Chapter 766: No.68 (3)

The entire time we moved, thunderous booms kept ringing out from far away without pause.

It meant the Guild Alliance and the clock rabbits were fighting fiercely enough to crack skulls.

General Earth Eater seemed to notice that too, because it let out a sigh as if talking to itself.

“Gyuuut…… To think I have fallen into such a state, when I should be standing at the front and leading my brethren.”

“Earth Eater, there’s no need to be too sad.”

“Why is that?”

“Because soon, everyone will be in the same state.”

“…….”

The creature’s expression rotted away in real time.

But after glancing back and forth at Seo Ye-in and Dang Gyu-ri, it held itself back.

Apparently, the effects of the patience injectors—the pot and the bat—were still active.

As it continued guiding us, General Earth Eater rummaged around and took out a small mechanical device.

It looked suspicious at a glance, so Seo Ye-in was about to step forward, but the creature quickly beat her to it.

“Gyuit! It is necessary for finding the secret base!”

“……Tracker?”

“Yes! Without this, even I would wander around for ages.”

It added a subtle boast, saying the base was hidden that well, and that their technology was simply that impressive.

So I let it do as it pleased, and the creature checked the mechanical device every so often while turning this way and that.

“Gyuit, we are almost there.”

“I don’t see anything.”

“Did I not tell you? It is hidden that well.”

Soon, Seo Ye-in slowed her steps and carefully looked around.

Apparently, [Dragon Eye] had caught something.

As if proving that guess right, the places her gaze touched began shimmering like heat haze.

What appeared a moment later were three combined Earth Eater robots and a large number of work robots.

When Seo Ye-in saw them, her eyes sparkled as if she were happy to see them.

“Invisible ghillie suits.”

“Gyugyugyut! Correct! The crown jewel of optical camouflage technology!”

“……Ambush?”

“You only realized that now? Humans truly are hopelessly dull.”

A vile smile hung on General Earth Eater’s lips.

This time, it was my turn to sigh.

“Earth Eater, were you planning to betray us from the very beginning? I thought we were steadily building a friendship. This breaks my heart.”

“Kiiik!! Spare me that nonsense! In what world is hitting someone with a pot friendship?”

“We hit each other all the time too. That sister even bites.”

When I answered while pointing at Dang Gyu-ri, Earth Eater could not hide its horror.

“How barbaric……! As expected, there is no reasoning with humans.”

“You say that, but didn’t you guide us here just fine?”

“Gyugyut, that is true! The secret base is up ahead.”

It seemed the guidance itself had been proper.

Though, through whatever trick it had pulled with the “tracker,” the rabbits stationed here had come out to greet us.

I expected this, actually.

I had deliberately pretended not to notice and let it happen.

To check whether Earth Eater valued our friendship.

It had betrayed me beautifully, but this too was within expectations.

These guys don’t exactly have pleasant personalities.

You could not become true friends just by beating them with a pot.

You had to properly show them your skills before friendship welled up in their hearts.

If we swept away all the Earth Eater robots before us, that should serve as proof in its own way.

And we would’ve had to fight them either way.

They had come out to greet us now, but it would have been the same if we had charged into the secret base.

Naturally, I had already tipped off Dang Gyu-ri and Seo Ye-in about this.

They entered combat posture, gripping the shadow bat and mana gun.

Behind us, [Umbral Corridor] was summoned, and Gyu-shadow undead walked out one by one.

The standoff continued for a short while, then one of the combined Earth Eater robots shouted.

“Gyugyut, General! We will rescue you soon!”

“Gyuit, do not mind me! Focus on defeating the humans!”

“What a noble mindset! Truly our general.”

After drumming themselves up like that, the rabbits soon launched their attack.

Thick laser beams fired from the combined robots’ hands.

They were so powerful that long trenches formed wherever they passed.

Of course, we were already no longer there.

The place Dang Gyu-ri appeared the next moment was near the combined robot’s shoulder.

They had cast [Shadow Leap] toward a shaded spot.

Gripping the pitch-black bat, they struck the combined Earth Eater robot’s temple with all their might.

Meanwhile, Seo Ye-in and I were moving as if glued together.

The gun muzzle spat blue flame without pause.

Some of the Earth Eater robots were hit by mana rounds and sent flying.

But the rest tightened the encirclement even further.

“Gyuit!”

As lasers and mana rounds flew in, the ones that closed in swung robot fists and Magic Engineering weapons.

We dodged them by a paper-thin margin, but even that had its limits.

So I grabbed Seo Ye-in’s arm and cast [Wind Force].

“Jump.”

“Hop.”

As we leaped backward, I thrust my staff toward the front.

[Spiral Explosion]

A powerful whirlwind pulled the Earth Eater robots into one spot.

Seo Ye-in aimed the mana gun at the center of it.

“……Thump.”

One grenade round flew in an arc and exploded with compressed air.

A considerable number of work robots were swept up in it.

The remaining ones were also being toppled by the Gyu-shadow undead with unstoppable momentum.

The important ones are the combined robots.

Dang Gyu-ri was climbing onto them one after another and beating them with the bat, but if we wanted to finish the battle quickly, we would need to help too.

Right on cue, mirror-image Seo Ye-in came close and sharpened her gaze.

“What would ‘that’ be?”

I had a rough idea of what she wanted.

I had also learned a skill recently that was perfect for linking with it.

So I focused my mind and pointed my staff at Fast-Luckless.

Then her figure vanished with a whoosh.

[Shift Blink]

She appeared on top of the combined robot’s head.

The rabbits riding inside panicked and shouted.

“Gyuit! Get away!”

“Gyugyut, do not give her a chance to hit us!”

Apparently, they thought she would hit them with the bat like Dang Gyu-ri.

But what Fast-Luckless held in her hand was a lump of pure white light.

[Fickle Trap]

She hopped up to avoid the robot hand swinging at her, then stomped down on the trap as she landed.

The next moment, the robot’s entire upper body turned to stone.

Apparently, it had been inflicted with the “petrified” status effect.

Soon, unable to bear its own weight, it toppled over just like that.

While Tactical Fast-Luckless pulled her own weight like that,

Seo Ye-in, Dang Gyu-ri, and I were turning the remaining combined robots into scrap metal one after another.

And after we brought down the last enemy, all of us looked at General Earth Eater together.

“…….”

“……Gyut.”

“Earth Eater.”

“Why do you call me, human?”

With a soft smile on my lips, I spoke in the kindest tone possible.

“Why don’t we forget what happened and become friends again?”

“Gyu, gyuit. In truth, I wanted that as well.”

“Humans and rabbits can be friends, right?”

“Of course! Are we not all intelligent beings?”

“Good. I’ll be counting on you again.”

The shadow bat drove down onto the creature’s head.

Seo Ye-in said one word in a satisfied tone.

“Friendship.”

Dang Gyu-ri also used the pot to deepen the friendship further.

They nodded slowly.

“Not bad. I can see why the kids praised it.”

“It has a good feel when it hits.”

General Earth Eater’s face became very wronged, mournful, ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) and full of the desire to pour out a bucket of curses.

But doing that would only deepen the friendship, so it walked ahead and said,

“Gyuit, I shall continue guiding you. To the secret base.”

“We’d appreciate that.”

Just as the creature had said before the battle broke out, the secret base really was close by.

After we walked only a short distance, it stopped again and operated the “tracker.”

“Gyuit, we have arrived.”

The empty air in front of us rippled wildly, and a building shaped like a rabbit head appeared.

It looked similar to the one at the <Rabbit Center>, but was far smaller.

Soon, we entered without anyone obstructing us.

The rabbits dressed in work clothes looked back at us and panicked.

“Gyugyugyut! Humans made it all the way here?”

“Even the general has been captured?”

I slowly shook my head.

“He wasn’t captured. We became friends.”

“!?”

“Could you step out for a bit? I have something to do with my friend.”

The creatures hesitated briefly, but realized that General Earth Eater had already resigned itself.

On top of that, when they saw Dang Gyu-ri’s and Seo Ye-in’s resolve injectors, they scurried outside in a hurry.

Soon, we looked around the emptied secret base.

It was incredibly complicated, but I could roughly tell what did what.

The first section contained the most important machinery: the devices that supported the general-class robots.

At the center, a carrot-shaped Magic Engineering device shone green and orange.

I gave Dang Gyu-ri a glance.

A merciless bat strike smashed the carrot machine to pieces.

The inside immediately darkened sharply, as if a blackout had occurred, because the energy source had disappeared.

Secret bases had been built in multiple places, but at the very least, this one could no longer support the general-class units.

Perhaps because of that, General Earth Eater’s complexion grew even gloomier.

“Gyuit, how truly lamentable……”

Ignoring that, Dang Gyu-ri rummaged through the wreckage, then tossed what they found toward me.

[Rabbit War Random Box(A)]

That makes two.

Feeling satisfied, I inspected the next area.

Supplies such as weapons and food were piled up, but most of them were for rabbits and robots.

They were completely useless to us.

The important part is next.

The third and final area was the repair shop.

It was full of all kinds of parts used in robots.

Parts that went into general-class frames,

and clock parts too.

And this was exactly the place to obtain the hidden piece.

A clock sat on a workbench in one corner, and delicate tools were channeling mana into it.

Apparently, we had burst in while they were in the middle of repairing it.

I can just fix it after they leave.

I cleared the workbench clean.

Then, when I placed the two random boxes I had obtained earlier on top, the delicate tools channeled mana into them instead.

In that state, I opened the lids.

Along with the sound of a clock’s second hand, the boxes merged into one.

[Rabbit Watchmaker’s Random Box(A+)]

As the word “watchmaker” implied, the drop items were limited to clock-related parts.

Since it was A+, a high grade was guaranteed, and with luck, I could even aim for S-rank or higher.

One way or another, this guaranteed an upgrade for the [Golden Pocket Watch].

Though I’ll have to give up some of the basic rewards.

After all, each synthesis consumed two random boxes.

Even so, if we moved diligently, we should be able to secure plenty of watchmaker boxes and still leave one or two regular boxes behind.

So I called General Earth Eater in a rather kind tone.

“Earth Eater.”

“……Gyuit.”

“I’d like to look around the other secret bases too. Would you guide us?”

I could see the words, What do you mean, look around, damn it? written across the creature’s face.

But apparently remembering its friendship with everyone, it turned around helplessly.

“……Follow me.”