kscans

Chapter 74 - Boss Battle and Treasure

What appeared in the arena was a tank robot.

…To think something like this exists. Just how advanced is their technology? As I was thinking, the robot raised one arm and pointed its barrel at us.

I shouted, "Everyone, behind me!"

I generated an electromagnetic field in front of me. After Tina and the others took refuge behind me, the robot opened fire with its Gatling gun. The gunfire was deafening, its power incomparable to the previous robot. The bullets all veered away, but the wall behind us was now riddled with large holes. I could get closer this way, but what to do about Tina and the others?

This defense was for me alone; I couldn’t extend it to others.

Just then, Glad-san spoke up. "Shinsuke, leave this to me. …I will risk my life to protect them."

His words were full of valor.

I looked at Glad-san. His body radiated confidence and spirit.

I said, "…Understood. …I’m counting on you."

I declared it with determined eyes.

Hearing that, Glad-san moved behind me and held his shield at the ready. The women moved behind him.

"‘Immovability’ Skill!"

He activated his skill and stood his ground, unmoving.

I drew my katana, manipulating the intense sparks to create a blade of fire. I sprinted to the right with all my might. The robot turned its Gatling gun on me, in hot pursuit. Thanks to the electromagnetic field, the bullets didn’t hit. Once I confirmed I was a good distance away from the others, I charged straight for the robot. It was still firing with just one arm.

…That square robot back there used both its arms, but this one still doesn’t see me as a threat. I felt a flicker of irritation at its attitude, as if it didn’t even need to get serious.

However, this was a fight to the death. A battle of life and death. The slightest carelessness could lead to my demise.

…The same goes for a machine. I got within range of my katana and swung with all my might in a wide arc. My target was its wheels; I’d take away its mobility. But the wheels weren’t cut. They hadn’t melted from the flames, either. I panicked for a moment, wondering ‘Why?’, but I had no time to think. The robot’s Gatling gun was right in my face. I judged it was bad news and immediately retreated. Five seconds later, the Gatling gun fired. My electromagnetic defense went up just in time. …That was close. A step slower and I would have been turned into a beehive. No matter how effective the electromagnetic field is, it doesn’t work if you’re too close. …I was the one who had been careless.

…Complacency is a great enemy. Pay attention to what’s under your own feet. Hah!.

I steeled myself and looked at my opponent again. The robot had its arm pointed at me but wasn’t firing. …It seemed it wouldn’t attack unless I approached.

I could consider the first attack a greeting. I said, "`Discernment` Skill!"

I activated the skill, and the robot’s information appeared.

Individual: Mechanical Doll. Properties: Heat Resistance, Lightning Resistance. Abilities: None. Magic: None. Weakness: The head is lighter than the rest of the body.

…I see. So that’s why the flames didn’t work. But looking at its properties, this is the worst possible matchup for me.

I have no chance of winning in a straight fight.

If its weakness is the head, I could just jump and cut it with my katana, but it probably won’t give me an opening like that.

After a moment of thought, I yelled, "…Tina! Douse the robot with a lot of water!"

At my instruction, Tina replied, "Understood! Is just drenching it enough?!"

I nodded in response.

Seeing that, Tina activated her water magic. A mass of water began to gather above the robot. To pin it down, I moved forward with hostile intent. Of course, with my electromagnetic field active. The robot saw me and opened fire with its Gatling gun. The bullets all missed, and the robot remained stationary.

Just as I thought—it can’t move while attacking. Firing while on the move is difficult even for a person, let alone a robot that can only perform programmed movements. I dedicated myself to being a decoy. But it didn’t last long.

The robot seemed to sense something and pointed its other arm at Tina and the others. The Gatling gun fired. Countless bullets struck the shield. But Glad-san didn’t move an inch; he just stood there and endured it. Thanks to his skill, he didn’t flinch, no matter what attack he took. Tina, having confirmed that the water had formed into a large sphere thanks to Glad-san, shouted, "`Big Waterball`!"

She called out the technique’s name and drenched the robot with a massive amount of water.

The robot, soaked to the core, stopped its attack and froze in place. …Machines are weak to water. On Earth today, waterproofing is perfect, but that’s not the case in this world. Most importantly, it didn’t have water resistance listed in its properties. Sensing my chance, I closed the distance in an instant.

The robot saw me and tried to raise its arm jerkily. But it couldn’t get a proper aim; it was unable to lock on. I used the robot’s torso as a foothold and ran up to its head. Then, I used its head as a springboard and leaped into the air. In mid-air, I took an overhead stance and poured magic into my katana. Since it contains Adamantite, its sharpness is enhanced.

My target was the robot’s head. The robot was still immobile.

I yelled, "CHEEESTOOO!!!"

With a shout, I brought my blade down in a vertical slice.

I cut the robot from its head down. When I landed, the robot had been split in two and was showering sparks. Its body was shaking violently. I decided this was bad and made an emergency retreat. And then, it exploded.

My ears were ringing. The massive explosion left me dizzy for a while. The others seemed to be safe, but they were also dazed by the sound. …But it exploded too quickly.

I at least wanted to say a cool line like, ‘There is nothing I cannot cut.’

…The robot was charred black but hadn’t caught fire.

Seeing this, the woman with the shortsword said, "…So the monsters in the ruins are different from the others. …Could it be that these are man-made? …But to create something of this scale…"

She muttered to herself.

She was giving off an unapproachable aura. Sakura, standing next to her, remained vigilant of their surroundings and didn’t leave her side. After a short rest, we decided to head for the door in the back. The door had opened when the robot was defeated. Of course, the exit door had opened as well. …This part is common in video games, which means there must be treasure ahead. …There was no stopping the pounding in my chest.

Absolutely not.

As I was thinking that, I saw the door. It was a perfectly ordinary wooden door. I tried to open it, but it wouldn’t budge. Looking closely, I saw a keyhole. I activated `Analysis` and grasped its structure. Then, using `Matter Conversion`, I turned a pebble into iron and fashioned a key.

Seeing this, Glad-san said, "…Your skills are quite useful, Shinsuke-kun. …A sturdy door is meaningless before you. …Just don’t ever become a thief."

He said the last part with a laugh. …I’m sure he was joking, but honestly, being a thief—a righteous one—does sound cool.

However, I’m a hunter. I have no intention of changing jobs.

…Anyway, the door was open, so we went inside. What awaited us was not a mountain of gold and silver treasure… nothing was piled up at all. Inside were a desk and chair, a bookshelf, and a bed. It was someone’s room.

We entered the room and looked around. I noticed letters carved into the wall. They weren’t in this world’s script; Glad-san and the others looked confused, unable to tell what language it was. But I knew. Because what was written was Italian. The style was a bit old, but I could read it without any problem. It said:

`I have reached the paradise of my dreams, and I shall bring this knowledge back with me to Florence. …Leonardo da Vinci.`

…The name of someone I know very well.

…So I thought, and then said, "…What strange writing. …Isn’t it just graffiti?"

I said it in a feigned, clueless tone.

For some reason, Glad-san looked convinced. …Simple-minded people are a great help. The two behind him looked suspicious, but they didn’t ask. …I’d like to think they were being considerate.

Amidst all this, Tina whispered to me, "…Do you know a person named Leonardo?"

…Tina had been to Earth via a magic circle, so she had learned the language and could read it. I gave a silent nod. Tina said nothing more and stayed by my side. I then moved to the desk and examined it.

That genius had been here. It had to be worth more than gold and silver. Just then, I found two books in a drawer. One was a diary, the other a grimoire. I decided to look at the diary first. According to it, he had come to this world through a book of alchemy and magic given to him by his master, Verrocchio. He had been experimenting with summoning something from another world when he ended up coming here himself. Leonardo considered it not a failure but a success, and was overjoyed.

He said the power bestowed upon him when he arrived in this world was incredible, and his heart leaped with excitement. However, he knew he had to return to his home. He was convinced he had things to do back there. Leonardo left behind a grimoire he had acquired on his travels, one that described ‘Teleportation,’ and a mechanical guardian, before leaving this world. That’s what was written.

…A grimoire describing teleportation. I picked up the other book and read it. The contents were long, but to summarize: first, you draw a magic circle and fix it in place. It can be activated even if it disappears. Next, you draw the same magic circle elsewhere, but this time, you add a number. This allows you to teleport to locations marked as number one, number two, and so on. …So, if I draw this magic circle near my house in the Kingdom and another in a forest near the Republic, I can return whenever I want. Is that what it means?

I said, "…Tina, I want to use this magic right away. …Shall we return to the Kingdom for a bit?"

To my proposal, Tina replied, "…That sounds like a good idea. We’re halfway through our rations, so this might be a good opportunity to go back."

She agreed.

I said, full of enthusiasm, "Alright, then! Once we get back to the Republic, let’s take a ship and head back to the Kingdom."

Just as I said that, Glad-san spoke up. "Ah, Shinsuke-kun. The ships bound for the Kingdom are banned from entering or leaving port."

At his words, I asked, "…Banned? …Did something happen?"

To my question, Glad-san said, "…The Kingdom’s port town was attacked by monsters. …The town is half-destroyed. Until it’s confirmed to be safe, no ships can depart."

I thought for a moment. "…So, Glad-san, is your participation in this Undead hunt related to that? …I couldn’t think of a reason why you, who quit being an adventurer to become a soldier of the Kingdom, would join in."

To my question, Glad-san replied, "…Good observation. Indeed, we tried to leave the Republic with our client once, but we were stuck because the ships couldn’t depart. It was then that the Knight Captain of the Republic directly requested that we undertake the Undead hunt. …He said that if we succeeded, he would allow a ship to depart for the Kingdom. …What will you two do? …If you’re heading back, I can explain the situation and get you on board."

I considered his offer for a moment. "…Thank you, but I must respectfully decline. …The reason is, to get passage, I would have to explain that we’ll be using teleportation magic. …This magic could be dangerous in the wrong hands. I don’t think it should be spread around carelessly. …Besides, even if we could get on board by hiding it, secrets always come out eventually. I can’t do that."

I stated it firmly. Tina seemed to agree with my words and nodded. …For some reason, the woman with the shortsword had a startled look on her face.

Hearing my words, Glad-san said, "…I see. Well, I won’t force you. …When I get back to the Kingdom, I’ll do what I can to get the shipping routes reopened as soon as possible."

I expressed my gratitude for his offer.

…He really is a good person. It’s hard to believe he was a companion of that Rodel. …Well, it seems he was with him for surveillance purposes, so I suppose that’s to be expected.

With that thought, we decided to leave the ruins.