Chapter 138
“So the girl does issue orders, but not at a very high level. Each unit just handles its own job, right?”
“On top of that, they even seem to suggest things they weren't ordered to do. It looked like the leader-type unit was allowed to personally take the boss's spoils.”
“Hmm…. If each unit's judgment is different, does that mean all the AIs are linked so they can divide the work without overlapping? Or maybe they communicate in real time and decide that way. So it's not one-way communication with just the user.”
Elik Marcus was receiving and checking the footage that came in every second, reviewing the golems belonging to the Eve Project.
“By the way, who’s the maid beside her? It reminds me of my favorite anime. If possible, I’d like to bring her to Quantum Harbor.”
There were also a few photos showing a woman in a maid uniform constantly supporting and guarding the tiny white-haired girl, staying by her side and attending to her.
Elik Marcus was a hardcore Japanese anime nerd, after all. After coming down to the senior staff office and analyzing the Eve Project photos, he had zoomed in on the images and identified the model of the phone the girl was using.
“...The phone model is a product from Oseong Group, and it appears to be running on Android.”
“Oh, Android is good. Easier to crack than iOS. Any trace that they used our company AI?”
“Unfortunately, none. Even confirming the device through location tracking is difficult, and even when our dispatched employee tried signal hijacking directly, it didn't budge.”
A subcontracted dispatched employee who had been watching the Eve Project's battle scene had tried to catch the signal from close range inside the vehicle, but it was useless.
Instead, by datafying the location tracking and the path the IP had moved through, we were able to check the access history of a search engine provided by another company in the same Orbit Club through AI simulation.
“What the hell is this. How to get free Robux. 500 Robux coupon. Fun Roblox games. Sue the bastard who stole my brainrot. How to get good at Hypershot…. Is she an elementary schooler?”
“She is an elementary schooler.”
“Daaamn. Is this really the search history from that girl's device?”
“Yes, for now it seems that way…. Since it went from the SNS login screen straight to the Princess Eve account screen, the account owner does seem to be her.”
The Quantum Harbor senior staff office was sinking deeper and deeper into a maze.
“What is this? Slime cleaning? There’s a process specifically for handling slime-type monsters?”
Elik Marcus quickly racked his genius brain.
“Ah, so it's a part used on the units. In the video, the golems' joint extensions looked way too flexible. Are they using slimes as joint lubricant or liquid hamstrings?”
“No, it's a children's sensory-play toy that's popular among Korean elementary school kids these days.”
“Well, damn.”
Of course, even highly advanced intelligence couldn't keep up with an elementary schooler's brain.
“No good. I'll put the AI aside for now and figure out at least how the units are made. Are you still there?”
“Yes, the call is still connected.”
* * * * *
ㅡVroooom
“Toot-dee-baa-bang.”
We're loading the spoils onto the truck and heading to the factory. They said the mana stones are good quality, and although it's a bit of a mixed bag, we also got quite a lot of rare metal. Of course, once we melt it down, refine it, and pick out the usable bits, it'll shrink a little, but still, something's better than nothing.
So the soldiers and Minyum are riding in the back too. Even if we took Bradamante to the forge after repairs and had the golems summoned first, it would be pointless since we still have to deal with the spoils on the truck.
So we're just moving along together in the truck. Besides, the light and fragile mana stones are being carried by the cavalry, so they aren't in here.
“Ophelia, are we going to buy a few more entry-type gates later?”
“Yes. But for now, we don't have any plans yet. We're still only getting about half the efficiency out of the gates we already own.”
“Hmmmm..! I see..!”
The truck got caught at a traffic light and stopped at a four-way intersection... no, a five-way intersection. Six-way? This road looks like some poor bastard whose brain got beaten in.
Inside the container, the golems were holding the stacked rare-metal spoils tight so they wouldn't move, but even so, every time we stopped I could still hear a faint creak-creak from the back.
ㅡBeep!
“Ah, green light.”
The moment the truck slowly started moving forward after the light turned green—
ㅡBAAAAAAAAAANG!!!!
* * * * *
“Is this plan…. really okay?”
“Yeah, it's fine. It's not like we're going to hit a person. You made sure to honk properly, right? And you set up the device in advance? Make sure the sound gets recorded in the black box too. I also had you scream a bit so that when the police take the vehicle apart later, it'll come out as a malfunction-induced sudden acceleration. You don't need to worry about your body, right? You're sturdy, after all.”
“...Awakeners aren't incapable of feeling pain, though. Still, understood.”
The plan was simple. Right now, the Eve Project's truck was carrying the Eve Project's golems inside. From the outside, it looked neatly finished, with the outer shell smoothly filled in so that the internal structure wasn't visible.
But a machine is still a machine. If it breaks, the internal structure will pop out, and the location of the mana stone—the core of the mana-powered mechanism—will be exposed. In a machine, where the power source sits is a very important point.
On top of that, if there were a device that encouraged a connection to the outside, it'd break off easily, and if there were any other key points, figuring them out would be good.
In short.
“This car's airbags work, right?”
“That's what I said.”
Crash into the back of the Eve Project truck's container, break the golem, and bring back the footage. For that, he'd even prepared glasses that transmit the video in real time.
“Phew, let's go.”
Just then, the target vehicle was at the very front of Yeongdeungpo Rotary. The lane he was driving in had turned yellow and would soon turn red. If he started off as if suddenly accelerating on the red light the moment the Eve Project truck moved ahead—
ㅡBAAAAAAAAAANG!!!!
“Huff..! Body Reinforcement..!”
A vehicle raced toward the container of the truck ahead along the preplanned route. Just before impact, he used his Body Reinforcement skill to reduce the shock that would hit his body and slammed the accelerator hard.
But.
ㅡSKREEEEEEEEK...!!!!
“What is that..!!!”
ㅡBOOOOOM!!
A golem tore through the side of the iron container like a can opener, cutting a round hole before bursting out to block the road ahead. It was the leader-type unit from the battle we had filmed before.
‘Actually, this isn't bad..! If I ram the leader-type unit and crush it like this..!’
But the moment the golem and the vehicle collided, the Quantum Harbor subcontracted employee felt that something had gone wrong.
ㅡKWAAAAAAANG!!!
“Ugh..!”
Normally, in a traffic accident, the metal of both vehicles—including the bumpers—deforms from both sides, absorbing the impact. That's how it should work.
But blue light rose from the fingertips of the golem standing in front, and a translucent blue shield suddenly appeared, stopping the speeding vehicle dead in its tracks without moving even 1 mm.
That impact went straight back toward the driver, completely intact.
ㅡPOOOOOOM!!!
* * * * *
“Hoeeek!! What happened?!!”
Suddenly there was the sound of something being sliced off in the cargo bay behind us, and then right beside us came a weird 'koong-ya' and a boom.
It doesn't seem like our truck took any damage, but when I rolled down the window and looked over, Minyum was in the middle of blocking some strange car with a shield. The whole front end was completely crumpled, so I'm worried whether the driver is okay.
ㅡClick!
Ophelia quickly unfastened her seatbelt and got out of the car, but she told me not to get out.
“Please remain in the vehicle, Princess.”
“Eeh! I want to see too!”
“No. It could be dangerous.”
“Waaah.”
Still, if I rolled down the window and stretched the seatbelt way out to stick my head past the window, I could see it. The rear container of the truck had been ripped away in a perfect circle, like it had been cut by a Star Wars lightsaber, and Minyum had come out from there to block the car rushing toward us with a shield.
“Hoeeek….”
ㅡBeep..!
Since that other car's engine had even caught fire and might explode at any moment, Ophelia swished blue thread around and cut all the doors off, pulled the driver out, and saved him.
“Oh my God…. That person's leg has turned to dried fish jerky….”
This is why you need to practice driving properly….
* * * * *
Our truck's container had a hole punched in it, but it wasn't causing any trouble with the drive, so we quickly pulled over to the shoulder at the intersection.
The other car had its nose completely smashed in and looked like it would need a lot of bodywork, but since it wasn't a very heavy vehicle, our golems on the truck heaved it over to the shoulder with great effort.
A tow truck that had appeared from nowhere saw the golems personally lifting the totaled car and moving it, and stood nearby, leaning on one leg and puffing on a cigarette.
“Sir, don't smoke on the road.”
“Yeah....”
So I gave him a scolding.
“For now, the report has been filed. Looking at the black box, it seems there was absolutely no problem on this side....”
ㅡBeep-beep-beep beep-beep-beep
“Hello, this is Inspector Kim Hee-jun of the Yeongdeungpo Police Station Traffic Investigation Unit. Ah, yes! Yes, that's right! I'm at Yeongdeungpo Rotary right now. Ah.... yes, understood!”
The officer who had gone out to investigate took the call, muttered something to the other police officers, and then suddenly let us go.
“Y-you can head out first for now. We'll handle it from here.”
“Understood. Then, excuse us.”
Do they usually send you off this quickly after an accident? I don't really know, but either way it's not a bad thing. But our truck's container had its side cut open by Minyum like opening a can lid with a knife, so the inside is a little visible. And it looks like the spoils might spill out too.
“Hmm, what should we do about this?”
ㅡClank!
“Whoa, really? You can fix it?”
ㅡClank-clank!
Minyum suddenly stepped up, saying he'd somehow handle it, picked up the bent sheet metal that had been cut and folded downward, straightened it back into its original shape with a grating screech, then turned on the jet booster in his hand and started welding it back together.
“Oh my God. That's amazing.”
ㅡClank!
He probably shouldn't have done it this way, but it seemed like he'd just improvised a temporary fix. Anyway, the bent sheet metal that had been sticking out was attached again, and although it looked a little ugly on the outside, it seemed good enough.
“Ugh, my head feels a little woozy.”
ㅡClank….
“W-was it..? You used your mana for that? Whatever. You were trying to protect me, right?”
ㅡNod-nod
Fortunately, it didn't cause any major problems with our trip. But while we were heading to the forge, I was looking at the gallery and saw a photo posted.
[Anon : Today's Yeongdeungpo Rotary Eve Project truck accident, damn
(Photo)
Our Gundam buddy we saw at the Desert Mausoleum before...
Today, at Yeongdeungpo Rotary, she blocked a sudden-acceleration vehicle with a shield
(Photo)
The other driver ended up a half-crippled rag
(Photo)
Fortunately, our gallery star also properly put that tow-truck bastard who came running over while smoking on the road in his place, and even stole his job
(Photo)
Since the truck doesn't seem to have taken any impact, she looks like she's walking around just fine. Praise the princess]
-Gahong : As expected, it's Princess Ophelia teaching that tow-truck guy a lessonㅠㅠ
-Ellel : Why the hell are there so many bastards who drive like shit anyway?
ㄴAnon : Yeongdeungpo Rotary really is a goddamn road from hell, for real
ㄴ RamzhkabilGOA : The fact that this is considered an improvement is fucking hilarious lol It used to be even worse
-Anon : Our gallery star must've been startled
-Anon : Why does this keep happening to her?
ㄴGahong : She's so cute the whole world is jealous of herㅠ
“Mwahaha…. Huh?”
[Anon : Breaking fucking news) Tennoji Utaha has entered Korea
Sex
-Utaha's Droplet-Shaped Fan: Holy shit, she's really fucking pretty, I'm seeing her in person right now
ㄴ Anon : An ugly Korean bastard has shown up, fuck—Korea's image is completely ruined
ㄴ Kim Heukgan : Come on...
ㄴ Anon : @Kim Heukgan Boomer
ㄴ Kim Heukgan : @Anon Fuck;;
* * * * *
“Woohoo!! This time, I'll definitely make a Korean girlfriend..!”
“Ogami, please keep it down. Couldn't you take a cue from our chairman?”
“Hey, Fujisaki. If taking a cue from the chairman were possible, I'd have already gotten a girlfriend by now, wouldn't I?”
“That is.... true.”
After letting out a deep sigh at the unexpectedly correct answer, Fujisaki Koharu slowly looked around inside Incheon Airport, then turned her gaze behind her and looked at Tennoji Utaha, who was following behind.
“Chairman! You look absolutely amazing today too! It's like a K-pop idol or something? As expected, you really do dress well!”
“Ah, yeah.... Thanks.”
Of course, for Tennoji Utaha, who had never worn anything other than her shrine maiden outfit at home, this was only because her agency had put together dozens of days' worth of outfits so she wouldn't go abroad and embarrass herself.
'Korea.... Has it been five months already.'
That sort of thing didn't matter to the others at all, who were basically Tennoji Utaha fanatics.
“Utahaㅡ!!!! Look over hereㅡ!!!!!”
“Kyaaaahㅡ!!!!”
[Anon : The ugly Korean really did show up, fuck
They were screaming their heads off and causing total chaos at Incheon Airport]
-Utaha's Droplet-Shaped Fan: Sorry
ㄴAnon : Do better.