Dungeon Battle (2)

"G Tester, each part, take off!"

The disassembled parts autonomously moved, dashing through the corridors.

The torso, split into several sections, was carried around by Slime-kun as independent limbs and shielded armor.

The arms and legs, prioritizing sturdiness, didn't transform but were equipped with wheels for autonomous movement. (It was made to look like Slimes were moving them inside, using a seesaw trolley method.)

… The head could fly independently like a drone. But it wasn't an escape cockpit mechanism nor the main camera… Just a heavy decoration, not suitable for scouting. It was usually carried by the Slime-kun in charge of the torso.

"Oops, skeleton spotted in the corridor. Time for a Tester Punch!"

"Understood, Tester Punch!"

With Rei's cue, the right arm accelerated, racing down the corridor and crushing the enemy skeleton with its fist before drifting sideways to block the path and crush the following enemies against the wall. The sound of dry bones cracking was almost rhythmic.

Hmm, this was one kind of rocket punch, I suppose. Wheel-style, though.

[Ah, it's like a battering ram used in siege warfare… Impressive attack power.]

"Thank you for your praise, Haku-san."

"Fufun, right Anee-sama?! After all, it's a monster thought up by our Rei and perfected by Kehma!"

[Oh, as expected of my Rokuko-chan.]

Rokuko looked very proud for some reason… but Haku-san, you realize she wasn't involved in the process at all, right? What's that? A dungeon's achievements are also the core's achievements? Well, Rokuko is the dungeon itself, so there's that.

"Hey Kehma, I noticed other monsters are following Tester's lead."

"Well, it's safer to be behind it than risk getting run over."

It was safer and more efficient to follow behind the G Tester parts.

We were used to advancing with small scouts mapping the way. Given that the Tester's feet weren't slow, it was natural for us to take the lead.

"What should we do, Master? Should we shake them off?"

"No, let them follow, Rei. They're allies after all. Plus we're in the lead, meaning we can shine in battle. We put a lot of work into G Tester; so we should use it, right? Right, Nerune?"

"Yes~, I've practiced a lot too~"

It was a win-win. Our allies would have an easier time and we'd get to fully enjoy G Tester… woops, this is a Dungeon Battle. Work, not play.

"Master, work becomes more productive when it's enjoyable. If it feels like play, isn't that a good thing?"

"Kinue-san makes a good point. Since she enjoys her work like a hobby, it makes sense."

"I'm flattered."

Alrighty then, let's thoroughly enjoy the giant robot rumble.

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

Advancing the parts of G Tester, we entered a large environmental room that resembled a sunset-lit graveyard. Crosses and rusty swords were stuck in the ground. According to Mikan's advance scout squirrels, it was just a spacious hall, but…

Well, if the enemy uses undead, something is bound to emerge here.

"We've entered a spacious area. The map shows no enemies, but let's combine."

"Understood, Master. G Tester, assembly sequence authorized!!"

Next up—assembly. At Rei's command, the parts raced together. Clicking and locking joints, the Giant Black Steel Golem quickly transformed while lying down.

The transformation was swift, but it took about 30 seconds. If enemies were present, we'd have to scatter them during assembly or rely on accompanying monsters for protection.

"I did it, Master! A new record, 28 seconds!"

"Good work, Niku. Despite the tricky terrain, you outdid your practice."

Patting her head, Niku wagged her tail proudly. She was responsible for the torso, the hardest part as it had to connect to all other parts. Golem corrections helped, but aligning and approaching the connectors still required manual effort.

If we had more time and budget, we could've automated this…

We'd prepared the highest quality golems possible by the due date, but more orichalcum would have been nice… Well, let's work with what we have. Niku and Rei seemed more vibrant when there's manual labor involved.

"G Tester, relaunch!"

"Hey, isn't it better to move in separate parts until we encounter an enemy?"

"It's fine, Rokuko. In places like this, they'll come out."

"Ah, ghosts?"

"No, enemies—wait, they're technically undead, so I guess ghosts aren't out of the question."

As the following troops entered, the graveyard area sealed off, and skeletons and undead crawled out of the graves. It seemed to be a trap to eliminate enemies.

But for small monsters like these… they're perfect prey for G Tester. Well, if a giant enemy like a GashadokuroGiant Skeleton Amalgamation appeared, that'd be an ideal opponent for G Tester.

Meanwhile, some hungry Slime-kuns were nibbling on zombies.

… Actually, they were countering zombies that tried to attack their joints. Quite a brutal move.

"Scoop them up and take them all out."

"Roger that!"

G Tester swept up the emerging undead and, in a fluid motion, hurled them at other enemies. The skeletons scattered like shotgun pellets, damaging the zombies.

"Hahaha, the enemies are like toys. Being big has its own strength."

"This is how you fight with a giant, right, Kehma?"

It's exhilarating to sweep them away… Really, I wouldn't mind a giant enemy showing up right about now…

Incidentally, Slime-kun, feeling peckish, snacked on some of the zombies.

… Yeah, that's one way to deal with enemies attacking the joints.