[Deep-Sea Escape, Day 35: Crafting the Spear]
The title of today’s broadcast. Fourteen days had passed since I obtained the Spear’s blueprint.
I set out to find the materials needed to make the Spear.
Fortunately, there was nothing particularly dangerous.
The materials were usually distributed around the outer edges, so there were no fights with biological fighters either.
What made it especially faster was that security had been turned off in the food factory.
If I fought the security robots now, I could win, but since they were mass-produced, I hadn’t set foot in the food factory.
Now that security was gone, I could enter the food factory as I pleased.
Inside the food factory with its security disabled, there were even security robots whose power had been shut off after being produced, so I scanned them too.
-Security au██rity entity
-A security robot mass-produced through a technical collaboration between E███z Co., Ltd. and Jin███. Made of simple materials and circuits, its performance is in the lower tier.
Mm, that description feels incredibly unpleasant.
I almost died to a security robot, and yet it’s lower-tier?
And there was something a little unusual.
There was something that looked similar to the description of the “Old Reaper” I had seen before.
So once again, I looked at the Old Reaper’s explanation.
-Old Reaper
-This entity is an au██rity entity transformed due to the ███ incident. It follows orders from the past and primarily performs management duties. It currently does not exist in Area N023.
Only a little, but some of the information concealment had disappeared. At the same time, the information had been updated.
When I saw it last time, it looked something like au██rit█, but now the last letter was visible.
If I managed to uncover all the information, wouldn’t I be able to learn what end that vanished era met?
For now, I couldn’t know.
In any case, perhaps the security robot’s explanation—that it was a simple mass-produced robot—wasn’t a lie. The newly updated blueprint was only for an automated robot.
When I made one, what came out was a machine that brought back 1kg of titanium every hour.
For reference, it also needed charging time, so its efficiency was just so-so.
Still, it was helpful, so I made good use of it while gathering materials for the submersible Spear.
There were other resources in the food factory besides that.
Namely, the factory facilities.
-Factory facilities of E███z Co., Ltd.
-An entity whose mass-production speed was increased through E███z Co., Ltd. technology. However, due to the limitations of the old generation, it consumes a great deal of mana.
The factory facilities helped with simple processing.
When crafting the Spear, if I put in unprocessed titanium, it took longer.
At first, it was taking far too long, so I asked Rujeu, and the answer I got was simpler than expected.
“The material is 5kg of titanium, but in truth, there is a process of refining the titanium into a ‘titanium substrate,’ so it takes longer.”
In other words, only the basic materials were listed, while the processing steps were hidden behind them.
In fact, the fabrication machine had a button labeled “Processing Steps.”
Taking the “Vehicle Fabrication Base” needed to make the Spear as an example:
Mana-gathering Stone -> Mana Collector
Titanium -> Titanium Substrate
Gold -> Mana Wire
Mana Collector + Titanium Substrate + Mana Wire + Silver -> Vehicle Fabrication Base
The process was revealed in that form.
If every step went through the fabrication machine, it took two hours to make one.
Just when I thought that was far too long no matter how I looked at it, Rujeu answered again.
“It is because the secondary processed product made using the primary processed products requires more delicate technology.”
“Oh, I understood that perfectly.”
“…I suppose I should explain primary processed products first.”
According to Rujeu’s explanation, processing unprocessed items like titanium and mana-gathering stones was called making primary processed products, and processing those primary processed products again was called making secondary processed products.
She said many things about why it took longer, but not a single one entered my head.
Even on Earth, I had no talent for using my brain.
In any case, in that sense, the factory facilities could conveniently make primary processed products.
Though they consumed a lot of mana, so they could only be used for about two hours a day.
Like that, I steadily gathered materials, went through the fabrication process, and ultimately gathered all the materials needed to make the Spear.
Now all that remained was to install the Vehicle Fabrication Bases.
And so, right now, I was looking for a place to properly install the Vehicle Fabrication Bases I had made so far.
Of course, the broadcast was on as well.
The location for installing the Vehicle Fabrication Bases needed to be as flat and solid as possible.
Since the vehicle would be fabricated above them and then drop down, if the foundation was weak, an unfortunate situation could occur where it got stuck in the ground and had to be pulled out.
The same went for slopes. Either it would have to be pulled out, or it might roll away on its own.
“This should be sufficient.”
“Here?”
It was Eosollujeun, who had been following beside me.
The place where I stopped at her words was almost right in front of the green force field.
The sandy ground had become hard and was incredibly flat.
Literally the optimal ground for installation.
I immediately set down the fabrication bases I had been carrying in both hands.
Since one alone weighed nearly 7kg, I could only carry about four at a time.
Once I set them down on the ground, Eosollujeun continued.
“To craft the Spear, the bases must be arranged in a similar shape. The Spear’s form is close to a triangle, so you should arrange the bases that way.”
“A triangle? You mean place them in order, one at the top, then two, then three, then four?”
“Yes. However, it is larger than expected, so you must place them widely.”
Following Eosollujeun’s words, I installed the first fabrication base.
Apparently, all I had to do to install it was infuse it with mana.
Wooong… clunk!
When I infused it with mana, it fastened firmly to the ground with a faint operating sound.
Then I picked up the next two fabrication bases and installed them so they formed a triangle.
At that, the flow of mana connected between the fabrication bases on its own.
Proof that they were being installed properly.
When I installed the last one, it formed a diamond shape.
Since I still had six bases left, I was just about to return to the submersible to bring them over.
“Pii!”
“…Jui?”
In the distance, I saw Jui riding over on a rough-looking robot that resembled something for factory use.
Looking closer, the automated robot I had made before was carrying all of the bases over here.
ㄴTruth Scholar: Wow, that machine can do this too?
ㄴDraw Sword Saint: How fascinating. Second only to a machine turning into a person.
ㄴKkukku: The technology really is amazing.
The chat’s reaction was similar to mine.
Because ever since that machine was made, it had only brought titanium.
Seeing it do something other than that kind of simple labor was fascinating.
…Though this was also simple labor, anyway.
Eosollujeun spoke in a tone that suggested it was nothing special.
“I ordered it to. I made a slight modification so it could do this.”
“You can do that too?”
“Of course I can. I handle magic better, after all.”
As she said that, Eosollujeun’s expression looked subtly proud.
When she was in this state, she liked it even more if I praised her.
While I was thinking that, the automated machine arrived.
After setting down the fabrication bases it had brought, the machine stood still. Jui also climbed down from the machine’s head and came into my arms—
“Pii!”
“…You don’t have to come to me, you know.”
…No, she passed by me and went into Eosollujeun’s arms.
Sssup. Wasn’t I her owner? I don’t know why she likes Eosollujeun more.
Anyway, I started installing the fabrication bases again.
I installed the six bases in succession so they formed a triangle.
Then all the mana circuits connected, and the submersible that could be fabricated appeared like a hologram.
A tetrahedral body, as if it had taken the shape of a spearhead.
Below it were caterpillar tracks so it could move on land as well.
Its size was about that of two vans stuck together.
Now it could be completed as long as I brought the materials.
Yes, as long as I brought the materials. The only problem was…
ㄴTruth Scholar: Isn’t it over a ton in materials alone?
“Yes, that’s right.”
ㄴTruth Scholar: When are you going to bring all of that over?
“Good question.”
It felt like it would be early evening by the time I brought over the materials alone.
But there was no time to complain.
Perhaps Eosollujeun knew that too, because she was changing something on the automated machine.
She was probably modifying it so it would bring materials.
“Haa…”
Letting out a deep sigh, I brought as many of the materials I had gathered so far from the submersible as I could carry.
I placed the materials on top of the fabrication bases, then went back to the submersible to get more.
Since I couldn’t use mana due to unavoidable circumstances, it was twice as hard.
“Huff, huff.”
“…Huu.”
How long had I been moving materials with Eosollujeun?
All the stamina I had built up through sword training had been drained. Now I was at the stage of moving materials through willpower alone.
Still, we gathered all the materials.
The materials gathered over the past two weeks were now piled on top of the fabrication bases. Now all we had to do was watch it be completed.
“…Huu. To st-start it, you just need to… infuse mana… huu.”
“Phew…”
Exhaling a breath full of heat, I approached the fabrication bases and infused them with mana.
Then the mana I had been conserving until now was sucked in all at once, and the materials began moving on their own.
As if time were rewinding, the materials were reprocessed and transformed into the shape of a submersible.
And so, after only a few minutes, a submersible like a spearhead stood before my eyes.
Thooong!!
The submersible that had been floating in midair dropped to the ground, stirring up a tremendous gust of wind.
Now, as long as I boarded it, I could leave this city.
“Huu… the entrance is this way.”
Eosollujeun said, a few strands of hair stuck to her cheek from sweat.
Her breathing had calmed compared to before, and her pronunciation had become clear.
“Wait.”
I brushed aside the hair stuck to Eosollujeun’s cheek, then approached the door on the side she had mentioned.
When I turned the hatch attached to it, the door opened upward. With my heart pounding, I was about to go right in, but—
“Eosollujeun?”
“…”
Eosollujeun stood still, strangely avoiding my gaze.
But she soon followed me in, so I let it pass.
ㄴTruth Scholar: Hrk, ugh!! Too sweet!
ㄴHealing Is Violence: …It seems like he doesn’t know.
ㄴTruth Scholar: Ah, you’re right. It’s so frustrating…
“What is?”
ㄴHealing Is Violence: If you don’t know, just live without knowing.
Leaving the incomprehensible chat behind, I immediately looked around the interior of the Spear.
Inside, there was the front section for piloting, a spacious central section, and storage space in the rear.
“Sniff sniff, pii!!”
Jui seemed to like the Spear, which smelled like a new car.
Leaving Jui to wander around inside the Spear, I walked to the pilot’s seat.
At the pilot’s seat were buttons, screens, and controls whose meanings I didn’t understand.
But there was something more important than those.
“…Is it here?”
A small empty slot above the pilot’s seat.
It was a slot about large enough to fit a cell phone, so before, I hadn’t known what it was for.
I took out the object in my pocket.
The most important object for leaving the city.
The Mana Diverter (分岐器).
I inserted it into the slot.
The Mana Diverter, with green patterns engraved on a black plate, fit perfectly into the slot.
And the screen at the Spear’s pilot seat lit up.
Unreadable characters, but I could understand their meaning.
And that meaning was:
[There is a modifiable “isolation force field” nearby. Would you like to activate the Mana Diverter’s function?]
The foundation for leaving the city was finally complete.
Now, I could escape the city.