Chapter 53
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Seizing the Adamantium
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Coincidentally, a chandelier hung right above the guards. I placed my hand on the wall. Then I used Metal Decomposition on the steel chain holding the chandelier.
The steel chain turned to steel dust and scattered in the wind. The chandelier came crashing straight down onto the guards. In the blink of an eye, the two guards who couldn't dodge took direct hits.
No experience points came in, so they weren't dead, but they seemed knocked out cold and didn't get up.
Luckily, only one guard who avoided the chandelier stood there with a dazed look. He snapped to his senses and reached for his radio.
Right as he was about to say something into it, I created a dagger with Metal Generation and stabbed him in the throat. He gurgled and went limp.
「Job experience points have increased. (Solo Party Bonus +150%) (Enemy Territory Kill Bonus +200%)」
I confirmed the experience message and cleanly finished off the unconscious guards as well.
Just moments ago, after seeing the underground prison, killing the guards didn't bring any guilt. Not that they seemed human anyway.
I placed my hand on the door to the Hall of Stars. With a creepy creak, it closed. After this much commotion, followers of the Salvation Church would swarm in soon.
Before that, I had to steal the adamantium fragment. I aimed my acid shotgun at the reinforced glass. Bang! One shot. Bang! Two shots. Bang! Crash! The third shattered it.
But that wasn't the end. I still had to break the spherical container around the adamantium fragment.
Unlike how it looked completely transparent inside, it was made of solid mithril, so smashing it wasn't easy. Of course, as a Mechanic, I had no reason to smash it.
'Might as well take the mithril too.' Even in Scenario 2, mithril was still a rare metal. I could use it to build maintenance androids.
I decomposed the mithril sphere with Metal Decomposition. The adamantium fragment inside gleamed beautifully, as if welcoming me.
「Acquired Adamantium Fragment x1.」
「Detected traces of advanced civilization. Job skill experience points increased.」
I'd forgotten the adamantium fragment had this effect too.
「Metal Decomposition level has risen to 5.」
「Metal Generation level has risen to 3.」 About time, I thought. I stuffed the mithril fragments into my backpack and headed deeper into the Hall of Stars.
To use the secret passage. But suddenly, the wall started moving. Someone was coming in through the secret passage.
Whoever was coming in had to be an 'enemy.' I aimed my acid shotgun at the wall.
Finally, the wall opened. And who stepped out but the bishop I'd seen earlier.
He looked panicked at the sight of me and opened his mouth to shout something, but I pulled the trigger on my acid shotgun. Bang! Bang! Bang! Three shots to the chest sent him tumbling backward.
Then zombies appeared behind him. He hadn't come completely defenseless, it seemed. They must have figured no intruder knew about the secret passage.
The zombies charged at the death of their master. They weren't regular zombies—they were variants.
But I'd hunted variant zombies until I was sick of them. Anything short of a Tyrant-level 'monster' was just easy prey now.
I dodged the Jumper's leap and pressed my acid shotgun to its head, firing point-blank. Bang! Its fluids splattered on my face. I shook my head to flick it off and charged the next zombie.
「Job experience points have increased. (2-Person Party Bonus +160%) (Enemy Territory Kill Bonus +200%) (Chain Kill Bonus +200%)」
"?"
After wiping out the zombies, I glanced at the message in confusion. 2-person party bonus? Why? As I stood there thinking, boom! An explosion shattered the door.
And who emerged from it but...
"Whoever the fuck you are, you're dead. Making my life hell?"
He looked a bit different than before, but it was Goyle.
That bastard was here. I threw myself into the secret passage. At almost the same moment, his psychokinetic blast came flying.
The psychokinetic blast that hit me bounced off the floor. Thanks to the player mutual attack ban. I slammed the secret passage door shut.
Using a psychokinetic blast meant his level had shot up high. Maybe even past mine now.
But with the mutual attack ban, his attacks weren't a big issue. The problem was the chapel followers. If they teamed up with Goyle...
I'd be in deep trouble. No matter how many obstacles I put up, he could just psychokinetically shove them aside, forcing me to face the followers head-on.
'At least he hasn't figured out who I am.'
If he had, the cursing would've been worse. Well, he'd catch on eventually. Boom! An explosion from behind. I didn't need to look.
I knew it was Goyle breaking through the door I'd blocked.
"You fucking cunt!"
I wondered what English curse translated to that transcendent 'cunt.'
He seemed about to use psychokinesis, and my body glowed green. Naturally, it didn't work. Fucking hell. I fired a few acid shotgun rounds at him.
Not to hit, just to scare him. With the mutual attack ban applying both ways, even direct hits would've hurt less than rubber bullets.
But it didn't even faze him—he deflected them with a psychokinetic barrier. His eyes burned with rage.
I had no choice but to run like hell again.
At least the good news was our distance was growing. Psychos and Mechanics had the same agility stats, after all.
With my Aegis boosting agility, and him needing to concentrate for every psychokinetic use, it was natural.
'Even accounting for that, looks like my level's higher.'
"You bastard, running away!?"
With his mad shout, a skittering noise came from the ceiling.
Crazy fucker.
I muttered inwardly and threw myself forward. A massive concrete chunk crashed down right where I'd been. Once the gap widened, he'd collapsed the ceiling entirely.
Classic Goyle move. Luckily, the concrete blocked his path too, not just threatening me. I shook him off safely.
But now I was far from the chapel exit. This secret passage didn't just lead out—it connected all over the chapel.
'This is Secret Passage B...'
Secret Passage B.
The one to the underground prison. Honestly, recalling the guards' gear from earlier, I didn't want to go there... but no other choice now.
I opened Secret Passage B and stepped in.
"W-What!?"
Only one guard inside. He aimed his gun at the entrance, turned at the door sound, and jumped in shock.
I pulled the trigger on him. Bang! His power suit crumpled. But no penetration. His submachine gun spat fire in return.
I shielded my face—my only real weak spot—with my arm. Ting! Ting! Ting! Bullets sparked off Aegis and ricocheted. Once the barrage stopped, I peeked out.
A few more shots flew. Fishing for me? But this burst ended quick. Probably emptied his mag. In that split second...
I rushed in, smashed him down with a fist, aimed my acid shotgun at his face, and fired. Despite its insane power, against something as pitifully small as a human face...
It burrowed into his skull, churning his head to mush. Blood poured from the wound. I looked inside the cell.
The prisoners stared in terror—and curiosity. Among them, the guy who'd glared daggers and reached through the bars earlier.
I touched the bars. They creaked grotesquely and crumpled. The prisoners' jaws dropped. I made an opening big enough for one and said to them,
"Sorry about earlier. I'm not with the Salvation Church, actually. Shelter A..."
I started to explain when another guard burst in. Like a damn sausage train. I fired—lucky headshot. His head burst like a balloon. Headshot!
"Jason..."
"He's a new resident of Shelter A's Team Apocalypse now."
"Ah... No need to explain. I get it. Thanks for saving us."
"To get out of here..."
The man with his thigh half-gouged stripped the guard's power suit and put it on. The next guy did the same.
"Let's raid the armory first! Then wipe these fuckers out!"
"That might be tough. I'm all for the armory, but let's focus on escaping. Any room left at the shelter?"
I nodded.
"You're all welcome."
If we secured power from this, we could stably maintain the sentry guns. With stable food and water too, we could house hundreds of survivors.
And like with power, I was confident I could secure those stably. Piece of cake. With that thought, I led them out of the underground prison.
The chapel was pure chaos. A few followers milling about, unsure of the commotion, ate bullets and toppled.