Convenience Store 24: The Tower of the End 1st - Chapter 81



Only Krnovel

Episode 81: Turret! Oh, Turret! (2)

Two hours later.

“Then I hope you all have happy days… … .”

Clank-

The fantasy shop suddenly disappeared from its place along with its owner.

Gus looked at where the store had been and thought.

‘I’ve seen a lot of climbers, but their ability to disappear along with the building is always amazing.’

I’ve seen quite a few instances of raiders disappearing among themselves.

However, I don’t remember seeing a case where a store owner disappears from a building like that.

‘Well, I guess that’s fine.’

Gus looked at the square shell and his eyes sparkled.

‘You said this tastes similar to Eldrago?’

He carefully opened the box as the store owner had instructed.

‘Oh, that looks unusual.’

There was something like a small partition inside the shell.

Each compartment was filled with purple and pink fruit seed-like things.

“Ugh… … .”

‘Are you saying these are similar to Eldrago?’

I haven’t tried it yet, but just imagining the taste makes my mouth water.

What’s even more surprising is that there are two flavors!

‘Let’s have a taste… … .’

Just as Gus was carefully picking up one of the pink kernels.

Kwaaaaang-

Suddenly, a huge roaring noise was heard from near where the turrets were located.

Of course, it could be a simple mistake or they may be operating the turret for practice.

‘But I don’t think they gave us separate turret operation practice today?’

Kwaang, kwaaaaang-

“… … .”

Look at the turrets continuously shooting fireballs.

I feel like something is wrong.

‘It’s not time for the gate to open yet… … .’

At that moment, Gus’ expression hardened.

“Gus! Gus!”

A halfling with a pale face runs towards him.

“The gate, the gate is open!”

“I’m watching too.”

It doesn’t matter why the gate is opened at this time.

What matters is how you respond to what happens.

“All troops currently on vacation, please return.”

“Oh, I see!”

“I will also go to the scene right away.”

After Gus sent the soldiers away.

He looked down at his ‘partner’ with bitter eyes and thought.

‘I guess I’m not meant to be with Eldrago. I guess I’ll have to finish this work and then eat it.’

He put the kernels in the road bag and hurried to the Grand Line.

Gus jumped into the largest of the many turrets.

“Bring out more intense anger!”

“AAAAAHHHH!”

Several halflings are pouring their anger into the jewel floating in the air.

“Gus!”

Then, when they saw him, they tried to pay homage to him.

Gus raised his hand to stop them.

“Okay. For now, just focus on stopping what’s in front of you!”

“yep!”

After encouraging the wizards of the Magical Legion, Gus runs to the top of the turret.

Finally he reached the top.

“Gus!”

His entourage of subordinates greet him.

“What’s the situation?”

“That is… … .”

Rather than waiting for his hesitant subordinate’s answer, Gus.

I immediately turned my head and looked down at the Grand Line.

Gooooooooo-

Huge black lumps of things withstood the turret’s barrage.

They were steadily approaching the final line.

‘But it’s only the outer shell that’s hard, it doesn’t look particularly strong… … .’

But something like tentacles extend out from the black mass.

Let’s destroy and absorb the obstacles they have set up in an instant.

Gus’s expression hardened.

‘The obstacles that the blacksmiths toiled to make for several days… … .’

That wasn’t all.

Kururururung-

The walls erected at intervals along the Grand Line collapsed helplessly in front of their large bodies.

‘It’s a blessing in disguise that they didn’t touch the turret… … .’

The monsters coming out of the gate had one peculiar thing in common.

That’s because they don’t attack turrets.

However, everything blocking the road was thoroughly destroyed.

“… … Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to be going too fast. How many did you take out?”

“I, that… … I haven’t killed a single one yet… … .”

“… … .”

‘The monsters reached the halfway point and still couldn’t kill a single one?’

It’s not like there are a lot of monsters either.

There are only 10 monster entities.

And yet you couldn’t even handle one.

“That’s because this invasion was beyond our expectations… … .”

“The fact that the magicians from the corps that went on leave have not yet returned also had some influence… … .”

Gus gritted his teeth.

‘Fuck… … .’

I thought I was well prepared.

Even when the soldiers are on leave, there are still soldiers on standby in the turret.

I didn’t expect any major problems to arise.

But the situation turned out to be worse than he expected.

Gooooooooooo-

The experience he gained from fighting countless monsters stimulates his senses.

They are dangerous. The moment they cross the final line, the turret nation will be over.

“… … Tell each turret. We must stop them before they reach the final defense line, no matter what!”

“yes!”

Tukwaaaaang-

Turrets perched on high hills of the Grand Line spit fire.

Some turrets would rain down ice shards, slowing down the monsters’ progress.

however…….

“They won’t stop!”

It seemed that it was not enough to stop the monsters’ march.

And that wasn’t the only bad news.

“Ahhhhhhhh! Aahhh… … Ugh… … .”

“Dallon! Dallon! Over here! My magic power is depleted! Someone, take care of it!”

An urgent voice was heard from under the tower.

You can tell without even looking.

That is to say, the halflings who were using their emotional magic to the limit to operate the tower are falling one by one.

“… … .”

Gus looked down at the Grand Line and slowly opened his mouth.

“Anthony.”

“Yes, Gus!”

“Take the exhausted soldiers with you and leave this place, along with the remaining healthy personnel.”

“……yes?”

Gus shouted at him as he looked at him.

“And then ask the climbers for help! Do you understand what I mean?!”

“but…….”

“immediately!”

“Yes, yep!”

Anthony hurriedly went down the turret with his adjutants.

Gus stared at the monsters that had now reached the final line of defense.

If even the soldiers waiting at the last line of defense break through, the monsters will enter the kingdom straight away.

‘The climbers may be able to escape somehow, but we… … .’

The foundation of your life will collapse, and the happiness you have with your family will turn to dust.

Even if you want to run away, you can’t run away.

Even if you run away from the misfortune of the moment, there will be no paradise there.

“… … .”

Gus, who had been watching the situation, went down to the turret.

Then he reached for the jewel, the core and center of the turret.

‘Even just one is fine. Even just one is fine… … I’ll kill him!’

“Kkaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

I poured out all the anger that was swirling around in my body into the jewel.

“asleep!”

Until your feelings dry up.

Gus poured everything into the gem until his anger burned to the point where he turned to ash.

Kwaaaaaaaang-

As if in accordance with his will, a large vibration was felt from the turret.

‘Just a little more!’

Kwaaaaang-

‘Just a little more… … Just a little more… … .’

“Uh… … .”

Was it because my legs suddenly lost strength?

Gus collapsed into a heap on the ground.

“Not yet… … Not yet… … .”

He lifted his trembling hand and reached out toward the jewel.

‘… … Were my hands that wrinkled?’

I guess it’s okay.

For the sake of my family and my kingdom, it’s okay.

‘Reach… … . Reach!’

But contrary to his wishes, his arms did not listen.

It’s so hard to even get up.

“Ugh, ugh… … .”

He realized it instinctively.

This means that his life is running out due to excessive magical manifestations.

‘Is this… the end… … .’

It’s not unfair.

No, if there’s one thing that’s unfair, it’s that Eldrago was taken away by that climber.

‘Now that I think about it, there was that… … .’

Gus lifted his arm with difficulty and pulled out a square box from his pocket.

Then he took out one of the seeds inside and pushed it between his quivering lips.

‘ah…….’

Gus laughed weakly.

‘It’s definitely similar to Eldragora… … Of course, Eldragora is more… … delicious… … .’

I feel dizzy. My vision is blurry.

At that time.

[Why do you do that?]

A deep and weighty voice that came from somewhere struck his mind clearly.

[Is it because of a sense of mission?]

You didn’t mishear.

I can clearly hear a voice.

[Or is it just a simple sense of superiority?]

‘No… … . All I want is one thing… … . I just want my family to live in a stable environment… … .’

He just wants his family, and his future generations, to live in a safe world where there are no threats.

[It’s a small wish. But… … I like it. I’ll give you strength.]

‘strength…….’

In an instant, the space was filled with bright light.

That was the last thing Gus remembered.

* * *

one side.

Ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh

“Wow!”

“Hey, the barrier is breached!”

The last line of defense that the halflings had strengthened and developed over generations is now crumbling helplessly.

Gooooooooo-

The monster’s huge fist struck the thick wall.

The walls were scattered in all directions like fragments of a toy.

The magical legions that the halflings boasted about had long since been destroyed by them.

“Run inside now! The turret country is finished! Take your families and run away!”

At that time, the halflings were running away without being able to do anything.

Suddenly a loud noise came from one of the turrets.

“That’s… … .”

Unlike most of the other turrets, which have stopped functioning.

The command turret with Gus was constantly firing fireballs.

“Mr. Gus… … Are you still in there? You know better than anyone that we have no chance… … .”

It’s a battle that no one can see will win.

If it was obvious to them as soldiers, then it was impossible for Commander Gus to not know about it.

“… … .”

The halflings shake their fists.

“It’s not over yet… … .”

“You little brats! Get your shit together! The Commander is still here, and you’re going to run away like this?! If we hold onto the Grand Line just a little longer, that means more time for our families to escape!”

The embers of the war that had been extinguished spread like wildfire.

“Control your emotions! Tie up at least one more foot!”

Just as the halflings were about to extend their hands towards the monsters approaching them with wide eyes.

Kwaaaaaaaang-

A loud explosion of incomparable magnitude, as if it were shaking the earth, rang out.

“Ugh… … .”

Halflings hastily cover their ears.

“… …Was it a monster attack?”

“What?! I can’t hear you!”

At that time, we were only looking at each other’s mouth shapes.

“Huh? Huh huh?”

A halfling points straight ahead with a furious expression on his face.

Even though it was a situation where they couldn’t hear each other’s voices well.

Perhaps because of his desperate expression, the halflings instinctively turned their heads in the direction he was pointing.

“……uh?”

The black figure that had been approaching like a giant mountain was nowhere to be found.

No. As if to prove that the thing had been there, black lumps were scattered all over the ground.

Isn’t the red liquid flowing underneath emitting pungent smoke, melting and eating away at the black mass?

“What is that… … .”

“… … Wasn’t it true that magic didn’t work?”

These guys didn’t even take a single hit even under the barrage of gunfire from the turrets.

But what on earth is going on?

While they were staring blankly at the scene, dumbfounded.

Kwaaaaaaaang-

Once again, a loud noise vibrating the atmosphere pierces my ears.

“oh my god…….”

The halflings witnessed.

The fire bolt fired from the command turret pierced through the center of the monster.

I’m talking about the new form of the monster that was hit and fell down helplessly.