Chapter 45

The sickly green glow of the "Clearer"'s bio-cannon locked onto the nascent war blade hovering above the molten pool like a venomous snake fixing on its prey! That dark gold war blade, forged from earthfire, life force, and lunar radiance, which had just purged the corruption of the Clutching Claw, had become an abomination in the doctor’s eyes that must be destroyed!

“Destroy!” The lead “Clearer”’s electronic voice carried icy malice as its cannon’s green glow condensed to its peak!

“Not a chance!” Lin Mo’s eyes bulged with rage; ignoring the searing pain of mental exhaustion, he forcibly activated the [Seed of Life]! The nascent war blade, bound to his very blood and spirit, seemed to sense his will and let out a low, furious hum! The dark gold blade shuddered violently; the emerald life threads and silver lunar lines flowing along its guard blazed with sudden brilliance, and an invisible repelling field erupted instantly!

Hum—

Thick, sickly green bio-corrosive fluid shot forth like viscous poison arrows! Yet, just one meter from the nascent war blade, this torrent of toxin struck an invisible wall glowing faintly with emerald and silver radiance!

Sssss—

A chilling corrosion sound erupted! The toxic green fluid was held fast by the strange field, frantically eroding the energy barrier and spewing acrid white smoke! The barrier quivered violently, the emerald and silver light rapidly dimming—it clearly could not hold much longer!

“Hold it!” Lin Mo roared, launching himself like an arrow released from a bow toward the firing “Clearer”! He had no weapon—his only weapons were the faintly restored strength and the boiling rage in his chest!

Wrench also snapped to attention, screaming as he snatched up a red-hot shard of metal from the ground and hurled it at another advancing “Clearer”!

“Sizzzz!” The metal shard struck the “Clearer”’s rugged armor, leaving only a shallow dent. The monster’s electronic eye flared red, then one thick mechanical leg swung like a steel whip, slicing through the air toward Wrench!

Wrench screamed, rolling and scrambling away as the steel leg grazed his scalp, smashing into the ground and cratering it! Shards of rock flew everywhere!

The depression plunged into chaos! Two “Clearers” pinned Wrench and Lin Mo—their movements swift, their strength immense, their bio-armor highly resistant to physical strikes. Four mechanical legs slashed like deadly scythes, each attack tearing the air with a shrill whistle. Lin Mo and Wrench barely escaped death, dodging desperately behind ruins and shell craters.

Meanwhile, the lead “Clearer”’s cannon began to glow green once more! Its target remained the nascent war blade, struggling to maintain its field above the molten pool! If the field shattered, the toxic corrosive fluid would instantly contaminate—or destroy—this newborn weapon of hope!

“Damn it! Never-ending!” Wrench was backed into a corner by one “Clearer,” his back slamming against the scorching rock wall—with nowhere left to retreat! He stared in despair as the sickly green cannon glowed again.

At this critical moment!

Hum—

The dark gold nascent war blade suspended in midair emitted another hum! This time, the sound was clearer, carrying a fresh, unyielding edge! The intricate runes woven from emerald life threads and silver lunar lines blazed across the blade’s surface like ignited stars, erupting in brilliant radiance!

A more concentrated, sharper invisible field instantly contracted and coalesced—not as a broad defensive barrier, but as a visible, spiraling energy blade of intertwined emerald and silver, rotating furiously around the blade’s tip!

“Go!” Lin Mo’s mind screamed with sudden clarity!

Shhhhh—

The spiraling energy blade shot forth like a runaway dragon, screaming through the air, striking the firing “Clearer” at a speed beyond visual tracking!

Pthssst!

No earth-shattering explosion. Only a soft sound, like a hot knife slicing through butter.

Time seemed to freeze.

The lead “Clearer”’s raised bio-cannon, along with half its steel body, was cleanly sliced diagonally by the spiraling blade! The cut surface was mirror-smooth, shimmering faintly with intertwined emerald and silver light. The severed armor edges—residual bio-sludge and mechanical wiring—were instantly melted and purified, leaving not a trace of corruption!

The “Clearer” froze instantly. Its electronic eye flickered red wildly, then went dark. The massive steel body lost balance and crashed to the ground, smoking faintly from the severed edge—no explosion.

One strike! Instant kill!

The two other “Clearers” attacking Lin Mo and Wrench paused for a split second—their electronic eyes flickered with what seemed like… programmatic confusion?

“That… that was amazing!” Wrench stared, dumbfounded.

Lin Mo’s heart surged with joy! Though the war blade was not yet fully sharpened, its innate purifying and sharpness energy had proven devastatingly effective against these bio-tech hybrids like the Black Scorpions!

Yet joy was again shattered by cold reality.

“Brilliant… truly brilliant…” A cold, emotionless voice, laced with barely suppressed greed, suddenly echoed above the depression.

Lin Mo snapped his head up! Above the wreckage of the slain “Clearer,” the air twisted grotesquely, light rippling like water. A semi-transparent humanoid silhouette, composed of countless tiny blue data streams, rapidly coalesced and sharpened into clarity!

Gold-rimmed glasses, immaculately combed hair, a white lab coat… It was the doctor’s virtual projection! He hovered midair, looking down upon Lin Mo and the floating war blade with the gaze of a man inspecting a priceless treasure.

“Spatial node… extradimensional energy… Life Furnace… and this weapon… fused with unknown laws…” The doctor’s projection spoke slowly, each word heavy with longing, “Your value… far exceeds my estimates, Lin Mo.”

His gaze turned to the war blade, a cold smile curling his lips: “This weapon… its power is peculiar… seemingly capable of suppressing corruption? Intriguing… extremely intriguing…” He had somehow sensed the blade’s purification effect against the bio-corrosive fluid.

“Hand it over to me,” the doctor’s projection extended a hand toward the nascent war blade, his tone leaving no room for refusal, “In exchange… I can make you… and your companion… ‘Senior Advisors’ to the Black Scorpions. Share… my knowledge… and power.”

“Dream on!” Lin Mo clenched his fists, the power of the [Seed of Life] surging within him as he watched the doctor’s projection with wary eyes. He knew the projection had no physical attack capability—but the will and technology behind it were far more terrifying than ten “Clearers”!

“Refusal?” The doctor’s projection showed no surprise; his voice grew colder, “Foolish choice. Do you think… this unfinished weapon can protect you for long? Do you think… that elf world can hold out much longer?”

His words struck like poisoned thorns, piercing Lin Mo’s deepest fear!

As if to confirm the doctor’s words, deep within Lin Mo’s consciousness, the stable Thorn Passage node suddenly erupted with Lianana’s piercing, agonized, despairing psychic scream! Along with it came a shattered vision:

In the center of the withered forest! The Clutching Claw’s massive paw, encrusted with purple crystal clusters, slammed down with space-rending force onto the lone, lonely silver glow of the World Tree’s ruins! Lianana held fast with her withered staff, the lunar jewel fragment at its tip blazing its final light! But the silver thorn barrier shattered like fragile glass, piece by piece! The silver purified soil beneath her feet was instantly swallowed by thick, withering mist! Lianana’s body was flung like a severed kite, her silver hair whipping wildly in the air—her mouth spewed not silver blood, but dark purple mist thick with decay! In her grip, the withered staff… the last fragment of lunar light at its tip… shattered completely!

“Lianana—!!!” Lin Mo’s heart clenched as if gripped by a cold hand, screaming silently!

The Clutching Claw’s massive paw, having shattered the last defense, reached greedily and savagely for the wounded, falling Lianana! Through the fissures of its tree-bump “helmet,” a murky yellow eye glowed with cruel triumph!

The last hope of the elf world was about to be swallowed by darkness!