Rusted Rhapsody (6)

It was an important fact to note that the contaminated Gaia system was a seriously sick patient, but Kang Shin-hyuk quickly noticed Vita’s fierce attitude.

“My dear friends…!”

“Vita, what are you planning to do by rushing the front?”

“But…!”

Throughout their operation until this point, Vita had maintained a cool and collected appearance, though her logic sometimes had leaps, and her behavior with Kang Shin-hyuk was difficult to understand. He had been judging her while they moved together. Of course, he didn’t think she had a bad heart inside her. No matter how much she looked like a human, she couldn’t act against Kang Shin-hyuk and Claire. But he was interested in what she thought and how she behaved, and what her own purpose was. What had happened to her during those ten years? To put it openly, he was curious about her heart. But now, he was able to get a feel for her.

“I can’t forgive…! I will kill you!”

“She was just a kid.”

-It took a long time to realize that. But you realized it too late, so 1,000,000HP bonus!

Vita burned with pure anger by the Gaia system, which turned her friends into ghouls. Although he had been deceived by her adult appearance and attitude, her ego was still young. Upon realizing that, he could understand why Vita said they had to attack the building as soon as she saw him and why she could run all the way here. She was a child that moved with emotion rather than reason, not an android. Claire created a great existence he couldn’t even imagine. No, had his influence played that big of a role?

‘Administrator, will it be okay?’

-If it weren’t, I wouldn’t have stood by. Vita obviously has an emotional personality, but she also had a reason to wait quietly for you to come. It can be said that this child managed to grow up wonderfully.

‘I’m like a trash parent who had irresponsibly abandoned my child…’

The situation felt so serious that he didn’t think he was wrong to say it about himself. Kang Shin-hyuk decided to reflect honestly. The good thing was he realized it now so that he wouldn’t make any more mistakes.

-You don’t need to back down, member. Rather, now that Onyx has awakened, it will be easy to clean things up.

‘I know.’

It was pointless to let your blood boil and run to this point if they didn’t have a countermeasure. It was up to the parent to embrace their child and take responsibility.

‘It’s creepy.’

He couldn’t help but think that as he stepped forward and put his hand on Vita’s shoulder.

“Shin-hyuk.”

“Just say dad.”

Tears filled her eyes at that point; her expression shaken for the first time.

“Ugh, ah, dad…!”

He smiled bitterly as he stepped in front of the crying Vita.

“I will take care of the revenge for you; you and Onyx take care of the Gaia system somehow.”

“Yes, yes…!”

“Okay, then let’s get started.”

-The Gaia system sincerely welcomes Anvil, who has contributed greatly to the creation of this system.

The contaminated Gaia system took action before they were even done talking. The metal ghouls made from the corpses of her comrades united and moved forward. The powerful magi united the metal ghouls, sprinkling rotten blood in all directions as they surged towards Kang Shin-hyuk.

-It’s like a boss monster from a game.

“I’m serious right now?”

“Huh…!”

Vita shook with anger at the sight of the ghouls, but Kang Shin-hyuk silently lifted Phoibos up and fired a single bullet. Before the holy light that Phoibos fired, empowered by the Great Heavenly Spirit, the metal ghouls melted and vanished.

-Light Mastery (SSS) skill proficiency has increased to S-rank! You can create brilliant light, even in spaces where there is no light at all!

Kang Shin-hyuk fired several more bullets without pause, aiming at the sword embedded in the central monitor. The pipes all over the wall swung to block it before it could connect, however.

“And now those pipes will come together to create a new Metal Death Knight.”

-Mr. Anvil, in order to access the center of the Gaia system, you must first authenticate as an administrator. From now on, we will perform the authentication process.

“Uh…”

His prediction was wrong, as the pipes instead started to snake toward him.

“Administrator authentication?! That’s the authentication?!”

-I wonder if this makes you the new Metal Death Knight.

“Dad!”

Vita launched her nanobots, but it was nonsense to try and hack into a pipe that the system was directly controlling. Instead, Onyx launched his thorns at them. Vita’s eyes lit up as the pipes caught by Onyx’s thorns intertwined with the others.

“Dad, cover me!”

“Okay.”

Kang Shin-hyuk pulled out Erebos. Unlike Phoibos, which scattered darkness and erased it, it could concentrate it together. Of course, that was also true of magi!

-We will repel the intruders other than Anvil!

As Vita and Onyx began to move in earnest, the floor lit up red, and Gaia’s response became fierce. Emergency alarms blared on the monitors, and wires began to protrude from the walls and floors to move with the pipes.

‘It’s obsessed with me, but what the hell is it trying to do?’

According to this administrator’s speculation, I think it expects you to fulfill the role of the new creator of this ruined world.

‘The creator?’

Kang Shin-hyuk fired bullets all over the room, tying down the electric wires and purifying the magi as he responded.

‘I just have some blacksmithing skills, but what could I make to make them think like that?’

-The Gaia system is related to the Hero Universe. It is natural that this independent system, which has gained poor knowledge from the main body, is trying to make you the backbone of the new world—you, who have created artifacts that have affected many worlds.

‘I think there’s some information missing in the middle. It’s trying to do it simply because I create good artifacts? Are you kidding me?’

-Gaia’s judgment is radical but not completely wrong. Someday, you will understand your true abilities.

Now the administrator was talking about his lack of ability and qualifications. Kang Shin-hyuk pouted slightly as he wondered if he would be able to talk openly when his synchronization reached 100%.

-No, you have to go beyond that and reach a level you never did before.

‘Okay, okay.’

The administrator’s attitude was unprecedented. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and shook off those pointless thoughts.

“Shall I think about it later? Whatever happens, happens.”

-Repelling intruders! Repelling intruders!

The annoying red warning lights and loud alarms continued. Kang Shin-hyuk continued to fire both guns to constrain the Gaia system. On that battlefield where dark and light intersected, Vita and Onyx were trying to touch the body of the system.

“Can you hack it if you touch it directly?”

-Myu!

“Okay, dad opened the way, so let’s go!”

The Erebos bullets passed over their heads, blocking the wires and pipes, and the flares that flew in immediately after erased all darkness.

-Myu!

Using that opportunity, Onyx released his abilities to stop the movement of all the metals and created a path. As if waiting for that, Vita picked him up and threw him at the monitor!

-Myuuuu!

“Hack it!”

Onyx’s thorns stuck through the monitor and began to dig into it. Vita sent all the nanobots she had secured so far to assist him. The two of them quickly broke down the system’s barrier and reached its core. However, just when Onyx was about to start hacking, the pitch-black sword suddenly began to vibrate.

-Member!

“I know!”

Kang Shin-hyuk clenched his jaw and fired another bullet, ignoring all the pipes trying to wrap around his body. The bullet used all the energy left in the Great Heavenly Spirit, creating a path of light between him and the sword. Because of that, the pipes grabbed hold of him, but he had already achieved his goal.

-Spatial movement…?!

He laughed at the horror of the Gaia system.

-Space Coordination (SSS) skill proficiency has increased to B+ rank! You will be able to move more accurately, ignoring the interference of others, and you will be able to exercise stronger control within a 50-meter radius around you!

Kang Shin-hyuk traveled tens of meters in an instant along the path of light he created. He had struggled so far to move through space with the magi filling it, but now he could move through that area he had cleared out.

“It’s checkmate!”

Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed the black sword in front of him that was constantly emanating magic and pulled it out. It came out easily.

-This.

The contaminated Gaia system sighed.

-To consume the master of life, you’ve earned it.

And the pitch-black sword swallowed him.