Chapter 620: Ex Machina (7)

Most of the Old World artifacts Lennok possessed were useful in both combat and daily life.

However, it was dangerous to rashly input Lennok’s knowledge of the Old World into the idol’s replica.

It was clear that the original of this idol replica existed somewhere in Machina and was connected to The Doctor.

If Lennok were to offer Old World artifacts or knowledge as collateral, the information would very likely reach The Doctor.

Even if he made a deal, the object or knowledge offered as payment had to be something that wouldn’t make him seem like Victor.

Click!

That’s why Lennok pulled out the thought circuit he had acquired from the shadow leader of the Sidesquad.

A transparent crystal orb, engraved with the Eight-Armed Four-Eyed Idol.

As a recording device capable of materializing and storing human consciousness, it could be applied in other ways.

After deleting all other information recorded in the thought circuit, Lennok overwrote it with his memories of Old World knowledge.

Considering the pattern engraved on the Sidesquad agent’s thought circuit, it was undoubtedly a technology realized through the idol’s power.

If he used this thought circuit as a medium for a transaction, pretending to be a Sidesquad agent, the chances of The Doctor detecting anything suspicious would be greatly reduced.

However, there was one concern: whether the idol could fully recognize the internal information of this thought circuit…

Hummmm…!!

“It’s working.”

Lennok nodded, watching the idol faintly vibrate as he placed the thought circuit on his palm.

Fortunately, it seemed possible to activate the replica simply by returning knowledge of the Old World.

But as he observed the power within the idol, slowly vibrating and gaining strength, Lennok couldn’t help but inwardly grimace.

Perhaps because it was a replica, its output was noticeably weaker than the genuine idol Lennok remembered.

Lennok’s sensory perception was sharp enough to gauge the replica’s maximum output right there.

“At best, four out of ten stages is this replica’s maximum output. In that case…”

Lennok channeled his mana, updating the information within the thought circuit on the idol’s palm in real-time.

Old World memories. Lennok recalled knowledge from WORLD 2.0 that would suitably link him to Sidesquad agents, then nodded.

“Cases of cannibalism among modified humans that existed in the 2nd World. I wonder if this alone wouldn’t go beyond stage 3…”

In reality, it was part of the core secret of a massive update that existed in WORLD 2.0 – the rebellion caused by modified humans.

Under the valuation of Old World knowledge, it wouldn’t be low-quality information.

It held no particular value for Lennok himself, and it was suitable for giving the impression that a Sidesquad agent had acquired it.

The idol’s eyes seemed to slowly close, then slowly opened and closed its fists, bringing all three of its eyes to life.

Click, click…!!

Just as Lennok confirmed the information had been successfully input into the idol and pulled a small piece of paper from his pocket.

A sharp sense of déjà vu swept over his back.

“…”

Someone was accurately targeting this hollow and rushing towards it.

Realizing this, Lennok quickly glanced at the paper in his hand and the idol, which still had its eyes open.

If he were to pull back now, he would hand over the hard-won information access rights and various traces to his opponent.

But if he stayed, the fact that Lennok had dealt with the assassin and personally requested a transaction with the idol would be exposed.

“Whew…”

His deliberation didn’t last long.

He swiftly wrote the desired information on the paper in his hand and tossed it onto the idol’s palm.

The idol replica, having recognized the question, slowly closed its three open eyes, simultaneously opening its fist and replacing the old piece of paper with a new one.

The moment Lennok picked it up and hastily turned his head.

Boom!

One corner of the hollow exploded, and three figures burst in from outside.

They moved with sharp, scattering auras, gripping their equipment as if on guard.

Among them, Uzart, who had visited Lennok’s workshop with Isabella, also showed his face.

It had been just over five minutes since the assassination occurred. The Enforcers, having heard the news, were tracking the culprit and had stormed the hideout.

The Enforcers, observing the quiet hollow where no presence could be felt, took a step.

“Evan, did you find it?”

“Yes. He was here.”

“Ah…”

The Enforcers, staring at the magnificent Eight-Armed Two-Headed Deity standing in a corner of the hollow, were speechless.

There wasn’t much surprise in their expressions, but a clear hint of hesitation at an unknown sense of pressure.

“…It’s always a strange form.”

“Is this a replica too?”

The Enforcer called Evan lightly pressed the idol’s massive forearm and nodded.

“Yes. It’s about to crumble. Someone seems to have used it already.”

“Everyone, come this way.”

“Uzart, did you find something?”

“The culprit is dead here.”

Uzart said in a curt tone, his rapier pointed.

The Enforcers rushed over and were speechless at the sight of the dead assassin lying prone.

“To think the body transformation was twisted to this extent…”

“He must have lost control and gone berserk.”

“For a culprit skilled enough to attempt to assassinate Meister Narcissa to end up like this, it must be…”

The other two Enforcers quietly nodded.

“He stole Meister Narcissa’s pendant and used it to operate the idol.”

“He acquired information in the process, then went berserk, self-destructed, and destroyed the evidence, didn’t he?”

“They’re troublesome individuals. How long do they plan to keep repeating such lawless acts…?”

“No, it might not be.”

At Uzart’s words, the two Enforcers turned their gaze.

Uzart, who had poked a broken blade fragment with the rapier he was pointing at the corpse, spoke.

“Look at this. It’s Grazia Alloy. It doesn’t even crack from ordinary impacts.”

“…”

“Could someone destroy and break something like this just by going berserk and self-harming?”

“Then?”

“There was an opponent strong enough to shatter the alloy head-on.”

Uzart declared, but the others shook their heads, seemingly disagreeing.

“The culprit who tried to assassinate Meister Narcissa Solmer was pursued and killed here, unable to even leave the Lower Workshop District?”

“Even if a Sidesquad agent went berserk and self-harmed, they wouldn’t be so weak as to die in a district like this. It’s unrealistic…”

While there were many Lower Workshop Districts in Machina, this one was an outlying area where retired artisans tended to gather.

Those residing in such Lower Workshop Districts were mostly powerless artisans with no combat abilities, though occasionally a skilled one might be found.

It was natural that the other Enforcers didn’t easily agree with Uzart’s words.

“We appreciate you trying to help, but you don’t need to force results.”

“Right, Uzart. You’re not even originally from the investigation department, you just got dragged along on this dispatch.”

“That’s true, but… think about it.”

But despite his colleagues’ indifferent reactions, Uzart looked around, trying to make them understand his thoughts.

“Look at the traces left around. It looks like he struggled and died raving alone, but the ground is excessively deeply gouged for that.”

“…”

“As if he failed in attacking someone… Also, if he self-destructed using the idol, why was he lying so far away from it?”

“That…”

“To completely erase the evidence, the idol replica should also have been damaged and exploded, but the idol is completely unharmed.”

Watching the expressions of the other two Enforcers slowly change, Uzart continued to rack his brain.

This isn’t it.

The intuition that artisan had shown in front of Isabella back then was far sharper than this.

It wasn’t just about raising possibilities based on location or the state of traces, but as if looking into a much deeper abyss…

Uzart was trying to remember that unique intuition Lennok had shown and somehow imitate it here.

“…I apologize. I hope my words weren’t a hindrance.”

Eventually, Uzart sighed and gave up trying to persuade the two any further.

He wasn’t even an Enforcer in charge of investigative work within the enforcement agency to begin with.

Making clumsy conjectures might actually hinder the two Enforcers who were responsible for the ongoing investigation.

“No, Uzart, what you said isn’t wrong.”

“There certainly are some odd parts.”

However, the two Enforcers didn’t lightly dismiss Uzart’s opinion.

They too were powerful superhumans with keen senses.

Once Uzart raised a question, they too racked their brains and were able to apply other clues to the traces Uzart had found.

“The air inside the hollow is hot, but it’s strangely odorless.”

“It’s unnaturally clean, as if the traces were deliberately erased. In fact, a slight awkwardness remains in that spot.”

“An incorporeal being? Perhaps it’s not impossible if he fought something similar, something without form.”

“We don’t know the idol’s abilities, but if someone clashed over its power…”

‘Their senses are sharp. Befitting superhumans who rose to be Enforcers.’

Lennok, hidden, chuckled as he listened to the three Enforcers rack their brains.

‘But that’s why they can’t narrow down the options.’

As the Enforcers said, the way Lennok erased the traces was too clean, to the point where if one paid a little attention, they could notice the blank space.

This was partly because Lennok had hastily pulled back and hidden, but also because he had deliberately used the minimum amount of mana to erase the traces.

More mana is expended to naturally blend into the surroundings than to cleanly erase traces.

Lennok had deliberately avoided using more mana here to minimize additional mana consumption and leave no room for being caught.

The Enforcers, with their keen senses, had identified and recognized various traces left in this hollow.

But due to the almost non-existent correlation between these pieces of information, they were finding it difficult to make a decision.

In the meantime, Lennok had successfully obtained the information he wanted through the idol’s ability.

Lennok quietly pulled out the small note from his pocket and read it.

[Armadelta Alloy Casting Method]

‘If it’s an idol stored in Machina, the Machine City, there’s a high possibility that information about alloy casting methods exists.’

Armadelta, an alloy from the Arma series, famous as a material in WORLD 2.0.

Since the Arma series alloys were almost essential materials for crafting equipment in WORLD 2.0, Lennok thought it highly probable that information about the Arma alloy series would exist among the Old World data.

Armadelta was the fourth alloy to be registered as an item within the Arma series.

Its unique feature was perhaps its low value among the Arma series and its extremely limited applications.

Because its value was relatively low, Lennok was able to obtain the Armadelta Alloy casting method without submitting extensive information to the idol.

But Lennok’s gaze, rapidly reading through the alloy casting method, was incredibly sharp.

‘The Armadelta Alloy has the advantage of becoming heavy and hard when mana is infused, but it only exhibits this property in the deep sea, where water pressure is strong.’

Out of water, it was just one of many common metals, moderately soft and moderately hard.

But the moment mana was poured into it in the deep sea, it boasted a hardness and flexibility incomparable to any other metal.

That’s why, in WORLD 2.0, which Lennok played, it wasn’t highly regarded in equipment crafting or futures trading.

However, it was treated as a core component that could never be omitted in the production of submarines capable of deep-sea exploration or underwater airships.

The reason Lennok acquired the casting method for this Old World alloy, which only showed its value underwater, through this opportunity was clear.

‘To explore and enter Machina’s Underwater Barrier, I’ll need an underwater mobility option, whether I like it or not.’

Lennok’s eyes deepened as he memorized the Armadelta Alloy casting method.

Using Lennok’s Common Magic and unique magic, he could explore the Underwater Barrier beneath the sea alone.

The problem was the immense mana consumed to breathe normally, move, and conceal his traces in the deep sea.

While a brief look at the bottom of the sea might be acceptable, it was an unsuitable method for Lennok, who might need to explore the Underwater Barrier for a long time to find a way through.

Even more so now, when he didn’t know what awaited him beyond the Underwater Barrier.

‘They said the ‘Heart-Star Vault’ where Machina stores Old World artifacts is inside the Underwater Barrier.’

Lennok shredded the paper into tiny pieces and burned them, then adjusted his iron mask.

‘If the Old World magic gun, whose trace I left via the Penteract, returned to the Heart-Star Vault, I can infer its location by approaching the Underwater Barrier.’

Lennok had no intention of simply giving up on the magic gun he had only briefly touched during the Meister Selection Ceremony.

He couldn’t acquire it during the selection ceremony due to attention, but he couldn’t leave Machina without at least entering the Heart-Star Vault once.

‘After I resolve this matter, I’ll immediately start preparations to explore the Underwater Barrier.’

Click!

As he loosened a screw inside the mask, its appearance transformed completely, unlike the one Lyman used.

He pulled his unused shadow coat over his head, making him look less than human.

It would be easier to change his appearance and pretend to be someone else until he escaped this hollow and returned to his workshop.

Thinking this, Lennok casually leaned back against the hidden space, waiting for the Enforcers to let their guard down for a moment.

Crumble!

With the sound of the cramped space crumbling, someone’s voice was heard.

“I told you to always look closely when investigating a crime scene…”

“…”

“There wasn’t enough time to run far. That means he was hiding nearby, doesn’t it?”

A middle-aged man with a stern expression, a cigarette in his mouth, looked down at Lennok.