Chapter 82: Helping Clara
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The silver-haired, red-eyed girl before Bochang seemed reluctant to engage in conversation. With a slight nod, she said, "If there's nothing else, I need to continue searching."
In her previous experiences while scavenging, Clara had encountered others as well, so it didn't surprise her.
What intrigued her was...
The man opposite her did not appear like a typical scavenger at all, as he wasn't carrying any backpack. Clara herself relied on robots for assistance, eliminating the need for a backpack; she only needed to carry essential items casually.
A backpack would be completely unnecessary.
But what about Bochang?
Clara couldn't quite understand it, nor did she intend to interact further with him.
[Dating Options have been activated.]
[Option 1: Wait a bit longer and quietly step away, saying, "Alright, then I won't disturb you." - Completion Reward: Strength increased by 100%.]
[Option Two: Offer a delicious crab roe bun to improve relations, saying, "Are you hungry? I have something tasty here." - Completion Reward: Obtain a random item, ranging from small as a matchstick to large as a star destroyer. Note: Such items will...]
[Option Three: Produce Clara's bellyband and say, "Actually, I am your long-lost older brother..." - Completion Reward: Svarog's Bigshot Bellyband.]
Bochang found himself torn between choices.
It seemed that either directly offering a delicious crab roe bun or leaving immediately could be viable options.
"However... enhancing strength is more important, after all, the body serves as the foundation for everything."
With this thought, Bochang chose the first option.
The third option was naturally not considered at all; presenting her bellyband while saying such words would undoubtedly make Clara think he's a pervert. Then, without fail, she'd likely cry out— "Help me! Mr. Svarog!"
As for why she had a bellyband, it remained unclear. It might have been something she used during childhood, wrapped around herself, which the System then interpreted as a bellyband.
Reasonably speaking, Beiloburg definitely wouldn't have traditional bellybands.
It's unclear how it happened; perhaps it was simply a piece of cloth wrapped around him as a child.
And then the system mistook it for a dudou.
Logically speaking, Belobog definitely wouldn't have a traditional Chinese undergarment like that.
"Alright, I won't disturb you further."
Bochang put on the black bear mask again and turned to leave.
The system's notification chimed as usual:
[Rewards being distributed—Congratulations! You have received a 100% strength enhancement.]
A warm current swiftly coursed through his body, causing his muscles to tear and restructure. After this wave of strengthening, even without wearing the black bear mask, his strength approached the level he previously achieved with it on.
Three enhancements in total.
Eight times the average human strength, combined with the boost from the black bear mask.
Approximately equal to ten times his former self, or possibly even more.
He had become a veritable mini-superhuman.
Unfortunately, relying solely on physical attributes and combat skills, he could only hold his own against elite monsters for about three hundred rounds... Only by utilizing special abilities like the Dragon Talisman could he truly overpower opponents.
"If my marksmanship could improve further... I would be even stronger," Bochang thought.
After watching Bochang depart,
Meanwhile, Clara continued with her tasks.
Turning back, Jin noticed Dan Heng, March 7th, and Stelle engaged with a group of minor enemies. Seeing this, Bochang swiftly joined them, wielding his spear with great prowess.
In no time, the blue long spear claimed multiple lives of these small fry soldiers.
Working together, the four quickly dispatched their foes.
After all, aside from elite monsters, regular ones were relatively easy to defeat. They posed little threat to Bochang's group.
"Phew... I'm feeling a bit tired. How about we take a break?" March 7th wiped away imaginary sweat from his forehead.
Stelle nodded in agreement. Compared to rifts in the Overworld, this one had noticeably more monsters. Although Svarog's automatons patrolled to eliminate rift creations, their efficiency couldn't match that of the Silvermane Guards.
Fortunately, Rivet Town primarily faced minor enemies; powerful rift creatures were relatively rare.
If these lesser foes were replaced with elite monsters, even the Trailblazer squad would need to tread cautiously.
While there wouldn't be mortal danger, one misstep could still result in injuries. Unless someone is a masochist, nobody enjoys getting hurt.
Bochang said, "I'll continue scouting ahead while you all rest."
"You sure have boundless energy," March 7th quipped sarcastically.
Without responding to their thoughts, Bochang headed in another direction. After circling around, he returned to the spot where he had previously encountered Clara.
Earlier, Dating Options advised Bochang to wait, and indeed, he did pause for some time.
Now upon revisiting, both Clara and her automaton had vanished.
"They went that way..."
Bochang followed the path they had taken.
Before taking many steps, however...
As Bochang continued forward, he heard explosions and the clashing sounds of battle ahead.
He surmised that it was likely the automatons engaged with rift creatures, based on his previous encounters where he had easily distinguished these combat noises during his reconnaissance.
"Could it be Clara?" With this thought, Bochang, wielding the Vow Spear, began to sprint.
Within less than a minute, Bochang arrived at the site of the conflict. Just as he suspected, Clara and her mechanical army were battling against rift creatures.
The enemy appeared to be a humanoid monster, wielding a formidable-looking red blade. Additionally, by its side stood a Blaze Out of Space along with several Flameflow Constructs for support.
One injured Automaton beetle turned to Clara and said, "Enemy...strong... Clara...leave first."
It seemed the automaton's speech module was malfunctioning, causing its words to come out disjointed.
"Alright, Perkins...let's withdraw for now. Mills...leave this situation to you."
Realizing the unfavorable odds, Clara knew she had no choice but to depart first, despite her concern for the automaton covering their retreat.
However...
Any further hesitation could jeopardize even Clara's escape. The best course of action now would be to leave, gather reinforcements from the patrolling automatons around Rivet Town, and return to eliminate these monsters.
Before Clara could make her move, Bochang hurled the Vow Spear. The blue lance pierced through the night sky like a shooting star, hurtling towards the humanoid mechanical monster known as the Searing Prowler, which possessed strength comparable to a Blaze Out of Space.
The key difference lay in their combat styles - one wielded a large blade for close-quarters battles, while the other excelled at ranged magic.
The opponent was a ranged mage.
Just as the Searing Prowler finished dispatching an Automaton Beetle, it abruptly looked up and spotted the incoming spear.
Startled, the Searing Prowler instantly withdrew its blade to block the Vow Spear.
Bochang grinned at this sight.
Even the tough exterior of the Doomsday Beast couldn't withstand the Vow Spear's penetration; there was no chance the adversary's weapon could halt it. The indestructible blue spear possessed an immeasurable sharpness.
"Clang!"
With a crisp sound, under everyone's gaze, the red greatsword held by the Searing Prowler snapped cleanly in two. Despite being nearly as thick as a human fist, the sword offered no resistance whatsoever.
In the next instant, the Vow Spear fiercely pierced towards the Searing Prowler's chest. Had it not sensed danger and swiftly dodged to the side...
Bochang's strike would have instantly slain the Searing Prowler.