Chapter 100: Android No. 18

When we sought refuge in the Central Administrative Building, though the cries were deafening, there was no sign of the harpies infiltrating. It seemed they were reluctant to enter indoors. After confirming our safety, we faced the beautiful woman who had come to our aid.

“First, allow us to express our gratitude. We truly appreciate your help.”

“Thank you very much!”

We bowed our heads sincerely to convey our gratitude. Since we didn’t know who she was, we couldn’t afford to be rude. Regardless of any ulterior motives, it was only human to show gratitude for being rescued.

“Please raise your heads. There’s no need for thanks. I helped you because I have my own reasons.”

The beautiful woman replied with courteous manners.

“My apologies for the delay. I am Android No. 18. I served as the First Secretary to the Governor of Skyland City.”

Wait! Hold on! There’s too much information! An android? Skyland City? Governor? Secretary? Just sorting and processing this information is a major task, you know!?

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All-Purpose Android Model No. 18 – Quality: Inferior, Rarity: S (Special)

An advanced model of the android, which is a golem with enhanced decision-making abilities and self-awareness.

Some functions are malfunctioning due to aging.

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Amidst the confusion, I couldn’t help but use [Appraisal] involuntarily. No, no, calm down. It’s neither the time nor the place for that. I’ll put it aside for now.

“Well, well, aren’t you courteous. I am Isam, a Chaos Abyss Dragonbone High Lich. The others are my companions, and we go by the name ‘Nightwalkers’… which is the name of our guild. There aren’t many of us yet.”

More importantly, rather than that, this beautiful woman in front of me…should I call her No. 18? Anyway, it’s urgent to establish communication with her, convey that we’re not enemies, and if possible, enlist her as an ally.

There were two main reasons for this. Firstly, she was like a treasure trove of information. Judging from her introduction, she was likely a survivor from the time when this “Ancient Ruined City” was still thriving. With her presence, we would know where to investigate and where important and rare items or information might be hidden. It would significantly boost our exploration efficiency.

Secondly, it had to do with her being a very good fit for all players to interact with. We were fortunate enough to reach this floating island, but we couldn’t be so arrogant as to believe that this stroke of luck would benefit only us. Though we didn’t know when, it was certain that other players would eventually arrive here. When that happened, if the existence of No. 18 became known to them, it would undoubtedly turn into a competition.

Before things got that complicated, we wanted to seal off the situation completely if possible. Even if that was impossible, we wanted to earn enough trust that, when weighed against other players, she would choose us without a doubt.

“So, right away, could you tell us your objective?” I asked.

“Of course, Sir Isam. My objective is quite simple. It’s to vanquish the monster that has taken residence on the rooftop of the Central Administrative Building….the Harpy Chief.”

Oh? This was good news indeed. Just as Jigoro had mentioned, it seemed there was a boss on the rooftop of this building. What’s more, we managed to obtain this information before the actual battle. It appeared that this boss fight would be much easier than the impromptu ones we’d faced before.

“Huh? Isn’t that the same enemy we were targeting?” Ruby asked.

Ah! Come on!

“Is that so?”

“…That’s right.”

The android had a look of surprise on her face, but I had no choice but to confirm. I originally planned to keep our true objective hidden in order to maximize our rewards, but that plan was ruined by Ruby.

Well, there was no turning back now. Change of plans! I would just go with the flow in this conversation. Whatever will be, will be! Wait, isn’t this just like always then?

“At a time when my abilities were nearing their limit, there appears those willing to challenge such a powerful monster… could this also be the guidance of the goddess…”

“Well, we are monsters ourselves, you know… But speaking of which, why did you decide to help us?”

I inquired about something that had piqued my curiosity. No. 18 had helped us, monsters, almost as a matter of course. What could be the reason behind this?

“It’s simply because you, Sir Isam and his friends were being attacked by those disgusting harpies.”

“Is it the enemy of my enemy is my friend kind of situation?”

“No, not quite like that. Truth be told, I’ve been experiencing issues with my visual system for several decades now.”

“You mean… you’re blind?”

“Not exactly. My vision currently resembles a heavily pixelated image, so when I saw you all from a distance, I mistakenly thought you were a human and his familiars.”

Wow….I can’t believe it. To think I had been mistaken for a human and rescued. But then again, her response had been so polite. Furthermore, why would she openly admit her mistake like this?

“I never expected Sir Isam to be a monster, especially a race not even present in my data. However, after conversing with you, I concluded that there’s no issue.”

“Oh? What’s your basis for that?”

“Sir Isam not only communicates verbally but also exhibits rationality. I assume you’re currently analyzing information from my statements, aren’t you?”

Ughhh, had my thoughts been somehow exposed? I was wearing a mask, and beneath it was a skeleton face, so there shouldn’t have been any way to read my expressions. This android was exceptionally capable, wasn’t she? Despite appearing to be malfunctioning.

“I understand the situation. Besides, we originally intended to confront that monster, so we’ll gladly accept your request,” I said.

“Thank you. This will be the biggest and, at the same time, the last opportunity I have.”

“The last opportunity?”

Ruby picked up on the unsettling undertone in No. 18’s statement and asked. No. 18 replied calmly.

“My malfunction isn’t limited to just my visual system. I’ve been borrowing parts from other non-functioning androids to compensate… but I’ve reached my limit.”

Limit, huh? It sounded like more than just a malfunction; rather, she was on the verge of breaking down.

“So, your visit, ‘Nightwalkers’, represents my last chance before I become immobile.”

“That’s a heavy responsibility.”

Was this the final challenge before she would break down? If I were to assist her, failure wasn’t an option, right? Well, I had come with the intention of winning from the outset, so there shouldn’t be any problem!

“I hereby request your assistance once more. Please lend your strength to the subjugation of the Harpy Chief.”

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Emergency Quest: “Tombstone Skyscraper” Do you wish to accept this quest?

Yes/No

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Oh, it had been a while since I accepted a quest. While I was away, my comrades had been taking on various tasks from the Birdians, so it was only me who hadn’t seen this screen in a long time.

Setting that aside, of course, my choice was a resounding “Yes”. However, the quest’s name was “Tombstone Skyscraper.” It sounded rather cryptic. Were there objectives other than the subjugation of the Harpy Chief?

“I’ll gladly accept the request.”

“Ah, thank you. With this, I can finally fulfill the final order from His Excellency the Governor.”

“Order?”

“Yes. Right after Skyland fell, my master, His Excellency the Governor, said, ‘Erect a tombstone for the city on the rooftop’. He passed away, leaving those words as his last will.”

I see. So, she wanted to fulfill her master’s final order. And to erect that tombstone, the Harpy Chief was in the way.

“I’m okay as long as I can build the tombstone. I have prepared a reward for your assistance.”

Saying this, No. 18 retrieved a card key from her pocket.

“This is the access key of His Excellency the Governor. It should grant access to most of the facilities in the administrative and industrial districts, excluding personal assets in the residential and commercial zones.”

Oh, wow! This was quite something! With this access key, it seemed like we could explore the “Ancient Ruined City” to our hearts’ content!

“We are grateful, but are you sure about this?”

In a sense, the very thing we desired most was being offered as a reward. However, we weren’t just planning to explore; we intended to thoroughly uproot and recover the ancient treasures. It almost seemed like we were embarking on a sort of grave robbery, but will that be okay?

“It’s not a problem. The magical tools that are considered the crystallization of wisdom are of no use in this ruined city. They would be happier in the hands of those who need them. Please explore to your heart’s content and bring back the items.”

Was that really how she felt? Well, she was an android, after all. According to the [Appraisal], it was unbelievable, but she appeared to be a type of golem. As a fellow creation, perhaps she found fulfillment in being of use.

“However, just because you have the access key doesn’t mean the security golems won’t attack you. They are programmed to capture those who are not registered residents or don’t have tourist visas for humans and eliminate monsters.”

Oh, that’s quite a revelation. I had thought we wouldn’t have to battle hordes of security golems… it seemed like it wouldn’t be that easy after all.

“If that’s acceptable to you, then we have no objections. Let’s leave the discussion of the reward here and focus on strategizing. No. 18, please provide any information you have on the Harpy Chief.”

“Understood.”

No. 18 provided us with a wealth of information, and it was clear that she hadn’t faced these challenges in vain.

Firstly, the Harpy Chief was described as a giant creature, essentially an enlarged version of a regular harpy leader. However, its size was remarkable, spanning about 5 meters from its head to the tip of its tail feathers.

Thinking of boss-level bird monsters reminded me of the Twin-Headed Wind Eagle that we had battled before arriving at the Floating Island. However, that creature had two heads and four wings, but its overall size was only slightly larger than a typical eagle. Comparatively, five meters made the Harpy Chief larger than even the Lesser Dragon, Karl.

Due to its enormous size, it seemed that the Harpy Chief struggled with flying, an unusual trait for a bird-like creature. Compensating for this, it was remarkably tough and possessed tremendous power. Moreover, each of its feathers was as hard as steel, and the collective feathers formed sharp, knife-like edges. It appeared to be a far more formidable opponent than I had initially anticipated.

Moving on to its entourage, it was reported that there were a whopping ten harpy leaders surrounding the Harpy Chief. These harpy leaders, like the one we had previously faced, maintained a high level of coordination and were adept at casting their magic from the skies. Additionally, some of them seemed capable of using [Healing magic], which could pose a significant problem if not dealt with swiftly.

It was a rather unconventional setup, with the boss taking the front and the entourage providing support from the rear. In this battle, the key would undoubtedly be securing air superiority. At the very least, we couldn’t allow the Harpy Leaders to give cover fire.

“So, does that mean Karl and I need to take to the skies?” I asked.

“We’ll engage the Harpy Chief on the ground. While you guys keep the harpy leaders in check from above, is that the idea?” Genjuro said.

“That’s the idea. We don’t know the true strength of the Harpy Chief, but our ability to eliminate the entourage quickly might be the key to the boss fight.”

“Is that acceptable to everyone?”

Since there were things we wouldn’t know until we actually saw them, I started brainstorming various tactics. That’s when No. 18 raised her hand, suggesting something.

“Would it be possible for me to join the battle against the Harpy Chief as well?”

“You too?”

I pondered the situation. It was essential to adhere to the client’s wishes, and her weapon of choice was a long-range firearm, which was a disruptive presence in this world of fantasy. She could target the Harpy Chief from behind us or aim for the Harpy Leaders from below. She seemed like a reliable asset in terms of firepower.

However, as she had admitted herself, she was on the verge of breaking. So, if stray attacks were to hit her a few times, she might genuinely fall apart. Considering this risk, I couldn’t give an immediate answer.

“I promise I won’t be a burden. Please, let me join.”

“…I suppose we don’t have much choice.”

In the end, I agreed to her accompanying us, with the understanding that keeping her alive would also be part of the quest. The difficulty level had certainly shot up.

After confirming No. 18’s participation, I extracted more detailed action plans from her. Armed with this information, I proceeded to build our tactics based on the various pieces of information I had gathered.