Chapter 3

“That bomber! Where did he go!?”

“He should be nearby! We’re definitely going to find him!”

“Yeah, that bounty is ours!”

I caught a glimpse of the street from the shadows. Armed groups were parading around in broad daylight, everyone radiating an aggressive aura. I watched them pass right by me and let out a sigh.

“Man, this has turned into a heavy situation…”

After slipping out of the castle, I had been hiding in the city, away from prying eyes. I was looking for a place to settle down for a bit, but before I knew it, I had a bounty on my head. It was almost certainly information leaked by the people at the castle—retaliation for my little rampage, no doubt.

What a bunch of jokers. They kidnap me into another world and then treat me like a criminal. Thanks to them, I couldn’t even walk down a busy street. Soldiers were patrolling the city, too. I was moving around while dodging their eyes, but it was only a matter of buying time. There’s a limit to how much you can sneak around a place when you don’t know the terrain.

“Found him! He was hiding over there!”

“They say the bounty’s the same even if he’s a corpse! Do him in!”

Insults flew my way. I’d been spotted. People immediately began to swarm the area. Rocks were thrown at the same time. Some of them were even shooting fire or lightning from staves. Anything goes, huh? As expected of another world. I’d just have to get used to that part of it. Faced with the onslaught of people blinded by greed for the bounty, I had no choice but to run.

After moving for several minutes, I ducked into an abandoned house in the slums. I didn’t sense anyone nearby. It seemed I’d managed to shake the pursuers. I could probably buy some time here for a while.

“Dammit, I won’t forget this…”

I rested inside the dilapidated house that looked like it might collapse at any second. I reached into my chest pocket and clicked my tongue when I realized I didn’t have any cigarettes. Come to think of it, I had started quitting two weeks ago. What a blunder. If I’d known I was going to be summoned to another world, I would’ve kept them stocked by the carton.

To distract myself, even just a little, I re-checked my Status. My level had somehow risen to 4. I could only think of one reason—it was probably because I’d killed those guys at the castle. The mechanics really were like a game.

Also, moving around the city led to various discoveries. First was the people’s appearance. It was incredibly diverse: some had heads like animals, some had pointed ears, some had tails, and their sizes varied wildly. They must be races that were subtly different from humans. About forty percent of the population had some kind of unique characteristic.

Well, I wasn’t too surprised. I’d already experienced several unbelievable things. I wasn’t about to say anything about their visuals at this point. If anything, the fact that they were so gleefully trying to catch me was more shocking. Were they that hard up for cash? It seems greedy bastards exist everywhere.

Another thing that caught my eye were the vehicles running through the city. Mixed in with wooden horse-drawn carriages, I saw things that looked like automobiles. On top of that, there were facilities that looked like trains and stations. Apparently, unique technology has developed in this world. If I weren’t a wanted man, I’d have liked to do some leisurely sightseeing.

(Well, enough complaining…)

Given all that, there were plenty of escape routes. If I hijacked any means of transportation, I could easily get out of the city. What I’d do after that was a separate issue. Fortunately, I still had my gear. I wouldn’t be able to waste anything, but I should still be able to fight against armed knights and soldiers. At worst, I could just steal their swords or spears. It would be a bit of a hassle, but they’d suffice as killing tools.

Thinking that far, I punched the wall and cursed.

“…Damn it. Why am I thinking on the premise that I’m going to run away?”

I was a victim kidnapped to another world. It was wrong for me to be going through this. By now, I should have been living it up with a million-dollar reward. Having to sneak around and scurry like a sewer rat to avoid being seen—no matter how you looked at it, it didn’t make sense. It was beyond absurd.

Everything was a joke. An unbearable rage at my current situation surged within me.

“Okay, let’s do this. It’s a retaliation party.”

I changed my mind. Running away like this was out of the question. I had to kill the bastards who put me in this situation. I’d pay them back a thousandfold for the pain I’d suffered. I wouldn’t be satisfied otherwise.

I stepped out of the abandoned house. I was in a position where I could see the castle through a gap between buildings. I stared at it intently, checking its size and structure.

“…It’s possible.”

Having finished my confirmation, I laughed from the bottom of my heart. I almost felt like skipping and breaking into song. If they wanted to look down on me that much, I’d show them what a real Bomber looks like. It was my code name, after all. It was something I was well-acquainted with. I’d act in a way that wouldn’t shame the name.

As I walked through the filthy back alleys, my heart was filled with nothing but rage and murderous intent.

I made my way through a dark, stone passage. This was a space located in the basement of the castle. I had sneaked back in to blow the place sky-high. To deal catastrophic damage, placing bombs in the basement was the best way. For a castle of this scale, it should be possible even with only the bombs I had on hand. If I didn’t mess up the placement, I could turn it into a pile of rubble.

I was going to kill everyone involved in this kidnapping. They’d looked down on me, calling me a “Bomber.” Thanks to them, I’d had a terrible time. Since I’d received such wonderful treatment, I had to give them a fitting gift in return.

I was currently infiltrating, but the basement security was remarkably lax. I’d managed to get in through the back door quite easily. They probably didn’t think for a second that I’d come back to the castle. I’d had experience slipping through much tighter security in the past. This was child’s play.

There weren’t even any patrolling soldiers. There were devices that looked like alarms scattered around, but for some reason, they didn’t react. Maybe they were broken? At any rate, it was pathetic security.

I wandered around looking for a place to set the bombs. To ensure the best results, a spot that would cause the most damage was preferable. Specifically, I was definitely going to kill that man they called “Majesty.” According to Chancellor Vilarze, this was an Empire. “Majesty” likely meant the Emperor. He was as good as the mastermind behind the Isekai Summoning. I couldn’t let him get away with it. Of course, I had no intention of letting any of the other associates escape either.

As I wandered through the stone passages, I found a room. It was located roughly in the center of the grounds. I poked my head in to take a look. It was a large room, about thirty yards on each side. The ceiling was high, and artificial lights glowed here and there. However, I couldn’t see any lamps. Was this also the work of magic?

What caught my eye was the center of the room. A red crystal about fifteen feet in diameter was floating in mid-air. Rotating slowly, it was composed of polyhedrons nearly forming a sphere. it emitted a faint light.

(What is that…?)

I had no idea what it was. But one thing was for sure: that crystal was a vital component of the castle. My instincts as a bomber were whispering to me.

—If you destroy that, the castle will fall.

I couldn’t ignore that feeling. These hunches had a way of being right. I felt like I wasn’t far off the mark this time, either. They wouldn’t bother taking up space in the castle basement to keep it floating if it were just a useless decoration.

Alright, it was decided. I’d set the bombs on that crystal. If I was worried, I could set some in other spots, too. Either way, blowing up the center was essential. It wouldn’t be a waste of bombs.

There were five mages in robes in the room. They were touching things that looked like stone tablets, performing some kind of operation. If I wanted to know about the crystal, I could just ask them. I cracked my knuckles and grinned, licking my lips. The fun was about to begin. Let’s really cut loose.

“Hey, I’ve come to play.”

I stepped into the room and broke into a full sprint at the same time. I punched the nearest mage to the ground and crushed his neck with my foot. I only needed one person for information gathering. I could kill the rest. It would be a pain if they escaped, so I’d finish them off quickly.

“Here, a present.”

Without a pause, I threw a knife. The blade buried itself deep into the eyeball of a man who was leveling a staff. Blood sprayed out with a squelch.

“Eh, ah…?”

The man tilted back with a stunned look, dropped his staff, and collapsed. His limbs began to twitch and convulse.

“Impudent fool! Do you know where you are!?”

Another mage shouted and shot a fireball from his staff. I dodged it easily with a light leap. Fireballs moved in a straight line. It was like they were asking to be avoided. With enough concentration, I could dodge bullets by sight. A fireball slower than that was nothing to fear.

“W-What!?”

“If you zone out, you’re gonna die.”

I fired my handgun at the panicked mage who had missed his fireball. With a hole in his chest, the mage staggered and crumpled. He’d been standing so still he wasn’t even a challenge to hit.

“All that power gone to waste. Talk about pearls before swine.”

While I was lamenting the weakness of the mages, something passed through the corner of my vision. The fourth one was trying to run away on his own.

They had apparently realized they were no match for me.

A wise decision, but a pathetic sight. I pumped bullets into that defenseless back.

“Gwah!?”

The fourth mage cried out and tumbled to the ground. He groaned as blood pooled beneath him. The agony seemed to have robbed him of the ability to stand.

“Haha, I’ll give you a death befitting a coward,” I laughed brightly as I approached, pulling out my folding knife. I stepped on his back, grabbed a handful of his hair, and jerked his head up.

“W-Why… would you… do this…?”

“Dunno. Beats me.”

Giving a mock shrug at the mage’s question, I slit his throat from behind. A shower of fresh blood stained the floor. The fourth man thrashed in agony for a while before finally ceasing his resistance. His face sank into a pool of blood and went still.

“Anticlimactic. Only one left.”

I twirled my knife and gave a weary shrug. The last mage in the room was trembling on the floor, having collapsed onto her backside. She was a beautiful woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. Her skin was pale, and her ears were pointed. She was likely of the race known as Elves. I’d seen them in movies and games before; they were always popular in fantasy works.

The elven mage stared at me, her face deathly pale.

“W-Who are you!? How did you even get in here!? There should have been magic-sensing traps… it’s impossible to reach this place without permission… Wait, I don’t feel any magical power from you…!?”

The elf babbled, reacting to her own realizations. She seemed completely overwhelmed, unable to process the situation as it defied her expectations. That was a bit of a problem. I had a few things I needed to ask her.

I grabbed the elf by her collar and hauled her up. I spoke to her while forcing her to meet my eyes.

“Question time. Let’s keep this exchange peaceful.”

“Damn you… what part of this is peaceful!?”

The elf’s face contorted in pain, and she began muttering a strange, rhythmic chant. Her eyes were dead serious, filled with murderous intent directed at me. I didn’t know exactly what was coming, but I knew it wouldn’t be anything good.

I drove my knee into her stomach.

“Ugh…!?”

The elf curled up on the floor and vomited. A flicker of pale blue light sparked at her fingertips. It seemed she really had been trying to use magic. That was a close call. I might have been charred to a crisp by a lightning strike if I’d been slower. She certainly had some fight in her.

Crouching down, I pressed the muzzle of my gun firmly against the back of the elf’s head.

“I don’t recall requesting any magic spells. But whatever. I have a question. Answer me, and I’ll spare your life.”

“I-Is that… true…?”

The elf looked up, her eyes tearful. Her desperate attempt to cling to a shred of hope poked at my sadistic side, but I held back for now. Suppressing the smoldering impulse, I put on a sincere expression.

“Yeah, believe it. I’m a man who keeps his word.”

The elf gave a small nod. For now, I’d secured her cooperation. I moved the handgun away from her head and pointed at the large red crystal in the center of the room.

“What exactly is that? It’s clearly not just a giant gemstone.”

“You don’t know? That is the City Core—the magical artifact that controls the entire magical infrastructure of the Imperial Capital. It is, in a sense, the heart of the city.”

“Heh, the heart of the city, huh…”

I stroked my chin, satisfied with the intel. The red crystal—the City Core—continued its slow rotation. I had hit the jackpot. I knew it was important, but I hadn’t expected it to have that level of functionality. It was the perfect target to blow sky-high.

“Who… are you…? Why are you here?”

The elf started asking unnecessary questions, so I aimed my handgun and fired. The bullet gouged through her leg.

“Gyaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!?”

“Listen, I’m the one asking the questions. Don’t get it twisted. Otherwise, your head becomes berry jam.”

“I-I understand! No more! I won’t ask any more questions!”

The elf swore desperately. That should have taught her a lesson. She knew now that one wrong word meant death. The four corpses of her fellow mages scattered around the room added plenty of weight to my threat.

“Now, next question. What happens if I destroy this thing?”

“…Something catastrophic. This is a massive magical device. Even a small malfunction causes immeasurable damage. At worst, the entire Imperial Capital could be blown away.”

The elf answered, her face white as a sheet. She didn’t look like she was lying. It was an honest assessment based on her knowledge and experience.

An entire city, erased. The sheer power of it sounded magnificent. As a self-proclaimed Bomber, I felt an irresistible charm in the idea. After hearing her explanation, my mind was made up. I was going to plant a bomb on the City Core.

What was going to happen to the Imperial Capital was none of my concern. As long as this castle was pulverized, I was satisfied. By detonating it remotely, I could minimize my own risk. I had enough tools on hand to make the necessary preparations. To ensure the castle’s destruction, I’d set bombs in a few other key locations as well. I had a rough grasp of the basement layout. I knew exactly which pillars to take out.

That’s when an idea struck me. I thought back to my skill: [Bomb Manufacturing EX++].

This skill allegedly guaranteed the success of bomb-making. I didn’t need it to make a simple firecracker like I did before. But if I rephrased the effect, it meant that “no matter how absurd the bomb, it can always be created.” Even if the probability of success was near zero, it didn’t matter. It seemed the “EX” rank wasn’t just for show.

‘It’s worth a try.’

Having solidified my plan, I turned back to the elf.

“Hypothetically speaking, could the City Core be utilized as a bomb?”

“Theoretically, yes, but it would never work in practice. Modifying such a precise magical tool is incredibly difficult. A malfunction would occur during the process. It’s a suicide mission—wait, you don’t mean…!”

So it wasn’t impossible, just high-risk. If my skill was the real deal, I didn’t need to worry about the risk. And if things got truly dangerous, I could just run. It would be a disgrace to the name of a Bomber to die by my own creation.

I immediately set to work. I used my tools to begin modifying the City Core, asking the elf for advice whenever I hit a technical snag. Five minutes later, I stood before the reborn City Core and smiled. I checked its status.

The City Core had stopped rotating and was vibrating violently. The light flickered irregularly, and white smoke hissed from various points. Faint cracks were beginning to spiderweb across its surface.

I was pleased with the sight. It was a fine piece of work. Judging by the status, I’d created something truly monstrous. Coerced or not, the elf’s help had been worth it.

The actual process of modifying the Core hadn’t been that complex. First, I operated the control panel to deactivate the Core’s defense mechanisms. Next, I induced an overheat by overloading the mana supply and planted several of my specialized bombs. That was essentially it. Operating the console was a bit tricky, but having an elven expert made it manageable. As for my bombs, I’d rigged them for remote detonation via a transmitter. I taped them to the Core with duct tape. It looked a bit crude, but it would be more than enough to trigger the chain reaction.

My [Bomb Manufacturing EX++] skill ensured the creation would be a success. Success meant it would function exactly as intended. Since I intended for this to be a detonator, the City Core would perform its role perfectly. The fact that it hadn’t prematurely exploded despite its volatile state was likely due to the skill’s protection. A truly convenient ability.

Calling it useless was a joke. The best way to communicate its utility was to show it in action. I was going to give them a grand display. To finish, I messed with the console to set up a barrier so no one could approach. Now I didn’t have to worry about anyone defusing my masterpiece. I could detonate it whenever I pleased.

Just then, I heard quiet footsteps behind me. I turned to see the elf edging backward, trying to sneak out of the room.

“Whoa now, where are you going? We’re partners, aren’t we?”

When I called out to her in a casual tone, the elf shrieked, her face pale.

“I helped you! Please, let me go! You said you’d spare my life!?”

“…Ah, right. I think I did say something like that, yeah.”

I nodded, leveling my handgun at her. I walked toward her slowly, keeping my sights fixed on her head.

“N-No… you promised…!”

“Sorry. I lied.”

I pulled the trigger, put a bullet through the panicked elf’s forehead, and watched her brain matter splatter. She slumped to the floor and went silent. I never had any intention of letting her go. There was no benefit in it for me. If she had messed with the console after I left, it would have been a hassle. It was better to finish her here.

(Now then, time to make my exit.)

The decorations for the blast party were complete. All that was left was to head outside the Imperial Capital. I had to get far enough away to avoid being caught in the blast. Since the true power of a compromised City Core was an unknown variable, it was better to be safe.

“The mana readings are bizarre… It’s an emergency!”

“Hey, do you smell blood!?”

Multiple footsteps and voices echoed from the corridor outside. It seemed people had finally noticed the commotion. Too slow. Everything was already past the point of no return. I would have liked to plant bombs in other spots, but it looked like that would be difficult. Setting charges while being chased was a hassle. Regardless, the City Core would be more than enough. My goal was just to destroy the castle.

I headed for a different door than the one the voices were coming from. Handgun in hand, I burst out of the room and sprinted through the passages. From here on, it was a race against time. If I could escape without being caught, I won. I’d blow them all into non-existence.

“Th-There he is!”

“Hey, high five!”

I grabbed the shouting soldier’s head and slammed it into the stone wall with all my might. His skull cracked, and his eyes rolled back. When I let go, he slumped against the wall and slid down. Wiping the blood from my fingers, I kept moving.

I took down any knights or soldiers I encountered in the tunnels without a second thought. I didn’t have time to mess with them individually. I needed to get away quickly for the remote detonation.

Breaking through the underground tunnels and reaching the surface, I sprinted across the castle grounds and out into the city. I kept running, gunning down anyone who tried to stop me for the bounty. The people who had been chasing me and calling me a “Bomber” were now scrambling away in terror.

“Come on, here’s the bounty you wanted. Come get me.”

I beckoned them, but not a single person stepped forward. What a bunch of cowards. The moment they sensed actual danger, all their bravado vanished. Honestly, I had to respect such blatant honesty.

As I was thinking that, a sharp voice rang out from ahead.

“Stop right there!”

A knight on a motorcycle appeared, a spear gripped in his hand. His eyes were filled with murderous intent, glaring at me as if I were a mortal enemy.

“You’ve got guts. Or maybe I should just call it reckless.”

I let out a cold laugh. A knight on a bike—what an interesting combination. The bike looked remarkably like a cruiser-type motorcycle; I think they called them “American bikes” back home. It was probably powered by magic. Truly amusing. They just kept the entertainment coming.

“Your life ends on the tip of my spear…!”

With a cool declaration, the knight charged his bike at me. He was moving at quite a speed. He clearly intended to use the momentum to impale me or just mow me down. Either way, he was being far too straightforward.

I leaped just as the knight reached me. I tucked the thrust of the spear under my arm, letting it pass by, and twisted my body in mid-air, drawing back one leg.

“Hero Kick. Enjoy.”

“Bubwaah!?”

The sole of my combat boot connected with the knight’s face. I felt the sensation of his nose shattering under my toes. The knight was sent flying backward as far as he could go, and I landed on the bike in his place. I grabbed the handlebars and pulled a U-turn, clipping a nearby stall. Then I twisted the throttle, pinning it wide open.

“Haha! Best drive ever!”

In high spirits, I tore through the streets on the bike. The basic operation was the same as the vehicles from my old world. There were some weird buttons and levers, but as long as I didn’t touch them, it wasn’t a problem. It was moving, so I didn’t care. I kept going, shooting anyone who stood in my way.

After riding for a while, the city gates came into view. Soldiers were lined up in front of the gate, rifles leveled. Behind them, several people were trying to swing the gates shut.

(Gonna lock me in and finish me, huh…?)

I didn’t care and accelerated further. They were probably planning to unleash a volley the moment I got close enough. Simple but effective. It wasn’t a bad plan to prevent an escape. Of course, I expected as much. Since they went to the trouble of gathering for me, I might as well plow through that meat wall head-on.

I rode right up to the line of fire. Along the way, I grabbed a grenade from my pocket and pulled the pin with my teeth. Holding it in one hand, I focused on the distance between me and the soldiers.

(Not yet… a little more… almost… just a bit more—Now!)

Just as the soldiers were about to fire, I shifted my weight back and adjusted the throttle. The front wheel of the bike lifted, coming up almost vertical. A wheelie.

“All units, fire!”

A split second later, the soldiers unleashed a volley. The hail of bullets shredded the bike, but protected by the body of the machine, almost none of them hit me. Those that did were stopped by my body armor. No real damage.

“Make way for the wild horse!”

Having forced my way into their ranks, I mowed down the soldiers with the speeding bike. Careful not to lose my balance during the collisions, I dropped the live grenade. I shot through the closing gates and out of the city. Immediately, the sound of an explosion and screams echoed behind me.

“Too bad for you! My heart nearly skipped a beat! Just nearly!”

Bursting out of the city, I left my taunts behind and sped down the gravel road. The surrounding area was lush grassland. The visibility was high, making it difficult to lose pursuers in this terrain. I pushed the bike to its limits, putting distance between myself and the Imperial Capital.

After about thirty minutes of riding, I found a mountain. I rode up to the summit and stopped the bike. I gave a long stretch and patted my lower back.

“Phew, that was quite a ride…”

The Imperial Capital looked small in the far distance. There was no sign of pursuers. It seemed I’d managed to escape successfully. The grenade I left behind must have caused enough chaos at the gate to delay their response.

I looked at the device in my hand. It was a detonator I’d modified from a transmitter. If I flipped the switch on the side, it would trigger the City Core. Let’s see what happens.

I put my finger on the switch. And, without a moment’s hesitation, I clicked it.

“—Eat this, you bastards.”

Immediately after, a massive tremor shook the earth. A blinding purple light erupted from the Imperial Capital, swelling outward. The intensity of the light grew at an exponential rate.

“Whoa.”

A violent blast of wind hit me head-on, roaring as it shook the trees with incredible force. I covered my face with my arms and clung to the bike. If I let my guard down, I felt like I’d be blown away.

About two minutes must have passed. Once the wind finally settled, I lowered my arms to survey the results. I was speechless.

Where the Imperial Capital should have been, purple flames were dancing wildly. The fire was the size of a mountain, consuming the now unrecognizable city. In the center of the flames, a massive cross of light stood tall—a brilliant red light reminiscent of the City Core. I didn’t know the exact mechanics, but it was clearly a byproduct of the explosion. The pulverized Imperial Capital was being incinerated to finish the job.

“Ahahaha! This is the best feeling! I can’t do anything but laugh!”

I let out a loud whistle and cheered. This was a masterpiece. A magnificent retaliation. A perfect score, no doubt about it.

I would have been satisfied just destroying the castle, but that bomb didn’t stop there. It had erased the entire Imperial Capital. I had anticipated this possibility, but seeing it with my own eyes really got my adrenaline pumping. I was on top of the world.

Maybe being summoned to another world wasn’t so bad after all. This experience was worth more than all the trouble combined. I could never have tasted this in my old world. As I watched the Imperial Capital perish, I just kept laughing.