105. New Azeras, Zapan, and Azeras
The body modifications for Zapan and the new Azeras were finally complete. Azeras had shaved down the massive monster lump on her head significantly, transforming the remainder into metallic machinery, and attached two mechanical arms covered in synthetic skin to her body. Zapan had gained two thick mechanical legs. These special legs could extend and retract like a monk's staff. Moreover, when shortened to their minimum length, large wheels protruded from them. Using the wheels allowed for even faster movement.
I was thinking of giving them names like Neo Zapan and Neo Azeras. But unfortunately, they turned them down. They said it sounded too similar to Neo Hyung-seok.
[Zapan!! Zoom around! Zoom zoom!]
The newly modified Zapan was joyfully racing around the Central Chamber. It seemed thrilled not just with its new legs, but with those wheels too.
"Head... smaller now, so changing clothes... easier."
Azeras, who had her head shaved down and gained two arms, was currently changing her clothes on her own. The outfit had been sent over by Pruru as a support feature. She'd already discarded her old ragged clothes.
After changing into comfortable clothes, Azeras glanced at me and muttered,
"Now that I have... two arms... want to try... knitting..."
"Knitting? Since when did you have a hobby like that?"
"Not before... just suddenly... want one hobby..."
It wasn't hard to get her the tools for knitting. A small request like that deserved to be fulfilled, especially after her major contributions in the last battle. Having a hobby or two was good for her anyway.
"Dan-bi, got any knitting tools at home or something?"
"Then send some over. Azeras wants to try knitting."
Pruru grumbled in the chat but still sent the tools.
Platinum-grade Jo-ryeokja 'Pruru''s support item has arrived!
What Pruru sent was a single knitting needle.
I'd been planning the same thing. Arachne silk was far tougher than regular yarn anyway. And if needed, it could even neutralize powers on contact.
I got a ball of thread from the Arachne, grabbed the knitting needle from Seo Dan-bi, and handed them to Azeras.
"Here, knit with this. Pruru sent it, so give her your thanks."
"Thanks... Pporuru..."
Azeras plopped down right there and started knitting with awkward hand movements.
[Doing something weird. Poof poof.]
Omega, who had been organizing mechanical parts, approached and sat next to Azeras.
[Those arms weren't made for that. Pong.]
"......"
[Now, let me explain the abilities loaded into those magnificent arms. Pong pong.]
Omega continued, and Azeras listened intently while knitting.
[First off, those arms aren't made from ordinary parts. They're crafted from the Mechanic Hydra's head components. Pong.]
"Oh..."
Azeras let out a small gasp and turned her head. Hearing they were made from Mechanic Hydra parts had piqued her interest. For the record, I'd just learned that too.
[And now, Azeras, you can use one of the Mechanic Hydra's abilities. Plong.]
"Mechanic... Hydra's ability...?"
[Exactly. One of the seven abilities it wielded. Guess what it is, pong?]
"What is it...?"
[Take a guess. Pong pong.]
"No idea..."
[...Azeras, you don't think at all. Pong.]
"Sorry... head still... dumb right now."
Omega gave Azeras a cold stare for a moment, sighed deeply, then continued.
[Anyway, you only get one power to wield. Loading different abilities into each arm would be too hard to handle, so I unified them. And the ability you can use is dark matter.]
Azeras stopped knitting.
"Dark... matter?"
[Yes. Dark matter is a force with tremendous destructive power—enough to damage even Solorb-like entities. Pong pong.]
"Ooh......"
Azeras let out an impressed sigh. Pleased with her reaction, Omega slowly wagged its hefty reptilian tail.
[Heh. So, how about it? Want to go test your new power? Pong?]
"Hm... later, when I meet... a monster... will try it then... now, must knit..."
[......]
Azeras resumed knitting. She was happy to gain the power to wield dark matter, but apparently knitting interested her more right now.
Omega said it was heading back to the mechanical factory. It couldn't leave the village unattended for too long, and it wanted to research the emotions it was feeling now and analyze the Helper trait.
[Gauntlet. And late to mention, but our village isn't called the mechanical factory. Pong pong.]
"If not mechanical factory, then what?"
[No official name yet. Pong.]
"Then just call it the mechanical factory. Sounds good."
[...I'll consider it. Pong pong.]
With that, Omega took the execution sword and magic sword I'd handed over.
"Not exactly a gift. It wanted to analyze their functions, so I lent them."
It was basically the same as giving them away since it planned to disassemble them.
[Mass-producing machines with the same functions built in would be helpful going forward. Pong pong.]
I wouldn't have handed them over to any other monster, but Omega was trustworthy enough. I'd already experienced its tech firsthand.
[Well then, I'm off. I'll come here once a day, so no crying and moping without me. Pong pong.]
Omega activated its warp device and returned to the mechanical factory through the portal.
"Planning to go once Princess recovers. Feels wrong to go play while my sick daughter's bedridden."
After seeing Omega off, I entered the crystal orb house to tend to Princess while sorting through my thoughts.
'Omega said to think of about three spots for building civilizations by tomorrow...'
The desert with the Oasis Shelter. The undersea with the Deep Guardian. Those were the two places I had in mind.
'Anywhere else besides the desert and undersea suitable for a village?'
The prairie came to mind briefly, but I immediately ruled it out. Unlike the desert Solorb, I had no connection to the prairie Solorb. It felt too risky to settle there.
'The pond area's too cramped and too close anyway...'
As I mentally reviewed all the places explored so far,
[Explorer!]
The Centaurides' voice from afar snapped me out of it. I stood and stepped out of the crystal orb house. There she was, clutching a notebook tightly in both hands.
[Pokedex update complete!]
She flipped open the notebook and held it out to me. Inside was her drawing of Azeras's new form.
