Chapter 133: Trapped Beast (Volume One Finale 2/3)

Marshal Genison leaned against the tunnel wall, his body caked in blood, the constant, harrowing shrieks of goblins echoing in his ears.

"Alas, my legion is finished." Genison sighed in agony.

Ever since the coalition of goblins and orcs had entered the tunnels, the monsters lurking within had turned on the massive army like sharks smelling blood, alongside the elusive combat automatons of the Zhonghua clan. Even with the goblins' overwhelming numbers and the presence of powerful combat units like ogres, no one had anticipated that the tunnel creatures would be so relentless. These monsters were not only fierce individual fighters, but they also possessed an intimate knowledge of the terrain, often hiding in the shadows to launch sudden, savage assaults on the soldiers whenever they let their guard down, inflicting catastrophic casualties on the Eastern Legion.

Were it not for Olavia leading six angels to anchor the line, stepping in to destroy any particularly formidable beast that emerged, the army would have collapsed entirely. Even so, faced with an endless onslaught of monsters and mechanical puppets, Genison, Adolf, and Ships all harbored a shred of regret, wondering why they had fought so hard and rashly plunged themselves into a death trap.

Meanwhile, deep within the subterranean fortress of the Goblin Empire, Sun Licheng was addressing his subordinates.

"Everyone, leave. The underground fortress cannot be held. It is all my fault; a moment of soft-heartedness led me to let the Goddess of Silver Moon's angels inside," Sun Licheng said, filled with remorse.

"No, Boss, we still have hope!" Little Cabbage shouted.

Sun Licheng waved his hand and continued, "Wolf King, take the Wolf Rabbits and Flower-Back with you. Little Cabbage, you go with Vina. Mr. Handy, Green Dragon, and Mechanical One, discuss among yourselves who will stay behind to cover my retreat. Everyone else, evacuate immediately."

"No, Sun Licheng! I won't leave. I want to fight by your side. Even if it means death, I will die with you!" The young Medusa, Vina, rushed over and hugged him tightly, weeping loudly.

Sun Licheng offered a bitter smile, stroking Vina's hair—a gesture that seemed to soothe the little snakes atop her head—and said softly, "I cannot leave. The Goddess of Silver Moon wants me; if I go, none of you will escape. I must remain. Besides, I might not necessarily die. But if you stay with me, you will certainly lose your lives. Be a good girl and go. Live well; I still intend to meet your mother with you. So, promise me, you must live on, no matter what!"

"No, I don't believe it! If you stay, you will die—you will definitely die! I’m not leaving!"

Vina clung to Sun Licheng, shaking her head frantically and screaming. Sun Licheng sighed and gave a silent signal. Mr. Handy flew over, and amidst Vina's cries, used his eight tentacles to pull the young Medusa away.

"Little Cabbage, you go too. And remember, ask Mr. Handy for that thing. I spent a long time perfecting it; I hope you like it. It’s a pity I won't get to see its effect. Remember, you must live on with strength."

Seeing Vina being dragged away, Sun Licheng forced a smile for Little Cabbage, who nodded and followed Mr. Handy along with the other goblin warriors. Once everyone had departed, Sun Licheng patted Green Dragon’s chassis and smiled. "Thank you for staying with me." He then shouted, "Pass my order: all mechanical puppets in the fortress are to sortie. I want the enemy to know that even after ten thousand years, the Goblin Empire’s mechanical puppet legion remains a nightmarish force."

Instantly, sirens wailed throughout the fortress. "Attention all units, attention all units. By order of the Commander, for the glory of the Empire, all personnel are to deploy immediately. I repeat, all personnel are to deploy immediately."

Amidst the pervasive sounds of combat and shouting, Christina—or rather, Olavia—walked through the tunnels at a leisurely pace, flanked by her six angels. A smile graced her face; she could sense that Sun Licheng's lair was close.

Suddenly, the wall shifted. A camouflaged mechanical puppet lunged out, brandishing its weapon. Olavia didn't even move her body; with a mere flick of her hand, the automaton was sent flying like a discarded rag doll, slamming against the stone wall.

"Hmph, annoying vermin." Olavia snorted and walked up to a section of the wall.

Not far away, several more mechanical puppets emerged, charging into the goblin ranks and stirring up a bloody storm. Olavia paid no mind to the goblin casualties. She traced the wall with her fingers and smiled at the other angels. "The rat hole has been found."

She stepped back a few paces and raised her right hand, slowly rotating it in the air. The stone wall began to crack, and large chunks of rock fell away, revealing a massive steel door. Seeing the gate, Olavia’s smile widened. She approached with graceful, swaying steps and tapped the console with her right hand. With the sound of grinding gears, the door slowly slid open.

"The unlocking spell given to me by His Majesty truly is effective," she remarked with a laugh, swatting away a combat puppet that lunged at her.

Just as they finished off the remaining sentries and prepared to step into the main tunnel of the underground fortress, Christina felt a sudden shiver. She glanced to her right, where a massive wave of mechanical puppets was charging toward them.

"Pesky things. Go, kill them all." Following Olavia's command, the six angels behind her lunged forward.

However, Olavia’s expression quickly turned grim. The mechanical puppets were actually holding their own against the six angels.

"This is wrong! There is something wrong with these puppets!" Olavia’s heart raced.

Upon closer inspection, she noticed a faint, shimmering light pulsating within the machines. Her pupils constricted. "These puppets are powered by divine energy!"

Facing a legion of puppets imbued with divine power, the angels were soon locked in a bitter struggle. Though powerful, they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of puppets, which swarmed them in groups of several to one, leading to a stalemate.

"Hmph!" Olavia snorted and teleported instantly in front of one puppet. The machine swung its blade without hesitation, but Christina dodged with a graceful sway and struck back with her right hand, sending the puppet flying.

"What is happening? Where did these things come from?" Olavia wondered, unsettled by the familiar aura of the Divine Realm emanating from the machines.

Just then, another puppet lunged from the side. An angel attempted to block it but was cleaved in two by a single strike, vanishing in a burst of light and explosion. Seeing this massive construct, Olavia’s eyes narrowed into slits. The puppet was towering and pitch-black, its head seemingly modified to be disproportionately large.

Another angel fell to this construct. Fearing further delay, Olavia charged forward.

*Puff.*

Before she could even complete her move, Olavia looked down at her chest in shock. The puppet’s blade had pierced clean through her. To her horror, even though this was not her original body, she could feel her life force draining away rapidly.

"You are not a mechanical puppet... you are a god!"

Olavia spat out blood, staring into the puppet’s glowing electronic eye as she gasped out those final words, before her head slumped and she ceased all movement.