Chapter 169: Broken Gears (1)
Chapter 169: Broken Gears (1)
It was around the time our discussion with Librarian finally reached the Butterfly Dream and the philosophy of Zhuangzi that I felt something was off.
Even I, a participant in the debate, was beginning to wonder how we could possibly talk about butterflies for this long.
At some point, my concentration wavered, and I realized the strangeness of our situation.
"Librarian?"
"What is it? As I have stated multiple times, my interpretation of Zhuangzi is correct. I will no longer accept rebuttals claiming I am mistaken simply because I am a Westerner."
No, you are the one who’s wrong.
How does Zhuangzi’s philosophy evolve into 'All Paths Lead to One'?
And I told you, 'All Paths Lead to One' doesn't even work. If it did, I’d be doing magic through pure physical force.
"Forget 'All Paths Lead to One' for a second. Haven't we been walking here for hours?"
I hadn't noticed because of the debate, but it felt like we’d been walking for quite a while.
"As I said, you have a fundamental misunderstanding of 'All Paths Lead to One.' And yes, we have indeed been walking for hours. To be precise, four hours and twenty-three minutes."
Is that so, Mr. Human Calculator? I’d appreciate it if you didn't waste that calculating ability on useless trivia.
Anyway, four hours... that’s a long time.
...Wait, that makes it even weirder.
"Forget the butterflies and the paths. Let's talk about something more important. Are we actually going the right way?"
No matter how much the Mechanical Forest slows us down, we’ve been walking for four hours on this tiny island and we're still inside the forest? It doesn't make sense.
"Yes, we are walking exactly due north. Of that, I am certain."
Is that so, Mr. Human GPS?
"Is your GPS or compass broken? You said this was The Enemy’s stronghold. Maybe something is interfering with..."
I didn't know much about that field, but maybe electromagnetic waves or something had fried his—
"Do not worry about that. I have installed various devices, including a gyroscope, into my body for just such an occasion. Besides, there is no need to think so deeply. The answer is much simpler."
Librarian wagged a finger, giving me a lecture on things I hadn't even asked about while failing to explain why we were in this mess.
I expected him to explain the phenomenon immediately after, as he usually did, but Librarian stayed silent, teasing my patience.
"So, what is it then?"
"Instead of constantly asking me, why don't you try thinking for yourself? Hmm. Right. Since you lack the ability to observe specialized phenomena, I shall give you a hint."
The Kid was acting up again.
It seemed his habit of meddling in everything and spouting knowledge was finally being corrected. Not that his current behavior was any less annoying.
"First: it is not a particularly dangerous technique. Second: it is a technology frequently seen within our Management Bureau."
Librarian was actually starting a game of twenty questions.
Since he clearly knew the answer, I could probably get it out of him if I kept talking, but...
"Yeah, I don't care. Just give me the answer."
Like I give a damn. I use enough brainpower during combat and dealing with my disciples.
"I believe you should work on that impatient temperament of yours eventually... but very well. Since you seem to have lost interest, I shall tell you. It is simple. Expansion through spatial distortion."
Ah, the 'bigger on the inside' thing?
I suppose that would explain it.
How a small island could be this vast...
Wait, no.
"Hold on, wasn't that only applicable to sturdy buildings through rigorous calculations? When I asked the Lord of Infinite Castles to expand my apartment and my bag, he muttered something and told me to go die."
Because of that, the only places I’d actually seen it applied were certain areas of the Management Bureau and the Great Barrier.
Even that was impressive enough.
"That is because the technology we use is a degraded version extracted from these things. Of course, there were other methods, but this one was easier to implement thanks to its basis in scientific technology. I examined the Rat's technology as well, but that relied far too heavily on Otherworld Erosion..."
Magic this, Otherworld contamination levels that.
Experience had taught me that interrupting him now wouldn't do any good, so I let the words flow in one ear and out the other before asking:
"So, how much is this place expanded?"
That was the most important part.
How far we had come, and how much further we had to go.
"I am not entirely sure. However, it is likely not a hundredfold expansion, seeing as there is no significant communication delay with the satellites."
What do you mean, 'not entirely sure'?
"Then how do you know if the direction you're going is correct? Are we even actually heading north?"
If this ended with a 'we passed through the forest and found The Sea' conclusion, I felt like I’d throw him into the ocean regardless of the mission.
Agitated by the thought that this might all be a waste of time, I barked at Librarian, but—
"Do not worry about that. This direction is correct."
Librarian’s demeanor sank into a heavy stillness, contrasting with my outburst.
"Your proof?"
"The machinery implanted within me... is telling me it is this way."
Click.
The sound of gears turning echoed.
Perhaps from the entire island.
* * *
Past the forest was a fallout bunker.
One equipped with steel doors and an elevator.
...I felt like I’d seen something like this recently.
The Life... something...
The ones who were making monsters.
At a glance, it looked similar to their facility.
A circular metal building rising upward, with a heavy steel door.
However, the scale was vastly different.
I said it was like a bunker in the middle of the forest, but in reality, the forest had abruptly ended, revealing a massive, open plaza.
Unlike the previous areas that looked somewhat natural on the surface, this was undeniably artificial.
The ground was paved with silver steel plates held together by rivets.
Countless towers of unknown purpose and radio equipment rose into the air.
Even the metal floor had holes that opened and closed, spitting out bizarre creatures.
And in the center of that plaza stood a single, towering bunker.
"So we just go in there?"
"For now, yes."
'For now,' huh... That didn't sound reassuring.
Why weren't they reacting even though we’d come this far? Librarian, their adversary, had appeared; shouldn't they be doing something?
"Hey, Librarian. What do you mean by 'for now'? Did you come here without a plan, or is it hard to get in—"
Click. Click.
They say the mouth is the source of all misfortune.
No sooner had the words left my lips—
Clang. Rumbllllle.
A massive metallic roar erupted.
The towers rising from the plaza began to split down the middle.
Tsk. Here come the enemies.
I expected mechanical soldiers or turrets.
With that thought, I quickly summoned my hammer and took a combat stance, but—
"Holy..."
I immediately wiped the thought of fighting from my mind. What emerged from the towers was that ominous.
Long rods extended forward.
They looked similar to conventional guns, but with several differences.
The muzzles were blocked at the end.
Strange devices protruded from the sides of the barrels.
In my experience, weapons that looked like that were always bad news.
One: Railguns.
Two: Something that didn't follow the laws of physics to begin with.
Three—
The moment I thought of it, I threw myself into a roll.
I remembered Librarian was there, but if that thing was what I thought it was, I didn't have the luxury of worrying about others.
Crackle.
My judgment was proven correct.
Without any warning, a brief spark flickered where we had just been standing.
BOOM!
The forest behind us simply exploded.
Are you kidding me? What the hell...
Cursing internally, I immediately rolled again.
There wasn't just one turret.
Snap. BOOM.
Snap. BOOM.
The ground where I had been continued to explode. Again and again.
I scrambled away, moving my legs like a madman. If I stayed in one spot, I’d be caught in the blast.
"Hey, you crazy bastards! At least show me a projectile!"
If there was a projectile, I could at least block it. What the hell was this?
Actually, I knew what this weapon was.
A Plasma Detonator.
Instead of firing plasma, it turned the surrounding matter into plasma and then stimulated it to explode.
Compared to projecting plasma, the energy loss was significant, but in exchange, it was a stealthy weapon with a wide area of effect.
In other words, for someone like me who relied entirely on physical senses, there was no way to tell when or where it would explode.
I could roughly guess based on sudden temperature spikes or the direction the muzzles were pointing, but that only worked when they were close and few in number.
There were dozens, maybe hundreds of detonators aimed at me, and they were far away.
Fortunately, I had managed to avoid their predictive fire by repeatedly accelerating and stopping abruptly, but that was pure luck.
Soon, they would change their attack patterns and hit me eventually.
If so, there was only one way.
With that thought, I made my next step and simultaneously turned at a right angle.
Straight toward the numerous turrets.
No fleeing, no fakes.
Purely forward.
Because that was my way.
Screech.
I overloaded my legs, forcing my body, which had been moving in a straight line, to hurl itself to the right.
The metal floor beneath me warped from the force, but this was enemy territory anyway.
I didn't give a damn if it broke.
Boom. Boom.
The sound of explosions echoed behind my back.
Boom.
Searing heat grazed my body, missing by a hair's breadth.
Screech.
Left this time.
I zigzagged forward, weaving through the chaos.
After half a dozen turns, I broke through The Wall of explosions and reached the first turret.
Of course, I wasn't unscathed.
My clothes were scorched.
My cheek and right hand stung.
I had dodged most of the attacks, but one explosion had eventually grazed me.
Probably a second-degree burn.
Not a big deal.
I pulled my hammer back behind my shoulder, ready to unleash destruction.
I intended to blow away not just this turret, but all the ones behind it as well.
My right hand, filled with strength, swung back along with The Hammer.
Creeak.
The steel plate beneath my feet, the foundation of my power, buckled. Just as I was about to swing—
Whir. Whir.
...What?
The Plasma Detonator, which had been crackling as it charged, began to act strangely.
It pointed its muzzle toward the sky and started spinning it in a bizarre, nonsensical motion.
As if it were surrendering.
If only one muzzle had done that, I would have continued my attack, but—
Every single Plasma Detonator in sight was doing the same thing.
What the hell was going on?
The moment I felt the confusion and slightly relaxed my stance—
Whoosh.
Sensing a presence behind me, I immediately swung my hammer.
A quick strike, meant to keep them at bay.
Clang!
The clear ring of The Hammer.
The sound of the attack being blocked by something in mid-air.
Since my strike was blocked, I should have followed up with an additional attack or created distance, but—
I unsummoned my hammer and dropped my combat stance.
The person who appeared behind me was far too familiar.
"Was this your doing?"
"My apologies."
Librarian appeared, scratching his helmet sheepishly. His gaze lingered on my body for a moment before moving to my cheek.
He was probably looking at the burn.
"You should have just run away."
Me? In front of an enemy?
"Like I'd ever do that."
"I suppose so. I apologize for the delay in the hacking."
I figured as much.
There was no way The Enemy would suddenly surrender; that left only your skills.
"We won, so it's fine."
The Enemy was neutralized, and the ally's damage was minimized. The 'damage' was just a slightly scorched cheek and hand.
It would heal in a few hours.
However, there was one thing to check.
"By the way, did you neutralize all the weapons around here?"
"Yes. I also took the liberty of shutting down the android army that was preparing to deploy."
Perhaps emboldened by his success, Librarian’s previous sheepishness vanished. He straightened his back and looked up at the sky.
"So, can we go in now?"
"Yes. However, the bunker entrance seems to be on a different communication system, so I haven't been able to seize control of it yet—"
It was then.
Clank.
A loud metallic sound echoed through the now-silent plaza.
We both quickly took combat stances and turned toward the source of the noise, only to see a bizarre sight.
"Librarian?"
"Yes?"
"Didn't you just say you couldn't seize control of the bunker?"
"I did."
Then why is it open?
The bunker entrance had suddenly opened.
There, a brightly lit elevator had arrived, as if welcoming us.
What was happening?
Suspecting a trap, we both silently watched the bunker and scanned our surroundings.
-Static. Bzzzzzt.
No movement was detected nearby.
At most, noise began to bleed out from the surrounding speakers.
We didn't drop our guard, remaining alert.
After a few moments, the static from the speakers stopped.
And what came through instead of noise was a mechanical voice, its pitch and tone completely flat like voice-ware.
-It has been a long time. Our child. Have you come to set us free?
The sentence was quite shocking.