The New Gate

Book 17 Chapter 2: Part 6

“The monsters do not seem to be moving yet. About the countermeasures, the proposed plans include burying explosive items on the monsters’ expected route, dropping explosives from the sky, and even reckless ones such as taking the monsters down with all of our forces, before they can scatter.”

“The army would spread not to let the monsters flee, while Lady Schnee and Sir Shibaid would charge into the main horde?”

“That is one proposal, yes.”

“I can see where it comes from, but…”

Judging from the expressions of the members of the meeting, it really was simply one of the proposals they came up with. No one pushed it proactively.

It would be effective, of course. Schnee and Shibaid were far stronger and could attack in a far wider range than any of the army’s Chosen Ones.

They also had great mobility: if the battlefield didn’t encompass an area as large as the continent, it would be a solid plan for sure.

The only problem was it wasn’t enough to solve the current situation.

“Landmines and air bombing could work to an extent. Among the monsters, there are flying types too, however. A number of casualties in the dragon knight divisions would be unavoidable. Is there any news about the monster species?”

“As before, the confirmed monsters include animals, insects, and shapeshifters. At present no monsters capable of flight over the highest point have been spotted, so air bombings would be effective. According to the most recent communication from the capital, preparations are underway.”

“I see. Hopefully, that can thin the numbers a bit.”

More precisely, the best result they could hope for at present is to prevent the monsters’ numbers from increasing.

“Let us close the meeting for now. I wish for you all to keep thinking of possible countermeasures, however. If you come up with any useful ideas, you may contact me anytime.”

The ever-increasing monster spawn was a grave issue, of course, but the problem of the monsters spawned from before remained as well. They could not just keep using their time for meetings.

After all the officers returned to their posts, Shin and the others left the meeting room as well.

“Sir Shin, Lady Tiera, what will you do now? You spoke in private with Sir Raig, so…”

“I have to do some tests. If it all goes well, we might be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

“I would very much like to know more, but maybe it is not something for us to hear?”

“I cannot decide on my own if I can talk about it or not. I’m sorry, but you would need to ask Raig about it.”

Reiner thought for a moment, then glanced at Milt.

“If Shin doesn’t talk, I can’t say anything either.”

Milt covered her mouth with her hands and shook her head. She was a subordinate of the church, but even so, could not speak of other countries’ military secrets so easily.

“I have no intention of making you become a spy. But if you act like that it’s clear that you also know what we’re talking about.”

“!? You tricked me!!”

“Not really…you went with Sir Shin when he left the meeting, so anyone could figure it out…”

Reiner simply meant it as a joke.

“Since you know about it, go with Sir Shin, for the time being, Milt. Our reinforcements and the troops in the fort are enough to deal with the monsters for now, as long as no high-level monsters appear.”

So said Reiner, but Milt did not agree with his orders at all.

“I’m not a creation job specialist, so it would be pointless for me to stay. I’d definitely be more useful if I was out there swinging my halberd. Don’t you think so too, Shin?”

“I wouldn’t go as far as to say pointless, but…there’s nothing I need you to help with, that’s true. It’s not your specialty, after all.”

Shin thought for a moment before replying, but the conclusion was the same.

Since she used poison, Milt acquired 『Concoction』 and several other creation-related skills. However, they wouldn’t be useful with the item Shin was going to work on this time.

It was amazing enough for her to have honed those skills despite being a battle-oriented player.

“And so, I’m coming with you.”

“I see. We’re leaving immediately, then. We received orders to eliminate as many monsters as possible in the surroundings before the large horde starts moving.”

“Roger! See you later, folks!”

Milt winked as she left, joining Reiner’s forces in the monster extermination expedition. Shin and Tiera watched her go, then they also exited the fort.

They rode on Yuzuha and Kagerou for about two kemel, then Shin took out a certain item.

“Isn’t that the item from before? But you couldn’t take it with you, right?”

“Yeah, this is a different item. But the sphere infused with magic power is definitely this 『Plain Stone』. I confirmed it during the analysis. If you infuse this with the right magic power and skills, it’s possible to create the item Raig showed us. At least in theory.”

The item Shin materialized from a card, 『Plain Stone』, was a material normally used for infusing skills.

There were other similar types too, all used in conjunction with skills. The only difference was the level and type of skills that could be infused in each one.

“If we take a 『Drop of Erathem』 and wrap it in our hands with this 『Plain Stone』, we have— ”

The one cemel wide 『Drop of Erathem』 fragment fused with the 『Plain Stone』 in Shin’s palm. The 『Drop of Erathem』 disappeared and the 『Plain Stone』 started giving off a rainbow light. It looked exactly like the 『End Wall』 item Raig showed them.

“…eh? You did it already?”

“No, now we have a base for skill infusion. I have to attach skills in it now.”

The 『Plain Stone』 gave a faint glow as Shin spoke.

“Done. Since it’s still experimental…let’s just call it 『Wall Stone』. Okay then, here goes.”

Shin buried the 『Wall Stone』 in the ground, walked away from it, then activated it. It was the remote activation function also present in the 『End Wall』 items.

“I can see how this could stop the monsters…”

Tiera was staring, dumbfounded, at a massive wall of soil, 10 mel tall, 20 mel wide and 5 mel thick.

It was already hard rock, as solid as metal. Seeing such a small sphere give birth to a fortress-like wall would certainly leave anyone speechless.

“Next is this.”

Shin took out the same number and size of 『Plain Stone』 and 『Drop of Erathem』 and fused them.

“It looks like the same to me, is there anything different?”

“I attached two layers of skills. The first wall only had one max level 【Soil Wall】, but I cast the same skills twice this time.”

Shin then activated the item. Nothing happened, however.

“Did it not work?”

“No, there wasn’t enough magic power.”

The『End Wall』Shin analyzed had a double layer of skills too.

Infusing an item with the same skill twice raised its effectiveness, but also required more magic power than infusing it with two different skills.

The magic power in the 『Drop of Erathem』 Shin used to create the item clearly wasn’t enough.

“It’s all according to calculations, at least for now. Let’s fuse another 『Drop of Erathem』 in it.”

Shin dug out the item, fused one more 『Drop of Erathem』 in it, and buried it again. Once he activated it a wall much more massive than the first one was created.

He used a skill to measure it: the new wall was about 60 mel tall and 40 mel thick.

Because of the item’s capacity, the wall’s width capped at 10 mel, but the height and thickness were the same as what Raig said 『End Wall』 to be.

“If I add a hardening skill, the magic power consumption is exactly the same. A hefty quantity, as expected. I guess I should try testing the magic power absorption quantity when the items’ magic power is balanced together…?”

Shin already had information about how the item was made: combined with the analysis of the item itself, there were no holes in the information he had. The experiments were proceeding extremely smoothly.

Additional fusion of a 『Drop of Erathem』 to the 『End Wall』.

Measurement and calculation of the magic power absorption at the moment of activation of connected items with equal amounts of magic power. Activation time variation, and more. Shin thoroughly performed test after test.

He had to delete and re-create the walls a number of times, thus inadvertently causing a bit of commotion in the fort, but could ultimately produce positive results.

Then, two days after he began his research…

“To be able to create a top-secret item in such a short time…so this is why Zaikuin’s answer arrived so quickly.”

Raig was holding one of the 『End Wall』 items made by Shin. After scanning the results of Shin’s experiments and the materials about the item, he felt almost tired to be surprised so often.

As Raig said, they received an answer from the royal capital the next morning after he sent the materials: an unprecedented approval to give Shin unlimited freedom.

It was so fast that Raig sent more documents and asked for confirmation a second time. Shin thought it was probably because the emperor knew he was a High Human.

Once again, he felt that, for the people of this world — players excluded — 『Rokuten』 was that special of an existence. They weren’t treated as the gods of creation jobs for nothing.

The Dragnils involved in the creation of 『End Wall』 were amazed to see that Shin seemed to know its structure better than them.

“The plan will be put into action as soon as the soldiers retreat from the front lines.”

“Understood, let’s hurry.”

In order to implement the plan, the 1st and 2nd fort were going to be abandoned, as they were located beyond the planned wall. The soldiers had begun withdrawing already: they were scheduled to completely leave the forts in two days and would cross the planned wall in seven days.

Once they crossed the wall line, there would be no need to fear the large monster horde anymore. They could keep the great number of monsters that spawned this time at bay as well.

Cultivating such optimistic thoughts was what triggered it all, maybe.

Shin and the others heard furious knocking at the door. The soldier that rushed inside looked as pale as death.

“Emergency report!! The large monster horde…has started moving!!!”

As it turned out, the monsters weren’t going to stay quiet until the wall was built.