Chapter 92: Sky-Walking Bridge (2)

“Buuuung-ul!”

Once the volcanic skill activated, the magma built inside Bangul’s stomach crushed into a million pieces and gushed out in a ferocious manner. The sixteen-foot fat body was propelled forward by the force.

Bangul leaped in the air, flying toward the western tower bridge of the suspension bridge. She flew across the Magena River in a flash, and a thick chain dangled from her mouth. The cable was attached to the chain.

The fat arrow with a rope… No, Bangul, biting the chain, glided away into the sky. As she was sent forward, the long cable that followed her drew a straight, clean line in the air over the Magena River that stretched 260 yards in width. On the other side, a natural cushion was waiting to receive Bangul.

“Ppodong? Ppo-do-dong!”

The 32-foot Ppodong stood on his feet, bringing out his chubby belly with his outstretched arms. He sucked in a breath, and seconds later, Bangul flew and collided into him.

Bangul’s round head dug deep into Ppodong’s belly like an arrow. But even though the inertia made the blow extremely powerful, Ppodong was okay because several layers of his belly protected him from harm. The thick fur worked as the first line of defense, absorbing the force of the collision. Next, his thick leather lessened the impact, and at last, his flabby belly distributed the rest of the landing force. Ppodong reached out and wrapped his arms around Bangul, preventing her from being bounced off the impact. He rolled down on the ground, resolving to never let her go. The two summon creatures locked their gaze.

“Ppodong?”

“Bangul!”

“Ppo-do-dong?”

“Bba-bangul!”

The two confirmed each of them were okay. Both flashed a happy grin, and Javier quickly moved his feet behind them.

“Now!” Lloyd shouted from the other end.

Javier stretched his hand and grabbed the chain, which Bangul carried from the other side. He held on to make sure that the chain and cable wouldn’t fall. It required him to use his manaheart and three mana circles.

“Arggh!”

Ppodong and Bangul sprinted in his direction, assisting Javier by grabbing the cable together. They endured and tugged. They tugged and grabbed. At last, the cable affixed to the end of the tether came into his reach. Then, he turned right away, carrying the cable over his shoulder. He started to walk forward toward his destination, where there was a socket that connected the cable to the bridge peak.

“Put it in!”

At last, the end of the cable was shoved into the socket right when Lloyd shouted out. The cable and socket fit perfectly as if the two were measured with a ruler. Right when Javier saw its entrance, he turned the socket, locked it, and fastened it safely. However, Javier wasn’t satisfied with the job. He quickly turned to the west side of the tower, where Lloyd was standing. That was when he knew he could rest assured.

“Success…!” Lloyd was waving his two arms toward him, and he could even hear the labored pants between the shouting. It looked like the other end was able to connect as well.

“Whew.”

Javier finally let out a sigh of relief after knowing that the most dangerous part of the job was now done, and Lloyd was safe. The latter alone was good enough.

Even after that, a string of complicated tasks awaited them. The second act of construction resumed under the scorching sun that grew hotter as the day progressed. The main cables were connected from the rear areas of the towers, and they were installed at each anchorage of the tower. After that, Lloyd installed the fan trusses made from chains. To analogize, the main cables hung in the bridge towers looked like a clothesline, while the fan trusses took the shape of harp strings. There were dozens of them vertically stretched downward.

Ppodong played a stupendous role in this part of the job. To cut the long story short, Ppodong turned out to be a guru in riding ropes. He hopped and dangled on the cables even when his body stood more than thirty-two feet tall. The cable twanged and fluctuated as he moved, but he managed to run like he was on flat ground. Furthermore, hanging down there was a breeze for him as well. Sometimes, he went down the slide with his chubby belly.

“Ppo-do-dong!”

Every day, Ppodong repeated the process of crisscrossing over the cables, hanging countless fan trusses and fixing them. Once the installation of the fan trusses was done, one last major job remained, placing the bridge plates on the top and connecting everything. To this end, Lloyd first floated the plate on the river.

“I am very relieved,” said Lloyd.

“Relieved? About what?”

Wels Corgidus looked up at Lloyd. There was a smile of satisfaction on Lloyd’s face.

“It’s about the bridge plate I had ordered. The truss frames have been constructed to be much sturdier than I had expected.”

“Are you kidding me right now? Have you forgotten who constructed it?”

“Who else but the master in craft, Sir Corgidus.”

“Such excessive flattery. Anyway, you impertinent brat, what do you plan to do from now on?” Corgidus said as he exhaled.

“What do you mean what I’m going to do?”

“That.”

Corgidus pointed at the area near the river with his chin. There was a huge raft on the water, which was occupied by a portion of the bridge plate. Corgidus asked once more.

“Didn’t you say you planned on connecting the object on top of the fan truss?”

“Yes, I did.”

“It’s a good idea,” Corgidus continued, “to have it afloat on the water. But how are you going to transfer it up there?”

“Oh, about that.”

Lloyd chuckled when he received the question.

“I have my ways. The technique is called ‘Jack-up Down,’ and I’m trying to play around with it and apply it to my current situation.”

“Jack-up down?”

“Yes.”

“What is it?” inquired Corgidus.

“Uhm, to put it simply… You know what? Why don’t you just watch how it’s done?” suggested Lloyd.

“What?”

Instead of explaining, Lloyd simply grinned. He tried to come up with an explanation that would be understandable to people here, but he couldn’t. The same method had been used in building the Gwangan Bridge in Busan, South Korea. He could tell the dwarf that, but it wouldn’t mean anything. So, he simply shrugged. Such a vague answer worked to plunge Corgidus into deeper confusion.

Jack-up down or whatever. How is he going to lift that thing up?

Corgidus couldn’t wrap his head around it as he was fully aware of the size of the truss frame bridge plate he had produced.

I’d mobilized all the masters working for me, and it almost took us four months to create six plates. That’s how heavy they are. One block of the plate weighs well over one hundred tons.

So, it was a puzzle how Lloyd would lift the plates up to the fan truss. And the crease around his eyes was deepening in curiosity when…

“Hamang…!”

There was a loud, unexpected shout in the middle of the river. Right after that…!

“Eh? Something’s sucking the water!”

Suddenly, the river tumbled just like one of the crowds shouted. It swirled into a storm, and it suddenly sucked into a single point as though a hole was burrowed under the river bottom. At last, people and Corgidus could see what was happening. A hippopotamus was rapidly growing as it drank the water right under the raft!

“Hamang! Hamamang!”

Hamang shouted like thunder as he gulped down the river water. One sip. Two sips. His body swelled like a balloon each time he drank. There seemed to be no limit to his expansion. He continued to grow thirty feet, sixty feet, and even 150 feet tall.

The raft moved on top of Hamang’s back.

“Hamamang! Hamang!”

Hamang’s body enlarged in size without stopping, and as a result, the raft on his back continued to elevate. 165 feet… 195 feet… 230 feet… Just at that point, Lloyd sent a signal.

“Hamang, stop!”

“Hamang…?”

“Could you pause drinking water for a second?”

“Hamamang? Hamang?”

“I’ll let you drink more later!”

“Hamang!”

Just like that, Hamang’s body stopped growing at 230 feet, and his height perfectly aligned the bridge plate on his back to the edge of the fan truss, which was 157 feet tall.

“All right! Let’s go!” Lloyd shouted.

Lloyd led the waiting workers and headed to the bridge plate. Everyone connected a dozen strands of fan truss into the sockets. They connected one block after another, and it was repeated several times.

“Hamang!”

Hamang, who had gotten small while the workers connected the fan truss and plate, became large again and pushed the next block accordingly. Lloyd, Javier, and workers stood by at the top of the towers, and they assembled the plates and fan trusses. And they then connected the plates with one another with the link-type joint connect device Lloyd had ordered previously. Instead of the welders, the magicians came and used fire magic to weld the plates. This process went on for several days. At last, the last block was connected.

The moment the last plate was inserted into the socket, a new message popped in front of Lloyd.

[You have finished constructing the suspension bridge in the royal capital Magenta.]

[You have successfully constructed the first large suspension bridge in the history of the Laurasian continent.]

[This new type of bridge will be deeply loved by people in the capital. Moreover, it will be named after the builder and his handsome knight, the “Llojavi Bridge.”]

[The “Llojavi Bridge” will settle as a new landmark in the royal capital Magenta.]

[Your name will be vividly marked in the civil engineering history of the kingdom and the continent for constructing the “Llojavi Bridge.”]

[For that significant achievement, you have been awarded a large amount of bonus RP.]

[You have acquired 850 RP.]

[Current RP: 3,019]

It’s done.

The welcoming message notified him of his achievement. He could never get enough of it, and it never failed to fill him with joy. Lloyd flashed a big smile as he looked at it. The tediously long suspension bridge construction ended up a success. It felt real. Lloyd thought to himself that this RP reward was just the beginning. Something better would come, and he’d soon be rewarded to the point that his stomach would burst in joy amid the overflowing number of rewards.

“I, Alicia Termina Magentano, declare henceforth.”

Queen Magentano’s voice echoed throughout the space with such dignity. She didn’t need to use magic to amplify her voice. She was a sword master, so imbuing mana into her voice to boom across the land was a breeze for her. Her voice reverberated majestically, and each time her mouth uttered, twenty magic-controlled golems moved in unison. Ten golems approached from the east and west side of the “Llojavi Bridge.” Then they marched toward the center of the bridge.

Each time their massive feet moved forward; the plate of the bridge trembled. But it didn’t collapse. Instead, it held up more flexibly, and at last, twenty golems gathered to the center of the bridge. Even till then, the bridge stood tall, majestic, and robust.

Twenty golems stopped at once, lining up behind the queen, who stood on the podium at the bridge center. The corners of the queen’s lips rose to form a satisfied smile.

“I hereby grant Lloyd Frontera, who has built this beautiful and sturdy bridge, the title of master craftsman.”

The sky was filled with hundreds of immaculate pigeons, and citizens gathered along the riverside to cheer for Lloyd. The previous bridge had posed a serious concern for them. They crossed holding their breath, fearing that the bridge might collapse due to the flood come spring. Their fear exacerbated when the bridge cracked in the spring. But they had to cross nonetheless to get to the other side of the river. They were like cats on hot bricks when they did, fearing that it might collapse without a warning. But to make ends meet, they were forced to cross it. That, however, was no longer necessary. For there was the beautiful and newly constructed suspension bridge, the Llojavi Bridge. It looked safe even in their untrained eyes.

Aside from the amazing shape that resembled a clothesline, it was amazing in that it didn’t have any piers submerged under water. This meant that no violent floods could impact the bridge. Its sturdiness was being put to the test right now. Even when twenty golems marched and gathered at the center, the bridge didn’t even budge.

“Lloyd! Lloyd!”

People’s cheers were mixed with Lloyd’s name. The shouting of his name grew louder until it became a unified outcry springing out of the crowd. It manifested the best form of respect and gratitude they could ever express in commemoration of the person who built a safe bridge for them. Lloyd’s shoulder shivered as he processed their fervent calling.

Woah…

Lloyd wondered if this was what it felt like to be a global K-pop star. He couldn’t believe this unrealistic and heart-thumping situation where the entire city called out his name. It was then followed by several praises from Her Highness. All sorts of rewards were announced one after another like a string of sausages. A hefty sum of compensation was paid, which was enough to cover the debt of the barony. On top of that, Lloyd was given a lifelong pension as an incentive.

It’s over. It’s finally over.

There was no greater reward in the world than money. Lloyd remained clutching his fists throughout the completion ceremony even as they were getting sweaty. Lloyd felt content and eclectic. It had been a year and a half since he came to this world under a new identity. And his earnest yearning to clear his debt was finally realized in real life.

Once I go back to the barony… I can just laze around for the rest of my life.

The debt problem was completely solved. He’d be on lifelong pension from the kingdom. No dramatic rebellion or anything since he was just a provincial noble. He’d be living the life of laziness for the rest of his life. Happiness overwhelmed Lloyd. So, he just needed to solve one issue, and it had something to do with the resolution he had secretly formed several months ago when he brought Julian out of the academy. If he solved that, he could happily go back to the barony. Thinking such, he sought the exact time and tried to read the queen’s mood. The queen was coming down the podium after the construction completion ceremony when he saw the chance. He quickly got on his knee and spoke in a somewhat resentful voice.

“Your Majesty, I give thanks and praise for your boundless generosity. However, if I may be so bold, I, Lloyd Frontera, alert you about a highly important matter.”

“What is it?”

Queen Magentano was walking down the podium until Lloyd spoke. She paused and turned to his way.

“You have something to alert me? What is it?”

I’ve got her attention. It worked.

Lloyd smiled as he hung his head down. He had just received the title of master, as well as the queen’s favor and trust. Now was the right time.

“The Magenta Royal Academy that is under your guidance continues to be the center of rotten corruption, inequality, and sordidness. Therefore, I humbly ask if that is within your knowledge.”

“What is that… Corruption, which I am not aware of, is taking place at the academy?”

“It is unfortunately true, Your Majesty.” Lloyd’s voice dripped with resentment. But his lips twitched into a smile, but no one saw it. At last, the reaction he’d wanted came back.

“Do expound on the matter.”

So, it began. The time to tell on the jerks who harassed the weak hiding behind their family status and the academy workers who turned a blind eye to the whole situation. The time had come for Lloyd to put their heads on a platter. Thus, this began Lloyd’s detailed tattling that was filled with nothing but the truth.