Chapter 54

Ah yes, I know, I know. I still have my Force Field up, so my points are still going down. I’ve raised my toughness, and I think I’ll be able to withstand the pressure from its flesh, but risking it still takes courage. If I go down to hardly any points, though, I’ll have to turn it off anyway. If that killed the monster, I can’t ask for anything more. I used up a great number of the points I’d saved up, but I’m alive, and that’s all that matters. Or operational, rather, since I’m a vending machine. I must say, I’ve outdone myself this time. I did so well anyone would forgive me for tooting my own horn. Even vending machines can pull out all the stops when they need to. I think I feel a bit more confident now. Now I’ll have to wait until Lammis and the others, having gotten away, come back—or until they return to the settlement and put together a hunting party. Also, I’m really glad I don’t have a sense of smell. At the earliest, half a day—and at the longest, weeks. I’m a vending machine, so staying in one place for a long time is part of the job. I’ll just have to think about what new products to store— Eh? Wait, the masses of meat filling my view disappeared. I can see the sky and the ground. Wait, I’m outside, right? The creature’s whole body is just gone. What the heck? I don’t know what’s happening, so I’ll keep Force Field active. I’m near the marsh we were at earlier. Fissures line the ground, golden light pouring from them. That must be the stratum split phenomenon Hulemy mentioned. Then I must be outside, right? I look around; long, white connected things are positioned in such a way as to cover me up. This looks like…the eight-legged crocodile’s skeleton. Did its flesh disappear and leave only its bones? Is this how it works when you beat a stratum lord? The light from the fissures illuminates the crocodile’s skeleton, giving it an almost mystical appearance. That’s a relief, I guess, but could someone help me up? I’m lying on my side right now, and it’s a little uncomfortable. This kind of situation is a stark reminder of how inconvenient my body can be; I can’t get back up by myself. Vending machines are supposed to stay standing. Wait. I didn’t realize this because of how bright the light from the fissures is, but there’s a golden coin on the ground in front of me. This isn’t a normal gold coin, is it? The decoration, as far as I can see, is completely different. Something is engraved in intense detail on it—an eight-legged crocodile. In game terms, this might be the boss drop. You have to kill the boss to get this item, so it must be worth a lot, but I don’t have any arms or legs, so I can’t get it! It’s inside my Force Field, so I have to make sure nobody steals it. Hulemy probably knows more about this. I won’t give it to anyone until then. Anyway, I’m out of the belly of the beast, so all there is to be done is laze around and wait for someone to get here. Hmm. It sort of feels like the ground is still shaking a little, and I can almost hear a creaking sound. It must be my imagination. Hmmmm. The cracks in the ground run all over, kind of like netting, and the light from them is filling my vision with gold. I’m sure my eyes are just playing tricks on me. Hmmmmmmm. I must be imagining this slow, sinking feeling—wait, it’s caving in! Huh? Did the foundation loosen after the commotion? Or is a stratum split just that—the stratum splitting apart?! W-wait a second. If that’s right, when the ground splits, what happens then? W-will I fall? This is fairly, no—really bad. No two ways about it. Wait, I remember feeling this once before. Hey, someone! Isn’t anyone with Might here?! Isn’t there a customer with Might who can easily pick up a vending machine around here?! “Welcome. Welcome. Welcome,” I repeat, but my words echo fruitlessly in the empty marshland. I can really feel my gratitude toward Lammis now. I was on my high horse after beating such a strong enemy, but a vending machine is still just a vending machine. I can’t do anything alone. Oh. The ground supporting me gives way, and I flip over as I begin to fall. And in this back-to-the-wall situation, all I can think of is Lammis’s crying face.