282 – Sacrifice (1)
Gooooo──
Beyond the dust created by the metal door, intruders appeared inside the command and control room.
Thomas narrowed his eyes and looked toward the doorway.
“This is my first time seeing you in person, Thomas.”
It was Theo Lin Balderk. Next to him were an attendant, a student from the same department, and an unknown man.
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Thomas opened his eyes wide and stared at the intruders.
‘······How did you know the location of this place?’
No. From the fact that he knew his own name, which had been strictly prohibited from being revealed to the outside world, he knew everything enough to know.
‘How far did you know?’
Thomas opened his mouth to look at Theo.
“This is an unexpected, uninvited guest. “The person who contacted me was a subordinate.”
“Suhara… Is that what you mean?”
Theo raised her finger and pointed at Jang Woo-hee’s hand. She was holding the subordinate’s head in her hands.
“I tried to talk peacefully, but he suddenly screamed. So I killed him.”
Thomas looked at his subordinate’s neck for a moment.
“······Did you kill Maitri like that too, Theo Lin Balderk?”
“Yes. If I hadn’t killed him, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. Not to mention the fact that he is a contractor with the Great Devil.”
“······.”
Thomas quickly turned his head.
Also, I did not overreact to the existence of the devil…
‘······Close to a utilitarian like me. I think it makes sense.’
Thomas raised his hands up.
“I am a pacifist. “I want to talk.”
“I can’t talk anymore. “Your subordinate blew one opportunity.”
As Theo crossed her arms, Amy and Jang Woo-hee ran out.
They roughly subdued Thomas. He broke his right arm and hit his solar plexus. Then she knelt down in Theo’s direction.
“······Turn off, turn off!”
Thomas, who instantly became a wreck, groaned.
Even in the midst of pain, his mind was spinning quickly. He managed to lift his head and look up at Theo.
‘······You are not aiming for my life. If that was the purpose, you would have cut off my head right away.’
I don’t know what this is, but it means that there is something you want.
Thomas swallowed his saliva.
Theo said calmly, looking down at Thomas.
“I will be asking questions from now on. “You have to be prepared if you don’t get the answer you want or if the answer is slow.”
Thomas did not answer. I just looked up at Theo in silence.
Theo raised one corner of his mouth. At the same time, Amy stepped on Thomas’ thigh.
“Queu, queu!”
Theo looked down at Thomas with a calm expression.
“The response is slow. “Next time you will have to be more prepared.”
Amy took her dagger from its sheath on her thigh and placed it in her hand. The blade of the sword shone a razor-blue color. Enough to smoothly cut off her wrists or ankles.
Thomas answered.
“······Ask a question, Theo Lin Walderk.”
“Now I’m ready to answer. Then ask a question. “How many robots are left?”
Thomas’ eyes widened. That’s because he didn’t expect from the beginning that he would ask such a probing question.
“That… That.”
“The response is slow.”
Sgeung.
Amy immediately jumped out and severed Thomas’ right wrist.
Thomas screamed, but Theo paid no heed.
“This question does not end just because your wrist is cut off, Thomas. “If it were me, I would survive by answering properly rather than touching a dead man.”
“Keu, kuuh… Keuhuhuh… Do you know what the wrist means to a research inventor, Theo Lin Walderk… “How can I conduct research in the future with hands like these?”
Although there is a ‘replacement body’ that was previously provided to Oswald, it is not suitable for a research inventor like Thomas who requires delicate handling. Thomas needed careful hand movements rather than brute force.
Theo pointed to Taylor standing next to him.
“Ah, the introduction is late. This person here is called Taylor. “He is also a skilled therapist.”
“hahahahaha. There is no need to float it like this. Oh, of course, you can easily attach a severed wrist. Assuming you attach it quickly. “If it’s late, you can put it on, but there’s a high chance of it causing a malfunction.”
Thomas answered hastily.
“A total of 3 units. Over 900 objects left! To be exact, it is object 901.”
Theo nodded his head.
“If you were going to answer so well, why did you hesitate? I even saw blood that I didn’t need to see. So next question, Thomas. “Where is the controller that can control the robot?”
“It’s over there!”
Amy moved the moment she hesitated to answer, so Thomas answered quickly.
Theo frowned and kicked Thomas in the stomach.
Thomas flew and landed against the wall.
“Big, big… Big!”
“Don’t give a general answer. “Where is it?”
Thomas rolled on the floor and caught his breath. He coughed up blood every time he took a breath.
“······Gasp, gasp, gasp…! Left, left! “It’s a switch attached to the left wall of the command and control room.”
Theo looked at the left wall. On the left wall, there was a switch that opened only after entering a password.
‘There is a trap here that is triggered if you enter an incorrect password.’
Theo stood in front of the switch and spoke.
“Amy. “If he says the wrong password, immediately follow his head.”
“I understand, master.”
After Amy got on Thomas’ back, she held the dagger to his neck.
Theo said.
“Thomas, what is your password?”
“It is 1557······.”
“It was an easier password than expected.”
Beep, beep, beep, beep──
Theo entered the password. The screen surrounding the outside of the switch disappeared.
Theo placed his finger on the switch.
“What happens to the robot when I press this?”
“······All entities stop their activities, return to the designated waiting area, and wait indefinitely.”
“It’s simple. Is the switch over now? What switches give different commands?”
“······There is only one switch in the command and control room. Other switches are distributed across each lab. Of course, the only ones who know the password for that switch are Maitri, me, and my subordinates. This is the end of the three. “I may be the only one who knows now.”
“I see.”
Beep.
Theo pressed the switch.
“Guide me to another laboratory. The lives of other personnel will be preserved if they cooperate like you. Taylor. “Please attach Thomas’ wrist.”
“I understand.”
Taylor held up Thomas’ severed wrist. Then he held it to the cut section and chanted a recovery spell. Thomas’ wrist was attached in an instant.
Thomas squeezed his hand. My senses were intact and I moved normally.
Theo said.
“Then let’s move right away.”
Amy stood behind Thomas and pointed a dagger at his neck.
Jang Woo-hee also stood near Thomas with his dagger drawn.
*
*
*
Theo and his group, who took Thomas hostage, visited each research institute.
Each research institute had numerous researchers.
When they saw their captain Thomas taken hostage, they at first showed their intention to fight.
However,
─Maitri died due to this. He is also the one who cut down Oswald before.
When Thomas persuaded him, he soon surrendered.
A small number of people resisted, but Jang Woo-hee and Taylor blew off all their heads.
All of the researchers had minimal combat power, so no one resisted any longer.
Theo took out a long rope from [Ah Space Bag] And tightly bound his researchers.
There were as many as 50 main researchers at Poseungjul.
After finishing trapping all the researchers, Theo pointed to the switch and asked. The password was 2019.
“Thomas, if you press that button, all robots will destroy themselves?”
“Yes. Except for the first one, all 900 remaining objects destroy their heads.”
“Why doesn’t the first one destroy itself?”
“······Because it is a failure. Its abilities are superior to those of any other robot, but it refuses to obey the command system. So I tied it up so it couldn’t move.”
“I see.”
Theo pressed the switch.
Flapping─
Purge──
All the robots in the waiting area in the corner of the lab destroyed their heads.
The bodies of the robots with their heads destroyed collapsed.
······Except for one entity.
Theo’s eyes turned to the corner.
‘Is that the first robot?’
There, I saw a robot with its arms, legs, and neck tied with magic seals.
‘······It gives me goosebumps.’
Unlike other robots, the appearance of the first robot was not much different from that of a human. I would say she looks like a girl of about thirteen or fourteen. He was even wearing clothes.
I knew it was a robot because I saw a piece of machinery in the area where it was tied with a seal.
‘······Such a cutting-edge robot in a world without guns.’
Theo shook his head and approached the robot.
Thomas said while looking at that figure.
“Do not approach, Theo Lin Walderk!”
“Why are you doing that?”
“Every robot is just a minor copy of its own entity. They are so capable that they have a will of their own. “It means we cannot be responsible for safety!”
As he said, the first robot began to squirm as Theo approached. I felt a strength that was different from other robots.
Sgeung.
Theo pulled out the [Demon Sword] And decapitated the robot.
“It’s the same as not being able to move if you cut off your head.”
Theo swung his sword one after another, cutting off the robot’s arms and legs.
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Two arms, two legs, torso, head.
The first robot was cut into a total of 6 parts. Even as it was cut, each part was squirming.
‘If it’s such an outstanding product, it should be used well. ‘I’ll have to take it to Sonya.’
She would be able to recover.
Theo stored the remains of the robots in the [Subspace bag].