Chapter 94: Suddenly, a Gatekeeper Part 2
Chapter 94: Suddenly, a Gatekeeper Part 2
For a good couple of minutes we were descending down the elevator shaft via the rope, and once we got down we found ourselves in the underground section of the facility which was presumably deserted long ago (judging from the fact that no equipment here was working). Surprisingly enough, all of the equipment was in good condition……
「I’m honestly surprised this facility is so well-preserved……」
「How should I put it…… it gives you those serious Sci-fi vibes.」
「Power armors, guarding robots, automated systems…… The tropes are surely here.」
After a while, the whole party had descended down the elevator shaft.
There was no electricity here. But even so, the emergency lights on the floor were dimly lit, utilizing some sort of power source that was probably well beyond the reach of current technological advancement of the human race.
Then, at the end of a long corridor, there was a huge gate that was clearly separating something from the rest of the facility here.
「I always thought that battlefields in the form of a straight line were the sh*ttiest ones…… Aramis, think you can reach all the way over there?」
「I could if I put my back to it, but with this thing standing in our way, I’m afraid that it might be a little bit impossible for the moment.」
「No, that’s actually fine. For now let’s try to get as close as possible to see how it reacts.」
Since we had no idea when the golem would start moving, we discussed our strategy in advance, so that everyone would know what to do.
According to the strategy, Aramis fired her energy wave attack at the golem from the distance, which Emul and I used as a diversion to try and get closer to it.
「Hahaha! Go! Go! Go!」
「Pyaaaaaahhhhhh!?」
Sensing Emul and I…… Two biological signatures getting closer, the black golem activated, and his four arms and started moving.
The golem’s upper arms were raised before him and two energy shields were activated. Just as predicted, Aramis’s energy wave attack smashes against the shields and disappears, doing no real damage to them. It was to be expected, judging how weakened it must have been after travelling such a long distance.
However, it was all a diversion on our part. I used the opportunity that was created to jump over both energy wave attack and golem’s shields, getting right behind its back. I then activated “Water Mirror Moon” to keep the golem distracted as it quickly turned around to take care of my clone that started to aggo him suddenly.
「Emul.」
「Right away.」
At that time Emul separated from me, positioning himself right before the golem while I stayed behind its back.
During my career as a gamer, I have experienced such narrow passages many times before. Of course it was completely different here, since there weren’t laser grids coming from the walls or numerous enemies coming at you without end to overwhelm you with their numbers alone. In that case we would be red polygons before long, but since there were no other obstacles and the enemy was alone…… Otherwise it would be much more frustrating.
「Wall-running is the essential skill to go to here!」
I then activate “Six Fold Jump”. Then I jump on the wall and start bouncing off of it the very moment my feet touch it.
The true value of this skill lay in its ability to be able to bounce off walls and ceilings with more ease as your proficiency with that skill started to increase. So far I was unable to properly use it in battle, but right about now it should be good to confuse the golem.
And just in accordance to my wall jumps, Emul attacks the golem on his own. As long as “Water Mirror Moon” was active it was focusing the golems aggro on my clone, but once that wore off the golem’s full attention was directed towards Emul.
「Uwoah!?」
But as soon as I land behind its back again, the golem’s arms all direct towards me, trying to catch me and crush me to death! I see how it is now, the one who is closer to the door is of higher priority when it comes to this thing!
The small reactors in each of the golem’s palms shine brightly and eventually four laser pillars shoot out of them, aiming towards me.
Fortunately enough, the aim of the lasers was quite loose, so it was easy for me to avoid them. I am sure that if I let some of those lasers hit me the amount of damage I would suffer would be quite significant, since attacks like that are really solid and cannot be easily deflected or tanked.
「That being said…… You really sure you should be only focusing on me and leave the others idle like that?」
「All-Out Attack!」
There was a golden cocoon piercing right through the air. It was one of Pencilgton’s special skills, one that would require him to sacrifice all of his stamina. It went right over Emul’s head and pierced the golem’s stomach.
「Yellow, Green, Combination of Two “Combination Skil ‘Wakakusa Tadashi’”…… POINT STRIKER!!!」
Additionally, Katsu jumps in towards the golem and begins to strike at its kneecaps with his fists, which were glowing yellow and green. It takes him some time, but he eventually manages to dent the armor around them and damage the circuits running around its joints.
The golem then responds by trying to target Katsu, but……
「Now, I wonder who takes more priority? The one trying to reach the door, or maybe the one who is about to cap your knees with his fists?」
When I touch the door with my hand, the golem’s aggro turns towards me again, and he starts to move towards me.
Then Katsu hit it with his fists again, finally blowing off his knees and forcing the golem to fall towards the door, carried by the impact.
「Hey, you hermaphrodite over there, you’d best retreat for now.」
「Oh my? Is the secret of my gender finally out?」
「Titan…… BLAST!!!」
The impact of the skill pushed the hammer further into golem’s body, penetrating its armor and causing some strange energy to gather around its back? Was that supposed to be an explosion of some sort? And while I was still lurking around the golems back!? No, wait just a……
「That was dangerous! What the hell!?」
「Mu, sorry my bird-headed friend.」
「If I ended up caught in that blast it would have made a fried chicken out of me!
「Metal chicken skewer…… Could you even be able to eat that?」
「Bufu! Pu, kukuku…… A metal skewer…… Fufufu.」
While the golem started short-circuiting while still being focused on Pencilgton I hit its back, and then laughed maniacally when my attack came out to be a clean cut!
Still, when the golem was in that frenzied state, it would actually be hard to expect it to act in any sort of a predictable way. The four-armed golem started to turn slowly, sparks leaking out of its mechanical knees.
And because it was leaning forward right now, its head was at just the right height for Aramis’ attack to connect with it perfectly clean. A fully charged blow hits the golem dead in the face.
Just like the ice breaker on a hit with an icy surface, the golem’s body begins to be covered with a huge net of cracks and fissures.
「Now, have a taste of my blade! Divine Wind!」
「Ah, could we just skip that, please?」
「Eeeehhhh!?」
I was getting a feeling it was going to be a long one.