The Land Crawler Mk.I was bumping along the shattered Central Plains at the ‘breathtaking’ speed of twenty-five kilometers per hour.
It turned out that stuffing a roaring steam engine and four living beings into an iron box was, in itself, a form of auditory torture.
The clack-clack of tracks crushing gravel, the thump-thump of pistons slamming, and the tooth-aching groan of steel plates twisting under gravity composed a manic industrial symphony.
“It dropped another two bars!”
Sitting in the passenger seat, Rin stared deathly hard at the jittering brass gauges. Her voice was sharp enough to cut through the engine roar. “Alex! Did this machine grow up drinking coal? At this consumption rate, we’ll have to get out and push before we even reach Rustwater!”
“That’s just instantaneous fuel consumption caused by the incline—I mean, instantaneous coal consumption.”
I gripped the steering wheel, modified from a siege engine winch, with both hands. Driving this steel beast, which had no hydraulic steering and relied entirely on mechanical leverage, was more exhausting than lifting weights at the university gym.
“Don’t worry about the cost, Lyn!” I shouted, trying to overpower the noise. “As long as it’s for safety, every gram of coal is worth burning!”
Just then, a lazy complaint laced with a bit of ‘waking-up grumpiness’ came from the rear of the cabin.
“Too loud...”
Zayla, who had been curled up on the engine heat cover, rolled over. She pulled the hood of her oversized jacket tighter, revealing only half of her face, flushed pink from the heat.
Although she complained about the noise, her body honestly pressed tighter against the hot metal cover, as if it were the only salvation in the world.
“And it’s a bit bumpy,” Zayla mumbled with her eyes closed. “Builder, your driving skills are far worse than your wall-building skills.”
“I want to drive steadily, too, Your Majesty.” I looked helplessly ahead. “But the road conditions... are a bit complex.”
Outside the windshield (actually a slab of reinforced blast-proof crystal glass), the world presented a sickly grey-yellow hue.
This was the edge of the ‘Central Plains’, one of the areas most severely affected by the Great Collapse. The once-flat earth looked like a shattered biscuit. Massive tectonic plates were disconnected; some even defied gravity, floating in mid-air, connected only by precarious vines or ancient stone bridges.
A red light flashed across my glasses.
I slammed on the brake pedal.
SCREECH—!
Accompanied by the ear-piercing sound of metal friction, the multi-ton Land Crawler skidded for several meters on the gravel. The tracks kicked up a cloud of dust before finally coming to a halt.
“What is it? Out of coal?” Lyn panicked, hugging her ledger tight.
“No.”
I narrowed my eyes, staring at the shadow of a massive rock about fifty meters ahead. “Something wants our toll.”
ROAR—!
A dull, thundering roar confirmed my judgment.
The ‘rock’ moved.
It was a beast the size of a small truck—a Crystal-Spine Earth Drake. Its skin was as rough and grey as stone, and its back was lined with rows of purple crystal spikes flickering with unstable magical light.
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“Whoa,” Brad whistled from the back seat, pressing his face against the window. “That thing looks way more exciting than the rhinos at the zoo. Is that... crystal?”
“That is mutated hyperplastic tissue. High energy reaction.” I quickly switched to System View.
“It’s charging!” Lyn screamed, her fox ears snapping upright.
The Earth Drake was clearly enraged by the noise of the steam engine. It lowered its head, aiming its thick horn at the Land Crawler. With a push from its four powerful legs, it launched itself like a cannonball.
The earth trembled.
“Alex! Reverse! Quickly!” Lyn shouted.
“Reverse gear is too slow.”
I had an idea. I yanked the handbrake, locking the tracks. “I want to test this vehicle’s ‘Passive Defense’.”
“Everyone, brace for impact!”
BOOM—!
The Earth Drake’s horn slammed viciously into the V-shaped ram at the front of the Land Crawler.
This wasn’t just a collision of flesh and steel; it was the first head-on clash between savage power and industrial crystallization.
The massive impact force jerked the entire vehicle backward. I heard the boiler inside emit a terrifying groan, as if it were about to explode. Brad was bounced right out of his seat, his head hitting the ceiling.
But the Land Crawler did not flip. Nor did it shatter.
The five-centimeter-thick black iron plating, salvaged from the Wolf siege engine, was dented deeply but successfully withstood the fatal blow.
The Earth Drake, on the other hand, had clearly underestimated the hardness of this ‘iron rock’.
CRACK!
A crisp sound of bone fracturing rang out. The Drake’s pride—its horn—snapped at the base under the immense recoil force. It let out a wail of agony, staggering backward, its head spinning from the concussion.
“Now!” I roared. “Bjorn! Weapon test!”
“On it, Boss!”
The massive bear warrior, who had been silent in the rear compartment, kicked the door open.
The Earth Drake was stunned, its flank exposed to him.
In the past, Bjorn might have needed a shield to find an opening. But now...
In the rearview mirror, I saw him take a deep breath. He planted his left foot on the gravel as a pivot point. The grotesque mechanical arm on his right shoulder suddenly hissed with high-pressure release.
HISS—!
White steam vented from the valves, instantly enveloping his right arm. Hydraulic pistons compress the force to the absolute limit.
“Eat this... Steam Cannon Punch!”
Bjorn roared. The iron fist, cast from brass and black iron, smashed into Drake’s vulnerable neck with the whistle of breaking wind.
BANG—!
The effect of the punch was more terrifying than I had anticipated.
There was no complex technique involved, just pure, unreasonable kinetic energy release. The Drake’s stone skin, capable of deflecting swords, shattered like a biscuit before this fist. The massive impact force snapped its cervical vertebrae instantly.
The multi-ton beast didn’t even grunt. It collapsed like a pile of mud, kicking up a cloud of dust.
“Phew...”
Bjorn retracted his fist, looking at the smoking mechanical arm with a simple, honest grin. “This thing has a real kick. Just... vibrates the hand a bit much.”
Inside the cabin, Lyn was stunned. She looked at the massive corpse, then at the ledger in her hand. Her eyes suddenly lit up in the shape of gold coins.
“That... that horn!”
Lyn rushed out of the car like a gust of wind, diving toward the broken horn. “That is magical conduit material! It can fetch at least five barrels of anthracite on the black market! No, ten barrels!”
Deep in the cabin, Zayla, who hadn’t moved until now, finally sat up.
She rubbed her sleepy eyes, glanced out the window at the massive carcass, and then looked at me, who was excitedly directing Lyn to excavate the mana core.
“So noisy.”
Her Majesty yawned, her tail tapping the wool rug in annoyance.
“In the future, for small fry like this, can you just run them over? This King... I was dreaming about eating grilled fish. Just as I was about to bite the head off, you shook me awake.”
I turned back, looking at the Queen who maintained her ‘morning grumpiness’ even in the wasteland, and couldn’t help but smile.
“As you command, Your Majesty. Next time, we’ll try to let you finish the fish.”
My gaze shifted to the distance.
At the end of the horizon, a grey haze was faintly visible—the direction of Rustwater Port.
“Get in, everyone. The toll has been paid (or rather, collected). It’s time to go make some money.”
First blood for the Land Crawler and the Steam Arm. The Queen just wants to nap. Priorities.
Question of the Day: What should Alex do with the [Unstable Mana Crystal] loot?
(Click to choose)
?? A) Sell it at Rustwater.
Result: Cash Flow. Buy more coal and steel. Safe choice.
?? B) Use it to upgrade the Engine.
Result: Hybrid Power. Risk of blowing up the boiler for +50% speed.
?? C) Give it to Zayla.
Result: Mana Boost. Maybe she stops complaining about the cold?
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