Chapter 167 – Ambush

After arguing for a long while, the two Gatekeepers had no choice but to pledge cooperation in one way or another. This was because their Gate Key was showing them, in real-time, the fleet of the Magitech Legion steadily drawing closer.

• Hmm… I suppose so. I will cooperate, just for this once.

• I will not let it slide next time.

Faced with the encroaching terror, they were forced to pretend to agree and devise a countermeasure. The Mutants watching them simply sneered inwardly, realizing the reality of the situation.

‘Look at them, pretending to be dignified now.’

‘I really can’t stand the sight of them anymore….’

They had joined the service of the Dimensional Predator because they feared the being who reigned over all things in the world. They had never dreamed that such beings would fall this far.

However, that was because the Magitech Legion was simply off the charts. Unaware of the Mutants’ inner thoughts, the two Gatekeepers began to formulate a fairly plausible plan.

• The enemy is retracing the path we took to attack them.

• So we’ve essentially created a trail for them to track us…….

Based on the movement of the Gate Key, the two Gatekeepers realized the enemy was following them in reverse order of the direction they had attacked the fleet, and they proposed the most appropriate response.

• In that case, the enemy’s movement path is predictable.

• Indeed. Which means…….

• It is the perfect condition for an ambush.

The answer they came up with was an ‘ambush.’

• Agreed. Especially since the structure of this dimension is quite complex…….

• It will be easy to hide our forces. Good.

They continued to plan their operation for a long time after that. Their expressions suggested they were determined to crush the fleet this time.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the same time.

“Nothing is coming out.”

I grinned upon hearing Seoyeon’s words as she looked out at the dim landscape with a bored expression.

“For now.”

“Ah, Oppa! What do you mean by that?”

Seoyeon jumped, as if she hadn’t realized I was standing beside her. I began to explain to her.

“Just as we can pinpoint the opponent’s location with the Gate Key, the opponent should be able to pinpoint ours, right?”

“Right?”

“And we are heading back along the exact path the opponent came from. Do you know what that means?”

“That the opponent knows we’re coming?”

“Exactly. But if you knew the direction an enemy was taking to get to your house, what would you do?”

“Hmm… strengthen the house’s defenses?”

“Before defending the house, the best option would be to eliminate them before they even arrive. That way, the damage is minimized. Especially if you know the direction they’re coming from….”

“It would be the optimal condition for an ambush?”

“Precisely.”

I gave a satisfied smile at her words, showing she understood.

Predicting that the opponent would attempt an ambush was easier than eating a piece of cake. To make matters worse, looking at the movements of the Monsters, which seemed designed to accurately grasp my movement path and speed, the opponent’s intention was all too obvious.

‘Honestly… an ambush is only an ambush if you don’t get caught.’

It was almost comical.

That’s not how you do an ambush.

As I pondered for a moment on how to defeat such an enemy, a funny idea occurred to me, and I couldn’t suppress a laugh.

An ambush against an ambush!

‘Shall I teach them a lesson?’

I decided to show them what a proper ambush looked like.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Mutants, who had been suddenly ordered to carry out an ambush, all wore expressions of unconcealed dissatisfaction.

“Sigh….”

“Why are you sighing like that?”

“You’re thinking the same thing I am.”

“You mean those idiots?”

“Exactly. I mean, I’ve served that guy for over two thousand years. In all those long years, I’ve never seen him act like this.”

“Whining over a mere two thousand years. I’ve been around for five thousand. And the one I serve does the exact same thing.”

One Mutant shook his head. The other Mutants nodded, their eyes filled with empathy.

“If it were up to me, I’d just run away.”

“If only it weren’t for this damn Mutant Core….”

However, contrary to their frustrated feelings, their hearts were already subordinate to the Dimensional Predator they had contracted with.

All they could do was obey. Obedience was their only option.

They even wanted to leak information to the opponent somehow, but if they did, their Mutant Core would explode and kill them.

A situation where they were stuck.

It was a total dilemma. In the end, the only thing they could do was destroy the fleet by any means necessary. They had to fight fiercely, as if pushed to the edge of a cliff.

With eyes wide open, they monitored the fleet’s path and hid themselves to prepare for the ambush.

Fortunately, the planet they were stationed on had optimal conditions for hiding and ambushing.

From the bottom of the fragmented dimension to the sky, there were massive cliffs with countless natural caves, making it easy to hide.

Not only that, but there was also a topographical advantage that allowed them to jump down and attack the fleet flying above. If they succeeded, they might be able to deal a devastating blow to the enemy.

In particular, there was an ambush site with a very impressive valley, where the gap between two cliffs stretched thin and long.

If they positioned themselves in the caves and crevices between the rocks on both sides of the valley, the stretched-out enemy would be unable to concentrate their firepower, nor would they be able to evade the ambush through maneuvering.

Furthermore, since this valley stretched literally from the floor to the ceiling of the fragmented dimension, the enemy couldn’t avoid it by flying higher.

‘Perfect.’

‘If it’s here, it might actually be possible.’

Consequently, despite their distrust of the Dimensional Predators, the Mutants clung to the hope that it might work here. The terrain had that much of an advantage.

Just as the Mutants were thinking this.

“Shh, quiet!”

“Everyone, the fleet is entering now!”

Finally, the time had come.

* * *

The Mutants strove to make the ambush perfect.

“That’s a scout. Take it down!”

Having noticed the presence of scouts, such as Observation Ships, they took them down before the Observation Ships could locate the main force preparing for the ambush.

In particular, unlike other dimensions where Observation Ships could spread out wide and high, here they had no choice but to dive into the narrow valley, which worked in the Mutants’ favor.

Thanks to that, the opponent seemed to be slowly entering the valley, completely unaware. The Mutants, witnessing the fleet up close, could not hide their admiration.

This was especially true for the Mutants from races well-versed in magitech, such as artifact development.

“Is that a ship made of Adamantite….”

“The weight must be considerable, yet it flies so well….”

Soon, as the valley grew narrower, the fleet stretched out even further, taking a formation that was perfect for being ambushed.

Especially in the case of the overwhelmingly large Photon Battleships or the flagship, the Factory Landing Ship. They were so large that they fit snugly into the valley, making it seem as though not only reversing but even changing direction would be difficult.

The Mutants waited patiently, watching the fleet.

“Just a little longer….”

“Come deeper….”

They waited for the fleet to enter deeper into the valley. That way, it would be even harder for them to escape. After some time had passed and the fleet reached exactly the middle of the valley…….

“Now!”

“Attack!”

“Charge!”

The Mutants began to swarm toward the fleet.

* * *

From the bridge of the Factory Landing Ship, I watched the Mutants charging toward the fleet.

“Truly, the optimal place for an ambush.”

The terrain of this dimension felt as if it had been created solely for ambushes. It was hard for the fleet to find a way around.

To make matters worse, the bedrock forming the valley was of a hard nature, meaning it would take considerable time to smash through it all.

In the end, I had no choice but to bring the fleet into the valley, just as they wanted. Sure enough, as the fleet reached the middle of the valley, it began to receive attacks from Mutants leaping from the cliffs above, below, left, and right.

“Wow… this is truly impressive.”

I shook my head after seeing the attack.

The fleet was stuck exactly in the middle of the valley, unable to move an inch. To make matters worse, even if they tried to fire the Photon Cannons, the firing angles were unavailable, or they would have to worry about friendly fire.

Seeing the fleet in such a terrible situation…….

“That was a close call.”

I grinned.

The fleet currently stuck in the cliffs was not my main force, but a fleet made of new machines.

Its name was the [Blast Ship].

It was a concept similar to a ‘fire ship,’ but with two major differences.

First, by attaching decks made of Adamantite to the spider-web-like frame of this craft, it could be made to look like another ship at a glance.

And second, this craft used ‘blast fire’ instead of ‘fire.’

In other words, if you touch it, it blows up.

Literally.

K-BOOOOOM!

The inside of the valley began to be devastated.

* * *

A moment before.

The Mutants who had dove toward the fleet…….

Suddenly sensed something strange.

“T-the back of the deck… is empty?”

It was as if the exterior was merely a decoration. The thin deck was easily penetrated, sliding in like a cake.

Inside, they saw a spider-web-like structure supporting those decks. In the center, there was a heart with an unstable, flickering red light that gave off an ominous feeling…….

That sense of incongruity was unmistakable.

The red light grew brighter and brighter, and then—.

K-BOOOOOM!

With a massive roar, it exploded.

“Gwaaaaah!”

“Aaaagh!”

At the same time, the numerous Mutants who had charged toward the fleet were vaporized. And the explosive power didn’t stop there. The destructive force was so great that the width of the valley expanded nearly twofold.

Many of the Monsters who had not yet charged and were hiding in the caves or rock crevices of the valley were also vaporized.

Of course, because of the terrain, some remnants survived here and there… but their numbers had been significantly reduced, and having suffered catastrophic damage from the explosion, they could not escape the encirclement of the incoming Photon Fighter-Bombers.

Swoooooosh—

And… in a fragmented dimension where the top and bottom are blocked…….

“Damn it! We’ve been had!”

“Run away!”

“B-but! There’s no space to escape!”

In other words, it meant they had nowhere to run. Thus, they soon began to be completely annihilated.

* * *

Passing through the devastated valley…….

“I wonder if the Grand Canyon feels like this?”

Seoyeon tilted her head. It seemed she thought the valley, with its layers of various colors, was pretty.

Minju chuckled at Seoyeon’s words.

“Then does that mean Siwoo just blew up a World Natural Heritage site?”

I waved my hand at her joke.

“No… this isn’t the Grand Canyon.”

I decided that once all of this was over, we would all go visit it together.