Chapter 182: Chapter 147: Second Interlude: Ancient Black Box
Raphael’s power was not yet great enough to fully control the Prophetic Ability of a Mind Mage, but even he had not foreseen that the war between the Space Dragon Race and the Demons would engulf the star zones surrounding Kemola.
A curtain of rain danced wildly in the howling gale.
The aftershocks of the war in the Cosmic Dimension manifested as terrifying booms that tore through Kemola’s cloud-wreathed sky. Wreckage of Demon warships, trailing thick smoke that blotted out the sun, set the heavens aflame as they plummeted toward the ground.
And one small, out-of-control warship was hurtling down toward them.
After Florant left, the ever-silent Technician Soldier Agate suddenly spoke. "In ten standard hours at most, the routes near Kemola will be cut off by the Demon Legion.
There isn’t enough time to map the interior of the ruins.
But there is something inside that I must bring back, no matter what. This is an order from the Mechanical Order and the Grand Governor."
The mechanical arm fixed to his back and connected to his spinal nerves produced a device shaped like a handheld console. After a slight adjustment, a green holographic projection appeared before them.
Agate’s modified, machine-synthesized voice was cold and emotionless.
"According to the Mechanical Order’s confidentiality regulations, you aren’t supposed to know about this. But that object contains all information regarding the Kemola Tomb Complex, and it is vital for the future development of the Imperial Administrative Region."
In that moment, Agate shed his former image as a quiet Technician Soldier, becoming like a commander giving orders. His Mechanical Eye, glowing with a green light, swept over Reinhardt and Robie.
In truth, before becoming a Technician Soldier, he had been a member of the Steel Hand Battle Group’s Elite Formation—an absolute elite on the battlefield and a four-hundred-year veteran.
He produced a ring symbolizing the Grand Governor’s command, his voice exceptionally grave.
"Vengeful Angel Reinhardt, Judge Robie, in the name of the Grand Governor, I require your cooperation in retrieving the Ancient Black Box from within the ruins."
As Agate finished speaking, faint blue text from the system began to scroll across Reinhardt’s vision.
[Interlude Event II: The Ancient Black Box]
[The war between the Space Dragon Race and the Demons is destroying Kemola and its surrounding planets. As the captain of the Vengeance Angel Squad, you have the authority to order the Technician Soldier to launch the warship and evacuate Kemola when faced with danger.]
[The Ancient Black Box chronicles all the Witchcraft Technology and historical events of the Kemola Tomb Complex across tens of millions of years. Even the ancient Wizard Civilization placed extreme importance on the Ancient Black Box. Its value is immeasurable.]
[Even the most basic component within the Ancient Black Box is an extremely powerful Wizard’s Secret Treasure.]
[Of course, you can also choose to assist Agate and the Mechanical Order.]
[Event Completion System Reward: Extraordinary Armament·Morphic Armor Mimic Evolution Tree.]
「At the same time.」
Florant’s ship had already vanished into the downpour.
As the small ship smashed into the lush forest five hundred meters away, the explosion from the violent impact became a gale that howled past them.
Immediately following that, high in the sky, a ring-shaped shockwave visible to the naked eye spread rapidly through the atmosphere of Kemola Planet.
Even from this far inland, they could still see colossal tsunami waves swallowing the earth.
BOOM—!
A colossal beast, more than twenty kilometers long, had slammed into the planet. The destructive force was nearly identical to a meteorite strike, and a wave of intense heat instantly swept across the world!
The crimson light from the sky draped over Reinhardt’s Power Armor.
As the gale subsided, Reinhardt ignored Robie’s darkening glare, turned to glance at Agate, and said coldly, "After this, I will need the Mechanical Order to give me—and the Vengeance Angel Squad—an explanation, Sergeant Agate.
Everyone else, board the ship and prepare for departure."
Agate could feel Reinhardt’s fury at being bypassed by a higher authority, despite being the leader of the Vengeance Angel Squad and the person directly responsible for the operation.
While he had no authority to defy an order from the Mechanical Order, he also disapproved of their methods within the Imperial Administrative Region—demanding Imperial Knights risk their lives on Kemola while deliberately withholding crucial intelligence.
Agate nodded slightly. "I will relay your request to the Mechanical Order exactly as you stated."
After speaking, he turned to look at Robie and the Knights of the Secret Order. "Judge, and your response?"
Robie gave a sickening grin and unslung his Knight’s Broadsword. His expression instantly darkened, and his stare, fixed on Agate, was filled with hostility and killing intent. "My orders are the exact opposite of yours, Technician Soldier. This unclean, heretical creation must be destroyed.
We absolutely cannot allow something that blasphemes the radiance of the Divine Emperor to fall into the hands of the Mechanical Order and the Administrative Region."
Agate’s voice was, as always, a mechanical, cold monotone. His Mechanical Eye whirred slightly as it adjusted its focus.
"Cardinal Archbishop Richelieu sent you."
"Clever."
"Understood."
Their conversation in the rain was brief and forceful. Then, they parted ways.
According to the information Raphael provided, there were traces of extremely high Extraordinary Power activity thirty kilometers from their landing site. The entrance to the ruins was very likely there.
However, before the Punisher Battleship could depart, they ran into a bit of trouble.
An injured member of the Space Dragon Race was flapping its fleshy wings, flying towards them at high speed. Close behind it were three Slaughter Demons from the Dark Abyss.
These Tier Two Abyssal Demons could easily fight a Five-star Military Rank Official Knight using only their raw Physical Strength.
Although the Space Dragon Race and humanity were mortal enemies, Void Demons had always been their common foe. The sins committed by the Ancient Wizards in a bygone era had not only destroyed the Wizard Civilization but had also dealt a devastating blow to the Space Dragon Race.
Otherwise, how could a fledgling civilization like the Human Empire, with less than four thousand years of history, possibly contend with these old hands at cosmic warfare?
This member of the Space Dragon Race spoke clumsy, broken Luminous, but its meaning was perfectly clear.
"Save... save me!"
Although all Aliens deserved to die, Reinhardt desperately needed to obtain any intelligence about this war that had suddenly spread from the Void Realm into the Ash Soil Star Zone.
Upon receiving Reinhardt’s approval...
The head of one of the three Slaughter Demons chasing the member of the Space Dragon Race suddenly exploded, and it pitched forward onto the ground.
At the same time, Seventy-Six’s characteristically humorous voice echoed via Telepathy.
’Sorry, everyone. First kill’s mine.’
Manon snorted coldly, moving at the same time as Matthias. Without resorting to complex maneuvers, they dispatched the remaining two Slaughter Demons with lightning-fast, decisive strikes.
As the creature—a slender, lanky, humanoid member of the Space Dragon Race covered in scales—collapsed into the pooled water, a pair of massive, black-painted Steel Boots appeared in its field of vision.
Comments