85 – 85 episodes. Linda (3)
“Do you know Draken?”
[I don’t know per se. Just heard of it. Someone approached me when I fell into the dungeon. His name was…]
“Draken?”
[Yes. That’s right.]
“Tell me more.”
This is something I must hear.
Even if I might run into Yeri later, I must do this.
“Describe him as best as you can. His appearance, the tone of his voice, and every detail of the conversation.”
Embarrassingly enough, I still know almost nothing about the final boss.
There are nearly no hints about the final boss in the game.
There’s almost no description for it either.
There’s practically no information given about the final boss, aside from few MacGuffins.
All I know is that the difficulty is brutal.
Apart from that and the name, I know almost nothing.
“I cannot share anything about the voice or appearance. At that time, my connection to the input device was severed. Still, curiously enough, information came directly into my memory.”
“Say what?”
“The information is still undiminished and remains, so I will recite it to you.”
Apparently, it’s impossible to forget unless manually deleted as a wind-up toy.
That’s a welcome revelation while listening.
Clearing his throat, a static noise came over the speaker.
Lynda began to chant in an emotionless voice.
[Static. Static. I, the Draken. Static. To you, I give strength. Static. Accept. And aid me, static.]
Lynda regained her usual voice, catching her breath.
Even her usual voice was considered emotionless.
Trying to imitate a robot’s voice makes it feel even more bland.
“Because my connection to the output device was also severed, I had no way to respond, but internally, I indicated refusal. After this, no other information was received. Instead, a massive flow of magic tried to seize my logic circuit. Eventually, I was forced to shut down my system, until someone woke me up; and until someone rescued me.”
Lynda says this with an insincere smile.
The conversation between Lynda and Draken was brief, no doubt.
However, it’s far from lacking in deductions.
‘It’s definite. He was offering a place among the Four Heavenly Kings.’
Draken personally provides power?
I never heard such a story from Min Jung.
It seems like the Genes nun had never met Draken either.
So, a normal monster has no business with Draken.
Conversely, a monster that has encountered Draken isn’t normal.
One of the highest tiers among monsters.
A monster with intelligence, assisting Draken directly.
It was undoubtedly an offer for a place among the Four Heavenly Kings.
Lynda, however, had declined.
She never occupied one of the Four Heavenly Kings’ places.
Instead, she was controlled by magic, attacking humans reflexively, like a common boss monster.
‘The seat of the Four Heavenly Kings could open again..’
Just like the offer came to Lynda.
Draken could even extend an offer directly to someone else in the future.
“That means there’s a chance the positions of the Four Heavenly Kings we’ve gone to such lengths to kill could be filled again.
The Four Heavenly Kings aren’t specifically four individuals.
There are only four positions that could be the final boss’s right-hand men.
The positions of the Four Heavenly Kings could be empty, or they could be full.
For instance, in the case of Belphegor and Kali, they are monsters from the underworld, along with the final boss.
The remaining two were recruited from this world to fill in the spots.
Just like I suggested to Linda.
‘At least in the game story, the positions of the Four Heavenly Kings we’ve killed never got filled.’
I don’t know if there’s some kind of cooldown until their spots get filled or if it’s hard to find a suitable replacement.
But it is definitely clear that an immediate replacement is impossible.
Conversely, given enough time, these empty spots may be filled again.
That means you have to eliminate all of the Four Heavenly Kings and attack the final boss within the game volume.
If you don’t want to see the spots of the Heavenly Kings you went to the trouble of killing refilled.
Think about how difficult it was for me just to kill Kali.
And that difficulty isn’t going to just be three times.
It could be dozens, even hundreds of times.
Thinking about it, makes my head swim.
The in-game time for the original game is about two years.
You have to finish it within that time frame.
Because if the time gets extended, it might become impossible to even face the final boss.
‘Thank you for the valuable information.’
[Was it helpful?]
‘It was extremely helpful.’
[Then, I…]
‘What is it?’
Looking serious, Linda stands up immediately.
As Linda looks for my reaction, she leans her head towards me.
What’s she trying to do?
Is she asking me to check if there’s something wrong with her wig?
[Could you… stroke my hair? Like you did with your colleague.]”
“He’s not a colleague. He’s a slave.”
[“I also belong to my master. So please pat me. I think discrimination is wrong.”]
“······.”
Is it because it’s a machine? The logic is impeccably precise.
Besides, patting is not as if it will cost a fortune.
As I stroke Linda’s head meticulously, I can feel the rough sensation of the wig.
“What material is the hair made of?”
[“It’s donated hair.”]
“No wonder it looks natural. The touch of the hand feels like silicone, which is a bit off.”
[“The face should be relatively realistic. Though the hands are full silicone, the face is meticulously crafted to express emotions. Here, touch it.”]
“Oh······.”
Wow, impressive.
From Noble mtl dot com
Pulling Linda’s cheek to test the elasticity.
Touching her lips as well.
Even giving a little tap on her eyeball while feeling the corner of her eyes.
Certainly, the material itself is silicone.
But the feeling is much more realistic than pure silicone.
It shows the effort put in.
No wonder there are rumors of falling
But still, Linda waved goodbye with a smile.
Almost like a bodhisattva.
Leaving the Clockwork City.
We did some light shopping.
First, we needed a backpack to cover our wireless transmitter, so we bought a big one.
When we tried it on, the size was just right.
And it fit perfectly on Mijeong’s back.
Anyone can tell she’s a pilgrim on a long journey.
We also bought a camera.
Even though it’s not a very expensive item, there were weirdly few places selling them…
There were hardly any places to buy it if it wasn’t the Clockwork City.
Of course, it’s an early model, so the picture quality is poor, the exposure time is long, and it takes a while to develop.
But still, the meaning of a camera is very significant to me, someone who lived in the modern world.
Memories might fade away, but pictures won’t.
‘We gained a lot.’
Since coming to Clockwork City, we’ve gotten a base.
We’ve got a pretty and faithful robotic maid too.
We’ve also made the magic tool we aimed for.
We’ve been shopping for various sundries too.
The yield was more than expected.
But still…
“Why aren’t you leaving?”
“I’m going! Don’t rush me!”
Suddenly, everyone’s gaze turned to the nun Jinesu, who naturally occupied the spot next to me.
She must have seen the conclusion by now, so isn’t it time to leave?
Even when she’s given freedom, she dawdles oddly.
Something seems suspicious.
“I need to replenish my magic power before I go.”
“I don’t care. Do as you wish.”
“I want to replenish my vital energy along with my magic power…”
“Whose decision is it anyway?”
“I told you then! I said I would give you the magic and energy you wanted!”
“Me?”
“Did you get dementia?”
My memory is fuzzy.
Did I really say I would give them energy?
Suddenly, everything in front of me becomes dizzy.
If I want to quickly replenish my energy from the giant genie, I should do that after all…
“Oh. It’s definitely not going to work. Physically, I’m too slow for that.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“I can’t handle it with the genie.”
“Handle what? What do you mean? To replenish energy, all you need is simple physical contact.”
“….”
The genie nun tilts her head in confusion.
No. I said energy.
Of course, it wasn’t about sucking it through such means?
Just now, my whole world crumbled.
“No. Forget it.”
“What is it? You’re making me curious!”
“…If you know, you’ll get hurt.”
“Both of you are annoying? Ugh! Alright, just give me your hand. Quickly suck it up and leave. Ah! Finally, liberation! It feels so refreshing! It was so tough running around being manipulated by this foolish, stubborn, self-destructive jerk!”
As I reach out my hand, the genie nun angrily grabs it so tightly that the whole neighborhood can hear.
Then, as the disguise spell is released, the genie nun’s appearance changes, becoming blurry and unstable.
Once again, she transforms into the giant genie and opens her mouth wide.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Just wait a moment! If I want to accumulate magic inside my body, I have to do it in my original form!”
“You should’ve lied a bit better! Last time, you received the magic in human form!”
“That time, I took it and immediately used it for spells, so it didn’t matter! If I want to accumulate it inside my body, I can’t use the disguise spell! Are you seriously considering leaving without keeping your promise?”
“Just finish it already…”
I’m going crazy.
“Do I have to do this in physical contact?” she asked.
The giant goblin raised its body and opened its mouth, eagerly waiting for her hand, which she reluctantly extended. Then, her hand was sucked into the slobbery mouth, filled with saliva.
A strange sensation enveloped her hand.
It was damp and stiff, making it impossible for her fingers to move.
At the same time, it seemed to drain the magic power within her, causing an uncomfortable yet subtle feeling.
Of course, she didn’t forget to infuse her own magic power into it.
After absorbing enough magic and energy, the grip around her hand loosened.
Only then was she able to retrieve her hand from the goblin’s mouth.
“Ugh… Do I have to do this regularly? It’s horrible.”
“Who would willingly put a filthy creature’s hand in their mouth?”
“Did you do it because you liked it?”
“No, I didn’t! Normally, we only touch the end of the legs to absorb energy… I only resorted to taking it in my mouth because your energy is of good quality and I wanted to absorb every bit of it.”
“…”
In the end, it wasn’t necessary to do it with her mouth.
Despite feeling repulsed, it was already a past event.
She wiped her hand with a handkerchief and handed it to the goblin maiden.
“It’s a souvenir. Take it. When you need to replenish your energy next time, contact Rinda.”
“Yes, well… I prefer not to see you for a long time if possible. I’ll contact you if my energy is running dangerously low and I’m on the verge of death.”
“Fine. Goodbye. Don’t talk about me to anyone else, or it’ll cause trouble.”
“Hmph. What kind of trouble would I cause?”
“You’ll be punished by the Four Lords. They’ll think you betrayed us and collaborated with humans.”
“…”
The goblin maiden’s composed face turned pale.
There was no need to worry about her spreading rumors about me after betraying us.
If she did, I would turn the tables and sell her out to the Four Lords.
Even though it was only temporary cooperation due to blackmail.
They would never forgive the goblin maiden who lent her strength to the humans.
It seems that monsters have a keen sense for each other’s scents, so it’s only a matter of time before she’s tracked down and caught.
She likely knows best what will transpire after that.
“Ah, fine! Just shut up! Act like we never met, okay?”
“Good. Keep up the good behavior.”
“······Goodbye.”
“Ugh!”
Leaving the irritated her behind, he hurriedly heads for his path.
He must leave this place by train before Yerina arrives.
“But why are you still following me?”
“Why?! I surely made my point clear······! Ugh!”
She pretended to go separate ways, then snuck up behind him in a completely different appearance.
He chased her away with a hefty blow to the head.
How could he be deceived when her venom sac clearly indicates her weakness?
.
.
.
“You’re unlucky, you arrogant jerk! I really, really hate you! Dealing with humans is just no good at all!”
I’m such a fool.
A complete idiot.
For a moment, I was such a dunce to idolize humans.
All for him to pretend to let loose only to instantly put shackles back again······.
The fact that I have no choice but to be manipulated by humans, it’s unbearably infuriating.
“I can’t just sit here and take it······.”
Turning around, he sees the train pulling away from the platform.
The human has left.
And now he cannot return.
Only then did he feel at ease, pulling out an item he’d carefully hidden deep within his possessions.
A magical tool filled with gears, glistening with a radiant light.
A tool to manipulate… what was it again?
Anyway, it was an expensive and important item.
“Heh heh heh. You said it’s something you can’t use right away, right? It won’t matter if I hold onto it for a while.”
Laughter just spills out.
What a fool.
Don’t you realize someone might swipe such an important item while you’re distracted by a pretty robot?
Moreover, I’ve attached a charm to the humanoid.
It’s a curse that forcefully relaxes the brachioradialis muscle.
When the curse is activated, it could cause quite a disgrace to him.
“Heh heh heh.”
Upon realizing this magical tool is gone and seeing the humanoid flabbergasted after the curse is activated- how hilarious that’ll be.
Just imagining it makes me giddy.
Initially, the plan was to implant a clone of myself on the train to watch his bewildered face real-time.
But my tailing failed, so I had no other choice.
“But what does one use a magical tool that can puncture space-time for… Huh?!”
At that moment.
The magical tool wobbles and changes form, just like my Invisibility Cloak.
Soon, the only thing in my hands is a small monkey wrench.
The magical tool disappeared without a trace.
“Is it illusion magic?!”
I thought I was good at detecting magic power?
How did I not notice?
Did I steal a monkey wrench from the beginning, not a magical tool?
“Ugh!!!”
Rage boils over momentarily as I bite my sleeve.
I can feel something rustling in my pocket.
I reach in, feeling suspicious, and pull out the handkerchief the humanoid gave me.
“Huh?”
It’s not a handkerchief, it’s a charm — just like the one I attached to the humanoid.
The moment it was noticed.
The amulet shone, its effects revealing immediately.
The sphincter clenches…
“Ahhhhh….you crazy humanoid…”
Hiss…..
I really want to kill him.
Uno reverse 😂😂