"What are you all standing there for?" March 7th looked at everyone and said urgently:
"Hurry and chase it! We're just one authentication short—if it gets away, doesn't that mean the two times I got poked before were for nothing?!"
Everyone exchanged glances and quickly chased after the fleeing robot.
But the robot's escape speed grew faster and faster, with a rumbling sound as it ran, parts continuously falling off.
It was actually sprinting madly toward the cliff!
"No——!!" March 7th's eyes widened as she shouted:
"We're just one short—we absolutely can't let it escape!!"
She threw away her AK, and a longbow appeared in her hands. Aiming at the fleeing robot, she began to draw the bow!
A slender ice arrow slowly materialized. As March 7th released it, it shot forward explosively.
Like a streak of icy rainbow, it struck the robot's body in an instant.
Crack crack crack—
Countless layers of frost condensed on the robot's surface, its speed slowing more and more, its movements growing increasingly sluggish.
Until its entire body was frozen solid, it collapsed motionless in the snow.
Just about one zhang ahead of it was the bottomless snowy cliff.
If they had really let this robot jump down, everything they'd done today would have been in vain.
"Phew~ That scared me to death!"
March 7th ran forward, still shaken, and hurriedly dragged the ice-sealed robot back.
The certain someone sighed:
"Why did Third Sis go all out? You still have us, don't you?"
"Cut it out—I'm not letting those two pokes I took go to waste! And none of you are sneaking off to cause trouble either!"
"…"
Under March 7th's supervision, the certain someone had no choice but to reluctantly raise a small hammer, squat on the ground, and silently chip away at the ice on the little robot.
While chipping, he lamented:
"Ah, this ice is so hard—my hand's getting sore from all this knocking."
"Then use a bigger hammer. What's the point of that tiny one? Are you trying to reenact The Shawshank Redemption?" March 7th retorted.
The small hammer in the certain someone's hand was about the size of a ladle—adorably mini.
"I'm just afraid of breaking it!"
Finally, under the certain someone's slow chipping, the ice blocks shattered one by one.
After clearing away the shattered ice, Seele stepped forward to try restarting the little robot's system.
Bronya stood off to the side and asked doubtfully:
"This seems to be the second time a robot has alarmed about a 'high-risk entity.' Executor, you really haven't done anything?"
"Huh?" Zeig looked at Bronya, appearing very innocent:
"Your Excellency, I'm wronged! Haven't I been with you all the whole time? Besides, I'm wearing the balaclava—the second authentication robot didn't beep at all. Clearly, this time it's the robot's problem!"
After Seele fiddled with it for a while, the little robot's engine hummed to life again, but without the rumbling sound this time.
Its lights gradually stabilized, and the mechanical voice slowly sounded:
"Trial passed—Please extend your hand to receive authentication…"
March 7th's face lit up with joy as she said happily:
"Huh, it's giving the authentication directly!"
"Hurry, hurry—give it your hand." The certain someone urged.
"…"
After obtaining the final authentication, March 7th silently withdrew her hand and gritted her teeth:
"If this doesn't open that damn gate this time, I'm going to smash it."
The six returned to the sealed large gate.
March 7th extended her hand, placing the level-three authentication in the scanning area.
With a "beep—" sound, the gate automatically opened.
Seeing this, many let out a sigh of relief.
Bronya said happily:
"Great—no unexpected issues."
Sampo rubbed his hands together and quickly smiled obsequiously to take credit:
"See? Sampo's useful, right? Boss Oleg knew that long ago!"
March 7th rolled her eyes at him:
"Yeah, he knew long ago that you'd defect and join the troublemaking team, right?"
Seele said speechlessly:
"Sampo, say a few less words."
"Uh, alright." Sampo said awkwardly, "I'll just give one more reminder: Beyond here is unknown territory. Everyone, be very careful…"
March 7th took the lead stepping into the area ahead, full of fighting spirit:
"Let's go~ Find Svarog and explain everything clearly!"
The certain someone sneered disdainfully:
"Heh, hilarious! If we can meet Svarog just like this, I'll take your surname."
"Hey, hey—don't treat my words like wind past your ears!"
Everyone walked together toward the interior.
What came into view.
Was yet another iron gate!
"Gate… damn it! How is there another iron gate!" Seele said angrily.
The certain someone immediately burst into laughter:
"Hahahaha… Wasn't I right? My insight is sharp as a torch—how could contacting Svarog be that simple?"
Bronya looked at the iron gate and said gravely:
"Looking at the structure, it seems even more complex than the previous one."
Seele asked toward the rear:
"Sampo, what the hell is going on?"
"Sampo? Where is he!"
Seeing the empty space behind, Seele was stunned.
Dan Heng said gravely:
"He slipped away quietly the moment he saw that large gate…"
At this moment, another traffic-light robot slowly approached from behind.
It emitted an electronic sound:
"Detected… visitors… for Svarog… big boss."
"Protocol… initiating… commencing… scan… verification."
It scanned everyone's information.
Dan Heng and Zeig were still wearing balaclavas, the scanning light shining on their faces.
This time, no alarm sounded.
"Authentication failed… Individuals lack access permission."
"Request denied. Please apply for access permission from Miss Clara…"
March 7th's pink-blue eyes widened greatly:
"Clara? We still have to find her after all!"
Dan Heng spoke up:
"Then, how about we go find Clara?"
He looked around, seeing no one object, and asked the robot:
"May I ask where Clara is right now?"
"Retrieving… audio data… please wait…"
From the robot's body came a gentle voice:
"The bearing in the energy core is broken… If it isn't fixed soon, the settlement will go completely dark…"
"Timmy, I need to make another trip to Rivet Town to see if there are any components that can be recycled… While I'm gone, help Clara watch the gate, okay?"
Audio playback ended, and the robot's electronic synthesized voice sounded again:
"Recording retrieval complete. Continuing to execute Clara's command."
Seele crossed her arms helplessly:
"She went back to Rivet Town again? I didn't expect that—it hasn't been that long, and we have to go to the Fragmentum to find someone again."
March 7th said with consecutive surprises:
"Oh~ So that's it—you guys were sightseeing in another little town before?"
Seele thought for a moment:
"It really was—pretty much no different from 'sightseeing.'"
Bronya was very worried:
"Just thinking about that little girl going into the Fragmentum alone makes me a bit anxious…"
Seele agreed:
"Hey, if you're worried, let's go find her. Come on—staying here won't accomplish anything."
Thus, the five who had previously run from Belobog to the mechanical settlement now had to head from the mechanical settlement to Rivet Town.
Along the way, the snow was pure white.
The group trudged through the snow.
After walking for who knows how long, the accumulated snow on the road gradually thinned.
After another stretch, it became ordinary pavement—the white scenery was no more.
"Sigh, back here again." Looking at the town ahead, Seele said melancholically, "The last time I came here, I even stepped on Zeig's face."
March 7th immediately gave a thumbs up:
"Well stepped!"
But unexpectedly, no cursing from Zeig came from behind them.
"Huh? Zeig, say something—you not roasting me feels really unnatural…"
The three girls turned back to look.
The two balaclava-wearing villains were nowhere to be seen.
"…"
…