Chapter 49: The Last Warrior, Section 9

A massive spectacle.
One base after another appeared out of thin air. OldBuick was utterly speechless. Despite claiming to have seen much, he had never witnessed anything so bold. Those bases emerged from nothingness, growing from small to large, like mushrooms after rain—a truly stunning sight. Their rugged yet powerful lines and cold metallic texture only served to emphasize one fact: they were extremely strong.

Though merely an ordinary scavenger, OldBuick had never seen large-scale battles, but that didn’t hinder his understanding. He certainly wasn’t naive enough to think these bases were merely for living purposes. Especially when several cannon-like structures appeared above each base, he knew he was right. These bases were nothing short of miniature fortresses. If dozens of them were connected, they could form a wall several kilometers long—a steel wall bristling with firepower!

Oh, my God. What kind of people had Black Hair encountered over the years to possess such terrifying power?

Staring blankly at the steel wall before him, OldBuick was temporarily unable to speak.

One hundred bases, spaced hundreds of meters apart, surrounded the desert vortex completely. Next came the preparations for excavation. It had to be said that compared to OldBuick’s scavengers, Black Hair’s actions were even more grandiose. He had even brought in an armored landing ship as an aerial platform.

As the name suggests, this was a type of ship used by long-range warships for landing. Therefore, no matter which faction designed such ships, they would prioritize protection and power. Protection was to safeguard the occupants inside, while power was needed to carry more mechs. An armored landing ship, with its power at full capacity, could carry at least a hundred mechs, showing just how formidable their strength was. Using such a ship as an aerial platform was somewhat underutilizing its potential.

So when an armored landing ship five hundred meters long floated down above OldBuick’s head, he barely had the strength to groan. He could only watch helplessly as Blood-Pupils and the others walked cheerfully toward the distant vortex.

The armored landing ship remained above the vortex. Serving as a platform for excavation, it also carried a huge metal tube with a diameter of ten meters. Drawn by the landing ship, it gradually moved closer to the center of the vortex. Beneath the metal tube, the waves of sand surged violently, emitting thunderous roars. No one who got too close could stand firm. Even Hei Fa had to watch from three hundred meters away.

At that moment, almost everyone held their breath.

It was well known that the first step in excavating ancient ruins was the most crucial. A good start was the foundation for success in the future. And this ruin was so mysterious, even its entrance method was unusual. So everyone was somewhat nervous, worried that the metal tube might not be placed accurately at the center of the vortex or that an incorrect posture while entering could lead to the failure of the entire plan.

Fortunately, amid everyone’s anxiety, the metal tube slowly made contact with the center of the vortex without any deviation. The vortex also didn’t behave abnormally as everyone had feared—like some monstrous force that would instantly swallow the front end of the tube.

In an instant, the ropes pulling the metal tube tautened. The chains made of highly compressed alloy emitted groans under the strain. Monkey, with his sharp eyes, immediately noticed that the armored landing ship above was sinking, its position much lower than before.

“What an incredible force,” everyone exhaled in shock, their expressions changing.

After all, the armored landing ship was one of the most powerful small vessels in the atmosphere. Designed specifically for carrying and landing, its engines were built to warship standards. In a sense, it was essentially a miniature warship!

Yet such a powerful vessel could be pulled by a vortex? It sounded like pure fantasy. If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, no one would have believed it.

“DadBuick, did you really use only twelve micro-aircraft last time? It seems to me even two hundred would be barely enough now,” Bloodshot asked seriously after witnessing what had just happened.

“Yes. Of course, is there a problem?” DadBuick, unaware of the strength of the armored landing ship, answered honestly.

“Well… there’s no problem,” Bloodshot said with a wry smile, shaking his head before turning his gaze back to the giant ship in the sky.

“This time, let’s consider it an accident. But I hope things go smoothly below. Constant accidents really test one’s nerves.”

“Hopefully so.” Baroka beside him had the same expression. Standing closest to Blood Pupil and UncleBuick, he had naturally heard their conversation earlier.
Soon, everyone fell silent. But no one was as confident as at the beginning. This mysterious ruin made them feel uncertain for the first time.
The vortex had a strong suction force, and soon the hundred-meter-long metal tube was completely swallowed. Immediately, several engineering mechs flew into the sky to lift a second metal tube onto the landing ship. This cycle repeated, and by dusk, the vortex had consumed ten metal tubes. Just as everyone thought it would keep swallowing more, its speed suddenly slowed down. The eleventh metal tube stopped after only half being inserted.
“It seems enough,” said the black-haired man who had been watching from ahead, nodding.
“Ten metal tubes mean the bottom of this vortex is at least a thousand meters below the surface. That’s quite deep. Tell everyone to enter in defense mode. I suspect there will be immense pressure down there. Mechs with insufficient armor must be equipped with additional armor before entering. Otherwise…” The black-haired man paused. “They’ll have to stay on the surface.”
“Understood,” replied Monkey and the others. They all headed toward the base in the distance, where their specialized mechs were parked quietly. Monkey used an improved version of Sunset, while Blood Pupil and Baroka both had specially configured Blood Moons. The difference lay in their weapon systems—Blood Pupil’s favored real ammunition machine guns, while Baroka’s were all missile modules.
As for the black-haired man…
Need I say more? The power of the Killing Emperor is unmatched to this day. This mech, representing violence, also stood quietly in the open space in front of the base. Its height, surpassing that of ordinary mechs, made it stand out greatly. Even when at rest, the terrifying aura it emitted scared anyone who approached it.
It was an aura only a ruler at the top of the food chain could possess. That’s why the Killing Emperor was classified among the demon mechs by the Black Prison faction from the start. And to this day, it remains the only true example of this type. Although Blood Moons and Sunsets were also creations of the Black Prison faction, many aspects were simplified due to mass production, making them mere pseudo-demon mechs.
Even the special models of mechs like Blood Pupil’s couldn’t escape this rule.

Just thirty short seconds. With a series of mechanical clicks, all the mechs standing in the base came to life as if they had a soul. Their originally dim electronic eyes emitted a strong blue light in an instant. From a distance, they resembled a group of demons. It was the first time OldBuick had seen such a large-scale activation of mechs, and he turned pale with fear. A tangible killing intent rushed towards him, making it difficult for him to breathe.

“Don’t worry. They are all the best fighters. Once we go down, they will be responsible for protecting this vortex. During this time, I don’t want anyone to get close—not even the government of this planet. So they must set up a perimeter from now on.”

As if sensing OldBuick’s emotions, Blackhair spoke softly to comfort him.

But when these words reached OldBuick’s ears, what caught his attention wasn’t the comforting words, but rather…

“Are you going down right now?”

“Mm.” Blackhair nodded. “Is there a problem?”

“A problem? Of course there is! Big time, even. Blackhair, don’t you see it’s already dark? Do you really want to start digging in such conditions? Aren’t you afraid of danger?” OldBuick grew anxious and shouted, “Down there is an ancient ruin! An ancient ruin!! Blackhair, no one can guarantee that its defenses haven’t failed. There could be other dangerous things. Digging in such darkness in a hurry will only increase the risk! You can’t let your men take risks!!”

“I’m not letting anyone take risks,” Blackhair remained calm despite OldBuick’s urgent warnings.

“Maybe to you, the dark environment is an obstacle to excavation work. But for them, it’s just another combat environment—no different from daytime. If they can’t adapt to such a basic combat environment, they don’t deserve to be my subordinates or part of the Blood Wolves. So, OldBuick, rest assured.”

“You!” OldBuick was furious but had nothing to say.

Since Blackhair was the leader of these warriors, he had the authority to decide everything. At that moment, OldBuick truly felt sorry for these warriors. Seeing them form teams and head toward the excavation site in the distance, he felt regret. Didn’t they feel any fear? Performing tasks in such darkness was no different from seeking death. Why didn’t they resist or raise objections?

“No need to feel sad.” Just as OldBuick felt sorry for the warrior before him, the voice of Blood Pupil suddenly came through the communication system.
“The leader is right. Darkness is just a combat environment. Those who can’t adapt don’t deserve to be part of the Blood Wolves. Old Dad, your heart is still too soft. Leave these dangerous situations to us. You just need to quietly guide the way.”
“Me?” OldBuick pointed at his nose in surprise. “Do you still plan to take me with you? What about my mech? How am I going to get down?”
“It’s already prepared for you. Look behind you.” Hearing OldBuick’s surprised question, Blood Pupil replied softly, though his tone was full of laughter.
OldBuick hurriedly looked behind him and found that, somehow, a huge object had already been placed there. But it wasn’t a mech—it was a plump, round… metal ball.
“This… is for me?” Staring at that plump object, OldBuick was stunned.