Chapter 15: Smoking Is Not Recommended for Infants.

"---Aaaargh!!"

In a remote research facility belonging to a certain Dr. F, there was someone currently rolling around on the floor, writhing in the agony of their own public embarrassment.

That someone being me, of course.

"N-noooooo!"

What the hell was I thinking?!

No, seriously—what was I doing?!

I know OYS’s abilities didn't have an official name, and I know I only said it because the guy was about to die anyway, but still! Even if I was caught up in the heat of the moment, what was with that introduction?!

I let a single memory slip through.

"My ability is The World: My Own Sky."

"Urgh...!"

That is way, way too embarrassing! "The World"? Who do I think I am, some vampire from a famous manga?!

And once it starts, it doesn't stop. Once a thought like that enters your head, you’re stuck in a loop. My mind betrayed me, playing the rest of the scene against my will.

"I am The Tuner: Chrono White, the Clock-Tinker. You weren't fighting a girl. You were fighting the will of this world itself."

"Gwaaaargh! Kill me now!"

The shame is literally going to kill me.

I lay flat on my back, aimlessly flailing my arms and legs like a baby. My rational self would probably find my current behavior even more pathetic, but I was far past the point of being rational. Waaaaah!

Helper Robot-kun III, whom I’d just recently woken up, pulled a rattle out of his expansion compartment and began shaking it rhythmically in front of my face.

"Clatter, clatter."

Yeah, that might work for a real baby, but I’m not a baby! I’m... waaaah... wait, why do you even have that function?!

"Okay. Deep breaths. Let’s get back to business."

Feeling the edgy dialogue still echoing in the depths of my mind, I asked III-kun to fetch me a cup of substitute coffee.

...He didn't move. What now? "High caffeine intake is not recommended for infants"? Shut it!

I watched the helper robot's back as he went about his business, wondering how I should go about turning him into scrap metal. Besides, I call him "The Third," but he’s actually the very first unit ever built. I’ll never understand the Doctor’s naming sense.

But I digress. Alter will likely decide to track Bernatevil. The next sightings are halfway up the snowy Shitai Mountains. The natural cooling there will work in my favor. Also... the protagonist is supposed to encounter another squad of Phantasm Girls for the first time.

Those two are... unique, to say the least. Well, I’m sure it’ll work out somehow. Probably.

"..."

"Thanks."

Sipping the coffee III brought me, I used a wrench to detach both of my legs. I’ve managed my battles with these so far, but I can't deny they're starting to feel underpowered. I need to spend this next week modding them to the limit so I can use Tachyon at least twice.

"Man... I miss my Cleshuze."

That was a legendary, one-of-a-kind object Alter had crafted using every ounce of her technical skill. Even back then, she used to grumble, "I don't even know how I made something this powerful with current tech! I feel like I’ve lost to myself!"

"..."

I lit a cigarette and let the purple smoke drift.

Was it just my imagination, or did my fingertips feel significantly colder than they did the day I first started smoking?