Thump! Thump!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Thud! Thud!

The construction work to collapse the mountain on the opposite side of the dam was in full swing.

The Marchioni Empire was carrying out this massive civil engineering operation all in order to send the immense volume of water stored in the dam rushing toward the Proatine Empire.

Needless to say, the security around the dam was near impenetrable.

‘Damn... The security is almost airtight,’ Siegfried thought while scanning the perimeter.

The Marchioni Empire stationed knights at intervals of two to three meters across the dam, making it nearly impossible to infiltrate.

“Kyuu... This doesn’t look good to Hamchi, owner punk,” Hamchi said.

“Y-Yeah, I think so too,” Siegfried stammered in agreement.

“I don’t think even an insect can slip past that. Kyuu...”

The entire dam was lit up with blindingly bright lights, along with an absurd number of soldiers. There were so many of them that it seemed almost impossible to get past them without getting noticed.

In addition, three of the Marchioni Empire’s Invincible Battleships hovered in the skies above, keeping watch over the entire place.

If Siegfried attempted to slip in recklessly, then even he might meet a miserable end after getting bombarded by the battleships.

To make things even worse, the knights stationed here did not seem to be ordinary ones. They seemed to have undergone some kind of bio-enhancement, as they radiated a sinister aura.

‘I have a feeling they knew I was coming. This could very well be a trap...’ Siegfried suspected.

The Marchioni Empire was by no means an easy opponent. If they were a pushover, then they wouldn't reign as the world’s most powerful empire for over five hundred years.

After all, the title of being the world’s most powerful nation was not something won by casting lots. It was made possible because they possessed unmatched might in every single aspect, be it military, economy, strategy, tactics, intelligence, covert operations, and even human resources.

It was entirely possible that they were prepared and were simply waiting for Siegfried to come and pull off a reckless stunt.

‘What do I do? Is there no way to infiltrate that place?’ Siegfried racked his brains. His chest tightened as though he couldn’t breathe, feeling daunted by the impregnable defense built by the enemy around the dam.

“Kyuu! Let’s go search the surrounding cliffs. Maybe there might be a gap there.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

At Hamchi’s suggestion, Siegfried began searching the area around the dam.

He was looking for anything, whether it be a drainage outlet or a small gap they could exploit to sneak in.

While they were searching around the dam...

Plop! Plop! Plop!

It started raining.

Ssshwaaa!

The rain grew heavier and heavier until soon it had turned into a torrential downpour.

“Kyuuu! It’s the rainy season! It’s the monsoon!”

“Huh?”

“Kyuuu! It’s summer now, right? That means the monsoon season has begun, owner punk!”

“Oh? It’s summer already?”

“Kyuuu! That’s right! And we barely got any rain this spring. That means from now on there’s going to be a ton of rain! Kyuuu!”

The reason Siegfried was unaware of the seasonal change was that he felt neither heat nor cold. After reaching the realm of Grandmaster, his body transformed, and he could no longer notice the seasonal changes in temperature.

He would not feel cold at all even if he wore a tank top and shorts in winter, and neither would he feel hot even if he wore a padded jacket in summer.

His body had transcended human limitations.

“Kyuuu! It’s raining!”

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing. The crops will grow well if it rains.”

“Kyuu?” Hamchi muttered, tilting his head. Then, he asked, “Do you worry about the farmers, too, owner punk?”

“Why not? The people will have food to eat if the harvest is good. So it’s only normal that plenty of rain is a good thing, no?”

“Kyuuu...? A-Are you really the same owner punk I know...?”

Hamchi couldn’t help but be surprised that Siegfried had truly changed. In the past, he would have definitely complained about the rain and whined about how tired he was.

Today, seeing the rain made him think of farming and his people. There was a saying about how a position would make the man. As the emperor of an empire, Siegfried had unknowingly matured to the point where others could see the qualities of a wise and benevolent ruler in him.

“Let’s keep searching for now,” Siegfried said.

“Got it! Kyuuuu!” Hamchi exclaimed in response.

And so Siegfried and Hamchi continued to search the area around the dam, all while being drenched by the pouring rain.

***

Siegfried and Hamchi searched around the dam for hours, but they couldn’t find any gaps they could exploit. No matter how powerful Siegfried had become, he couldn’t dare to infiltrate recklessly this time.

The Marchioni Empire had spared no effort in securing the dam, so there was a chance that he would be instantly surrounded if he were to make a rash decision.

‘This is bad. I can’t infiltrate this place at all. I will need to bring the imperial army and just hit them head-on,’ Siegfried thought while taking shelter under a tree.

The security around the dam made it clear that he couldn’t solve everything by himself.

This time, he needed an army, and a very powerful army at that.

Unfortunately, the Proatine Empire’s imperial army would have to cross into the border to reach the dam, which meant that they would be forced to take on the Marchioni Empire’s fortresses.

In other words, it was impossible for the Proatine Imperial Army to reach the dam.

‘Am I supposed to do this alone? Or should I just play it safe?’

He knew it would be suicidal, but he felt he had no other choice.

If things continued like this, then the Marchioni Empire would successfully collapse the mountain behind the dam. With that, the enormous volume of water stored in the dam would come crashing down onto the Proatine Empire, completely flooding it.

Siegfried knew that he had a week at most. He had to stop the Marchioni Empire from destroying the mountain within that time.

‘Should I go for it alone? Or not?’.

“Kyuuu! Don’t be impatient, owner punk! Don’t you have at least a day or two? Just keep watching and look for an opening!” Hamchi exclaimed.

“You think so?”

“Yes! Don’t get impatient, owner punk! What if it’s a trap? Just be patient! Kyuuu!”

“Okay.”

Siegfried decided to listen to Hamchi’s advice rather than recklessly charge in and fall into a trap.

Two days later...

Shwaaaa...!

The torrential downpour continued uninterrupted for three whole days.

Siegfried searched the perimeter of the dam whenever he could, hoping to look for any gaps he could exploit.

Unfortunately, the security was still airtight despite the downpour.

“This won’t do. I guess I’ll have to storm in.”

In the end, Siegfried finally decided to carry out the operation all by himself.

“At this rate, we'll run out of time—”

Just as he gripped his +10 Sky Piercer and prepared to rush at the knights.

Shwaaaaa!

He heard the sound of water pouring from afar.

The heavy rains had been going on for three whole days now, so the dam was on the brink of overflowing. The Marchioni Empire was forced to open the sluice gates to release the water.

“Kyuuuu! They opened the gates! It’s an opportunity, owner punk!” Hamchi cried out.

“What opportunity?” Siegfried asked, tilting his head in confusion.

“You’re strong enough to withstand the water pressure, no?! Kyuuu!”

“Yeah, I am. But what about it?”

“That means we can climb up from below and plant bombs around the dam! Kyuuu!”

“Oh?!”

“The bombs will destroy the sluice gates, and the water will surge toward the Marchioni Empire’s side! Kyuuu!”

Going upstream against the water being released from the dam sounded like an absurd plan, as the water pressure alone would be strong enough to blow almost anything away, but it was possible.

“Hmm...”

Siegfried considered Hamchi’s idea and thought that it was pretty good. He was strong enough to withstand the water pressure long enough to plant the bombs around the dam.

“It sounds like a good idea. We don’t have anything to lose if it fails, so let’s do it,” Siegfried said.

“Kyuuu! That’s right, owner punk! And if you hide behind the water, those Marchioni bastards can’t see you!”

“Okay. Let’s go!”

Siegfried had a stock of C4 High-Power Miniature Explosives in his inventory, so he decided that Hamchi’s idea was well worth a shot.

***

Siegfried went down to the riverbed located downstream and dove straight into the water. Then, he swam all the way to the bottom of the river before swimming upstream against the current.

The dam was releasing an immense volume of water, so the power of the current was no joke. Any ordinary person attempting to push against this current would be swept away in mere seconds—no, they would be swept away the moment they jumped into the river.

However, Siegfried was different.

Swoosh!

He spread open his wings and used them like fins as he surged against the current. The wings were so powerful that they propelled him like a torpedo, and he was so fast that it was like he was completely unaffected by the water current.

While he was swimming against the current, a notification popped up in front of his eyes.

Ding!

[Alert: You have acquired a new title!]

The details of the newly acquired title were displayed before him.

[I Am a Salmon!]

[Like a salmon that swims upstream against flowing rivers...]

[From the lyrics of a certain popular song.]

[A title given to one who manages to swim upstream through a river where going against the current is supposed to be absolutely impossible.]

[Type: Title]

[Rating: Legendary]

[Effects:]

- +200% Speed when swimming upstream

- +200% Strength when swimming upstream

The title effects activated the moment he obtained it.

[Alert: The effects of I Am a Salmon! have been activated!]

[Alert: Your Speed has increased by 200%!]

[Alert: Your Strength has increased by 200%!]

BWOOOOOSH!

Siegfried tore through the raging current and swam upstream at breakfin speeds, just like a salmon.

Thanks to the effects of the "I Am a Salmon!" title, Siegfried reached the sluice gate in the blink of an eye.

However, the real challenge had just begun.

Shwaaaaaa!

There was so much water being discharged from the dam that the kinetic energy of the falling torrent was beyond imagination. However, Siegfried easily slipped right behind the torrent of water, and he soon began scaling the dam wall, sticking close to it.

Then, he installed the C4 High-Power Miniature Explosives as he went.

Using the +10 Sky Piercer to drill holes into the walls, he shoved the C4 High-Power Miniature Explosives inside just like how tunnel diggers would insert dynamite into holes.

Of course, this was no easy task.

Some of the spots required him to take the torrent of water head-on while clinging to the wall, and he was forced to activate the Shield of Malice and cling tightly to the dam wall while withstanding the pushback effect with Hyper Armor.

Thanks to the knockback immunity effect of Hyper Armor, he was able to endure the cruising water pressure trying to drag him downstream and continue installing the C4 High-Power Miniature Explosives.

***

Meanwhile, Grand Duke Neighdelberg left the imperial capital of the Marchioni Empire and headed toward the dam.

‘I have to succeed this time. This is my last chance.’

He knew that this was his final opportunity, so there could be no mistakes.

Thus, he decided to personally inspect the ongoing work in the dam and check with his own eyes whether everything was progressing smoothly or not.

“His Excellency Grand Duke Neighdelberg has arrived!”

“Salute to the Grand Duke!”

The soldiers of the Marchioni Empire, who had been working hard under the torrential downpour, immediately stopped what they were doing and lined up in rows.

When Grand Duke Neighdelberg arrived, the soldiers all saluted him in unison.

“Loyalty!”

“Loyalty!”

“Loyalty!”

“You have all worked hard. Once this operation is completed successfully, His Imperial Majesty will bestow upon you a great reward. So see to it that you give your very best until the very end,” Grand Duke Neighdelberg said.

“Yes, Your Excellency!”

The soldiers responded in unison and returned to their work with renewed focus and vigor.

Grand Duke Neighdelberg turned to the commander overseeing the operation and asked, “How much longer will it take?”

“The operation is scheduled to be completed within three days, Your Excellency.”

“Not a single mistake will be tolerated. Do you understand? Make sure you check every single thing, every nook and cranny around the dam.”

“As you command, Your Excellency!”

Grand Duke Neighdelberg repeatedly warned the commander to be vigilant at all times. After all, his very life was on the line, so he couldn’t help but press the commander far more than usual.

The commander smiled and said confidently, “Please, be assured, Your Excellency. Everything is proceeding smoothly.”

“Even so, you must not let your guard down. Tell the men to remain vigilant at all times,” Grand Duke Neighdelberg warned.

“As you command, Your Excellency!”

“This time, we cannot fail. We must not—”

Kaboom!

A massive explosion thundered from where the water was being discharged.

“...!”

Both Grand Duke Neighdelberg and the commander froze.

‘No way... Is it perhaps...?’

A thought flashed across Grand Duke Neighdelberg’s mind in that instant, and his face turned ghastly pale.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Kaboom!

A chain of explosions was triggered, and the dam that had been releasing water from its sluice gates began to collapse.

Rumble!

The dam collapsed, and the enormous volume of water within it erupted like a tidal wave. To the grand duke’s horror, the water was not headed toward the Proatine Empire, but toward the Marchioni Empire’s territory.