Amidst the escalating tension, the troops led by Julius and the massive assembly of Royal Guild adventurers, under the commaand of Lingzhi, formed a tight circle around us.
In a sudden turn of events, Lingzhi dismounted from her wyvern, and Julius stepped forward, kneeling before her.
--- Princess of Azteroth, I am Julius, a Knight of zunish. This elf and her metallic monster companion were responsible for the destruction of the peak of Mount Evac. I also suspect their involvement in the annihilation of the Viridis Forest. ---
-- Sir Julius of zunish, what is the essence of your mission? --
Alice inquired with authority.
--- Your Highness, my mission is to ascertain the whereabouts of the elves and subsequently report my findings to the King. ---
-- Precisely. Then, why have you chosen to initiate combat? --
--- They initiated the attack, and we were merely defending ourselves. We were... ---
Before Julius could complete his sentence, Alice lunged her spear toward his chest.
-- Your directive was to locate and report, not engage in battle. Failing to adhere to the Royal Guild's commands is a grave offense, Sir Julius of zunish, and you shall pay with your life. --
As Julius collapsed to the ground, Alice retrieved her spear, Julius's soldiers were caught off guard, their hands tightening around their swords.
--- Fear not, soldiers. I shall spare your lives, for you were but following orders, --- Alice announced with a tone of leniency.
Then, her gaze shifted towards me, her spear pointed in my direction.
--- Mighty Metallic Beast, I am well aware that you comprehend human language. If you surrender the three elves, the Kingdom of Azteroth is prepared to grant any of your desires ---
Esha glanced at me, then quickly leaped back, her sword aimed in my direction.
In an unexpected turn of events, the soldiers under Julius's command and the village guards fell to the ground, and Asha and Ishi reappeared.
-- Lingzhi! -- Asha's voice reverberated with intensity.
--- It seems you two have arrived just in time. You've saved me the effort of hunting you down. Now, Metallic Beast, the choice is yours! Surrender the three elves, and you shall be granted a wish of your own. ---
Swiftly, I used my mechanical arm to secure the three elves, causing a smirk to spread across Lingzhi's face. Without hesitation, I accelerated towards them at full speed.
--- Stop, you monstrous creature! --- Lingzhi's cry echoed.
As I continued my rapid advance, Lingzhi maneuvered to evade. However, some adventurers misjudged their movements, resulting in collisions with my bumper or getting crashed beneath my wheels.
The adventurers quickly reacted, they fell back and dodged, with those in heavy armor forming the front line. Mages and archers took their positions at the rear, while swordsmen and spearmen continued their relentless attacks.
Their combat prowess was remarkable, far superior to Julius's troops. Their coordinated movements demonstrated their expertise, unlike the somewhat disorganized efforts of Julius's soldiers.
I swiftly accessed my information screen to analyze their individual statistics. Most of them boasted levels above 30, a testament to their experience. Lingzhi herself stood at level 45, a formidable presence. The three elves were no slouches either, being at level 38.
In no time, we found ourselves encircled by the adversaries. Mages created barriers and obstacles on the battlefield, hindering my ability to drive at full speed.
The battle was clearly well-orchestrated. Lingzhi observed the skirmish from her wyvern, orchestrating her forces with a calculated demeanor.
Placing the three elves on the ground, they quickly drew their swords, ready for battle. The swordsmen and spearmen kept attacking relentlessly, and Ishi showed her amazing skill with her dual blades.
She dashed towards the adventurers, skillfully dodging their attacks, and then launched a counterattack.
Esha displayed his mastery over sorcery, casting spells while also attacking with his blade.
The stone structures that the adventurers had created turned out to be advantageous for the elves. They used these structures like stepping stones to jump and move around, launching attacks toward the adventurers.
"Alex, activate the mini gun!" I commanded.
/ Mini Gun Activated /
I immediately fired the gatling gun at the adventurers. Unlike goblins, some of the adventurers managed to dodge the bullets, while others blocked them with their bodies, which resulted in instant fatalities.
Seeing the adventurers facing defeat, Lingzhi dismounted from her wyvern and joined the battle.
She threw her spear towards Asha, who quickly dodged and counterattacked towards Lingzhi.
Lingzhi spun in the air, blocking Asha's attack, before landing. Just as Lingzhi touched the ground, Esha launched a fireball towards her. However, Lingzhi's agile movements allowed her to dodge the fireball easily.
As Lingzhi stood her ground, Ishi immediately launched an attack using her dual blades. Lingzhi jumped back, grabbed a sword from the ground, and hurled it towards Ishi.
Ishi skillfully dodged the sword and continued her assault. Lingzhi then pulled out a dagger and deflected Ishi's attacks. Grabbing a nearby spear, Lingzhi swiftly attacked Ishi. Both of them were incredibly fast, but it was evident that Lingzhi had the upper hand.
While this intense battle was happening, the three elves focused on fighting Lingzhi together. At the same time, I made sure to eliminate each adventurer in my path one by one, preventing them from attacking us effectively.
My large body made me an easy target for attacks, and I struggled to dodge them. I moved back and forth, but the obstacles like bumps and stone walls hindered my movement.
Suddenly, the mages summoned four stone walls that trapped me in the center.
There was no way to escape; I couldn't destroy the walls because of the lack of space to maneuver. They had sealed the top with rocks, effectively locking me inside a stone box.
The only potential escape route was to use earth manipulation through sorcery. However, launching a destructive waterball might inadvertently harm the elves or the village.
I released mana throughout my body and focused on the elements around me. I wasn't sure how to control the earth element, but then it struck me.
- Alex, can you teach me how to control the earth element? -
--- Certainly. To control the earth element, you need to release a sufficient quantity of mana that can connect with every molecule within the volume of earth you intend to control. If you want to manipulate a small rock, you should release a small amount of mana that can interact with each molecule in that rock. To shape it, you can start by visualizing the form you want to create. To move it through space, imagine your mana as if it were your limbs, allowing you to move objects according to your will. ---
I realized that moving these walls would require practice. Releasing my mana throughout my body, I attempted to focus on the wall in front of me. But it seemed my efforts were in vain. Determined, I used my mechanical arm to touch the wall while channeling mana through my hand. I could sense my mana connecting with the edges of the wall. I needed to control the flow of mana carefully; I couldn't risk accidentally causing an explosion that might damage my body.
Once I successfully established a link between my mana and the wall, I tried to manipulate it as if it were an extension of my own limbs. Surprisingly, the wall started to move, creating an opening.
I quickly drove through the gap, only to find the situation outside was dire. The three elves were visibly exhausted from battling Lingzhi and the adventurers. The mages were taken aback by my unexpected use of sorcery.
The mages began chanting again, shielded by paladins and swordsmen. I drove straight towards the mages, pushing aside the paladins and swordsmen with my powerful bumper. Despite their sturdy bodies, my force overwhelmed them. I activated my "lumberjack" mechanism, causing a chainsaw to extend from my bumper and instantly dispatching the paladins and swordsmen..
I remembered that I had acquired the Death Ray Gun.
"Alex, can you activate the Death Ray Gun?" I asked.
"Of course!" came the reply.
**/ Unique Skill: Death Ray Gun Activated**
Suddenly, a massive ray gun emerged from the roof of my cabin. I aimed the gun towards the mages.
A black ball materialized at the mouth of the gun, causing the air to thicken, and the grass around me disintegrated within seconds. This bewildered some of the adventurers.
A screen appeared in my vision, locking onto the target. The percentage increased steadily as the energy charged. Strangely, my mana was depleting rapidly, an uncommon occurrence as it rarely dipped below 90%.
The energy bar reached 100%. Without hesitation, I fired the Death Ray Gun. The black ball shot out a beam that was a mix of black and red. Everything in its path disintegrated, adventurers turning to dust as their flesh melted away. The beam struck the mages, successfully neutralizing them..
However, the beam had a much greater impact than I had intended. Life around the path of the beam instantly vanished, leaving behind a massive crater where the mages had been. The thousands of adventurers were reduced to just a hundred survivors.
The villagers and merchants who had been watching were in shock, witnessing the death of thousands of elite adventurers in a matter of seconds. The remaining survivors were overwhelmed, some dropping their weapons, others screaming in anguish and pain.
I swiftly drove towards the elves.
- Let's go! - I urged.
The three elves nodded in agreement and jumped onto my trailer.
-- That's some massive destruction, Shiro, -- Asha remarked.
-- They deserve it -- Esha replied.
-- That was an awesome display, Trucky! -- Ishi exclaimed.
- Hey, no weird nicknames, - I retorted.
As we made our escape, Alice and her remaining adventurers began to follow us.
-- They never learn, do they? -- Esha commented.
I charged up the death ray gun once again while driving away.
- Get inside my cabin, you three! - I commanded.
The elves immediately jumped inside, and I closed the door while adding a protective barrier to shield them from the radiation caused by the beam.
The adventurers were in a perfect formation, riding their horses and shouting as they fired projectiles towards me. This scene felt oddly familiar, reminding me of a scene from my favorite anime where commander Erwin met his end along with his fellow soldiers.
The energy bar was full once again.
- Sasageyo, my *ss, motherf*ckers! - I exclaimed.
I fired the beam towards them.
The laser beam shot out, distorting space itself. The beam's path caused everything in its wake to disintegrate, successfully obliterating the remaining adventurers. Just as the aftermath settled, I felt a presence land on my back. I turned my gaze and saw Alice standing in my trailer, gripping her spear. Her eyes held a mixture of excitement and a fierce desire to kill.