Diary of the Improper Monster Girl Transformation.

Chapter 435 Don't Die! You guys... Eh!!? (5K views, please subscribe!)
"Um!!?"

Herbert: ?

Magic Cannon?
They're still launching?!?
What the hell!

Firing a cannon in this confined space?
Are you kidding me!!!
Furthermore, what's the deal with the [Magic Cannon]?
What the hell did I break?

Are you going to use this to bomb me?

Herbert may not know the glorious history of the Elven Empire, but he could not possibly be unaware of this terrifying weapon.

The Elf Empire, having angered the gods, was forced to disappear from the world, leaving virtually no trace in history.

However, the techniques they created and the magic they modified have been passed down and have profoundly influenced later generations.

Magic Cannon, full name: Magic High-Energy Burst Cannon.

This is a deadly weapon produced by the "Elven Royal Court," which has a notorious reputation in the world and is known to everyone.

It is regarded as a rather dangerous strategic weapon.

The five magic cannons, which are most well-known to the world, are located in the City of Wealth, also known as the "Golden City," the stronghold of the Goddess of Wealth.

The City of Wealth holds the wealth accumulated by the Church of Wealth over thousands of years. Legend has it that even the roads are paved with gold, attracting countless greedy eyes and... dragons.

For dragons, that place was a dreamlike paradise, a place that could truly drive them into a collective frenzy.

But why didn't they rob the bank because they didn't want to?
Of course not.

The dragons had already started to steal it.

But damn it, I can't get my hands on any!
Over thousands of years, not to mention the defensive power of the Church of Wealth itself, countless greedy dragons have died under those five magic cannons, and the number of epic-level dragons even exceeds two hands!

The magic cannon does have many problems, including but not limited to its high cost, cumbersome movement, slow charging, large footprint, and vulnerability to concentrated fire.

There aren't many of these in the world, but almost every top-tier power installs at least one in its headquarters.

But the reason why this seemingly flawed magic cannon is still so popular despite its "disadvantages" is simple—

Lethality.

The magic cannon's destructive power is astonishing!

The types of magic cannons can be broadly divided into three categories: degraded version, standard version, and enhanced version, corresponding to the three levels from legendary to saint.

The standard version of the magic cannon, once fully charged, fires a shot comparable to an epic-level spell, and it's the kind that deals maximum piercing damage, possessing extremely terrifying single-target lethality.

Moreover, a pre-charged magic cannon only takes three seconds from aiming to firing!

Compared to spells that require a long chanting time, this can almost be called instantaneous.

three seconds.

It only takes three seconds!

Whoosh—Boom!

Three seconds later, the enemy had disappeared.

As for the most famous battle record of the Magic Cannon... it's not that high.

That is, the slaying of gods

— It was just an assist.

In the era when the gods were still at war, an organization launched a sneak attack, using a specially made magic cannon to shatter the divine power shield of an ancient god. This caused the god to consume a large amount of its divine power in defense, ultimately leading to its unfortunate demise.

Incidentally, before dying, that ancient god abandoned everyone else and first wiped out the organization that had attacked Him...

Although the magic cannon was extremely powerful, it could not be moved while charging, so the special magic cannon that had benefited from the god-slaying attack was eventually completely destroyed, leaving no blueprints behind.

The reason why the powerful magic cannon has not been widely adopted is quite simple.

It's really too expensive.

The cost of the magic cannon is extremely high. The most basic model costs at least a million gold coins, and that's just the price of the cannon itself!

The subsequent installation, maintenance, debugging, and charging processes are even more expensive than the weapon itself.

A complete magic cannon defense system will cost at least ten million gold coins!

Even so, it's still available but there's no market for it.

Although some basic design blueprints of the magic cannon have been circulated and could be copied by various parties, the truly high-end version has always been held by the Elven Royal Court, and the core technology has never been leaked out.

There are always many forces that have made reservations with the "Elven Court," and the construction period is so long that it's impossible to know when it will be completed.

There weren't enough resources, nor were there enough Pokémon masters with the time and willingness to put in the effort.

The elves are not short of money.

Even in their most desperate times, these long-eared people never lacked money or suffered much injustice.

The most desolate period for them was the time immediately following the fall of the empire, but even then, the elves' quality of life far surpassed that of other races.

It's many times higher than other races!
The elves' cries of despair enraged the dwarves who made a living in the mines, and they wrote several more pages into the dwarven Book of Hatred.

Now, only diplomatic exchanges can persuade the Elves to send a team to design and build it themselves.

There are only three truly top-of-the-line Saint-class magic cannons in the current Elven Holy Land!

There are only three on the surface, but as for the actual number, probably no one knows.

Those unfamiliar with elven history would only see this as a treasure of magical technology development, a jewel in the crown of the elven queen.

But those who know the history of the Elven Empire will understand the purpose of the elves in designing this thing.

This is a weapon of mass destruction designed to "slaughter the gods and enslave them".

A weapon to kill gods!
In the battle against the gods, the most important thing is to break through their defenses.

Break through defenses, break through defenses, it's fucking breaking through defenses!
And now, in this ancient ruin that has been buried for who knows how long, there is still such a dangerous weapon.

Is this reasonable?

And surprisingly, it still works!
No, does this make sense?!?
At this moment, Herbert desperately hoped that this was just a harmless joke left by the elven ancestors for future generations.

I wish all of this were just a hoax, and that someone would step out and laugh at them.

Haha!

Were you scared?
Just kidding!
Actually, there is no magic cannon!
I was just playing a little joke on you guys~
But he also knew that it was probably just wishful thinking on his part.

Because of the crisis... prices are soaring rapidly!
dong dong!

The intense life-or-death crisis caused Herbert's heart to stop beating abruptly, and his blood to instantly turn ice-cold.

The near-death experience he had felt not long ago when he was backstabbed by the god of assassination crept back up his spine once again.

If the magic cannon in this ruin is a downgraded version, then the power of this shot is only legendary... Although everyone present will be injured, they can probably withstand it.

But what if... it's the standard version?
An epic-level piercing spell.

Of the four people present, only Valentina, who was on full defensive, was likely to be able to withstand the attack.

But even she would probably have her defenses breached and be severely injured, on the verge of death!

Moreover, judging from the crisis I'm currently feeling... it's probably going to be an epic-level standard edition.

Time, there are only three seconds left!
We must come up with a solution!

As the crisis loomed, Herbert's thoughts raced wildly. He felt the flow of the world around him slow down, and a torrent of ideas surged through his mind.

Faced with the sudden crisis, Herbert's rationality was once again forced to turn cold.

Don't rush, think carefully.

How to do?
Are we going to die here?
No, I don't accept such a stupid way to die.

My fate will not end so easily!

There must be another way to escape.

But it only lasted three seconds...

Is three seconds enough time to escape?
Even if you run, can you escape being targeted?
If I, who am being targeted, cannot escape, will they be able to escape?
If they don't die here, what about Valentina and the others?
!!!

If the danger only involved himself, Herbert wouldn't have lost his composure.

But when other people were involved, his thoughts became extremely scattered, and his previously calm mind began to become agitated.

Don't be in a hurry!
But what about them? What will they do?
Will their fate end here?
Did I die because of my carelessness?
I……

in case……

"Calm down, my love."

The calm voice shattered all her chaotic thoughts, instantly calming Herbert down.

!!!

"You're too flustered."

The deity did not mock the mortal's anxiety, but gently whispered in his ear: "Don't rush, think it over slowly."

All the negative emotions in Herbert's mind vanished instantly, leaving only his usual calm.

There can be no rush.

Without even having time to thank Nena, Herbert focused all his energy on breaking the deadlock.

"..."

He took in the entire situation of the venue and quickly began to think.

For an individual organism, this space is not small; the vast area allows for free movement.

But for a deadly weapon that uses gods as its hypothetical enemy, this place... is still too small.

There's no way to dodge it!
Moreover, even if one could dodge, before the magic cannon, these ruins were barely any better than paper.

Finding cover was useless.

The only option is to run.

If we escape from here, we should be able to get out of this crisis...

Three seconds is a very tight timeframe, but we should still give it a shot.

The problem is that the other people's positions are too far apart, making it impossible to take them all at once.

How can we get them to run out at the same time?

[Launch countdown... three seconds.]

The countdown in her ears jolted Herbert, making him feel tense.

However, while Herbert was still thinking about how to save everyone, a scarlet figure with flowing red hair moved.

whoosh-

Valentina had already moved instinctively before Herbert could even speak.

But she wasn't fleeing...

Instead, it charged straight at Herbert.

Danger! Danger!!
Danger! !! !!

Just now, Valentina's intuition sensed a strong sense of crisis even faster than Herbert's.

Then, she moved.

Without asking the sage what to do, without actively thinking, she acted almost instinctively, like a conditioned reflex.

She didn't know where the crisis came from, or who the enemy was, but she knew what she had to do.

Herbert!
Protect Herbert!!!
Valentina no longer wanted to see Herbert "die" in front of her.

While in the Holy City of Glory, she was unaware of the approaching God of Assassination and watched helplessly as Herbert's heart was ripped out from her back.

At that moment, she felt as if her heart had been ripped out.

But now... it's not too late!

Very close!

She can save her!!!
The moment Valentina rushed toward Herbert without regard for anything else, Flora, who had been chasing Kreti, also changed direction.

She also rushed towards Herbert.

The sacred oath warned her—Herbert was about to suffer a fatal injury!
guard.

The master needs to be protected!

Even if it means sacrificing myself, I will save my master.

So, like the dragons, the succubi disregarded their own danger and charged toward the ones they loved.

At this moment, the time remaining before the magic cannon was fired...

[Launch countdown... two seconds.]

Do not!
do not come!
Run by yourself!!!

Herbert immediately understood what the two women wanted to do, and he was moved, but also felt powerless.

This is the worst case.

It's a good thing that we can get together; it makes it easier for us to run away together.

But the problem is, we're still missing one person!

The last of the four... Kretty didn't come.

Miss Devil did not rush over to protect Herbert, sacrificing herself for his cause.

Unlike Valentina, she didn't have an amazing sixth sense.

Unlike Flora, who had a special connection with Herbert,
To be precise, she was completely unaware of the impending crisis.

Not at all.

"Hahaha! You can't catch me! You try to catch me... eh?"

Kretty just kept running—escaping from that damned demonic whip, desperately fleeing with an irritating look on her face.

"Huh? Why did you leave?"

As a result, after Flora stopped chasing her, she subconsciously glanced back.

That one glance made the devil pause for a moment.

She saw Valentina and Flora rushing in the same direction, as if they were about to collide.

"Eh?"

Are they going to fight?

Kreti was so confused that she completely forgot she was still fleeing at high speed.

When it was time to turn, I didn't slow down and didn't even think about braking.

then……

Bang! ! !
She slammed her head against the wall, smashing a large hole in the already decaying wall, and her upper body got stuck inside.

"Ouch!"

Kreti's vision went black, and in her panic, she thrashed about with her hands, not knowing what she had pressed.

Click.

[Launch countdown... one second.]

Just then, Herbert unleashed all his speed-enhancing abilities, his blood wings burning with life and holy power, as he pulled Flora and Valentina toward Crete with all his might.

Sacrifice one?
No!

No one is allowed to die!

Everyone must survive!

do not die!
Nobody should die!
But at this moment, Herbert, who was already in a berserk state, suddenly paused.

[Launch time...]

"Um!!?"

With no option to escape and the four of them forced to huddle together to withstand the magic energy cannon, the emotionless, death-dealing countdown in his mind suddenly stopped.

???

But Herbert didn't have time to think further and continued rushing towards Kreti.

We absolutely must make it in time!!!
Do not!
It will definitely be in time!
Herbert offered no explanation, accelerated again, grabbed the other two, and rushed to Kreti. He forcefully pushed Flora, who was trying to shield him, onto Kreti.

Then he grabbed Valentina and poured all his holy power into her body, forcibly causing her life force to surge.

"defense!!!"

Herbert did not intend to use his body to withstand the strain.

Standing in front of everyone, that's definitely manly enough; he didn't let his beloved woman get hurt, and that sounds pretty cool too.

But they're not rational enough, or rather, they lack common sense.

In terms of pure defense, Herbert's damage reduction through magic resistance is no match for Valentina's.

Instead of trying to be a hero, it's better to do what you should do.

Paladins are not just reckless warriors who charge ahead and take the hits; they can also be excellent support characters when spellcasters are lacking.

Blessed by Holy Light!

Armor of the Blazing Sun!

In less than half a second, a series of buffs were instantly applied to Valentina, further enhancing her defense.

"Concentrate all our forces on defense!"

Herbert's tense expression finally relaxed slightly only after the last bit of holy power in his body was exhausted.

Barely, I made it!

All that's left is to tough it out.

Time: zero seconds.

The countdown to the death crisis is coming to an end.

In that instant, the ruins suddenly lit up, and a cannon muzzle, its location hidden, finally appeared, with terrifying magical energy gathering at its muzzle.

Herbert could feel how scorching the cannon muzzle, which was filled with a large amount of magic power.

Then... the destructive aura did not descend.

what happened?
Is it stuck?
Although Herbert breathed a sigh of relief, he didn't let his guard down and tried to pull Kretty along to take the opportunity to run away from there.

go!
Go now!
But just then, the Elvish report sounded again.

[...Emergency braking is manually activated.]

?

Herbert's expression and movements were stiff, and the inorganic system report continued in his ears.

[Alert mode is forcibly disabled.]

[Aim canceled.]

The magic cannon has returned to dormancy.

Emergency braking?
Manually enable?
Herbert watched as the cannon, billowing black smoke, paused for a moment, then slowly contracted—and then got stuck.

It seems that due to years of disrepair, only half of it could be retracted, and the rest could not be put back in no matter what.

Click click click, click click click...

Pfft, hiss!

Accompanied by a rather ominous sound, a thick plume of black smoke billowed from the corner below the cannon muzzle.

The magic cannon stopped moving completely.

?

They really took it back?

Hey! Don't push!

"Pull me out of here! Don't push me! Who's squeezing my butt from behind?!"

As she pondered, Miss Devil's muffled voice came from inside the wall, filled with intense displeasure: "Herbert! Was it you?! I'm warning you!"

"What are you doing... Ah! Flora! It's you!"

"You son of a bitch! Don't spank my ass!"

"You wait until I get out of here! I'm not done with you yet!"

Miss Devil's voice, which never kept up with the pace, showed no sense of crisis. But it was precisely this nonchalant attitude that eased the oppression in Herbert's heart.

"Huh? Cough cough cough!"

After failing to pull her upper body out, Kreti began to look around at her surroundings, blinking as she surveyed the area.

"where is this place?"

"Hmm, why are there so many buttons!"

"Oh no, I think I just pressed something..."

???

Herbert finally realized what had happened, his eyes widening as he stared intently at the...butt stuck in the wall.

Kreti!!?
Damn you!

How many lucky charms did I get?!?
(End of this chapter)