CHAPTER 279: SCORPIO-BOTS.

’Please tell me this isn’t one of those illegal brothels.’

[Unfortunately, it does not seem like there are any security cameras inside.] Said Volcan.

’Damn it...’

The best course of action would be to use Type 8-3 to scan the building and get whatever information they need, but Dante was hesitant to take it. Finn being there was one reason, but he also didn’t want to put on any of Volcan’s armors right now.

Watching from the third floor of the opposite building, Dante thought for a moment, then turned to the brat accompanying him.

"Guess it’s up to you now."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. Why do you think I brought you here?"

Dante let out a sigh and turned to the blue crate at his feet. On the outside, I looked like an average portable ice box, which made carrying it around on a winter day quite a strange sight. It obviously didn’t contain any ice, and its purpose was far removed from what its appearance might have suggested.

Connecting to the box summoned an option menu. Dante gave the first one a mental tap and heard a faint click right after. The blue lid split apart and slid to the side, revealing the rows of gray cubes stuffed closely together.

"... You sure made some... upgrades..."

"You haven’t seen anything." Checking the cables connected to the back of his head, Finn put on a wide grin and said. "Alright, Jake, let’s put these new toys to the test!"

The interior of the box blinked with a yellow light, followed by a light hum. A wave washed over the box as the cubes opened up on row at a time. Their shells unfurled, revealing six needle-like legs and a long, arched tail with a sharp-looking tip. The core connecting them maintained its cubical shape, though each face seemed to be housing a small lens.

One by one, the small mechanical creatures came out of the ice boy, moving in a neat line. Once the first twenty-five exited the box, the plate they had been resting on retracted, and under it, another twenty-five cubes were revealed.

"Wait," Dante interjected just as the second batch was about to activate. "We don’t need that many."

The new scorpion-shaped bots were half the size of the spider-bots the boy had created before, and going by the design, they seemed to have better capabilities as well. Studying them for a moment, Dante glanced at his short companion.

"So... what can they do now?"

With a proud look on his face, Finn held out a hand and allowed one of the bots to climb onto his palm.

"For starters, they are smaller and much lighter." Moving its six needle-like legs, it climbed onto his arm. "The cameras have higher fidelity and capture a wider range. It can capture better audio as well, and their wireless communication chip has a much higher bandwidth, so they can be used for more complicated Diving."

"Hm... sounds great."

Just when Dante thought that was all, the boy held out his left arm, allowing the scorpio-bot to move from his shoulder to the back of his hand.

"There is also the tail." He said, grinning as it pointed at Dante. "It can launch very small needles laced with one of the most dangerous neurotoxins in the world! One prickle and a grown ass man would be dead in seconds!"

Staring down at the mechanical creature, Dante then shifted his gaze to the boy, his mouth pressed into a line. The silence lingered between them, and after a few seconds, Finn lowered his arm and said in a trembling tone.

"Actually, Viktor intercepted the poison shipment before it could reach me. Said it was too dangerous for me to use."

"Maybe I should beat you one more time," Dante said. "Just in case."

"Wha- wait! It was a joke! A joke! No need to-"

Dante cracked his knuckles and watched the boy pale. For a moment there, he did consider giving him a good beating just so he would remember not to mess with him, but now wasn’t exactly the time.

"Alright, just get on with it already. We have to get this done before they wake up."

"Yes, sir!"

Saluting for some reason, Finn turned his focus to the twenty-five Scorpio-bots.

"Alright, Jake, lead the way!"

One of the scorpions stepped in front of the rest and raised two of its legs, spreading them out before tapping their sharp tips together as if to give a signal. It then turned around and began walking toward the edge of the balcony, and the next moment, the other Scorpio-bots moved as well, creating a single file as they climbed the wall.

Dante watched them walk toward the nearby web of utility cables, finding their smooth movements and coordination a little surprising. As they began making their way to the other side of the street, he turned to the inventor and said.

"They can’t be used to tie up people, huh?"

"Well, something had to be sacrificed." Finn shrugged. "Not that the previous model could restrain anyone. I just didn’t want to break them that one time."

"Kinda underwhelming, though. Why not make drones instead?"

The boy turned to him with a disturbed look, as if the question was way out of line.

"Are you serious?"

"Don’t tell me you still buy into that stuff."

"Why are you acting like it’s not a big deal? If people find out you’re making drones, you’re done for. Even gangs don’t use them nowadays."

"I think you’re overthinking things."

Dante recalled a certain Diver with a colorful mohawk and how he used drones the entire time without anyone making a fuss. Then again, things might have been different with those guys. After all, he saw how people reacted to the swarm of drones during that mess in Factory Town.

The hatred still runs strong decades after the war, and though there were no laws enforcing the ban, most people still avoid using unmanned aerial vehicles, no matter how convenient they might sound.