Past.
One day, while shopping to lift her mood, Woo Chaerin spotted a hamster trapped behind a small glass wall. The tiny rodent was fervently spinning a small wheel.
“...”
Woo Chaerin squatted down, pressing down on the beanie crookedly set on her head.
The wheel was uncomfortably small compared to the hamster’s body. But there was no other contraption. All it could do was spin the uncomfortable wheel.
It was just like her.
The societal wheel she had worked so hard to enter was too tight for her.
Returning to the present.
“Chaerin, could you organize this Excel file?”
“Oh, yes... Um, but the personal research project I mentioned last time...”
“Shouldn’t you be finishing up your tasks at the lab first? You didn’t come here for personal research, did you?”
“Ah, yes...”
The least efficient person in the lab was talking down to the one who completed the most work. She thought so but didn’t respond. She had learned this through experience.
Even if she countered by saying, “I’ve done dozens of times more work than you,” it would be dismissed with a twisted argument, as if she were being lazy.
She had learned that exclusion didn’t follow logic or reason.
She had thought everything could be solved logically, but not people. In this lab, which ran more on mood than on productivity, opportunities never came for Woo Chaerin, who was outside the mainstream.
Was she destined to live like this?
Probably. She had no alternatives, and she wasn’t about to abandon all the effort she had invested in favor of a new challenge. Statistically, that would be an unstable decision.
She’d have to endure it, accumulate some experience, and then move on. Currently, Woo Chaerin was just a researcher, with nothing to show for it other than a few awards from her school days.
If this was the situation here, in a place that gathered all the so-called “smartest minds” of Korea, it would likely be the same at other research labs.
“I hate this...”
Maybe someone...
Maybe someone would suddenly appear, recognize her talents, and offer her a fortune. She’d bump into an oil-rich Middle Eastern prince and end up employed at a foreign lab.
Or maybe she’d win a massive lottery on a whim and become rich overnight. Or someone might stumble upon her research paper and headhunt her.
But that’s just fantasy.
There’s no way things like that would—
“I enjoyed your paper. There’s an opening for the head position in a research group I’m creating called Stellaria . Would you consider it?”
“...What?”
...That couldn’t actually happen, right?
A wealthy foreigner unexpectedly visited the lab and offered Woo Chaerin the head position. It wasn’t a position one would typically offer to someone who wasn’t even thirty. The shock was evident in the widened eyes of her fellow researchers, proof of how far-fetched it seemed.
So, naturally, she thought to be suspicious. But somehow, it felt strangely familiar. She even found the bouquet oddly pleasing.
Gordius followed up with another offer.
“If you accept now, I’ll give you a fortune in gems.”
“That’s... not really the issue here?”
“Would you prefer cash over gems, then?”
“Well, um... Have we met somewhere before?”
Gordius’s expression darkened as he suppressed his emotions, trying to remain as calm as possible.
“This is our first meeting.”
“...”
“If you need time to think—”
“I’ll do it.”
After a long pause, Woo Chaerin accepted Gordius’s offer.
What moved her wasn’t the offer itself, but the hint of a tear glistening in his eyes.
Was he moved to tears by my paper?
===============================================================
Gordius took Woo Chaerin to a newly established research facility, created in a flash thanks to an extravagant budget. The gigantic facility was something out of a movie, leaving the young scientist wide-eyed.
“This is Stellaria . And this here is Joseph, the investor.”
“...Hello, Joseph. You must have spent a lot on this facility?”
“That’s because this thug of a wizard forced me—mph!”
“Alright, old man, stop getting in the way and move along.”
Joseph, the investor, seemed to have something more to say but was swiftly dragged away by a middle school-aged girl who appeared from behind.
“...And who’s she?”
“The pilot, Kim Yoon-seo.”
“Pilot? Is this... a place where you build planes or something?”
“A giant robot, actually.”
“Excuse me?”
Did I hear that right?
Gordius began explaining in front of the bewildered Woo Chaerin.
“A disaster is coming that will collapse human civilization. Neither science nor magic alone can face it. Only by merging these two fields can we overcome it... and that’s why we need you.”
Is this some kind of cult?
“Um... I think I came to the wrong place. Where’s the exit?”
“I know it sounds strange. But technology doesn’t lie... You’ll understand once you see it for yourself.”
Gordius, smiling confidently, pressed a button.
With a rumbling sound, the barrier lifted, revealing the glowing eyes of a five-meter-tall prototype robot. Accompanied by the hum of the magical engine, the metallic giant moved smoothly.
The robot lifted a truck, placed nearby for testing, with ease, then set it down again. Woo Chaerin’s mind was filled with question marks.
CG effects, maybe?
Woo Chaerin ran over, her lab coat billowing behind her. The truck was loaded with rocks, making it extremely heavy, and the giant robot wasn’t a hollow shell.
It was a fully functioning machine. She could feel it.
The thought that these might just be madmen preparing for the end of the world disappeared from her mind. Instead, she was filled with a desire to understand how they built this, to take it apart herself.
“How? How is this even possible?”
“The Magic Engine. It’s a masterpiece born from the collaboration of a genius scientist and a wizard. I’ve prepared textbooks, so you have a day to study.”
“A day?”
“We’re short on time. We have two weeks to complete the giant robot.”
“But the giant robot is already complete, isn’t it? Do you need to enhance its performance?”
She asked while knocking on the five-meter-tall robot, but Gordius quietly shook his head. Then he explained Stellaria 's immediate goal.
“One hundred meters.”
“...?”
“The size of the Meteor , the giant extermination unit for the Great Beast , is one hundred meters.”
“You mean you plan to build a one-hundred-meter-tall robot in two weeks, not just ten meters?”
Are they insane?
===============================================================
They weren’t insane.
“ Weight Reduction , Hand of the Earth .”
“...?”
Gordius was a wizard. A real wizard like the ones from movies and fiction.
He showed off an astonishing technique, reducing the weight of materials and assembling the giant robot with earthen hands, without needing manpower or power. With the materials and parts in place, a one-hundred-meter-tall robot was no longer just a dream.
It was terrifying. This machine called the Magic Engine held limitless potential. Its main feature was the ability to convert between magic and electricity.
A hundred-meter-tall giant robot wrapped in a new power called magic. With it, a pilot with bad intentions could potentially overthrow a nation.
(Woo Chaerin was slightly frightened by the thought that Stellaria might be a large-scale terrorist organization.)
But for now... it was an electricity-guzzling behemoth.
Because Earth lacked ambient magical energy, they had to convert electricity into magic through the Magic Engine.
“Quite?! They’re drawing so much power that we’re pulling electricity from China and Japan—”
“Joseph, I noticed your bank account still has half of its funds left. We should have enough budget, so don’t worry.”
“How am I supposed to not worry when there’s a thief next to me who’s already wiped out half my fortune?!”
“Joseph, wasn’t it a worthwhile investment? No regrets, right?”
“Does it look like I’m regretting this, kid...?!”
She had adjusted to this atmosphere.
Joseph was Stellaria ’s piggy bank and ranked lowest in the hierarchy.
Middle-school-aged Kim Yoon-seo was ranked second and could move with almost tiger-like agility, likely due to her ability to handle magic.
“...Is everything going well?”
“Oh, yes. Everything is going smoothly.”
“I expected as much from you.”
“...”
And the man who occasionally cast complex glances at her, Gordius, held the top rank. He displayed an unusual amount of trust in Woo Chaerin for some reason.
Gordius possessed all the knowledge needed for forging the giant robot. He meticulously raised the completion level of Meteor using Joseph’s funds, with no gaps where Woo Chaerin could contribute.
It was as if a researcher much more capable than her had laid the groundwork.
A perfect superior counterpart. She thought few people were smarter than her, yet here she was, indirectly encountering someone following the same path with far superior abilities. She felt envious.
It felt like what she’d be if she were risking everything on research in the future.
Since Gordius had chosen her, she had to be worthy of that choice. And the pressure was building.
So, what was she working on?
“We need to prepare for Phase 3
.”The last-ditch self-destruct attack that an unknown entity called the Great Beast was said to unleash at death’s door. Humanity wouldn’t win unless that was erased.
The giant robot wasn’t the key. That would be completed within two weeks with Gordius around.
The key was the theory to nullify the rampage pattern.
Days passed. And Woo Chaerin gradually learned more about Gordius. He wasn’t insane, but sharp-minded, unusually lenient towards her, and had a striking back.
His eyes burned with a sense of duty, and his testimonies were consistent, leading Woo Chaerin to believe in the emergence of the Great Beast . It was hard to dismiss as fantasy, especially coming from a wizard.
A sense of duty began to sprout.
Only Stellaria knew of the world’s impending doom. People, oblivious, continued their peaceful daily lives, with festivals happening in Seoul as recently as yesterday.
Imagining this civilization and peace being erased...
“...Yoon-seo? Could you bring me some energy drinks? Thre—”
“Three bottles?”
“Three boxes.”
There was no time to rest.
She studied, calculated, formulated equations, experimented. Another day passed, with caffeine coursing through her system. She studied and discussed, racing like a runaway train.
And then, a week before the Great Beast 's anticipated appearance, in the quiet of night...
“...Goldie, Goldie!”
Thud!
Woo Chaerin dashed down the hallway, clutching a sheet of paper. She had figured it out.
Engrossed in intellectual euphoria, she was sprinting when she collided with someone around a dark corner. Thud.
“Ow...!”
“Ugh...!”
Fortunately, her impact was cushioned by the other person, so she wasn’t hurt. Woo Chaerin steadied herself on the person’s chest, ready to dash off again.
“Are you okay? Never mind, I’ll apologize later. I’m a bit busy now... Goldie?”
“...Chaerin?”
Adjusting her glasses, she realized the person she had collided with was the very one she’d been searching for. Gordius, too, looked like he had been rushing, his clothes disheveled.
And... he also held a sheet of paper in his hand.
Their eyes met in the dim light. There was an inexplicable sense of fate. Could they possibly be thinking the same thing? She had a feeling they were.
“...”
“...”
With slight tension and anticipation.
“Chaerin, it seems we have something to say to each other.”
“Shall we say it together on the count of three?”
“Let’s.”
One, two.
As the countdown ended, the wizard and scientist spoke their conclusions in unison.
Three.
“We’ll amplify the Magic Engine’s conversion properties to disassemble the Great Beast 's final spell using electricity.”
“By maximizing the Magic Engine’s power conversion, we’ll transform the Great Beast 's rampage pattern into a storm of lightning.”
“I planned the design around magic...”
“I centered it on science to ensure stability without variables...”
Wait, what?
“...”
“...”
Immediately, they grabbed each other’s papers to examine.
Ten minutes later.
“Magic is the key! This approach won’t be efficient for machinery. If you’ve forgotten the second formula on page 233 of the textbook I gave you, I’ll remind you. The coefficient p adjusts depending on the—”
“Goldie, use your brain! You keep treating magic as the core, but our power infrastructure is solid, so why bother using the sparse magic in the atmosphere? Just use what’s available and keep it simple!”
Wizard and scientist wrestled, collar-grabbing and tumbling around.
After three hours of a marathon meeting, they finally completed the blueprint for the special equipment, Meteor Fall , which would mark the end of the battle against the Great Beast .
===============================================================
An enormous construction site had sprung up in the city center. With walls all around it to obstruct the view, people speculated that a large department store was being built.
In reality, it was a launch site for the giant robot, Meteor . Hidden from observation through magical camouflage, it remained undiscovered.
The cockpit of Meteor was open, and Gordius and Kim Yoon-seo sat on its shoulder, gazing into the distance.
The Great Beast would emerge from the rift that would tear through that space.
The headset buzzed as communication from the control room connected. Watching the Great Beast ’s anticipated entry point on the large screen, Woo Chaerin spoke to Gordius.
“-...It’ll come, right?”
“It will.”
“-Goldie, what if... it doesn’t? What if your prophecy spell was wrong and this giant robot is just a massive overreaction?”
Gordius, feeling the breeze against his cheek, replied calmly.
“Then that would be fortunate. Are you worried about losing your job? I’ve given you enough money to ensure you won’t have to worry about that.”
-“I reinvested all that money into Meteor . If the fate of the world depends on it, how could I keep that money?”
“The future Joseph did.”
There was static as Joseph interrupted over the line, sounding irate.
-I didn’t know, damn it! How could I know that a monster impervious to nukes would appear?! Anyway, if this Great Beast doesn’t show up, you better be prepared. Got it?!
“What could you do when half your fortune is now a giant robot?”
-You...!
“Just kidding. I’ll conjure some gems or something for you, Joseph. Thanks to your investment, humanity has a fighting chance.”
-Joseph just left. He said he was embarrassed.
Woo Chaerin picked up the conversation again.
“Chaerin?”
-“Yes, Goldie?”
“Once this is over, let’s have a meal together...”
- Pfft...
“Don’t laugh. I’ll sue for emotional damages.”
While Woo Chaerin stifled a laugh at Gordius’s awkward invitation—
Boom.
A thunderous sound that shook the soul echoed. It was earlier than expected.
-Three hours early. Goldie, is this a dangerous variable?
“No. Probably... the Magic Engine’s use of magic sped up the Great Beast 's summoning. It’s not a problem.”
We’re ready.
Crack, crackle!
The empty streets glowed red with the sunset. Evacuations were already completed, ensuring there would be no casualties, no matter how violently the beast rampaged.
The rift in the sky became visible, expanding with every rumble.
Simultaneously, it radiated dense, dark magic, as if it intended to consume the world.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
Gordius and Kim Yoon-seo boarded Meteor . The Magic Engine roared, and the massive one-hundred-meter colossus slowly began to move.
“Let’s go, Stellaria .”
-“All systems green. Take care, Goldie, Yoon-seo.”
“Joseph, watch closely! I’ll show you how I protect Earth!”
-Sure, kid. But why are you so warm toward me...?
It was beginning.
===============================================================
The Great Beast was pushing through the rift.
That was its arm.
A clawed limb resembling that of a beast reached out and gripped the middle of a nearby building, squeezing it as if it were a nuisance.
Crack!
The building was crushed in an instant. The concrete crumbled like soft stones, and the rebar inside twisted as if it were weightless. The severed building collapsed.
Rumble, rumble...
Yet, there were no screams.
The Great Beast tilted its head, sensing something strange. Why was there no sound of pain or fear? Instead... there was something opposite.
A foul scent wafted from the tent-covered construction site. The scent of determination and hope.
Whoosh. The tents lifted—
The giant robot finally revealed itself. Clad in silver armor, towering at a size comparable to the Great Beast , with the resonating hum of a powerful Magic Engine.
Its name:
The Meteor , Great Beast Extermination Weapon .
A titan created to crush the monster that sought to destroy human civilization!