Chapter 85
Chapter 85
Ch. 85 .｡.:✧ Linda (3) ✧:.｡.
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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Do you know Draken?”
[I don’t know him, but I’ve heard of him. When I fell into the dungeon, someone spoke to me. The name he gave was…]
“Draken?”
[Yes, that’s right.]
“Tell me more in detail.”
This was something I absolutely had to hear before leaving.
Even if it meant risking an encounter with Yerina, I had to know.
“His appearance, voice tone, and the content of the conversation – everything. As detailed as possible.”
It was embarrassing to admit, but I still knew almost nothing about the final boss.
There was virtually no foreshadowing about the final boss in the game.
There was hardly any description either.
The information given about the final boss was at the level of a MacGuffin.
All I knew was that the difficulty was extreme.
Apart from that and the name, I knew practically nothing.
[I can’t tell you anything about his voice or appearance. At that time, my input devices were disconnected… But strangely, the information was directly input into my memory.]
“What did he say?”
[That information is still intact in my memory, so I’ll read it to you as it is.]
Being a clockwork doll, she couldn’t forget unless deliberately deleted.
This was welcome news.
As if clearing her throat, Linda made some static noise from her speaker.
Then she began to recite in an emotionless voice.
[Static. Static… I, Draken. Static. To you, Static… I will give power. Static. Accept it. And help… Static. Me.]
Linda, returning to her usual voice, calmed her breath.
I had thought her usual voice was unemotional, but when she deliberately spoke in a robotic voice, it became much more monotonous.
[Since my output devices were also disconnected, I had no way to respond, but I internally expressed my refusal. After that, no more information came in. Instead, a large amount of demonic energy rushed over me, trying to take over my logic circuits… In the end, I had to force a shutdown. Until someone would wake me up someday. Until you came to save me.]
Linda said this with a gentle smile.
Certainly, the conversation between Linda and Draken was brief, but what could be inferred from it was by no means insignificant.
‘It’s clear. That was an invitation to join the Four Heavenly Kings.’
Draken directly offered her power?
I hadn’t heard about anything like that from Undecided.
The centipede nun didn’t seem to have met Draken either.
In other words, ordinary monsters didn’t have any dealings with Draken.
Conversely, monsters that met Draken were not ordinary, they were the highest echelon among monsters.
Four intelligent monsters who directly assisted Draken.
It was clearly an offer to give her the position of one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
However, Linda had refused it.
She didn’t take up a position as one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
Instead, she had become a common boss monster controlled by demonic energy, attacking people indiscriminately…
‘This means the Four Heavenly Kings’ positions could be filled again…’
Just as Linda had been offered, Draken might directly offer the position to someone else in the future.
In other words, the position of the Four Heavenly King I had killed could be filled again.
In fact, the term “Four Heavenly Kings” didn’t refer to exactly four specific individuals.
There were just four positions that could become the final boss’s close aides.
The positions of the Four Heavenly Kings could be empty, or all four could be filled.
For example, while Belphegor and Kali were monsters that came from the reverse world with the final boss, the other two positions were filled by recruits from this world.
Just like the offer made to Linda.
‘At least in the game’s story, the positions of the dead Four Heavenly Kings were never filled.’
I wasn’t sure if there was a cooldown period for filling a Four Heavenly King’s position once they died, or if it was difficult to find suitable talent, but at least it was certain that vacant positions couldn’t be filled immediately.
Conversely, this meant that if time dragged on, the vacant positions could be filled again.
At least within the game’s volume, all Four Heavenly Kings had to be defeated before tackling the final boss if I didn’t want to see the positions of the Four Heavenly Kings I had killed being filled again.
After all the hardship I went through just to kill Kali, instead of doing that three more times, I might have to do it dozens or hundreds of times more.
The thought made me dizzy.
In the original game’s volume, the in-game time was about 2 years.
It had to be finished within that time.
If time dragged on, it might become impossible to tackle the final boss at all.
“Thank you for the valuable information.”
[Was it helpful?]
“Extremely helpful.”
[Then I too…]
“What is it?”
Just as I stood up with a serious expression, Linda looked at me and offered her head.
What was she doing?
Was there something wrong with her wig that she wanted me to check?
[Please pat me too. Like you did with your companion.]
“She’s not a companion. She’s a slave.”
[I’m your property too. So please pat me. I think discrimination is wrong.]
“…”
Was it because she was a machine that her logic was so flawlessly perfect?
Well, it was not like patting her head cost me anything.
I gently stroked Linda’s head, feeling the slightly coarse texture of the wig.
“What’s the hair material?”
[It’s donated hair.]
“No wonder it feels so natural. The hand texture feels artificial because of the silicone, though.”
[The face should be relatively realistic, right? The hands are solid silicone, but the face is intricately constructed to implement expressions. Here, feel it.]
“Oh…”
Squish.
I grabbed and stretched Linda’s cheeks, touched her lips, and even tapped her eyeballs while touching around her eyes.
Indeed, while the material itself was silicone, the texture was much more realistic than solid silicone.
It was clear a lot of effort had been put into it.
No wonder rumors spread about people falling in love with a machine when it was made this meticulously.
Cern couldn’t be blamed for it.
[Hehe. It’s not an unpleasant feeling. This trembling, this sensation. I’ll remember it all, and when you come back later, pat me again. I want to compare if it’s the same, or if it’s changed. If it’s changed, how it’s different.]
“As you wish.”
It was time to leave.
Just as I was about to turn around after waving goodbye to Linda, who was smiling brightly, Undecided suddenly ran to Linda as if she had forgotten something.
[Oh?]
“…I liked it.”
She rolled up Linda’s sleeve and bit her arm hard, leaving teeth marks.
Then she scurried back to my side.
Those teeth marks wouldn’t disappear since she was made of silicone.
Yet Linda just smiled and saw us off.
She was like a bodhisattva.
As we left the Clockwork City, we did some simple shopping.
First, we needed a backpack to cover the wireless communicator, so we bought a large one.
When we put it on, it fit perfectly, and when we put it on Undecided’s back, it was perfect.
Anyone would think she was a pilgrim setting out on a difficult journey.
We also bought a camera.
Strangely, even though it wasn’t that expensive, it was hard to find places selling them…
The Clockwork City was the only place to buy one.
Of course, being an early model, the image quality was poor, the exposure time was long, and developing took a while.
But for someone like me who had lived in modern times, the significance of a camera was quite great.
While memories faded, photographs didn’t.
‘We gained a lot.’
Coming to the Clockwork City, we gained a base.
We got a pretty and virtuous robot maid, we made the magic tool we were aiming for.
We even shopped for various miscellaneous goods.
We had an unexpectedly bountiful harvest.
But…
“But why aren’t you leaving?”
“I’m going! No need to rush me!”
My gaze suddenly turned to the centipede nun walking naturally by my side.
Hadn’t she seen the conclusion now? Wasn’t it time for her to go?
Despite being given freedom, she was lingering strangely around us.
Something smelled suspicious.
“Before I go, magic power. I need to replenish my magic power.”
“Do as you please.”
“I’d like to replenish my life force along with the magic power…”
“Who said you could?”
“You said it before! That you’d give me magic power and life force as I wanted!”
“Did I?”
“Have you gone senile?”
My memory was hazy.
Did I say I’d give her life force?
Suddenly, I felt dizzy.
To have my life force sucked by a giant centipede, I’d have to do that…
“Ah. I can’t do it after all. It’s physiologically uncomfortable.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“I can’t do it with a centipede.”
“Do what? What? Simple physical contact is enough to replenish life force.”
“…”
The centipede nun tilted her head in confusion.
Wait.
Life force?
Wasn’t it obviously sucked out through that kind of act?
My world just crumbled.
“Never mind. Forget it.”
“What is it! You’re making me curious!”
“…You’ll get hurt. If you know.”
“Are you both trying to annoy me? Ugh! Fine, just give me your hand. Let me suck quickly and go. Ah! Finally, freedom! I feel so relieved! It was hard being pushed around by such a brute, scum, trash, personality-broken human!”
When I stretched out my hand, the centipede nun took it with an annoyed expression, loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear.
Then her shapeshifting undid, and she transformed fluidly.
Changing back into a giant centipede, she opened her maw.
“What are you doing!”
“Stay still! I need to be in my true form to accumulate magic power in my body!”
“You should lie in moderation! Last time you received magic power in human form!”
“That time I immediately used it for curses, so it didn’t matter! To accumulate it in my body, I can’t be in a shapeshifted state! Are you thinking of backing out? Not keeping your promise?”
“Just finish it quickly…”
This was driving me crazy.
So physical contact had to be done in centipede form?
Frowning deeply, I offered my hand again, and the giant centipede raised its body smoothly and opened its maw to receive it.
Then my hand was sucked into the mouth full of saliva and a strange sensation enveloped my hand.
It was wet and sticky, to the point where I couldn’t move a finger.
At the same time, it squirmed as if trying to suck out my magic power.
It was a strong force that felt like it could crush my entire hand.
I could feel the life force being sucked out in real-time, which was an unpleasant yet subtle sensation.
Of course, I didn’t forget to pour magic power into it at the same time.
After she had sucked enough magic power and life force, the tightness around my hand loosened.
Only then was I able to pull my hand out of the centipede’s maw.
“Ugh… I have to do this regularly? It’s horrible.”
“You think I enjoy putting a dirty human’s hand in my mouth?”
“Weren’t you doing it because you liked it?”
“I hate it! Originally, I just touch the tip of a leg to absorb… But your life force is of good quality, so I wanted to absorb it completely by mouth.”
“…”
So it didn’t have to be done by mouth after all.
Though it was unpleasant, it was already over.
I wiped my hand with a handkerchief and handed it to the centipede nun.
“Here’s a souvenir. Take it. When you need to replenish life force again, go to Linda and contact me.”
“Well… Actually, I’d rather not see you for as long as possible. I’ll contact you when I’m about to die from lack of life force.”
“Good. Take care, and you know what will happen if you tell others about me.”
“Hmph. What will happen?”
“I’ll squeal to the Four Heavenly Kings. That you betrayed them and cooperated with a human.”
“…!”
The centipede nun’s face, which had been nonchalant until now, turned pale.
I didn’t have to worry about what would happen if the centipede nun betrayed me and spread rumors.
If that happened, I would just sell her out to the Four Heavenly Kings in return.
Even if it was temporary cooperation under threat, they would never forgive the centipede nun for lending her power to the human side.
Since monsters seemed to be able to smell each other well, the centipede nun would be quickly tracked down and caught.
She knew best what would happen after that.
“A-alright! I get it! I’ll just keep quiet! I’ll pretend I never met someone like you!”
“Excellent. Keep behaving well from now on.”
“…Goodbye.”
“Ugh!”
Leaving behind the centipede nun who was stamping her feet in frustration, I hurried on my way.
I had to catch a train and leave this place before Yerina arrived.
“But why are you still following me?”
“Why?! I’m sure I used shapeshifting… Ack!”
She pretended to leave but transformed into a completely different person’s appearance to follow me, so I struck her head hard to drive her away.
How could I be fooled when her poison sac was marked as a weak point, unlike humans?
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“What a jerk! Arrogant bastard! I really, really hate him! As expected, there’s no point in associating with humans!”
How stupid.
How foolish.
I’m an idiot for even momentarily admiring a human.
Look at how he pretends to free me but immediately puts on shackles…
It’s really infuriating that I have no choice but to be pushed around by humans.
“I can’t just take this lying down…”
I turned around to confirm that the train was leaving the platform.
The human had left.
He couldn’t come back now.
Only then did I feel relieved and take out the item I had hidden in my bosom.
A magic tool full of gears with a radiant color.
It cuts through space-time… or something like that?
Anyway, he said it was an expensive and important item.
“Hehehe. He said he can’t use it right away anyway? It should be fine if I hold onto it for a while.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
What a fool.
He didn’t even notice I swiped such an important item while he was distracted by the pretty robot girl.
I even put a curse on the human.
It’s a curse that forcibly relaxes the anal sphincter.
When the curse activates, it should greatly embarrass him.
“Hehehe.”
Just imagining how surprised and flustered the human will be when he realizes the magic tool is gone and the curse activates makes me so happy.
According to the original plan, I was going to plant an avatar on the train to watch his flustered expression in real-time, but since I failed to follow him, there’s no helping it.
“But what is a magic tool that pierces space-time used for… Huh?!”
At that moment, the magic tool squirmed and changed shape, just like my shapeshifting, and suddenly, all that was in my hand was a small monkey wrench.
The magic tool had disappeared without a trace.
“Was it illusion magic?!”
I thought I was good at detecting magic power?
Why didn’t I notice?
So from the beginning, I had stolen a monkey wrench instead of a magic tool?
“Uuuugh!!!”
As I bit my sleeve in frustration, I felt something rustling in my pocket.
Feeling that something was off, I reached into my pocket, and pulled out the handkerchief the human had given me.
“Huh?”
What came out wasn’t a handkerchief, but a talisman.
The exact same talisman I had put on the human.
The moment I realized this, the talisman glowed and its effect activated immediately.
My anal sphincter…
“Aaaah… You crazy human…”
Shhhh…
I really want to kill him.
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[LMAOOOO that ending bro eyo goddamn this shit is so good]
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