Chapter 35

The building’s entrance had been pulverized by the truck’s impact. The floor was covered in rubble, with patches of fire burning here and there. It must have been quite grand once, but now it was a shadow of its former self. Renovating it would be a nightmare. Not that I cared about any of that.

I focused on the building’s layout. The corridors were narrow and the ceilings low—unsuitable for the golem car. There was little point in forcing it through; in fact, it would be dangerous. I couldn’t utilize the golem car’s mobility here. If it could drive on walls or had a flight function, that would be a different story, but that was asking too much. Knowing Alice, she’d probably implement it if I ordered it, but for right now, it was out of the question.

In addition to that, this entrance presented another problem—a matter that needed solving before we worried about the architecture. Recognizing the threat, I sent an instruction to Alice.

“Stop.”

The golem car drifted and came to a halt in the center of the entrance. I let go of the chassis and looked up.

On the second-floor balcony overlooking the hall, men with rifles were lined up. Their muzzles were pointed directly at us. This wasn’t the half-hearted aura of a warning or a threat. It was genuine killing intent. They were fully committed to taking us out.

“Whoops. I figured they’d be waiting for us.”

I rolled off the roof and immediately took cover behind the golem car. Almost simultaneously, a volley of gunfire commenced. As the armor repelled the bullets, I peered out to observe the men.

They were calm. Despite their comrades being wounded nearby, they didn’t even change their expression. I even got the sense they were using the wounded as decoys. They must have been waiting for us to burst into the entrance with our momentum. There had to be a sharp commander leading them. The men following orders were elites, too—likely the ones in the organization most accustomed to killing. They were far tougher than the guards outside.

“Ha-ha, quite the passionate love call.”

I leaned against the golem car and laughed. The group showed no sign of coming down, instead persistently repeating their fire from a distance. Even with single-shot rifles, they maintained a constant barrage by strictly coordinating their timing and roles. They were effectively stripping away our chances for a counterattack.

Their role was likely to buy time. If they could pin us down here, they’d succeed. Once the rest of the people on the estate finished their battle preparations, victory would be theirs. Dealing with types like these is a bit of a pain.

Given the corridor constraints, forcing a breakthrough in the golem car would be difficult. On the other hand, I didn’t want to move about on foot while exposed to gunfire. There was also the risk to Alice. It couldn’t be helped; I’d have to annihilate them here using the golem car as a shield. It would take a little effort, but not much time. There were plenty of ways to handle this.

As I was solidifying my plan, more security personnel rushed in from outside. I grabbed a rifle from the driver’s seat and shot the first one dead instantly. Since I wouldn’t have time to reload for the second man and those following, I picked up pieces of rubble lying around and hurled them to take them down. With my current physical abilities, even a simple stone carries the destructive power of a cannonball. Watching the men’s heads explode, I let out a whistle.

“Don’t even need a gun. This makes things easy.”

After a killing streak, the reinforcements from outside stopped coming for the time being. However, being subjected to a delay was still a nuisance. Getting caught in a pincer like this prevented me from moving as I wished. As time passed, the scale of reinforcements would only grow. We needed to move, fast.

I called out to Alice inside the car.

“Give me a bomb.”

“Which one do you want?”

“The adhesive type.”

I accepted the bomb from Alice.

It was an adhesive type made using slime. Holding it in one hand, I observed the atrium over the chassis of the car. It took me about two seconds to find exactly what I was looking for.

I pulled the ignition cord and hurled the bomb from behind the golem car. Flying in a sharp trajectory, the adhesive bomb struck and stuck to a pillar supporting the atrium. It was the specific structural point I had identified; my eyes, cultivated through years as a bomber, had pinpointed the optimal spot.

Seconds later, the explosion snapped the pillar in two, causing the balcony to collapse in a chain reaction. Naturally, the organization members lined up there plummeted. A thunderous roar followed as a cloud of dust billowed out, filling the entire entrance. Groans and screams echoed through the haze.

Multiple humanoid silhouettes were visible within the dust. I followed up by tossing additional bombs into the fray. Tear gas and incendiary bombs unleashed hell upon the men. Anyone who stumbled out of the dust was greeted with a bullet.

I’d grown accustomed to the rifles of this world. I could already reload them blindfolded. If I had to be greedy, I’d want something with a high rate of fire. A machine gun or an assault rifle would drastically change my tactical options. Maybe I’ll ask Alice; she’d likely whip one up without a second thought.

While I was lost in thought, the organization’s men continued to die one by one. By the time the dust cleared, the floor was littered with corpses. The entrance was secured.

Listening closely, I could hear frantic voices and footsteps coming from other floors. They were clearly rushing their preparations to intercept us. I helped myself to some equipment from the dead—mainly rifles and spare ammunition. I also grabbed several small bombs from the golem car and strapped them to my person.

While fine-tuning the placement of my gear, I made a proposal to Alice.

“Let’s split up from here. Alice, I want you to handle the diversion outside. Inflict enough damage that they can’t possibly ignore you. I’ll take out the head of the organization in the meantime.”

“…I have the golem so I’ll be fine, but are you sure you’ll be okay alone, Jack?”

“Who do you think you’re talking to? Worrying about me is just a waste of energy.”

Indoor combat is my specialty. My armament was sufficient, and I was feeling close to my best. Besides, from this point on, it would be easier to move solo. The golem car was too large and lacked maneuverability indoors. Alice’s safety was also guaranteed as long as she stayed inside the vehicle. It was more practical for her to be active outside than to follow me into a disadvantageous space.

“…Understood. Leave the diversion to me.”

Alice looked a bit frustrated. She likely wanted to stay by my side. However, sensing that she might become a hindrance, she refrained from being selfish. She truly is a bright girl.

“Make sure you come back alive.”

“You too.”

With a casual wave of my hand, Alice and I parted ways. After watching the golem car roar back outside, I began my advance deeper into the building.

Before long, members of the organization appeared from the far end of a corridor. This time, however, they were leading a diverse pack of monsters. Horned tigers, scale-covered bears, two-headed wolves—all of them looked incredibly ferocious. Apparently, this was a unit that tamed and commanded monsters.

Classic isekai. So they have tactics like this too. Certainly, monsters with physical specs superior to humans make for excellent combat assets. Following their orders, the monsters charged down the hallway toward me.

“What is this, a circus? Sorry, I didn’t bring any tips.”

Shrugging my shoulders, I leveled my rifle.