Succeeding In The Capture.

“How shameless.”

“Indeed. But it also seems to be the correct action.”

“We would have acted that way too.”

Ian thought that even he would have acted this way. In truth, the fact that the Magnia Empire had conveyed words of apology itself was meaningful. They were probably the sort who would not even have apologized if the Polia Kingdom and the Moria Empire had not also joined in and issued statements of condemnation.

“Then the Noma Empire will now explore the ruins. Even if they openly say they are exploring them, no one will be able to say anything.”

“It seems that will happen. However, since the Magnia Empire committed the act of collapsing the entrance, it seems that it will take quite some time just to dig out the entrance.”

At Viscount Rubingston’s words, Ian shook his head. He thought that the Magnia Empire had really made a complete mess of things in various ways. At the same time, from the fact that the Noma Empire now seemed likely to obtain what was called a White Crystal, he became certain of one fact.

“Now they will develop biological weapons too.”

It would probably take some time to develop them. We had also discovered the method through various experiments, and we had been developing them until now. Since the Noma Empire also had fairly high technological ability, they had the capability to develop them sufficiently.

“There is probably a high possibility that they will do so. Perhaps there is also a possibility that they will request cooperation from our side.”

“You mean there is a possibility they will request joint research?”

“Yes. They also know very well that our side has biological weapon technology. They will know that dragging out development is not good for advancement.”

“Do we have to accept?”

“Whether to accept or not would be up to Your Highness, would it not?”

“Hmm. Crown Prince Alexei may come to visit.”

Since they had a friendship, he thought it would be rather difficult to refuse if he asked. Still, if they did it, it would not be done for free. They would proceed after receiving another price, and that itself would likely return to the Polia Kingdom as an enormous gain.

“Whatever happens, we can decide after observing the situation for now.”

“That is correct. They have not explored the ruins yet.”

“The problem is now us.”

It was already nearly two months into the exploration period. A considerable amount of time had passed. That meant there were many difficulties in the capture. Still, time had not simply passed idly. In the last report, there had been a report that they had reached the final stage of the capture.

“Perhaps they may have succeeded in the capture by now. Did they not say they had almost reached the end?”

“That may be so. There is not much left, but I hope they succeed before this year ends.”

“There may be good news soon.”

“We will have to wait.”

As he said that as if this, too, was something they had to wait for, inwardly, he hoped that news announcing success would come even now. At the moment Ian held such expectation in his heart, inside the ruins located in the territory of the Doicheun Empire, the final stage of the capture was currently underway.

Kukukung—!!

There were chunks of metal collapsing just like that with a massive explosion. What entered their sight was the appearance of another corridor. Those watching this sight finally let out deep sighs, as if they were now sighing in relief.

“Haa, finally, it’s been breached.”

“This is the final wall, right?”

There were about 90 people present. As they looked at the massive chunks of metal that had collapsed, they could not help but feel utterly sick of it. How much effort had they made all this time to break that thing? The amount of explosives they had used alone was probably dozens of tons.

Along with the explosions, the surrounding area had shaken as if an earthquake had occurred, and because of that, everyone had been tense, wondering if it would collapse. Still, the fortunate thing was that the final attempt had succeeded. Before long, at the sight revealed within the collapsed space, everyone’s faces stiffened as they examined the surroundings.

“Advance the Betos.”

With those words, the ones moving at the front before anyone knew it were the biological weapons, Betos. The movements of the creatures, stepping on the floor with four legs as they moved, were quite fast. The gazes of those watching them could not help but hold tension.

They were thinking that there might still be traps until the very end. Like that, they saw the Betos quickly moving at the front, and since nothing out of the ordinary happened, everyone’s tension gradually began to ease.

Soon, after passing through the corridor visible ahead, they saw a Beto standing in a space filled with light. At that sight, everyone could feel that that place was the end. Before long, everyone’s steps grew faster. It had been a long journey that had continued for a full two months, and since it was finally the end, they could not help but put strength into the tips of their feet.

Then, the moment they stepped into the space filled with light, their approaching steps could not help but stop at the sight that began to come into view. The face of the first person to arrive could not help but change from joy to pallor. And the expressions of those arriving one after another became similar.

“W-what on earth is this…”

“What is this place used for…?”

“Those things, they’re what I think they are, right?”

The voices of those speaking were filled with trembling. It could not be helped. What was visible in their sight was literally the appearance of a vast cavity, along with a space filled with white light. In the center, the White Crystals were clearly stationed. Looking closely, there were as many as three White Crystals.

What caught people’s eyes more than the appearance of those White Crystals was something positioned on the walls of the fairly large cavity. Currently, things like oval glass membranes were densely attached to the walls. The problem was that what was positioned inside those glass membranes were monsters with grotesque forms.

“How many are there?”

“…Doesn’t it look like there are easily over 10,000 at the very least?”

“To think there are this many. What on earth is this place?”

“Those things are definitely biological weapons, right?”

“Considering their pure-white skin color and even their forms, they are definitely biological weapons. And ancient biological weapons at that.”

“They’re all in suspended animation, but just how long have they been in suspended animation?”

What filled the walls was certainly a kind of biological weapon. And it was certain that they had been made in the very distant past and placed in suspended animation. In truth, the biological weapons made until now had been put into suspended animation for storage, but they did not know how long that could last.

They had simply been thinking that theoretically, it might be possible for at least several years, but from the sight they were seeing now, they could tell how wrong that theory had been. The fact that they had remained in suspended animation until now in ruins that were certainly at least over a thousand years old meant that suspended animation could be maintained for a thousand years.

“More importantly, that means all of those things are alive right now, doesn’t it?”

“What if those things wake up all at once?”

“We need to recover the White Crystals, but if all of those things are forcibly awakened the moment we recover them, what happens then?”

“I don’t think we should act carelessly…”

Everyone had worried expressions. Amid that, before anyone knew it, Wizard Oran stepped forward and spoke to everyone.

“Everyone, calm down. Is the most important thing for us not to recover the White Crystals and place them in His Majesty’s hands?”

At those words, everyone became respectful. In truth, they had received a great deal of help from Wizard Oran. Until now, they had received much help from magic in breaking through this place. In particular, the door they had broken through earlier was the kind of door that could absolutely never have been breached without the power of magic.

“Sir Camyu. You recover the White Crystals. With your movements, would it not be possible to recover them quickly and move at the same time?”

At those words, Camyu nodded in agreement. The others were the same. With the movements of an Expert like him, he would be able to show faster movements than anyone else here. Before long, Wizard Oran spoke as if this was what they should do.

“What we must do from now on is this. We will go to the entrance as we are and wait. Then, in preparation for any unforeseen situation, we will install explosives everywhere and wait.”

In other words, he was saying that they should prepare a burial in case the ancient biological weapons awakened. At Wizard Oran’s words, everyone nodded as if it was a good idea. The depth of the ruins was considerable.

No matter how many biological weapons there were, even if they numbered over 10,000, if it collapsed just like that, they would have no choice but to be unable to move at all. The fortunate thing was that a considerable number of the explosives prepared to break through the entrance this time remained.

Of course, it was a smaller amount than what they had used to break through the final door, but if they only installed them in the proper places, they would be able to collapse this place all at once. The explosives experts had already identified these weak points in advance because they had been worried that the ruins might collapse.

Like that, the plan was made, and they immediately began preparations. They had discovered the White Crystals, but they left them alone, and only after a full day passed were they able to finish all preparations. Wired explosives were attached here and there. The amount of these explosives was probably around seven tons.

The explosive power of that amount would be considerable. When the preparations were completed like that, everyone waited at the entrance for the plan to be executed. At that moment, Camyu was standing in the place where the White Crystals were located.

[Sir Camyu, are you ready?]

A voice came from the wired communication device connected from the surface to this place, and in response, Camyu picked up the receiver and spoke briefly.

“I am ready.”

[Understood. Then please begin.]

“Understood.”

After saying that, Camyu turned his gaze toward the White Crystals floating right in front of him. The moment he recovered them, he planned to immediately inform them of the reaction through the receiver. If nothing happened, the explosives would not go off, and the moment the ancient biological weapons awakened, the explosives would be detonated in sequence.

Since they had already precisely calculated in advance the time it would take him to run and arrive at the upper entrance, the plan could be called perfect. With all preparations completed like that, Camyu began reaching out toward the White Crystals just as he was. He snatched them as they were and immediately put them into the pouch in his chest.

Glancing around in every direction, Camyu’s two eyes were directed toward the oval glass membranes. What kind of reaction would occur? The moment he thought that, a faint crackle of electric current flowing reached his ears. At that sound, he immediately picked up the receiver and contacted them.

“They’re moving.”

If they did not move, then nothing had happened, and if they were moving, it meant that something had happened. Like that, he put down the receiver as if tossing it aside, then kicked off the floor and began moving rapidly. Amid this action, movements as if something was writhing repeatedly began to occur inside the glass membranes.

Crack—

Cracks appeared on the glass membranes. And in the next instant, crash! What burst out as the glass shattered was the appearance of an ancient biological weapon. It had pure-white hide, a long snout, two short arms, two long legs, and a tail with a blade at the end that was shaking violently.

Kkeueek!

The creature displayed sharp teeth along with a fierce grotesque cry. Amid that sight, before anyone knew it, crash! The glass membranes shattered one after another, and ancient biological weapons could be seen bursting out. They continued to fall to the ground and roll around, and soon they raised their bodies.

The creatures seemed to examine the cavity for a moment, then soon went sniff, sniff, as if smelling something, before running straight toward the place where Camyu had left. Their movements as they ran using their two long legs showed speed faster than most horses.

Amid the sight of the creatures swarming forward, Camyu had already moved a considerable distance away. Papapak! Pak! Pak! He was passing through the terrain he had come through before, and among these terrains were places where smooth pillars lay horizontally.

As if telling the traces of their passage until now, ropes were densely connected to pillars that seemed to be one meter in diameter. Camyu’s appearance as he lightly ran along by stepping on those ropes was nimbler than a circus performer. At the moment he passed through this terrain like that, from below came kukung—! the sound of an explosion.

It was the noise of the wired explosives located at the lowest part exploding. At this sound, Camyu’s movements as he kicked off even harder became even faster. Like that, the higher he climbed, the more the explosions continued, and the more that happened, the more cracks continued to appear in the ceiling.

Since it looked as if it might collapse from above at any moment, it was a sight close to a crisis. But Camyu only kept running without any agitation. The closer he got to the entrance, the more the cracks located in the ceiling grew longer with a loud cracking sound.

Kukukung—!

Along with the sound of another explosion, chunks of stone continued to fall heavily from the ceiling. Amid that sight, the entrance finally came into view. There was light, and he was reaching toward that light as if stretching straight toward it.

Kururureung—!

At that moment, the ceiling could be seen breaking apart. The impact that had continued from below was reaching this place and trying to collapse the ceiling. At that sight, Camyu drew his sword with a ring and generated a great deal of aura on the blade.

Shuaaaak—!

A stone mass dozens of meters long was cut apart in a single stroke. Camyu advanced through that place, and he also used aura to cut apart other thick chunks of stone as they were, creating a path forward. And in the next instant, he was able to pass through the entrance and come outside just like that.

Kukwakwa-kwang—!

The entrance could only be seen breaking apart heavily. A great cloud of dust rose around the entrance, and this state could only continue for some time. And as the dust slowly cleared, what began to come into view was the completely collapsed entrance, along with Camyu standing proudly.

“Waaah, success!”

“Sir Camyu survived!”

“We finally succeeded!”

“It’s over!”

Everyone cheered loudly at the fact that this exploration was over. Amid that sight, Wizard Oran approached Camyu and asked.

“Did you bring the White Crystals properly?”

“I brought them.”

The three White Crystals he took out from his chest were scattering brilliant light on his palm. At that sight, Wizard Oran’s expression became satisfied. Meanwhile, as he looked at the collapsed entrance, he thought that in such a state, the ancient biological weapons would probably never be able to escape in the future either.

The awakened ancient biological weapons would probably have no choice but to remain sealed for quite a long time, unable to move at all while buried under the collapsed massive stone blocks.