The Legendary Mechanic, page 193
One such monster was the Huge Acidic Flying Beetle with a wingspan of more than a hundred meters that would not die even after taking more than a dozen rail cannon shots. It was able to shoot out corrosive acid from its mouth, sticking onto the shield of the battleship and sizzling with smoke. One of this monster could be dealt with easily, but they appeared in groups, and the firepower of the camp could not match up. So, the shield of a battleship was broken, and its exterior armor was damaged. It was forced to descend and undergo emergency repairs.
“What did the monsters on this planet eat‽”
The mercenaries were in shock. Monsters with a hundred-meter wingspan were almost as large as Sunil’s smaller battleships. This was just a wild animal on a planet, but it had grown into something comparable to a battleship. Such an enormous monster did not even require the ground scouting team; the reconnaissance aircraft could locate it directly.
Missiles exploded deafeningly in the sky nonstop. Suddenly, an alarm sounded from within the defense ring—it was an emergency announcement.
“Prepare for impact! Prepare for impact! Mountain Beasts have been detected and are closing in. Estimated to arrival is 14 minutes. All soldiers, get ready. High Energy Concentrated Particle Cannon, begin charging!”
At the fifth defense ring, the ground cracked open, showing a metallic, fearsome, and extremely complex cannon. Its muzzle was a hexagon, and it was embedded into the hollow Particle Stabilization Device, like a cannon being divided into sections. Han Xiao’s mechanical suit immediately released a high energy reaction warning as a light started to appear in the muzzle of this enormous cannon.
This High Energy Concentrated Particle Cannon was a scrap product spat out from the central wormhole of the Shattered Star Ring, a galactic-level war weapon, and it was unknown which higher civilization it came from. It had been picked up by scavengers for sales, and the Sunils had spent a huge sum to buy it. This was what they had learned from the huge loss they suffered from the first Catastrophe—they had to have a trump card against strong beasts.
Although it was a scrap product, it had cost the Sunils a fortune. It had technology protection from a higher civilization, could not be repaired or studied, and could only be used. Every shot required a large amount of energy, which was precious on Planet Sunil. Every shot meant burning away a large amount of fortune, as their energy technology naturally did not match up to higher civilization’s. It had to take a long time to charge up before firing, so they only used this enormous cannon when they met the most fearsome monsters.
The Sunils had explored this planet for more than ten years, and they had recorded a large number of beasts in their database. Mountain Beasts were one of the monsters at the very top. Strong beasts were all diverted away by the frontline combat troops, so the appearance of this Mountain Beast meant that they had failed.
Han Xiao was surprised. He casually penetrated an approaching Thunder Leopard, turned around to look at the High Energy Concentrated Particle Cannon, and felt like he was almost drooling.
This feeling of butterflies in my stomach…
Chapter 349. Shocking the Entire Race! (1) |
The ground tremored.
In the distance, the forest collapsed as an enormous beast slowly approached, like a looming, moving mountain. Although the mercenaries knew about the Mountain Beast from the database illustration, many of them were still shocked.
“Such a gigantic creature!”
The Mountain Beast had four feet as thick as buildings and a long tail. Its thick stone-like scales provided a sturdy defense along with the large mud yellow shell on its back like a tortoiseshell. Its head looked like a shovel—a protruding lower jaw and eyes hidden between the gaps of its stone shell—creating an aura of fierceness. Actually, the Mountain Beast was a very gentle animal; its favorite pastime was to disguise itself as a mountain and sleep. Only because of the effect from the psychic wave did it become abnormally grumpy and aggressive.
Adult Mountain Beasts stood about 150 to 200 meters tall—in comparison, Sunils were like ants.
The battleships in the sky fired at the Mountain Beast from far away, and six or seven shots from the Electromagnetic Rail Cannon hit its body, shattering large areas of its stone shell. However, the attacks did not hurt its flesh—the defense of the Mountain Beast was truly astonishing.
These shots enraged it, and it let out a growl, which sounded like a moo. Its tail thrust into the ground, rolling up a huge pile of mud mixed with trees. As its tail tightened, this pile of mud became much denser. Swinging its tail, the pile of mud shot out like a cannon, containing the power of a Mountain Beast—its energy was terrifying.
Even Han Xiao could not see the flying pile of mud clearly. He could only see a phantom that disappeared in an instant.
The shield of the battleship flashed, and the clod exploded on the ground. Electric arcs rippled through the entire shield, and cracks spread rapidly. This hit almost penetrated the shield, and the battleship increased its energy output urgently—only then did the shield recover to its original state.
Seeing that its attack was not effective, the Mountain Beast rolled up another pile of mud. It could still use this attack hundreds more times, but the energy of the battleship was finite.
“High Energy Concentrated Particle Cannon charging complete. The target has entered the firing range. Firing in five, four, three, two, one… fire!”
A bright cream white beam hurtled out of the cannon. Its diameter was at least four meters, yet it flashed across thousands of meters in the blink of an eye, penetrating the Mountain Beast’s carapace with ease. When it pierced into its abdomen, a chain of explosions erupted in its body.
Boom!
The explosion shook the ground!
A thick leg was sent flying, and a large hole opened up in the front half of the Mountain Beast, allowing blood to rush down like a waterfall. With a scream that shot through the sky, it fell onto the ground.
The High Energy Concentrated Particle Cannon was a weapon used between the battleships of very high-class civilizations. The astonishing shot immediately injured such a gigantic Beast heavily—this was the Sunil race’s current trump card. The sight of the beam raised the soldiers’ morale through the roof, and they quickly suppressed their exhaustion, fighting against the beast wave even harder.
“What a horrifying weapon.” Han Xiao’s eyes were shining as he suppressed his desire. This was a weapon that could only be gained in the later stages—he could not learn it with his current knowledge level. He would only have the chance to build a weapon of such a level if he kept growing.
The Particle Cannon did not retract, and it started charging again. The broadcast sounded once again. This Mountain Beast was not the only one—two more strong monsters were approaching. Soon after, they appeared in the soldiers’ sight. One was a flying monster that looked very similar to a dragon, a Lava Lizard, which lived in volcanic environments, had a hundred-meter wingspan, and was protected by ferocious scales. This was much harder to deal with than Acidic Flying Beetle of the same size—not only was its carapace strong and hard, it could also spit lava.
The other was a terrestrial creature, the King Predator. It looked like a tiger and a leopard covered in scales like a suit of armor. Although it was only thirty meters tall, it was even more dangerous than the Mountain Beast due to its incredible agility. Unlike the Mountain Beast, which was like a sitting duck, its movement was fast as lightning, therefore difficult to lock onto.
It could easily break through the lines of defense one after another, and its sharp claws could tear metal apart with ease. It was truly the biggest threat to the land troops. The name ‘King Predator’ came from its dominance in the forest—it was the well-deserved ruler of the forest. Every time that it appeared, the Sunils had to pay a very heavy price to deal with it. There was even this one time when a King Predator had almost penetrated all the defense rings and broken into the city.
The situation took a sharp turn downhill!
The Lava Lizard dived at a high speed while the King Predator ran like lightning—there was a strong enemy approaching both on land and in the sky, and there was still an injured Mountain Beast that kept throwing clods. When the Particle Cannon finished charging, it aimed at the Lava Lizard in the sky and fired, directly penetrating one side of Lava Lizard’s wings. The monster spun and fell to the ground, sending out a violent shockwave.
The flying enemy had to be dealt with first. Thus, the King Predator on the ground could only be temporarily stalled by men while waiting for the Particle Cannon to recharge.
The army gathered thousands of troops ahead of the King Predator, yet even that might not be enough.
An endless rain of bullets covered the King Predator, all of which were deflected by its scales, leaving only sparks. The King Predator moved fast, and no attack could slow it down. If it bashed into the iron line of defense, everyone could tell that it would create a blood path in the defense teams. At least two teams would be lost!
No soldier was shaken—they were all unafraid of death.
Just as the two parties were about to clash…
Boom!
Dust suddenly shot into the air, and the seemingly unstoppable King Predator was halted. It opened its bloody mouth widely and bit onto a ruler-like iron-gray rectangular block of metal, which an armored warrior was holding onto. They were in a battle of strength, and their strength was comparable.
It was this armored warrior who stopped the King Predator, leaving only a magnificent silhouette to all the soldiers!
The people opened their eyes widely, wanting to see who this person was, but he was wearing a helmet, and his face could not be seen. The armor was a little humble, like tights embedded with some armor plates, and dark in color.
Han Xiao raised the edge of his mouth when he saw this.
It was indeed Herlous!
“So, he came…” The Great Mechanic Han smiled. “Let me see if the current you is strong enough.”
The King Predator seemed to have detected danger. It jumped aside and moved around cautiously. Just as the defense team was about to go forward to surround it, Herlous suddenly said, “Leave this brute to me. You guys go to other places.”
Leave to you? Who are you? What if you fail?
The troops, of course, did not trust others easily, but before they continued to move, strong Pugilist flames burst from this armored warrior, and a change occurred that left every Sunil in shock.
The humble suit on Herlous’ body suddenly shapeshifted, and the compressed armor plates expanded, turning into countless complex and precise armor pieces. With the flashing of light, the tights quickly became extremely complex silver-gray armor, like a gorgeous ancient knight’s armor. Soft white metal extended from the shoulders like a piece of cloth, moving in the wind like a cape behind his back. Even with the Great Mechanic Han’s very picky sense of beauty, this style was impressive.
Energy surrounded the entire armor as Herlous shook the rectangular block in his hand. It expanded part by part and turned into a ten-meter long mechanical battleship slicing blade!
All the Sunils were stunned!
A word deeply buried in their memories started to surface, and countless soldiers opened their eyes even wider.
“This is… the Commander Class armor‽”
“The strongest armor of the race that was said to be lost!”
Every soldier was stunned and shocked! Their mind was blanked!
Commander Class armor was a legend to the Sunils at this time, and the legend had become reality that day!
Herlous twisted his neck, and the familiar thick Pugilist energy flew through his entire body. The dormant fighting genes in his body gradually awakened. This tailor-made armor was still in perfect condition.
“I almost forgot this feeling. It feels… quite good.”
With a loud yell, Herlous held the ten-meter battleship slicing blade and pounced, as fast as a phantom. The thick light from the blade flashed like lightning!
Swoosh!
An impact wave came out of the blade, creating a trench dozens of meters long. The King Predator barely dodged it, and a wound appeared on its long body, which expanded rapidly, blood jetting out!
The position of hunter and prey switched instantly!
Chapter 350. Shocking the Entire Race! (2) |
Herlous was a grade B Pugilist, and [Shattered Light] was a Super Equipment, tailor-made for him, enhancing his Pugilist abilities further. Many energy converting devices hid between the gaps of the armor, and the raging flames sent waves rippling through the air as he moved.
Grade B Pugilists had surpassed the early stage of a Pugilist—they were walking, living bombs.
Herlous' strength was not to be ignored even across the entire Shattered Star Ring. The Commander Class armor was a piece of top-class equipment, and its level was completely different from the Enlistee Class and the NCO Class. With the energy enhancing Battleship Slicing Blade, Herlous' damage was astonishing.
The thick light from the blade released shockwaves, creating trenches on the ground one after another. This level of strength was way higher than the normal soldiers, and there was no need for anyone else to join in. Herlous spun the rough looking Battleship Slicing Blade with ease, much more agilely than the King Predator. Having nowhere to escape, the King Predator's flesh was splashing all over.
Herlous' god-like power had lit fires in countless soldiers' hearts.
The Commander Class armor appeared again after disappearing for so many years!
Who is this armor user?
The Sunils had many questions in their minds.
Commander Class armor had a very special position in the Sunils' hearts. Many people knew that this was the display of the strongest single warrior in the entire race, and it was almost like a totem. Herlous' appearance awakened the buried memories of every Sunil.
Morale skyrocketed instantly. In gaming terms, all Sunils received the 'All Attributes Boost' buff!
Han Xiao was watching the show from the side, nodding. Herlous was very strong, much stronger than his current self.
Herlous starting to fight means that the Sunil have entered the storyline I'm familiar with…Han Xiao thought. With him existing, Herlous' actions should deviate from the original storyline, so he just needed the chance to 'abduct' him.
The Particle Cannon fired twice, heavily injuring the Mountain Beast and the Lava Lizard. This weapon was common in the galactic battle between high-class civilizations, and it was a scrap product. The Sunil could only burn lower grade energy with their energy technology level, and even with so many restrictions, its power was still enough to be a trump card for protecting a city.
During the charging period, Herlous successfully killed the King Predator and started to run around the battlefield. With his armor and energy protection, he did not fear being surrounded by the beast wave. The Battleship Slicing Blade slashed horizontally, unmatched in the beast wave, containing the disadvantageous situation in the area.
Herlous could not stop the entire beast wave alone, but his actions had an undoubted effect—the soldiers in this area finally had a chance to breathe.
On Planet Aquamarine, a grade C Super could go head-on with an army—Herlous was one grade higher. Even though the beasts at the last stage of the Catastrophe were strong, he could still deal with them easily. Furthermore, he was a tank-type Pugilist.
A single unit with extraordinary powers was more agile, like a sharp blade. Between the same technology level, high-grade combat powers and war troops differed in quantity and quality—a strong single unit was an army by itself!
Herlous jumped and moved around, becoming the center of attention on the battlefield. Looking at him raised the soldiers' spirits.
The situation gradually stabilized, and the wave of beasts ended. Just as the military was about to excitedly get in touch with this mythical man, Herlous dashed toward the forest and disappeared, clearly showing his intention of not wanting to expose his identity.
Herlous was somewhat conflicted. Getting in touch with the military meant his peaceful life in the past would be gone. He would have to walk the path of people like Fernas and become the guardian of the race. Although whether he did become a guardian or not depended on his choice, Herlous felt that he would not be able to leave himself out of it by then.
Furthermore, the superiors would definitely request him to give up his Commander Class armor to the race for research purposes. Herlous took it as a precious inheritance from Delvis, so he was very conflicted.
Although he stood out now to protect the race, and his buried responsibility was awakening slowly, someone this strong would not change his personality overnight.
…
In the following few days, Herlous was torn between the choices. While he appeared to help, the military kept trying to discover his identity, but every time that the battle ended, he left quickly and kept his mystery.
A few days later, the whisper in everyone's mind suddenly disappeared. The Catastrophe had ended.
The beast wave in the middle of attacking suddenly paused, and countless beasts awoke from their bloodlust, stopped running, looked around, and ran in all directions, disappearing.
"The Catastrophe is finally gone." Han Xiao took a deep breath.
Soldiers lay down in exhaustion one after another, unable to move. Their bodies had reached their limits, and the surviving soldiers were way too tired.
The logistics team cleaned up the battlefield, pulling soldiers out of their armor and sending them into the medical room one after another.
The military was recovering and resting, as countless people in the city triumphed over the broadcast from their television.
The end of every Catastrophe was like surviving through a disaster. As per tradition, there would be a celebration a few days later, appreciating the army's contribution and morning the lost soldiers. This kind of celebration filled with the feeling of a ritual was beneficial to increasing a race's unity, relaxing their tightened nerves, making the people laugh and cry, getting rid of the negative emotions, and once again feeling hopeful for the future.
