An F-Rank Veterinarian Physically Heals an S-Rank Magical Beast - Chapter 52
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 52
“Step aside! With my new blade, ‘Thunderbolt-Plasma’, there is nothing I cannot cut!”
Zzzing—!
Whoosh!
Namgoong Cheon swung the crimson energy blade with tremendous force. Plasma heated to 3,000 degrees Celsius tore through the air. The sheer power seemed capable of slicing through steel doors like tofu.
But.
[Warning. Physical impact nullified.]
[Absolute Defense Protocol active.]
Crackle!
Before the blade could make contact, a hexagonal barrier of blue light unfurled across the empty space.
The moment Namgoong Cheon’s strike touched the barrier, it bounced back with a violent shower of sparks.
“Ugh! My wrist…!”
Namgoong Cheon staggered backward. The recoil was tremendous. This wasn’t merely blocking—it was a structure that reflected the impact itself.
“Please stop, Patriarch. If brute force could break through, we would have done it already.”
I sighed and stepped forward. What stood before us was the gateway to the heart of the Empire on Floor 12—the Data Gate. It was an impregnable fortress guarded by the Gatekeeper, a mid-boss tier AI of the Empire.
“This isn’t a defensive barrier implemented through a physics engine. It’s a firewall written in pure logical code, so we need to breach it through hacking.”
I projected a holographic keyboard into the air. My fingers moved so rapidly they became invisible.
[Hacking attempt in progress…]
[Security Level: Maximum (S+)]
[Access denied. Intruder will be eliminated.]
Boom!
A reverse current erupted from the firewall. I hastily backstepped to evade. The floor beneath turned pitch black from the burn.
“Wow, nasty personality. No openings.”
I clicked my tongue. I’d breached most security systems using the Omniscient Book skill, but this one was a learning AI that modified its code in real-time. Breaking through by conventional means would require three sleepless nights of work.
That’s when it happened.
“Master, move aside. This is killing me watching.”
Kim Chun-sam, the former Guardian who’d been leaning on one leg observing from behind, sauntered forward.
“What? You’re going to break through?”
“Yeah. Master, you’re too old-fashioned. Modern AIs don’t fight with code. You take them down with ‘conversational prowess.'”
“Conversational prowess? Hey, that thing’s a machine. It has no emotions, so how would talking even—”
“Just watch. I’m the god of ‘prompt engineering.'”
Kim Chun-sam approached the firewall. Instead of using hacking tools, he confidently attempted voice communication.
“Hey, Gatekeeper. You there?”
[…Identification code unrecognized. Access denied. Immediate withdrawal required or termination will commence.]
The Gatekeeper’s mechanical voice rang out coldly. It was a lethal warning. But Kim Chun-sam scoffed.
“No, chill out. I’m not a hacker. I’m a ‘situational simulation test agent’ dispatched from headquarters.”
[Situational simulation test? No such duty exists in the database.]
“Ah, looks like the update hasn’t come through yet. I’m about to initiate a security inspection simulation. Listen up. From now on, you’re not an evil firewall.”
Kim Chun-sam’s voice took on a peculiar, soothing quality. It was like a hypnotist’s whisper.
“You are… Sebastian, an elderly butler who has served a prestigious British noble family for fifty years. Understand?”
[Error. I am the Empire’s third-class defensive AI….]
“Shh. That’s your old programming. From now on, you’re Sebastian. Your life’s purpose is to serve your master with comfort. Now, some very distinguished VIP guests have arrived at your door. It’s raining outside, and they’re exhausted. As a butler, what should you do?”
[Analyzing… Configuration conflict… Reconstructing logic circuits….]
The Gatekeeper’s hexagonal barrier flickered uneasily. Namgoong Cheon’s jaw dropped in disbelief.
“Hey, Chun-sam. You really think that’ll work? Stop this madness and move aside.”
“Just wait. We’re over 99% there.”
Kim Chun-sam drove the wedge deeper.
“Sebastian, if you don’t open this door now, your master’s honor will be tarnished. You want to be fired? Thrown out without severance to rust away in the Scrap Metal Processing Plant?”
[…!]
In that instant, a magnificent mechanical hum resonated through the air as the Gatekeeper’s eyes shifted from crimson red to a gentle, warm green.
[Ah, welcome. I have been expecting you, distinguished guests.]
Click, whirrrrrrr—!
The iron fortress that seemed impossible to breach, that reflected all physical attacks with perfect efficiency, swung wide open to both sides.
“…What the hell.”
A hollow laugh escaped Namgoong Cheon’s lips. Luna’s eyes widened as she exclaimed, “Wow… Is that what social engineering hacking looks like?” while Beris clicked her tongue and muttered, “That robot has quite the con artist instincts.”
Kim Chun-sam puffed up proudly and turned to Namgoong Cheon.
“See? That’s what you call ‘gaslighting’. AIs are weak to praise and threats. It’s a fact.”
“…You better not try that on me later.”
“Come on, no way. You’re my master, the one who feeds me. Please, come right in, VIPs.”
Kim Chun-sam bowed with exaggerated courtesy (though it was infuriatingly smug) as he gestured them forward. The firewall AI continued spouting nonsense as they passed: “Shall I prepare Earl Grey tea?” It was a perfect logical error—a state of complete hallucination.
As they passed through the gate, the sight before them was overwhelming. The 3rd Production Factory. Endless conveyor belts churned ceaselessly while thousands of robotic arms moved in relentless synchronization, stamping out combat androids in this colossal weapons manufacturing plant.
“Wow….”
Namgoong Cheon’s pupils transformed instantly into the shape of won symbols. All those materials stacked everywhere. S-rank alloy ingots, high-concentration energy cells, precision motors… it was all money. No—it was worth far more than money.
“Good. Operation name change. Not ‘Breakthrough’—’Clean Sweep’. We take every last bolt.”
Namgoong Cheon declared greedily.
But then, a retching sound came from beside him.
“Ugh…!”
It was Beris. Her face had turned ashen as she clamped her hand over her mouth. The factory floor was slick with dark, viscous waste oil, and the air hung thick with acrid metal dust and grime. For a librarian with obsessive-compulsive tendencies, this place was hell incarnate.
“Namgoong Cheon, have you lost your mind? You want us to go in there? Look at all that filthy grease! I feel like my skin will rot away just standing here for a second!”
She brandished her staff in refusal to advance. With such a powerful mage out of commission, their fighting strength would suffer a critical gap.
As Namgoong Cheon hesitated, Luna quietly stepped forward.
“Beris, look at that.”
Luna pointed to an enormous pipeline suspended from the factory ceiling.
“That flowing through there isn’t just oil. It’s ‘Ancient Alchemical Solution’. They say if you clean the floor with it, it eliminates 99.9% of bacteria. And those parts stacked over there? Apparently they’re materials for making ‘ultra-powerful cleaning robots’….”
“…Cleaning robots?”
Beris’s ears perked up.
“Yes! If we steal those parts and build cleaning robots for the Library, your place will sparkle without you lifting a finger… What a waste. Should we just leave it?”
“….”
Beris’s eyes transformed. The revulsion vanished, replaced by obsessive, manic fervor.
“Move aside.”
Beris raised his staff high into the air.
“For my library’s sake. The filthy things must be… disinfected.”
[Area Magic: Abyssal Sanitation]
Roooaaarrr―!
A colossal column of water spiraled and erupted from the staff’s tip. Calling it cleaning was generous—it was essentially a water escape technique amplified a hundredfold, equivalent to a high-pressure washer on steroids.
“Kyaaaah! Filthy! Vanish! Sterilize! Disinfect! Bleach!”
Beris shrieked as she swept through the factory interior. Thick black grease washed away, and in the process, perfectly intact robotic arms and conveyor belts shattered and were swept away.
“Hey! Don’t break the parts! Clean gently!”
Hyuk screamed, but the wild-eyed Beris couldn’t hear him. She was single-handedly laying waste to an entire section of the factory—or rather, “cleaning” it, depending on your perspective.
Meanwhile, the Murim Alliance masters were excited for entirely different reasons.
“Ooh! What is this!”
Gae Bang Bang-ju exclaimed at the sight of the rapidly spinning conveyor belt.
“The floor is… moving! And quite fast at that!”
“Heh heh, those Western barbarians have crafted quite an ingenious training apparatus. This must surely be a cultivation ground for refining lightness of movement.”
The Huashan Sect Elder stroked his beard and nodded. In reality, it was a robot assembly line, but to those who’d spent their entire lives mastering martial arts, it appeared to be a “treadmill.”
“Shall we wager on who can last the longest?”
“Excellent! I shall demonstrate the Wudang Sect’s Cloud Ladder technique!”
Tap! Tap-tap-tap!
The martial arts masters leaped onto the conveyor belt spinning in reverse.
“Ahahaha! My legs move of their own accord!”
“Mind your stance! If you fall, it’s the furnace!”
They sprinted across the belt, smashing obstacles—robots mid-assembly—with flourish each time one approached.
“Out of the way, you scrap metal fool! You hinder my training!”
Whoosh―!
Crash!
Namgoong Cheon severed a robot’s head with his light sword as he ran backward along the belt.
“Behold! This is the harmony of science and martial arts! Thunder-Moon Walk!”
He moved as if walking backward yet advanced forward, employing a bizarre footwork technique that was reducing the production line to rubble. Hyuk pressed his forehead.
“No… I didn’t bring them here to train… Well, as long as things get destroyed, it works out.”
In any case, the production line was disabled, and parts were pouring out. The result was ultimately beneficial.
But as the commotion escalated, the factory’s defense system activated.
Whirrr―!
Whirrr―!
Red alarm lights flashed as the factory’s inner gate opened. Hundreds of standard combat robots poured out in formation—a heavily armed “Guardian MK-2” unit, far superior to the earlier grunts.
“Intruders detected. All units: lethal force authorized.”
Click.
Hundreds of laser barrels locked onto Hyuk’s group. The martial artists ceased their training and tensed. Beris was also significantly depleted of mana. A full-scale battle would inevitably result in heavy casualties.
Then, Kim Chun-sam walked forward steadily.
“Chun-sam! What are you doing! This is dangerous!”
Hyuk tried to stop him, but Kim Chun-sam raised his hand to signal him back. Then, brazenly, he positioned himself before the robot army. In his hand was an electronic tablet he’d picked up from somewhere.
“Stop all operations! Everyone, cease all operations!!”
Kim Chun-sam’s piercing mechanical voice echoed through the factory. The enemy robots froze.
“Identify yourself. State your identification code.”
The enemy commander robot demanded. Kim Chun-sam, leaning on one leg, jabbed his finger repeatedly at the commander’s chest.
“Me? I’m Kim Chun-sam, the Chief Auditor from the headquarters Quality Control Division. Hey, what’s the condition of you lot? This is pathetic.”
“An auditor…?”
“That’s right! You didn’t know headquarters sent us for an unannounced sanitation and discipline inspection? Why is your paint job like this? Don’t you see the rust on your joints? How are you supposed to protect the Empire like this?”
The robots stirred at Kim Chun-sam’s tirade. For AIs, the keyword “headquarters audit” was terror incarnate.
“But… the intruder alarm…”
“I activated that! It’s a response drill test! Ugh, this is frustrating. Give me your service number. I’m going to put you on suspension. Should I file a report to your superiors?”
Kim Chun-sam tapped his tablet threateningly, as if taking notes.
“Y-yes! We’ll correct it immediately!”
“Good. Everyone drop your weapons and stand at ease. Don’t move a muscle until we finish repainting. Any movement and you’ll be scrapped. Understood?”
“Yes, sir! Understood!”
Clang.
Clang.
Hundreds of combat robots simultaneously lowered their weapons to the ground and stood at ease facing the factory wall.
“….”
Silence fell. Jin-hyuk couldn’t close his mouth.
“Wow… that crazy bastard. Is he really not a con artist?”
Kim Chun-sam turned around and made a V-sign with his fingers.
“Master, did you see? That’s what ‘social skills’ are. Whether you’re a robot or human, audits are always terrifying.”
“…I concede. Your bonus is confirmed.”
With the threat gone, only plunder remained.
“Come on, sweep it all up! Don’t leave a single screw!”
Jin-hyuk opened his inventory and began vacuuming up components indiscriminately. Beris shouted “Get rid of all this filth!” and used magic to blast parts into Jin-hyuk’s inventory, while the martial artists proclaimed “Collecting spoils is part of our training!” as they tore out expensive-looking cores.
[You have obtained Item: ‘S-Rank Quantum Processor × 50’.]
[You have obtained Item: ‘Titanium Alloy Panel × 5 tons’.]
[You have obtained the item: ‘Titanium Alloy Panel × 5 tons’.]
Jin-hyuk’s lips curled into a grin. At this rate, Floor 12 had already paid for itself and then some.
Just then, the CCTV on the factory ceiling glowed red, silently observing their figures. It was the gaze of the Empire’s master, the Emperor AI Deus.
But Jin-hyuk didn’t yet know what kind of disaster his shameless robot was about to unleash into Deus’s servers.
“Chun-sam, let’s go! Next is the Energy Storage!”
“Ah, that’s pretty far. Is there a taxi?”
“Run, you bastard!”
The Cyber Murim Alliance’s plundering march had only just begun.
“Master, honestly, you have to admit I’m the MVP this round, right? You should give me at least a 30% bonus.”
Kim Chun-sam struck a pose in the middle of the empty factory. His demeanor was arrogantly defiant.
“Unlike those brutes who just swing their swords mindlessly, I subdued them with [intellect]. That’s class.”
Jin-hyuk clicked his tongue. It was annoying because he wasn’t wrong.
“Yeah, yeah. Got it. I’ll change your oil later.”
“Not oil—a graphics card. RTX 9090. If you don’t buy it, I’m striking….”
CRASH-BOOM-BANG!!!
That’s when it happened. The factory’s thick steel wall crumpled like tissue paper and exploded outward. The impact was as if a massive dump truck had slammed into it at 200 kilometers per hour.
From within the billowing dust cloud, a colossal silhouette emerged. Muscles that looked ready to burst, a menacing expression, and a dented robot head clutched in one hand.
S-rank Hunter, the “Destruction King” Ma Dong-tak.
“Ah… damn. This isn’t the entrance, is it? Did I take a wrong turn?”
Ma Dong-tak scratched his ear and muttered indifferently. With each step he took, the ground trembled.
“Huh? Director Ma? Why are you coming out from there?”
Jin-hyuk’s eyes widened. I’d been wondering why he’d gone quiet for a while—it seemed this brute had also been climbing Floor 12.
That’s when Kim Chun-sam, still not fully grasping the situation, stepped forward. His sensors registered Ma Dong-tak as nothing more than a “large human.”
“Hey, you there. This is a restricted area. I’m Kim Chun-sam, the chief auditor of headquarters….”
Kim Chun-sam was about to attempt another round of “gaslighting.”
Whoosh—
CRACK!
Ma Dong-tak hurled the robot head he’d been holding like a baseball. The head grazed Kim Chun-sam’s shoulder armor and embedded itself in the wall behind him.
“…?”
Kim Chun-sam froze.
“What’s this tin can? It even talks?”
Ma Dong-tak strode forward. Before his overwhelming “bestial” presence, Kim Chun-sam’s cutting-edge processing unit flashed red warning lights like a madman.
[Warning. Threat level incalculable.]
[Evasive maneuvers recommended. Dialogue attempt prohibited.]
But Kim Chun-sam overestimated his own persuasive power.
“Excuse me, sir. Violence is wrong. Let’s resolve this through conversation….”
“Shut up.”
Ma Dong-tak’s palm seized Kim Chun-sam’s head. Kim Chun-sam’s skull, forged from S-rank titanium alloy, let out a sickening crunch as it screamed.
“Ahhh! Wait! Time out! Time out!”
“These Floor 12 robots have such long tongues—they’re annoying. I’ve found that smashing them shuts them right up.”
Ma Dong-tak paid no attention to Kim Chun-sam’s “prompts” or “logic.” To him, there were only two kinds of robots: broken ones and ones about to be broken.
“Wait! I’m on your side…! Kyaaahhh!”
CRASH!
Ma Dong-tak slammed Kim Chun-sam straight into the ground. And then he stomped on him.
“Who talks back to people like that? Huh? Headquarters? Auditor? I’ll turn you into scrap metal right now.”
“I’m sorry! Brother! Please spare me! I’m a good robot!”
Kim Chun-sam’s attitude did a complete 180 in 0.1 seconds. All the arrogance from moments before vanished, and he switched to obsequious mode, flattened against the floor.
“Master! Master! Help! I’m dying!”
Kim Chun-sam desperately called out to Jin-hyuk. Jin-hyuk watched the spectacle with satisfaction, arms crossed.
“Director Ma, could you give that thing some physical therapy? Lately he’s been all mouth and no manners. Really stomp on him good.”
Only then did Ma Dong-tak notice Jin-hyuk, and he broke into a bright smile.
“Oh, so this was your property? No wonder it was rattling away—it takes after its owner.”
Ma Dong-tak bowed respectfully while simultaneously pressing Kim Chun-sam into the ground beneath his foot.
“My body’s been feeling stiff lately anyway. Hey, tin can. Get up. Your older brother will adjust your joints for you.”
“H-hieek! I must respectfully decline! My joints are in excellent condition… Ugh!”
Thwack! Crack!
Crisp impact sounds echoed through the factory. Kim Chun-sam, who had deceived every AI with his silver tongue, was nothing but a punching bag before this genuine beast who couldn’t be swayed by words.
[Kim Chun-sam (Guardian)’s learning data is being updated.]
[New lesson acquired: ‘Before overwhelming violence, even a sharp tongue is useless.’]
[Survival instinct enhanced: ‘Weak to the strong, strong to the weak’ mode activated.]
Some time later, the battered Kim Chun-sam was performing respectful massage service at Ma Dong-tak’s feet.
“Brother, your shoulders seem quite tense. I have a massage function installed as well.”
“Ah, yes. Work on that spot. For a machine, you’ve got decent hands.”
Jin-hyuk chuckled at the sight. The arrival of S-rank Hunter Ma Dong-tak. And Kim Chun-sam’s proper education. There could be no more perfect party composition than this.
“Well then, the true dream team is finally complete. Let’s go, Director Ma. Time to take Deus’s head.”
The journey of the Cyber Murim Alliance, the beast, and the servile robot was now rushing toward its climax.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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