The Second Fragment (3)
Descartes's room at the very top of the lab.
Descartes stared out the window from his room. Thud. Thud. Massive metal hulks with four legs burst from the lab, each step shaking the ground. The impacts rattled the facility badly, but thinking of his plan advancing step by step filled him with delight.
"Um, Lord Descartes. Sorry, but we still haven't tracked those intruders. We don't even know where they—"
A researcher stammered his report.
"It's fine."
Descartes just stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing outside.
"The building's on the move now. What's the big deal?"
"B-but, Lord Descartes! Those guys seem to be the same ones who attacked our human experimentation lab. If they come here too..."
"It's fine. Everything's fine. Our plan's proceeding smoothly, isn't it? And that human lab they supposedly hit is heading straight here without a hitch, right?"
Descartes's two labs were about to become one. The human experimentation lab had unleashed its own massive metal hulk and was lumbering toward them.
"Just imagine it—two labs fused together, turning Brockton into a smoldering ruin. Doesn't the thought alone feel refreshing?"
"W-well, of course, but..."
"The rats will be dealt with by Peros anyway, so don't worry. Just focus on wrapping up the weapon research cleanly."
"Yes, sir!"
The researcher scurried off.
'Even if Peros fails, I'm different now.'
Descartes examined his open palm.
The new power: Fear.
With this, he had nothing to fear.
In Brockton, people puzzled over the sudden vibrations.
"What's going on? Why's it shaking all of a sudden?"
"Beats me. Some say it's connected to those trees toppling in the mountains..."
"You mean that story about something huge sweeping through?"
No one knew the exact cause. But it wasn't a simple earthquake—the tremors came in steady pulses.
"Hmph."
The residents sensed the gravity, but they weren't alone. Lenador, commander of the Divine Guard, felt it too.
"It's really heading this way?"
Atop Brockton's outer wall, she asked in her red uniform.
"Yes, confirmed."
"And this 20-meter building on legs... that's real too?"
"...Yes."
"Hmm."
A building with mechanical legs? She'd never heard or seen such a thing. Who the hell would do this?
One suspect came to mind...
"Any word on that black mage who massacred the guards in the village?"
"Not yet."
"The battle in that mountain village... and now a building descending from the mountains..."
No hard evidence, but it had to be the same culprit. Yet stopping a building? Impossible.
'Our power is for protecting citizens, not halting monstrosities like that.'
Individuals, maybe. But the whole city? No. Help from other cities' guards would take too long.
"Prepare maximum civilian evacuation."
"...Yes, ma'am."
All they could do was buy time. Lenador positioned Divine Guard along the walls and began channeling all their holy power for a Holy Barrier.
An unforeseen crisis loomed over Brockton.
We ducked into the building to escape the collapsing tunnel.
Vrrr. Thud!Vrrr. Thud!
The lab's movement shook us to the point of nausea.
"Whew... We barely made it."
"Yeah."
"That was a shock. Legs out of nowhere. Did you know ahead, big bro?"
I'd figured it'd move around this time. But I expected it to rampage inside first. Descartes must've rushed his plan.
'No hitches to my own plan.'
If it stuck to the original path, it'd head straight for Brockton. Merge with the human lab we'd hit en route, becoming one.
'Blow them when they fuse.'
Why hadn't I detonated the human lab early? For this moment.
Descartes's lab alone was huge. Combined, it'd be massive—harder to stop.
'Detonate at merge point, and it'll cripple this one too.'
But first, deal with Descartes perfectly. Time was short.
"Stick to the plan for now."
"Got it."
Time to execute. Kethar and I grab weapons. Everyone else wrecks the place.
Beeeep! Beeeep!
We passed corridors blaring alarms. Pristine lab halls flashed red. No enemies—guards must've rushed to the front gate.
-Looks clear.
After sprinting awhile, we spotted a room with transparent glass walls. Inside: the fragment, and Kethar's gear.
They'd been studying them.
-Is that guy...
Not just researchers—a woman herding them out. And him: the last mid-boss.
"Yeah, mid-boss for sure."
-Won't be easy.
Level 30. With Kethar, numbers favored us. But his skills were the issue.
-Even I might not catch him.
"Don't worry."
Would've been trouble before. But now? Fine. I'd learned Erven's skills partly for this guy.
And now I had better ones.
"Quick cleanup, grab the gear."
Decision made—act.
Crack! Shatter!
Couldn't let fleeing researchers take stuff. I summoned weapons, smashed the glass. Kethar lunged instantly.
"Wh-what the fuck is this mutt?!"
Panicked, he drew his sword.
Clang!
Kethar's claws met his blade. Kethar struck first but got pushed back—level gap in raw power.
Erven had folded to strength, but this guy was tougher.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
No matter. Kethar's charge pulled aggro perfectly. Made my attacks easy.
Boom!
I hit with Shadow Strike. Weapons split, striking precisely.
'Same mobile build as in-game.'
No changes to his build. Descartes was disposable to Orion.
Worked in our favor.
"Think you can keep up with my speed?!"
My weapons chased; he sneered, zipping around. Teleport dodged daggers easily; Stealth hid him intermittently.
Mobility-specialized experiment.
-Too fast.
Even Kethar sensed he couldn't match it up close.
"It's fine."
I'd anticipated. Knew exactly what to do.
Whoosh.
He darted like a tailed maniac. Time to trap him.
I swept my hand, activating Sword Wall.
Mana lined up in midair, morphing into weapons.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Weapons stabbed in a row, sealing his path perfectly.
"The... path's blocked?!"
Yeah, panicking hard. But we're just getting started.
'Unlike Erven, I can reshape freely.'
Whoosh!
He wouldn't go down easy. As expected, another skill: Shadow Step.
Black smoke enveloped him—he vanished.
Whoosh!
Not long like Stealth—short-range blink.
He reappeared opposite the wall, smoke trailing.
No escape. I yanked the swords, hurled them ahead—reshaping into an enclosure.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Arrrghhh!"
Bang! Bang-bang!
Furious, he hammered the blades full force. Not a scratch.
'Trap him, and...
Void Rift's old weakness was escape range. Now with binding, it shines.
Vrrr. Vrrr.
Rifts bloomed above his head. Shadow Strike weapons rained like a storm—sky full of holes.
Whirr!
Nowhere to run. Weapons whistled down.
Could he dodge?
Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab!
"Guh... hack!"
Weapons pierced him like a porcupine. He spewed blood and collapsed.
'Lab Gatekeeper, Peros' has been defeated.
Nice. That's how to use it.
Got a feel for Sword Wall—and combos.
Trap with it, overlay Void Rift. Done.
'Freely reshapeable—tons more uses if I exploit it.'
Using it sparked ideas. Try variations next time.
"Incredible..."
Kethar, back human, approached wide-eyed.
"Like watching Serandos."
He named my main character.
"...Yeah?"
"Definitely. Adapting new skills on the fly, reading foes like a book..."
He suspected something.
"Eh, doesn't matter what user."
Kethar moved on naturally. I'd explain later, situation depending.
For now, keep it quiet.
Anyway. Researchers fled empty-handed from the fight.
Time to reclaim our gear.
'Second fragment.'
I gripped the center piece.
What power this time?
I slapped it onto Yodo, Barseto and cast Prototype Restoration.
Vrrr.
Fragment and blade glowed, merging as one.