Translator: CinderTL
Rustle!
Rustle!!
Footsteps approached, crushing dry leaves underfoot.
"Surrender and disarm. Your lives will be spared."
The cold voice echoed from the lone black mecha.
Arcing light flickered, revealing glowing points within its diamond-shaped, fiberglass-like eyes, as if activating a recording device.
Simultaneously, the aircraft hovering above the forest opened its hatch, deploying several fully armed mechanical soldiers.
Thump! Thump!
Dull thuds reverberated as dry leaves scattered.
The humanoid mechanical soldiers, clad entirely in black, strode forward on metallic feet.
Red light pulsed from their specially designed, human-like eyes as their weapons automatically locked onto the occupants of the Jeep.
"Cough... cough..."
"Are you trying to humiliate us?"
The soldier identified as the captain coughed repeatedly, struggling to release his seatbelt, only to find it firmly locked.
He understood their intent: to record his men begging for mercy, thereby humiliating the empire and demoralizing its forces.
He had witnessed such tactics countless times before, well aware of the Taiduo Kingdom's treachery.
"You have three seconds," the black mecha pilot stated coldly, offering no further explanation.
The atmosphere thickened as the other soldiers in the Jeep gradually regained consciousness.
Sharp pain pierced their dazed minds, their vision spinning wildly.
"Three..."
"Two..."
"Kill us or shut up!" the middle-aged man, identified as the squad leader, roared, suppressing the pain in his lungs and cutting off the enemy's taunts.
Behind him, the warriors fully regained their senses.
Hesitation, apprehension, and resentment flickered in their eyes, yet remarkably, none begged for mercy or protested.
Whoosh!
Leaves rustled in mid-air as the aircraft's sonic boom stirred a gust of wind.
"Want to die?" The black-armored mecha pilot smirked coldly and gestured. "Then I'll grant your wish."
Thud-thud.
Heavy footsteps echoed as the encircling mechanical soldiers raised their gun barrels.
The black-armored mecha pilot cast a disdainful glance at the ancient empire's squad before turning away.
Watching his retreating figure and the surrounding gun barrels, several ancient empire soldiers closed their eyes in resignation, while others roared defiantly, facing the muzzles.
"Taiduo Kingdom scum! I'll—"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunshots erupted, tongues of fire spitting from the barrels.
The black-armored mecha pilot brushed past the mechanical soldiers, coldly crouched, preparing to launch into the air.
Just a few ancient empire soldiers to kill.
A second glance back would be a waste of time.
Hmm?
A chill ran through him as the mecha's central system suddenly blared frantic warnings.
Red text flashed across his vision. The black-armored mecha pilot's expression shifted slightly as he whipped around.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
A series of crisp metallic sounds rang out as the special bullets fired by the mechanical soldiers shattered mid-air.
Before they could react, a series of explosive booms erupted.
The surrounding mechanical soldiers shattered on the spot, metal fragments scattering in all directions.
A flash of golden-bronze light flickered across the detection module, causing the black mecha pilot's pupils to contract.
"You—"
Boom!!
The mecha exploded, exposing the pilot's flesh and blood to the air.
A massive, golden-bronze hand clamped around his neck, lifting him effortlessly with a single arm.
"So weak?" Pandor sneered, his gaze fixed on the pilot's pale face.
The pilot's indifference vanished, replaced by stark terror. The man inside the black mecha trembled, the towering figure before him seeming like a god or demon.
"You—"
He opened his mouth to speak, desperately trying to bargain for his life.
But before he could utter a word...
Boom!!
Flesh and blood erupted in a crimson spray.
The ancient empire soldiers in the Jeep witnessed the entire scene, their faces frozen in shock.
How could a mecha pilot capable of withstanding armored vehicles—a veritable human tank—be so easily annihilated in a single exchange?
Horrified, they watched as the aircraft above rotated its gun turret and unleashed a barrage of missiles.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The forest giants were instantly pulverized by the artillery fire, yet the golden-bronze figure stood motionless, neither flinching nor evading.
The crisp, metallic clang! clang! clang! clang! rang out again, each specialized bullet crumpling against his skin as if striking solid alloy.
"Is that all?" Pandor grinned, casually catching two missiles mid-flight.
Whir!
White vapor billowed from the missiles' exhaust nozzles.
The sight left everyone in stunned silence. The commander in the high-altitude aircraft felt a surge of terror and immediately ordered the activation of the Force Field defense, instructing the pilot to ascend rapidly and increase the distance.
Crack!
But it was too late.
Pandor crushed the missile with his bare hand, a burst of flame engulfing his flesh. Yet, with a single stomp of his foot, all flames and shockwaves vanished.
A circular white mist surged outward, its shockwave shaking the forest like an earthquake, penetrating rock and air.
Boom!
Like a cannon shot, Pandor's unscathed golden-bronze body vanished in a flash, soaring straight into the sky.
The empire soldiers in the overturned Jeep stared in stunned disbelief, frozen in place.
A moment later...
Boom!!
Flames erupted skyward, dyeing the vault crimson.
The two aircraft hovering above the forest exploded simultaneously, as if pierced by some indestructible object.
Alloy fragments rained down, scattering across the sky.
Burning wreckage, trailing thick black smoke, plummeted to earth.
Boom!!
Flames surged anew, the crackling of burning trees filling the air.
Witnessing this spectacle firsthand, the ancient empire warriors in the Jeep were shaken to their core, their minds reeling.
Is this even real?
Was their savior a Sixth-Tier Modified Human comparable to a star core-grade mecha? Or perhaps a powerful awakened?
Doubt and wonder swirled in their minds. Though rescued, this display of unfathomable power left them deeply unsettled.
Thud! Thud!
Footsteps echoed as the mysterious powerhouse reappeared, standing before them once more.
His towering frame stood nearly three meters tall, his bare upper body a mass of rippling muscles. Combined with his gleaming bronze skin, he gave the unsettling impression of being forged from some kind of alloy rather than flesh and blood.
Boom!
Pandor's foot lightly stomped the ground. The overturned Jeep shuddered violently, flipping halfway through the air before righting itself with a thud.
Its four wheels slammed back onto the ground, the explosion-proof glass windows shattered into jagged shards. Wisps of white smoke still drifted from under the hood, and the imperial soldiers inside stared blankly, struggling to regain their senses.
"C-Captain?" a soldier in the back seat whispered, his voice trembling as he eyed Pandor, who stood several meters away. The man's primal aura pressed down on them like a physical weight, as if they were standing on the edge of a cliff, daring not to make eye contact.
After a tense silence, Pandor's cold, impatient gaze pierced through the shattered explosion-proof glass. The slick-haired man in the passenger seat gritted his teeth and finally used his dagger to slash through his seatbelt.
Click!
Without acknowledging his subordinate, he opened the door, clutching his bloodstained camouflage-clad left shoulder as he staggered out of the Jeep.
"M-Master."
"Thank you for saving our lives," he said gratefully, his voice filled with awe.
If such a powerful being had truly harbored ill intentions, he could have simply ignored them earlier.
Even now, he could easily take their lives, as effortlessly as he had killed the mecha pilot.
"Oh?" Pandor raised an eyebrow, his previously impatient expression softening slightly.
Noticing his change in demeanor, the soldiers in the back gritted their teeth and began to disembark one by one, some supporting their injured comrades, others swaying as they stood. They spoke with equal reverence, expressing their sincere gratitude.
But this time, Pandor's massive, bronze-skinned frame shifted slightly as he respectfully stepped aside.
"You shouldn't thank me," he said.
Chen Feng, clad in a black trench coat, had materialized silently. His piercing gaze sent shivers down the spines of the imperial soldiers, who instinctively lowered their heads.
"This is my lord," Pandor announced. "He is the one who saved your lives."
Woom!
The warship soared through the sky, piercing through the cloud layer.
Like a colossal celestial beast descending from the heavens, its massive shadow blotted out the sun.
The Light Realm Barrier, resembling a blue honeycomb, perfectly shielded the vessel.
Floating turrets surrounded the warship, while smaller vessels and aircraft clustered around its flanks.
"Report! Initial warp complete! Only fifty kilometers remain to the border Fortress!"
"Defense module at third-level alert. Armament Module fully charged and ready!"
"Wind direction: southeast. Wind speed: fourth-level. Estimated arrival at the Fortress Zone in twenty minutes!"
Voices echoed through the central command chamber, accompanied by humanoid electronic tones emanating from the hovering smart light screens.
Upon closer inspection, the vast, silver-hued command chamber was constructed entirely from alloy and a type of fiberglass.
Blue magnetic light screens projected holographic displays, while fluorescent patterns etched into the chamber walls resembled charging circuits and energy transfer conduits.
Tap-tap-tap.
The crisp, rhythmic footsteps of Taiduo Kingdom elite soldiers in combat suits reverberated through the chamber.
Legion soldiers and Mecha Warriors, fully armed and armored, patrolled the alloy corridors, maintaining vigilance.
Military experts and warship engineers monitored data streams from the ship's various modules, conducting inspections and maintenance.
At the heart of the command chamber, near a specially designed silver-blue alloy seat, several figures stood respectfully, shielded by a light shield device that blocked all sound and movement.
"Lord Serik!"
The warship's commanding officer, a man in a General Star-grade military greatcoat, addressed the holographic projection on the massive light screen before them with utmost deference.
As the officer spoke, a humanoid projection materialized on the screen.
A figure stood before them, clad in white mecha adorned with golden patterns, mechanical wings of pure white extending from his back. Arcs of golden light radiated behind him, forming a halo, while his hair shone with a golden hue. The entire figure exuded the noble and awe-inspiring presence of a divine angel.
"Hmm, Gollier," the mecha pilot named Serik said with a calm nod. "It seems your operation is proceeding smoothly."
He then inquired about the warship's status.
"Master, we have reached fifty kilometers south of the Fortress," General Gollier, the legion commander and warship captain, replied solemnly, his voice ringing with loyalty. "We await only your command to strike the enemy's flank!"
They had deliberately bypassed a direct warp to the Fortress, opting instead for a surprise attack from the side.
"Excellent," Serik said with a slight nod, his expression remaining impassive, betraying neither joy nor anger.
After all reports were concluded, he casually asked a question unrelated to the immediate battle: "How is the situation in Cloud City?"
The warship's senior officers exchanged startled glances. General Gollier, the legion commander, was the first to recover, instantly understanding the true meaning behind the question.
"Master, before our departure, we completed the handover of garrison duties with the Seventh and Eighth Fleets and reinforced the defensive fortifications."
"If that Flamebringer dares to show his face again, we'll capture him in an instant," he declared in a deep voice, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
The defense of Cloud City's main city circle had been weak, leaving it vulnerable to attack.
The Flamebringer, suspected to be an SS-class flame-awakened, had seized the opportunity to slaughter indiscriminately, destroy warships, and utterly humiliate the ninth legion.
In response, Serik, the mecha pilot, nodded thoughtfully but asked no further questions.
Whirr!
In an instant, the projection dissolved into magnetic light.
The warship's high-ranking commanders exchanged puzzled glances before turning to the legion general at the head of the table.
"Lord Serik seems unusually concerned about this matter," they remarked curiously.
After all, Serik was the soul of the entire Taiduo Kingdom's military, one of the three most influential figures in the council, second only to the supreme leader.
"I heard Lord Serik personally intervened, but he arrived too late," one officer said.
"By the time the teleportation portal opened, the Flamebringer had already escaped," General Gollier added grimly, putting the others at ease.
Lord Serik's intervention was never unexpected.
This unique failure must have left a deep impression on him.
"Speaking of which, this guy's really good at hiding."
"A full year has passed since he vanished without a trace. Even the deep web can't detect his presence. Perhaps he fears Lord Serik and has fled into hiding, too afraid to show his face again," a high-ranking Warship officer analyzed, and the others nodded in agreement.
Gollier, too, nodded slightly, his expression conveying agreement.
After all, Lord Serik was the Legion War God of the Taiduo Kingdom.
He was recognized by Immeasurable-grade Mecha, a force even the ancient empire couldn't subdue. On the battlefield, he had single-handedly crushed multiple legions, a peerless warrior at the pinnacle of the world.
Compared to him, Flamebringer's displayed power, though terrifying—possibly even SS-class—still fell far short of Lord Serik's.
"Unless he hides for the rest of his life," General Gollier said coldly, "he will pay for his crimes in blood!" The other officers nodded in unison.
The massive Warship slowly advanced, piercing through the cloud layer.
With the Concealment module activated, all reflected light was subtly folded away, causing the entire fleet to vanish, blending seamlessly into the sky vault.
Buzz!
Finally, perhaps upon receiving a command, the concealed Warship opened its bay doors, sending ripples through the sky vault.
The silver-gray metal pod, resembling a vessel cleaving through water, was ejected from the ship, its tail flame streaking toward the ground.
The anti-gravity device activated in sync, dispersing the surrounding air into a conical wake.
Boom! Boom!
Seconds later, the pod landed with a muffled thud.
Most of the impact was absorbed by the internal light shield, and the alloy hatch slowly creaked open.
Hiss! Click!
Two squads of mechanical soldiers emerged, their bodies pitch-black and their eyes glowing crimson.
The two silver mecha pilots leading the squads exchanged glances. Fluorescent patterns lit up across their armor as they simultaneously activated their armament and concealment modules.
"What a nuisance," one of them muttered, sounding annoyed. "I thought we could go straight to the Fortress, but we had to deal with this detour."
His companion shook his head. "Enough complaining. Master Serik received these orders on short notice too."
Clank! Clank!
With heavy footsteps, he took the lead, the mechanical soldiers receiving his commands and synchronizing their movements.
"Twenty kilometers away, the entire Legion Squad was wiped out. Even the Light-Dust-grade mecha pilot couldn't escape."
"Since the Fortress is so concerned about this area and suspects anomalies, let's go investigate. See what's causing the commotion."
"Find out if it's the ancient empire or some wilderness people causing trouble."
(End of the Chapter)
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