Malfunctioning Utopia

Chapter 25: Modifications

Just as the black shadow was about to slam into Four Ai's slender body and shatter it completely, her pupils lit up like computer indicator lights. Two small drones burst out of the car, jets of fire trailing behind them, colliding fiercely with the shadow.

The next moment, Father acted. He charged forward, wielding a massive six-barreled shotgun. Shot after shot, he unleashed hundreds of rounds into the fiery explosion caused by the drones.

When the firelight cleared, the AAB’s beast-like face was unrecognizable, with electronic components and severed wires sparking and crackling openly. Despite this, the machine still moved.

At this moment, Sun Jack could no longer worry about anyone else—he was struggling to survive himself. Staring at the beast-like robot glaring at him, Sun Jack realized that regular bullets wouldn’t penetrate its armor. He needed heavier firepower.

“I don’t believe this! Let’s see you tank this!” Gritting his teeth, Sun Jack raised his weapon, aiming at the creature.

But as he fired, the black panther-like robot flexed its joints and dodged with remarkable speed.

The machine’s evasion was deliberate; it had scanned Sun Jack’s prosthetics and identified the launcher embedded within as a serious threat. Its strategy was now clear: rely on its high mobility to evade the shells.

Sun Jack didn’t dare pause—letting the creature get too close would mean certain death, as its iron claws could tear through him in an instant. The standoff was tense.

“This AAB has been modified.” For the first time, Sun Jack heard Father’s raspy, heavy voice over the comm channel.

“AABs don’t come in black, and its machine gun has been removed. Even military-grade AAB armor isn’t this strong.”

“That’s not all. Look underneath—it’s equipped with Piston Rotor Type 2. Damn it, someone’s been toying with this thing, adding all sorts of enhancements to a combat robot.”

As Four Ai tapped a few commands on her arm, another four small drones shot out of the vehicle, peppering the AAB’s red sensors with suppressive fire.

“Does it matter who modified it? Just figure out how to deal with it!” Sun Jack yelled, firing another shell to keep the AAB at bay.

Father tossed aside his shotgun, shrugged off his trench coat, and revealed his body. Aside from his head, which was still flesh, his entire body was metal.

With a loud crack, the floor beneath Father’s feet splintered as he launched himself forward, moving even faster than the AAB.

When the two metallic masses collided, Sun Jack could feel the shockwaves from where he stood.

“This guy’s like a tank with legs,” Sun Jack thought to himself.

But before he could dwell on the thought, the AAB found an opening and lunged from Sun Jack’s blind spot.

Just as it seemed it would succeed, a shadow descended from above, slamming into the AAB’s head. It was Tapai—he had returned!

Holding the AAB in a chokehold, Tapai yelled, “Now!”

Sun Jack charged forward, cannon at the ready. “Hold its mouth open!”

Tapai moved to obey, but the AAB’s head rotated 180° unnaturally, clamping its massive jaws onto Tapai’s head, sparks flying as it chewed.

Seeing this, Sun Jack roared in fury. With a click, his Electric Arc Blade extended, and he swung it fiercely at the AAB’s neck.

With a screech of grinding metal, a crack appeared on the AAB’s neck. The blade, crackling with electricity, was sharper than Sun Jack had imagined.

The AAB extended a forepaw to swipe at Sun Jack, but Tapai pinned it down firmly.

Taking advantage of the moment, Sun Jack slashed with all his might, severing the AAB’s head.

Thinking the ordeal was over, Sun Jack relaxed momentarily, only for the headless AAB to twist around and kick him with its foreleg.

“Bro! Why are you cutting its head off? It’s not an animal! Go for the energy core!” Song 6PUS’s voice rang in Sun Jack’s mind.

“Shut the f*** up if you’re not helping!” Sun Jack groaned, standing up despite the burning pain in his chest. Glancing down, he noticed his chestplate was dented despite his prosthetic shielding most of the blow.

“Damn it, I hope my broken ribs didn’t puncture my heart,” he muttered, trying to shake off the thought.

In the distance, the AAB was toying with Tapai, stepping on him like a ragdoll. Ignoring his pain, Sun Jack jabbed a painkiller into his thigh and rushed back into the fray.

Suddenly, data flashed before his eyes—details of the AAB’s power core and the thickness of its flexible armor.

“It’s the AAB’s schematics, but only the base model. I still can’t confirm what else has been modded.”

Adjusting his strategy, Sun Jack switched from slashing to stabbing. The blade hummed as it cut through the air.

But just as he aimed for the core, the AAB’s tail swung around like a whip, its immense force stirring the air into a gale.

Before the tail could strike Sun Jack, Tapai blocked it with crossed arms. The impact dented his armor slightly, but he held firm.

As the AAB tried to retract its tail, Tapai grabbed hold, immobilizing its high mobility.

Sun Jack mounted his cannon on Tapai’s shoulder. “Die, you piece of scrap!”

At point-blank range, Sun Jack fired three consecutive shots. The first destroyed its armor, and the second and third obliterated the power core.

The blast’s shockwave was partially absorbed by Tapai, but Sun Jack still felt blood trickling from his ears and nose, his head buzzing.

“Earning a living in this world is hell,” he muttered, wiping his face.

On the other side of the battlefield, Father had already overpowered the other AAB, using a drill-like mechanism in his metallic hand to extract its power core.

Seeing the fight was over, Sun Jack collapsed onto the grass, panting heavily. Tapai quickly fetched Four Ai to treat him.

Kneeling beside Sun Jack, Four Ai pressed a button on her thigh. Her synthetic skin slid away, revealing an array of medical tools and injection devices.