The Dragon Bone Soldier android, proposed by D City, boasted impressive specifications: an AI capable of smooth communication and rapid situational analysis, durability that could withstand large-caliber machine gunfire, strength enough to lift a car, and telepathic-like communication capabilities.

It was nearly at the level of a B-grade hero, yet the most shocking part was the price. D City was offering these androids for just $199 each. In comparison, the Iblisroid, which Iblis Corporation planned to offer, would be priced at $1,099. At such a low price, it was impossible for D City to make a profit. They were clearly positioning themselves aggressively in the market, almost as if daring competitors into a price war.

Predictably, Boss had no interest in playing chicken with D City.

“What’s the plan, Boss?” I asked.

“We’re already selling at a loss... improving performance or cutting the price further is out of the question,” Boss replied.

“So, are we abandoning W City?”

“We have no choice. It’s surprising, though. I never expected anyone to create an android superior to yours.”

“No, this isn’t my best work,” I stammered. “I was merely optimizing within a restricted budget—”

“Okay, okay! I misspoke!” Boss cut me off, realizing he’d hit a nerve.

I wasn’t actually upset. Boss was right, after all; he’d simply stated a fact.

“D City’s Dragon Corporation, huh?” I muttered.

Instinctively, I navigated to the Dragon Corporation’s website. Their security was as open as a door left ajar, and I quickly realized I could access their confidential files. As they say, if they didn’t want anyone peeking inside, they should’ve locked it.

I dove in, browsing their secret archives like a fish in water. Amid countless files that could likely get someone killed if made public, one item captured my interest: the Dragon Bone Soldier.

This android, which had already taken over security duties in W City, was supposedly some miraculous bang-for-your-buck robot. As I sifted through the data, however, I stopped, perplexed.

“What... is this?” I asked, rereading the data in disbelief.

No matter how many times I checked, the numbers didn’t change.

“This is a scam.”

As a scientist, I could state with certainty that Dragon Corporation’s claims about the Dragon Bone Soldier’s specs were utterly bogus. It couldn’t possibly perform as advertised. And yet, these androids were already active in W City, providing security.

The implication was clear: either the data before me was a lie, or the android wasn’t an android at all. My gut told me it was the latter.

“So, you want permission to investigate D City’s androids?” Boss asked, raising an eyebrow. “Didn’t you say you were done with W City? This level of persistence is unseemly.”

The easiest route had been blocked. Boss seemed to think I was obsessing over my loss and didn’t want to let it go.

Annoyed but undeterred, I decided to investigate discreetly, keeping it from Boss. I had no choice. As a scientist, I couldn’t let them sell something that wasn’t true science.

I kept my plans quiet, even from Vera, who always talked about wanting to take Boss down. Instead, I asked Leviathan if she wanted to accompany me to W City.

“Hoo-eeeh?! E-Tan, what did you say?”

“I asked if you’d come with me to W City.”

“I’ll pack right away!”

Leviathan soon returned, dragging along an overstuffed suitcase. I shot her a curious glance before we headed off to W City, with her driving.

Despite her erratic driving skills, Leviathan managed to get us there without any major incidents, but the nerve-wracking sudden stops and quick lane changes were enough to rattle my nerves.

“Leviathan, watch out!”

“Relax!”

Dodging and weaving between lanes, Leviathan managed to get us to W City in record time, though it felt like I’d left my sanity on the highway.

‘I’m driving next time…’

Still shaken, I climbed out of the car, savoring the feeling of solid ground beneath my feet.

Suddenly, someone approached me, handing me a bottle of water.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“Yes, thank you…”

As I gulped down the water, I looked him over. He was wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying an automatic rifle. At first, I assumed he was military or police, but then I noticed the letters “DBS-33” on his vest and froze.

“You’re…”

“Dragon Bone Soldier 33,” he said, nodding politely.

So, this was the Dragon Bone Soldier. Its AI was supposed to be capable of natural conversation, and indeed, I hadn’t realized it wasn’t human until I saw the word “Dragon” on its uniform.

At the same time, I became sure it wasn’t an android. There was none of that robotic presence or aura you’d get from androids with advanced AI. Instead, this felt more like a bioweapon, akin to Leviathan or Galrm.

“Leviathan, get behind me,” I whispered.

“Yes, right away…”

“There’s no need to be so wary,” said the Soldier. “We Dragon Bone Soldiers are here to ensure the safety of W City. We won’t harm anyone who doesn’t threaten the peace.”

I maintained eye contact with the Soldier as I considered a way to test if he was truly not an android.

“What if we were villains?”

“In that case, I would escort you to the Hero Association. However… neither of you are registered in the Association’s database.”

“Yes, that’s because we’re law-abiding citizens,” I replied smoothly.

With that, I hacked into the Hero Association’s database and briefly flagged our faces as villains before removing the tags within 0.1 seconds—a span that only a biological entity could miss.

As expected, 33 showed no reaction. Caught you, faker.

“Say, would you help us load some donations?” I asked.

“Of course. We’re equipped to handle heavy loads, even entire vehicles.”

I led 33 away from prying eyes and signaled Leviathan. Sharp as ever, she knocked 33 out in an instant.

“Well done, Leviathan.”

“Heh, thanks! But why did you want him knocked out?”

“There’s something I want to confirm.”

With some effort, I loaded 33 into the trunk. Despite my resolve never to ride with Leviathan again, I had little choice this time.

“Let’s head back, Leviathan.”

“What, already?”

“Yes, I found what I needed.”

“Oh, alright…”

I buckled up as Leviathan gunned the engine, her eyes sparkling at the chance to earn some praise.

“You too?”

I nodded.

With that, Leviathan revved the engine and sped off.

A few hours later, I sat in my lab, dissecting the Dragon Bone Soldier I’d brought back. It wasn’t an android at all but a bioengineered being, incorporating something very much alive at its core.

This wasn’t just an android; it was an entirely different class of being. As I examined the energy source embedded in its chest, I remembered Arima’s necklace, with that gem that radiated power surpassing even nuclear energy.

I was starting to see the connections, and if I was right, these Dragon Soldiers were more closely related to the dragons of legend than any machine.

“Leviathan, let’s go faster!”

With that, our vehicle rocketed down the road, carrying our new discovery back to the lab.