Chapter 9

9.

The moment Lee Han identified the entity that had broken through the wall, he felt his limbs stiffen as if all the blood in his body had dried up.

Rrrrr!

A colossal Cragto, larger than any he had ever seen, was shaking its body, drooling profusely.

Kwaang! Kwaahang!

The only fortunate thing was that the giant creature, due to its massive size, couldn't immediately charge at him even after breaking through the wall.

'Pull yourself together! You brat! Do you plan to die like this?'

Lee Han fiercely urged himself. If he stayed frozen, he would die whether the creature was stuck in the wall or not.

Woooom!

The ultrasonic sword in his right hand vibrated incessantly, igniting his fighting spirit. How could a mere tool ignite such a spirit?

'Feeling scared and trembling is a hundred times better than this!'

If not for the Steel Armor, he would have dropped the ultrasonic sword the moment the Cragto appeared. Without the Steel Armor, he wouldn't have been able to hold the ultrasonic sword in the first place.

While the mechanism in the hilt of the sword controls the vibrations, it's not a weapon that can be safely held bare-handed. That's why it can cut through steel and even the tough shell of a Cragto.

Anyway, after a moment of stiffness, Lee Han quickly pulled back and shouted,

"Hey! Do something! You're not telling me to face this thing alone, are you?"

Kwaang! Kwaahang!

The creature, unable to enter through the broken wall, seemed enraged and kept smashing the wall with its body.

『Do not leave this area.』

"Are you saying that with that thing around?"

『I advise you to stay in a region where I can monitor the situation.』

"Is that what you're saying now?"

Koooom!

As the creature rammed into the wall again, the wall began to buckle and crack.

『The commander's room is more robust than any other area in the center. If it can withstand an attack on the commander's room, it would be meaningless to take damage in other areas. Be careful, Commander! Another creature is approaching quickly through the broken ventilation shaft.』

"What? Damn it!"

Kungkungkung!

As soon as War's words faded, the sound of the creatures' footsteps echoed from the ceiling.

Kung kung! Kwaahang!

One side of the ceiling bulged and then spat out a smaller Cragto.

Lee Han quickly leaped to the side.

The Cragto, falling from the air, scratched Lee Han's chest with its sharp claws.

Keeek!

Flames erupted on the armor near his chest, leaving a sharp mark. Shocked, Lee Han instinctively swung his ultrasonic sword and cut off the creature's leg.

Bwoom!

Swoosh!

"Kieeek!"

Since the creature was smaller, he was able to cut its leg more easily than expected. As green blood splattered in the air, War's urgent warning continued.

『Evade! I detect acidic substances in the blood.』

Without time to respond, Lee Han quickly rolled to avoid the Cragto's blood.

Chiiik!

Sure enough, the creature's blood, upon hitting the ground, corroded the floor and emitted a noxious smoke.

『The reason it could pass through the sealed ventilation shaft is likely due to the acidic substance. Both the giant creature and this one are different from any previously discovered creatures.』

War's guidance continued, but Lee Han already knew this.

'An acid-spewing Cragto. It's already appearing?'

Lee Han, puzzled, could only manage a bitter smile. For his mental health, it was best to forget the Space War tutorial.

He rolled to avoid the blood, but some still splashed on his Steel Armor, causing it to corrode grotesquely. Fortunately, it didn't affect him.

Standing up, Lee Han gripped his ultrasonic sword with a tense expression.

'This is bad. If I had a rifle, I might be able to handle them... How can I deal with these things with just this?'

Excluding the one with the severed leg, three creatures were still eyeing him, ready to strike.

However, due to their weak defenses, they were wary of Lee Han's ultrasonic sword and didn't rush at him recklessly.

Kooom! Koom!

Meanwhile, the giant Cragto continued to smash the wall.

『Please lure it further back.』

Lee Han nodded and immediately pulled back. Judging his retreat as fear, the three acid Cragtos charged at him simultaneously.

Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!

At that moment, three pillars shot up from the floor, pinning the three floating Cragtos to the ceiling.

Kwajik! Kwaajik!

Kieeek!

Kieek!

'Good!'

These pillars were part of the special equipment used with the Steel Armor.

As the crushed flesh and green blood dripped from the ends of the pillars, they quickly corroded and melted, emitting a noxious smoke.

Relieved by War's timely intervention, Lee Han suddenly felt a Cragto attack from behind.

He spun around, slicing the creature in half with his ultrasonic sword, and quickly pulled back.

Swoosh!

Thanks to the Steel Armor's functions and War's warnings, such a movement was possible.

"Huff! Huff!"

Panting heavily, Lee Han looked at the Cragto still smashing the wall.

"Let's see how you like the taste of your kin!"

From what he remembered, in the game, the Cragtos' acid didn't distinguish between friend and foe. If it didn't work, all Cragtos would have acidic blood, but that wasn't the case.

Lee Han kicked the severed body of the acid Cragto.

Pwoom!

Despite its small size, the Cragto's body was heavy and strong, and wouldn't move with a human kick. However, the Steel Armor enhanced all parts of his body, so the Cragto's body flew through the air with a cracking sound.

The acid Cragto's body slammed into the giant Cragto, which was still smashing the wall. The giant Cragto's skin, upon contact with the acid Cragto's severed end, began to melt rapidly.

"Kieeek! Kieek!"

Watching the creature thrash in agony, Lee Han, with a tense expression, had a sudden idea and shouted at War,

"Can you analyze the components?"

『I have already analyzed the Cragto's body. Additionally, I am currently analyzing the acidic substance and combining it with available materials in the center to create a substance lethal to the Cragtos.』

"How long will it take?"

『Three minutes. Three minutes will suffice.』

To perform all that in just three minutes, it was no wonder War was a super AI.

However, those who had fought non-stop in the ring knew well that even one minute felt like an hour.

A short time, but for Lee Han, three minutes was not a short time. With the giant Cragto and the possibility of other incidents in those three minutes, it was far from short.

"How can I last three minutes? Faster!"

『There is no way to do it faster at the moment.』

Damn. Not even a three-minute curry. Shit.

"Fuck! In three minutes, that thing will be curry rice! Do you think the outer wall can hold for three minutes?"

『About one minute.』

"And you're telling me to last three minutes?"

Grrrr!

At that moment, the enraged Cragto stuck its face through the hole in the wall, staring at Lee Han with a fierce gaze. Its eyes were filled with intense hatred, as if trying to identify who had inflicted such terrible pain on it.

"What? What, you bastard!"

Overwhelmed by fear, Lee Han instead burst into anger and sliced the acid-corroded pillar with his ultrasonic sword.

Hooom! Kiiik!

As the base of the pillar was cut, it fell helplessly, and Lee Han lifted it with both arms, positioning the part covered in acid Cragto blood and flesh at the front.

"Dieeeeee!"

He then ran towards the hole in the wall.

Kungkungkung!

『Danger!』

War's warning continued, but Lee Han ignored it.

"Shut up! You can't even provide a solution, yet you have so many things to say!"

Lee Han pushed the pillar into the hole.

The giant Cragto, in a mocking gesture, bit the front of the pillar, but it was a foolish move.

The front of the pillar was drenched in the acid Cragto's blood.

Kieeek! Kieek!

The creature, in agony as its mouth corroded, went into a frenzy, and the wall, which had held until then, began to crack.

Kieek!

Despite its pain, the creature's eyes remained fixed on Lee Han. With a determined expression, Lee Han struck the wall again and again, finally breaking it.

Kwaahang!

As the creature's foot broke through the wall, Lee Han felt a chill run down his spine.

The creature was severely injured but not dead. If it entered the narrow space, it would be far easier for him to die than the creature.

"Ah, fuck! Really."

Lee Han cursed and charged at the foot that had broken through the wall.

Koom!

He kicked off the ground and leaped into the air, gripping his ultrasonic sword tightly in both hands. He stabbed the creature's foot with the sword.

Kwajik!

"Kieeek!"

The creature, in excruciating pain as its foot was sliced, roared and smashed the wall even more fiercely. The Cragto finally broke through the wall with its shoulder and faced its prey, who had inflicted such terrible pain.

The Cragto bit into Lee Han with its sharp teeth.

Wagzak!

10. Three-Minute Curry and Raw Rage (3)