Chapter 121: The Boy Piloting a Mech
As they entered the factory, a pungent smell of alchemical herbs made Titus wrinkle his nose.
While the fumes weren’t exactly toxic waste, the combination of various potions undergoing processes like distillation and combustion created a potent and unpleasant odor. After a few breaths, Titus felt nauseous.
“Gods, this place smells way stronger than our factory,” Titus grimaced, waving a hand in front of his face. “Our factory isn’t this big, and their ventilation and waste disposal systems seem inadequate.”
“Perhaps their secret to cost-cutting isn’t just that machine,” Abyss said, unfazed by the pungent smell. He was accustomed to the stench of decay, so this strong herbal aroma was nothing to him. “No wonder the Goat Eyes Gang rose to power so quickly. If their main factory is like this, imagine the conditions in their other facilities. They must be saving a fortune.”
“Hah, the Goat Eyes Gang’s leader is a shrewd bastard,” Titus said, sneering. Although the Black Hats operated in a legal gray area, they treated their workers well. His combination of authority and generosity had fostered strong loyalty among his men, a change he implemented after becoming the leader. Titus believed in investing in his people to maximize profits, so he despised the Goat Eyes Gang leader’s stinginess.
They continued deeper into the factory, navigating a maze of carts, and entered the main production area through a large door. Distillation apparatuses, furnaces, and other alchemical equipment filled the space. A faint mist hung in the air, limiting visibility to about twenty meters. A dwarf foreman, sitting near the entrance, whip in hand, spotted the intruders. He stood up, his smoke-reddened eyes glaring at them, blocking their path.
“Halt! What are you two doing here? Why are your faces covered?”
The dwarf was stocky, his bulging eyes intimidating. An ordinary person might have been frightened, but the two men before him were a gang leader and a seasoned necromancer. Fear was a foreign concept to them.
“Oh, we’re just here for a tour and to pick up a few things. We’re covering our faces so you won’t recognize us,” Abyss replied casually.
“Are you taking me for a fool?” the dwarf roared, his simple mind failing to grasp how they had entered the factory unchallenged. He stuck two thick fingers in his mouth and let out a shrill whistle.
Two grinding metallic sounds echoed from the mist in the distance.
“Gordon! Ariel! Get over here and deal with these intruders!” the dwarf shouted.
Titus was surprised. He hadn’t expected enforcers to be stationed within the factory… And judging by the sound, these enforcers weren’t ordinary thugs.
Abyss remained calm, waiting for the approaching figures. Although the mist obscured their forms, he could sense what they were.
“Yes, Mr. Weeks,” two timid, youthful voices replied from the mist. The grinding of metal intensified, and two figures, towering over three meters tall, emerged from the mist, slowly approaching.
As they came into view, Abyss’s brow furrowed.
They were two mechanical suits, controlled by magic arrays and powered by burning potions. The suits were heavily armed, their arms bristling with various weapons. They lumbered towards them, white smoke billowing from their exhaust pipes. In the center of each suit was a capsule-shaped cockpit, each containing a child.
Yes, these massive machines were piloted by children, a boy and a girl, both human, barely ten years old. They wore metal collars around their necks, their bodies covered in magic runes—they were the power source for these mechanical suits!
“You fools, daring to trespass on Goat Eyes Gang territory! My men will rip your heads off!” the dwarf, Weeks, said, puffing out his chest, emboldened by the presence of the mechanical suits. “I don’t care who you are, but you’ve entered our domain, and you’ll die here! These mechs can even hold their own against a seventh-tier Dou Warrior. Killing you two is like swatting flies!”
“Why are you using children to pilot these machines? Wouldn’t adults be more suitable?” Abyss asked, tilting his head, observing the approaching mechs, his body unmoving.
Weeks ignored him, waving his hand impatiently, urging the children to attack.
“I’m sorry…” the girl in the mech said, her voice filled with guilt and fear, as she activated the attack array. The massive mech’s legs propelled it forward, its heavy body lurching as smoke billowed from its exhaust pipes. A giant fist shot towards Abyss and Titus. Titus instinctively wanted to dodge, but seeing Abyss standing still, he hesitated.
Why wasn’t he moving? Was he paralyzed with fear, or did he consider this massive mech’s attack insignificant?
He made a decision: He wouldn’t dodge. What was there to fear?
The mech’s fist, the size of a washbasin, was upon them.
Boom!
A deafening sound echoed through the factory, reverberating off the walls. The stone floor beneath Abyss’s feet cracked under the immense force, a cloud of dust and debris obscuring his form.
“Haha!” the dwarf laughed triumphantly. “Gordon, you idiot! Finish off the other one!”
“Hold on, I was asking you a question. Did you hear me?”
A calm, slightly annoyed voice emerged from the dissipating dust cloud.
As the dust settled, Abyss reappeared, his form visible once more, making the dwarf’s eyes widen in disbelief.
Abyss, his right arm behind his back, his left hand outstretched, had caught the mech’s punch, which carried the force of several tons!
His expression remained calm, his emerald eyes fixed on the dwarf. “I asked you, why are you using children to pilot these machines? Wouldn’t adults be more suitable?” he repeated.
Leave a Reply