Chapter 521: Titan
The moonlight, as bright as silver, cast a brilliant light across the battlefield, illuminating the outline of a massive monster.
Green Ox paused, his eyes filled with wariness and fear. Before him stood a massive machine, towering high enough to overlook most structures on the battlefield.
The machine stood 9.8 meters tall, its every seam and rivet revealing its immense strength and precision.
Green Ox could even feel the faint vibrations of the ground, the roar of the machine's inner workings, demonstrating its immense power.
The machine's design was clearly extremely complex, imbued with the culmination of both tactics and technology. Green Ox could see that its head was equipped with sensors, which flickered in the night, like a pair of calm eyes, mercilessly scanning its surroundings.
Its arms were massive and sturdy, especially the right arm, armed with a thermal weapon. Just by looking at the blue energy swirling from the muzzle, Green Ox could imagine the destructive power it would unleash.
The war monster's body took on a matte steely sheen in the moonlight, and the mottled, solidified blood embroidery on its body proved that it had been responsible for the tragic scene nearby.
"Bubble—"
The Bubble Dragons also sensed this immense threat. They surrounded Green Ox, gazing hostilely at the steel monster ahead.
Dang dang dang—
The steel monster arrived in front of Green Ox and then half-crouched.
Puff—
With a soft sound, the cockpit of the massive machine slowly opened, releasing a puff of steam related to its inner workings.
Inside this highly integrated human-machine interface cockpit, a figure in a custom-made pilot's suit slowly emerged into Green Ox field of vision.
The driver's suit tightly wrapped around his body. The highly elastic memory alloy fiber material gleamed coldly under the lighting from the machine's interior, demonstrating its exceptional adaptability and protective capabilities.
The complex and delicate interface system on his back was being separated from its connection point within the cockpit.
With the smooth withdrawal of the hoses and sockets, the system automatically unlocked, severing the driver's physical connection to the mechanical behemoth.
The man slowly rose from his reclining seat, his every movement recorded by the vital signs monitoring system until the data transmission finally came to an end.
Most strikingly, the driver's left hand was not flesh, but a sophisticated mechanical arm. Its exposed structure and wiring gleamed in the moonlight, the same cold luster as the steel of its driver.
As the cockpit of the mechanical behemoth opened, the Mole slowly reached out and removed the tightly pressed helmet, revealing his face beneath.
In the bright moonlight, his eyes met Green Ox's, their gazes frozen in the night, forming an invisible connection.
"Operator Evan Rowell, the Director has ordered me to bring you safely back to the Administration." Mole's voice was particularly clear in the post-battle silence, his tone solemn and unquestionable.
As he spoke, Mole quickly retrieved a series of items from his equipment—a peripheral genealogy device equipped with [Adam] and several small space capsules.
Mole tossed these items to Green Ox.
Green Ox reached out and accurately caught these crucial pieces of equipment.
A rare glint of gratitude and excitement flickered in his eyes.
"Thank you."
He had always been a steadfast warrior.
But now, seeing Mole's timely appearance, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
For him, this not only meant a hope for him and the Bubble Dragons to safely escape Nirvana Water City, but also signified that the Administration hadn't given up on them; they weren't alone.
Green Ox quickly secured the peripheral genealogy [Adam] around his waist.
This was the key device for the Administration to connect to the peripheral genealogy. Its belt-like design made operation convenient and intuitive.
Although Heaven permitted the establishment of the Administration, a secular sixth core institution, the Heavenly Kingdom's leadership imposed a condition: no Administration operator could connect to the Heavenly Kingdom genealogy's main trunk without permission or without passing Heavenly Kingdom's assessment.
In other words, the Administration wasn't under Eden's control.
The Administration had its own branch of Heaven's genealogy (genealogy peripherals) and its own independent think tank (Adam).
While peripheral genealogy designs varied widely on the market, the Administration's was personally designed by Director Hugh Abraham—it resembled a belt and required a specific spiritual card to activate.
The belt and card can be stored within the body just like a regular lineage.
Of course, it can also be sealed like a regular lineage, and it's even easier to destroy than a regular lineage.
In the previous battle with Water City, Green Ox was surrounded by a large force from Water City, and the enemy deployed multiple [Extracted Reality Anchors] to destroy the peripheral lineage.
Fortunately, [Adam] backed it up before it was destroyed, transmitting its location back to the main database. Furthermore, the spiritual card was still within Green Ox's body, allowing the Mole to follow the location and find the opponent.
At this moment, Green Ox skillfully pressed his finger on the biometric system on the peripheral, accurately verifying his identity.
Immediately, the peripheral device began to function. The small mechanism on the belt began to hum, and it printed out of thin air a card depicting three pairs of light wings.
Green Ox acted without hesitation. He steadily caught the newly generated card from the peripheral genealogy and projected his own spiritual card onto it.
Then, he inserted it into the card slot on his belt.
As the card was inserted, a soft voice echoed through the night breeze.
[Card recognition complete, link allowed—]
[Adam: Contacting an individual thaumaturge—]
[Notice: Your EVE traffic is too patchy, the filtering system has been activated—]
[Starting [Entry] Sorting—]
[Starting [Module] Sorting—]
[Preparing for EVE traffic activation—]
[Adam EVE Traffic Management Center: You have over 200,000 (spiritual) free EVE traffic {This traffic is provided by the Director's Office hotline—}]
[You gain special status: Blood Fighting Art · Strong Hand Skull Crushing]
[You gain special status: Blood Fighting Art (Derivative) · Z-Shaped - Slaughter Sword]
[You now gain special status: "End" Gaze]
[Heavenly Arsenal · Chainsword (Series) is now available to you]
[Heavenly Arsenal · Boltgun (Series) is now available to you]
[Your personal mechanical butler has been activated]
Green Ox felt an unprecedented surge of power within him.
As the peripheral genealogy activated, a series of complex data and information flashed before his eyes at a speed visible to the naked eye.
He could clearly sense that [Adam]'s powerful computing power was precisely controlling the thaumaturgic energy within him, minimizing the negative effects previously caused by the [Frenzy] attribute.
Even those [entries] that had temporarily entered a "cooling down" state due to overuse regained their vitality under [Adam's] influence, like the restarted gears of a complex machine, turning smoothly again.
Suddenly, a gentle yet immense power began to permeate his limbs.
These were EVE particles, flowing into his body like a radiant river, gentle yet powerful, brimming with vitality and energy.
Green Ox deeply felt this luminous power within him, and for a moment, he thought it was the onset of an [overclocking state].
"Is this... overclocking!?" He felt the light-like EVE particles within his body in amazement, then quickly dismissed his previous assumption, "No, that's not right. How can overclocked EVE particles behave like this..."
His gaze instinctively shifted to the "Director's Office Hotline" on the Traffic Management Center.
This was direct support from that lord, signifying not only powerful assistance but also his deep concern and support for this action.
According to the simplistic historical perspective of thaumaturgy, this state of directly channeling one's own might to bless others should be called divine grace or divine intervention.
The mighty being gazed upon everything here through the vast ether.
"The end..."
As a victim of the virus caused by the disaster unleashed by the Four Lords, his spirit had briefly felt the aftermath of the Four Lords' power in the [Ocean of Ether].
He would never forget that feeling: the dread of falling into the endless abyss of the ether, surrounded by an invisible terror, etched into his soul.
At first, a mere glance from the Lord of War and Rage was enough to send his entire body ablaze with fire.
His heart beat like a war drum on a battlefield, his blood throbbing with a thirst for battle.
However, this desire terrified Green Ox deeply. It wasn't a genuine desire within him, but rather an imposed, uncontrollable compulsion of violence, a fear that he might become a monster devoted only to slaughter.
Then came the gaze of the monarch, a beauty beyond all form. It brought with it a strange sense of emptiness and an extreme sensual pursuit.
He was overwhelmed by endless desire, every sense seeking more stimulation, but these were only temptations that led him to the abyss.
This filled him with fear, fearing he would be lost in this endless desire, ultimately forfeiting his very essence as a human being.
Then followed the breath of a kind father, carrying the scent of death and decay.
He could almost feel countless insects crawling on his skin, and every breath was filled with the scent of decay. He felt himself being completely consumed by disease, about to become a walking corpse, spreading death and despair.
Finally, it was the intervention of the God of Trickster, causing reality to begin to distort and filling the mind with endless conspiracies and lies.
Everything would become indistinguishable from truth and illusion, and every decision would seem to be controlled by Him.
These were mere glimpses of the aftermath of the Four Chaos Gods' power, but they were enough to make Green Ox feel a terror he had never felt before.
And now, the gaze known as "The End" was replaced by a warm and intense glow.
In this glow, I felt an unprecedented peace and comfort, as if all fear and pain had become insignificant in that moment.
This feeling came from a divine power that transcended the material world—like the sun.
"If this sun hangs in the ether..."
Green Ox's mind suddenly popped up this thought, but then he immediately dismissed the absurd idea—how could such a thing be possible?
He quickly turned his attention to the capsule collection he had acquired.
These capsules were different from those used for slavery and beast control in the New World. While they could hold living creatures, they lacked the Golden Court's [Forbidden Laws] or the [Transfer of All Transcendental Data] of [Financial Street].
He turned to the group of Bubble Dragons, his gaze gentle, his tone gentle yet firm:
"Will you follow me?"
His voice echoed in the tranquil moonlight. The Bubble Dragons stared at the capsules in Green Ox's hand, their pupils constricting, their bodies involuntarily tinged with fear.
These capsules resembled the tools used in Water City, once used to enslave their own kind, objects they once feared and fled.
The leading Bubble Dragon hesitated between fear and curiosity. Cautiously, it approached Green Ox, stretching its neck, using its senses to explore the mysterious objects.
As its breath brushed the surface of the capsules, it sensed an atmosphere completely different from those sinister tools of Water City. There was no suffocating, oppressive feeling here.
"Bubble—"
Sensing something different, the leading Bubble Dragon raised its head and, with eyes as clear as lake water, nodded firmly to Green Ox.
"Bubble—"
"Bubble—"
The other Bubble Dragons, observing their leader's actions, gradually put aside their concerns.
After witnessing the Bubble Dragons' decision, Green Ox, without a moment's hesitation, gently tossed all the space capsules in his hands into the air.
In mid-air, the capsules instantly activated, mechanically expanding, rapidly expanding to twice their original size.
Then, a bright rainbow light emanated from their center, illuminating each Bubble Dragon like the light from a dream.
Under the rainbow light, the Bubble Dragons' bodies gradually became transparent, transforming into light and being gently absorbed into the capsules.
As the Bubble Dragons completely entered the capsule, its upper and lower openings slowly merged, sealing the light within.
Then, the capsule swayed gently in the air.
Once.
Two.
Until the third time.
The capsules finally regained their composure, their dance ceasing.
Then, as miraculously as when they were activated, they began to shrink, finally falling back into Green Ox's waiting palm.
Their volume returned to its original size, and the Bubble Dragons were safely stored within the space capsule.
"Huh~"
Green Ox took a deep breath, then another, and carefully placed the gradually fading space capsules into the storage device beside him.
After completing all this, he looked up, his gaze fixed on the mole, who had been standing quietly, staring at him intently.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting."
Green Ox's voice was steady, but a hint of apology was easily discernible in his tone.
In his opinion, the Mole's wait was for him.
The Mole shook his head gently, a faint smile appearing on his face.
"It's okay. There's no need to rush or be afraid. The Director is watching you, so you don't have to fear the Naga Queen at all."
The Mole responded in a tone that could almost be described as relaxed. He patted his mechanical arm, as if emphasizing a certain understanding or trust.
"Water City can't do anything to the two of us now. Besides, when the Director arranged to bring you back, he also asked me to test this thing's performance."
As the Mole spoke, he patted the steel machine beneath him.
Green Ox subconsciously examined the machine the Mole was operating. Its massive and sophisticated structure filled him with a hint of curiosity and doubt.
"What is this?" he couldn't help but ask.
Upon hearing this, the Mole smiled proudly, as if introducing a respected comrade.
"You can think of it as a derivative of the [Royal Knight Heavy Armorer] series of knights from the Thirteen Heroic Knights, the core organization of the Celestial Kingdom. The two have similar designs.
However, according to the Director, he shaped it based on the Celestial Knights' design drawings, and then using the technology excavated from the mechanical ruins in inner world, we have developed and researched new types of thaumaturgic support machinery. The Director calls these creations—Titans."