Chapter 103: The Great Legacy (9)
Since he couldn't tell anyone about Pluto's existence, Toby researched ways to recharge her by himself.
And now, finally, the result was here.
Pluto was walking down the corridor when she happened to see a mirror and caught a familiar face in it.
It was Maria's face.
The synthetic skin that had been damaged had completely regenerated.
When Pluto touched her face in disbelief, Toby scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Haha~ I made it a few years before recharging. If you just go out like that, people might be startled. Plus, everyone remembers you looking like this."
Everything had been prepared with the assumption that Pluto would wake up again.
This alone showed just how much he hoped for her to rise once more.
When the window opened, the outside world came into view.
"Where is this...?"
"Do you remember? This used to be a scrapyard. I cleared it out and built a lab here."
Though much had changed over time, it was still the mechanical city of Astraea.
The bustling factory area remained the same, but the residential district had completely transformed.
Where once stood rows of dilapidated houses, sleek new buildings had now risen.
Most notably, the smog that used to blanket the sky, making it hard for people to breathe, had vanished.
"How is it? Isn't it amazing?"
"What happened during all this time?"
"Uncle Alex's help was instrumental."
"Alex?"
Hearing an unexpected name, Pluto couldn't help but be surprised.
"Yes. After that, he quit being an agent and began working on rebuilding this place."
Revitalizing the city was more challenging than anyone could imagine.
The money Alex had saved for years vanished in an instant, and at times he nearly gave up due to people's indifference and cold treatment.
But Alex's perseverance eventually moved people, and he held the position of the city’s mayor for 30 years, transforming it.
"Our children helped him as well."
Later, the children became Alex's reliable supporters.
Perhaps because of their experiences in the scrapyard, they were determined to study hard.
Like Toby, each one became an expert in their respective fields and provided both physical and emotional support for the city's redevelopment.
"Is Alex coming too?"
As Alex's name came up, Toby shook his head.
"He passed away ten years ago. The whole city became a sea of tears then."
Once the city stabilized, Alex stepped down from the mayor's role and spent his final years caring for underprivileged children on the city’s outskirts. He passed away at the age of 69.
"Tell me more."
Pluto and Toby shared stories that they hadn’t had the chance to tell in 45 years.
How much time had passed while they talked?
"Mother!"
Just as Toby said, the children Maria had cared for began arriving one by one.
Though much older now, they were still recognizable.
"Clark, you've gone bald?"
"Hehe~ Yes, I have."
"Did Mallet and Jenny get married?"
"There was no one better than my childhood friend."
Fortunately, all ten children from the scrapyard were still alive even after 45 years.
They embraced each other and shared stories they hadn't had the chance to tell.
"Thanks to Uncle, we managed to escape that day and settle in a neighboring city. We lived in a small room with the money he gave us until Uncle quit being an agent and joined us."
"Did the government ever look for me?"
"They thought the ruined charging station was you. They assumed everything had been destroyed. Luckily, the president at that time was too caught up with the rebellion to care."
"That's truly a relief."
On that day, Alex had set up several devices at the charging station to make it really look like Pluto was there.
After that, Pluto's body had been secretly hidden away until now.
After hearing everything, Pluto spoke, touched with emotion.
"Everyone is safe."
To Pluto, they still looked like children.
Though they had aged, that feeling remained unchanged.
When Pluto hugged them as she used to, it turned into a sea of tears.
No matter what anyone said, Pluto—no, Maria—was the mother who had raised them.
And as night deepened, everyone else fell asleep, exhausted from talking, but Pluto remained awake.
Pluto, who was built without the ability to sleep, began to move quietly.
Tap, tap.
After a while, she arrived at a large monument in the city center.
It was both a monument and someone's grave.
Pluto carefully examined her surroundings before stopping in front of the name plaque at the center.
As she traced the tombstone with a delicate hand, the name of its owner became clear.
- Alex -
Pluto laid the flowers she had brought on the grave.
It seemed that many people still visited, as there were plenty of flowers around and the grave was well-maintained.
Standing before it, Pluto slowly opened her mouth.
"I’ve seen it all. This is what you accomplished."
Though the cold, silent grave could not speak, she could understand without words.
Everything Alex had achieved was blooming throughout this city.
Pluto reached into her pocket and pulled something out.
It was an old memory cube she had recorded back in the day.
Toby had kept it and given it to her as a present that evening.
Click-!
「Pluto.」
「Yes, Doctor.」
This was the final recording on the memory cube, capturing Dr. Jacob's last moments.
After Maria's death, he quickly weakened, having lost his purpose in life.
Eventually, sensing his end, the doctor called Pluto.
「Thank you for everything. Thanks to you, my last days weren't lonely.」
「It was Maria's request.」
「Heh, yes, Maria was a kind girl.」
「Doctor.」
「Yes, speak.」
「What should I do next?」
Maria's last request was for Pluto to take care of the doctor.
Now that the doctor was going to die, Pluto needed a new mission since her goal would disappear.
But the doctor shook his head.
「That's not something I can decide for you. It's something you must choose.」
「I am a robot that follows orders. Without commands, I cannot perform anything.」
Even though Pluto was equipped with an advanced AI that allowed her to think for herself, without human commands, she could do nothing.
But Dr. Jacob's perspective was different.
「That's not true, Pluto. You can already do what you want without anyone's orders or help.」
This was the conclusion he reached after living with Pluto for several years.
Pluto had already surpassed the developer’s initial purpose.
「Such a thing is not in my programming.」
「Emotions… free will… these are not things that can be programmed. They are something that has grown within you.」
The doctor held Pluto's hand tightly.
At that moment, the warmth of the doctor made Pluto's cold mechanical body feel heated.
As if to confirm that warmth, Pluto placed her hand on her chest.
「…Within me?」
「Yes, now there is no one left to command you, nor anyone who could. So do what you want to do.」
The doctor's final smile and words made Pluto's mechanical heart beat.
「My daughter.」
The playback ended. This was the last footage recorded in the memory cube.
As the doctor had said, Pluto began to decide and act on her own.
And eventually, she learned how to love people.
That was her achievement—the children, now in their old age.
While Pluto slept, they all grew into wonderful adults.
However…
“I wish I could give it to you too.”
Memories of the days spent with Alex resurfaced.
It wasn't just the memories stored in her memory.
It was the emotions deeply etched in her heart.
The few days spent treating Alec's injuries were far more vivid than the centuries spent as a war machine.
Though the city was cleaner and more peaceful now, the sky seemed somehow gloomier without him.
Toby had awakened her due to memories of his childhood, but it was a mistake.
It shouldn’t have happened.
In this peaceful world, she could become a seed of discord.
And so, she decided to respond to the call echoing in her ear.
“Understood, I grant permission.”
At that moment.
Suddenly, the space in front of Pluto distorted, creating a dimensional portal.
Whirr!
An impossible occurrence in this mana-free world.
It was perhaps even more surprising than Pluto's discovery.
Pluto asked an unseen someone a question.
“Do I just go through here?”
Pluto knew.
The moment she crossed that portal, she would cease to exist.
Only mechanical parts would remain, and her memories would all be erased.
But she didn't mind.
If it could help someone...
“Was her name Nova?”
There was someone like herself in another world.
She wanted to help her.
The task that she ultimately failed.
To be loved by someone she loved.
“Please, may you at least…”
Murmuring into the air, Pluto took a resolute step and entered the portal.
Whirr!
Thus, the last remnant of an ancient civilization vanished from the world.
* * *
Several more weeks passed after that.
With the experience points gained from the dimensional gate and the efforts of the Bipo Squad, Hyun Suho was finally able to fill the experience bar completely.
《Level Up!》
“Finally! It’s finally here!”
Hyun Suho gained experience points even while sleeping.
This was because the Bipo Squad, active across the country, was hunting tirelessly day and night.
An automated hunting system, in a sense.
Thanks to the experience points gained from the dimensional gate and the efforts of the Bipo Squad, he was able to level up dozens of times faster than others.
When he leveled up, he felt his stats almost double.
Not only did this enhance Hyun Suho's combat power, but it also increased the number of Bipo Squad members and their combat power twofold.
As important as the increased stats were the skills he gained.
Depending on the type of skills obtained, his future activities could be entirely shaped by them.
“Isn’t it about time I get an offensive skill?”
Of course, he knew that offensive skills were not very efficient.
The plasma beam attack through Genocide was powerful enough that most offensive skills weren't needed.
There was also the Sonic Blade from the Over technology skill, and now Nova could freely use magic as well.
Still, having a powerful single blow...
How reassuring it would be to have an ultimate move that could crush any obstacle in his path with one strike.
With a heart pounding like a child opening a gift box, Hyun Suho checked the skill.
And then...
◆Skill
Wormhole Warp (Active)
Creates a warp gate
“…Huh?”
Once again, it was an extremely simple description.
Frowning, he stared at the skill for a long time, until Nova, unable to bear it, spoke up.
[It’s a skill that creates a warp portal to the desired location. Once created, the gate remains permanent until someone destroys it.]
“Is it similar to teleportation?”
[Not quite. Creating the gate requires a preparatory process. However, the distance covered is much greater.]
“How far are we talking?”
[With your current abilities, you could reach Mars.]
“…That far?”
So, the gate allows travel anywhere on Earth.
Hyun Suho tilted his head in confusion.
“Is this a good thing?”
He understood it was an amazing skill, but what he needed right now was an increase in combat power.
That's why he had hoped for a powerful offensive skill.
“Isn’t the hover bike enough for transportation?”
With his level up, the hover bike’s performance had drastically improved.
It was more of a jet than a bike at this point.
For a support skill obtained at level 7, rather than at a lower level, he wasn’t exactly thrilled.
But Nova had a different opinion.
[No matter how much the hover bike’s performance improves, it still has limits. Why do you think the system gave you this skill?]
“There’s a reason?”
[Of course. There’s a reason you were able to level up just by increasing experience without hitting a barrier.]
When you think about it, Eun Hui-gwang, also an EX rank, received Lakshmi's help to understand the enlightenment needed for level 7.
Even Hyun Suho had hit a small barrier when he gained the blessing of the Machine God at level 6.
This time, he leveled up without feeling such a wall.
That was because, deep inside, he recognized the ability he needed the most right now.
[Now, you should move not just between Korea and Vladivostok, but on a global scale.]
The Drug King could sit quietly in South America and still have influence around the world.
It’s likely that other top rankers and many high-rankers have similar abilities.
‘Now that I think about it, that clown disappeared through a portal he created.’
Although it wasn’t entirely clear yet, once the gate was created, it meant he could travel instantly from Korea to South America.
“Wait! Could others use it besides me?”
[Yes. That’s a major distinction compared to other movement skills.]
That changed things considerably.
Dozens of uses flashed through Hyun Suho’s mind.
Then Nova said something unusual again.
[Finally, we can establish the guild headquarters.]
“The guild headquarters? We already have one, don’t we?”
The Ex Machina Guild was based in Wonsan City. Naturally, its headquarters were also there.
However, Nova's plan was much more ambitious than that.
[For the battles to come, such a known location won’t do. Once Lakshmi dies, there will be no safe place anywhere in Korea.]
“Then where do you plan to build the headquarters?”
At that, Nova spoke as if it were the most obvious thing.
[In space, of course.]
