Chapter 172 : The Ultimate Doll

If life had a form or shape.

My past life would probably be a single, short, thin, colorless thread.

After being kicked out of my family, I met Hermann and wandered the outskirts, far from the center, pretending to be a righteous bandit.

The reason for staying on the outskirts was simple.

I didn't have the courage to face the strong.

Then I enlisted and stood at the forefront of the Kingdom's invasion.

It was only then that I belatedly realized that swordsmanship suited my aptitude, and for the first time, I had the thought of wanting to achieve something.

But it was too late. That was the end of it.

This is my thread-like past life.

Shashashak—

I am now looking at the reptile boy crawling in front of me.

I've seen mechanical dolls that dig tunnels, and I've seen monstrous lumps of iron that imitate knights.

This is enough… isn't it okay to say that it's longer and thicker than my past life?

With much more colorful and diverse colors.

“Are you following well? Should I tell Toma to go slower? If so, please touch me gently. I can't see or hear anything.”

The bud in the flowerpot spoke to me. How kind.

“Was this friend’s name Toma?”

There was no answer. Ah, he said he couldn't hear.

“It’s a lizard, you see. I’m Mangul. Just take the flower part from the flower bud.”

“Didn’t you say you couldn’t hear?”

Toma quickly navigated through the dark alleys.

When he saw an automaton, he would stop and wait with bated breath until they passed.

He was doing that now.

“Toma can hear. And Toma and I can communicate. That's why we're a fantastic duo.”

Suddenly, I missed the sage Roland.

I promised myself to remember this moment well and tell him when I see him.

That a reptile-like human who couldn't speak carried a flower bud on his head that could only speak.

That I had a strange adventure with them.

He would surely get angry, asking if I was teasing him.

He would also throw his characteristic curses.

Just imagining it makes me feel good.

It's proof that I've had a more valuable and noble experience than his knowledge.

I wouldn't even try to make him understand.

I think I get it now.

Why old, unrivaled masters just laugh it off when dealing with their inferiors.

“Well, alright. So where are we going now?”

The answer came back with a delay, just like before.

“I’ll take you to the control unit. I’ve been watching you secretly, and I thought that maybe something truly unbelievable might happen. You defeated the Legion, didn’t you? It’s the first time since they were created.”

Toma’s tail, which had been swaying like a wave, stopped at some point.

He lowered his head.

We were moving through the tops of the buildings, and I could hear multiple presences from below.

“You’ve become a target of the Legion. Their pursuit will continue as long as your heart doesn't stop.”

Toma looked up at me.

A thin membrane, like an eyelid, covered and then uncovered his eyeball.

“Toma says to tell you thank you.”

“……Well, it was nothing.”

“Would you mind telling me who you are? Surely, you're the savior who has come to liberate us, right?”

“Liberate?”

It seemed I had cut him off mid-sentence.

The reply came back later than before.

“The Homunculi who created us said so. That one day, someone would surely appear to save us from the predators and the mechanical dolls. They said it wasn't a preposterous story, but an inevitability ordained by the stars.”

The origin of these grotesque creatures was no different from that of the automata.

They were all born from the hands of the Homunculi.

Why didn't Panika mention their existence? He could have mentioned them along with his lengthy explanation, but was there a reason to hide it?

“I don't know much about this place. What is the relationship between the automata and you guys? And what are the predators?”

If the grotesque creatures and the automata are all a grotesque army created by the hands of the Homunculi who surrendered to Deiron, then there's no reason for them to be in conflict, is there?

To use an analogy, they are siblings.

As I was organizing my thoughts, Mangul answered.

“We, the creations of the Homunculi, all exist for a few rulers. We are their daily bread and tools to satisfy their destructive impulses. So even if we are the same creations, our purpose of birth is different from the beginning, so there's no way we would get along.”

“…….”

“There's also a middle class. Real humans like the old man you spoke to earlier. They are the few remaining families of the Homunculi.”

To summarize.

A few rulers, their creations, the Homunculi, and in between them, the real families of the Homunculi, that was the hierarchical structure of Grimlok.

‘Why didn't Panika tell me any of this?’

We never asked, and it wouldn't have mattered if we didn't know, so if he says he didn't mention it… well, there's nothing I can say.

“Do you see that large mansion over there? The one with the pointed roof like a spire and the sparkling surroundings…….”

Toma’s body was already facing that way.

He was looking at me with only his pupils rolled to the side.

“That is the control unit. I don’t know why you want to go there, but I’m sure you have your reasons.”

Toma turned his head and licked my foot. I was almost startled, but fortunately, I didn't show it.

“Please. Please liberate us.”

It was when I was looking back and forth between Toma, Mangul, and the control unit.

Somewhere, there was a sound like sticky mud falling to the ground. It wasn't just one.

When I turned my head, they were all creatures like Toma and Mangul.

A creature with a single large eyeball embedded in a lump of mud, a swarm of spiders with human fingers instead of thin legs, and even dwarves the size of my palm…….

They had all gathered at some point and were cautiously looking up at me.

‘…….’

Come to think of it, I had never seen these guys as the same kind as demonic beasts.

It wasn't intentional.

“Well, I’ll try my best.”

I don’t know the reason myself.

***

I reached the entrance of the alley where the control unit building came into view.

I pressed my back against the wall and carefully stuck my head out to survey the front.

Creak, creak.

All sorts of strangely shaped automata were scattered everywhere.

They didn't seem like the types to kindly open a path for me.

The entrance to the control unit was visible between them.

‘……!’

In an instant, the hair on my entire body stood on end.

Something had approached me without my notice.

It was right next to me.

I immediately turned around.

“Panika?!”

“Shh.”

He stood next to me as if it were natural and surveyed the front.

This guy, he doesn't even give me a moment to be surprised.

“You’re safe. What happened?”

“We met alive, so that’s what matters. More importantly, how did you know you came here?”

“I had my own reasons.”

“Wow, anyway, that’s a relief.”

Suddenly, Toma and Mangul came to mind and even the grotesque creatures that had flocked to look up at me.

I bit my lip.

There was nothing to gain by bringing it up now.

We stared at the entrance of the control unit at the same time.

“While I go inside and disable the defense spell circuit, you draw their attention here.”

“Can you do it alone?”

“Of course. I’ve practiced it in my imagination so many times. The problem is you, not me.”

Panika looked at me.

“The automata have recognized you as an intruder because of the recent commotion. Now they will move systematically to eliminate the target.”

Panika furrowed his brow slightly. His tone was very cautious.

“I’ll try to finish it as quickly as possible, but……, can you really hold out?”

“I can do this all day.”

As soon as I answered, I immediately showed myself in front of them.

In an instant, sharp gazes pierced me from all directions.

Kkiriririk—

The shadows that covered the area stirred simultaneously.

From the corners of the pillars, walls, and buildings, automata began to reveal themselves one by one.

A series of eerie metallic sounds followed.

Dozens of pairs of flashing red lights from all directions were aimed at me at once.

In a moment, the entire street was dyed with crimson malice.

Kiing!

I raised Heavenly Demon. My head cooled down.

‘The goal is not to annihilate them, but to buy time.’

That means there's no need to overdo it.

If it turns into a war of attrition, I'm the one at a disadvantage.

Dududududu—

The automaton that had been coiled around the pillar like a snake uncoiled itself.

A long piece of iron swayed in the air, a truly bizarre sight.

Kwa—ang!

The iron snake charged fiercely and then burrowed into the ground near my feet.

As the dust flew up, I immediately threw myself to the side to dodge.

That was the starting point, and everything around me began to shake.

The sound of metal hooves and joints creaking echoed repeatedly, scratching at my eardrums. Blades, claws, and pieces of iron like saw blades endlessly rushed towards me.

Chaeng! Chae—eng!

Sparks flew wildly above the trajectory drawn by Heavenly Demon.

I kept my movements to a minimum.

When I cut down one, two more came, and when I defeated two, a whole group would swarm in from somewhere else.

Kiiiiing—!

Heavenly Demon left a long flash of light horizontally.

Above and below the light-like sword strike, the iron lumps split apart at once.

The debris scattered, and my vision opened up.

Beyond the gap, a heavy brother was visible. He had arrived at some point.

‘……Legion.’

The surface of the plate armor, engulfed in swaying steam, shone eerily.

It was blinding.

I narrowed my eyes.

A man was standing idly in front of the formation.

“A person?”

“Well, what could it be?”

He was a man about my age.

He had a handsome appearance and was dressed in formal attire like any other Kingdom noble.

“Shall we introduce ourselves?”

The man said.

One corner of his mouth slowly curled up.

The automata that had been rampaging just a moment ago were now quiet.

As if waiting for his command.

“Bihen Benkou. The eldest son of the Benkou family.”

“I see. I am Giuseppe di Pino.”

Hwing— Hwing—

The man swung the sword he had drawn from his waist in the air.

It was a meaningless action, but it felt somewhat strange.

The part that immediately caught my eye was his wrist.

The wrist holding the sword continuously and smoothly rotated.

“The thirty-ninth Homunculus, the fifth Doll, and currently in charge of the control unit.”

The man bent one arm inward and placed the blade inside it.

As he pulled the hilt to the side as if wiping off blood, a sharp metallic sound was heard, and sparks flew as the blade heated up to a red glow.

The man tilted his head.

“What am I?”

The man’s mocking voice was quite annoying.

‘So this was it.’

I understood the whole story.

The Homunculi were not all dead.

The mad alchemists had transplanted themselves into machines.

They had abandoned their flesh and blood and fused with iron to become a new form.

The result was standing in front of me now.

Those who call themselves dolls and reign as the rulers of this citadel.

‘Doll.’

Seureung.

I took Blood Lion in my other hand.

“What else could you be, just a haunted piece of junk.”

“Interesting.”

Kwang—!

The man stomped his foot.

His body flew like an arrow and reached me in an instant.

Hwareureuk!

The red-hot blade cut through the air and came at me.

I blocked it with Heavenly Demon.

Sparks scattered as the blades clashed.

The man’s strength was considerable. As we exchanged blows, my wrist throbbed.

“A guest after so long. There are so many things I want to ask you. Really, you'll be the best toy.”

Perhaps because of his mechanical body, his movements were completely devoid of any unnecessary actions.

He relentlessly pushed me, with a leisurely smile on his lips.

“That’s great. I had a lot of questions myself.”

“I’ll answer one for you specially. Ask away.”

“Do you know Deiron?”

Jiiing—

The tip of the man's sword flinched.

Although he tried his best not to show it, I could feel his astonishment.

I didn't miss that slight tremor.

You filled the weakness of the flesh with iron, yet you left the fragile emotions as they were. Were you afraid of losing your humanity?

‘He really is trash.’

I twisted the corners of my mouth up like him.

“I was the one who killed Deiron.”

Kwadeuk—!

The Blood Lion shot out straight and pierced the man’s neck.