First Outer World Story Series: The Black Mist that Devours - Chapter 130
Translator: MadHatter Editor: MadHatter
(Chirito POV)
“≪Life Detection≫ ≪Movement Detection≫… A lone individual is confirmed. It is about 500 meters that way.”
After receiving auxiliary from Une’s ≪Perception Enhancement≫, Deborah employed her skill to detect the movement of the robot acting alone.
“Yes. This is a temporary communication device.”
“Thanks.”
Mugi handed Yukiko a disposable communication device in the shape of a bill.
For my part, I was in awe of Mugi’s technological capabilities, marveling at how she was able to create something like this with materials at hand, but then again, it occurred to me that most of the technology owned by the present Fox Princess was brought back from the continent by Mugi, so it was only reasonable.
“If you judge it to be dangerous, please retreat immediately…”
“I know. Recklessness is not worth it.”
Hachi gave a worried look and warned us.
“Then, I’m counting on you.”
“Oh, I will endeavor diligently.”
“See you later.”
Yukiko and I then headed for the robot.
————–
A gigantic robot was moving alone in front of Yukiko and me.
The massive robot was armed with a huge sword on its waist and two artillery tubes on its back, while its armor took on shades of brown and red, possibly as camouflage to match the terrain of the area.
The location of the antenna of the communication device and the camera… monoeye[i] confirmed it.
The name is… HFO-1S2c? I have no notion of its meaning, so let’s just call it a robot.
“Can you identify its weakness?”
“Rather than looking for its weakness, I am simply looking for an opening in its status. At any rate, the power reactor is in our grasp.”
The location of the power reactor qas a little above the waist, or navel, in human terms.
“Then, let’s stick to the plan.”
“Yes.”
Our strategy was to hunt the first target with all our efforts. Otherwise, gathering materials will not be an option henceforth.
The specific steps of the hunt were:
- Deborah-san will search for a single enemy using ≪Life Detection≫ and ≪Organism Detection≫ combined with ≪Intellect Enhancement≫.
- Yukiko and I would approach the enemy so as to avoid being discovered by the enemy.
- After analyzing the enemy’s weaknesses, I transmit the information to Mugi and the others via the communication device.
- After applying various types of boosts, I would perform a powerful move on the enemy.
However, it was debatable if desirable materials can be stripped away using this approach, and it was much more questionable whether the power reactor and other promising materials can be left behind. Well, there was no helping it.
And now, we were in the middle of the third step.
“Communication device activated. The camera is in the head, the antenna is in the side of the head, and the power reactor is in the navel.”
[Copy that. On my count in three, two, one… start!]
Once the necessary details were conveyed, Mugi’s handmade communication device shattered.
“Now then, Yukiko-san.”
“Yes!”
With that, Yukiko and I rushed out.
At the same instant, the robot perceived our presence and turned toward us, but Une’s ≪Sugar Binding Honey≫ blanketed the robot’s head, obstructing its communication and vision.
“!”
Determining that it was under attack because its vision was impeded, the robot drew the sword at its waist and attempted to ready the artillery tube on its back.
“As if I would let you do that! ≪Enchanting Ice≫!”
“Hah!”
Before the robot could fully prepare itself, Yukiko leveraged the surrounding terrain and the robot’s own body to charge up to its head. She then infused the sword which she created the day before via her own ≪Weapon Creation≫ with ≪Enchanting Ice≫ and vigorously struck the side of the robot’s head to freeze its communication device.
The robot’s stance tilted slightly as a result of that impact, and I attacked the frozen part with my dagger, completely destroying the communication equipment.
However, we still had more work to do.
Despite the fact that I felt a surge of power in the distance coming here, we acted swiftly.
“Yukiko-san!”
“I know!”
From her pocket, Yukiko pulled out a piece of black wood… a degraded version of the “Black Explosive Material”.
This was also produced by Mugi the previous day with materials at hand. Even though this was a degraded version, it had a high level of efficacy, and unlike the original, it possessed adhesive properties that allowed it to be attached to the target.
“!!”
“Ugh! ≪Ice Barrierl≫! Chirito!”
“Yes!”
Whether or not it sensed something disturbing in Yukiko’s movement, the robot, which had wiped off some of the ≪Sugar Binding Honey≫ from its camera, swung the sword on its waist towards Yukiko. Yukiko intercepted it with ≪Ice Barrier≫ and ≪Reinforcement Barrier Ⅰ≫.
Yukiko, nevertheless, threw the “Black Explosive Material” to me, which I received and connected to the navel area before the robot can react perhaps judging that it would be impossible to attach the “Black Explosive Material” in this way.
And then, once it was attached by me, an enormous spear of flame emerged from the direction we came from, probably Mugi’s ≪Solid Flame Javelin≫ reinforced with ≪Fire Magic Proficiency Ⅰ≫ and ≪Fire Magic Proficiency Ⅱ≫. On top of that, Une’s ≪Intellect Enhancement≫ was also added to it. Then, a mixture of Une’s ≪Wood Javelin≫ as a substitute for fuel flew towards us.
“Evacuate at full speed!!”
“Even if you didn’t tell me, I would do that!”
When Yukiko and I caught sight of this, we began to flee at once. However, to prevent the robot from escaping, I slasedh the back of its knees before it can run away, and Yukiko had its wrists stuck to the ground with ice so that it can’t move.
A profound blasting noise and heated wind encompassed the entire area, followed by the robot’s screams as Yukiko erected ≪Ice Barrier≫ around us while we were sheltering behind a nearby boulder. Due to the intensity of the explosion, Yukiko’s ≪Ice Barrier≫ was gradually ruptured by the heat and the shockwave.
The ≪Ice Barrier≫ eventually melted away, accompanied by the weakening of the explosion’s aftermath.
And later on…
From the waist down, the robot was split in half, and a section of its armor was melting.
“This is…”
“It’s an overkill.”
No matter which way you looked at it, it was an overkill. The power reactor and weapons had been utterly obliterated, and the majority of the armor had been damaged.
The outcome was overpowering, regardless of the fact that it was not a maneuver that can be utilized multiple times.
“For now, let’s strip it down before the current explosion attracts more enemies.”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
And then we hastily stripped the robot of any usable materials… armor plates, camera, conductors, and so forth, then departed before the other robots arrive.
————–
T/N:
[i] A thing that has only one eye
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