The NOA-8 Heavy Machine Gun spat fire.
Its target was the Red Line front.
The red glow, reminiscent of a destructive laser beam, swept through the swarms of monsters and beasts infesting the Red Line.
Kwa-ka-ka-ka-ka───!!!
The once densely packed ranks of monsters and beasts that filled the vast Red Line front lines began to thin out.
With over ten thousand rounds pouring out per minute, the war was finally drawing to a close.
[Groooaaaaar…]
Even the massive beasts and monsters capable of toppling the Ark's walls eventually fell, unable to withstand the Ark's overwhelming firepower.
This was thanks to the relentless targeting of their weak points using armor-piercing rounds and the [Blade Bullet] trait.
[You have slain the Grade-3 Named Beasts Species, Long-Necked Admon.]
[You have slain a Named Beast.]
[The effect of 'Beast Hunter' is applied tenfold.]
[Damage against the Grade-3 Beast Species, Mutated Edmontosaurus, is increased by 0.5%.]
Though the reward for slaying the Named Beast wasn't substantial—since I had mostly just dealt the finishing blow—it was still a fortunate gain.
'That should be enough.'
Now, only the stragglers remained on the Red Line front lines.
If I left it to the Ark, they could clean up the remnants without much trouble.
Of course, I could stay and finish them off myself, but comparing the contribution points I'd gain from doing so to the potential rewards from moving on made the choice clear.
'I've already marked the heart of the beast to use as a nest for the bone parasite.'
But before that, there was one more thing I needed to do.
I needed to find a suitable beast to use as a mount.
There were roughly three conditions.
It had to be alive. It had to be a powerful Named Beast. It had to be an aerial-type beast.
The reason I insisted on these three conditions was simple.
First, the beast had to be alive for the bone parasite to take control, so the first condition was a given.
Since I was doing this anyway, it would be more advantageous to take a strong beast as a subordinate, making the second condition reasonable as well.
As for the third condition, while not strictly necessary, it would be preferable for my mount to be airborne—because if you're going to ride something, it might as well fly.
You know the saying—if it's a mount, it's gotta be a flying mount.
'It was roughly around here…'
I didn't have to look far since I'd already spotted a suitable candidate during the previous battle.
It was a beast I had kept an eye on while the fight raged on.
Wearing my black poncho and the Kupf's Mask, I started moving toward the Red Line front.
I headed straight into the area swarming with monsters and beasts, where bombardments were raining down.
["A-Are you crazy?! Where do you think you're going?!"]
Ignoring Esther's panicked scream, I didn't stop my steps.
"Just help out."
["…I must be losing it."]
Boom!
Kwa-kang──!!
Sure enough, an explosion erupted nearby.
But that level of bombardment was nothing the Bone Armor and ether couldn't handle, so there was no need to be frightened.
'Of course, the shock will still hit me…'
Sometimes, sacrifices had to be made to gain something worthwhile.
Moreover, I had to be cautious not only of the bombardments raining from above.
[Kieeeeee!]
[Kiek, Kiek!]
Monsters and beasts.
Even though the remaining ones on the front line were mostly seventh-Grade-or lower rabble, they couldn't be completely disregarded.
After all, the sheer dread they emanated wasn't something a mere human could withstand.
'No need to fight them.'
I discreetly extended a bone tendril from my foot and drove it into the ground, making sure not to draw the Ark's attention.
['Ankelenth's Domain' has been activated!]
[Current Duration: 13 minutes 11 seconds.]
Since I wasn't here to fight monsters, there was no need to cancel the domain's aggro nullification.
The search for a suitable beast continued.
Due to the rising flames, the Ark wouldn't notice me, but that didn't mean the situation was entirely favorable, as the constant bombardment made abundantly clear.
'I definitely saw it crash earlier…'
Before long, I found the beast I had been searching for among the burning corpses of monsters and beasts.
A creature covered in white scales.
'Grade-3 Named Beast Species: White Scaled Alcazar.'
Alcazar's condition was dire at best.
Bullet holes riddled its body.
Its scales were plucked like chicken feathers.
Its breathing was shallow and ragged.
Anyone could tell that Alcazar's life was hanging by a thread.
[Grrrr…]
As I approached, Alcazar bared its hostility toward me.
Ignoring it, I discreetly extended bone tendrils from my feet into the ground, ensuring the Ark wouldn't notice.
Sssss─
['Hardening' activated.]
['Steelization' activated.]
['Burrowing' activated.]
I created a cavity beneath Alcazar's feet.
It was to quietly pull Alcazar underground and escape the Ark's gaze.
Rumble!
[Grooaar…!]
In an instant, Alcazar sank into the ground and was buried.
'Good.'
There was no need to worry about the Ark getting suspicious.
After all, in a place where bombardments had ravaged the area, a bit of ground collapse was hardly unusual.
Rustle, ssssss──
Once Alcazar was buried, I followed underground, binding its body with bone tendrils before dragging it away.
Though the destination was quite far, it wasn't unmanageable.
['Burrowing' activated.]
The underground journey began.
It wasn't as easy as I thought.
"Hoo…"
After narrowly avoiding bombardments and attacks from monsters, I finally managed to drag Alcazar near Mount Noah.
If not for Esther and the Bone Armor, I wouldn't have dared attempt such madness.
'This spot should do.'
After moving Alcazar to a suitable place, I left it there and set off to find a heart for the bone parasite to inhabit.
There happened to be a good candidate nearby.
'Grade-3 Named Beast Species: Long-Necked Admon.'
It was the beast I had finished off earlier.
Entering the ground, I approached the corpse of Long-Necked Admon.
It felt like my entire body was drained from all the digging, but I didn't have time to rest—everything had to be done before the battle ended.
'This should be it.'
Once I reached the fallen Admon, I drew the Spear of Ankelenth.
Fortunately, Admon had collapsed belly-down, making it easy to approach from underground.
Sssrrrk, sssrrrk, sssrrrk…
No matter how tough the hide of a Grade-3 Named Beast was, it was no match for the Spear of Ankelenth reinforced with [Steelization] and [Hardening].
With the heart of the Long-Necked Admon secured, I dug through the earth once more and retraced my steps.
'I think I've gathered all the necessary materials.'
A bone parasite.
The heart of the Long-Necked Admon.
The living White-Scaled Alcazar.
These were some exceptionally high-quality materials to secure my means of transportation.
Now, the only thing left to do was to bring this wave to a complete end.
Returning to the boundary of Noah, I cautiously emerged from the ground, making sure to stay out of the Ark's line of sight.
I firmly grasped the NOA-8 Heavy Machine Gun.
It was time to end this war.
Zeeeeeeeng…
The ten barrels started to rotate.
Flames and thunderous roars erupted forth.
*
Thick flames and smoke billowed up.
The corpses of beasts and monsters burned away.
At last, the third wave had ended.
[Red-03 stage cleared!]
[Contribution points are being tallied.]
[+31,411 Contribution points]
[You have displayed outstanding performance on the battlefield! Additional Contribution points are being credited.]
[+5,000 Contribution points]
[Current Contribution points: 37,551]
'Hooh.'
Normally, no matter how much one contributed during the third wave, it would be rare to earn more than 2,000 contribution points.
Of course, my case was a bit unusual. During the second wave, I had only accumulated around 15,000 contribution points. Earning more than double that in one go was nothing short of impressive.
'Heavy weapons really do make a difference.'
The NOA-8 Heavy Machine Gun and TITAN-17 Anti-Behemoth Rocket Launcher.
On top of that, the A-985 explosive rounds increased my firepower to a level that couldn't even be compared to before.
'Of course, stationary heavy weapons will get harder to use as the stages progress...'
I didn't need to worry too much about that.
While stationary weapons might become harder to handle, later on, I'd just carry the heavy artillery with me as I fought.
'Well, that's that...'
I started moving.
Heading toward the place where I had buried the White-Scaled Alcazar.
It was time to build my mount.
* * *
Even after the wave ended, the lights in the Ark remained on.
There was still work to be done—recovering casualties, cleaning up the front lines, and maintaining equipment.
Amidst all the chaos, Lieutenant Imosha couldn't help but feel puzzled at the sudden summons from Lieutenant Colonel Banol.
A call during such a hectic time?
However, as soon as she met Lieutenant Colonel Banol, she understood the reason.
"...A reconnaissance team, sir?"
"Yes. I'd like you to lead it. The matter is classified, and you're the only suitable person aware of it."
Lieutenant Colonel Banol's intention was simple.
It was an order to investigate the traces of the region master-class beast that appeared in the west of the Ark and the Skull Turncoat now named Turncoat Pawn.
However, the persistent manpower shortage of the Ark was once again the problem.
"...With just the recruits, sir?"
"Yes. I've heard that this class of recruits is quite promising. It wouldn't hurt to give them some real combat experience. You have the authority to select whoever you want."
It sounded like a generous offer, but in reality, it was nothing more than using the recruits as expendable pawns, minimizing the loss of trained soldiers.
Soldiers of the Ark were precious—especially those who had honed their skills through numerous battles.
Sending such invaluable assets on risky missions outside the Ark was unacceptable.
Lieutenant Colonel Banol's decision was, in a way, the natural choice for a commanding officer.
Lieutenant Imosha clenched her jaw, suppressing the urge to curse.
"...Even so, sending only recruits outside the Ark will only result in pointless deaths. You know how dangerous it is out there."
"Of course, I'm not ordering you to die. Don't make me out to be a heartless commander."
Lieutenant Colonel Banol exhaled a puff of cigar smoke and added,
"We'll hire a mercenary for this mission—someone skilled, who knows the outside world well."
"...What do you mean, sir?"
"Carl Marcus."
Lieutenant Imosha's shoulders flinched instinctively.
She hadn't expected that name to come up here.
"Offer him a deal to join the mission."
It wasn't entirely surprising that Lieutenant Colonel Banol knew about Carl Marcus. It was just unexpected to hear it mentioned now.
"...What if he refuses?"
"He won't. The deal will involve giving him access to Ark."
"...What?"
Lieutenant Imosha's face turned pale with shock.