Chapter 64

In an instant, the wild wind, carrying snowflakes, howled up, sweeping up the sky‑filled dust and gravel, as if to block the sky and cover the sun, it seemed to devour everything.

Fortunately, Xing and a few dodged in time; though the Creator Engine's fierce punch missed them, it smashed a huge pit into the ground.

The mechanical giant arm slowly rose, and a robot the size of a mountain range finally revealed its true form in the wind and snow. Kekeliya held an ice spear, floating mid‑air, looking down on everyone like a true god of creation.

"A robot ten thousand times bigger than Siwa Luo!" March 7 gasped, unable to close her mouth. Facing such a massive monster, her Six‑Phase Ice Ability couldn't handle it!

"Engine, crush them!"

Blinding light continually flashed and accumulated atop the Creator Engine's head; with Kekeliya's command, a scarlet heat‑ray shot out, instantly slicing the distant ridges, accompanied by the sound of exploding mountains, the ray's direction shifted and it rushed toward everyone.

"It seems this ancient machine can use an attack method similar to 'attack magic'," Jian Ze exclaimed, widening his eyes in amazement.

"…No, Jian Ze, look closely." Sailai Ai raised her right hand, her index finger twitching slightly; a fragment of the image in the light curtain was frozen and imprinted by her magic, hovering in mid‑air.

That was the image of Xing dodging the heat‑ray, but Sailai Ai paid more attention to the slightly blurred background behind Xing.

—That was the mountain range outside the Eternal Winter Ridge. The mountains swept by the heat‑ray seemed to emit painful wails, explosions erupting one after another. Snow‑covered rock, following the steep slopes, slowly slid down and fell; those neat, exquisite seams looked as if they had been carved by a god's axe.

"How far can humanity's attack magic reach?"

Sailai Ai stretched out a few fingers, counting slowly: "Five hundred meters? One kilometer? In recent decades, I recall… even a top‑rank archmage's attack magic cannot exceed two kilometers."

"The reason is that condensed magic dissipates with distance; even if it flies several kilometers to hit a target, its power is greatly reduced."

"Jian Ze, look carefully at the mountain range behind them—can you guess how far its attack reaches? Surely more than tens of li? At that distance it can destroy a mountain range and trigger explosions; do you still think this is similar to 'attack magic'?"

After hearing Sailai Ai's analysis, Jian Ze fell into silence.

"If I may say… this is far beyond 'attack magic'."

"Although the attack method is somewhat simple, its power is unmatched. If it hits head‑on, even I… probably couldn't perfectly block this blow," Sailai Ai said, a faint smile touching her lips.

"How are we to destroy such a giant?"

In the midst of dodging, Bronya fired her rifle, but the bullets did less damage to the Creator Engine than a scratch. Seeing the engine raise its fist to strike, suddenly a red light flashed in the sky—Ji Zi's orbital cannon descended from above, precisely piercing the engine's left hand!

"…Ji Zi! It's Ji Zi!" March 7 shouted excitedly.

"Hey hey, can you hear me? The signal's terrible……" Ji Zi's fragmented voice came through Xing's communication device.

"Ji Zi! You finally thought of us!"

"What's up? Mr. Wa'erte and I have been thinking of you all from orbit; this expedition is quite delightful."

"How did this big guy start moving…… but for now, it'd be better to let it stay still, right? Now it's up to you."

I had originally hoped they'd all gang‑up on this big robot……

Inside the night‑raid headquarters, Labuke showed a disappointed expression: "What if the Empire produces an Imperial Arm as huge as the Creator Engine? I'd still like to study how to deal with it."

Leonai slapped Labuke on the back and laughed loudly: "I say, your joke is too flat. An Imperial Arm the size of the Creator Engine? If such a thing really existed in the imperial capital, it couldn't go unnoticed."

"I mean, just in case, just in case…!" Labuke pursed his lips: "If such a thing existed, Ma Yin, could you use your 'Pumpkin' like Ji Zi's orbital cannon to blast off that mechanical monster's arm with a single shot?"

"How could that possibly be done! Miss Ji Zi's orbital cannon is totally cheating!"

Ma Yin tightly clung to the gun‑type Imperial Arm in her bosom; although the Romantic Battery increases its power with rising danger, the cost drains the user's mental strength.

In theory, her 'Pumpkin' could indeed match the orbital cannon's firepower, but that exists only in theory…… If one day the Pumpkin truly unleashed that power, what level of threat would they face?

……Hard to imagine.

"Ma Yin, I'll protect you." Chi Tong suddenly said, then stared seriously at Ma Yin: "You just need to stand behind me."

"…No way!" Ma Yin crossed her arms, turned her head, and let out a tsundere‑like snort that seemed to drift three hundred meters upwind: "If we really faced that huge mechanical Imperial Arm, Chi Tong, your Village Rain couldn't possibly handle it—your Imperial Arm is suited for slaying humans… like that Kekeliya; you're fit to fight her."

"By the way, this Lady Kekeliya is a flesh‑and‑blood being, skilled with ice, and holds a high position in a nation… she's really reminiscent of Aisides."

"Chi Tong, why don't you try to imagine yourself in her shoes and see if you could beat Kekeliya?"

After Xing and Bronya exchanged glances, they leapt onto the Creator Engine's arm.

Going up the arm, Xing's target was obvious.

—Kekeliya!

The rift‑world monster blocking Xing's path—Bronya raised her rifle and eliminated it with a single shot. She would do everything possible to ensure Xing's safe arrival beside Kekeliya.

Along the way, the Creator Engine reactivated, its massive body slowly rising; the sudden jerk of its arm threw Xing to the ground.

"Grab me!"

Just as she was about to fall, a faint blue silhouette flashed behind her—Xier darted to Xing's side, firmly gripping her hand; the two spun and flung themselves, the tremendous acceleration sending Xing soaring back into the air.

Although her feet hung in mid‑air, Dan Heng's spear had precisely reached below; Xing seized it with quick eyes and hands, swung herself over, and finally reached the top platform safe and sound.

And before her, Kekeliya stood there, holding a cold spear, hovering in midair, her gaze icy as she looked at this uninvited guest before her.