Chapter 55: A Real Bro

“Um, we updated its logic core, but now it seems like something went wrong.”

Grace tapped her fingers together, looking a little embarrassed as she spoke. Then, all of a sudden, she turned her attention to the excavator and shouted:

“Hans, good boy. Your logic core might be malfunctioning. Come back with us for maintenance!”

But the Grappler had no intention of obeying. Instead, it furiously picked up a massive rock and hurled it at Grace with the skill honed from countless throws on the construction site.

A strong gust swept over them, forcing both Grace and Anton to shield themselves from the pressure. Their vision blurred, and they saw nothing.

Only when a deafening crash rang out did they slowly lower their arms. As they looked up, they felt the force of the wind closing in—the boulder the Grappler had thrown had been split clean in two. The halves flew past Grace and Anton, smashing into the ruins behind them.

“Tsk!”

Ellen stepped to the front, her giant scissors slung over her shoulder. It had been her strike that split the rock.

She tilted her head, giving the Grappler a scornful glance.

“Damn you! What’s with that look? How dare you look down on me! That was nothing more than a casual strike!”

The Grappler roared in anger at Ellen’s contempt, slamming its massive bucket against the ground again and again. “You’re nothing but a tiny—”

“Hm?”

Ellen narrowed her eyes, frost beginning to spread across the giant scissors in her hands.

Seeing this, the Grappler suddenly felt as if it were surrounded by a deep-sea malice. Its logic core froze for a heartbeat, and its earlier arrogance instantly vanished.

But the silence didn’t last. It shifted its gaze to Phaga.

Yes, that man—the one always lugging around an umbrella and cradling that Bangboo. He looked like an easy target.

The Grappler jerked its bucket away from Ellen and swung it toward Phaga.

“Yeah, you! What are you staring at? Pale as a ghost, carrying an umbrella like some woman! You don’t look like a real bro at all—Yaaah!!”

A white chain of flame shot forward like a serpent. A jolt of fear shot through the Grappler’s core at the sight. It didn’t even finish its sentence before scrambling to dodge, narrowly avoiding the strike.

Twisting around, it saw the wispfire still burning fiercely, even on the dust-caked concrete slab.

The Grappler shrank back. At this rate, even its tough, manly body would be reduced to ashes!

Damn it, was it really impossible to keep up the tough talk?

Scanning the crowd, it suddenly spotted its old boss. At once, it put on a fearless act and bellowed:

“You two! Don’t talk to me like you’re coaxing a kid to take medicine! I’m a real bro—one who stands tall and proud!”

Phaga ruffled Eous’s head and said calmly, “A real bro? Does bullying the weak and fearing the strong count?”

But the Grappler ignored Phaga completely, pretending not to see him. Its focus was fixed only on Anton and Grace.

Anton stepped forward, pointing at the Grappler as he shouted, “A real bro? You dare call yourself that when all you do is sneak attack?”

“Oh? Sounds like you really get it!”

The Grappler’s eyes lit up, as if it had found a kindred spirit.

“Then let’s settle this! You and me—one-on-one, man to man! Winner takes all!”

Clank! Clank! Clank!

“Alright! I’m coming at you!”

Anton broke the silence first, raising his drill as he prepared for the duel of men.

But Grace quickly pulled him back, saying urgently, “Did we really all come here just for you to fight it one-on-one?”

“But... but this is a man-to-man duel!”

Anton still looked unwilling, but with Grace holding him back, he couldn’t do anything.

“Hmph! I knew you puny humans wouldn’t understand what it means to be a real bro! Hmph! I’m leaving! I’m not going back!”

The Grappler suddenly leapt high, spinning 180 degrees in the air. Its four thick legs pressed down, ready to spring away at any moment.

“I’m a real bro! I won’t waste my life doing that boring, meaningless work. That’s not my path!”

With that, it pushed its limbs to escape... or tried to.

Wait—its limbs weren’t responding?!

CRASH!

Before the Grappler could process what happened, its body collapsed inward, its vision going black for a moment.

When it came to, the first thing it saw was a pair of green eyes blinking at it, with two long, fluffy ears swaying in the wind.

It was the Bangboo the man had been carrying earlier!

Eous peered at it curiously, his true intelligence pondering how this machine could possibly possess such advanced cognition.

But the Grappler didn’t care. Panic rising, it glanced around—and there was Phaga, standing calmly before it, umbrella in hand. He looked completely unbothered by the Grappler’s massive bucket and claw, both still highly dangerous.

“I’ve taken off the back legs too.”

A cold female voice came from behind. Ellen approached slowly, giant scissors resting on her shoulder, her shark tail swaying.

Like Phaga, she seemed unconcerned with the Grappler’s remaining weapons.

No—she was concerned, just not for herself.

“Phaga, why don’t we remove the bucket and claw too? We’re fine, but if we scare our master, that wouldn’t be good.”

Hearing Ellen, Phaga lifted his head, meeting Eous’s gaze as the Bangboo turned toward him at the sound of its name. After a moment’s thought, he nodded.

“Makes sense.”

He stepped forward, ready to act.

But before he could even begin, the Grappler backed down.

The massive machine that had just been boasting about being a “real bro” now flailed its bucket and claw nervously, too afraid to get anywhere near Phaga. It looked terrified he’d dismantle it with a single glance. ven its pleas for mercy came out in a trembling voice.

“I surrender! I surrender! Don’t hit me!”