Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Arrival at Iron Robotics
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Not a single spot of rust marred the sleek frame, as if it were pleading to be used right away. No need to refuse. Yuseong immediately tried to don the new powered exoskeleton.
But the powered exoskeleton didn't move.
'No power.'
A twinge of annoyance crept in. If they were going to give it anyway, wouldn't it have been better to charge it at least a little?
'Whatever. Getting a new one is more than enough.'
Power was continuously generated from the fully operational solar generator anyway. Yuseong pulled over the cable connected to the generator's battery and plugged it into the powered exoskeleton.
Keeeng!
The charging indicator light on the powered exoskeleton lit up. Now, Yuseong finally activated the new powered exoskeleton.
Whirrr!
A light operational hum. Unlike the old powered exoskeleton that had squeaked and groaned as if it were hard to move, the sound alone was different. Yuseong lightly climbed onto the powered exoskeleton.
Vrrrrm!
Each component moved smoothly, enveloping Yuseong's body. He couldn't help but feel moved by the smooth yet powerful motion.
He tried moving his arm. Unlike the old powered exoskeleton, which had a sluggish response, the new one reacted instantly the moment Yuseong applied even a slight force to his arm.
This time, he took a step. Just that single step made the output difference between the old and new powered exoskeletons starkly apparent.
'Perfect!'
Almost all the issues he'd felt with the old powered exoskeleton were gone.
'I won't know about the battery capacity until some time passes, but it should be fine.'
No way the battery would be the only problem when everything else was this perfect.
'It could be that malicious, I suppose.'
Though this mysterious power didn't seem entirely on his side, he didn't think it was that malicious either.
Even the thing he considered the most malicious—Arc's access restriction—had shown some signs beforehand, hadn't it?
'And battery capacity and efficiency can be checked over time anyway.'
The only regrettable part was the lack of external armor or auxiliary components on the powered exoskeleton.
'The main frame showed up at 1,000,000 attention, so the other parts probably require even more. That's why I haven't gotten them yet.'
There were tons of combat-useful parts: external armor, stealth systems, infrared visors, amplifiers, aiming aids, and more.
But he had no idea where to get them.
'Might it be listed here?'
Yuseong turned his gaze to the newly appeared map in the Purchase Window.
Map 3 (1,000km).
It indicated a vastly larger area than any map he'd seen before.
'I should buy this too.'
Considering the maps he'd bought so far, this one's scale would be proportionally larger for the area it covered. And that would make it more cumbersome to carry around.
But Yuseong wasn't worried.
'I can scan it and store it on the computer.'
He'd already done that with the other maps, saving them to his portable computer.
'And the price is reasonable.'
100,000G.
A little while ago, he might have grumbled that it was expensive, but after seeing several items far pricier, his sense of money must have gone numb—it didn't feel that bad.
'The area is ten times bigger, so the price being about ten times more makes sense.'
Unlike Otherworld Transfer, where the time was only tripled but the price quintupled.
'The rest look good too.'
A solar generator and battery had appeared. That completely eliminated power worries. There was also mid-grade potion from Arc. It must have appeared right away thanks to the variety of potions Cooking Day had packed for him before leaving.
And with that, the sorting of the new items was done.
As Yuseong pondered when and how to use these items,
A quest window suddenly popped up in front of him.
Quest: Item Collection
Explore this world and transport useful items to the other world.
Reward: Varies by item value (deducted if damaged or parts missing)
'A new quest.'
After experiencing Arc's access restriction once, the quest window didn't look entirely favorable anymore. But it was also true that quests were opportunities to make money.
'And if I don't, it might cut off Arc access again.'
He really wanted no part of that.
'Anyway, transport items...'
It had demanded tech until now, but now it was asking for tangible objects outright.
'Now that I can carry luggage, that's probably why.'
Yuseong's eyes sharpened.
'Is the entity demanding tech the same one demanding items? If so, does that mean it's in the other world?'
That seemed likely. But for now, it was still just inference.
'Either way, I need to diligently transport stuff.'
It wouldn't be hard. The moment the cooldown ended, Yuseong would head to the other world again. He could transport items while he was at it.
'Might as well think about what to take.'
Yuseong began recalling the items he had.
* * *
Crunch!
The new powered exoskeleton crushed the contaminated ground. Yuseong felt immensely satisfied with the clearly superior output in that single footprint.
But he couldn't afford to bask in joy alone.
This godforsaken world was always brimming with danger.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He unleashed a barrage at the charging beast. Soon enough, it rolled onto the ground.
How many was this now? Yuseong unwittingly wiped the sweat trickling down his cheek.
It was something he always encountered outside, but risking his life never got any easier. Moreover, he was far more tense than usual right now.
'As expected, unknown paths are tough.'
Yuseong activated the computer on his wrist. A hologram appeared, displaying the map he'd scanned.
'Strategy Guide, how much farther?'
【We'll arrive before sunset.】
Yuseong let out a deep breath.
Normally, he hated staying out until the day changed. If he had no choice but to stay a few days, he just didn't sleep.
Sleeping outside was extremely dangerous. Even now, with ample supplies thanks to Arc, Yuseong couldn't dream of sleeping outdoors.
But this time, his destination was far enough that he'd have to sleep at least once.
What changed Yuseong's mind was gaining the ability to carry possessions to the other world and buying the powered exoskeleton.
Ever since acquiring Otherworld Transfer, Yuseong had one thought.
Could he use this as an escape method in crises?
If an overwhelming number of beasts charged or he unluckily ran into a monster, transferring to the other world was as foolproof an evacuation as it got.
No, it could even serve as a travel method, not just emergency evac.
Even on expeditions far from his base, with Otherworld Transfer, he could go to the other world's second-floor house and then straight back to base.
He hadn't used those methods until now because only his body could transfer.
Even if he rushed back to base quickly or saved his life in an emergency, all his gear would be left behind at the point of transfer.
Guns were fine, at least. It hurt to lose them, but now he could buy them from the Purchase Window as long as he had money.
But not the powered exoskeleton.
Worn out with nearly all functions degraded and looking shabby, it had still kept Yuseong alive somehow.
Losing that powered exoskeleton? It was a lifesaver, meaning without it, his life would be in grave danger.
Emergency evac was unavoidable.
No matter how important the item, it wasn't more important than his life. Risking his life to protect the very thing meant to preserve it would be utterly backward.
But the drop in survival odds afterward was inescapable.
If even emergency evac was like that, abandoning the powered exoskeleton for mere travel?
Absurd. Better to blow his own head off with the NK-4. At least that way, it'd be quick and painless.
But now that powered exoskeletons were in the shop window, everything changed.
'I can lose guns and powered exoskeletons now.'
Sure, it'd cost a pretty penny, but better than no way to get them at all.
So now, he could explore slightly more dangerous places.
The first place Yuseong thought of was two full days away.
He could round trip without sleep, but he'd shelved it due to risks from sleep deprivation impairing judgment and beasts growing more dangerous at night.
With emergency evac now possible, he judged it feasible.
'It's tempting.'
Yuseong recalled the clearly displayed Otherworld Transfer in the Purchase Window. The ability, which spent most of its time on cooldown, now shone vividly, tempting him to press it.
He wanted to hit it right away. But since he'd chosen a long-distance expedition, Otherworld Transfer wasn't just for enjoying a beautiful world.
It was his lifeline.
Yuseong suppressed the urge to transfer to that beautiful world immediately.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
If it were before, he'd avoid beasts as much as possible and only hunt when unavoidable, but now Yuseong moved in a straight line without detours, eliminating every beast he encountered.
He judged that saving time was better, even if a bit riskier.
Of course, it was courage enabled by emergency evac.
Still, he avoided beasts that looked obviously too dangerous at a glance.
And so, Yuseong reached his destination.
'Finally...!'
Yuseong rejoiced at the massive building sprawling before him.
Iron Robotics.
The factory of the company that produced and supplied robots before the world ended stood before his eyes.
* * *
Before civilization collapsed, humanity mobilized every means to preserve the species.
One of those was robots.
Having already replaced most labor with sufficiently advanced technology, humanity naturally deployed robots en masse in warfare too.
From munitions production to transport to direct combat.
Moreover, while monsters and beasts relentlessly targeted living beings like humans, they showed little interest in inanimate robots unless provoked.
Robots' value soared accordingly.
The vast site before him was the base that produced those robots.
Yuseong looked at the factory with a pounding heart.
'Will anything intact be left?'
Robots had endless uses.
He could make them fight enemies, carry heavy loads easily, or stand guard if forced to spend the night outside.
And beyond that, exploiting monsters' disinterest in them opened many possibilities.
'Sending them to scout dangerous areas or fetch needed items from the city.'
Anyway, if he found any, they'd help.
'Just one. If I find even one, that'll do.'
The odds were high it'd register in the Purchase Window. Sure, now that powered exoskeletons had been added, it'd need high attention, but surely it'd register next time items were added.
'And even one would boost my combat power plenty.'
Even if not combat-oriented, it could haul luggage or act as a meat shield in worst-case scenarios.
'But combat type would be best.'
And the odds favored that. Before the world's end, battlefields were likely where robots were most needed.
'Tech would be nice too.'
Robot tech would fetch a good price from the system.
'Let's go in.'
Yuseong suppressed his excited anticipation.
It was still just a building interior. Beasts were surely inside.
The main gate was open. Rifle at the ready, he slowly stepped into the grounds.