Chapter 46: Great Port (2)
A special ability, huh.
‘No way……. Does she know that I possess Surreal Awakening?’
As that thought crossed my mind, Diesel’s brow furrowed slightly.
‘Just who the hell is this Valkyrie?’
Was it something River had told her?
If anyone knew, that seemed the most likely.
If there was someone who had noticed Diesel’s ability, she was the strongest candidate.
In any case, River had probably already reached her own conclusion about Diesel.
On the very first day Diesel had manifested in this world, he had interfered with the miracle of the ‘Manifestation Rite’ that was meant to send him back to the afterlife.
River must have already formed her own hypothesis about how such a thing had been possible.
But did she even know that Diesel’s ability was Surreal Awakening?
[What are you thinking so hard about……?]
Herja asked with an innocent expression.
At that, Diesel shook off his stray thoughts and turned his body.
[It’s nothing. Let’s move.]
This was the middle of an operation.
And not just any operation, but an infiltration that required utmost concentration.
He couldn’t afford to ruin it with trivial musings.
[Yeees……!]
Soon, the two Ghostcatchers moved soundlessly between the long rows of containers.
Inside Great Port, Warehouse E-7.
A human employee was checking cargo in front of an enormous container.
A giant’s shadow fell over him.
“Good work.”
“Oh my, what brings you here today, sir?”
The employee stopped what he was doing and lifted his head.
Then the giant Gnar produced a deep, heavy bass from a throat as thick as a human head.
“You should head home for the day.”
“Head home?”
“Yes.”
The employee seemed to catch on to something in the giant’s words and slowly curled one corner of his lips upward.
“Ah……. That’s a bit difficult.”
“…….”
“There’s a ton of work today, you see. For some reason, a whole load of cargo suddenly came pouring in. Just processing this one here alone, whew……! I think an all-nighter is guaranteed. If I just up and leave work in a situation like this, I might get fired, you know?”
Gnar listened to him in silence, then patted the employee’s shoulder with a firm hand.
“For even a rank-and-file employee to devote himself so diligently to his duties—our Black Container has a very bright future indeed.”
“Oof……. You’ve got quite the grip.”
Noticing the strange sensation on his shoulder, the employee brought his hand up to it.
A small Qubit card was placed into his palm.
“Take another good look. Don’t you think you might be able to handle it faster than expected?”
“Ah, y-yes……. Looking again…….”
After checking the considerable amount of Qubit inside the card, he cleared his throat with a cough.
“This can be handled very quickly.”
“Go home early today and have a drink of soju.”
“Just soju? I could even have a plate of Korean beef. Hahaha!”
Watching the employee disappear into the distance with laughter, Gnar adjusted his clothes.
‘Dirty bastard.’
A vulgar creature who would sell anything the moment money was shoved into his hands.
When Gnar clicked his tongue, a sound like thunder crashing shook the warehouse.
‘I’m nothing like you.’
From the outside, it might look as though they were committing the same kind of illegal acts.
But unlike that human, Gnar had a justification—a righteous cause.
A cause for the Nord giants, who were treated as lower-class in this world.
To save his own kind, Gnar was even willing to strike a deal with demons.
‘Whatever this is, an incredible opportunity has come my way.’
A smuggled item brought in under extreme secrecy from Kyushu, Japan.
At first, he had tried to refuse.
Though he usually specialized in smuggling, this job had felt wrong from the start.
‘Sender, receiver, item—everything classified……. Normally, I wouldn’t even look at something that reeks this badly.’
The only reason he accepted this job was the power behind the request.
The elite Joseon unit known as the ‘Royal Guard’.
[Is the item ready?]
The Fixer’s voice echoed by the giant’s ear.
The one was so cautious that all Gnar knew about him was that he was a Fixer acting on orders from the Royal Guard.
[Not yet.]
[Please hurry. You never know what kind of variables might arise.]
[There won’t be any variables.]
What was he so anxious about? Even today alone, this was the nth time he had been rushed.
For decades, Gnar had worked at Great Port, firmly gripping control over the place both internally and externally.
Among all areas, Warehouse E-7 was so thoroughly under his control that it could be called his personal smuggling warehouse.
‘There are no variables.’
Thinking that, he placed his bare hand against the massive container.
Thunk, thunk—metal interlocked with a heavy sound as the lock, which normally required heavy machinery, was released.
When he flung the container doors open, another box stored inside came into view.
‘That must be it.’
A single black-sealed box was fixed in the center of the container, as if suspended by spiderwebs.
It was only about the size of something meant to hold a cake.
An enormous-capacity container used solely for that one box.
‘Whatever this is…….’
An item meant to establish a connection with the elite institution of the Joseon imperial family, the Royal Guard.
This job would become the first step toward elevating the status of the giants.
Perhaps the opposing Fixer had deliberately revealed the backer because he understood Gnar’s inner motives.
‘Even if I’m being used, it doesn’t matter. As long as I achieve my goal.’
Gnar carefully detached the box and slipped it into his pocket.
Then, just as he was about to step out of the container and contact the Fixer—
The lights illuminating the warehouse suddenly flickered and went out.
“……?”
It didn’t take long to figure out what had happened.
Cold frost spread across the floor, and Gnar’s feet froze solid in place.
‘Cryo-type Magic? This doesn’t feel like ordinary ice.’
Which bastard was it?
Daring to steal something from a giant’s warehouse.
Gnar muttered in a low voice, suppressing the anger surging within him.
“Turn back now, and I won’t pursue you. But if you recklessly insist on interfering…….”
A heavy threat echoed through the warehouse.
“You won’t die peacefully.”
As if answering that warning, sparks flashed across the high ceiling of the warehouse.
Then—kwa-gwang! Thunder erupted, and a high-output lightning-type Magic, ‘Lightning Strike’, crashed straight down onto Gnar’s head.
“…….”
Powerful enough that an ordinary person wouldn’t even leave a trace behind.
But it failed to inflict even the slightest wound on the giant.
“What a shame.”
Gnar continued, his neck making a dull cracking sound.
“Compared to the lightning that strikes the seas of Nord, it’s barely a tickle.”
This time, the giant moved.
With his feet still bound, he twisted only his upper body and casually tore off the door of a nearby container.
He hurled the chunk of steel with all his might.
Straight toward the rat who had briefly been revealed by the light of the falling lightning.
“……!”
Diesel, who had been hiding in the corner of the warehouse, hastily dodged to the side.
With a deafening crash, the container door smashed into the spot where he had been standing moments earlier.
‘Shorisar, was it.’
A sea giant who had crossed over from the violent oceans of Nord.
Just as sailors in our world were notoriously tough, sailors of another world were several times more resilient than ordinary giants.
‘I can’t bind him for long.’
The Black Ice freezing the bastard’s feet.
An attribute bloom that pushed the coldness and sharpness inherent to ice to their absolute limits.
The trap made of that black ice had excellent binding power, but its duration wasn’t particularly long.
“You’re using an unusual power.”
Gnar spoke as if he recognized Diesel’s Black Ice.
“Even in Nord, ice this cold is rare.”
Soon, the lights that had gone out began flickering back on.
〈Master, 15 seconds until lighting restoration.〉
The most efficient strike he could unleash while his vision was obscured.
Among the many spells that came to mind, Diesel chose the most suitable one.
A freezing breath poured from his mouth.
Along with it, pitch-black particles of mana clung to the air.
Diesel delicately wove each particle together, forming a specific shape.
Soon, dozens of Black Ice shards, sharp like nails, were silently created.
It was nothing more than a slight Diesel-style modification to the spell known as ‘Icicle’, yet it had been transformed beyond recognition.
Black Ice icicles that could easily pierce steel plates.
Their penetrating power rivaled that of anti-tank armor-piercing rounds.
The shards that had been floating without direction snapped into aim at the giant, as if glaring at him, with a gesture of Diesel’s hand.
‘I’ll fire them at a single point.’
The target was the giant’s head.
No matter how resilient the species, if the brain was pierced, it died.
That absolute rule applied just as well to otherworldly races from beyond this world.
Shuuuk……!
The icicles tore through the air as they were launched all at once.
At the same time, the warehouse lights fully came back on.
“…….”
Light flooded the warehouse.
And not just that—another light flared brightly.
The light emitted from the massive shield Gnar had summoned.
‘A miracle of Nord…….’
Thududuk—icicles aimed at the giant’s brow were blocked by the shield and fell away harmlessly.
That was a piece of armament said to have once blocked the scorching heat pouring down from the sun itself.
A legendary shield named ‘Svalinn’.
‘That level of armament shouldn’t be something just anyone can summon…….’
A blessing granted only to those chosen by the exalted ones of Nord.
A relic capable of bringing about true ‘Miracles’ in this world.
“Yes. Now that I see it directly, I remember. This ice—I’ve encountered it before.”
Gnar spoke, gripping the shield tightly.
“But you don’t know how to wield this power properly.”
“…….”
“It’s like watching a child swing a sword.”
The giant looked down at Diesel.
Then he slammed the shield into the ground—bang!—and the ice binding his feet shattered into countless fragments.
‘To break through that shield…….’
Given that it had even blocked Black Ice, it was practically impossible.
Which meant a frontal clash was out of the question.
As Diesel was pondering what method he should use—
Herja’s voice reached his ears.
[Diesel-niim……! Then I suppose it’s my turn to attack now……?]
As she spoke, another source of light flared up beside the giant.
“Hmm……?”
Wings of light sprouted from Herja’s small body.
Noticing the flash, Gnar slightly turned his head.
“And what might this be?”
“Heeello……. My name is Valkyrie Herja……!”
“…….”
“To meet someone from the same homeland here, I’m truly delighted……!”
Herja bowed deeply toward Gnar, bending at the waist.
“Ah, that was an Eastern greeting, wasn’t it……? Hmmm……. What was the Nord-style greeting again……. Oh dear, I forgot……! Heehee……!”
The giant’s brow twitched as he watched her.
“What kind of nonsense are you spouting right now.”
“Huh……? Nonsense……! Herja isn’t joking though…….”
“A half-baked Valkyrie…….”
“Ah……! Half-baked……! Herja is a proper Valkyrie too……! Ah, or maybe not……? Since Herja didn’t earn the right to enter Valhalla……. Maybe ‘half-baked Valkyrie’ is actually correct……?”
“…….”
“Anyway, I’ll apologize in advance……!”
Herja said with a smile at the corner of her lips.
“Because from this moment on…….”
“……?”
“I’m going to kill you.”
Along with that chilling declaration.
A pitch-black helmet settled over the Valkyrie’s small face.