Light of Arad: The First to Walk - Chapter 165



Only Noblemtl

165

─────, ─────, ─────!

Vivi’s had a definite effect on mechanical devices.

Since they noticed that the actions of the mechanical monsters had become generally slower due to the sudden spread of magnetic fields as if an EMP had been fired, their movements were unstoppable.

To be exact, there was no hesitation in the two people’s movements.

“Manager Boon! Be careful with the blade!”

“Woahhhhhhhhhh-!”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Hahaha, I’ll freeze you all!”

Following Vivi’s skill that played the role of an unexpected wide-area debuff, there was the finishing touch of Black Knight Sandor and Sister Louise summoned by Chili Shrimp.

Parts of the ZX-69 and the ZX-99 produced from it were exploding like firecrackers everywhere.

It seemed like an unlikely pairing, and in reality they both showed signs of discomfort with each other, but in battle they worked well together.

Of course, that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

[Focus, Jinseong.]

“I’m concentrating- but!”

The fact that Vivi and Chili Shrimp are really active means that Jinseong is not moving properly.

At the moment when he realized what the codename ZX meant, Jinseong had to take a moment to collect his thoughts.

‘Lieutenant General Niver said. He chased Giselle all the way to the Eaton Industrial Zone, and surrounded the area around the Slough Industrial Zone… …but he never found her. It seems like the pieces are starting to fall into place.’

Jinseong himself thinks it makes sense.

The location is also suitable.

No one comes here because monsters are rampant and the facilities are basically known to be destroyed.

Even NPC Lannister, the head of the power station, said he never told Chili Shrimp about this part.

‘A place completely forgotten. A place where no one cares.’

In other words, it’s a good place to hide your body.

It’s not just good for hiding for a while and shaking off pursuers.

This place is both a research lab and a production facility, practically a complete gift set for Giselle Logan.

‘But this is originally Melvin Richter- Ah!’

While sighing, something occurred to Jinseong.

Then he shouted as he spun the blade around and cut the rushing ZX-99 in half.

“Ms. Vivi! What didn’t Melvin say?!”

If Jinseong’s memory is correct, and if the information that Ah-hang boasted about is correct, then this is a dungeon related to Melvin Richter.

This is where research and production were conducted to create NPC Leah Richter, Melvin Richter’s ‘android younger sister’, and at the same time, the prototype android from before Leah Richter was created remains.

Then, Jinseong had an expectation that Vivi, who knew about this place and was somewhat close to Melvin, might know some other information.

“Huh? Melvin? Why Melvin all of a sudden?”

“…Hmm? Here… Isn’t that what Melvin told you about? Otherwise, how did you know about this place in the first place?”

“Huh? No? I just came here because I heard a rumor about an android or something. Even when he was in the Zodiac, Melvin never said a word about this.”

That expectation was quickly dashed.

What is the name of the boss monster in the Dungeon Helix Research Institute that Ah-Hang told you and that Jin-Seong remembers?

‘I think it was ML or MLA. Melvin, Lia, Android, something like that, wasn’t it? Ah-hang was spouting wrong information- No, that can’t be true. My memory is also clear.’

Regardless of Ah-hang’s personality, the information he brought was never wrong.

In a way, it was obvious.

Wasn’t he the one who gathered all kinds of information to show off in front of Jinseong?

In order to show off in the online community, they had to upload reliable and infallible information, even cross-checking it, to satisfy their pride, so it was safe to assume that most of the information Ah-hang brought was correct.

If so, this place must have something to do with Melvin Richter or Leah Richter.

If not Melvin, how about Leah Richter?

“Then what about Leah? Did Leah Richter say something or something-”

“Not at all. Does this have anything to do with Melvin or Leah?”

Jinseong asked urgently, and as expected, his expectations were shattered in vain.

Chili Shrimp spoke next to Jinseong, who was biting his lower lip.

“I don’t know what it is, but I don’t think I have time to play a crossword puzzle right now. I’d rather look away from a new monster and get slapped.”

“Drone! Uh… It says ZX-77, right? And is that a Land Runner? ZX-78?”

Several drones already charging their lasers, and even Land Runners, suicide robots that appear to be walking slowly but whose explosive power is clearly lethal.

‘ZX-99, ZX-69, ZX-77, ZX-78… … . Now we can consider it certain.’

Jinseong thought.

Here is Giselle.

The only person who would give a code name like that is Giselle.

And the reason the Helix Labs is here is not because of Melvin Richter and Leah Richter, but because of Giselle… … .

‘Contamination. Puhaha, right… … That’s how it should be. It’s good for you to contaminate the parts that others might not even notice, the parts that others might not even notice.’

This means that the has done something wrong.

Jinseong felt his heart grow warm and his head grow cold at the same time.

How can I enter the Helix Lab?

How did this place become unrelated to Melvin Richter?

Now it doesn’t matter at all.

“Then… I guess this isn’t the time to be doing this.”

If it is certain that there is contamination, you should just focus on that.

Looking for Giselle.

Chase him out.

It is unknown why he sneaked into the Helix Research Institute, but we do our best to prevent him from doing anything foolish.

“Mr. Vivi, Mr. Chili Shrimp! Follow me, I’ll go as fast as I can!”

“Huh? Mr. Jinsang? What are you suddenly-.”

To do that?

Vivi turned her head towards Jinseong and tried to ask.

But Jinseong’s soft humming was a little faster.

“Black ball. And… Soldoros. Sheep’s ear.”

───────────… … !!!!

Vivi’s gaze was clearly directed at Jinseong.

I could clearly see his mouth moving as he took a deep breath.

“-Huh? Where? Jinsang!? He disappeared?”

Still, Vivi missed.

What is the reason why the true figure that was in my sight completely disappeared?

Even just a moment ago, Vivi herself was fighting against various ZX series units, and the reason for this was that they were exploding everywhere.

Vivi had no choice but to blink as she adjusted her glasses.

Jinseong was already moving on to the next room and the next.

* * *

ZX-77’s drone split in half and exploded.

As the floating machines crashed down, before they could even hit the ground, the surrounding ZX-99s were also slashed in a Z shape, sending out electric currents like a terminal blast.

‘How long has it been since you broke up with me? I’ve been arguing, arguing, verifying, creating, and editing with Melvin every day… … It’s been about a month and a half? And I’ve been going around with Siran for about a fortnight, so it’s been two months at most?’

For Vivi, it seems that she is finally seeing the ‘afterimage’ of the true nature.

That too was hard to believe.

“G, reset target, target true. Can you capture it?”

“Beep-. Pboo-po. Target cannot be set.”

The female gunner’s mechanic, second awakening name is Optimus.

The difference between the 1st and 2nd Awakening is not just about learning a few more skills.

The ‘Servant of Marbas’, a sort of drone-like helper who always follows the female mechanic around, which Jinseong also recognized, had already been upgraded into an entity called a ‘G-Operator’.

‘In-game, it would just be a buff effect, but I’m different… … . It’s even possible to analyze actual battles. It can even warn me about targets I can’t see or projectiles approaching me.’

It is clear that Vivi was able to quickly finish the dungeon area: Power Station due to some collaboration with Chili Shrimp.

But the reason for rejecting a proposal like ‘Anton Zell’ was clear.

Because she had confidence in herself. She didn’t feel the need to hang out with Chili Shrimp, whose personality didn’t match hers, and who kept complaining.

As I was hanging out with Jinseong, my mindset and fighting pattern changed, and I had the belief that I had developed myself to the next level by completing the second awakening, so I didn’t even feel ‘forced’, and even in the midst of all that, I went all the way to the Helix Research Institute to ask around about my promise with Jinseong…

“Tsk tsk tsk… People who are good at it always make that squeak~ squeak.”

Chili Shrimp muttered beside Vivi.

Now, the monsters were being cleared out so quickly that the two of them didn’t even need to step forward, so it could be said that they had a lot more freedom.

“Did you know, Unnie? That Jinseong was like that….”

The chili shrimp flinched for a moment at the word “sister,” but that was it.

He looked at Jinseong carefully, let out a small sigh, and answered.

“I knew it had been a while since we last met. That’s why you, Vivi, got involved. Anyway… I can definitely tell that you’re not an ordinary storyteller.”

“Huh? Story-junkie? Don’t you know that Jinseong-nim runs an educational institute? He’s quite famous among the Dungeon & Fighter YouTubers.”

“Education College? I don’t understand why you would do such a useless thing when you could just do something cool and get paid for it. Also, is DnF a company that can make a living off of YouTube? Does it have the size?”

Is it a question or an advice?

Vivi shook her head as she listened to the muttering of the chili shrimp.

“……As expected, I don’t get along well with my older sister.”

“Vivi, you’ve been possessed for almost three years now, right? Just like me- no, just stay for exactly three more years. Don’t be like me and give up. Money is everything… We’re not going to beat up all the apostles and become blades, or anything. Just settle down somewhere with a decent salary and find a house to live in.”

I glanced at the chili shrimp, who spoke as if he were already an enlightened person.

There was a hint of superiority in the expression on his face as he snickered and said those words.

It’s not that I don’t understand the values ​​of chili shrimp.

Of course, Vivi herself had thought that too.

“Well, I thought so too.”

“Right? Yeah, that’s normal. Oh, but when we hunt mobs, it seems like our odds are pretty good. It’s 7:3, me and Anton together here-”

“Before I met you, Jinseong, I lived every day with the determination to stay in the zodiac, and to settle down once I reached heaven.”

Until I met Jinseong.

You must become a sharpened blade, a true adventurer… How many people in the world are moving while 100% agreeing with those words?

Chili Shrimp looked at Bibi for a moment.

“……Huh.”

Then he let out a light, short breath.

Vivi could feel that it wasn’t a fart mocking her, nor was it someone ignoring her because they didn’t want to talk anymore.

Perhaps Vivi instinctively agreed with her own words.

However, it may be difficult to acknowledge and accept it with words or logic, so you may just need to take a moment to gather your thoughts.

‘But… … It must be obvious. This girl is not an ordinary person. Even I have heard of Anton’s first 2-person class. I also know how much people were excited about the 2-person class afterwards.’

Chili shrimp is definitely a powerhouse.

That’s why I thought I would find out the true ability, and that’s why I would be caught up in expectations and concerns, no, fears that come before those emotions.

“Jinseong- Jinsang! Why did you stop?! You were passing by so quickly, like a circus show!”

Vivi ran forward, leaving the chili shrimp to gather its thoughts.

The point where the continuous noise stopped just a moment ago.

Vivi looked at Jinseong’s back, who was standing far away.

“Your Majesty! Why are you…stopping…?”

Vivi tried to ask him the reason again, but the conversation did not proceed naturally.

Woof woof woof woof──────… … .

What can be seen beyond the gate is something like a door.

Inside the giant ring-shaped structure, blue and purple lights were shimmering and mixing.

Vivi was speechless as she watched the energy or something else flowing, mixing, some of it overflowing and then being sucked back into it.

Jinseong stopped moving because he could see what it was.

Helix Labs, the place where Giselle is thought to be.

A device that is even more terrifying than the machines codenamed ZX.

“…Dimensional travel device… Portal?”

It was a giant portal.

Jinseong’s train of thought came to a halt in front of a scale that was not large enough for even a single person to walk around in, but large enough for even a ‘Gae Bolg Punch’ to be thrown.