Ultimate Level 1-Chapter 434: Breaking Things

Automatons were waiting near most of them, taking the finished item after a gnome handed it to them, replacing the one they had just been working on with another that covered the station they were at.

That orange outfit is horrible…

Every gnome at those small stations was wearing a matching jumper, tools stuffed in pockets, and each one had goggles over their eyes, completely focused upon the task before them.

In the middle of the room sat a square area on a raised platform with two gnomes in orange and purple suits.

One would occasionally inspect something brought to them while the other was bent over and appeared to be writing something.

Over there is the place we need.

Max saw that thirty yards away on the left was a set of doors, and when a gnome hand came through one, holding it open, they saw stairs that appeared to go upward.

His steps were silent, and as he approached the door, Max felt a trickle of energy run through him.

What was–

A pink light began to flash, and a chirping sound suddenly rang out, causing everyone in the room to stop what they were doing.

Go!

The door was about to close shut, moving faster than it had been a moment before, and Max knew that there had to have been some trap or detection thing of some sort as his notification appeared.

[ Stealth Detected - Breaking Stealth ]

[ Demonic Teleportation ]

He appeared on the lowest step behind the door, hearing it bang behind him and the sound of slight chaos from the room as whatever he had tripped started to take effect.

Sensing the need to hurry, he raced up the steps, their circular design covering the height, in just a few short turns and stood before a metal door with a small flat hole set inside.

It appears I need to insert something.

Let me try.

Above the door, a pink light continued to flash and chirp, and Max held his hand out, knowing that their time to be stealthy was gone.

Seconds ticked past, each one feeling like forever and after about fifteen seconds, Bob's frustration told him what he assumed would be his answer.

I cannot get it to open. There is a different kind of barrier around this lock.

Don’t worry. I’ll use my other key.

He tried using his Stone and Metal Mastery to adjust the wall or the door, yet both resisted him. A surge of pain ran through him as he felt some field repelling his attempt.

I guess I’ll use the other option.

[ Power Strike ]

His boot connected with the door, and it flew inward, ripping stone and metal chunks from the section of the wall, revealing a flurry of activity where one of the older gnomes he recognized from the painting with Nimyn was pounding on some tablet at a desk they were sitting at in the middle of the room.

“What–? Stop them!”

The gnome’s shout sounded squeaky, and for a moment, Max's memory of the first time he had heard Cordellia speak played through his mind before he saw four automatons begin moving toward the doorway he was walking through.

Each of their arms extended, arcs of lighting-like energy covering the entire two-foot section.

Soon, a pair of devices extended from over their shoulders as gem-eyes turned green and fixated upon him.

Equipping his shield and new weapon, Max formed it into a large sword and didn’t wait for their attack, dashing toward them and swinging at the head of the closest.

Metal arms tried to raise in time, but his speed was far beyond the clockwork creation, soon slicing and dicing all four as only two of them had managed to send a bolt of energy from both guns that had appeared on their shoulders once.

He blocked both with ease and turned his attention to the older gnome shouting into a communication device.

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“I NEED HELP! WE’RE UNDER ATTACK!”

Both of the older gnomes' blue eyes glanced at the metal creations, seeing their hacked remains arcing and twitching on the floor as Max stored his shield and weapon and approached him.

“Who are you?! Why are you here?!”

Waiting for a reply, Max continued to move toward the older gnome, taking his time as his prey began to push back in his chair. A short version of some kind of gun pointed at him.

“Do that, and I promise I’ll take your hand.”

Sneering, the gnome pulled the trigger, erupting a thick, bright light from the barrel. Max held his left arm up, blocking the attack.

Pain came and the burning sensation from it let him know that it had been a wise move to try and block it.

That was not pleasant.

[ Regeneration]

Grunting, Max looked at his arm, watching the flesh regrow as the inch-thick hole that had burned through half his forearm began to heal.

“Wha… you…”

He made his move, twenty yards gone in a moment, his new weapon coming down and cutting the outstretched hand and weapon off before the gnome could blink.

Blood began to spurt and Max summoned fire as he grabbed the outstretched arm before it could be pulled back, pressing the flames against the stump.

Screams came and the smell of burning flesh filled his nostrils as the older gnome writed in agony, no longer concerned about his appearance.

When he was certain that the man wouldn’t bleed out, Max lifted him upward, his face near his captive and growled.

“I told you I would take it. Let that be a warning. If I say I’m going to do something, I won’t hesitate, and you will find that if I need to, I’ll do the same for every one of your appendages.

“You fool! Do you know who I am?! I’m Gazbnar Fluepitch! You just signed your death papers! To attack me is to–”

Max backhanded the gnome, ensuring that he didn’t kill him, but he was still not certain how tough the man might be.

Blood and a few teeth flew from the strike, cutting off Gazbnar’s words and causing his eyes to blink a half dozen times.

“You dare stri–”

Max hit him again, this time in the stomach, still holding the gnome by his stump.

Coughs came and a little bit of heaving as well.

“Stop with the threats. You’re nothing compared to me, and I’m certain you’re smart enough to have figured that out already. So, if you want to avoid as much pain as possible, you’ll listen and do what I say. Otherwise…”

He raised the back of his hand again, watching as Gazbnar flinched.

“What… what do you want?”

“Nimyn… where is she?”

He could feel the heart of the gnome racing. Only a slight flinch came at the mention of her name.

“Offworld, doing work elsewhere.”

His hand struck Gazbnar again, more blood coming from the split lips.

“Wrong answer. She’s here, and we both know it. Where is she?”

“She… isn’t…”

As he spoke between what appeared to be pained movements of his jaw, the crashing sound of something outside got Max’s attention, and he carried the gnome still as he moved to a window that looked outside.

“Oh.. you’re in trouble now…”

A slight cackle and cough came from Gazbnar, and he ignored the temptation to strike the gnome again, choosing instead to look at what had caused the noise.

Three large creations were outside with dozens of mounted guns on each. Beneath them were craters where they had fallen from the sky.

Those look… fun. Think there are gnomes inside, or are those just automatons?

Based on their appearance, I’m guessing they are manned. Look at the same eye section. It’s similar to the one we faced on that tower floor.

More noise came, muted this time, and Max assumed that a few others had appeared elsewhere on the property.

Summoning his dimensional storage, the door swung open and Max held Gazbnar near it, watching the gnome struggle against his hold, eyes flickering between the space and his captor.

“Who… who are you?”

“I’m the one Nimyn stole something from, and I’ve come to collect… it would appear you’ve just ordered the death of others based on your actions in calling for help. So, in the meantime, I’m going to put you in here.”

“But if you die?!”

Laughing, Max flung the gnome inside and watched as he bounced a few times off the purple stone floor, struggling to rise and ran to where the doorway was, face planting against the invisible barrier.

“It would appear you know what that is and that if I die… well, you’ll only have a few days of air before you die as well.”

Still laughing, he willed the door shut, ignoring the cries of the gnome whose hand was still holding a gun, lying on the floor in the middle of the room.

I guess we should go outside and make sure we let them know I’m not playing.

That would be the polite thing. Especially since I can only assume they spent a great deal of energy getting here.

Using his weapon, Max shattered the window and leapt outside, landing on the red grass, wondering just how much damage he was about to cause to this property.

“Halt!”

All three of the twenty-foot metal creations before him trained their weapons on him.

Shields began to form outward from a hand on each, creating a circular defense while two had a large hammer form in their other and one had a sword.

“And if I don’t?” Max asked as he casually walked toward the closest one.

Every gun on his foe began to have different colored lights form across the barrels of them, a slight whine sounding as he sensed the build-up of energy being prepared to come at him.

I guess they answered that question.

Max tried to remember when Bob had laughed so much and for so long.

Yet as the first attack from his opponents came, he found himself laughing too.

He was tired of not being respected or people listening to him.

Today, he was going to make sure word of how he treated those who thought they could hurt him or his loved ones reached as many worlds as possible.

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