arc2 · 075-ch75
Chapter 75: Let's Choose an Additional Unit
Now then, yesterday was quite a busy day with the university lecture and shopping with Umi. At night, I edited the Indomitable video, and because of that, I'd completely put it off—but Hayate had 50 skill points waiting to be used.
Today, I'm planning to take Asahi to Yamamoto Electronics this afternoon. I want to ask if they can reinforce Asahi using the Magic Iron and Malachite I got from the dungeon exploration with Himehana. But I have a little time before then.
If Asahi can be reinforced, I might have to leave it there for a while. If that happens, I naturally wouldn't be able to summon Hayate either. Before that happens, I should use my skill points to equip an additional unit.
Name Hayate Lv6
Durability 150/150
Max Speed 150
Acceleration 50
Hardness 150
Standard Equipment Telephoto Camera
Communication Microphone
Data Transfer Function
Additional Units (Unlocked)
None
Skill Points 50
Alright, the skill points have gone up to 50. It seems like I get 10 points every time I level up. Now then, let me check the additional units one more time.
【Please select an additional unit】
・Telephoto Camera (10)
・360° Camera (10)
・Thermal Camera (40)
・Infrared Camera (40)
・Parabolic Microphone (20)
・Searchlight (20)
・Flashlight (30)
・Laser Pointer (20)
・Speaker (20)
・Image Projection Projector (30)
I've already decided what to pick. It's the Flashlight, plain and simple. I was tempted by the Laser Pointer too, but I ruled it out because of its low versatility and because I wasn't confident it had enough output to actually affect monsters.
Even after getting the Flashlight, I'll have 20 points left, but I'll hang onto those. The auxiliary units available might increase when I level up, after all.
Name Hayate Lv6
Durability 150/150
Max Speed 150
Acceleration 50
Hardness 150
Standard Equipment Telephoto Camera
Communication Microphone
Data Transfer Function
Additional Units (Unlocked)
Flashlight
Skill Points 20
Oh, the Flashlight has been added to the additional units section! Let me give it a quick test right now.
"Come forth, Hayate!"
A light like a camera flash was attached to the underside of the Hayate I'd summoned. Good, good—so far it's just as I imagined.
When I focused on the Flashlight, its function became clear to me. Apparently, this light can emit an intense burst of light with virtually zero duration. The brightness can't be adjusted, but the range can be fine-tuned to some extent.
It's adjustable from a wide 180-degree spread to a narrow 30-degree beam, and the narrower the range, the farther the light reaches. Alright, let's give it a try.
I floated Hayate in front of me and pointed it toward myself. I should put on sunglasses just in case.
(Alright, Hayate—Flashlight!)
The moment I willed it, my vision went completely white. Even though I was wearing sunglasses.
"My eyes~! My eyes~!"
For now, I did the classic gag routine all by myself. But seriously, that was an incredibly intense flash. This might actually work as a blinding attack.
Hmm, wait—I just realized something.
(Wait, my MP went down.)
That's right, my MP had decreased by 20. Ughhhhh, even though I have 900 MP, it's not infinite!? Using the same amount of MP as summoning Hayate... I'll need to think carefully about how to use it during extended battles.
Still, it's a fact that this additional unit has expanded what I can do. I want to make good use of it going forward to earn experience points.
Also, since it occurred to me, I tried testing whether I could use the Storage skill myself. The result? No go. It seems I can only store things through Hayate. It's a convenient skill, but it does have its limitations.
Running simulations of various scenarios in my head for how to use the newly added Flashlight, I made my way toward Yamamoto Electronics.
▽▽▽
"Excuse me. This is Soramine, I have an appointment. Is President Yamamoto available?"
As usual, I rang the intercom to check if Yamamoto-san was in.
"I've been waiting for you! Come, come on in!"
President Yamamoto came to answer in person again today. I could tell through the intercom that he'd been eagerly waiting for me. This guy really does love drones.
When I opened the door and entered the office, Yamamoto-san was waiting with a beaming smile.
"……"
"Thank you for your time today."
I greeted him, but President Yamamoto had frozen solid. What's wrong? His usual cheerful demeanor is nowhere to be seen.
"And who might you be?"
"Huh? It's me, Soramine! The Mark II guy!"
For some reason, President Yamamoto didn't recognize me. Even after I introduced myself, he still looked at me suspiciously. Why!?
"Are you really Soramine-kun? You're, uh... way more handsome than I imagined! Right, Sasaki-kun!"
"...Hah!? Y-yes, that's right!"
Ah, I get it! Until now I was always wearing a hoodie with the hood up, a mask, and my bangs hanging down, so he'd never actually seen my face! Still, President Yamamoto actually went as far as calling me handsome. He's quite the flatterer.
"My little sister told me to get a haircut. I figured there's no point worrying about what people think forever."
"Yeah, yeah, I think it looks great! And ever since you contacted me, I've been waiting for this day! Come, have a seat! So, you want to reinforce Speedster Mark II with Magic Iron—no wait, it's Asahi now, isn't it. You want Asahi reinforced, is that correct?"
President Yamamoto leaned forward so much his butt nearly lifted off his chair.
"Yes, I was wondering if you could swap out Asahi's frame and parts for Magic Iron ones. I brought the ingot with me."
I took out Asahi and the ingot, placing them on the table.
"Oh! This is definitely Magic Iron! Normally, even if you build a drone out of Magic Iron and damage monsters with it, you don't receive experience points. Even if an Awakened individual is piloting it. But what happens when the pilot controls that drone through a skill? You'd probably receive experience points. Your second drone is made of Magic Iron or something similar, isn't it? That's why your level has been going up, hasn't it?"
As expected of President Yamamoto. He'd already figured out how I was earning experience points.
"Yes, exactly. That's why I want to earn experience points more efficiently and level up faster."
When I spoke honestly, President Yamamoto grinned. I suppose I can take that as a sign he trusts me now?
"Very well. I'm on your side. I won't leak your secrets to anyone. Of course, you can trust the employees here too. So if you're ever in trouble, rely on me."
Oh, I'm so grateful. I've never had an adult be this kind to me before. That was close—being told that to my face almost brought tears to my eyes.
After that, I left the Magic Iron and Asahi with him for the reinforcement. He'd apparently prepared various things in advance, and it would be done in about three days. On top of that, he said he'd install the auxiliary unit he'd been thinking about. What effect it has is apparently a surprise.
He sure loves keeping me in suspense.
Then I decided to tell President Yamamoto about the Storage skill. I figured it would be better to be honest with him and get his advice on various things.
"President Yamamoto, there's something else I'd like to discuss with you."
"Good grief, there's more!?"
When I brought it up, President Yamamoto's eyes sparkled as he leaned in.
"Actually, I obtained a skill called Storage..."
When I explained Storage, President Yamamoto got incredibly excited. The moment I finished explaining, he begged me to show him right away.
I nodded to the giddy president and summoned Hayate. Then I demonstrated storing and taking out various items.
"Incredible, this is amazing! Even seeing it right in front of me, I can barely believe it! But man, the possibilities of what you can do just keep expanding! At the same time though, it's also dangerous. If someone wanted to use this for wrongdoing, they could pull off something truly outrageous.
But hiding this completely is going to be difficult. Knowing your personality, Soramine-kun, if you found a badly injured explorer, you'd hand over a potion without hesitation. Given that, it might actually be better to use it actively while making it seem like the capacity isn't that large.
Otherwise, you'll end up struggling with well-meaning requests. For example, being asked to go to disaster zones for supply delivery or debris removal. If you turn those down, there's always a certain group of people who'll make a huge fuss. If you're going to sell potions or take on transport jobs, you should casually drop hints that you can't carry all that much."
As expected of President Yamamoto. He gave me another valuable piece of advice. He's absolutely right, so I'll take his words to heart.
Then, while discussing payment for this visit, I asked if he knew of any trustworthy tax accountants who could manage my money. Surprisingly, an unexpected name came up.
"There's a guy named Arihara at the Dungeon Agency. He's my best friend and a former tax accountant. You should consult with him. He'll either introduce you to a good tax accountant... or knowing that guy, he might just pitch himself for the job. The Dungeon Agency would want to build a relationship with you too."
Wow, so Arihara-san—the guy who brought the partnership proposal with SS—was an acquaintance of Yamamoto-san. I did think he seemed like a good person, but I'd been unsure whether to fully trust him. But knowing he's President Yamamoto's best friend puts my mind at ease.
After that, we got deep into drone talk and chatted for about an hour, until Yamamoto-san got his ear pulled by the female employee Sasaki-san and was dragged off somewhere.
I silently prayed for President Yamamoto's safety as I headed home.
Oh, by the way—reinforcement using Malachite apparently can only be done by someone with the Enchanter job, so that particular enhancement wasn't possible here.