Chapter 42
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Steel Tower (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Rinhite.
He was originally a mechanic living in the Steel District, but his exceptional talent caught the eye of the wrong people, dragging this unlucky man into their clutches.
He was one of the rare few who shuttled between the 1st and 4th floors, and a named NPC who could assist when entering the depths of the laboratory.
'He's still young at this point. Fresh-faced and easy on the eyes.'
Maybe it was because it was early in the timeline, but he looked noticeably more youthful than when viewed through the monitor.
He'd originally been a much more haggard, middle-aged man.
Rinhite, slumped on the floor, finally managed to speak.
"Wh-what are you people...?"
"Just stay still for a sec. You'll hurt yourself."
Sharing the joy of reunion was great, but there was urgent business first.
Bran rolled up Rinhite's pant leg.
A thick metal ring clamped around his bony ankle.
Shing.
Bran drew his longsword, and Rinhite's face went pale.
"W-wait a minute. What are you doing? This isn't something you can just cut off!"
"I know that."
Bran replied.
Only the chief administrator in the secret laboratory could release the shackles.
If you didn't follow the proper procedure, blades would instantly shoot out and sever the ankle—a vicious invention!
But tricks existed everywhere.
"Kael. Can you hold it steady?"
"Yeah. I think so."
Kael nodded.
He had already pulled out the control magic stone the jailer carried and gripped it tightly.
As Kael closed his eyes and focused his mind, a golden glow emanated from his palm.
Shiiiine...!
The moment the glow fully enveloped the magic stone, Bran placed his sword atop the shackle and sawed the hilt back and forth.
Slice. With a smooth metallic sound, the shackle snapped apart.
No internal blades emerged. The bisected shackle clattered to the floor.
Bran's lips curved upward.
"Success."
"H-how?!"
It was a trick usable only if you had a character whose mana circulation had reached the manifestation realm.
Coat the magic stone with personal mana to sever its link to the shackle, then slice it clean!
"Well done. You're getting much more adept at handling mana."
"Hehe, it's all thanks to Bran's help."
Praised, Kael grinned sheepishly.
Unlike Bran, who was still laying basic foundations, Kael's mana proficiency was improving by leaps and bounds every day.
Rinhite's gaze remained fixed on his ankle, unseen for years.
"It's... free...."
The spot where the shackle had been was pale white, like a baby's skin.
He couldn't believe it. But the pain in his shin confirmed it wasn't a dream.
Rinhite spoke.
"......Why are you trying to enter the secret laboratory?"
"To smash it all to pieces."
"Now that's... a reason I can get behind. Silien will find out, you know."
"I'll kill that bitch too."
"I see."
Rinhite slowly rose to his feet.
All his questions remained unanswered, but they didn't matter anymore.
What mattered was that he was free.
And the ones who handed him that freedom were the intruders before him.
Rinhite's motto was, 'Repay favors and grudges without fail.'
He lowered his pant leg and nodded.
"Let's go right away. I won't ask any questions."
Bran chuckled.
This is why I like this guy.
Bran's group followed Rinhite across the 2nd underground floor laboratory.
Despite their unusual appearance, no one paid them any mind with Rinhite alongside.
Researchers' voices echoed from all around.
"Alright. Let's work hard today too!"
"Has anyone seen the key I left on the blueprint?"
"Ugh... when are the parts coming?"
Unlike Rinhite, they were all brimming with enthusiasm.
It made sense, of course.
They thought they were just working at an ordinary mega-corporation.
The secret floor researchers like Rinhite were unfortunate precisely because they were too talented—a paradoxical curse.
"Fuck. We never could've infiltrated this place."
Ilrak, glancing around, clicked his tongue.
People and golems everywhere. Forget hiding the secretary's corpse—he doubted he could conceal his tail.
How lucky they had Rinhite's cooperation.
After about 30 minutes navigating the chaotic corridors,
"Yes. We're here."
Rinhite stopped.
Before him stood a large tin cabinet labeled 'Firefighting Tools.'
Confirming no one around, Rinhite gripped the handle and took a deep breath.
"Hoo... I said I wouldn't ask anything, but there's one thing I really want to know. Is that okay?"
"Sure."
"All that crazy talk on the way here... it's all true?"
Rinhite turned to Bran.
His gaunt, ascetic hands trembled visibly.
Bran nodded firmly.
"Of course."
"Ahh..."
On the way, Bran had roughly explained the situation.
The lord had been swapped out.
Silien would soon make all the new-model golems go berserk.
If they failed to stop it, Valkeros would be doomed.
All Rinhite knew was that the new-model golems would be used for something horrific.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
"Horrific. I think I get why she was so obsessed with the new models. I knew Silien was crazy, but I never imagined she'd lay hands on the lord too...!"
"We can probably save him. The lord still has a role to play—getting executed for treason."
"Is my little sister imprisoned where the lord is?"
"High probability."
It was almost certain.
The Abyss held the families of secret laboratory workers hostage.
And Bran had never skipped the sub-quest to rescue them.
"......Thank you."
Rinhite opened the cabinet as he replied.
Hoses and extinguishers for fire suppression lined the shelves, but that wasn't its true purpose.
The moment Rinhite tinkered inside,
Rumble...!
The hose rack slid aside, revealing a passage just wide enough for one person.
Kael and Ilrak gaped.
"Th-there was a path here...!"
"Damn, it's tight. Can I even fit?"
"It's wider inside, so you'll be fine."
A chill wind blew from within.
In the game, he'd thought it overhyped, but seeing it now, hiding a secret amid all those people required something like this.
Bran, half inside the passage, turned and waved.
"Thanks for the help. Clean up behind us and head back. Be careful not to get caught about the shackles."
"Th-thank you... Is there anything else I can do?"
"Not right now."
Just getting them this far was help enough.
Bran shrugged.
"But if you really want to help, think about it. You're good with machines, right?"
With that, Bran entered the passage.
The rest followed.
Unlike the other two, Ilrak barely squeezed through after contorting himself to the brink of screaming.
Thud.
Rinhite closed the cabinet door and muttered Bran's words to himself.
"......Machines, huh."
The passage to the secret laboratory was surprisingly not an elevator, but a spiral staircase.
It reeked of mildew.
No light sources pierced the thick darkness.
'Feels a lot like the underground farm.'
Each step echoed through the space.
For a passage linked to the pinnacle of magitech, it was excessively retro.
Kael, clutching Bran's collar as they descended, tilted his head.
"I-it's narrower than I thought? I figured it'd be way bigger."
"The new-model golem bodies are all made outside. Down here, they only produce the cores, so no need for big, wide passages."
Bran explained.
There were other passages too, but all were like this.
All the inconvenience was for secrecy.
Transporting golems from the secret lab would've gotten them caught nine times out of ten.
How far had they gone?
"We're here."
The stairs ended at a massive iron door.
Faint blue light seeped through the rectangular seams.
At Bran's glance, the other two readied for combat.
Creak.
As he slowly pushed the handle-less door, bright light flooded their faces.
"Ugh. So bright...!"
"Damn."
Kael and Ilrak winced.
After prolonged darkness, their corneas were tender.
But that lasted only a moment.
Their eyes widened at the secret laboratory sprawling before them.
"Hah, this was underground?"
"......Impossible."
Only the passage was narrow.
The vast lab was too expansive to take in at a glance.
Walls, floor, and ceiling were all seamless metal.
Glowing stones at regular intervals bathed everything in intense blue light.
"Hurry it up! The big event's tomorrow!"
"Want the other ankle chopped too?! Huh?!"
"S-sorry! Mercy, please...!"
"Number 12. Return to your task."
Hundreds—including people and golems—scurried about inside.
Few were actual researchers; most were overseers.
Women dressed like the one who tormented Rinhite patrolled in pairs with new-model golems.
Kael's face paled.
"Y-you said no golems!"
"They don't send them out, but plenty stay here. Full production facilities too. Used for surveillance and labor."
Without them, he wouldn't have warned about tight security.
As the most critical site, the golems' armaments were uniformly lethal.
'Holy shit. Armed to the teeth.'
One golem wielded a 7-meter spear.
He felt anew why this wasn't a quest for their current level.
No turning back now, though.
'No chief administrator...'
The silver lining: Steel Tower's second-toughest boss after Silien was absent.
Her presence changed the air—you couldn't miss it.
She was probably on the 4th floor.
They had to finish before she came up.
Everyone was tense, so time to loosen up.
Bran turned to the two with grim expressions.
"Alright. Don't be too scared..."
"Hey, who the hell are you?"
He was just about to say it.
An overbearing voice boomed from afar.
All three turned simultaneously.
"Ah. Damn it."
"No scheduled visitors today. Everyone, over here!"
About fifty paces away, a guard squad stared at them.
One new-model golem. Five humans.
The golem was unarmed, but the armored men and women bore weapons for subduing intruders.
Too bad, but unavoidable.
"You all remember what to do, right?"
"......Yeah."
The two nodded.
They'd snuck this far carefully—speed mattered now.
Flash.
The moment Kael drew his staff and focused, Bran and Ilrak vanished.
"Wha...?"
The shouting guard's eyes widened.
Three had been there—now two gone.
Only faint light, like dawn's glow, rippled where they stood.
What the fuck? Am I seeing ghosts?
As he turned to his comrades,
"H-hey!"
One yelled.
Looking back, he gasped.
The vanished two were right in front of them.
Ilrak's double-headed axe already swung horizontally.
Bran, gripping his longsword, leaped off her shoulder.
The only one to react was the new-model golem.
"Danger..."
The golem raised its arms.
Steel-gauntleted arms crossed to guard its head—
Boom!
Bran's mana-charged downward strike smashed its crown.
"^@#&!(!#...!"
Twisted mechanical screech as the giant tilted back.
Ilrak's horizontal slash swept all five guards.
Splatter!
All five torsos lifted along the axe's arc.
"......!"
No one screamed.
Exploded blood soaked the metal floor. Five lower bodies crumpled.
The unbalanced golem toppled.
Crunch!
Bran stabbed its core and finished calmly.
"Let's go."