"Yes! We need you to get us out of here!" Groza exclaimed as her face was already turning red with anger.
For the past few minutes, she had been negotiating with the military.
They weren’t opposed to helping and were ready to do whatever was necessary, but they didn’t want to deviate from standard protocol.
The main point of contention between them was that the military didn’t want to fly directly to Observatory SC-17. It was always safest to stay on higher ground, and there was a suitable spot a few kilometers to the east.
But Groza was fiercely opposed.
"No! Damn it! You have no idea what we had to go through to get here! What’s the problem with landing a jet in the middle of a field? It’s empty here! There aren’t any monsters here! We’ve already killed them all!"
Until the negotiations were over, no one was going to move any further.
This was fine with Kreyn, since he had something he needed to check.
’System... I’d like to learn more about the Complex Creation,’ Kreyn thought, hoping he would be heard.
[?]
He received a response, almost.
’I have three ingredients, so does that mean I can now use them to create a gear? I mean, I understand why it’s called the Complex Creation - instead of a single gene, I need three different parts. But what about the details? What are the conditions and limitations? What can I expect?’
There were a lot of questions, because Kreyn didn’t want to make a mistake. He realized that it would be a while before he could use the Complex Creation again.
[The result depends on the ingredients. Each set of ingredients yields one specific outcome, with no option to choose from.
[The creation process is different. It takes significantly longer and consumes more energy than a standard forge craft.]
Kreyn nodded.
"How long will this take, and what exactly do I need to provide?"
[All the necessary ingredients, as well as one Forge Flame charge for each ingredient.]
"W-What...?"
Kreyn’s eyes widened in disbelief.
’Wait. If I have three ingredients, does that mean I’ll have to use three charges?’
[Correct.]
Kreyn froze for a moment, stunned by the news.
After he crafted the Wrath of the Steel Demon, he had only three charges left, even though he’d started with a maximum of four.
’Damn, if I’d decided to create something else, I’d be left with two charges and would have to wait more than a day for them to recharge.’
Also, once Kreyn starts the Complex Creation, he’ll be left with no Forge Flame charges at all.
’Hmm. That shouldn’t be a problem. As soon as I get back to Dust Star, I’ll definitely take a couple of days off, and the charges will recover meanwhile.’
Then, he addressed the system.
’Is there anything else I should know? If I start the Complex Creation right now, how long will it take?’
[Given your Gene Forge level and ingredients, the entire process will take about an hour.]
Before giving his answer, Kreyn looked down, knowing that very soon he and the others would head to the underground level.
’I see. In that case, I want to start the Complex Creation. Use all the ingredients and flame charges.’
[Understood.]
Everything he needed was right next to Kreyn. The Withered Flower was in his pocket, the Grand Soul was in his inner space, and the Energy Core was beside him as he sat by Groza’s bag.
In that moment, Kreyn’s eyes shone brightly as his mind was transported into the dark world.
The Grand Soul hovered on the left, powerful and trembling, emitting a purple light.
The Withered Flower was in the center, exuding a calm, gloomy aura like the coming of death.
The Energy Core swayed on the right, flashing from time to time as it was brimming with power.
Thump!
The hammer struck the anvil.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Then again and again, each time releasing a wave of light and drawing the ingredients toward it.
When the soul, core, and flower were all close, the hammer struck with particular power as a bright flame burst forth, engulfing the ingredients.
However, unlike in ordinary forge craft, where the gene turned into a gear almost immediately, things were different now.
The ingredients were trapped inside the flame as if in a bubble. They couldn’t escape its confines, being under constant pressure from the fire and the hammer, but they still weren’t a single object. That would take time.
’No system messages or windows... Am I supposed to watch the whole thing like this? Well, when everything’s ready, I’ll find out anyway.’
He opened his eyes as he returned to the real world.
At that very moment, Groza handed the device back to Diaro, who set it aside just in case.
"Everything okay?" Kreyn asked.
Groza put her hands on her hips and sighed heavily.
"Yeah, something like that. Anyway, I managed to convince them to pick us up from here. They’ll land near Observatory SC-17. But, at the very earliest, that’ll be in 15 hours, though they hinted that it’s more realistic to count on 18."
Kreyn nodded deeply, a pensive look on his face.
"Well, that was to be expected. It just means we now have enough time to explore the underground level."
Diaro’s amber eyes flashed.
"You’re absolutely right, Kreyn. To be honest, I’ve been waiting for this."
Varyn crossed her arms over her chest. "I’m ready."
"Me too!" Norma swung her new sword. "No matter what or who’s hiding out there! They don’t stand a chance against me!"
"Well..." Kreyn touched his forehead. "Then it’s settled. Let’s head out right now."
Anyone who had ever been to Observatory SC-17 knew the way to the underground level, but passing through the security gate was impossible until now.
Step.
Kreyn approached the heavy, round gate secured to the wall by twelve hydraulic rods.
It was one of the few things in the entire Observatory SC-17 that wasn’t covered in rust.
"Security mechanism..." Varyn glared at the indicator in the middle of the lock. "It’s disabled."
"Yes." Kreyn nodded as he grasped the rod. "You were right. The victory over the Goliath X-01 was the key factor. Now, nothing will stop us."
Kreyn pulled the rod toward him as the massive gate began to move, opening with a terrifying creak.
The others grew wary as Dario moved to the far end of the room. He was the only ordinary human here. A monster that Varyn could kill with a single punch could be deadly to Dario.
Whoooosh!
No sooner had the gate cracked open than a freezing blast swept toward them. It wasn’t just a cold wind, nor even a northern breeze that might leave scratches on their cheeks.
In an instant, the cold became unbearable. It seemed to come from the coldest depths of ancient glaciers, summoned for one purpose only - to freeze everything in its path.
The tips of Kreyn’s hair froze, and a thin crust of ice formed on his cheeks.
"What the... Why is it so cold here!?" Kreyn exclaimed as he turned around, only to have his eyes go wide.
His face went pale as he stared at Groza, Diaro, and Norma - all of them frozen into ice statues.
"K-Kreyn..."
Suddenly, a quiet, frightened voice came from the side. He turned and locked eyes with Varyn. For some reason, she and he were the only ones who could withstand the cold.
"What’s going on...?"
She gulped, looking at the gate.
"Where are we...?"
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter