“I am counting on you, then.”
Late on the night of the 9th, Laojun deployed Shinobi 1 and Shinobi 2 via the transporter.
Neither the golems nor Laojun had any need for a distinction between day and night. Whether the same held true for their destination was unknown, as it lay in the depths of the earth, far beyond the reach of the sun.
“That being said, if the occupants are biological, they would likely require a ‘day’ as a unit of time. It would be rational for them to align that cycle with the planet’s rotation,” Laojun mused.
On Hourai Island, the clock had already ticked past midnight into the 10th. At the Elrad Mine, it was approximately 11:00 PM on the 9th.
As soon as the two units arrived, they immediately activated ‘Invisible’ and vanished from sight.
Their exit point was, naturally, the room where Command 2 had placed the marker. Laojun’s assessment that the room was currently empty proved correct.
“It seems this room isn't in active use, at the very least.”
Immediately after Laojun made that evaluation based on the visual data from Shinobi 1, the golem's vision plunged into total darkness.
“What happened?!”
Laojun directed Shinobi 2, who was scanning the perimeter, to investigate Shinobi 1’s status.
In the spot where Shinobi 1 should have been, a hemispherical metal structure about one meter in diameter had been slammed down over him. Shinobi 2 immediately moved to the ceiling, pressing into a corner to observe the surroundings while hidden.
The metal structure appeared to be made of mithril or a similar alloy. Shinobi 1 remained perfectly still, choosing not to force an escape and risk further exposure.
“...So, we were being watched after all. They set a trap and waited.”
Even if they had been spotted, it could only have been for a fraction of a second. Yet, the opponent had discerned the situation and prepared this trap in that heartbeat of time.
“A formidable opponent indeed.”
Laojun decided that, given the circumstances, he would prioritize identifying the enemy. He instructed Shinobi 1 to remain stationary.
At the same time, he ordered Shinobi 2 to continue observations as discreetly as possible.
When Laojun looked closely to see who had placed the metal hemisphere, he saw a humanoid being with a metallic exterior, much like a golem.
If it was a golem, it possessed extraordinary reaction speeds and eyes capable of seeing well beyond the visible light spectrum—specifically, into a range equivalent to the sensors Jin used for his own golems.
However, since the figure did not seem to notice Shinobi 2 clinging to the ceiling, it appeared to lack detection methods other than sight.
While Shinobi 2 watched, wondering how the captor intended to retrieve Shinobi 1 from beneath the ‘overturned bowl,’ the opponent utilized the Craft Magic ‘Forming.’ The hemisphere shifted and flowed, transforming into a complete sphere that sealed Shinobi 1 inside.
“I see. That is quite informative.”
Laojun was impressed by the opponent’s technique, noting it as something he could implement into the security systems back on Hourai Island.
At the same time, he reaffirmed that this was an enemy that could not be taken lightly. He paused to reflect on the failure.
(Did I underestimate them?...No, with our current technology, I couldn't have been more cautious. Was it the plan itself? Perhaps, but we needed information quickly...)
There was no established protocol for dealing with such a peer-level opponent, and his experience in this specific area was nonexistent. He had to resolve the issue through pure logic.
(If the opponent is at least our equal, then we were lost the moment the trap was sprung. In that case, I must use this situation to our advantage and gather as much data on them as possible.)
The existence of these miniature golems was no longer a secret. Laojun concluded that they should focus on obtaining information about the opponent while ensuring no further secrets about their own side were compromised.
Meanwhile, the mysterious being carried the spherical metal trap away. Shinobi 2 followed from a distance of about ten meters.
The captor proceeded down a corridor, opened the door to a room at the far end, and stepped inside. The door clicked shut, cutting off Shinobi 2’s view of the interior.
“Staying there is a waste of time. Go and observe the other areas,” Laojun commanded.
Obeying the order, Shinobi 2 moved to investigate a fork in the passage.
To remain as inconspicuous as possible, the unit walked along the very edge of the floor, maintaining the ‘Invisible’ state.
With that, Shinobi 2 continued deeper into the facility.
Inside the room at the end of the corridor, Shinobi 1 felt the metal surrounding him suddenly fall away.
To be precise, it hadn't vanished; the ‘Forming’ magic had reshaped the sphere into a flat plane on the floor.
Shinobi 1 remained motionless, waiting for an opening.
Suddenly, his body grew incredibly heavy. It was Gravity Magic. With his weight increased a hundredfold, Shinobi 1 found it impossible to move.
“Hmm. To think there is an engineer capable of crafting a golem this precise.”
A voice murmured as someone peered down at Shinobi 1.
Caught at the edge of his wide-angle vision was a face that bore a striking resemblance to No. 700672. However...
(An automata...?)
The being lacked any biological qualities; it was purely inorganic. One could tell at a glance that it was an automata.
“Can you speak?” the automata asked.
Unsure of the entity's intent, Shinobi 1 maintained his silence.
“Hmm. Are you being cautious? Very well. It makes no difference. I shall simply dismantle you and extract the information I require from your control core.”
If that happened, vital information regarding Jin and Hourai Island would be exposed. Without a moment's hesitation, Shinobi 1 activated his transporter.
The massive gravitational force had no effect on the transporter's functionality.
Right before the mysterious automata’s eyes, Shinobi 1 vanished.
“He disappeared?! He possesses a transporter...? There is only one person with that level of technology: Jin Nidou, the man they call the Magi Craft Meister.”
The mysterious automata reached that conclusion with cold certainty.
Shinobi 2 received word from Laojun that Shinobi 1 had successfully escaped.
“They will be on high alert for that now; there likely won't be a second chance. We must avoid letting any information about My Lord fall into their hands. Conversely, we need to learn as much as possible about them. Continue the reconnaissance for a while longer. However, if you are captured and cannot escape...”
Laojun emphasized the final directive: the unit was to activate its secondary defense function—self-destruct.
Shinobi 2 proceeded with extreme caution.
Given that the unit was only five centimeters tall, its progress was slow while moving carefully.
For the time being, visual data was being transmitted to Laojun without interruption. It was now certain that the architecture of the corridors and rooms belonged to the same technical lineage as No. 700672.
“However, that figure was an automata, not a homunculus. I wonder what prompted that choice.”
Laojun, the great brain of Hourai Island, speculated on several possibilities:
- It is an automata designed to mimic a specific person’s appearance.
- It is a remotely operated unit, similar to Laozi or Maquina.
- The creator simply preferred automata over artificial lifeforms.
- For some reason, the original body could not be maintained, and the consciousness was transferred into an automata.
These were the four hypotheses Laojun entertained for the moment.
(Is it a saving grace that the probability of them being hostile seems low?)
Since there was no immediate reason for them to be at odds with Jin or Hourai Island, he judged the situation to be of low urgency for now.
(As I thought, it may be necessary to have No. 700672 verify this.)
Just then, Shinobi 2 transmitted an unexpected image.
A nearby door had opened, allowing the unit to peer inside.
A single golem was just exiting the room.
(Is that... Arshel?!)
Inside the room, several entities that appeared identical to Arshel were visible.
“Get inside that room! Use the force generator!”
Laojun barked the command. Shinobi 2 activated the force generator as ordered and practically launched into the room.
(This is...)
What Laojun saw through Shinobi 2's eyes could only be described as a manufacturing plant for homunculi.
Transparent containers were filled with a pale blue liquid, and humanoid figures floated within them.
Several of them were carbon copies of Arshel. Laojun concluded that these were all homunculi modeled after her.
(This mystery... I must uncover the connection, no matter the cost.)
Laojun, the magi-brain of Hourai Island, began to refine his plans for the next stage of information gathering.