Chapter 149: Test of Luck

Roddy laughed before turning around to face the metal support’s lift. He got on the lift and pressed the button upon it, causing the lift to slowly rise up, bringing Roddy upward to the upper half area of the Mech.

Chen Xiaolian then turned around to look at Fujino Masayoshi. “Does this place have anything else? Considering how big this warehouse is, surely it does not only house this Mech, right?”

“Err… there should be a weapon armoury here. Those weapons are all meant for military testing, especially the military weapon devices. Those are used to debug the resulting data. They should be somewhere in another warehouse within this area.”

Looking around, Chen Xiaolian found much of what he needed from a small-scale weapons warehouse located roughly 50 meters away from the Mech warehouse.

Nagase Komi watched as Chen Xiaolian picked up a 20mm gatling-style rotary cannon with his hands – Chen Xiaolian was never a tall person to begin with. For someone like him to be carrying the rotary cannon like a Terminator, the image he exhibited was one of awkwardness.

However, his bodily attributes have been enhanced to [B] Class. Thanks to that, the act of carrying the huge rotary cannon was not a problem for him. The long line of ammunition belt hung over Chen Xiaolian’s body and dangled down onto the floor.

Additionally, he stuffed in a good number of hand grenades onto his tactical vest.

Chen Xiaolian also picked out a Howa Type automatic rifle for Nagase Komi; it was one that could be installed with grenade launchers.

After busying himself with the weapons for around five to six minutes, Chen Xiaolian turned around to look at the Mech. “Roddy?”

Chen Xiaolian called out twice, but no reply was forthcoming.

…

Roddy stood upon the lift as he moved it to stop before the chest area of the Mech.

Standing there, Roddy raised his head to look at the head of the Mech. The coating of the head was a mix of blue, black and silver colours, which looked exceptionally clear.

The external armour of the Mech was tightly melded together. Even its joints did not reveal any gap in between, causing him to be at a loss at how this technology was able to achieve that.

The material used for the external armour of the Mech was extremely durable. Extending his hand to feel it, he felt a cold sensation that was equivalent to ice.

Roddy even produced a military knife to swipe across the surface of the Mech a few times. However, the sharp military knife was unable to leave any trace on the surface of the Mech!

“This is definitely not a level of technology that this world should possess,” Roddy let out a sigh.

At that moment, he felt himself losing control over his mind.

It was as though there was an irrepressible impulse surging through him, slowly guiding his hand out to press onto the surface of the Mech.

Although Chen Xiaolian had warned him not to, at this moment, Roddy could not suppress the impulse within his heart.

Roddy activated his skill!

Mechanical Heart!

…

Weng!

It was as though an extensive amount of information was being crammed into his consciousness as streams of data inundated Roddy’s mind, just like waterfall!

The feeling was akin to having a person tossed into the confines of a giant bell before proceeding to ring the bell!

Roddy could feel humming sounds reverberating through the inside of his ears, throwing him into a spiral of dizziness.

In that instant, a consciousness seemed to have appeared within his mind.

“What. Are. You?”

Hmm?

…

Chen Xiaolian ran to the area beneath the Mech and raised his head to look upward.

He saw Roddy standing upon the raised lift, his body leaning forward and one hand was placed onto the surface of the Mech.

Once again, Chen Xiaolian called out twice toward Roddy. However, he saw that Roddy was not responding.

Chen Xiaolian immediately sensed that something bad was happening.

That fellow’s chuunibyou syndrome was acting up again! Roddy had ignored his warning!

“Roddy!”

Chen Xiaolian howled loudly. Then, he picked up a hammer from the nearby tool station and smashed it onto the rails of the lift a few times.

Clanging sounds echoed throughout the warehouse. However, Roddy who was standing on the lift continued to show zero response.

“Damn it!”

Chen Xiaolian cursed out loudly and looked at the rails of the lift. He spat out fiercely and his arms and legs began to move, climbing up the rail.

After Chen Xiaolian reached the lift, he leapt over the fence of the lift and landed on it. As he was trying to pull Roddy over, he suddenly found Roddy’s body to be abnormally heavy!

Roddy’s entire body appeared stiff and he was glued stubbornly onto the Mech!

Chen Xiaolian tried pulling him a few times but Roddy’s hand appeared to be firmly stuck onto the surface of the Mech, not showing any sign of movement at all.

Chen Xiaolian’s heart became tense and he exerted more strength through his hands in his attempt to pull Roddy over. Still, he was unable to move Roddy.

What is going on here? Chen Xiaolian cursed inwardly.

Chen Xiaolian smacked Roddy’s back a couple of times, attempting to wake him up. However, this fellow remained in a comatose state.

“Damn it!” Chen Xiaolian shouted in anger.

Then, as his hand slapped down onto Roddy’s back once more…

A whooshing sound was issued out!

A bizarre scene took place before Chen Xiaolian!

The colossal Mech abruptly disappeared into thin air!

A gigantic steel Mech with a height of 18 meters suddenly transformed into a beam of light and vanished from sight.

Roddy was originally leaning forward out of the lift and onto the Mech. Now that the Mech had disappeared, Roddy’s body suddenly arced forward and fell down the lift. Thankfully, Chen Xiaolian’s reaction speed was fast enough. His hand shot out to grab Roddy’s arm, stopping his fall. Roddy’s body was thus left hanging from the lift. Chen Xiaolian cursed out loudly again and pulled Roddy up onto the lift.

What in the son of a bitch is going on here?

A mech that is so gigantic could disappear just like that?

Then, Chen Xiaolian suddenly saw a notification coming in from the system.

[System prompt: Your Meteor Rock Guild has seized the research results of the Mechanical Faction!].

[System prompt: Please leave the research institute before the self-destruct countdown reaches zero. Then, you may leave this instance dungeon.].

[System prompt: In order to complete this instance dungeon’s final quest, please protect the technological result acquired before you leave this instance dungeon. The system reward will be calculated after the instance dungeon is over.].

Holy shit!

What is going on here?

Chen Xiaolian looked at Roddy with an expression of surprise: It seems this fellow caused the disappearance of the Mech.

Seized the research results of the Mechanical Faction?

Chen Xiaolian felt pleasantly surprised. He was overjoyed to know that they had managed to complete the quest.

However, he was surprised because… Roddy was still unconscious, just like a coma patient. If not for the fact that Roddy was still breathing, Chen Xiaolian would have thought that this fellow had kicked the bucket!

“Roddy! Roddy!” Chen Xiaolian showed no hesitation in slapping Roddy’s face a few times. Roddy’s breathing remained deep and stable, but he remained unconscious.

“Damn it!” Chen Xiaolian cursed out once again and he got the lift they were on to descend to the ground.

After the lift had reached the ground, Chen Xiaolian brought Roddy down from the lift.

“We need to leave this place immediately! We still have less than half an hour remaining!”

Chen Xiaolian said to Nagase Komi.

The expression on Nagase Komi’s face was one of utter anxiousness. She too had received the notification from the system.

“Fujino Masayoshi!” Chen Xiaolian pulled Fujino Masayoshi over with one hand. “Is there any other passage here?”

“Err…” Fujino Masayoshi replied in a state of stupefaction.

“There must be one!” Chen Xiaolian said coldly. “There are so many large-scale equipment here. There are also instruments and weapons! In order to move all those items in here, how could there not be any passageway? Not only that, it must also be a large sized passageway!”

“There is indeed one, but…” Fujino Masayoshi’s face revealed a bitter expression. “But that passageway cannot be opened!”

“How could it not be opened?” Chen Xiaolian’s face was grim. “Even if we have to blow it up, we will force it open!”

“It is useless,” Fujino Masayoshi suddenly extended his hand outward, pointing at the ceiling. “The passageway is just above us!”

Above us?

Chen Xiaolian was stunned.

“I only know that there should be a lift on top. The ceiling of this warehouse can be opened to reveal a station for the transportation of goods. Unfortunately… that station for the transportation of goods cannot be destroyed. Because…”

Fujino Masayoshi’s subsequent answer caused Chen Xiaolian to simmer with rage.

“Our current location is in fact, not underneath the island of Japan. Rather… the sea! It would be more accurate to say that we are currently underneath the continental shelf. If you want to get out of here, you need to break through the ceiling of this warehouse. This underground project site do indeed have a station for the transportation of goods. On normal days, in order to deceive the public, the military submarine will be used to enter the sea. Then, utilizing the underwater mode, the station for transportation of goods will allow the submarine to transport the goods inside.

“Let me put it this way.

“We constructed a transportation channel on the seabed that is 4 km in length. As its name implies, this transportation channel is used for transportation purposes. While positioned underwater, those large-scale equipment will first be sealed properly before being sent down the transportation channel. Well slots filled with seawater will be used here.

“The transportation process is as follows: The supplies are first sent into the transportation channel. The supplies will then move through the 4 km channel while remaining underwater until it reaches a large-scale transportation platform. After the supplies reach the large-scale platform, we will open up a sealed module for it. Sealing up the transportation platform, the waters in the sealed module is then drained out. After that is done, the supplies can then be moved inside here directly from the transportation platform.

“Even if you insist on using force to destroy your way out… for example, through the use of bombs that you suggested… you would only be able to reach the well-sealed transportation platform. That place is an underwater hold. Even after reaching there, you still cannot get out!

“In order to use that way to escape from here, you must go through the 4 km transportation channel!

“We cannot use bombs. If we do, it will cause the transportation channel and the continental shelf to collapse. When that happens, all of us will be buried under the seabed!”

Underwater?

Seabed?

Chen Xiaolian’s eyes bulged out.

“F**k! I should have known that the system would never give an easy quest!” Chen Xiaolian gave a resentful smile.

Chen Xiaolian pondered their predicament for a moment before glancing at Fujino Masayoshi. “Are there any diving equipment here?”

“There are,” Fujino Masayoshi quickly answered. “There are diving suits and small-scaled submersible vehicles that are also installed with propellers. The maintenance crew responsible for the maintenance of the transportation platform and the transportation channel uses those equipment. Those maintenance works requires going underwater.”

“That will work!” Chen Xiaolian’s heart was overjoyed.

“But…” Fujino Masayoshi gave another bitter smile. “The transportation platform above us is certainly filled with sea water! We must first set the controls to let the transportation platform drain out the seawater. Only after doing that will we be able to climb up. If we do not, once we open the platform… the seawater will gush in.”

“Then go drain the water!” Chen Xiaolian became vexed. “Stop slacking around with all those nonsense! We must hurry! We have already activated the self-destruct sequence. We only have… 26 minutes left!”