Chapter 49: The Last Warrior, Section 10

That plump metal sphere didn’t look very attractive. But it was only after following Black Hair that OldBuick realized it was actually a treasure. Black Hair had specially allowed him to ride it—most soldiers probably wouldn’t even qualify for such a privilege.
This could be seen from the sphere’s full name: “Absolute Defense.”
That was the name of the metal sphere, and it was also the most distinctive among the numerous failed prototypes developed by the Black Prison group in subspace research. Though its appearance was unattractive, it possessed the ability to blur space. With sufficient energy, it could remain forever in the layer between normal space and subspace, immune to both the energy of normal space and that of subspace. It was a very rare protection system.
However, it was a product of failed experiments, so it couldn’t be mass-produced. There were only about three such devices in entire Death Star. OldBuick was riding one of them now.
Of course, nothing is absolute. Since this “Absolute Defense” was a failed prototype, it naturally had its drawbacks. Due to its location in that spatial layer, the system couldn’t take any action externally. Apart from basic communication support, it was essentially like a sealed cell, making it unsuitable for combat.
But right now, it was the perfect protection for OldBuick. After all, Black Hair only wanted OldBuick’s experience in scavenging and had no intention of putting him in danger.
It sounded complicated, but in reality, it didn’t take much time. By the time the moon of Xieke Star appeared in the sky, a dense cluster of mechs had already gathered around the vortex. The armored landing ship, serving as an aerial platform, also lowered its landing ladder.
“Let’s go. Hopefully, we won’t run into any trouble,” Black Hair said calmly as he looked at his troops ready to set off. With a wave of his hand, countless mechs rushed toward the ladder.
The process of exploration was actually quite simple. The first step was to enter, and the method of entry was through that metal tube that plunged straight into the center of the vortex. There was a hole about six meters in diameter in the middle. The first wave—two engineering mechs and one Sunset—would enter through this hole to reach the bottom of the vortex.

The movements of the Blood Wolf Warriors were incredibly fast. In just a moment, Hei Fa saw the first group of soldiers leaping off the landing ship. The huge and seemingly bulky mechs moved nimbly in their hands, like monkeys, as one steel-hand firmly grasped the cable above the metal tube before sliding into the six-meter-diameter hole. At the same time, the second group of mech squadrons appeared on the landing ship’s external platform.

In the cockpit of the Killing Emperor, Hei Fa lay quietly. A semi-enclosed helmet covered half of his face, making it impossible to discern his expression. Yet the outside scene was visible in full through his helmet’s vision. Meanwhile, the voice of Blood Pupil echoed inside his helmet.

“To avoid crowding, the second squad must wait for a signal from the first squad before entering. For now, we can only wait. Hopefully, they’ll manage to open a gap beneath the metal tube and create enough space in front of the ruins.”

“That’s a necessary step. No matter when, the first step is always the most important,” Hei Fa replied indifferently, his voice devoid of emotion. “If they fail, the second squad should follow immediately. They must open that gap at all costs.”

“Understood,” Blood Pupil replied in the same heartless tone. There was a chilling undertone in their exchange—as if the warriors ready outside were merely pawns, with no room for pity or hesitation.

But there was no other choice. After all, Hei Fa was no longer alone; he now led a vast and powerful force. Kindness alone wasn’t enough, and the brutality of the Blood Wolf Warriors was well-known. It was difficult to control them without someone strong enough to intimidate them. So although Hei Fa usually appeared calm and joking around, he became utterly ruthless once battle ensued.

Perhaps that was the most basic quality of an elite warrior… absolute calmness. In a way, wasn’t it also synonymous with heartlessness?

Fortunately, things didn’t go wrong. Less than five minutes after the first squad entered, a clear communication signal spread to every mech’s cockpit.

“The gap in the metal tube is open. The entrance to the ruins has been found.”

“Good,” Hei Fa perked up immediately. “What about the space? How many mechs can fit in?”

“There’s enough space, Lord. There’s no light here, but through the mecha’s night vision system, it seems to be a square—about three kilometers in size. The ground is made of stone, very hard. And there’s no sign of the desert vortex. It’s strange; shouldn’t we be in the vortex? How can there be such a large space?” replied a team member over the channel.

“That must be the front square of the ruins. Its exact formation is impossible to determine. But since there’s enough space, it’s easier.” Blackhair thought for a moment before activating the all-channel communication.

“Pass on my orders: leave a hundred fighter mechs on guard on the ground, and three hundred construction mechs as the second line. The rest should enter the ruins immediately. Bloodpupil, Monkey, you two come with me. As for Baroka…”

“Wait, boss! I don’t want to stay behind!!” Hearing the hesitation in Blackhair’s voice, he panicked and quickly interjected loudly.

“Hehe.” Blackhair smiled lightly. “Alright, then come with us. But be careful when going down. Your weapons are missiles—too destructive. Don’t accidentally shoot us all inside.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll disable the safeties,” Baroka said, scratching his head sheepishly with a silly smile.

“Good. Then let’s go in now.” Upon hearing Baroka’s reply, the smile vanished from Blackhair’s eyes, replaced by focus. With a gentle push of the controls, the engine nozzles behind the Killing Emperor opened halfway, and a massive beam of energy shot out, propelling it upward like a giant bird toward the metal opening at the center of the vortex. Behind it, the enhanced versions of Bloodpupil and Monkey’s Blood Moon and Sunset followed closely.

As soon as they entered the opening, darkness enveloped Blackhair’s vision. He calmly pressed a few buttons to switch to the night vision system and reduced the Killing Emperor’s engine power, allowing the mecha to slide down along the pipe wall. In just a moment, they reached the bottom of the metal tube. A huge opening appeared before him.

The moment they passed through, Blackhair couldn’t help but gasp in shock.

What kind of square was this…

Centered around the metal tube, the area for miles around was completely open. Even though the Killing Emperor’s night vision system far surpassed that of ordinary mechs, it still couldn’t see the end. The square’s ground was pitch black, but it could be seen to be made of stone. Perhaps due to years of wear, it was somewhat uneven, giving a distinct sense of height as the mecha moved across it.

How could such a large square exist underground? And where is that huge desert vortex now? Numerous questions surged through Black Hair’s mind, but he didn’t show them. He simply remained quiet and walked toward the first squad not far away.

Behind Black Hair, Blood Pupils, Baroka, and the others also exclaimed in amazement, clearly shocked by these supernatural phenomena.

However, one person was an exception—the monkey who had been following Black Hair the whole time. Since entering the square, he had remained silent. It wasn’t until all the engineering mechs arrived and dispersed as arranged by Black Hair that he quietly approached him and silently activated an independent communication channel.

“Boss, don’t you feel something’s off?”

“What?” Looking at the engineering mechs scattering quickly, Black Hair looked solemn. Hearing the monkey’s words, he was momentarily stunned. “What do you mean?”

“A sense of familiarity, boss. I don’t know why, but I suddenly feel this place is familiar. It’s as if I’ve seen it somewhere before.” The monkey’s voice trembled; he seemed to have lost his composure.

“Well…” Hearing the monkey’s words, Black Hair also felt confused. He glanced around again before shaking his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but since you mention it, I also feel a sense of familiarity. It seems like I’ve seen this scene before.”

“That’s right, exactly that feeling.” Hearing that Black Hair shared the same feeling, the monkey became excited. “Though I don’t know where this familiarity comes from, boss, it seems we’ve found something incredible.”

“We still need to keep exploring to find out,” Black Hair replied with a smile before pressing a special button. Immediately, UncleBuick’s voice came through the channel.

“Black Hair, is this the ruins? You guys came down so fast?”

“Yeah, UncleBuick. I believe you can see it—this is the Ruins Square. We’re all here now. But as for which direction to dig in, it would be best to hear your opinion.”

“Wait a moment, let me take a look.” Hearing Black Hair’s question, UncleBuick replied right away and then fell silent. Five minutes passed before his voice came through again.

“I’ve checked it. This is a very rare ancient giant ruin—only such ruins would have a square. If I’m not mistaken, you should dig in the east. That’s usually where the main part of the ruins lies.”

“East…” Hei Fa frowned slightly, seemingly sensitive to this term. He was about to ask something when suddenly…
“Boom!!” A loud explosion sent the entire square shaking violently. The shock was so sudden that even Hei Fa was unprepared; the Killing Emperor staggered a few times before managing to steady himself. In horror, he looked around and saw that the ground had been severely distorted—the once open square now had countless uneven terrains.
In the distance, a gigantic iron ball gradually emerged from the darkness…
“It’s that demon!!! It’s out!!!” Old Beike screamed in terror, his voice like a ghostly wail.
But at that moment, Hei Fa and Monkey beside him could hear nothing. Both stood there silently, staring at the approaching giant iron ball, their faces as pale as paper. There was no trace of their usual composure left.
Amid the shaking, Hei Fa managed to open his mouth and finally utter a few blurred words. “Yà… Yàzī”