The Skeleton Soldier Failed to Defend the Dungeon

"W-what is that?"

The gathered humans murmured.

"Isn't that a crossbow…?"

"What kind of crossbow is that big?! It's ten times larger than a ballista!"

"Who's going to pull that?"

"It won't reach all the way here… right?"

Though it was hundreds of meters away, some humans instinctively stepped back.

Next to them, the green-robed man explained to me in a smooth, polite tone, "That is the Messenger of Grassmere. A violent envoy for those who refuse to listen to words. To explain more precisely, it's a machine…"

That was when it happened.

[Engineering Lv. 3!]

[Activating Machine Analysis automatically!]

A massive machine appeared atop the fortress wall. I could see the structure and the operating principle at a glance.

Rumble!

Levers and chain gears turned.

Crack!

The sound of wood splintering reached all the way to where we stood. A massive iron pillar had been launched, shattering three carts below the fortress wall at once.

The operator was nowhere to be seen, likely inside the machine. The soldiers screamed and tumbled backward. Those closest to the carts covered their faces with their hands and rolled on the ground multiple times.

Hmm.

From the moment of preparation to launch, the stress points became evident, with acceleration and elasticity clearly highlighted.

"That's an inefficient operation…"

It certainly was. The design was excellent, but the way it was being operated had multiple flaws.

"If they keep using it like that, it won't last long."

"What, what did you say?" The green-robed man jumped in...