Machine God with EX-rank talent (Deus ex machina)

The fighter jet spun around in midair, performing acrobatic maneuvers.

Even while flying at supersonic speeds above Mach 10, the jet showed relatively smooth directional changes.

Of course, the passengers inside the jet weren’t feeling so comfortable.

Especially Eun Hui-gwang, who shouted with an urgent expression, as if he was about to vomit at any moment.

"Light Bringer!! Fly straight!"

"Shut up! If you don't like it, why don’t you go bring a cruise ship instead!"

The jet was barely faster, but the purple monsters chasing them were not to be underestimated.

They attacked not only at close range but from a distance as well.

As they extended their hands, their fingers shot out like missiles, and even a mere graze would puncture huge holes in the jet's fuselage.

Hyun Suho executed evasive maneuvers with maximum concentration, but he couldn’t avoid all the attacks.

Fortunately, thanks to a restoration skill, the jet was repaired as soon as it was damaged, but even that wasn't foolproof.

When a finger missile that pierced the fuselage narrowly brushed past his nose, Eun Hui-gwang screamed.

"Light Bringer!!"

"Oh, shut up!!"

In the past, using a single plasma shot would have instantly drained all his mana.

Luckily, now that he had reached level 6, and thanks to equipment like Eldritch's Circlet, his mana capacity had significantly increased.

It's been a while.

Since he last felt so mana-starved.

Although they had prepared plenty of mana potions for such a situation, even those were running out.

"Damn it!"

"See? I told you we should’ve used teleportation!"

"You shut up too!"

Nova's simulations had proven that this method was far more efficient.

All they needed to do was reach their destination.

Just get there.

Of course, even if they arrived safely, there would still be plenty of problems, but don’t you have to pass the first test to get the second one?

Unlike Eun Hui-gwang, who was frantic, Ma Ju-won, who was enjoying the ride like it was an amusement park, finally spoke up.

"Need some help?"

Even in a fighter jet, a mage of Ma Ju-won’s caliber could still wield power.

He had spent years researching ways to deal with these creatures.

Perhaps he could even cast a spell that would wipe out the monsters outside with a single blow.

But Hyun Suho stubbornly shook his head.

"We’re almost there!"

This is a quest rated with 9 stars.

The difficulty level was set considering the abilities of the entire party.

From the start, he hadn’t expected it to be easy.

Hyun Suho’s role was to guide Ma Ju-won to the destination in the best possible condition.

Luckily, they could now see the end of their journey, but the number of monsters chasing them was increasing exponentially by the minute.

At this point, dodging or withstanding the barrage of finger bullets was becoming impossible.

"Nova!"

[Plasma charged to 100%.]

"Fire!"

Thinking it might be their last chance, he used his mana a bit recklessly.

Thousands of plasma threads shot out in all directions like a massive firework display.

Crackle-crackle-crackle!!!

As the blue plasma filled the sky, the purple monsters fell helplessly to the ground.

The destination was now in sight.

Considering the jet’s speed, they would reach it in the blink of an eye.

A massive creature, as big as a tower, stood there.

It wasn’t humanoid but rather resembled a four-legged beast.

As Ma Ju-won had mentioned, it seemed to be made of the same material as the other monsters, but it was easily 30 meters tall.

[It’s a powerful monster with a minimum level of 10, Master! You must not get caught up in a fight with it!]

Even though the God of Destruction hadn't come in person, just sending a single fragment to Earth had that much power.

Setting aside its bizarre ability to transform all of humanity into monsters, its combat power alone was already a catastrophic threat.

It’s no wonder that Ma Ju-won, a 10th-circle mage, had been searching for a solution all this time.

"We’re really going down now!"

Finally, they were almost at their destination.

Hyun Suho didn’t reduce his speed at all and slowly lowered the altitude at an angle.

Sensing this, Eun Hui-gwang screamed again, as if panicking.

"W-What are you doing?! There's no runway here!"

There wasn’t even a flat plain for an emergency landing.

Besides, the ground was swarming with monsters, so if they hesitated even a little after landing, they’d be attacked from all sides.

But still, Hyun Suho pushed forward without hesitation.

"Everyone, hold on tight! Haaaah!!!"

As they descended to a certain altitude, the fighter jet transformed into a round ball.

Except for the cockpit where the party was seated, the rest of the jet turned into a giant tire.

Moreover, it wasn’t just an ordinary tire; it was filled with plasma.

The device, which had plummeted to the ground, began bouncing forward several times, displaying an elasticity far beyond that of rubber.

Boom!!! Boom!! Thud, thud!!

The monsters on the ground tried to block its path with their bodies, but they were instantly crushed upon contact with the plasma.

It looked ridiculous, but it was a relatively safe and swift landing.

The massive tire gradually lost speed and came to a stop right in front of their destination.

“Did… did we make it?”

[My calculations are always perfect.]

“Thanks! We're getting off now!”

The massive tire split open from the top, like a cross, opening up like a convertible.

Shing!

After letting the group out, the tire's role wasn’t over yet.

It began to transform, eventually turning into a missile turret.

"Bipo! I’m leaving this to you! Hold off the monsters as much as you can!"

٩(｡͡•‿•｡)۶

[Bee-beep! Boop!]

Following Hyun Suho’s command, Bipo started launching missile attacks around them.

Boom, boom, boom!!

Even though it wasn’t plasma, so it wouldn’t inflict significant damage on the monsters, it would at least buy them some time.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team sprang into action.

“Silver Grace!!”

As Eun Hui-gwang activated his skill, the entire team began to glow with a silver light.

It looked as though they were coated head to toe in a thin layer of silver.

This was a skill that buffed the entire team, and as expected from an EX-level skill, its effects were tremendous.

The best part was that it imbued them with light-attribute attack power, making it highly effective against the monsters.

While Hyun Suho was retrieving the laser resonator, Eun Hui-gwang and Na Yeon-sil hadn’t been idle either.

They had diligently sought effective ways to combat the monsters.

Of course, most of the ideas came from Na Yeon-sil.

Ma Ju-won flew directly toward the giant monster and shouted.

“I’ll take care of this one. The rest of you, keep the other monsters from getting through.”

The plan was straightforward.

While Ma Ju-won fought the giant monster, the team would prevent the other monsters from attacking him.

But just because the plan was simple didn’t mean it was easy.

When the giant monster felt threatened, billions of monsters scattered across the world converged on this location.

Of course, it would take time for those far away to get here, but there were already estimated to be tens of millions of monsters in the vicinity.

Despite Hyun Suho having taken down so many, the sky was still dark with monsters flying toward them.

Seeing this terrifying sight, Eun Hui-gwang swallowed nervously and said,

“It’s like a swarm of locusts!”

“Save your breath!”

As Ma Ju-won faced the giant monster, he first cast a barrier around it. A massive, spherical barrier large enough to enclose the entire monster appeared.

This was a barrier prepared by a 10th-circle mage.

It was strong enough to withstand even a meteorite impact.

But no matter how strong it was, it had its limits. If the monsters started attacking it in large numbers, it would eventually break.

That’s why the team’s help was crucial.

Thanks to Hyun Suho, Ma Ju-won was in peak condition when he confronted the monster, and he unleashed a powerful spell right from the start.

“Gungnir!”

As Ma Ju-won chanted, dozens of giant spears made of light appeared in the sky.

These were specially crafted by Ma Ju-won to kill the monster.

Like a flash, they flew and struck the giant monster’s body, exploding upon impact.

Boom!!

The firepower was so intense that even a level 10 monster staggered for a moment.

But as expected, the monster wasn’t defeated that easily.

Seeing the monster quickly regenerate, Ma Ju-won gritted his teeth.

“I’m ending this today!”

Once upon a time, Ma Ju-won had joined forces with like-minded comrades to fight this monster.

At that time, he was only a 9th-circle mage, but still the strongest mage in the world.

Despite the entire world uniting to fight, the result was a devastating defeat.

While the monster’s power grew by the day, their side suffered more casualties with each passing moment.

If they had fought just a bit better, a bit harder, or a bit more desperately, maybe they could have won.

If he had reached the 10th circle just a few days earlier, they might have succeeded.

Missing that crucial timing, Earth was ultimately destroyed.

Barely surviving thanks to the sacrifices of his comrades, Ma Ju-won fled in rage and self-reproach.

When he thought he couldn’t hold on any longer, a miracle appeared.

Saviors from another dimension.

Thanks to their power, he was barely able to stand here today.

"This is really the last time!"

Ma Ju-won cast his magic with a desperate resolve.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!!

The battle outside was just as intense as the one inside.

Now that they knew the monsters' weakness was light, they weren’t as helpless as before.

However, the sheer number of monsters, along with their strength and speed, was overwhelming just to watch.

Even the experienced Na Yeon-sil was starting to feel dizzy, and Eun Hui-gwang was swinging his sword without even knowing how he was managing it.

The only reason the team was holding on was because Hyun Suho was supporting them from behind.

"Fire!!"

Crackle, crackle, crackle!!

The mana potions had already run out.

Hyun Suho kept repeating the cycle of swinging his sword and using plasma whenever his mana slightly recovered.

Each time his mana depleted, he felt a wave of dizziness, but at this point, even blinking felt like a luxury.

He had to stop the monsters from breaking through the barrier no matter what.

"Over here, you bastards!!"

Hyun Suho gritted his teeth so hard that they bled as he swung his sword.

Fortunately, thanks to Eun Hui-gwang's buff, his sword strikes were effective.

Every time he swung his sword, the purple monsters were sliced apart and fell to the ground, but more monsters were pouring in than he could take down.

Eventually, Eun Hui-gwang couldn't hold out any longer and began to retreat, step by step.

His morale had collapsed before his strength.

"It's hopeless! We can't win this! We're all going to die!"

Seeing this, Hyun Suho shouted,

"You idiot! Don't abandon your post!"

Although Na Yeon-sil was covering for Eun Hui-gwang with ghostly precision, even she had her limits.

Whether he realized this or not, Eun Hui-gwang muttered with a pale face,

"This... this isn't what I imagined..."

"What do you mean, it isn’t! Get out of here!"

Hyun Suho stepped in front of Eun Hui-gwang and started swinging his sword.

By now, he had completely run out of mana to use plasma.

He forced himself to squeeze out every last bit of mana, feeling as though his heart was being crushed.

But Hyun Suho didn't stop and continued to swing his sword.

"Aaahhh!!"

Na Yeon-sil was originally known for her tenacity.

Despite being only a B-rank, she had risen to level 8 and become a top-ranked warrior.

She must have been fighting with a desperation that even Hyun Suho couldn't imagine.

Eun Hui-gwang, who had trained under Na Yeon-sil, knew well about her diligence.

And he quickly reached a conclusion.

Hard work is also an innate talent.

No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t match it.

But didn't he excel in other areas?

If he could substitute those, it wouldn't matter.

Hadn't he reached level 7 with half the effort of others?

He had thought of himself as unmatched among his peers.

"Then why are you..."

Is it because you’re an EX-grade talent?

Eun Hui-gwang could recognize skill when he saw it.

Hyun Suho was displaying brilliant swordsmanship.

It was a superb skill, but the difficulty of the moves was extremely high.

To use such techniques freely in real combat, it would require an enormous amount of practice, just like Na Yeon-sil.

It was a method he had given up on out of fear.

He had thought it was the last desperate struggle of those without talent.

Moreover, unlike himself, Hyun Suho wasn’t purely a warrior.

He must have undergone intense training to pilot combat aircraft and use plasma so freely.

Yet, he was still displaying such remarkable swordsmanship.

As Eun Hui-gwang watched in awe, he realized something.

Even in the face of a hopeless enemy, he didn’t give up and continued to swing his sword.

That was precisely the image of himself that he had dreamed of showing to others.

"...A hero."