099. Cyborg Dolphin from the Mechanical Factory Joins the Expedition Team
The cyborg dolphin from the mechanical factory had joined the expedition team. It cheerfully offered to guide them all the way to Omega.
The cyborg dolphin took the lead, guiding the expedition team with a now groveling demeanor, a far cry from its initial attitude.
—［Oh. Come to think of it, why has my power weakened...?］
As it walked, the cyborg dolphin kept sneaking glances at the team. Finally, after eyeing Iris last, it cautiously asked Neo Hyung-seok.
—［Min Hyung-seok. Your explorer isn't here in person and is watching from afar through Iris... so why have I been weakened? Is it related to how you can tame from a distance, like earlier?］
—［Don't dig too deep. You'll get hurt.］
—［...Got it.］
It was visibly bristling for a moment, but the cyborg dolphin held back, clearly reining in its anger because of the expedition team standing behind Neo Hyung-seok.
Neo Hyung-seok issued a warning to the cyborg dolphin.
—［A bit late, but for reference, the explorer possesses power on par with everyone here. Keep that in mind and don't get cocky.］
—［What? For real?］
This time, the cyborg dolphin looked stunned. It blinked rapidly, then stared hard at Iris and muttered.
—［An explorer with power equal to those here... I had no idea just how strong from watching on screen...］
It was still the type of monster to take others' words at face value. Most would at least be skeptical.
—［Explorer, sorry for acting all high and mighty earlier, hehe.］
"Yeah..."
This guy was still hard to get used to. Even if the chance arose, I wouldn't tame him.
—［I've sent a comm to Omega. Told them we're en route with the explorer who has the Helper trait. Hehe.］
Two hours after setting off with the cyborg dolphin. True to its word about safe passage, they hadn't encountered a single other monster yet.
But when are we getting there? Still far?
I'd been idly staring at the Iris screen out of boredom and called out to the cyborg dolphin, curiosity getting the better of me.
"Dolphin."
—［Yes, explorer!］
"Omega's in the mechanical factory, right?"
—［Mechanical factory... Min Hyung-seok must've called our village that! No exact name anyway, so it's fine! Anyway, yes. Omega is currently in the mechanical factory!］
"How much farther from here?"
—［Via shortcut, we could arrive today! But the shortcut's dangerous right now, so we're taking a detour!］
"Shortcut's dangerous?"
—［Yes! Something terrifying was recently born in the machine graveyard, and it keeps showing up on my favorite shortcut, making it impassable now!］
"Terrifying... stronger than our expedition kids?"
—［Uh, well... not sure if I should compare, but honestly, just a tiny bit stronger.］
—［Of course, if everyone here fought together, you'd have a shot at winning.］
"Just one, and it's only a 'shot' at winning, not a sure thing?"
—［Well, in a way, it's not just one. It's one but not one, you see.］
I had no idea what that meant. Whatever—since we're avoiding the high-risk path anyway, no need to worry.
—［If the explorer wants, I could guide you via the shortcut. No guarantee of running into it, and with this team, you could probably handle it somehow.］
"Nah, keep to the safe route."
—［Understood.］
Day 55 in the labyrinth. Four days since the expedition set out. And finally, they set foot in their destination: the mechanical factory.
—［Welcome! This is the mechanical factory... er, my home and the village ruled by Omega!］
At the mechanical factory entrance, the cyborg dolphin stretched out its arms and shouted.
"...What the hell is that."
I couldn't help but hold my breath at the sight of the mechanical factory. The scene unfolding on the Iris screen was nothing short of spectacular.
Low, sprawling steel buildings stretched to the horizon, interwoven with complex rails like the veins of a city. The cyborg dolphin called this a village. But no matter how you sliced it, this was a massive metropolis.
I wasn't the only one stunned. The expedition monsters—and even Neo Hyung-seok, who remembered this place—were at a loss for words.
—［My god... when did it develop like this...］
Neo Hyung-seok let out an incredulous gasp.
"Wasn't like that before?"
—［No. From memory, it was barely a village before—more like a factory that barely fit the name. To advance this far in such a short time... unbelievable.］
The expedition team followed the cyborg dolphin, gawking at the city like country bumpkins arriving in the big smoke. The three Irises flew off in different directions, capturing the mechanical factory from every angle in vivid detail on screen.
I clamped my mouth shut, slowly taking in the mechanical factory on screen.
Pipes spewing fluorescent steam lined every street. Mechanical whirs and welding sparks echoed endlessly across the village. Workshops tucked into every alley corner caught the eye. Beyond the hazy smoke settling on the ground, one cyborg monster sliced alloys with a laser cutter in a workshop, while another manipulated a hologram interface to assemble intricate machinery next door. Threat levels: A-grade and B-grade. Nerfed, that'd be C and D.
Seemed like machine lifeforms created by Omega, not native labyrinth monsters.
The screen kept switching views. Drones swarmed the skies hauling cargo, while golems with translucent displays on the ground hustled heavy loads every which way. Sights went on endlessly.
"Wanna check this place out in person later."
And at the city's heart loomed a massive structure, presumably the leader's residence. The cyborg dolphin pointed to it.
—［That's where Omega lives.］
Figured as much.
"Those machines in front are all combat types, huh."
—［Spot on! What keen eyes—worthy of an explorer!］
Omega's home fronted a mechanical legion. First row: hundreds of humanoid combat bots in perfect formation, high-output laser rifles on arms, missile pods on backs. Behind them: hundreds of hexapedal walkers tank-sized, with impressive heavy guns mounted. And overhead: thousands of small combat drones hovering in precise formation. Looked like a swarm of bugs—kinda creepy.
—［When did it gather so many subordinates...］
As Neo Hyung-seok and the team marveled,
—［Heh heh.］
the cyborg dolphin smirked smugly.
As the cyborg dolphin and expedition entered the building, large inscriptions etched into the outer wall came into view.
"We will raise a new civilization here."
"We will enact laws and establish order."
"The age of machine civilization has dawned."