Once again, the flash of a level 10 output shot.
It was a light of annihilation.
No, more like a ravenous predator that devoured all in its path—tearing a massive hole in the sky, which had been filled with clouds of beasts and monsters in a single instant.
Pssssss…
Nothing remained in the path of that flash—not even scraps of flesh from what had once been beasts.
Only dust and ash drifted down.
But the void that had seemed impossible to fill was soon covered by more of the approaching beast horde.
["Master! They're still coming!"]
There was no need to panic.
Esther cried out in urgency as usual, but the flying beasts were still at a distance.
'No need to worry.'
I still had plenty of bullets, and enough energy for one more full-powered shot.
Zzzzt, zzt-zzt──!
With the small reactor kicking in again, violent sparks flared.
There was no need for precision aiming.
After all, wherever I fired, there was nothing but targets.
──────!
As soon as I pulled the trigger, the annihilating flash fired again from the Zeus-444 Railgun.
Still, there was no sound.
This light was far faster than mere supersonic speeds.
KUGUGUGUGUGUGUGU────!
The delayed roar thundered through the skies like the heavens themselves were collapsing.
And once again, the aftermath unfolded.
As if an afterimage of light had been imprinted, another massive hole tore through the sky.
'That makes three level 10 output shots from the Zeus-444 Railgun.'
With a firm show of dominance toward the wave, I adjusted the Railgun's output.
[Lv.1]
At first glance, level 1 might seem weak, but the true strength of the Zeus-444 Railgun arguably lay in its low output settings.
Unlike level 10, level 1 required so little energy that even continuous fire barely depleted the reactor.
This was because the energy generated in real-time by the small onboard reactor outpaced the rate of consumption.
'Besides, even at level 1, it's still the Zeus-444 Railgun.'
It couldn't be compared to any conventional firearms in terms of specs.
Most wouldn't dare wield such a massive weapon as a personal firearm—but I wasn't most people.
Thanks to the support of Janus, the weight and size of the weapon were manageable.
Clack, clack──.
I swapped out the magazine with 120mm A-985 high-density explosive rounds.
For this kind of low-output combat, explosive shells would be far more efficient.
Preparations were complete.
Now, it was time to fight.
Zeeeeeee…
Violent energy surged once more from the center of the Zeus-444 Railgun.
Without a moment's hesitation, I pulled the trigger.
KWAHHHHHHNG!────
This time, the gap between the flash and the sound was shorter.
The lower the output, the slower the projectile.
'But that doesn't matter.'
Whether the bullet grazes or hits dead-on, the result is the same: death.
And the monsters before me were no exception.
KAAARRRGH───!
Normally, bullets lose power over distance.
But even dozens of kilometers away, the Zeus-444's shots retained full potency.
That alone proved its level 1 output far surpassed any conventional firearm I had ever used.
KRUK, KRRRUK!
KYEEEEEEEHHK───!
The beasts shrieked.
But regardless of their cries, before the 120mm A-985 high-density explosive shells, all monsters and beasts were treated equally.
Grade-2 aerial types?
Grade-3 monster types?
Named monsters?
Beasts that could cause catastrophic damage just by breaching Ark's walls were, to me, nothing more than fast-moving bullseyes.
[You have slain Grade-3 Insectoid-type: General Wasp.]
[Damage against General Wasp increases by 0.05%.]
[You have slain Grade-2 Monster: Mutated Quetzalcoatl.]
[Damage against Mutated Quetzalcoatl increases by 0.05%.]
[You have slain Grade-3 Aerial-type: Sky Whale.]
[Damage against Sky Whale increases by 0.05%.]
.
.
.
[You have slain Grade-2 Named Monster: Venom-spewing Gilr.]
[Named Beast has been slain.]
[Beast Slayer effect increases tenfold.]
[Damage against Grade-2 Kaiju-type: Contaminated Vagtel increases by 0.5%.]
The flying beast and monster horde, which had been charging recklessly toward Ark, were effortlessly torn from the sky.
Even as they fell, my finger didn't stop pulling the trigger.
My bullets were infinite.
And energy? Still abundant.
'And as for heat regulation… at level 1, it's barely worth thinking about.'
The Zeus-444 wasn't hailed as a top-tier weapon in Ark for nothing.
Already renowned for its reliability, and now further reinforced with scales from Ouroboros via Maybel Pilgrim, the Railgun felt like it could fire forever.
'Not that I need to go that far.'
The Zeus-444 Railgun, paired with the 120mm A-985 high-density explosive shells—
Individually lethal, but together? A single shot could sweep through dozens of monsters at once, even at level 1 output.
'Normally, using such high-grade rounds like the A-985s so freely would be unthinkable… but I'm not "normal."'
Even among endgame stages, the A-985s were considered premium munitions, typically covered by war credits.
But the 120mm A-985s? They were in a league of their own.
'Each shot is literally bomb-priced.'
Naturally, their power matched the cost.
Like the display unfolding before me now.
KWAHHHHHNG────!
BOOOM!
Each 120mm A-985 shell exploded with a radius of several dozen meters, immolating anything at the core—and even burning off the wings of anything at the edges.
Perfectly suited for this kind of large-scale battle.
GIGIGIGIGIGIIIK!
GUOOO, GUOOOOOO───!
Still, the beast horde didn't stop.
No matter how many holes I punched through their ranks, no matter the slaughter—given the scale of this multi-wave, it was only expected.
Beasts and monsters.
Their legions surged endlessly.
'If this horde hits Ark head-on… the losses will be unimaginable.'
As mentioned before, for mid-stage Ark, the most devastating threats are flying monsters that breach the walls.
Naturally, those flying beasts and monsters were my top priority.
["Master! That side!"]
Esther's shout directed my gaze toward a massive presence emerging from the cloud front.
Judging by its size, it was one of those rare giant flying beasts.
'No… it's not just a beast.'
A Named.
A Grade-1 Named Demon-type—one of the toughest to face.
GUUUUUUUUOOOHHHH…!
Grade-1 Named Demon-type: Noble of the Night: Durandal."
It began its approach, flanked by its personal swarm.
* * *
With the multi-wave in full swing, Rose Line declared a state of emergency—an event rarely seen in Ark's history.
Even reserve troops and commanders who would normally be held back were all mobilized.
"..."
Due to the emergency, Staff Sergeant Alex Hope was reassigned from his original post at Rose-15 Gate to assist the Kronos Union.
It made more sense to deploy reserves to Rose Line's usual fronts, while existing gate officers worked alongside the Kronos Union to manage the gates.
After all, no matter how much trust Rose Line had in the alliance, minimum safeguards were still necessary.
Alex Hope stared toward the horizon where the beast horde endlessly surged through the sky.
A scale of threat beyond anything he had witnessed before was now baring its fangs at Ark.
"Alert the front──! Prepare for combat──!"
"Prepare for combat!"
With booming echoes of call and response, the Kronos Union troops atop Rose Line's gate walls prepared for battle.
They may have been unfamiliar with this kind of defense position, but their movements were perfectly coordinated.
"Staff Sergeant Alex Hope, this way."
At the call of a Kronos Union officer, Alex moved.
He was here to assist them as assigned—and he would fulfill his role.
"This flank defense…"
"Yes, that should work well."
"Are there any structural vulnerabilities in the gate we should be aware of?"
"Not that I know of. If there were, they would've been fixed long ago."
While Alex's role in strategizing for Rose-15 Gate was not insignificant, that was the extent of his authority.
From Rose-15 to Rose-35 Gates, the battlefield now belonged to the Kronos Union.
They would fight it their way, whatever the outcome.
"Fire!"
The Kronos Union began unleashing its full firepower.
Some of it came from Ark's support, some was their own.
Toward the encroaching horde of flying beasts, a storm of missiles and bullets launched.
BOOM!
KABOOM-KABOOM────!
Thunderous blasts shook earth and sky, tearing into the invaders.
"Fire!"
"Unload everything!"
TATATATATA!
TATATANG────!
Even as the horde pressed through the explosions, the Kronos Union responded with overwhelming fire.
The battle had begun.
KIEEEEEEEEHHK!
KRAAH! KRAAH!
Roars and howls erupted across the battlefield.
So far, there was nothing Alex Hope found particularly unusual—
That is, until he saw that.
"Hmmm…"
Flames rose from somewhere.
A strange violet flame—unfamiliar, yet vaguely familiar.
It began to spread rapidly, swallowing everything in its path.