Chapter 104
I logged in. No. 18 had shown us a room that seemed to be the waiting room of the Central Government Building, and we had been logging out there one by one. After dinner, a bath, and everything else, all that remained for today was to finish this boss battle and prepare for tomorrow.
"Ah, Izam. Welcome back."
"Yo, bro."
"Yeah, I'm back."
I was greeted by Iris and Jigorou. The three of us, myself included, had logged out first, but it seemed I was the last to return.
"Is that a gun?"
"Yes! I was assembling it while consulting with No. 18-san. The sniper rifle is finished! I've made all kinds of modifications, too. Would you like to see it?"
Apparently, after logging in, she had been working with No. 18 to restore the guns. It seemed they had assembled them by reusing identical guns and compatible parts. It was the so-called two-into-one method.
In any case, Iris had proudly held it out to me, so I might as well use 【Appraisal】 on it.
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Magic Sniper Rifle FE-6 Quality: Fair Rarity: R (Rare)
A bolt-action sniper rifle that fires bullets accelerated by the magical power emitted by magic stones.
Maximum range: 2,000 meters. Magic power charging time: 2.5 seconds.
A long barrel and an optical sight have been added as options.
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So it was called a magic sniper rifle. Judging from the details, it seemed to fire bullets using a principle similar to an electromagnetic accelerator cannon. Guns that used magic stones were probably called magic guns.
As for what magic power charging meant, it was the time required for the built-in magic stone to gather enough magic power to fire the next shot. Two and a half seconds seemed a little long, but since the magic stone alone had to provide enough energy to send a bullet over a long distance, I supposed it couldn't be helped.
"Magic guns don't use gunpowder, so making the bullets is easy!"
"Ah, so you don't need gunpowder or cartridges?"
"That's right! It would be even easier if Izam mass-produced them with 【Alchemy】, so please lend me a hand from time to time!"
Oh, that was certainly true. The most efficient approach would be for me to mass-produce the bullets Iris made. Hm? Come to think of it...
"Magic guns are a type of magic item, right? If so, what happens when someone uses Magic Jammer on them?"
"Huh? Wouldn't they become unusable?"
"But those Golems back then were firing to their heart's content, weren't they?"
"Oh, right. Why was that?"
The question I had been carrying for so long was why the Golems had been able to move normally and fire their bullets as if nothing were wrong while Magic Jammer had sealed their magic.
"I believe the answer to what you're wondering about is probably Anti-Magic Coating."
No. 18 was the one who provided the answer to Iris's and my question.
"Anti-Magic Coating?"
"Yes. Anti-Magic Coating is a process that prevents the circuits inside magic items and Golems from being affected by Magic Jammer."
"I had no idea such technology existed..."
That was precisely the technology I had thought I needed to research! I'm sorry, Ancients. You had already put into practical use things I could only just think of...
"By the way, do you know how to make Anti-Magic Coating?"
Iris asked No. 18 with great interest. She loved creating all kinds of items, and she did not dislike the trial and error involved. However, she did not seem interested in devising techniques herself. If something could be learned simply by asking, having someone teach her was faster, after all.
"I do not know the exact ratio, but it should be sufficient to mix a magic stone with no particular affinity, ground into a powder, into paint."
"Huh? Is it really that simple?"
That certainly sounded convenient. However, apparently I would have to determine the optimal ratio myself. I'd leave that to Iris.
"Hmm... Hey, bro. Ain't you bored?"
"Hm? What brought that on all of a sudden?"
Jigorou suddenly said something strange. Well, if he was asking whether I was bored, I suppose I was. I could mass-produce talismans to raise my 【Talisman Arts】 level, but there was no need to do it right this moment.
"Yeah, I guess I might be a little bored..."
Oh, no! I screwed up! Because I had been so focused on the guns, I hadn't thought about what Jigorou was getting at until now!
"Wait! No, I'm not bored. Not bored at all!"
"You said you were bored, didn't you?"
"I'm not! I have the important task of making talismans..."
"You're bored, aren't you?"
"No, I mean...!"
"You're bored, right? Then come warm up with me. Come on, bro?"
...It seemed that the moment he got me on record, I had nowhere left to run. With a deep—an extremely deep—sigh, I was dragged out of the waiting room by Jigorou.
I beckoned to Iris, placing my last slim hope in her. I could already see myself being tormented to death if I went alone, but with two of us, perhaps we could somehow put up a fight!
"I-I still have the pistol to assemble...! G-good luck!"
However, reality was cruel. Iris mercilessly abandoned me, using a perfectly valid excuse as a shield despite the puppy-dog look I must have been giving her. Not that I even have eyeballs in my sockets.
"Kal! Wouldn't Kal be a worthy opponent for him!?"
"Hey, look over there."
"Grrrr... Grrrr..."
Kal's asleep! Sound asleep! That won't do. I couldn't bring myself to wake Kal up and make him deal with Jigorou.
Ah, I'll do my best. I don't want to die during one of my comrade's warm-ups!
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"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Sorry! I got held up... Huh?"
Oh... Genzou and Ruby... You were late. Really, really late...
"I-Izam's completely burned out!?"
"Hoho, so Jigorou put you through his brutal training, did he?"
"Yeah, we had a pretty good time."
That's right... Ah, I'm scared. Very scared. What was with that guy? He came at me with enough power to kill me on the spot, all while wearing a huge grin and criticizing my movements with things like, 'Your guard is wide open!' and 'Your reactions are too slow!' He did stop his punches just before they actually hit me, though!
Even though I desperately hung in there, I apparently still wasn't enough for Jigorou. I was normally a back-row fighter, so I didn't place much importance on close-combat skills, but it still left me feeling a little dejected.
"Oh, you're both back."
"Iris, we're back!"
"Welcome back. Um, Izam? Are you all right?"
"Oh, I'm fine..."
Iris spoke hesitantly to me as I sat there, mentally exhausted. From my perspective, I was anything but fine, but it wouldn't look good to keep lying there forever. So I stood up while putting on a brave front.
"It was certainly rough, but it was also training for my defenses. I can't just complain about it."
"Really? Oh, and while you two were fighting, I finished the pistol, too! Take a look!"
Oh, so she had finished repairing the pistol as well as the sniper rifle. I was curious. Let's see...
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Magic Pistol C-09 Quality: Fair Rarity: R (Rare)
An automatic pistol that fires bullets accelerated by the magical power emitted by magic stones.
Maximum range: 80 meters. Magic power charging time: 1.0 second.
A suppressor has been added as an option.
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I see, I see. This was the result of my 【Appraisal】. This one was called a magic pistol. Its mechanism was similar to that of the magic sniper rifle. Its range was shorter, but in exchange, its magic power charging time was dramatically shorter.
For reference, the magic power stored in the magic stone represents eight shots. Like a real automatic pistol, the bullets are loaded into a magazine, and once they have been fired, the magazine is replaced. Apparently, the magazine used by this pistol can hold up to eight rounds. Reloading while the magic stone recharges would therefore avoid any wasted time.
"All right, everyone's here. Shall we head to the roof?"
"Yeah!"
We psyched ourselves up, left the waiting room, and started walking toward the elevator that went up to the roof. Unlike most facilities, part of this building's power supply was still functioning. As a result, the elevator to the roof was operational, allowing us to go straight to where the boss was waiting.
"Oh, I have made a mistake. My apologies, everyone. It appears that I forgot the spare magazines."
When we reached the elevator, No. 18 bowed her head and informed us. If she lost her machine gun, she would lose her means of attacking. That would eliminate almost the entire point of having her accompany us.
Still, what kind of android forgets things? Could the circuits responsible for thought and such be starting to break down, too?
"Izam-sama, I apologize for the inconvenience, but would you accompany me? I may have forgotten something else, and I believe an objective check would also be necessary..."
"Sure, I don't mind."
I agreed without hesitation. Helping her check for forgotten items was no trouble. We would finish quickly and challenge the boss.
"Everyone, wait here. I'll be right back."
"Understood. We'll wait here."
And so I left everyone waiting in front of the elevator and returned to the waiting room with No. 18. The spare magazine wasn't small, so we should find it quickly.
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The elevator rose quietly. I felt none of the floating sensation unique to elevators. VR technology should have been able to reproduce it, so its absence was probably because magic, construction technology, or perhaps both had lessened it.
"It would've been a spectacular view if the walls were all glass."
"It can't be helped. Kal's body is large, after all."
"Grrrrrrr!"
We were riding in a cargo elevator. The reason was not only that it traveled faster, but more importantly, that Kal disliked flying up to the roof all by himself.
A regular elevator could not accommodate Kal's massive body, so we had to use a cargo elevator large enough to hold even big automobiles. What a spoiled brat.
"For one final confirmation of the plan, Kal and I will handle the Harpies surrounding the boss in the air. Jigorou and Genzou will take the front line against the Harpy Chief. Ruby will create diversions, while Iris and No. 18 will support us from the rear with thrown weapons and gunfire. Ruby will be in command."
"Got it. ...You two had better not go running around on your own today, either, okay?"
"Sure, sure."
"Indeed."
Jigorou and Genzou gave Ruby halfhearted replies. Hmm, that was worrying. However, I was supposed to fight in the air with Kal, so I had no choice but to entrust things to them. Ruby, do your best!
"Everyone, we have arrived at the rooftop."
No. 18 must have timed it perfectly, because she informed us the moment the doors opened. Following Jigorou at the front, Genzou, Ruby, Iris, Kal, myself, and finally No. 18 stepped outside in that order.
It was daytime in the game. However, the sky was overcast as though it might rain at any moment, leaving everything dim and clammy. Flying through the rain while fighting in the air would be incredibly irritating, though.
"...This nest is bigger than I expected."
The first thing I saw after leaving the elevator was a gigantic bird's nest. Set squarely in the center, it completely covered the rooftop helipad. Considering the size of the Harpy Chief I had heard about, I suppose it was only natural.
"Geggege... You have come, foolish ground-crawling insects."
Just as a raspy voice suddenly rang out, a huge shadow loomed up from the nest. A body over five meters tall, an extremely ugly human head that looked like an old man and yet also like an old woman, pitch-black wings as though someone had splashed them with ink, and four gnarled legs bearing sharp hooked talons. It was unmistakably the Harpy Chief No. 18 had told us about.
Unlike the Harpy and Harpy Leader—the Races it evolved from—the Harpy Chief could apparently speak. That was surprising.
"Foolish ground-crawling insects, is it? Don't push your luck, you mere Harpy."
"Gegegege! How could I not laugh when these ground-crawling insects came all the way here to become my food? Isn't that right, No. 18?"
"Yes, that is precisely so."
The Harpy Chief flashed a sadistic, grotesque grin. At the same time, No. 18 raised her gun.
At me.