Chapter 96 Another World Channel (29) Live Another World Adventure (18) Apostle Trial: Act 2: Cavalry (5)

Author's Note:

Character Map:

"X" = Loid Orcus (protagonist)

"(X)" = Loid Orcus (strong inner thought)

°X° = Makina

•X• = Soul Goddess Aksa

^X^ = Sebastian (AI Assistant)

X>X = Chat Window/Panel in the Livestream

*X* = God and Goddess

#X# = Deities

Others:

[X] = Status Board/What is written on it/ Status Window (New)

--- = POV Change

|||| = Time Skip

(X) = Explanation/author/ A.U.T.H.O.R.

([X]) = Sound effect

{X} = Buttons, or something that may cause a certain action

---

"Now then, let's see how long we can last under this barrage until the goddess returns to help us. Shall we discover the indomitable spirit of Earth together?"

With that, I sprang into action, preparing for the onslaught while staying ready to dodge at a moment's notice.

But it seems that i dont have to anymore as the first magician of earth rescued me in this pridicament

([Pang!])(Sound of being blocked)

—a metallic echo rang out, signaling failure of my enemy attack, as it successfully block it

In front of me was a barrier, but unlike the transparent ones the enemy used, this one was full of electronic circuits. I called it a "magic circuit," as it appeared to be made of magic.

I smirked smugly as I calmed my nerves for another action. The tension from dodging the lone knight's attacks was no longer my concern.

"Good job, Makina. Did you already finish what you needed to do?"

°Aye. Essence collection and data simulation are done. All that's left is to mimic and shapeshift it as you will.°

"Well, I'm kind of busy right now, Makina. Could you do me a favor and handle the mimicry and shapeshifting for the skills and abilities for me?"

°Aye, processing your order.°

^Excuse me, Lady Makina, could I—^

°Request denied. As of now, you are currently assisting Loid. Burdening you with processing the issued order is inefficient and risky, as you and Loid are in combat.°

^… Affirmative.^

"… Yes, Makina is right. Just appraise and summarize the skills and abilities for me, Sebastian, like you always do when Makina is done. After all, the skills and abilities will still need to go through appraisal. Is that alright, Makina?"

°… Although I could do it too, as Sebastian is your combat assistant, I conclude that it is indeed better for Sebastian to handle the appraisal and summarization for efficient aid.°

^Thank you, Lady Makina^

For some reason, there was a cold air earlier, but Makina is right with her logic, so I left it at that.

As we spoke, it became noticeable that the barrier was not holding for long. Cracks began to form as it took more attacks, prompting me to make a decision.

"Makina, could you cover me?"

°Aye.°

As such, I ran out from behind the barrier while Makina dismantled it from its place, deeming it no longer necessary as I moved out of its range of protection.

I sprinted straight toward the lone knight. The previously invisible transparent projectiles—imperceptible to the naked eye—were now visible to me as I shifted my vision to alternative modes like heat vision, where the barrier generated heat as it fired, and mana vision, since the barrier was constructed from mana.

Using these and other enhanced visual modes, I could clearly see the projectiles aimed and shot at me. They emitted heat, registering in my heat vision, and moved with distinct mana traces, which my mana vision detected. These combined perspectives gave me the clarity I needed to evade.

But at last, even if I managed to evade one projectile, avoiding the others aimed and shot at me was impossible. Still, I wasn't worried—I had someone to back me up.

Up ahead, something moved, detected by my heat, mana, and other enhanced visions. It was a barrier with circuit-like patterns plated on it, intercepting the projectiles I couldn't dodge. As I adjusted my direction to evade, the barrier moved alongside me, shielding me from the relentless attacks.

As I passed through the barrier, I noticed it becoming thinner before repositioning itself behind me, almost as though it were following my lead. While observing this, one barrier accelerated, outpaced me, and moved ahead. It then thickened just in time to block another projectile aimed squarely at me.

"(This barrier... it's a mix of telekinesis and barrier magic!!! What a spell! The telekinesis enhances its speed and agility, allowing precise control. It also makes managing the barrier much more effective compared to using barrier magic alone, enabling smoother actions like shifting it between thin and thick states with ease.)"

>Whoa, what just happened? It was so fast that I didn't understand a thing.

>It's Barrier Magic! But how?

>Wait, that conversation earlier… what do you mean by mimicry and shapeshifting?

>Don't tell me—you can mimic skills and abilities? And shapeshifting is probably why you can change sizes like Ant-Man!

>What's with that? Sounds awesome!

>Go, Knight! There's no way you'll be defeated!

>You're still supporting the knights? There's no way they can win, especially when their skills and abilities are copied!

>Surprised reactions and questions, etc.

Ah, now that I think about it, I haven't really shown these guys my abilities—or rather, Makina filtered out the details, deeming it unnecessary to share such information with the public.

Just as I was about to have a little chat with the audience about my skills and abilities, I sensed a presence. Then, I heard the voice of someone I'd been waiting for.

•Awww, that was tough—especially when my power had to be shaved down to match your rank. But the work is done. It's possible now, just as you envisioned, even though I had to figure it out myself. You'd better be thankful after this!•

"Well, thank you, Makina. You did well."

•Hmph, of course! I am a goddess. Such a task is trivial for me.•

^Greetings, Goddess. Excuse me, Master Loid, but the appraisal and application simulation is complete.^

"That's great. With this, everything is now on the table. Goddess, if you could?"

•OK, opening the portal.•

"Sebastian, assist me. What's coming will be pretty draining on my mind if you don't help."

^Worry not; I shall gladly assist.^

With that, a portal opened, and immediately, I stuck my hand inside. Something began crawling into me, merging with my body, causing my volume to expand.

"Sebastian, would you assist me with what I have in mind?"

^Surely.^

The volume that entered my body started to extend outward, forming rope-like attachments to me. The substance began to redirect itself through these "ropes," pooling into a shape that slowly grew larger.

The crawling mass swelled, eventually reaching half my height but twice my volume, resembling a large, shapeless blob. At first, its asymmetrical form was indistinguishable—just a mess of shifting mass. However, as seconds passed, it started to take on a familiar shape, one that even the audience began to recognize.

>That surprised me earlier! It just came out of nowhere! And that blob… the shape it's taking feels familiar.

>Yeah, exactly. Where have I seen that before?

Whoa, what is that?

>That's… oh! My grandpa had one of those. No wonder you kids don't recognize it.

>Yeah, it's an old model. That design's been out of style for decades. The aesthetics just don't fit today's trends.

>I disagree. The aesthetic back then was way cooler and hotter than what we have now.

>I agree! But every time I take mine out, youngsters give me weird looks.

>Same here. I know what you mean.

>Seriously, what is that? Boomers' tech?

>What did you just say, kid? Kids these days...

>Boomers vs. youngsters argument, etc.

While the chat panel erupted into heated debates, the blob completed its transformation. I climbed onto it, my excitement surging.

As an otaku who admires the past and indulges in century-old anime, the shape was unmistakable. It was a vehicle that once graced countless anime from the early 2000s to 2030—a classic of its time, though no longer modern in today's eyes.

([VROOM])(The sound of an engine roaring to life.)

It was a motorcycle, powered by an old-school engine fueled by oil and gas. With two rubber tires gripping the terrain, I gripped the handle and turned the throttle, releasing fumes from its exhaust pipe. Its cool, rugged aesthetic from that era made it a nostalgic masterpiece.

I sped across the terrain, dodging projectiles with precision. Makina's barriers occasionally sprang up when needed, but most of the time, I navigated solo.

Riding the wicked motorcycle, I twisted the throttle harder, the engine roaring louder. Dark fumes burst from the exhaust pipe, leaving a dramatic trail as I closed in on the lone knight.

With a bat gripped firmly in one hand, I aimed for a clean hit—ready to score a strike to the knight's head.