Absolutely legitimate Star Iron, I've awakened the Underworld System?

　But Bai Qiong had a strange feeling at this moment.

　Toppa's retreating figure appeared somewhat lonely and forlorn...

　Looking in the direction Toppa had left, Bai Qiong gritted her teeth and called out to Toppa, "Please wait... Miss Toppa!"

　"What's wrong? Is there anything else you two need?"

　Topa turned around, her blue eyes looking at the two of them with a puzzled expression.

　Bai Qiong hurriedly organized his thoughts and explained, "Um, I... can San Yueqi and I come with you for a look around and see what your work is like? Maybe it will give us some new ideas..."

　“We promise we won’t bother you, and we might even be able to help in some way. After all, March 7th and I are probably a little more familiar with this place than you are with Belleburg.”

　Bai Qiong understood that now was definitely not the time to hesitate any longer.

　I have to do something!

　Even if you don't complete the tasks given by the system, you can't just sit and wait to die.

　Both the company and Belloberg play an indispensable role in the subsequent plot, and neither side can afford to have problems, otherwise the changes in the timeline will become increasingly significant.

　Now, just a few minor changes have brought the conflict between the two forces to a point of near irreconcilable conflict.

　If the wings of fate's butterfly were allowed to continue fluttering, who knows what kind of storm it would stir up in the galaxy...

　Bai Qiong decided to find a new way out through her own efforts!

　Topa glanced at Bai Qiong after hearing his words, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Fine, whatever. But if you cross any lines, I can't guarantee what I'll do."

Chapter Thirteen: Schwarz's Choice

　Snowstorms raged through the mechanical settlements in the lower levels, the biting winds seeming to freeze everything.

　Bai Qiong and March 7 trudged through the thick snow, making their way towards the mansion surrounded by mechanical pipes.

　In the distance, they saw the tall, mechanical figure—Svaro, and the petite girl beside him, Clara.

　"Mr. Schwarz, it's been a long time." Bai Qiong waved and smiled.

　"Long time no see, you two."

　Schwarzkopf's mechanical eyes flashed red light slightly, and his voice was deep and calm.

　Clara's eyes lit up, her voice filled with joy, "It's Brother Bai Qiong, Sister San Yue Qi...! Sister San Yue Qi, you look so beautiful today!"

　March 7th trotted over, gently hugged Clara, and then ruffled her little face. "Oh, long time no see! Clara's gotten cuter and cuter!"

　"Clara...does she exist?!"

　Clara smiled shyly after March 7th said that.

　However, her gaze was soon drawn to another unfamiliar figure.

　"Hi! Mr. Schwarz, right? And this little girl next to you... that's Clara!"

　Topa stepped forward, smiling brightly and speaking in a lighthearted tone.

　"Hello, sister... may I ask who you are...?" Clara asked somewhat timidly.

　"Hello, my name is Toppa!"

　Toppa’s voice was light and gentle. “I’ve come to talk to Mr. Schwarzroth about something.”

　A red light flashed in Schwarz's mechanical eyes, and his voice carried a hint of wariness: "Clara, go back to the mansion and wait for me."

　Clara paused for a moment, then looked hesitantly at Toppa and then at Schwarzkopf.

　“…Eh? But Mr. Schwarz, if there are guests…”

　“She is neither a ‘guest’ nor a ‘friend’.”

　Schwarzko's voice was cold and firm, "Go back and wait for me, Clara. Everything will be alright, don't worry."

　Clara pursed her lips, finally nodded, and turned to run into the mansion.

　Her figure disappeared behind the door, but Toppa's gaze followed her until the door was completely closed.

　"It seems my source was right..."

　Toppa straightened up, a hint of teasing in his voice, "An unbreakable bond has been formed between the large robot and the little girl... What a heartwarming story!"

　Schwarz's mechanical body rotated slightly, emitting a low hum. "That's the logo of 'Interstellar Peace Corporation.' Why are you here?"

　Topa shrugged, a sly smile playing on his lips.

　"It seems I can temporarily forget about all the formalities when talking to you, that's great."

　She paused, her tone suddenly turning serious, "Yarilo-VI—ah, are you familiar with this term? Anyway, it's about this planet beneath our feet—it's about to become the property of the 'Company'."

　Schwarz's mechanical body trembled slightly as he turned to look at White Dome and March 7.

　"And you two, since the people from Starry Sky Train and this lady from the company came together, does that mean you've chosen to side with the company?"

　Bai Qiong shook his head: "No, we're just bystanders. We came with Miss Topa because we were afraid something might go wrong. We're not taking sides for now..."

　Topa's tone carried an undeniable confidence: "Ignore them, their opinions are insignificant. I only care about one thing now: being as responsible as possible for the projects that pass through my hands. I want the company's shareholders to see the value that Arillow-VI can create."

　“In the long run, this is… no, only by doing this can we guarantee Belloberg’s long-term interests, and I need your assistance to achieve this goal.”

　Schwarzlo remained silent for a moment, his mechanical eyes flashing red.

　"'Long-term interests'—the concept is vague. The assessment intent is unclear..."

　His voice paused for a moment, then he said coldly, "Evaluation result: failure. Tell me, messenger—how do you intend to persuade the company's leadership?"

　Toppa smiled slightly and took out a data chip that was flashing with blue light from his pocket.

　"Simple, I'll show you something."

　"This is……!"

　Schwarzko's mechanical eye focused on the chip, his voice carrying a hint of awe.

　"'Source code'—more precisely, the 'source code' that grants unified control over all of Bellberg's mechanical units."

　Toppa's voice carried a hint of smugness. "You should know very well, right? For the past seven hundred years, all the mechs that Belloborg has manufactured have used the underlying systems left by 'The Company'. With such perfect code, the engineers here simply cannot think of any reason to replace it."

　Bai Qiong breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the chip Toppa had pulled out.

　If nothing unexpected happens, Topa will probably go with Swallow to find the arsenal.

　Toppa saw that none of the machines in the arsenal were being used. The Beloborgs had been resisting the Destroyer Legion for centuries with their own flesh and blood, so perhaps their mindset would change.

　At least that's how it was described in the original storyline...

　Even if it has a minor impact on Topa, it's good enough that it doesn't strain the relationship between the two sides too much.

　Schwarz's mechanical body trembled slightly, as if it were performing some kind of internal calculation.

　Topa continued, “You should also know that somewhere in this lower zone, there once stood a massive arsenal. There lay dormant many… many, many weapons, enough to crush the vanguard of an entire legion.”

　"This is my bargaining chip in negotiations with those above... and it might also become my bargaining chip in negotiations with that Great Guardian."

　Topa's voice carried a hint of fanaticism, "I need to convince them that Ariello-VI has a place in the company's long-term strategy. But first, I need a guide to tell me where those weapons are buried."

　Schwarzlo remained silent for a moment, his mechanical eyes flashing red.

　“I understand. The ‘long-term interests’ you mentioned can be defined as the survival of civilization at the macro level.”

　His voice was low and cold, "What are your plans for the humans living here today?"

　Topa's smile froze slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

　“Their future has already been bought out, and I can only try my best to help them accept this fact… in a relatively peaceful manner.”

　The red light in Schwarz's mechanical eyes suddenly intensified, and his voice carried a hint of oppression.

　“I understand… but I refuse to assist with your plan.”

　Topa's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a chill.

　"Oh? You're so stubborn? I thought you were like the rumors, a rational mechanical life form."

　Schwarzlo's voice was cold and firm: "The future you speak of is beyond my calculations. But my emotional readings tell me that your plans will only bring destruction, not survival."

　Topa's gaze sharpened, she sighed softly, and reached into her pocket...

　"It seems the only way is to teach Mr. Robot a lesson first!"

　……

　Wait a minute! Something's not right!

　Upon hearing the conversation between the two, Bai Qiong's expression suddenly changed.

　The world line has changed here too!

　In the original storyline, Schwarz agreed with Topa's idea, gave up resistance, and took Topa directly to the armory.

　Why do they sound like they're about to start a fight?!

Chapter Fourteen Accidental Injury

　Bai Qiong quickly stepped forward and grabbed Topa's hand. "Wait a minute, Miss Topa. I don't want you two to have a conflict. Can you both calm down?"

　Topa shrugged, his tone tinged with helplessness: "You saw it, this big guy started it. I originally wanted to have a proper discussion with him."

　Schwarzkopf's mechanical eyes flashed red, and his voice was deep and cold.

　“Mr. Bai Qiong, your actions are exceeding the threshold... If you insist on interfering, then I will have no choice but to consider you an enemy as well. Although I have a 96% chance of losing this battle, the future of Belloberg... is not to be violated!”

　"No, I said I'm not taking sides, Mr. Schwarz... Can't you be a little more rational? I just hope you guys don't fight."

　However, Schwarzschild did not answer White Dome's question. Instead, one of his raised mechanical arms emitted a dazzling red light...

　Seeing the tense atmosphere between the two sides, Bai Qiong felt helpless.

　It's difficult to resolve this peacefully; war is inevitable.

　Even after transmigrating, Schwarzkopf is still quick to get into fights at the drop of a hat, a workaholic type of person...

　In the game, it's because a BOSS module is easy to use repeatedly, so what's the reason here?

　Forget it, let's not delve into it further.