Chapter 714
Chapter 714
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 714
Chapter Title: 714. Savior of the Academy
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Having discovered traces of the raiding party, we pressed on with renewed vigor. We pursued them relentlessly for nearly two full days without rest. Whenever mechanical monsters got in our way, we didn't dodge them—we smashed them to pieces in battle. No matter how tough the fights, we couldn't just abandon the raiding party's trail and run.
But after two more days, our enthusiasm began to wane.
"Haa. We moved as fast as we could after finding those traces, but we still can't spot the raiding party... Just how far ahead are they?"
Sarah sighed in frustration.
"I feel like something's fundamentally off. Is the raiding party really down here somewhere? Maybe while we've been wandering underground, they've already made it back to the surface. We have to consider the possibility that we've crossed paths."
"......"
Flora crossed her arms and listened to Han So-hee's opinion. Her silence meant Han So-hee's words weren't baseless.
"I've been scouting with Moca almost all day, every day, but there's no end in sight. Is Mom really even here?"
I drove the point home.
Flora bit her lip.
"...You're right. She might not be here after all. The raiding party has Leivan with them... They could have found some clue and headed back to the surface. Still, going up there ourselves isn't a good idea. We haven't even fully explored the underground yet."
"Do you really think we can cover this entire vast underground—twisted like a maze—in just a few days, Flora? I don't think it's possible."
"So-hee's right, Flora. I know the surface is dangerous. But this situation is too frustrating. I'm not saying we should abandon the underground entirely. At the very least, we need to check what's happening up top. We have Yu-jin-nim and Moca. We can get surface intel without even going there ourselves."
"...You make it sound so easy. Honestly, I still think the raiding party is down here... But your opinions and guesses make sense. Fine. Let's go up to the surface briefly, scout around, and if there's nothing, come right back down."
We set off again. The difference this time was that we weren't just tracking the raiding party's traces—we were also searching for an entrance to the surface.
We found one easily. The surface required deliberate searching, but down here, exits appeared every certain distance. We picked a suitable one and ascended the stairs to the surface, tense and alert. Fighting on stairs would be the worst, so we prayed no monsters showed up.
Sarah, leading the way, suddenly halted.
"There's an iron door ahead. But this door... it looks kind of fancy."
We checked it out too.
She was right. An iron door loomed before us, over 3 meters tall, its surface embossed with sharp, intricate patterns. It exuded an air of luxury.
It was different from the dungeon buildings we'd seen so far. Those were grand, but lacked these fine details.
Is this door special? Or are the others like this too?
Either way, the door's ornateness wasn't the point.
Sarah extended both hands and pushed. The door creaked open slowly.
The room beyond was packed with machinery. Lights flashed everywhere, and cables of varying thicknesses and lengths tangled in a grotesque mess. Chaotic yet somehow organized.
"Whoa. Humans. I didn't expect you'd come all the way down here. You guys are lucky."
A woman's voice echoed—cheerful and lively.
We scanned around for the source. It seemed to come from all directions, but no one was visible.
"Who are you?"
Sarah gripped her rapier, wary of an unseen foe.
"I'm Machina. Oh, I know who you are. Flora, Sarah, Han So-hee, Sung Yu-jin. Right?"
Han So-hee slipped behind me, preparing a barrier—suspicious because she knew our names.
"Machina, huh? What are you? How do you know about us?"
"So many questions, Flora. I'll answer one by one. I'm Machina, an artificial soul. I know about you because I get info from the machines."
"Info from the machines...? That doesn't make sense. If you had info, why not use it? You could've turned it to your advantage!"
"I was exiled to this tower with no authority to do that, and I don't want to help the Machine King anyway."
"...Tower?"
I recalled scouting the surface with Moca days ago. Among the seven massive buildings in this dungeon, one was a towering mechanical spire.
"You saw the tower, castle, and factories on your way here, right? Factories make mechanical monsters, the castle stores them. This tower controls the machines. But the control isn't mine—it's the Machine King's. Now, it's just my prison. Nothing more, nothing less."
We exchanged glances. We didn't grasp everything Machina said, but she didn't seem hostile. If she were an enemy, she'd have attacked already.
"Machina. Show yourself."
Flora demanded firmly.
"I'd love to... but I'm trapped at the top of the tower. If you want to see me, come up."
Lights flickered, guiding us upward.
As I moved to follow, Han So-hee grabbed me.
"Everyone. This could be a trap."
"So-hee. If that Machina—artificial intelligence or soul or whatever—wanted us dead, wouldn't we be dead already?"
"Sarah's right. ...Even if she's wrong, we have to go up and confirm what Machina really is. She might be the Machine King herself."
"So-hee noona. It's too late to run anyway."
I pointed to the rear entrance. The iron door to the underground had closed silently. We had two choices: force it open or head up.
"Kkuuk. Kkuk."
Moca went up first to scout. I surveyed more meticulously than usual.
"Doesn't look dangerous. At least not to my eyes."
We ascended cautiously.
"Flora. Machina said she gets info from the machines. That means she knows where the raiding party is."
Han So-hee noted. Machina knew about us, so she'd know nearly everything about the raiding party too.
"Right. So priority one is getting their location. And then..."
Flora trailed off. Machina might be listening. But guessing the rest was easy.
If Machina seems dangerous, eliminate her.
Artificial soul, huh. Man-made spirit? Or AI? If it's AI, hacking might work...
Ambiguous. I'd have to try to find out.
We reached the top floor. No more stairs up. Machines littered the area, with a glass-encased spherical core at the center.
Whiiiiiir.
The core glowed blue, and a holographic human appeared above it—a woman with dark blue hair in a white dress. She looked tempting, but she was just a hologram. Untouchable.
"You made it. This is my main body. Pretty, right?"
"Pretty."
I replied flatly.
Flora stepped forward.
"You called us here for a reason."
"Yeah. I want out. Being stuck in this tower is suffocating. Help me get free."
"...Why should we trust you?"
"I know what you want. The raiding party, right? The humans fighting the Machine King? I know exactly where they are. Help me, and I'll tell you. Plus info on the Machine King. Huge win for you."
Flora glanced at us, then back.
"...Fine. You know what we want. But you have to guarantee our safety."
"It's not dangerous. I need hands and feet—that's why I need you. And I have no intention of attacking. Machines don't lie like humans, so trust me."
Machina started bossing the girls around, excluding me as "too young and unreliable." Her orders involved tinkering with tower parts, sometimes sending them down to the first floor and back.
"Sarah! Not that wire—the thick one on the right! Cut that! Flora! Don't forget which button! So-hee's doing great!"
I watched the hologram, arms crossed. Too sophisticated for mere AI.
"What's your real deal? Artificial soul? Can you even artificially make a soul?"
"Curious about me, huh? Short version: I'm made from the Machine King's soul. He decided the biggest difference between humans and machines is souls."
"Who?"
"Our creator with the Machine King. Last human here, I guess? He's long dead."
"Must've been impressive to make an artificial soul."
"Yeah. Smart guy. But centuries later, after he died, the Machine King deemed me unnecessary. Said having a soul made me less efficient."
"...You're the Machine King's soul, right?"
"AI and artificial souls are different."
"Why not delete you? Why lock you here?"
"He can't delete me. The creator programmed it that way. So he imprisoned me in this tower. Once I'm out, I'll get revenge. Destroy the Machine King's AI and take his body."
Machina chatted with me while directing the girls precisely.
Suddenly, a crack—the glass around her core shattered. Energy leaked from it. Sensing the change, the girls rushed back up.
"Ah, aaaah! This surging power filling my body...! How long has it been?!"
I stared at the ecstatic glowing core with my golden eyes.
"Thanks, humans! As promised, the raiding party's in the second mechanical factory! 120km west of the tower!"
Nearby machines tore apart and swarmed the core, forming a body from parts.
"Han So-hee! Block it!"
Flora shouted. They'd never planned to let Machina go free. No Machine King info, but raiding party location secured—time to deal with her.
A barrier enveloped the core. But incoming machine parts shattered it easily. Sarah's light beam did no real damage either.
"I get the picture."
I smirked. Inside the core, something familiar: a machine-made spirit core.
"Machina. You're a machine spirit, aren't you?"
"Spirit mage, as expected. You figured it out? Or was it those eyes? Doesn't change anything."
"You planned to trick and attack us from the start. 'Machines don't lie'? That was a lie."
"I'm the real Machine King. I won't let intruders live in my domain. You're too late realizing it."
I moved leisurely. The moment I saw the core, I knew: its essence was machinery. And machines don't beat me.
"15 seconds? Shorter than I thought."
Thud!
The swarming parts and metal scraps plummeted. The core floated weakly, its glow dimmed.
"Wh-what is this?! Why are you my master?! What did you do to me?!"
"No time. Let's contract. One condition: absolute obedience. You tried to stab us in the back—no mercy. You'll serve me forever."