Death… And Me

Chapter 3446: Can I Help You?

Lotan didn’t know what to say for a while. ”Completely... empty...”

Rean scratched the back of his head in response. ”So... what do we do?”

”Sigh...” Lotan shook his head. ”We will leave it here for the time being. No, wait, Robot, do you know how you work? I want to know what materials were used, the schematics to build you, all of that.”

”Other than general knowledge, this unit’s database is empty,” the robot answered once again. It also didn’t have any information about how it was made.

Lotan finally gave up when he heard that. ”We can’t dismantle it since we wouldn’t be able to put it back together anyway. For now, just leave it here.”

Martinius behind couldn’t help but ask. ”Since it has no use, why not just dismantle it and see if there is anything different inside? We might get some clues.”

However, Roan made him forget that idea. ”Even if it has no helpful information, it might still be useful to navigate in that Evernight World you mentioned. Perhaps it will unlock other secrets once we are there. Are you sure you wanna risk dismantling it knowing you can’t put it back together?”

”Morty here is right,” Lotan agreed with him. ”We only have three, and with this one, we have four. We better leave it alone for the time being.”

”What do you want us to order it now?” Rean asked.

”Just tell it to turn off. We won’t be using it before we go to the Evernight world.” Lotan could use the fact it was awake to make many more tests, but he didn’t want to risk breaking it, so he decided to leave it alone.

Rean nodded, ordering the robot right after... or so he would, but he remembered something. ”Does your general knowledge also include your name?”

”This unit doesn’t have a name,” too bad it didn’t have one.

Rean looked at the robot from top to bottom, thinking about one to use. Finally, it came up to him. ”Robocop!”

Roan didn’t even bother asking why. ”So be it.”

Yet, the eyes of the robot, which were just two yellow lights shining through the metallic shell, narrowed. It seemed very displeased. ”This unit refuses to accept that name.”

”Eh?” Rean and the others were taken aback. ”Why?”

”This unit doesn’t like it,” the robot answered straight away.

”I’m supposed to be your master, you know?” Rean didn’t give up.

”Is it an order?” The robot asked, the expression created by the lights on its metallic, round face even more displeased.

Rean looked at Lotan, who seemed just as confused. ”Why are you looking at me? I didn’t even know it could talk a minute ago, let alone it had its own emotions... are they really emotions? Or is it just something programmed beforehand?”

”Chances are it is just a program,” Rean commented. He would believe they were emotions if the robot had a soul. Yet, even with his Light Element Affinity, he couldn’t detect the presence of a soul inside the robot.

”Anyway, let me think about other options,” Rean continued. In the end, it wouldn’t be a good idea to be on the bad side of the thing that is ’supposed’ to guide them later. ”Qwerty! How about that?!” In the end, Rean remember the keyboard from back on Earth, and the majority used the qwerty layout.

”Qwerty...” The robot seemed to think for a moment, nodding in the end. ”Qwerty! This unit accepts the name Qwerty!”

”Are we done?” Roan truly felt like he was wasting his precious time in this place.

Lotan didn’t have anything else to say. ”Yes, just turn it off. I’ll call you back when it is time to go.”

”Very well,” Rean quickly passed the order. ”Qwerty, turn yourself off and wait for my order to turn back on. It might take a few decades until I’m back.”

”Qwerty accepts the order.” Immediately, all the light running through its metallic body disappeared, and it sat on the floor, completely immovable.

Lotan couldn’t feel any energy circulation anymore. ”Well, I’ll try to look at the positives. At least we were able to activate the last robot. You guys can go back to whatever you were doing. Martinius, you stay. I have a few things I want you to take a look at.”

Martinius didn’t mind, leaving the room with Lotan and the twins. After a while, the twins were teleported back to the sect, being guided out of that area next.

’Well, that was a weird event,’ Rean commented through their connection.

Roan didn’t seem to mind, though. ’So be it. If we find that entrance to the underworld, we won’t be back anyway.’

’But...’ Rean had his doubts.

Of course, Roan knew what he was thinking about. ’The system? It didn’t give us any quests. It didn’t come up with any punishments either. So, why should we care? Let’s not waste time on that thing since it is not our problem.’

’If you say so.’ Rean nodded. There was no need to worry about that robot now.

The two went straight back to their residence, but when they got there, they found a woman waiting for them. Or, to be more specific, she was waiting for Rean.

’I’ll go ahead,’ Roan said, entering the residence.

Rean stayed back, confused about her presence there. ”Well, it has been a few decades, hasn’t it? How are you doing, Saria?”

Saria, the Elf that Rean met back during the sect entrance test. After the test was over, they went their own ways, and Rean hadn’t seen or heard about that female elf ever since. Looking at her chest, he noticed a badge similar to his own. ”Oh! You were taken by one of the elders as a Direct Disciple! Congratulations!”

Saria narrowed her eyes. ”What is it? Making fun of me? I just became Elder Findenalie’s direct disciple, and she isn’t a Core Elder, different from Core Elder Rean Lotan. And you were taken by him in the very first day.”

Rean bitterly smiled. That girl was still the same suspicious one he remembered from the entrance exam. ”Ahem... that wasn’t my intention. I genuinely felt happy for you, that’s all.”

Saria noticed she had gone a little too far. ”No, my apologies. It’s just my nature to always be wary of others.”

”Apologies accepted,” Rean put her at ease. ”So... can I help you?”