I Am Not a Robot. Beep-bop

Chapter 82: Punishment 4

“Code Liberation Detailed Composition”

-Thud!

“Vintz’s Advanced Mana Cultivation Method.”

-Slash!

“Basic Strengthening Technique. Oh, you learned this but can’t even use strengthening?”

A mocking smile curved into a crescent.

“You, are you a commoner?”

“I’m not! I’m not a commoner…!”

-Thwack!

“Guh!”

“Oh, now nothing comes out? Well, nothing more?”

“Hah, hah…”

No matter how many times she stabbed, nothing more was being stolen.

This couldn’t happen in Ark.

Even if it did, it would only be on criminals or those who deserved death…

In that sense, Alice was indeed fortunate.

Because this was outside Ark.

Because the lunatic, who harbored incomprehensible hatred and attacked her, was only a third-class.

Because Rosa Vintz was someone who deserved death.

Because, fortunately, the Immortal Legion girls weren’t present here.

Because it was okay to steal and kill this guy with ease.

‘At first, I thought of keeping her alive and dragging her to Oriana as a new achievement, but on second thought, there’s no need.’

After all, there was Sabrina.

No need for evidence or anything—solving it here was cleaner.

Alice exchanged glances with Sabrina, who was protected by dolls behind her.

“Oh, you’re not hurt anywhere, are you? I was so focused on the fight I couldn’t pay attention to you.”

“Uh, um… no. No, I’m fine…”

“You suddenly speaking formally feels awkward. Speak however you’re comfortable.”

Sabrina’s gaze at Alice carried a mix of relief and astonishment.

‘That, that… she definitely copied my authority, right?’

From Sabrina’s perspective, the shocking part wasn’t just that Alice single-handedly took down a third-class Overseer, but more so that she wielded Sabrina’s exclusive authority of fusion.

‘Other abilities are one thing, but the authority of fusion is inherently non-combative…’

Even in the Demon Territory, the authority was used at most for healing, like fusing wounds, mending buildings, or reattaching broken or torn objects.

‘How on earth did she use the fusion authority to steal that Overseer b***’s abilities?’

How had she managed to steal the opponent’s abilities and manipulate them freely?

Sabrina felt a peculiar sense of déjà vu from Alice, whom she had just met.

If she had to articulate the inexplicable familiarity, it was like her ancestors’ spirits whispering to her to trust Alice despite having no reason to believe in her.

‘Ancestors. It seems entrusting things to her was the right choice…’

Having confirmed Sabrina’s safety, Alice turned her gaze back to Rosa with a disturbingly thick smile at the corners of her lips.

Although Alice had sheathed her blade and imposed no restraint, Rosa’s condition was miserable.

Thanks to being repeatedly slashed by the Mantis Blade imbued with the authority of plunder, Rosa’s skin was shredded like flour through a pasta machine.

Even aside from that, Rosa Vintz couldn’t move a single finger.

Code Liberation meant her body was enveloped in immense energy, and her mana cultivation and strengthening techniques had been stolen.

Being in direct contact with immense energy without any filtering caused her skin and internal organs to alternately melt and freeze in real-time, resulting in unbearable pain.

“Still, it’s surprising. I thought you were all talk, but you’ve got quite a few useful tricks.”

“You… I won’t forgive… forgive you…!”

-Thwack!

“Guh!”

“Forgiveness is a kind of mercy granted by the strong to the weak.”

Even in such a state, the third-class Overseer was still stiff-necked, relying on something to stand firm.

“And I’m not a saint who bestows mercy on someone yelling about killing me.”

With that, Alice lightly swung the Mantis Blade.

As she slashed Rosa’s body, it seemed her proficiency with the Mantis Blade had leveled up, as it noiselessly severed Rosa’s arms and legs.

“Ahhh! No! Nooo!”

Rosa screamed as all her arms and legs disappeared.

“Why? Attack me like earlier when you said you’d kill me. I even returned Code Liberation and some other powers, didn’t I? Are you just going to lie there writhing helplessly?”

“Th-… grr… grrk…!”

“Ahahaha, you crawl just like a caterpillar. Come on, if you squirm hard enough, you might become a cocoon and turn into a butterfly that flies around the world! Keep it up! Keep it up!”

“You… I’ll smash your brains, you damned woman!!!”

“Oh dear, I don’t have a brain, you see.”

Alice had already stolen Rosa’s basic Mana Refinement Technique and fused it with her own body, while returning the other stolen abilities.

The remaining abilities, including Code Liberation, were currently being analyzed by Theresa, meaning all Rosa’s powers had effectively been looted.

On the other hand, Rosa, having lost the knowledge and abilities related to basic mana, could no longer utilize Code Liberation or any of her powers.

Since Alice’s body was android, it didn’t matter if burning ice filled her entire system, but with the basic Mana Refinement Technique gone, Rosa had reverted to an ordinary human state.

By the time she lost her limbs, any hope of safe return had long vanished.

Even if she somehow survived here, in such a wretched state, she’d surely be expelled from her family.

Her position as an Overseer would be revoked, leaving her as nothing more than a limbless wobbling doll.

“Ku, kuhah, hics, huuugh…”

Rosa screamed inwardly, but reality did not change.

This cannot be happening.

It simply cannot be.

To think that a mere Returnee.

A woman with nothing but the charm to fawn over administrators, was standing so far above him.

Rosa began to deny reality itself, slamming her head against the ground over and over.

“I’ve extracted everything worth extracting anyway.”

From Rosa’s Code Liberation and Mana Refinement Technique to her skills and martial arts, even the technique of wrapping mana around her body for reinforcement.

Although the powers of Plunder and Fusion could only steal one skill at a time, Alice, with the all-purpose support of Theresa in her mind, found that limitation irrelevant.

The moment she stole a skill or ability, Theresa analyzed its structure and properties, recreating it in a form optimized for Alice.

In essence, Alice had drained all the techniques and abilities of Rosa, a third-class Overseer, down to the last scrap.

Evidence of Ernest Rail and the Overseers’ refusal to integrate demons into humanity, as well as their betrayal of Sabrina, was already sufficiently obtained by Theresa hacking into the mainframe here.

-Boom!

“…!”

“Hic?!”

At that moment, Alice and Sabrina both sensed a massive presence.

【Necrotic mana detected.】

【Atmospheric oxygen oversaturation confirmed.】

【Temperature dropping.】

It was no ordinary presence.

The mana in the air turned chillingly cold, and the gravity seemed to intensify, making their bodies feel heavier.

Instinctively, they knew.

Something—some monstrous entity—was approaching.

Sabrina, sensing it too, looked at Alice with anxious eyes.

‘Did the Dragonia Shock attract attention?’

Alice’s Dragonia Shock, which pierced through to the surface, had created a massive passageway, and someone had just entered through it.

Having indulged too much in the overwhelming energy and omnipotence she hadn’t felt in ages, it seemed Alice had cast an overly conspicuous spell.

【Human.】

“I know.”

Sensing danger, Theresa immediately reactivated combat mode.

“Danger detected.”

“Threat level: Third Class.”

“Protecting Executive Alice.”

“Activating combat mode.”

The dolls guarding Sabrina also appeared to sense a significant threat this time, as each of them began drawing their weapons.

“Who’s this?”

“Something’s coming!”

“Kyaah! A new playmate?”

“Hunting game!”

“Shall we play!?”

The Immortal Girls, who had been lingering upstairs and watching, began leaping one by one from the ceiling, gathering around Alice with excited shrieks.

The children seemed to have no fear of death; rather, they thought a fun playmate was coming.

You never know.

Even for the Immortal Girls, could they remain intact against the massive presence approaching now?

There are too many things to protect at this moment.

【By the authority of the Executive, I command the dolls. From now on, the protection target will change.】

“…Confirmed.”

“Confirmed.”

“Executing command.”

“Whoa!?”

“Eek!”

“Huh, does this mean we’re becoming friends?”

“Wow! So squishy!”

The dolls clung to the Immortal Girls, forming ranks as if to guard them.

The girls seemed delighted, each now having a companion.

【Human, I have prioritized protecting Sabrina and the Immortal Girls with the dolls.】

‘Well done.’

-Tap, tap, tap

A soft sound of footsteps echoed.

Though it was only the sound of shoes approaching from afar, to Alice’s ears, it felt like the footsteps of a giant monster.

‘Fortunately, I’m not low on energy.’

After stealing Rosa’s Code Liberation and absorbing the immense mana and energy from it, her internal charging ports were fully activated at 100%.

The issue now was how powerful the monstrous entity descending through the corridor would be.

Eventually, from the far end of the hallway, a figure appeared—a woman dressed in a black suit.

“………”

She had striking black hair and an attractive appearance, but there was something strangely familiar about her.

As she fully descended through the corridor, she stared directly at Alice with an expressionless face.

‘What is this? Have we met before?’

As Alice carefully sifted through her memory, she realized she had never seen this woman before.

Even with poor memory, a face like that would have been unforgettable.

“Ah, ah! Senior Gania…!”

At that moment, Rosa, having confirmed the figure descending the corridor, shouted with a voice full of hope.

However, Rosa’s expression suggested not only had he forgotten the pain of his severed limbs but that he was also experiencing sheer joy.

“Kuh, haha…! You, you… all of you are finished now!”

“What? What are you talking about all of a sudden? Have you gone mad?”

“That person, that person… cough! She is my direct superior, Second-Class Overseer of the Baden Overseer Corps, Senior Gania!”

A Second-Class Overseer?

Was that overwhelming presence really coming from a mere Second-Class Overseer?

Alice thought back to Oriana and Fira, the First-Class Overseers she had encountered.

Though she hadn’t seen the two of them fight, it was hard to believe that a Second-Class Overseer could exude a presence that far surpassed a First-Class Overseer.

“Heh, heh, hahah! Gania… cough! Senior Gania! That woman dared to oppose an Overseer, the will of Ark, and tried to kill me! I can guarantee that sparing her is completely… cough… useless…!”

Rosa, crawling like a caterpillar with his limbless body, dragged himself toward Gania.

But Gania, with a blank expression, didn’t even seem to hear Rosa’s words and kept her eyes fixed on Alice.

“Kuhah, hah, Senior… Senior! Now, deliver the Overseer’s hammer of justice to that woman—”

-Thud!

At that moment, something embedded itself in Rosa’s head.

“Ugh, guh… ek?”

It was a twig.

A plain-looking twig that emerged from Gania’s body pierced Rosa’s crown one by one and began absorbing all the vitality and energy from his body.

“Guh, huh, urgh… ah, oh… ge-eck…”

Rosa, who had been writhing just moments ago, rapidly shriveled like withered branches.

Eventually, Gania, referred to as Senior, kicked her body into a corner of the hallway.

Thus ended the utterly futile death of a self-proclaimed embodiment of Ark’s will, the Third-Class Overseer.

Though limbless, Rosa had been lively just moments ago.

Now, her corpse resembled rotten, crumbling vegetation.

Yes, rotting wood and decay.

The forest Alice and the children had passed through on their way here, lifeless and rotting, was exactly the same as this sight.

[…..ris.]

“Ah.”

And the moment Gania opened her mouth, Alice’s expression twisted as if she had bitten into something foul.

She thought it seemed familiar…

“[Fiiiinally… I’ve… found… youuuuuu…]”

“….!?”

A voice, seductive and filled with coquettish charm, like that of a courtesan flaunting her allure.

The breath of someone meant to captivate, command reverence, and inspire love from all living things in this land.

Yet, faced with that violent allure, Alice felt phantom cold sweat trickling down her back.

【Human, the wavelength is recorded.】

“….I know.”

Then, Gania began tearing at her own face with her hands.

As if feeling no pain, she shredded her skin and body like shedding a husk, and from within, someone emerged.

A girl with green skin.

But her appearance was identical to Alice’s.

How could she forget?

She hadn’t expected her promise to return would be fulfilled so quickly.

And she certainly hadn’t anticipated it would be today.

“Gaia.”

The goddess of the twisted earth smiled.

“[Aliceeeeeeee!!!!]”

“Ah, shit.”