"What's wrong?"
"Didn't you just hear that?"
David looked puzzled at Osian's question.
"No, never mind. Even if I didn't mishear it, we don't need to worry about that right now."
What's important was finding the AI automaton.
Osian and David went deep into the scrap metal graveyard.
While the entrance was just like a mountain of old metals piled up, the inside was much worse.
There was what appeared to be a road used by the gang, but the two had to avoid that path instead.
The presence of wheel tracks meant this was likely a route mainly used by gang members in vehicles.
Following this path would inevitably lead to encountering the gang.Therefore, Osian and David had to move through side paths where others' footsteps hadn't reached.
-Crunch.
The ground suddenly sank where they stepped but Osian and David quickly stepped back.
-Rumble!
Right after, the place where they had just been standing collapsed, revealing a deep cliff below.
Debris fell through the cracks, and yellow soil poured down like a waterfall.
"This is surprising."
What they thought was ground and had been walking on was actually on top of already accumulated metal.
Over time, sand and dust had accumulated on top of the piled metal, making it look like normal ground.
David looked down the crack below.
The black crevasse where light couldn't reach was so deep its depth couldn't be estimated. It was a spine-chilling sight.
"I've only heard about this in stories, but seeing it in person is quite something. One wrong step and you'd fall down there."
Now he understood why Simon had warned them about the dangers.
Even a superhuman would be helpless if they fell here.
'A steel crevasse naturally formed by artificial objects.'
Osian understood why the gang only used designated paths.
Probably countless lives were lost in the process of paving those roads.
"What should we do? Should we change our route?"
"No. Let's stay on this route for now. Taking the main road won't change anything anyway."
The paved roads carried a high risk of encountering other gangs.
Though they wouldn't lose in a fight, if it dragged on even slightly, the noise would attract others.
That would lead to prolonged battles, and finding the automaton would become impossible.
They needed to remember what their top priority was.
For that, they had to take paths others didn't use.
"But isn't it dangerous in such an unstable place?"
"Don't worry about that. Now that we know these exist, we can deal with them."
Osian lightly tapped the ground with his foot.
The vibrations spreading through his feet traveled through the scrap metal heap, reaching far below.
Osian closed his eyes and focused on his hearing.
In the pitch-black darkness, white lines began to appear following the vibrations.
It was a technique to identify the location of objects or opponents through sound.
Of course, it wasn't perfect. Especially in places like this with lots of scattered scrap metal, it wasn't easy to distinguish people or other objects.
'But finding dangerous crevasses like earlier is entirely possible.'
Finding crevasses was simple. He just had to avoid areas where vibrations weren't felt.
In his closed eyes, the surrounding terrain was roughly mapped out.
Below the ground filled with white lines and planes, there were pitch-black spaces where nothing existed scattered here and there.
Those must be where the crevasses were.
"This way."
Osian continued checking the ground even while walking.
David, following behind, watched curiously as Osian walked safely but he wasn't particularly surprised.
For someone who could draw Starlight that cuts through steel from his sword, finding hidden traps wasn't much.
Osian and David went deeper into the scrap metal graveyard.
They thought movement would become harder inside due to more debris, but that wasn't necessarily the case.
Some parts had cleared paths like well-maintained roads, and some areas had empty spaces with no debris.
"Strange. This doesn't seem like a space made by gangs for living."
"This used to be a city, after all. These were probably roads or park areas that were maintained before everything collapsed."
"Indeed. That makes perfect sense."
The two decided to take a short break.
Though they didn't feel physical fatigue thanks to their steel-like bodies, mental fatigue was unavoidable.
Having to maintain tension in this desolate place, not knowing when they might be attacked by enemies, it would be strange not to feel mentally drained.
Now they understood why people like the Heavy Mining Gang and Steel Fist seemed to have lost their minds.
Anyone would become strange growing up in this environment.
Osian and David ate the protein bars they had brought.
It was a natural choice since they couldn't cook or obtain food supplies in a place like this.
If there was any consolation, it was that neither of them particularly cared about food taste.
After their short break, the two quickly brushed off the sand and got up.
"Where should we go now?"
"Further inside."
Osian's gaze turned toward the inner part of the scrap metal graveyard.
"If we need to check somewhere first, I think it would be the central part of what used to be the city."
"That might be right. Plus, I heard rumors that even other gangs couldn't freely explore that area. Though that's old information, so I'm not sure about it now."
Just as they were about to move, in the distance, a group entered the area with a loud noise.
Right. It was about time to encounter someone.
"David, get ready."
"Actually, it's a miracle we haven't fought anyone until now."
The two naturally drew their swords.
The approaching gang was unfamiliar. They wore work clothes covered in oil stains as they approached from afar.
"It's the Oil Finger guys."
While Heavy Mining dealt with metal mining and Steel Fist with automaton modification, Oil Finger was involved in oil extraction.
Even though there was Ether Water as a superior energy resource, that didn't mean oil wasn't used.
Rather, in areas like District 49 where Ether Water wasn't supplied, oil was the most important resource.
Just looking at the vehicles modified by Oil Finger, you could tell they used lots of oil.
Red flames shot out from the car and motorcycle exhaust pipes beyond black smoke, proving this.
"But how long do we have to keep walking?"
"What's wrong?"
"It's good for leg training and all, but it seems to take a lot of time just walking around."
Osian decided to actively accept David's suggestion.
"See any ride you like among those? Pick one. We'll leave just that one."
"Hmm. We might need to carry cargo just in case, so a regular vehicle might be good."
"There's a suitable one right there."
Osian and David's eyes fell on the vehicle at the front.
The one that clearly looked like the leader's ride took the form of what's commonly called a muscle car.
Compared to other vehicles covered in various attachments, this muscle car had an almost surprisingly clean exterior.
The only notable features were the exhaust pipes protruding from both sides of the rear wheels and the supercharger sticking out through the hood.
Considering the usual extreme modifications in District 49, this was cute in comparison.
"Boss! There are some rats over there!"
The Oil Finger gang, who had been running mindlessly, spotted Osian and David.
Osian thought they would rush over to attack the moment they spotted them but the actual response was unexpected.
Though they were approaching, their momentum was different from predators rushing at prey.
"Rather, they seem to be running from something."
Running while kicking up sand dust, they perfectly demonstrated the march of herbivores fleeing from a wild predator.
You could tell just by looking at the expressions of the approaching Oil Finger gang members.
Their faces were full of deep bewilderment and fear.
-Vrooom! Ratatata!
Beyond the deafening modified engine sounds, one rhythmic sound began to mix in.
"Eek! It's coming! That thing is coming!"
"That crazy bastard! It chased us all the way here!"
The terrified gang member screamed. The sound grew louder and closer.
Now Osian and David could hear what that sound was too.
-Neigh!
-Clop! Clop!
The loud neighing of a horse. Along with the clopping sound of hooves.
Osian and David exchanged glances for a moment.
That was definitely the sound of a horse. Obviously, it was a sound that should never be heard in District 49.
-Bang!
A motorcycle at the rear of the gang flipped over dramatically.
The cause was some form that appeared through the thick sandy dust.
It thrust something through the dust, and the motorcycle that was hit flipped over and rolled on the ground.
'A lance?'
If he hadn't seen wrong, it was definitely a jousting lance.
-Bang! Bang! Bang!
Vehicles and motorcycles exploded one by one. Especially since Oil Finger vehicles were filled with massive amounts of oil, once the engine caught fire, it caused huge explosions.
Finally, through the chaos reminiscent of a battlefield, the knight emerged through the sandy dust.
"K-Knight!"
A gang member shouted, and.
"It's, it's a real knight?"
David also responded with wide eyes.
Only Osian looked at the revealed opponent and said in a puzzled voice.
"No, that's not a knight."
Just as David was about to ask what he meant, the knight moved and destroyed another vehicle.
Mounted on a horse and wearing armor, holding a shield in one hand and a jousting lance in the other - it certainly looked like a knight.
But the reason Osian didn't call it a knight was simple.
Because everything about that knight was made entirely of machinery.
The horse was an automaton assembled from metal parts in the shape of a horse.
The knight riding it, looking closely at the armor they wore, wasn't ordinary armor either.
'It's a steam suit modified for easy movement.'
While steam suits typically make movement sluggish, this one showed no such limitation.
The motion of thrusting the jousting lance was so smooth it felt just like a normal person's movement.
'There's no sense of awkwardness at all. Must be a special custom piece.'
So this was just outwardly a mounted knight.
In reality, it was a person wearing a steam suit on a horse-shaped automaton.
From Osian's perspective, it was natural to question 'Is that really a knight?'
'Though there are some questions.'
From the automaton's output to the steam suit's material, it was clearly top-grade equipment by anyone's standards.
It could have been an amazing weapon even if used in a normal form, so why specifically make it in the form of a 'knight'?
Regardless, the Iron Knight methodically eliminated the Oil Finger gang.
The Oil Finger gang didn't just run away without fighting back.
They shot guns and threw high explosives in resistance, but it was useless.
Even when they poured fire and detonated bombs, not a scratch appeared on the Iron Knight's body. It had unbelievable durability that was hard to believe even while watching.
"What should we do?"
"We need to move first."
Now that they had entered this clearing, the two couldn't stay uninvolved in this situation.
Since it had come to this, Osian decided to steal the vehicle David had mentioned.
The judgment and movement happened almost simultaneously.
"Huh?"
The Oil Finger executive running at the front was surprised when Osian suddenly charged at him but before he could react, Osian jumped high and lightly landed on the vehicle's roof.
"W-What the hell!"
Before the executive could protest, Osian grabbed his collar through the wide-open window and threw him outside.
The thrown executive rolled on the ground before quickly getting up.
Just as he was about to shout something, the Iron Knight charging from behind hit the back of his head.
-Crack!
Osian immediately took the driver's seat and turned the wheel toward where David was.
The Oil Finger gang's eyes rolled back when their leader was taken down.
"Those bastards did that to our boss!"
"Kill them!"
Forgetting they were being chased by the Iron Knight, the remaining Oil Finger gang members chased after Osian.
Osian pulled off a flashy drift right in front of David, got out, and answered.
"Take good care of it. We'll be using it from now on."
"What about those guys?"
"I'll handle that."
Osian pointed his sword at the gang approaching them.
"I'll show you what a real knight is."