piloting seemed skilled.

“Can’t deploy the weapons?”

Somi answered with a sad expression.

She had already mastered movement, but the crucial weapons were missing.

Big laser swords, energy guns, and more.

The mech supposedly had over ten types of weapons.

Bbiee bbiee!

“The armory… I didn’t see it inside here.”

Bbiee –

Somi’s ears drooped at my response.

It seemed the armory was elsewhere.

Finding it wouldn’t be hard.

Our rear genius, Professor Choco, would surely locate it.

“Let’s rest today and search tomorrow.”

Bbiee!

At my words, Somi immediately perked up.

The armory hidden somewhere on Earth No. 10,459.

Today was too late, so we’d search tomorrow.

At the same time, we’d investigate the cause of the corrupted beasts attacking the Elves.

***

At dawn, we moved the colossal mech again.

Professor Choco said the armory was beyond the sea.

Normally, it would be a tough expedition.

But we had a reliable robot.

Everyone boarded the mech piloted by Somi.

Just in case, we also brought various foods from our original dimension.

From simple nuts to meat, bread, and milk kits—there was no fear of going hungry.

Thanks to this, we also realized time flowed differently here.

Roughly, one day here equaled about one hour in the original world.

Now we could act without worry.

If normally we’d rest a day or two, here one week was sufficient.

Of course, we couldn’t stay too long.

“May the forest’s blessing be with you.”

Silpia and Eillin came to see us off.

Waving at the two with worried expressions, Somi began moving the robot.

Its first step into the raging waves!

As we advanced, the water deepened.

Then—

Jee-eeng – chuck.

The mech’s helmet rose and automatically equipped itself.

[Beheading mode activated.]

Such a function existed too.

The more I saw it, the more I desired this robot.

Then, it happened.

While leisurely exploring, the corrupted beasts sleeping beneath the sea awoke.

They moved far faster underwater than above.

Though their exact identity was unknown, they seemed to be aquatic creatures.

Black eyes prowling around, watching us.

Suddenly, they attacked.

However.

Zap—

Flash!

They were no match for our colossal mech.

I grabbed the neck of one trying to sneak up from behind, punching it with a steel fist right in the face.

With a crisp sound, the beast flew away.

Looking closely, it resembled a scorpion.

But they didn’t stop.

The attacks continued.

An enormous lifeform with eight legs grabbed the mech’s arm and leg.

From its aura, it seemed the leader.

Its size was on another level compared to the small scorpions.

Caught by the legs.

If we made one mistake, everyone could be in serious trouble.

But Somi remained calm.

Why?

Because we hadn’t shown the mech’s true power yet.

The nucleus in the chest quickly accelerated.

A massive amount of energy condensed, then fired with tremendous force.

Zap — boom!

After all, a robot needs something like this.

Steel fists are fine, but laser beams have their own romance.

Now all that remained were the weak scorpions.

There was no opponent to stop us.

No matter how they swarmed, one swing of an arm sent them falling like autumn leaves.

Then came the finishing blow.

It was refreshing.

Like a healing tonic for the soul.

Without pause, we sailed deeper and deeper.

The deeper the water, the stronger the enemies appearing.

At first, one leader-level beast might appear occasionally.

Now, most were leader-class.

Of course, we still had room to spare.

The mech had oxygen and enough food inside.

While wandering for some time, we saw an artificial structure in the distance.

Bow Bow!

Choco wagged his tail excitedly.

That was it.

The robot’s armory.

Let’s grab it quickly and go up.

“Looks more like a cabin than anything else.”

From afar, I hadn’t noticed, but up close, it looked just like a cabin.

Too small to be an armory.

At best, maybe it stored some small daggers.

Then, as if to say not to doubt it, the armory began to move.

Reacting instantly to our presence, it emitted blue flames and floated into the air.

Then attached itself to the mech’s back.

Two long rods resembling antennas rose.

Could this be some kind of remote weapon retriever?

Before going up, let’s try using it.

With weapons, the return trip would be much easier.

Bbiee!

Of course, before I could say anything, Somi shouted with all her might.

Weapon installation!

Then—

Koo-goo-goong.

A massive vibration was felt from afar.

A red flying craft rushed through the water with incredible speed.

Like a torpedo, it had no trouble moving even in the deep sea.

Then—

Screech. Chulkom.

A flying craft that combined with the robot.

It was a laser greatsword that could be used freely underwater!

***

Whoosh.

Deep beneath the sea.

A gigantic continent once inhabited by humans lay submerged.

Traces of humanity remained here and there.

Ruined buildings and various facilities.

But now, the rulers of this place had completely changed.

A massive beast with a tough body breathed heavily, awakening from a long slumber.

Then—

A mountain-like creature slowly opened its eyes.

A clearly palpable aura.

It possessed a power similar to ours.

Yet something was different.

More sacred, but not fully matured, still weak.

If devoured, it would grant even greater power.

The ability to destroy the world.

At that moment, it moved.

A blue glow on its back.

A tail made of white serpents.

Its identity was the Crimson Oath!