Chapter Eighty-Five: The Knight of Starlight

At the very moment when Viscount Balfe was frantically summoning his personal guard, Jan was also facing a pivotal moment in his life—for one simple reason: the metallic egg he had painstakingly constructed was finally about to hatch.

Though Jan had always scoffed at the idea of verifying the lineage of great constructs, he nevertheless gave special attention to this, his very first summoned creation. Not only had he called over Enoya and Vilna, but even Iris and Bix had gathered in the Dark Sanctuary, all casting curious gazes at the metallic egg.

“Master, is that the creature you summoned... What exactly is it?” Iris asked.

“To be honest, I don’t really know,” Jan replied, shaking his head. Since the dungeon itself produced no resources, Jan had provided only the bare minimum required to maintain the summoning, carefully controlling his allocation while enhancing both magical and physical offensive attributes. As for what might emerge, Jan himself had no clue.

However...

“Master, why are we standing at the entrance...?” Enoya inquired.

“Just as a precaution,” Jan replied, pushing up his glasses as he stared at the metallic egg standing silently in the pool at the center of the Dark Sanctuary. The dial atop the egg spun backward with a constant “clack, clack” sound. For some reason, hearing such a noise in this silent place gave Jan a distinctly ominous feeling.

Maybe I should ask Bix just how blast-resistant the dungeon really is, he thought.

Even as this thought crossed his mind, the dial ticked down to its final second. In the next instant, an impossibly dazzling flash erupted with a shockwave, sweeping outward with a thunderous roar.

“Boom!”

Jan, prepared for such an eventuality, reacted first, darting from the sanctuary and leaping aside. Enoya, as his close personal maid, was not far behind—she knew Jan well enough to read the tension in his face, and realized things wouldn’t be so simple. She slipped gracefully to the side, taking cover behind Vilna.

Compared to the two who had anticipated trouble, the other three were caught entirely off guard. Iris jumped in fright at the onrushing shockwave and dust, but as a high-ranking mage, she was not about to be harmed. Light flashed before her, and in the blink of an eye, she conjured a magical barrier that withstood the explosion. Bix, quick-witted as ever, hid beside Iris and thus escaped unscathed.

Only Vilna, unfortunate and slow to react, failed to dodge in time. Though she tried to move, she was half a beat slower than the others and was instantly swallowed by the whirling dust, vanishing completely.

“Cough, cough, cough!”

For a moment, chaos reigned throughout the Dark Sanctuary, dust swirling everywhere, people scrambling in confusion. After a short while, a fierce gust from the sanctuary’s center blew away the lingering haze, revealing a bright, petite figure to the assembled onlookers.

It was a petite girl of about fourteen or fifteen, her face still round with the vestiges of childhood, her lively violet eyes fixed curiously on the crowd. Her long, jet-black hair was tied into twin ponytails with purple ribbons, accentuating her delicate beauty. She wore a fitted, pitch-black uniform reminiscent of a military outfit, with armored plates at the shoulders and chest, and a skirt constructed from overlapping layers of interlinked armor. Paired with steel combat boots, she looked every bit the image of a knight.

Her weapons were equally knightly. In her left hand, she held a massive white steel shield—thick and tall, nearly half her own height. In her right, she gripped a nearly two-meter-long lance—or more accurately, a cannon barrel, its circular muzzle gaping ominously, a razor-sharp blade hanging beneath it. The weapon’s sheer size, wielded single-handedly by a girl not even a meter and a half tall, was a startling sight.

“Wow—”

Even Jan couldn’t help but whistle in admiration. He had expected a rare unit summoned by such a process would be impressive, but the sheer power radiating from this presence was extraordinary. Focusing his attention, Jan gazed at the girl, and in his mind, her detailed information quickly appeared:

[Starlight Knight Patilina (Golden SSR)]

[Race: Machina]

[Combat Power: ★★★★ (More is better, bigger is best; a hundred billion turrets, a hundred billion stars of light)]

[Management: ★★★☆ (In the multiverse, nothing is more important than the rules themselves)]

[Influence: ★★★ (Everyone will do everything possible to avoid courting certain death)]

[Loyalty: ★★★☆ (For her, you are a destined encounter)]

[Traits]

[Machina Specialization—She has achieved the ultimate harmony between flesh and machine (Physical resistance +75%, magic resistance +75%)]

[Extreme Range—When death descends from the heavens, there is nothing to do but pray in despair (Can strike targets accurately from outside visual range)]

[Skills]

[Curio Creation: Can invent all manner of strange and wondrous items, of unlimited variety]

[Barrage of a Thousand Cannons: Can unleash massive area attacks against enemies]

How to describe it...

After reading Patilina’s profile, Jan’s excitement lessened somewhat. Clearly, her power was formidable, but the problem was that these abilities were of little use in the Underdark. The very environment was cramped and height-restricted; ranged units like Patilina had limited opportunities to shine in such narrow confines. Fortunately, her appearance suggested she was equally adept at close combat, so even as a melee fighter, she would not be wasted—though it still felt like a bit of a shame.

At that moment, Patilina noticed Jan’s gaze, and her violet eyes brightened. She hurried forward, then stopped before him and offered a solemn bow with a cheerful smile.

“Starlight Knight Patilina reports as summoned. Are you my master?”

Why does this scene feel so familiar?

“Yes, I am your master,” Jan replied.

Hearing his answer, Patilina beamed with delight.

“Ah, I knew it... From now on, please take care of me, Master. I will fight with all my heart for you, and obey any command you give! Please, command me!”

Looking at the eager anticipation in her eyes, Jan felt as though he wasn’t facing a dashing female knight, but rather a puppy wagging its tail, waiting for its master’s reward...

Judging by her appearance, you’d never guess this girl possessed legendary strength. But that aside, what exactly was this “Machina” race?

Jan studied the girl closely. Outwardly, she seemed little different from a normal human, but upon closer inspection, her eyes were unlike any living creature’s—clear and bright, more like glass prosthetics than organic eyes. Activating the [Evil Eye] to examine and interrogate Patilina, Jan finally understood why her race was listed as “Machina.”

In essence, Patilina was a fusion of machine and human, akin to the cyborgs of ultra-futuristic films—her body partly flesh and blood, partly mechanical. Alloy plates shielded her heart, a high-tech forged steel skeleton supported her frame, chips and neural connectors enhanced her nervous system, granting her abilities and strength far beyond any human. This alone made Jan feel the effort had already paid off.

“In any case, welcome to the dungeon,” he said.

After confirming Patilina’s strength, Jan relaxed.

“For the next steps, you can go to my adjutant Enoya—she’ll arrange your accommodations. Also...” Jan paused, then narrowed his eyes, a cold smile curling his lips. “...It seems we have new guests arriving. Would you mind joining me to greet them?”

“Of course, Master, no problem!” Patilina replied eagerly, her eyes shining with anticipation. Jan, pleased by her attitude, patted her hair and then turned to leave.

“Tch...”

Vilna, standing nearby and covered in dust, spat in annoyance. She’d been abandoned by the others, left filthy, and now she saw this bizarre creature—a situation she found incomprehensible.

“So it’s just another one of that bastard’s lapdogs. Hmph... Ugh!”

Before she could finish, a shadow flashed before her eyes, and in the next instant, an overwhelming force pinned the unfortunate dark elf against the wall.

“What was that you said, you black-skinned mutt? Huh?”

Standing before her was Patilina. Gone was the sweet, obedient girl from moments before; instead, she now looked every inch the delinquent, glaring at Vilna with contempt, lips curled in a sneer. Her right hand gripped Vilna’s throat like an iron vice, her voice low and menacing, like a lioness about to pounce.

“Listen up, you filthy wretch. Don’t let me hear you badmouthing Master again, or I swear I’ll shove [—bleep—] right up your [—bleep—], and you’ll know what it means to suffer a fate worse than death! Don’t think you’re anything special—down below it’s so dark you can’t even see the hair, so stop pretending to be pure! Got it?!”

“Mm... mm...”

Vilna’s face turned ashen. She could feel Patilina’s hand tightening, and had no doubt that if she didn’t act, her neck would be snapped by this mad dog. Reluctantly, she nodded to show she understood. Only then did Patilina snort and release her.

Just then, Enoya’s voice came from outside.

“Miss Patilina, are you ready? We’re leaving now!”

“Coming, please wait for me, Lady Enoya!”

In an instant, the raging lioness transformed back into a dainty kitten. Patilina spun around and answered Enoya’s call with a crisp, sweet voice before hurrying away.

Vilna slumped against the wall, glaring after her until Patilina was gone. Only then did she spit bloody saliva to the side and mutter under her breath.

“Monster.”