Chapter 407: My Life Is with Humanity
Saina: "This unit is Conquista Doll, Elma-model Unit 317. That is precisely why this unit can serve as a proxy wearer and operator for Specialized Armor."
Sunraku: "Oh? But the gear I’ve got isn’t some ordinary mass-produced junk."
Saina: "You do not seem to properly understand this unit’s Intelligence. Are you using your brain cells correctly?"
Oh? She was the one who suggested this contract, and she immediately hit me with a right straight of trash talk?
Saina: "Elma-model units, including this unit, are exploration-and-combat models designed to fight using recovered objects. A few security locks are no obstacle... Yes, this unit has already confirmed eighty percent of the machine data."
Sunraku: "Hey, don’t casually hack my shit."
But basically, she was saying that even equipment from the Out-of-Spec series was something she could handle.
It felt like a salesman breaking through your window, walking into your house, and going, “This is exactly when our reinforced glass comes in handy!” Or like finishing the strongest weapon in the game, then getting your ass kicked in the next event scene.
You know it is strong on paper, but it still feels disappointing...
N-no, even if she was a busted piece of junk, she was still a robot-type character. Her Intelligence had to be high.
Saina: "The Non-Standard Specialized Armor is powered by a Non-Standard Tactical Machine Beast and activated through remote energy supply. By hacking the armor’s energy system, this unit can connect an energy line from itself to the armor. This unit then acts as a substitute Tactical Machine Beast and activates the armor."
Sunraku: "I see?"
Saina: "Naturally, having the proper reactor for that model would be ideal. But this unit has determined that preparing the ideal setup is difficult in our current situation. This method is recommended as the next-best option."
Honestly, if I had a day, I could probably get the Out-of-Spec Ether Reactor that either Oikatzo or Pencilgon is carrying through Inventoria.
But that would mean explaining my current situation.
I was supposed to tell them, “I followed Noirlind’s information to a new farming spot, then added a robot and a Unique Monster to my party. Also, I have four EX Scenarios active right now, and I only need one more to complete them all”?
Hahaha, I would rather not get bombarded with blank emails.
Sunraku: "...I get what you’re saying. With things like this, I’d take help from a cat’s paw or a rabbit’s paw."
Solo and duo play required different moves, but multi-person fights had the huge advantage of splitting up roles to some extent.
And if this contract was a connection to a race... a race? called Conquista Dolls, then strengthening that connection now was not a bad idea.
Sunraku: "Fine. I’ll take this contract."
Saina: "Approved. Reconquista Plan... Phase 1 skipped. Phase 2 partially skipped. Proceeding to Phase 3: beginning the ‘Your Doll’ process... Contract candidate Sunraku, kneel and meet my eyes."
Sunraku: "Okay."
I knelt, and my eyes met Elma=317’s at about the same height because she had lost both legs at the knees.
She looked human enough for a busted piece of junk, but her pupils clicked and moved in ways no living creature’s could as she locked onto my eyes.
Saina: "Retina data registered... Contract candidate Sunraku, hold out your palm."
Sunraku: "Sure."
Elma=317’s battered left palm pressed against the hand I held out.
Several blue lines ran through what little of Elma=317’s palm was still there, and she kept pressing it against my intact hand, matching my fingerprints.
Saina: "Fingerprint and palm-print data registered... Contract candidate Sunraku, finally, hold out your arm."
Sunraku: "This process is long..."
Well, that was probably just how it worked.
I followed her instructions and held out my arm...
Saina: "Chomp."
Sunraku: "Hey—"
She bit me! She fucking bit me! And my health went down a little! What the hell!?
For a second, I wondered whether I should shove her away. But then I saw a faint damage effect leak out and get sucked into Elma=317’s mouth.
It was hard to tell through the game effects, but apparently she had just collected something blood-like from me.
Saina: "Blood data registered. ‘Your Doll’ process... complete. Master Sunraku, this unit is your doll alone. Use me well or use me up, as you please..."
Deep Throater suddenly appeared in my head, yelling with the sleaziest grin imaginable, so I sentenced her to death by burning.
I fed my impure thoughts to the fire and got my pure heart back. Then Brain-Deep Throater started giving a live commentary on how good being burned felt, so I quickly cooked her well-done.
Just in case, I opened my menu window.
Sunraku: "...There’s a new option."
A new icon called Doll Status had appeared.
This was fundamentally different from checking the status of NPCs or other players in my party. Was control over the Conquista Doll’s status being handed over to the player?
Which meant Conquista Dolls were not a race like elves or Pescorians. They were more like a variation of the monster-taming system, built around the idea of becoming player add-ons...?
The problem was that it looked way too fucking wrong from the outside.
Turning a monster into an add-on was one thing. Turning a Conquista Doll—who looked almost completely human—into an add-on and messing around with her gave off serious criminal vibes...
N-no, it was not like there were no examples of this! Some adult games probably had stuff like that...
That made it even worse!!!
Sammy-chan, stop looking at me like that! It hurts worse than being judged by something that looks human!
Sunraku: "A-anyway! Strategy meeting, round two! You’re joining too, Wimpy Nene!!"
Goldhuneenay: "T-that name feels kind of mean!"
Sunraku: "Then what am I supposed to call you? ‘Goldhuneenay’ overlaps way too much."
There were at least nine characters named Goldhuneenay... At this rate, there could be around a hundred of them.
Goldhuneenay: "Huh? Um... um..."
Saina: "Proposal: WIMP. An old astronomy term for cold dark matter. Despite having such traits, this unit recognizes and appreciates the amazing stealth that allowed you to escape not only the Conquista Dolls’ search, but also the killing attempts of others of your own species."
Sunraku: "H-hey, you..."
Goldhuneenay: "H-hmph! I don’t really get it, but it’s a nice name! You’re praising me, right?"
Saina: "Affirmative (That is correct): Reaffirming (This unit is praising you)."
Sunraku: "Uh... yeah. If she’s happy with it, I guess that’s fine..."
She said something cool to cover it up, but the meaning of that name...
No, I would not say it.
Wimpy Nene was still Wimpy Nene. Real-world insulting slang had nothing to do with it. Surely that was right.
Sunraku: "Fine. For now, the main goal is securing Tsaberil Imperial Treasure Crystal. But mining is too inefficient, so we’re hunting the Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion (Alexand Scorpion)."
Their shells might as well be Tsaberil Imperial Treasure Crystal. Based on Crystal Scorpion behavior, it was safe to assume they had the same trait.
It was a little disappointing that the item system did not treat gemstones and shells as the same thing... But that did not matter.
The problem was their combat strength.
First, compared to Golden Scorpions, their physical combat ability was not that high.
Well, getting hit by their front legs—which were too weirdly shaped to call pincers—would still kill me instantly.
But their real strength was ranged combat using magic lasers.
The charged thick beam left the biggest impression, but once you got into close-range combat, they did not use it very often.
It was that powerful. If they accidentally shot the wrong thing, their neighbors would get pissed off.
So I did not need to worry about cannon-level blasts. The problems were the three-way lasers and the reflections off the terrain.
Sunraku: "Solo, I have to focus on dodging... But with two people, I get more options."
Saina: "Understood. Give this unit your orders. This unit will show you the best result through supreme Intelligence."
I was endlessly worried about this...
But here we go. Twenty-first try!!
[Conquista Dolls are deeply tied to the Reconquista Plan, but why the plan—once called Plan No. 3—was abandoned is connected to this contract.]
[Elma=317 Achievement List]
[“Partner Slot” clear!]
[“Bring faces close and make eye contact” clear!]
[“Hands touching” clear!]
[“Love bite” clear!]
[Heroine-chan Achievement List]
[“Strong character slot” clear!]
[“Cancel lucky-pervert event” clear!]
[“Fight together against a powerful enemy” clear!]
[“Overthinking” clear!]
[Huh?]