The control room was in the Central Control Building.
It was the easiest building to find on this planet…provided you knew where you needed to head toward to reach it.
Since Soma knew where it was located, he moved his Mechanical puppet to head toward that direction.
The desert slowly faded into the familiar Mechanical landscape it had shown all this time, and soon, the city came into focus.
This city was right before the one that housed the Central Control Building, so it should be brimming with monsters.
But the city was quiet and squeaking clean of any monsters.
He suspected this was the work of humans, but Soma did not want to jump to conclusions.
Instead, Soma pulled himself down from the Mechanical Monkey's shoulder and decided to walk behind it.
Silence filled the city's streets, and Soma's gut told him something would happen.
"Haifa"
Someone jumped toward Soma's Mechanical beast while another attacked it from the other side.
"Attack from the right side. Do not let the monster go."
The likely leader of this rag-tag team yelled, trying to fight against the Mechanical Monkey.
"B-But boss! It is too huge. I don't think we can win against it."
The boss gritted his teeth in frustration.
He knew his subordinate was right, but the boss did not want to admit it.
"Tsk, since the situation is like this, we have no choice. Everyone, retreat and wait for our 'DPS' to come here. She will be able to take care of this monster."
The boss yelled at his subordinates, and Soma spotted a familiar face within the crowds.
Katherine found a team that would help her grow.
Unfortunately, Soma was not sentimental, so he had no problem becoming an obstacle for her and her new teammates.
He moved the Mechanical beast a bit, and everyone suddenly screamed as they lost their head.
"R-Run! The monster is getting up! Hurry! We need to get away."
The boss yelled and urged his subordinates to run away.
Soma considered this a win in his book and would have left it.
But the sharp bite of metal at his neck let Soma know that things would not be easy for him.
"Are you controlling that dead beast? Your aura does not feel like that of a necromancer, but I cannot allow you to live with such a dangerous ability at hand."
The lady's voice was deep and nasally when she spoke.
Soma felt he should not turn around to look at the other no matter what.
Still, he let his curiosity get the best of him.
Cold green eyes greeted Soma from a very familiar in front of him.
'O-Oh fuck! I am in so much trouble if this person is the one I know from the future.'
Soma's first instinct was to deny the allegations that had been leveled against him.
"I am not a necromancer, and that thing is not alive. I am not your enemy, Anglica."
Soma instantly knew that he fucked up when he called the blond by her name.
"You know who I am! And you can control dead objects. It does not matter if you are a necromancer or not. You are my enemy."
The blond lady attacked Soma, and her spear flashed with fire when she rushed toward Soma's body.
He dodged it, but Angelica was fast.
Soma knew about Angelica very well.
She had been one of the top 100 players in the tower and a great source of help for their side when the outer entities attacked them.
But she had another nickname she was more associated with - the goddess of vengeance.
Since Anglice was someone who had been born and raised in the tower before her inauguration as a player, quite a bit was known about her.
Especially about what happened to her village.
A necromancer had killed everyone in Angelica's village to get more bodies for his army.
And it all happened because the angel's blood flowed through her clan's body.
Rumor was that drinking the blood of the angel race greatly boosted one's mana capabilities, which was why they were sought after.
"Those who defy other's free will and seek to confide them should die. My powers will judge you now-"
Soma refused to succumb to Angelica's powers, so he pushed forward with his Icy Jewel.
The pendant shined brightly, but Soma was already over his shock by then.
His hesitance left his body, and Soma pushed forward, putting Angelica on defense now.
The sudden shift in tone baffled Angelica, and she looked at her trusted pendant with a betrayed look.
'Why did it not work? This pendant was crafted specifically to counter necromancers. Why would it not work on this man? Unless-!'
Angelica stopped fighting as soon as that thought came to her mind.
It was too late for Soma to stop once he noticed that Angelica was not moving.
His sword cut through her shoulder, causing red to flow out of her body.
"Angelica, what are you doing? You are the backbone of our group! You cannot stop in the middle and get injured like this."
The leader complained and quickly jumped out of his hiding spot to look at Angelica.
"Tsk, stop being a drama queen. This small injury will head as soon as I take a potion. But more importantly, what the heck are you? You control that dead body like a necromancer, and yet, my necklace is telling me that you are not one. So, what are you?"
Angelica asked with a scary voice.
The force she used to bring her spear down and crack the metallic floor in agitation made many steps back in fear.
As for Soma, this was a familiar scene he remembered from the past.
The Angelica of the past has been just as baffled as the present one was when she faced Soma.
So, Soma also decided to give her the same answer he had given last time.
"Who cares who and what I am? All you need to know is that I am not your enemy. Now, I will head out."
Soma pulled his strings, and the dead body of the Mechanical Monkey came to life.
Other humans took a step back as the monkey moved.
They were terrified to get crushed underneath the monster's giant paws.
"Wait! Where are you heading toward? That side is beyond dangerous to go to! I-I advise that you join our gang and help us out. What do you say? You will get all the benefits, and I will also make you a high-ranking member."
The boss proposed once he noticed that Soma would not hurt them.
Having a powerful ally that could use the enemy's corps was a good idea.
'Well, it will be risky to have both him and Angelica on the same team, but I think I can manage somehow-'
"No. I have no intention of joining any party. And even if I did, I have a better one I can join once we reach the floors and guilds start recruiting us."
Soma informed the boss, causing the man to muffle a yell.
Angelica was somehow not shocked that this man knew about the guilds.
"W-Wait! Hey, can I come with you as well, Soma? W-We are from the same place, and I have gotten stronger. I assure you that I will not hold you back-"
"No. You will just be a burden to me."
Soma walked away, not even bothering to hear Katherine out.
He knew people like Katherine and how easily they got attached to anyone who helped them.
Katherine was the kind of player who needed support and a group to grow and thrive.
She needed a firm hand and guidance from someone who could bring her potential out.
But that 'someone' was not Soma.
He did not have it to get to know someone intimidated in this cycle.
"So, you are a lone wolf, huh? Since you won't take the human girl, what about me? I am much stronger than her and much more useful. What do you say about teaming up with me?"
"A-Angelica, what are you saying? Are you abandoning us for someone like 'that'? You need to stay with us and protect us."
The boss quickly reminded Angelica, and he also acted pathetic to get her sympathy.
It had worked once, so he was sure it would work again.
"No. I do not want constant companionship now. I am content with my status of being alone."
Soma shot Angelica down as well.
She was the one who took the rejection the best.
"I see. Since you rejected me, I will not press this issue. However, I will keep an eye on you and your intentions in the future."
Soma's eyes clashed with Angelica's before he tugged the Mechanical Monkey to extend its paw to him, and he got on.
Katherine continued to look at Soma with a hopeful expression the whole time he was there, but Soma ignored her.