Chapter 623: Alex’s Schemes! Cheating the System and Cheating in General

Having won Panchi’s trust, Alex is visibly relaxed as he smiles at her.

She’ll lead us to the Doctor... we are halfway there already! This is important, Jewel... if I’m correct, the Doctor is the way we can make it through this mission with all the additional goals.

Princess Jewel is interested in Soulmate’s Plan.

“Please follow me... our receptionist is currently under maintenance, which is why our cleaning robot answered,” Panchi explains, smiling at Alex.

“Heh, as the name implies, that one specializes in cleaning... not talking, so of course the receptionist didn’t let me in,” Alex concludes.

“I hope not,” Panchy replies, smiling softly. “If he did, he’d need even more maintenance. No offense. We get a lot of suspicious visitors.”

“...”

This is your fault, isn’t it? Giant spiders are sus.

Princess Jewel is not suspicious! Soulmate’s armor is way more suspicious.

“You are both equally suspicious,” Panchy says. “But you are both quite interesting. Your voice is quite sweet, Ms. Spider.”

Why, thank you! Princess Jewel appreciates the compliment.

Panchy then leads Alex and Jewel into the building. They then see a robot in a maid uniform, still holding a broom, sitting behind the large reception desk.

“Welcome back, Mistress Panchy,” it says. “Do we have guests? I fear I haven’t had time to sweep, as I’ve been stuck behind the reception desk all day. It’s a tough job to deny entry to all those visitors.”

Fucking retarded robot. You are supposed to let in those with a valid reason... like me!

“You can continue sweeping. I’m taking care of our guest,” Panchy says, leading Alex into the room straight ahead.

Walking inside, Alex finds himself in a huge atrium full of trees, plants, flowers, benches, and even a water fountain. Inside are also various birds, cats, dogs, and Alex even spots a small Triceratops at the edge, chewing on a plant.

Fucking dinosaurs?! There is even a flying one.

Are there any chickens?

“Chicken... I’m afraid not,” Panchy says. “I’ll try to remember that the next time we go looking for more animals.”

“Don’t!” Alex immediately says. “Ignore chickens. I think your dinosaurs are way cooler... haven’t seen many of them myself... they are extinct on my home planet.”

“What a tragedy,” she says. “Feel free to take a couple with you, should you ever want to leave.”

“I’ll... think about it,” Alex replies, staring at the Triceratops, which keeps munching on leaves.

Then Alex sees a man wearing a white coat, with a black cat hanging on his shoulder, riding a small bicycle through the atrium.

“Oh... honey, what are you doing here, and... who is our visitor?” he asks, staring at Alex.

“Greetings, Dr. Brief... I’m Alex Kerber, a Demon Hunter, and the lovely spider on my back is Jewel.”

Hello, Dr. Peasant.

Cut it out!! We need his help!

“I’m in dire need of your help... as well as your daughter’s. Is she around by any chance?” Alex asks him directly.

“I’m afraid not,” Dr. Brief replies. “She left yesterday with her friends and plans to relax on that weird, small island in the southeast before travelling to Papaya Island for the upcoming World Martial Arts Championship. Wait... a Demon Hunter, you say? Haven’t heard that before.”

“Yes... I’m afraid I am not from this planet. I’m hunting a dangerous Demon called Piccolo, who appeared here a couple of hundred years ago. I’ve been told he’s been recently freed from his prison. It’s my task to hunt him down to become a full-fledged Demon Hunter. Though he’s currently very weak and frail... he’s looking for a certain way to regain his youth, allowing him to destroy this planet... and maybe more,” Alex says confidently, skillfully mixing truth with totally absurd lies he just made up.

“Never heard about such a demon,” Dr. Brief says, slightly worried. “But how can I help you?”

“I need help! My Demon Hunter gear is not working here. It relies on foreign technology, and I heard you are the best and brightest mind this planet has to offer, which is probably why you also have the most beautiful wife,” Alex says, glancing at Panchy, who blushes and giggles as she rubs his shoulder.

“Demon Hunter gear? Aren’t you wearing it? It certainly looks quite imposing and dangerous...” Dr. Brief asks, not even reacting to Alex’s compliment towards his wife, as he stares at his Eboy Armor.

“Yes... but what I’m wearing is just the inner part of it,” he says. “But let me start at the beginning.”

Alex then narrates a fake story about a test to become a fully fledged Devil Hunter, being dropped onto this planet, and then encountering the robot in the Wastelands.

He then hands over the two components he looted earlier, [Broken Main Board] and [Cell Collection System (Empty)]. “I believe someone is trying to gather data and cells to create some sort of monster. Though this doesn’t seem to be the work of the Demon I am after, this might still be relevant to your world. You can have these parts. Maybe that’s enough of a payment for you to help me out in my endeavour to slay the vile Demon?”

“Let’s go to my workshop! I’m always feeling quite motivated whenever I see new technology!” Dr. Brief says, perking up.

“I’ll bring you some refreshments later,” Panchy says, walking away, smiling at Alex.

Following the Doctor into his workshop, Alex sees various tools, cars, bikes, and gadgets, along with various capsules lying on desks.

As he carefully studies the parts, Dr. Brief requires only ten minutes to finish his analysis. “One is simply a Main Board... but it’s ingenious! Way beyond its time. I would need months to develop something like it, and I’d have to work hard. Are you sure I can have it? This is a real treasure, and I can use it to produce even more high-calibre robots.”

“Sure... I am not after money; this is not a joke or a scam, Doctor... I am quite serious. What about the other part?” Alex wonders.

“It’s a device to scan and analyse cells... it seems to also send that data somewhere. It’s quite high-tech. I can repair it and overwrite various mechanisms so you can use it,” he explains.

“Really?!” Alex asks. “That would be useful... but this isn’t the main reason.”

“Your gear, right? Show it to me,” Dr. Brief says, a smile forming on his face.

Alex then shows off his [Colossus Armor S], [Logic Arrest Tool], and [Brawler-Pistol].

“Hmm?! Hoo... I see...” Dr. Brief mutters, his eyes widening. “Oh my... this is indeed some extraordinary equipment. Your story was true after all. I can instantly see that this wasn’t produced here on Earth... these materials and the tech... they do not exist here.”

He then immediately grabs it and, with a few claps, connects it to a power source, causing the armor to briefly show signs of activity before it returns to its previous state of inactivity and the lights flicker, the emergency power activating.

“That didn’t work...” Dr. Brief mutters.

“I am not a technician... I fear someone, my rival, another Demon Hunter, sabotaged me, wishing for me to fail my mission. Clearly, my equipment is not working, and without it... I fear slaying the Demon is all but impossible,” Alex explains, looking regretful.

“I can’t tell you if I’m able to fix it... this technology is entirely new to me.” Dr. Brief states. “The power source it requires is not working; that much I can tell you. I require time. Will you lend these items to me?”

[Secret Quest Offered:

Mission: Offer up your [Colossus Armor S], [Logic Arrest Tool], and [Brawler-Pistol] to Dr. Brief and retrieve them once he has analyzed and adjusted them to fit this world.

Reward: ???

Time Limit: Before leaving this World.

Failure: Loss of [Colossus Armor S], [Logic Arrest Tool], and [Brawler-Pistol]]

This!

Soulmate... this could be a way to beat Peasant Piccolo. Without it, Princess Jewel fears the chances are quite low.

I need to risk it... I just need to pick it up; that much I should be able to do.

“Yes,” Alex replies. “You might still not believe me, but the fate of your entire world hinges on you completing it. Without it... that Demon will destroy us all.”

[Secret Quest Accepted]

“I... I’ll try my best,” Dr. Brief says, his face a little pale, just now realizing what Alex is implying.

“Oh my... the fate of the world,” a voice says from behind, carrying a tray with two glasses filled with orange liquid. “I brought some refreshments.”

“Thank you,” Alex says, grabbing one and gulping it down, only for his mouth and throat to burn, causing him to almost spit it out.

“What the?!” Alex blurts out loudly, his throat burning. “That was whisky. I expected juice or something.... I’m not too good with that kind of alcohol. Not what I’d call a refreshment....”

“I need to work, honey. I’m afraid I can’t drink. You heard the man; it looks like a lot of trouble has come up... but avoiding and ignoring it could cause a huge disaster. I need to work on restoring that armor,” he says, rejecting the drink, causing Panchy to slowly drink it herself, seemingly without any trouble as she gulps it down like water.

“Too bad...” she says, licking her lips.

“If you could maybe tweak that scanner before you get started on the armor?” Alex asks. “I also... don’t want to be rude, but you said the Main Board I gave you was valuable? Could you maybe lend me an airplane or two? Along with some travel funds... I need it to make sure the Devil does not destroy us using this world’s Dragon Balls. That’s what he’s after, I fear. You probably know about them. His wishes could be devastating. I want to collect at least one Dragon Ball to make it impossible for him to wish for something.”

Dr. Briefs looks deep in thought as he speaks silently. “Dragon Balls... my daughter built one of her radars which scans those things. She kept talking about them and wishing for a boyfriend... but that was three years ago. I’ll call her and ask her; maybe I can build one for you as well. In any case, I need a couple of days, then I’ll work on your armor,” he explains.

“That... would be perfect!” Alex points out. “As long as we just gather 1 Dragon Ball, we’re safe. Maybe... you could also build a box that blocks out the waves of those Balls? That way he can never succeed at gathering them all. It should be based on the same tech. The radar needs to pick up the special waves that the Dragon Balls are emitting, and the box needs to block them.”

“I’ll do my best,” Dr. Brief says, nodding at him. “Please... consider this your home. Honey, I need to get to work after contacting Bulma. Please show him around and offer him a guest room. Also, please give him whatever funds he needs. I’ll tell you when I finish the things you require.”

“Of course,” Panchy replies, smiling. “I’ll make sure to entertain him properly.”

Forcing himself not to give in to the most obvious temptation he has ever seen, Alex focuses on what’s truly important to him.

Jewel... we did it!? We got it all! Money, an airplane... and maybe we can get my suit repaired. Hehehe, with my [Colossus Armor S] I can beat the shit out of anyone here. It reduces damage by 75% and grants me a 300-point shield that constantly recovers. Hahaha, how can I lose?!

Hahahaha, Dr. Brief was a jackpot!

❤️Princess Jewel hopes Soulmate is right, but she fears it won’t be that simple. However... even if the armor performs at a lower level, it will still allow Soulmate, with the aid of Princess Jewel, to destroy just about anyone. Princess Jewel is impressed with her beloved Soulmate.