Chapter

arc3 · 170-ch170

Chapter 170: Ultra-Small Drone: Gekkou

I never expected to level up at a moment like that. Uh-oh — I'd gotten too excited to keep my composure. Calm down, me. You write the character for "person" on your hand and lick it three times, right? ...Huh? Something about that doesn't seem right.

Puzzling over what felt off, I gradually settled down. Still, as much as I wanted to stop and check right this second, I'm in the middle of leveling. Hayate will keep hunting spirits as is. Shiden stays by Hyakka Ryouran, filming and supporting. And then, casually moving Asahi to the very back of the formation, I attempted to summon my new drone.

【Summoning Ultra-Small Drone. Please assign a name】

Same announcement as always. I'd already decided on a name this time, too.

【Summoning Unit Three: Gekkou】

The moment I summoned the ultra-small drone Gekkou, a machine about five centimeters long, gleaming dark silver, appeared before Asahi. And at the same time, a whole 500 MP got taken from me. For something called "ultra-small," the required mana is higher than Hayate's or Shiden's.

Well, complaining won't get me anywhere. For now, let's check Gekkou's status.

Name Gekkou Lv26

Durability 100/100

Max Speed 200

Acceleration 80

Hardness 150

Standard Equipment Mini Camera

　　　　　 Micro Camera

　　　　　 Communication Microphone

　　　　　 Data Transfer Function

Additional Units (Unlocked)

　　　　　 None

Medical Units (Unlocked)

　　　　　 None

Skill Points 320

Hmm hmm — its level is linked with Hayate's and Shiden's. Starting out at level 26 with 320 Skill Points already banked is much appreciated. As befits an ultra-small, its Durability and Hardness are the lowest of the lot. I'll have to be careful about taking hits. In exchange, its Acceleration is higher than Hayate's. Probably because it's so small and light.

Next, the units — and what jumps out is the new category: Medical Units. Let's check this one first.

【Please select a Medical Unit】

・Healing Needle　(200)

・Antidote Needle　(200)

・Paralysis Cure Needle　(200)

・Anti-Curse Needle　(200)

・Anti-Petrification Needle　(200)

・Poison Needle　(300)

・Anesthetic Needle　(300)

・Paralysis Needle　(300)

・Curse Needle　(300)

・Petrification Needle　(300)

・Mana Transfer Needle　(500)

What!? So the Medical Units are all about status conditions!? They can cure status conditions — and inflict them, too. The point costs are a bit steep, but with these, might I not need potions at all?

Still, Skill Points are a finite resource, and this is no time to rush a decision. I'll think it over at leisure with President Yamamoto once the exploration is done.

Then again, there don't seem to be any Attack Units, so I suppose I should give the Additional Units a look while I'm at it.

【Please select an Additional Unit】

・Telephoto Camera (10)

・360° Camera (10)

・Thermal Camera (40)

・Infrared Camera (40)

・Parabolic Microphone (20)

・Laser Pointer (20)

・Acceleration Boost (100)

・Hardening (200)

・Stealth (300)

・Barrier (300)

Wait, what what what!? There are new ones! Some can't be chosen for the ultra-small, but there are new ones that never existed before!

A quick check confirmed that Hayate and Shiden had also gained Acceleration Boost, Hardening, and Barrier. But this Barrier one — careful now. It says you can generate a barrier across the surface connecting drones that each have Barrier equipped.

In other words, on its own, or with even two drones, it's meaningless. Only with all three in place can you apparently put up a triangular barrier. It would give a tremendous boost to defense once I have it, but it's not that high a priority. I'll decide to pick it up if there are Skill Points to spare after getting what I need.

Now then, there are two possible paths for this Gekkou. Load up on lots of Additional Units and make it a recon-and-scouting type, or fill out its Medical Units and make it a support type. That's another thing to discuss with President Yamamoto. Personally, I'm thinking it'd be best to take the Healing Needle first, then go the recon route.

Last of all, what I should check is my own skill. When I focused on the Mana Detection Radar, it sent mana waves out in a full three-hundred-sixty-degree radius, centered on Hayate or Shiden, letting me detect anything that holds mana. In short, think of it as a radar detector, the mana version.

It costs 20 MP per use, but this is a wonderful skill to have. That said, some monsters might carry no mana at all, so I want to stay just as careful as ever.

Once I'd finished checking everything, I dismissed Gekkou — useless for now, with not a single unit equipped — for the time being.

Hayate kept finding spirits and hunting them down as before. Shiden kept filming Hyakka Ryouran and supporting them. I need to be ready to jump in and help the moment things get dangerous.

(Oh, right — I should email President Yamamoto first. If I give him a heads-up, he'll probably have all sorts of ideas ready.)

With that thought, I sat down to write my email to President Yamamoto.

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Dear President Yamamoto,

My level has reached 30, and I can now summon a new drone.

New units have been unlocked as well, so I would like to discuss which direction to take with its development.

I've written the newly added units below. I would be grateful if you could give them some thought.

・Healing Needle (200)

・Antidote Needle (200)

・Paralysis Cure Needle (200)

　　・

From, SS

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Alright — with this, I should get all sorts of advice next time I see him. From here on, I'll devote the rest of our time to gathering Mana Potions.

Having resolved to do so, three minutes after I got to work...

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Dear SS,

You mean to keep me up all night tonight, don't you, SS my boy!

Thank you, as always, for bringing me such heart-racing work!

Once again, I'm reminded how grateful I am that you chose our company's machine first, all the way back in the beginning.

Recon types, support types, debuff types — just thinking about it, the possibilities seem endless!

Honestly, ever since I read your email, I haven't gotten a single bit of work done.

Oh dear — Sasaki-kun's coughing has been going nonstop for a while now, so I'll excuse myself here.

Contact me when you have some time to spare.

From, Yamamoto Densuke

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And that was President Yamamoto, absolutely bursting with enthusiasm.