Early TNG Vol. 22 Chapter 4 Part 1

Full title: THE NEW GATE

Note: If you found any typos/mistakes, pls write them in the comment. Thanks.

Translator: Canon

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CHAPTER 4

While listening to the sound of bombardment, Shin flew through the skies over Parda Island.

What would take a considerable amount of time by foot could be crossed much faster with flight-like movement.

“They’re closing in fast. The main one’s still holding back, but it looks like the underlings were sent ahead.”

Armaiz, who had, until now, reported almost no movement from Nuva, now sensed it closing in at a pace unlike anything before. Hearing that, Shin nodded in understanding.

“I see. They used the mutual detection to throw us off.”

By keeping Nuva’s main body stationary, they’d made it seem as if the enemy hadn’t advanced yet.
Parda Island was still moving, but, at its current speed, they’d arrive in half a day. Apparently, Nuva hadn’t been close enough to immediately catch up.

Various watchtowers had been constructed across the island. Resembling lighthouses, these structures were designed to detect approaching monsters, ships, or any suspicious presence before they reached the island. Each was connected to the central command station at the heart of the island.

Shin landed at one of the watchtowers and stepped inside.

The guards posted there seemed slightly tense—understandable, given that this incoming attack was on a completely different scale than previous ones.

Inside the command room, the walls were lined with rows of box-like devices, each about forty cemels wide. Tubes extended from these devices, and many staff members were speaking into them, holding the ends near their ears and mouths.

These were magical communication tools powered by mana—aptly named Denchan.

When Shin first heard the name, he held his head in disbelief, thinking it was some kind of joke item. But in this world, even “joke” items could be surprisingly practical.

Although the communication range was still limited and they consumed a lot of mana, they were invaluable for gathering and relaying information during island-wide defense operations.

Because of the short range, all information first had to be routed through the central command before being passed on to other locations. Each watchtower had been equipped with a Denchan to ensure swift communications in case of emergency.

“Right this way, please. You’re already connected.”

A staff member guided Shin to a seat. He brought the funnel-shaped device close to his mouth and ear.

“This is Shin. Can you update me on the situation?”

“It’s Druk. Seems like the monsters appeared out of nowhere. The lookouts say they suddenly surfaced from underwater.”

Druk’s voice came through clearly.

Department heads took turns being on standby at the command center, and today happened to be his shift.

“They must’ve come through the deep sea and surfaced all at once. That would explain how they avoided detection.”

Shin’s map functions covered land, sea, and air, but monsters below a certain depth wouldn’t show up. If every deep-sea creature were rendered, the map would be overwhelmed with markers.

To view deeper sea zones while on the surface, they needed sonar-like skills that expanded detection range.

“We’ve already started deploying naval mines. If they’re coming from below, it should slow them down somewhat. The bombardment is going well, too. As expected of the shells forged through your craftsmanship, Shin. The firepower’s on a whole other level compared to ours.”

Reports on the bombardment’s effectiveness were coming in from the other towers.

Though they couldn’t yet transmit images like in the real world, being able to relay frontline information—even with some lag—was invaluable for understanding the battlefield and issuing precise orders.

“Then I’ll head to the front to scout. Looks like it’ll take another half day before Nuva arrives. If the bombardment can’t keep up, I’ll shift to defense.”

“I hope it doesn’t come to that, but don’t forget to conserve your strength. When it comes to Nuva, we’re counting on you and Lord Armaiz.”

“I know. There’s no way I’m letting that thing get away.”

As long as Nuva was defeated, they could manage Hevin and Corpus.

Thanks to the time they bought, Celciutos might even arrive in time to assist.

“Right now, it looks like only a small number of monsters have reached the surface, but we’ve no idea how many are behind them. I’ll leave the recon to you.”

“Roger that. I’ll dive and check the deeper regions too.”

Since they knew in advance where the enemy was coming from, a temporary command post had been set up near the port.

The equipment there was just as capable, so Shin planned to report from the forward post after recon.

“I’ll go with you.”

“Just don’t burn through too much power, all right? The real fight hasn’t started yet.”

Though they were already under attack, the battle was just beginning. Shin relayed Druk’s concern directly to Armaiz.

They had previously agreed that Armaiz would enter the fray once Nuva showed itself.

He understood the need to conserve strength, but Shin also knew it was hard for him to stay still. Even if he didn’t fight directly, Armaiz could still support by dealing with enemies that breached the barrier.

Shin exited the watchtower and returned to the port.

Catching the glint of shells flying toward the barrier at the edge of his vision, he retrieved a magic-powered ship from his item box and manifested it.

“I’m sure you heard my conversation with Druk. I’m going to dive and check things out. What about you, Armaiz?”

“…I’ll refrain from moving too far forward. I’ll keep my presence small and deal with any that make it past the barrier.”

“Got it. Sorry to repeat myself, but please don’t push too far.”

“I understand. Besides, if I use too much power, I might draw the enemy directly to me.”

Since the boss was targeting Armaiz, there was a risk the minions might be drawn to him too.

For now, the enemy forces were still sparse and scattered, so the pressure on the barrier wasn’t too great.

But if they all converged on Armaiz, it would heavily strain a narrow section of the barrier. Increasing the barrier's strength in that spot would consume more energy and stress the machinery.

Ideally, they wanted the enemies to remain spread out and come from the same general direction; that was the easiest scenario to defend against.

Armaiz seemed to be acting with that in mind as well.

"Just in case."

Using the Summoner skill 【Summon Familiar】, Shin called forth Yuzuha. A magic circle for summoning lit up, and Yuzuha appeared.

—And standing beside her was Schnee.

“…Dragged in again?”

“So it seems. Though it appears to be just me this time.”

After confirming no one else had been caught up in it, Schnee nodded. She had just finished helping with some work when she heard the alarm signaling the enemy's approach and was heading toward a nearby watchtower. Yuzuha was one of Shin’s companions, but being a monster, Schnee had stayed with her for safety.

Shin had told her ahead of time that Yuzuha would be summoned in case of emergency, and Schnee had already been pulled along by her summoning before, so she immediately grasped the situation.

“I’m heading out to scout underwater. I want Yuzuha to stay with Armaiz.”

Yuzuha shifted from her fox cub mode into a form about 2 mel tall, glanced at Armaiz, and said,

“I’ll keep an eye on him so he doesn’t charge in recklessly.”

“Hmph, I would never do such a thing.”

Though Armaiz objected, his eyes were noticeably shifting.

“I’ll accompany Shin. It’s hard to believe that a mere surprise attack using his underlings is all he’s planning. If there’s more to it, it’ll come from below or from the sky.”

“I agree. We can rely on artillery for anything coming from above, so checking beneath us takes priority.”

Since Parda Island was built during the game era, its barrier settings were based on those mechanics. The barrier enveloping the island covered a certain height in the air, so aerial threats could be intercepted with a stall-and-shoot strategy. However, because underwater terrain varied in depth and contained obstacles, the barrier didn’t extend too deep.

Moreover, options for intercepting underwater enemies were limited, so Shin intended to support by scouting.

“Filma was originally supposed to accompany Armaiz in battle—should I call her? With her equipment, it wouldn’t take long for her to catch up.”

“If she’s nearby, we’ll wait. If she’s far, we’ll meet up midway.”

Upon contacting Filma through 【Mind Chat】, Shin found she was a bit far off, so they decided to rendezvous at sea.

Shin and the others boarded the magic-powered ship and launched immediately.

Once they exited the barrier, it would be a hassle to return. However, Shin and the party had the option of using teleport crystals to return if necessary. Alternatively, they could remain outside the barrier and use the ship as a forward base. While the ship wouldn’t be able to contact the watchtowers directly, they could still relay messages via party members inside the barrier.

Soon after, Filma joined up, and Shin steered the ship beneath the waves.

“They haven’t come right beneath the island yet… or so it seems.”

Activating several visual-enhancement skills, Shin scanned the surroundings. Neither Hevin nor Corpus were visible—nor any other monsters, for that matter.

“I’ll set detection to cover the deeper areas as well, just in case.”

“Thanks, Schnee.”

By diving underwater, the map could now reflect slightly deeper depths. Still, compared to the vastness of the ocean, it was but a fraction. As Shin adjusted the helm of the ship, he felt a subtle surge of mana from behind—Schnee had activated the support skill 【Marine Sonar】.

Like a magical version of a sonar, this skill emitted mana instead of sound waves. Anything it touched could be sensed by the user. It was the same principle as 【Magic Sonar】, which Shin once used to map an underground cave—only this one was for aquatic use.

“Instead of staying inside the ship, how about stepping outside? You might pick up something different without the wall between you and the water. If you’d rather not, I can go instead.”

Filma’s suggestion, based on her experience that being outside gave a better feel for a battlefield’s atmosphere, met with Shin’s approval.

“Yeah, some things you can only sense with your skin. I’ll leave it to you.”

“Got it.”

With a short response, Filma moved toward the airlock to head outside.

“So far, it looks like the attacks are only coming from the front.”

Upon checking Schnee’s findings, it seemed that—for now—there were no attacks coming from the deep sea, beyond regular detection range. But even with Shin and Schnee’s detection skills, they couldn’t cover the entire island. There was still the risk of enemies circling around for a flanking attack.

“We’ll keep scanning while moving forward, and make limited contact to avoid drawing attention.”

While reconnaissance was the main goal, Shin also wanted to confirm whether the enemy’s appearance and abilities matched what he remembered. He had already encountered monsters that didn’t exactly follow game mechanics. If their abilities had changed, he needed to plan countermeasures.

He steered the ship toward the cluster of monsters. With nothing nearby, he accelerated to top speed. Filma was outside, gripping the outer hull and continuing to scout, so there was no need to stop for her.

Eventually, Hevin came into view beyond the barrier.

“Coming straight at us, huh. Still, with those numbers, we can’t take them lightly.”

Each monster seemed to decide for itself where to surface. Some continued swimming underwater, while others aimed for the surface.

In the game era, they weren’t aggressive underwater fighters, and that trend remained here. No monsters were attacking the barrier from below.

“We’ll pull back a little and surface. Keep scanning below.”

“Understood.”

Shin guided the ship to a safe distance away from the artillery fire and surfaced. Just in case, he activated the 【Hiding】 skill to avoid being mistaken for a monster.

Ahead, he saw Hevin after being blasted upward by the barrier, only to be shot down mid-air. More and more kept rising—there was no sign of their numbers dwindling. Even within his detection range, the decrease was negligible.

“…There’s something strange out there.”

Among the fallen enemies were some Shin had never seen before.

One had a torso resembling Hevin’s upper body fused onto Corpus’s head, like a centaur. Another was a humanoid version of Corpus. There were even grotesque chimeras—multiple Corpuses fused into a multi-limbed, multi-headed form.

These irregular fusions of Hevin and Corpus showed up sporadically. The Hevin-Corpus hybrids were around level 400, while fused Corpuses hit around level 600.

The forms were inconsistent—likely due to forced fusion. That alone made them unpredictable and dangerous. While some were destroyed by artillery, more were stretching their bodies to deflect incoming shells.

“Are they gaining intelligence? Or just instinctively intercepting?”

Either way, they were stronger than the regular ones. Shin immediately used 【Mind Chat】 to contact Shibaid and the others, instructing them to alert the command center. If these hybrids also had increased intelligence, the chance of a flank rose.

“Shall we engage them?”

Schnee asked, but Shin shook his head.

“I want to assess their abilities, but the artillery’s more intense than I thought. No need to force it. At least we know the seabed route is clear for now, so let’s stay alert and watch.”

“Understood. It’s concerning, but nothing will end until we strike down the source.”

They wanted to wipe them out, but the real target hadn’t shown itself yet. Druk had told them to hold the line until the last possible moment.

From this distance, Shin could only faintly hear the sound of shellfire. Using 【Far Sight】, he watched the monsters fall, and the barrier gradually weaken. They couldn’t maintain a constant barrage. Slowly but surely, the timer until the barrier gave out was ticking down.

Time passed since the battle began, and the artillery had slowed. Right on cue, Shibaid and Milt emerged.

Even with magic weapons, you couldn’t fire endlessly. Between barrel wear, recoil, cooling, and part replacement, maintenance was essential. The deployed weapons were being rotated to avoid overuse, but maintaining a dense barrage required a minimum number.

Shibaid and Milt were stepping in to cover those gaps.

“I’m counting on you—both of you.”

Shin muttered as he watched them advance.

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