Robot Protection Zone Chapter 44

Thwack.

With a dull sound, the humanbot was struck by something and collapsed.

I froze on the spot. My trembling eyes turned toward the door.

A man was standing there. A man with a half-balding head and a protruding belly, his eyes gleaming with greed, but now with a strong anger mixed in as well.

“I told you to watch him so he couldn’t escape…”

“M-master…”

“Instead, you’re helping him escape? You defective piece of junk…!”

The man shouted at the humanbot in a rough voice. The humanbot, who had collapsed and was struggling to get up, called out to him as if pleading, but the man once again kicked him violently.

My breath caught at the sight unfolding right before my eyes. I thought I had to help the humanbot, but my body wouldn’t listen. The strength drained from my legs, which were barely holding me up, and I sank to the floor.

I placed my trembling hands on the floor and looked up at the man. He was still glaring at the humanbot with a face full of anger, but then he noticed me, trembling in fear, and let out a sneer.

“Well, whatever. I’ve finally gotten my hands on a proper humanbot now.”

An eerie smile formed on the man’s lips.

“I wonder what expression Spencer will make when he realizes his precious robot has disappeared. Haha!”

He uttered my master’s name and laughed for a long time as if he were enjoying himself. I looked up at him, my body stiff, trembling helplessly.

I could see the open door behind the man. But no matter how much I wracked my brain, I couldn’t think of a way to escape.

Even if I did succeed in escaping, the humanbot left here would have to pay the price for helping me. The moment that thought occurred to me, I became even more unable to move.

“When I think of Spencer who humiliated me, I ought to ruin you to be satisfied, but…”

The man’s rough fingertips, as he bent his knees to meet my gaze, slowly stroked my cheek. Goosebumps broke out all over my body.

“Now that you’re in my hands, I’ll cherish you from now on. Don’t worry, I won’t erase your memories.”

Hearing the man say he wouldn’t erase my memories, I felt relieved without realizing it, but then a question arose. Come to think of it, the man hadn’t erased that humanbot’s memories after taking him either. I asked in a trembling voice.

“Why… are you not erasing the memories…?”

As if he had been waiting for me to ask, the man immediately replied with a sly smile.

“Because it’s more fun that way?”

Seeing my face turn pale, he laughed as if he were even more amused.

A sense of dread crushed my entire body. At this rate, just as this man said, I might have to live in despair, missing my master for the rest of my life, unable to return to him. The thought that I might never see my master again brought tears welling up in my eyes.

“A dog collar?”

The man, who had been laughing at me for a while, noticed the red leather collar around my neck and frowned. A sudden wave of anxiety washed over me, and I covered the collar with my hands and curled up my body.

“He calls himself the CEO of a famous robot company, yet his taste is quite poor.”

“Ah!”

The man finally grabbed the collar and pulled it roughly. The red leather collar was torn off in one go by the brutal force. I reached out my hand to get the collar back, but the man grabbed my neck roughly, stopping me.

As his large hand squeezed my neck, my breath was choked off. But the thought of not letting him take the collar made me struggle desperately.

“G-give it back…!”

“Throw this tacky thing away. I’ll find you something more suitable.”

The man threw the collar on the ground. Then he stomped on it with his dirt-covered shoes.

Crunch. Watching the red leather collar being mercilessly trampled under the dirty shoe, its shape distorting, I froze. The first collar my master had ever gifted me was being destroyed to pieces.

Every time the dull sound echoed, my heart ached as if my own chest were being trampled. Watching the collar being destroyed, I could no longer resist. Even the will to escape scattered like dust.

Fear gradually crept in, and my whole body trembled. Tears welled up, but now I didn’t even have the strength to hold them back. I just couldn’t see any hope of escaping from this place, from that man.

—Thud.

Just then, a commotion was heard from outside the door. The man seemed to have noticed it too, as the strength in the hand gripping my neck lessened.

He turned to look at the door with a scowl.

“There shouldn’t be anyone coming today…”

The man muttered as if something was strange and let go of my neck. As soon as I was free from the man’s grasp, I coughed violently.

“Stay put.”

Click.

I heard the sound of the door being locked as the man left the room after leaving a warning. The sound of footsteps grew more distant and then disappeared completely. It seemed he wouldn’t be back for a while.

I caught my breath and belatedly checked on the humanbot’s condition. He had been hit hard and rolled on the floor, but thankfully, he didn’t seem to have any severe injuries.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes… I’m sorry, I should have hurried so you could have escaped sooner…”

The humanbot struggled to his feet and bowed his head apologetically.

A distinct bruise was spreading across one side of his face. Come to think of it, my whole body was aching too. My throat stung every time I spoke because the man had choked me just now, and it even hurt to breathe.

My whole body was in bad shape. I had no idea how I had been moved here after my power was turned off, and as time passed, the pain, as if I had been beaten, grew steadily worse. As I was checking my body’s condition and taking shallow breaths, it suddenly became noisy outside.

—Aargh!

A faint scream was heard from far away. The humanbot and I both flinched in surprise and stiffened. There were no windows here, so we couldn’t see what was happening outside at all. Because of that, we couldn’t even guess what was going on or whose scream that was.

In a state of tension, we quietly held our breath. I wonder how long we were like that. The sound of footsteps approaching from outside the door grew closer, and then the presence stopped in front of the door.

Is he back already?

I stared at the firmly closed door with anxious eyes. The sound of the lock being undone cut through the silence. The humanbot and I held our breath together. Soon, the door slowly opened, and a familiar face appeared beyond it.

“Master…?”

Bright blond hair that shone with presence even in the darkness and piercingly cold blue eyes. A chillingly stiff expression scanned the dark room.

It really was my master.

My face, which had been frozen with fear, brightened up. But as soon as my master found me trapped in the room, his expression hardened, and he scowled fiercely.

Only then did I realize what a state I was in. I was dirty from rolling and falling on the floor, my clothes were covered in dust, and my whole body was a wreck. I must have looked very shabby in my master’s eyes.

I hastily straightened my clothes and brushed the dust off my body.

“Didi, get up.”

My master commanded me. His deeply subdued voice sounded like he was suppressing his anger, so I hurriedly tried to get up. But my legs, which had lost their strength, wouldn’t obey.

As I staggered just trying to stand up, my master, who had quickly approached, grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet in one go. I was forced to stand as if pulled up by his rough strength.

“Can you walk?”

“Yes…”

Feeling the sharp edge in my master’s low voice, I nodded for the time being. My master looked to be in a very bad mood, so I had to walk even if I couldn’t.

My master noticed the wound on my face and frowned even more.

“I’ll have to take you to Thomas.”

My master went out of the room first, as if telling me to follow. But I couldn’t take a step and hesitated, then called out to my master.

“Master, just a moment…!”

Only then did my master stop and look back at me.

“That humanbot is hurt too…”

“……”

My master’s gaze turned to the humanbot my finger was pointing at. Soon after, my master’s face contorted into a deep scowl. As the fierce gaze turned to him, I could feel the humanbot flinch in fright.

I should tell him it’s okay, that he isn’t a bad person… But I, too, was so scared of my master that I couldn’t open my mouth.

Tsk. My master clicked his tongue.

“You, follow too.”

After saying that, my master started walking again. I helped the humanbot to his feet, then hurriedly followed my master.

As I followed my master out of the building, I saw police officers surrounding the area. I heard harsh profanity from somewhere and turned my head, and my eyes fell on the man being forcibly pushed into a police car.

“Spencer! Do you think you’ll get away with humiliating me like this? Just wait until I get out…!”

The man shouted at my master, grinding his teeth. But my master was unperturbed even after hearing those words.

“Do you think I would handle things that foolishly?”

“What…?”

“For several years, you’ve been doing dirty things behind my back while doing business with my company. And on top of that, drug trafficking? I kindly organized the evidence and handed it over to the police and reporters, and they were very pleased.”

“W-wait, how did you…”

Only then did the man seem to grasp the situation. His face turned deathly pale in an instant.

“I-I was wrong! Let’s talk… Aargh!”

With that desperate cry, the police forcibly pushed the man into the car. The man’s short scream was heard one last time, and the door closed.

For a moment, I felt like our eyes met. I hid behind my master’s back and quietly held my breath.