Infinite Evolution Hunter - Chapter 154

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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154
Chabkitz, the leader of the enslaved goblins in the Mine, relayed Keldric’s message to the other goblins about increasing production.
Leaving behind the resentful gazes of the goblins toward Keldric, Chabkitz picked up his pickaxe and began excavating the Mine Tunnel.
Chabkitz dug with such skill that one might mistake him for a Dwarf. His strength and tool mastery far exceeded what any goblin should possess.
While the goblin race’s average abilities were remarkably low, their staggering numbers meant that geniuses far surpassing the norm emerged regularly.
Chabkitz was one such goblin—though his misfortune had landed him in slavery.
“I’ll help as well.”
Keldric followed Chabkitz into the tunnel, pulled his mask over his face, and drove his pickaxe into the wall.
Since this wasn’t the first time Keldric had offered to help, Chabkitz didn’t protest.
With their fundamental abilities so different, they continued excavating at a pace several times faster than the goblins alone could manage.
Keldric never rested. Even when the goblins took breaks, he continued swinging his pickaxe.
“Keldric! You’ll collapse at this rate!”
“I’m fine. I’m a Dwarf, after all.”
“Other Dwarves don’t push themselves like this.”
“…I’m different.”
With the resolve to one day bring change to the Dwarf Kingdom, Keldric swung his pickaxe relentlessly.
To reduce the goblins’ quota, Keldric carved hours from his sleep and labored in the Mine. He understood that the more he accomplished, the less the goblins would have to endure, so he couldn’t afford to rest.
Sleep-deprived and half-conscious, he swung his pickaxe mechanically. His strength had naturally diminished from the beginning.
Yet as Keldric fell into a trance, each swing of his pickaxe brought down earth across a wider area than where the blade struck, and that radius continued to expand.
Too delirious to notice, Keldric remained unaware that the Blessing of Earth—rarer to receive than the love of fire—was accumulating in his body with every swing.
* * *
The appointed day for the meeting with the Elves and Dwarves arrived without word from Eres.
Since the competition was to take place at the border of the three nations in the Southeast Region of the World Tree, I had sprinkled Deep Sea water beforehand to cool the heat. But it was so scorching that even this provided only temporary relief.
The temperature intensified relentlessly, with the hottest regions exceeding fifty degrees.
I issued evacuation orders across the kingdom, directing the elderly, the infirm, and volunteers to shelter in the shadows of the Royal Castle and the World Tree.
“Once this is settled, help those two find a way to locate Eres.”
“Brother, do you think this is the work of the Spirit of Light?”
“It has to be. The day hasn’t grown longer, the sun hasn’t drawn closer, yet the light itself has become scorching.”
“Understood. Once this is over, I’ll research it with Jae-in.”
“Your Majesty, esteemed citizens of Newus, and honored guests of the Allied Forces who have traveled so far—I offer my gratitude. I am Benjamin, your host for today’s technical exchange competition!”
Externally, I had promoted this as a technical exchange rather than revealing the tensions between nations or the wager at stake, but the rulers had ears and knew the truth.
Kings and Imperial Nobles from every nation who relished watching combat had all attended.
“Though the East-West War has ended, our war has not.”
The crowd fell silent at the mention of war.
“The malevolent forces of the Destruction God pouring from the Gate inflict suffering upon all our people. None would dispute that greater strength is needed to combat these forces. To defeat the Destruction God, we must learn from one another’s superior techniques through this exchange, advance together, and cultivate our power!”
Benjamin’s voice grew louder.
“Your Majesty, who unified all the kingdoms of the chaotic Northern Eastern Continent into a formidable Allied Forces! Moved to tears by your foresight and wisdom in creating this golden opportunity for exchange to stand against the malevolent Destruction God, I cry out: Long live Your Majesty!”
The people of Newus followed Benjamin’s lead, shouting their acclamation. I was aware that at official Tellus gatherings, rulers were adorned with flowery rhetoric. But knowing it didn’t make it any less embarrassing.
Suppressing my embarrassment, I rose from my seat and waved my hand.
Bae Na-young giggled at my awkward display, which only deepened my mortification.
“I cannot keep our distinguished guests waiting any longer, so let us begin at once! First, we shall test craftsmanship without the use of magic! The Dwarf Kingdom—Tellus’s finest artisan race—and specifically the master craftsmen of Ailstobic shall pit their weapons against the shield created by Park Jae-in, the Mage-Engineer Minister of Newus, which boasts the Allied Forces’ elite military strength!”
King Dallobit flexed the muscles of his arms as he hefted a spear several times his own height. A weapon of such size would be impractical for even a Dwarf to wield in actual combat.
“King Dallobit has brought forth his weapon personally. Your Majesty, would you explain the specifications of this weapon?”
“This spear is forged from a special alloy passed down through generations of our Dwarf race, and its shaft is inscribed with enchantments that grant it power far exceeding the wielder’s own strength. When struck by this spear, even a dragon’s head would be pierced—thus I have named it Dragon Piercer!”
Dallobit explained his weapon with supreme confidence.
“Dragon Piercer—what a magnificent name! On the opposing side, we have Park Jae-in, the Minister. However, I see no shield to speak of. Minister, would you explain your shield?”
Beside Jae-in stood a mechanical device the size of a shipping container. Connected to it by thick cables was a frame-shaped machine positioned before a dummy, its hollow center offering no defensive capability whatsoever.
Jae-in pressed the switch in her hand, and the machine emitted a mechanical hum.
“If I explain it beforehand, it won’t be as entertaining. Let’s see it firsthand. It’s called the Laser Shield Mark 42.”
“You cannot even properly explain your own creation—you lack the qualifications of a true craftsman.”
Dallobit and the other Dwarves snorted derisively.
“The name alone leaves much unclear. Well then, King Dallobit! Please attack the dummy!”
Dallobit gripped the spear, leaned his body back, then charged forward.
He accelerated at a speed that belied his short stature, and with momentum building, he hurled the spear while throwing his entire body forward. The recoil sent him spinning once through the air before he landed.
Released from Dallobit’s grasp, the spear—empowered by its inscribed enchantments—defied the laws of physics and accelerated continuously.
From within Jae-in’s frame-like device, hundreds of thin laser beams shot forth, forming a barrier of light.
The spear pierced through the laser barrier as though it were nothing.
“Hahahaha! It’s as good as useless—wait, what?!”
The spear that had penetrated the light barrier shattered into hundreds of elongated fragments, falling harmlessly before and beside the dummy.
“…Truly… truly magnificent! Dragon Piercer has been sliced as thin as kindling!”
At the commentator’s merciless remark, Dallobit’s face flushed crimson with rage.
“This… this is cheating!”
“Ah! The Dwarf delegation has lodged a protest!”
“We agreed to test craftsmanship, not this! This is magic, is it not?!”
“This is pure science.”
“Sc… science?”
“Craftsmanship means processing materials and assembling them to achieve desired performance, correct? And anyone should be able to use it easily?”
“…”
“Anyone can operate this simply by pressing a button. No mana required.”
“Im… impossible! Such power from a mere button press?!”
“Of course, it’s impractical for actual combat. Defending such a small area for mere seconds consumed an enormous quantity of mana stones. That generator behind it is far larger than the shield itself, so attacking it would end everything. Attacking the frame-like laser emitter instead of the laser barrier would also suffice. This competition has no weight restrictions, and since the attack was linear, we could employ it here.”
“…”
King Dallobit ground his teeth. Though it displeased him, this technique—one he had never witnessed before—was genuinely impressive. As Jae-in explained, no mana flow could be detected from outside, confirming it was indeed crafted through craftsmanship alone.
“And so concludes our first technical exchange! While we prepare for the second exchange, we shall be treated to a performance by Newus’s beloved idol, Lilis!”
Since becoming King of Newus, I had installed projectors throughout the plaza in Derham. Without entertainment after work, people would only cause trouble, so I had them watch broadcasts to pass the time. The results exceeded expectations, so I revised the rules—limiting broadcast hours and allowing those who worked to claim the best viewing spots.
We had experimented with various broadcasts, and the greatest success came from the eight-member girl group Lilis.
A renowned idol producer from Korea, having seen Tellus’s public relations materials, recognized the treasure trove of talent and crossed over, assembling the group in no time. They were now planning their debut on Earth.
Lilis, composed of women from various races, danced while wielding magic to create dazzling stage effects. Though the diverse composition was unintentional, it proved effective in fostering goodwill between races.
While Lilis performed, Jae-in cleared away the Laser Shield and brought in new equipment.
A cargo truck rolled in, carrying a cylindrical column ten meters long and two meters in diameter. Using wireless controls, she maneuvered the truck to the desired position.
I disconnected the thick cable from the generator that had been connected to the laser shield and rewired it to the new device.
The Dwarf Kingdom representatives stepped forward with circular shields as tall as a person. The shields were impressively thick, their silver surfaces adorned with elegant golden engravings.
“Now, let’s give a round of applause for Lilis!”
Though they were a girl group that seemed to appeal primarily to men, they were also popular with women, and thunderous applause erupted from the crowd.
“The preparations for the second round are complete! Minister Park Jae-in! Please explain the device!”
“It’s an antimatter cannon.”
Everyone asked what that was, but only Bae Na-young and I shot to our feet. What in the world had this madman created?
“Antimatter? What is that?”
“It’s a substance with properties that are the exact opposite of all matter that exists in the world. When it collides with matter, it annihilates and releases energy. Antimatter normally reacts in air and is destroyed instantly, but I’ve discovered a way to stabilize it even in the atmosphere using mana and new materials.”
I don’t know what antimatter is. But I remember seeing it frequently in science fiction novels, and it produced tremendous destructive power.
“I’m not entirely sure what it is, but I’m excited! Now, please explain the Dwarf Kingdom’s shield!”
“Hmph. Our shield is inscribed with runes that nullify all attacks. No impact whatsoever can penetrate this shield.”
I heard Dallobit’s confident explanation, but my unease didn’t fade.
“All spectators must evacuate immediately.”
“Pardon?”
“The general audience should move behind the Minister of Magical Engineering to prepare for the impact.”
The vassals and people of Newus moved first following me, while foreign dignitaries from other nations, looking bewildered, settled in far behind Jae-in as we did.
The Dwarves remained anxious but held their positions behind the shield-bearer.
“Jae-in, this is safe, right?”
“Probably?”
Seeing Jae-in’s grinning face only made me more anxious.
“Dwarves, evacuate to this side as well!”
“Unnecessary! Our shield is indestructible!”
Despite my suggestion, Dallobit declared confidently, but the Dwarves behind him couldn’t hide their anxious expressions, remembering how the spear that had seemed so reliable moments before had shattered.
Part of me wished those stubborn fools would all perish, but that wouldn’t lead to harmony.
“Sigh… Bae Na-young, I’m counting on you.”
“Got it.”
I trudged over to stand beside Dallobit.
“Hmph! So you’ve realized this side is safer!”
“Sure, sure.”
I answered halfheartedly, too annoyed to care.
“Alright! Preparations are complete! Minister! You may fire!”
“Here goes~”
Jae-in lifted the cover on the trigger in his hand and pressed the button inside with his thumb.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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