22. The Devil

The system's voice echoed in Li Nuo's ears. Since it was a solo mission, he was the only one who could hear it.

"My car is broken... but I'm missing the parts to fix it. If I could only get back home..." Emil’s tone gradually slowed, tinged with helplessness. "But I can't find where home is anymore."

"Alright."

Li Nuo acknowledged the request. A vehicle repair mission, then...

He stood up and walked over to the vehicle. The body was dented, a wheel was skewed, and the cargo had spilled out from the rack at the back, scattering across the ground.

He picked up a few items that looked like chips. Checking them revealed that they could be placed into the inventory, but Li Nuo dared not do so rashly.

"Give me a moment, it's a solo side quest," he said, turning to the two people behind him and holding up five fingers. "Five minutes is all I need. If it doesn't work out, we'll just continue on our way."

He frowned, his mind beginning to race.

The mission level was between 16 and 45, showing a massive fluctuation.

A level 45 mission was beyond the standard difficulty threshold, which likely corresponded to the intended completion method in the original game. In the original plot, one had to enter the underground area, traverse regions filled with high-level enemies, and endure great hardship to finally find Emil’s home.

In theory, that was how it worked.

But the series of events that had occurred so far led Li Nuo to a bold hypothesis: in the Endless Corridor, the mission level was merely a symbolic indicator. It told you the most direct and effective method, but beyond that, there were "unofficial" paths to take.

Just like in many games where players could use glitches to reach late-game maps early and obtain legendary weapons, returning to the starting area to steamroll through the content.

Perhaps the "unofficial" path was the level 16 difficulty.

With this in mind, Li Nuo asked, "Emil, did you build this car yourself?"

Emil hopped once in lieu of a nod. "Yes."

"Then, if I find parts that can be substituted—even if they aren't exactly what you expected—can you fix it?"

"It’s not that I haven't tried... but the parts here are all broken."

I see...

Li Nuo had a sudden realization.

Anyone who had read the short story "Emil’s Memories" related to *NieR* would know that Emil constantly built new bodies for himself. He had fashioned himself into armored vehicles and pickup trucks; the only thing that never changed was that round, bobbing head of his.

Yes, Emil’s body was the vehicle itself.

Li Nuo was often idle, so he had plenty of time to waste. As for how he wasted it, he chose the endless consumption of "useless" knowledge. This resulted in a comprehensive radiation of knowledge; to play games, he would sometimes read every single line of the game’s lore books and original novels. Through a shallow memory technique, he would store the content as fragmented information in the folds of his brain.

He knew everything there was to know about Emil.

"So, why don't you try changing your body?" Li Nuo asked.

"But I need parts, a drive mechanism. It's only found in the factory, but I can't get in there anymore," Emil said.

He couldn't get into the factory?

Li Nuo noted this key piece of information, thinking to himself that if he asked further, Emil would likely list the materials needed, which would force them to go searching for those damn things. He couldn't let that happen.

"I have a way," Li Nuo said, walking toward the three-wheeled vehicle.

At this point, Chen Shou and Margie, who had been listening from behind, seemed to have caught on. Was he going to give the three-wheeler to this hidden boss?

But it wasn't what they expected.

Li Nuo reached into the bag on the passenger seat and took out the [Worn-out Pedal]. He handed the rusted pedal to Emil.

Emil looked blank. "I, I don't understand."

*Yeah, I don't understand either,* Chen Shou thought to himself.

Li Nuo said, "You can use this as a starting system and revert to the most primitive pedal-powered tricycle."

After a few seconds of silence, Emil suddenly hopped. "It could work! It’s an emergency solution, but the vehicle’s appearance will have to change. I’ll have to build myself a new body."

"Will the speed change?" Li Nuo asked. He was very concerned about this; if possible, he really wanted to use Emil’s vehicle for transportation.

Emil replied, "Using the pedals to drive the engine means I won't have to change the speed. At least, I won't get tired using it."

Li Nuo was stunned. What kind of black technology was this!

Emil looked at the pedal and said, "However... your pedal is too old. I need to find something to assemble it."

"Ah... no need. I have a way," Li Nuo said, opening his inventory panel and taking out the [Repair Light Powder].

Although called "powder," it actually looked like a palm-sized hammer. He weighed it in his hand. The property of [Repair Light Powder] was that it could repair bound equipment and simple devices. It certainly couldn't fix Emil’s vehicle, but if it was just the pedal, it shouldn't be a problem.

He held the hammer and turned to the two behind him. "Do you know how to use this?"

Margie shook his head. Chen Shou shook his head.

"Then let's take a guess." Li Nuo raised the hammer and smashed it hard onto the pedal!

*Bang!* A few specks of golden powder splashed out.

*As expected... it's smashing again... any normal person would choose to tap it with a hammer... but why do I feel it's only natural that he would do this...* These thoughts floated through Chen Shou’s brain like a banner. In his eyes, Li Nuo had been firmly labeled as a "freak."

"Ahhh! What are you doing?!" Emil was frightened by Li Nuo’s actions, feeling confused and somewhat troubled.

Just then, the pedal emitted a white light—not blinding, but bright—and when the light faded, it had been restored to perfect condition.

Emil placed the pedal on his head, overjoyed. "Thank you!"

He hopped over to the broken vehicle with the pedal, and then the three of them witnessed what could only be described as magic.

"Done, it's fixed!"

The broken blue tin car changed in an instant. Emil jumped onto it and muttered to himself, "I have to screw myself tightly into the driver's seat... and then..."

[Side Quest Completed]
[Help Emil]
[Mission Level: Lv16]
[Mission Rewards: Emil’s Mask, Inventory Slot Expansion *2, 2500 Experience Points]

When the system’s settlement sound played, Emil jumped off the tricycle. He rolled behind the frame and, through some unknown method, produced a mask that looked exactly like his own face, complete with a small satchel attached to it.

"Thank you! As a token of my gratitude, please take this commemorative mask and bag!"

Emil held the rewards out to Li Nuo. He reached out and touched the satchel, triggering a system panel:

[Personal Inventory Slots +2]

At the same time, Li Nuo opened his personal inventory; the number of slots had increased from six to eight. He then took the mask and scanned the item information. He didn't rush to equip it; there was a special mission reward he wanted to see if he could get his hands on.

Li Nuo held the mask in his hand, bringing it up to eye level, shaking it twice as if scrutinizing it, then frowned.

"What’s wrong? You don't like my gift?" Emil asked with concern.

"No, I like it very much... it's just..."

Li Nuo trailed off. At first, he didn't know Emil would trigger a side quest. The reason he had been so happy when he saw the tin car buried under the pile of stones was because he had his eyes on something much more important.

"Emil, can you lend me your car?"

Emil lowered his head and stuttered, "I, I refuse..."

Li Nuo sat cross-legged, facing Emil, staring intently into those two white, hollow eyes. He asked in a casual tone, "Why?"

Standing behind, Chen Shou heard Li Nuo ask "why" and thought, *Isn't that obvious? He already gave you the reward, and you still want the car?*

But the next instant, he felt his whole body tense up, thinking of something that ordinary people wouldn't do, but certain specific types of people might... *Li Nuo isn't planning to just snatch it, is he?*

After a moment of hesitation, Emil finally answered, "I need to go home, and besides, I need the vehicle to transport the goods I'm selling."

"So your home is very far away?" Li Nuo knew the answer, but he had to pretend he didn't.

"Yes."

Li Nuo pointed at the "cargo" on the ground and asked suspiciously, "Then... have you sold any of these things?"

"No, there are no customers..."

"I see. Your home is far away, but you still come here to peddle these goods that have no buyers. Then, Emil, what is the meaning of selling these goods for you? Or..." Li Nuo paused, leaned on his cane as he stood up, looked at the blue tin car that had turned into a tricycle, and smiled kindly. "What is the meaning of this vehicle to you?"

"Meaning..." Emil pondered the word. Strangely, one could see the word "thinking" written all over that face that couldn't even make expressions.

Li Nuo sat back down cross-legged in front of Emil, this time even closer. "Can't think of it?"

Emil shook his head from side to side.

Looking at that large head, Li Nuo thought: *Of course you can't, the settings force you to do this.*

"I know the reason."

Emil looked at Li Nuo, asking stutteringly, "Wh... what reason?"

Li Nuo reached out and placed his hand on Emil’s smooth, round head, a gentle curve forming at the corners of his mouth.

"You want friends."

*Friends! What kind of crazy development is this!* Chen Shou’s mind was full of bewilderment, but a shred of reason was still suppressing his restless urge to retort.

"Friends..." Emil’s tone held hesitation, but one could also feel a sense of recognition.

"Yes, friends."

Li Nuo gently stroked Emil’s metal head and continued to explain, "You live alone, one year, two years, three years, until you forget how much time has passed. You want to find companions to talk to, so you left your nest and set out on a purposeless search for someone to keep you company. And the goods on this cart are merely tools for communication. By playing the role of a 'merchant,' you can reach more people."

"In order to... reach more... companions?" Emil asked, as if answering himself.

Li Nuo didn't give him any extra time to think, immediately pointing at the ground. "But here, in these ruins, it's impossible to find companions, because these machine lifeforms are a group of creatures that don't yet possess the ability to think fully."

Emil stared at Li Nuo, silent as a toy that couldn't move or speak, and Li Nuo went silent after he finished speaking.

A few seconds later, Emil spoke up: "Then... what should I do?"

Chen Shou was dumbfounded. He turned to Margie, who had been watching the show, and asked in a listless, low voice, "Brother Ma... is this a pyramid scheme?"

Facing Emil’s question, Li Nuo’s gaze revealed a visible trace of kindness and sincerity.

"There is a place where many people can become your friends."

"Where?" This question ignited Emil’s anticipation.

Li Nuo pointed toward the road they had traveled. "The gathering place for androids, the Resistance Camp."

Emil hesitated upon hearing about the Resistance Camp. "I know that place, but... but will they accept me? After all, my appearance is... very strange..."

"Accept you? That’s easy to handle."

Li Nuo smiled. "On that road, there was a member of the Resistance who was attacked by machine lifeforms and fell into a coma. We saved him. If you take that person to the camp and explain clearly that we saved him and entrusted you with his escort, I believe those kind-hearted androids will accept you."

"Can I really?" Emil asked.

Li Nuo stood up with his cane, brushed the dirt off his body, and leaned down toward Emil with a smile. "I guarantee it."

Chen Shou’s expression was already numb.

"If you have friends," Li Nuo said, tilting his head with a smile, "Emil, in that case, do you still need your car and the cargo on it?"

Emil: "I won't need them anymore."

Margie chuckled. "This isn't a pyramid scheme."

Chen Shou nodded. "Yeah, it’s the devil."