Chapter 553: Infinite Mine 2
‘Wah, what is this?’
There were numerous machines with a complex structure that could make any man turn dizzy.
The machines that were in front of Ian looked like a car a.s.sembly process factory in the real world.
“Was this a factory that produces machine monsters?”
Ian glanced inside the factory after entering it.
Because there were complex structures, it felt like he would be able to at least gain something from them.
‘Syarlon told me to destroy it all, but it’s too bad if I just smash through them…’
Due to the nature of Kailan’s vast world, the ‘Machine Civilization’ must be an important role in its content.
The probability was high that the content would not be a one-time content and would just end in the spirit dimension.
‘Maybe, in here, I might be able to find some clue to unseal the machines.’
The machine blueprints were still asleep in the corner of his inventory because Ian still didn’t know where to use it yet.
When he thought about being able to find their use, Ian’s heart began to flutter.
“Huhu, this looks much more complicated when looked closely.”
Approaching the front of the machine, Ian ripped the structure in detail with a frown on his face.
Ian, who had no idea about mechanical engineering, couldn’t figure things out by just looking at them.
Eventually, Ian gave up the thought of finding something and started to wander around the entire factory setting.
‘Hmm… are there any catch items that I can just put in the inventory?’
Was it around 10 to 20 minutes?
Ian just shook his head.
Despite the fact that the large factory was really eye-catching, there was nothing in there that Ian could figure out.
His antic.i.p.ation soon turned into shame.
‘I had to do all this just to destroy it? This huge complex structure?’
Ian narrowed his eyes and then summoned his longbow of flames.
He was feeling down, but he had to destroy the place because of the quest.
Kkik-!
He pulled the bowstring with all his might. Ian was aiming for the center of the machine.
To destroy the supporting shafts one after the other, Ian had to start with the large pillars that were in the center and the machinery would collapse.
Ian was still feeling unsettled; he was hesitant to pull the bowstring.
Right then, something entered the line of vision of Ian.
“…?”
Ian began to s.h.i.+ne.
There was a small line that seemed like the outline of a ‘door’ at the center of the iron pillar that was supporting the entire machine.
‘For a door, it sure is small… but it sure is worth opening. ‘
Ian put his bow away and approached that place.
The moment he reached the place, Ian’s expression turned brighter.
As he looked closely, there was a handle on it just like the one on any normal door.
‘Nice!’
Feeling good, Ian held the k.n.o.b of the door and pushed it to the side.
He was expecting a hidden place inside a hidden place.
The next moment, Ian shook his head out of shock at the hidden one.
“What!”
The door didn’t open. However, some kind of powerful current had pa.s.sed through Ian’s palm.
[You’ve taken light attribute damage.]
[Your vitality has been reduced by 192.]
[You have been electrocuted.]
[You have been paralyzed temporarily.]
“…”
Ian was fl.u.s.tered by the unexpected trap he had encountered.
Fl.u.s.tered for a while, Ian’s eyes began to s.h.i.+ne again.
The fact that a device had been installed on the handle meant that there was a high probability of something inside it.
Ian began to take a closer look at the area inside of the handle.
He thought about breaking the outer wall to check what was inside, but he couldn’t do it.
If there were a mistake, then the whole structure would collapse.
New system messages began to appear in front of his eyes.
Tring-!
[Energy charge mechanism.]
[A small amount of spirit power is needed for operating.]
“Huh…?”
Ian checked the message and was shocked.
He thought it was a trap, but the message just now didn’t seem like his thoughts were correct.
‘Spirit power? How is it supposed to be charged with spirit power?’
Ian’s head began to work.
‘If it is spirit power, the spirit power that is needed for the evolution of the spirits…’
In order to fill the spirit power of the spirit, one had to use the energy of the spirit and then use it for the spirit magic.
There was also another way to fill the spirit power using the essence of attributes or the Nature’s marble.
‘Yeah, the attribute essence!’
Ian’s gaze s.h.i.+fted to the door that had the handle.
As he went close to the handle, he could see some kind of light flickering on it.
“I knew it!”
Ian immediately took out some attribute essences from his inventory and started to feel them one after the other.
Among them, he could feel a single essence stone that would fit into the mark on the door.
-Minor lightning attribute essence.
Ian picked up the essence with a pounding heart.
He carefully put it toward the mark on the door.
The motionless door that had been on the iron pillar started to have a faint white light around it.
[The ‘Lighting power’ has been charged.]
[The machine can be operated.]
Woong-!
The whole area started to tremble so loud that it made Ian cover his ears.
Checking the system messages which had come up, Ian went to place his hands on the handle once again.
He then pushed it to the side.
Creak-!
The small door which was the same size as a child opened with a very cheerful creaking sound.
Ian’s eyes tried to look at what had been placed inside of it, as his eyes noticed something in there, they went wide.
“Kulggk! Thank you so much for saving me, friend.”
A boy with a huge head appeared. The boy was small. His height was only up to Ian’s waist.
With the advent of the NPCs with a rate that reminded one of the SD characters, Ian was confused.
At first glance, the boy looked like someone who was related to the machines, but he thanked Ian.
‘What is this? Isn’t he someone who belongs to Charlies?’
Ian’s eyes were looking for any other possible clue.
He was under the impression that it was going to be a trap.
But all the machines that were around the room were completely quiet, he looked over at Ian and Ian asked, “Who are you?”
“Grrrk, Grrk. Did you just ask me?”
“Okay. Is there anyone else here apart from you?”
At the question of Ian, the boy who came out of the room looked around.
He opened his mouth, looking at Ian.
“I am P-77. The manager of this workshop.”
“What was that?”
“But who are you?”
“Me? Hmm, I am Ian.”
“Thank you, Ian. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be able to get out of there.”
Ian looked at P-77 with a lot of doubt.
His head was filled with thoughts that kept running through his mind.
‘If you call yourself the manager of the workshop, then you are related to the machines. You’re the same as the machines… What kind of situation is this supposed to be?’
However, Ian couldn’t continue to think anymore.
He heard the whine of a machine on the other side.
Kkikng-!
The boy spoke to Ian with urgency in his tone.
“Ian, I am sorry, but can you help me out a little more?”
“Hmm…?”
“Before all the machines in here blow up, we need to repair the main circuit.”
“Repair? Why would I do that?”
Ian thought about listening to the weird request the boy had.
Ian wasn’t sure what the boy was even trying to do, but he could feel a very interesting hidden quest coming up.
Ian’s guess was right.
Tring-!
[A hidden quest has been triggered.]
Following a cheerful message for Ian, a new quest window that would make him happier had appeared just a second later.
-The Request of P-77 (Hidden)
The robot that had been managing the machines was P-77, the manager.
You have rescued him, who had been trapped in the machine just before the collapse.
However, P-77 isn’t completely safe yet.
The superior robot was designed to be with the hardware.
The moment the hardware was damaged, the workshop would collapse.
Which is why P-77 has asked for your help.
It was because there is a need for certain materials to stop the collapse.
Hear out the request that he has and help with the hardware.
In case you decide to help him, he will thank you.
Quest difficulty: None
Quest Condition:
Win the battle with ‘Caliclops’.
Find the ‘machine facility management’.
Time limit: 3 minutes
Reward: ???
As the quest window came up, a small message had been created at the corner of Ian’s sight.
[Time left: 00: 02: 59]
Ian, who read it, immediately looked over at 77 and asked, “Okay, I will help you out. What am I supposed to do?”
At those words from Ian, 77 seemed to be half glad.
“Thank you, really! I’ll make sure to pay you back!”
“Since we don’t have a lot of time, you will have to tell me what I am supposed to do.”
“Okay, then…”
77 looked over at the broken machine for a while and opened his mouth turning toward Ian.
“Ian, do you have any attribute essence?”
“Huh, yeah.”
“Then, would you please put them in here?”
“…?”
Ian got the attribute essence from breaking through the dungeon.
Ian felt like he was being robbed, but for now, he decided to go along with him.
‘Phew, I am going to hold on just because it is a hidden quest.’
Ian, who quickly pulled out the essences from his inventory, placed it in the position that 77 had shown.
A white light came out, and the attribute essence vanished.
Tring-!
[You have used the ‘Lesser Fire attribute essence’.]
[The energy of the machine has been charged.]
[The time limit of the ‘P-77 Request (Hidden)’ has been increased by 6 seconds.]
“Uh?”
Ian, who checked the system messages, looked over at the corner of his sight to see the time.
Just as the system message said, the quest time really did increase.
‘This is my first time seeing such a quest.’
Ian still wasn’t sure about the direction where the quest was heading to. For the time being, he decided to place the essences in the places he was being directed to.
A similar message came up.
[You have used the ‘Lesser Fire attribute essence’.]
[The energy of the machine has been charged.]
[The time limit of the ‘P-77 Request (Hidden)’ has been increased by 42 seconds.]
Ian heard 77’s voice inside his head.
“Ian, we are still running behind. Recharge the energy until the repair is over!”
Ian, who was shocked, asked 77 out of instinct, “How long will it be until everything is done?”
At the question of Ian, 77 took a moment to respond.
77’s response made Ian shocked.
“No matter how quick we are, we need at least 3 hours!”
77’s response made Ian’s head spin.