Chapter 1: The Stranded One with Black Hair, Section 5

It’s no wonder OldBuick was distraught. The appearance of Mōni was simply beyond acceptance.
As a scavenger, one must not only be good at exploring and seizing opportunities but also have a profound understanding of the history of one’s own planet. How could he possibly not understand the significance behind Mōni, the strongest guardian mechanism in these alien ruins?
At this moment, the cost of hiring warriors no longer mattered. As long as they could defeat Mōni before them, not only could they ensure their own safety, but more importantly, they could obtain what lay deep within these ruins. After all, in the thousands of years of history on the Xieke planet, only three ruins worthy of Mōni’s protection had been discovered—each of which had led to a new stage in the development of the magic-tech civilization.
Even if there was nothing in the ruins, just Mōni’s value alone would make the investment worthwhile. OldBuick thought excitedly. After all, there were also huge business opportunities in the pure-mechanical market targeted at lower-income groups. Mōni’s technology and its components would allow him to count money until his hands cramped.
“Hehe, George, don’t disappoint me. For 100,000 credits, I want to see you in action.” With a twitching face, OldBuick’s eyes gleamed as he muttered to himself.
At that moment, the black-haired figure, who had remained unnoticed until now, quietly climbed to the top of the carriage and stood there, facing the wind. Faced with this enormous robotic figure, he showed not the slightest fear—instead, there seemed to be a hint of anticipation. Behind him, the casing of the magic-tech mech finally opened.
Undoubtedly, as the mainstream combat unit of humanity today, the appearance of the magic-tech mech was truly awe-inspiring. It had a human-like body, yet it was as huge as a mythological titan—nearly ten meters tall, exuding an overwhelming presence. Although its light white armor was tattered, the neat, mysterious rows of purple symbols on it could still be seen.
It raised a massive shield weighing several tons with its left hand and swung a five-meter-long black metal rod with its right. Amidst a deafening roar, the colossal body of the magic-tech mech leaped out of the carriage like a deity, with streams of fiery energy shooting from its broad back, propelling it to draw a small arc in the air. With terrifying wind and unparalleled power, it rushed down upon Mōni, who had not yet emerged from the desert!!
“Clang!!”

A deafening roar that seemed to shake the heavens and earth. Under everyone’s gaze, two massive humanoid figures representing their respective technologies collided violently. In an instant, the sand particles within a hundred feet around them seemed to be filled with countless tons of explosives, shooting skyward with a tremendous explosion. For a moment, the area in front of the Puppet Worm was completely covered by sand, leaving nothing visible.

A terrifying momentum, an unimaginable force. This was the effect of battles between magic mechs. It was precisely because of such powerful weapons that humanity could venture into the distant stars and stand tall in the face of numerous powerful creatures in the universe.

Yet, what Black Hair was focusing on at that moment was definitely not just these things. What he was more concerned about was that small figure on the shoulder of the warrior named George before he boarded the magic mech.

If he wasn’t mistaken, it must be a person—a very small one.

With a faint smile, Black Hair realized he seemed to have discovered the secret behind how humans here could control magic mechs mentally without being overwhelmed by the immense pressure.

The battle in the field continued, but to Black Hair, it no longer mattered much.

Bang! Bang!! Bang!!! Three loud noises, like three thunderclaps. The dust and mist spread in a circular pattern, revealing the scene to everyone’s eyes…

It was like an ancient war giant. The thick iron rod in the magic mech’s right hand had transformed into a giant sledgehammer. The hammer head, formed from purplish-red energy, flew through the air, wildly swinging at Moni, who hadn’t yet fully emerged from the desert. Those three loud noises were the result of three violent collisions.

It was impossible to describe the impact of such absolute power. Unable to move freely, Moni took all the blows head-on. In an instant, large and small pieces of rust peeled off, and countless fragments of armor flew everywhere. It was forcefully smashed back into the desert, and the half of its body that had emerged from the ground disappeared once again. Only one arm and one head remained on the surface—a sight of utter misery.

“Great! Truly worthy of being a warrior!” Cheers erupted in the command room. OldBuick jumped up in joy, his chubby face turning red with excitement, his eyes filled with greed.

Obviously, the magic mechs had taken a complete advantage. As long as nothing unexpected happened, victory would surely be theirs. The 100,000 Kari was now proving to be of immense value. OldBuick could even imagine himself becoming extremely wealthy upon returning. How could such good news fail to fill them with joy?

Unfortunately, things in the world aren’t always that easy. OldBuick never could have imagined that today’s battle would end in a particularly unusual way.

“Beep—power system damaged. Activating backup energy. Armor damage at 58%—crisis mode authorized.” Just as everyone was celebrating, a harsh electronic synthesized voice suddenly rang out in the desert. Immediately afterward, Moni’s electronic eyes glowed red. An indescribable feeling swept over everyone’s hearts.

“Boom!”

A loud explosion, as if countless explosives had detonated at once, sent a sand geyser dozens of meters high in front of the puppet insects. Then, a giant figure suddenly rose from the desert and soared into the sky—like an ancient demon god, emitting a dark blue glow under the sunlight. Although its armor was severely damaged, the massive cylinder on its right hand, nearly a meter in diameter, immediately spewed flames representing death.

“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!”

“What!?” Everyone was shocked. Before they could react, countless bullets rained down like a storm, enveloping the magic mechs completely. The sound of impacts filled the air as fragments flew everywhere, knocking the magic mechs off balance like drunkards, preventing them from stabilizing.

Immediately after, Moni in the sky folded his hands, and the cylinder in his hands quickly disassembled and reassembled into a giant sword. Amid the raging wind, it descended like a meteor, carrying an extremely fierce killing intent, slashing at the still-unstable magic mechs at lightning speed!

“No!!” OldBuick cried out in alarm!