Chapter 386

Olivia's gaze turned dark, and she did not answer Wu Chang's question.

The Difference Engine predicted that Xiao En would come to stop her plan, but it did not predict that Xiao En's deputy commander could extract such a bizarre steam engine.

Wu Chang's earlier question echoed in her ears: could the Difference Engine truly not be omniscient?

But it was too late now; she had no retreat left.

Although purely in terms of mechanical design and craftsmanship, the lion-shaped mechanical beast beneath her lagged far behind the Peacebringer, the beast's strength did not lie in its mechanical performance, but in the transcendent steam core embedded within its body.

The lion-shaped mechanical beast, fused with dozens of transcendent steam cores, possessed dozens of transcendent powers; combined with the Difference Engine's battle plan, it might not lose.

Olivia, connected to the Difference Engine through the Steam Rule, instructed it to find the Peacebringer's weaknesses and the method by which the lion-shaped mechanical beast could defeat it.

The thick mist representing the Steam Rule enveloped the Peacebringer; after a moment, Olivia received the Difference Engine's response.

No weaknesses. Self-destruct.

In the Difference Engine's view, the Peacebringer appearing in the Steam Phantom Plane had no weaknesses; all its functions had reached perfection.

With the lion-shaped mechanical beast's stats, the only possible way to defeat the Peacebringer was to convert all energy into steam explosives, then detonate alongside the Peacebringer, betting that the Peacebringer's armor could not withstand the massive explosion.

Upon receiving the Difference Engine's answer, Olivia fell silent. Could the Difference Engine truly be unreliable?

Leaving aside whether the conclusion of "no weaknesses" was correct, the method to defeat the Peacebringer—she wanted to defeat the Peacebringer, not destroy it at any cost.

According to the Difference Engine's estimate, the steam explosives required would be powerful enough to blow the entire Grimlan into the sky.

Even if she succeeded in killing the Peacebringer, she herself would not survive.

Olivia, expressionless, severed her connection to the Difference Engine, preparing to act without external interference and test for herself whether the Peacebringer truly had no weaknesses.

She activated the Land Heart within the mechanical beast; instantly, its posture shifted, its surface shimmered with metallic luster, and it charged straight toward the Peacebringer.

As the transcendent steam engine symbolizing the army, the Land Heart was originally housed in a massive war chariot; it provided immense power and an unbreakable energy barrier.

With these two advantages, the Fran army, led by its land flagship, had been nearly invincible on land.

But the power granted by the Land Heart was negligible before the Peacebringer; the lion-shaped mechanical beast's full-force lunge appeared to the Peacebringer like a small dog playfully pouncing.

The Peacebringer simply extended one hand, gripped the lion-shaped mechanical beast's throat, and halted its charge with perfect control.

The ability to so effortlessly subdue the lion-shaped mechanical beast was inseparable from the Peacebringer's skill bonuses.

"Item Skill: Specialized Armor"

"Skill Description: When activating the mech, Specialized Armor grants the pilot resistance to most control effects. The mech inherits the pilot's physical attributes and adds a permanent +100 bonus to each."

Under the Specialized Armor bonus, the Peacebringer's current physical attributes are:

HP: 345 (245)

Strength: 481 (381)

Agility: 205 (105)

Endurance: 207 (107)

Energy: 409 (309)

(Numbers in parentheses are attributes before Specialized Armor bonus)

After the Specialized Armor bonus, Wu Chang's minimum attribute while piloting the Peacebringer exceeded 200 points; even his weakest stat, Agility, alone surpassed that of the vast majority of Wasteland Realm players specializing in Agility.

The lion-shaped mechanical beast was already slow, and Olivia lacked the corresponding piloting skills—she merely manipulated the beast through the Steam Rule, making its speed appear like slow motion before Wu Chang.

If she could not outpace him in Agility, she had no chance of victory whatsoever.

In the Wasteland Realm, once you wear the Peacebringer, there is nothing Wu Chang cannot catch, and nothing he cannot defeat.

With the Specialized Armor bonus, the Peacebringer's Strength reached 481 points; even before obtaining the Violator title, this value approached the Wasteland Realm's maximum capacity.

Before 481 points of Strength, not only the lion-shaped mechanical beast—even if the Stilan navy flagship charged at it, the Peacebringer could withstand it.

Wu Chang gripped the lion-shaped mechanical beast's throat with one hand; no matter how it struggled, he did not loosen his grip by even a fraction.

He activated the propulsion units beneath the Peacebringer, pushing the lion-shaped mechanical beast out of the Crystal Palace and onto the open square, then slammed it to the ground.

The massive impact nearly threw Olivia off the beast.

Olivia stabilized her body through the Steam Rule, her gaze toward the Peacebringer filled with wariness; through this brief exchange, she fully grasped the gap in mechanical performance between them.

No wonder the Difference Engine rated the Peacebringer as having no weaknesses—before the Peacebringer, she felt not the slightest urge to resist.

In close combat, crushing him by size difference was impossible; to win, she could only rely on firepower.

Seeing Wu Chang did not press his advantage, she maneuvered the lion-shaped mechanical beast to leap backward, then raised her finger toward the sky.

The massive airship that had carried them all—the Olivia Queen—appeared above the battlefield; at Olivia's command, the Sky Heart aboard the airship descended, guided by the Steam Rule, and settled onto the lion-shaped mechanical beast's back.

Amid a clatter of turning gears, two enormous mechanical wings unfolded from the beast's back.

It flapped its steel wings and rose into the air.

The Sky Heart granted it the power of flight.

Wu Chang, regardless of whether Olivia could hear him, spoke as if to himself:

"Technology is still too primitive. Just flying? There's no need to make such a spectacle."

As he switched the Peacebringer to aerial combat mode, propulsion units extended from its back and feet, lifting him into the sky.

"Item Skill: All-Domain Combat Mech."

"Skill Description: The Peacebringer, as an All-Domain Combat Mech, is suited for land, sea, and air combat; its mech can replenish internal energy using any type of energy source."

Seeing the Peacebringer could also fly, Olivia abandoned the idea of attacking from above and launched a direct artillery barrage.

Cannon barrels extended from every part of the lion-shaped mechanical beast; especially from its gaping lion's mouth, a massive cannon muzzle nearly a meter in diameter materialized.

These cannons shimmered with a pale blue glow, drawing in the Steam Rule from the air and converting it into energy.

In cannon manufacturing, Drue's "Transcendent Cannon Lathe" produced the pinnacle of cannons in the Steam Phantom Plane.

The cannons now used by the lion-shaped mechanical beast were all special cannons manufactured by its internal Transcendent Cannon Lathe, enhanced by the Land Heart's firepower and rate-of-fire bonuses, the immense destructive power of steam explosives, and the anti-magic inscriptions stamped onto the shells by the Transcendent Rammer.

Combined, these multiple transcendent steam engines stacked the cannon damage to an utterly terrifying level.

Especially the main cannon in the lion's mouth—its power made Wu Chang, even piloting the Peacebringer, feel genuine threat.

He had no intention of standing there like a target and taking a full barrage—Peacebringer was a personalized item infused with He Yi's affection; how could it be damaged by Olivia just to test its durability?

He fixed his gaze on the lion-shaped mechanical beast's cannon barrel, and just before the shell was about to fire, he fully activated Peacebringer to surge upward, dodging the torrent of projectiles.

Wu Chang discovered that in the Steam Phantom realm, every boss who wielded power preferred to overwhelm with firepower.

First the Executioner, then Xavier, now Olivia—still the same tactic.

Once they activated the firepower coverage mode, ammunition seemed inexhaustible.

He piloted Peacebringer through constant rapid stops and directional shifts, using his exceptional agility to evade ninety-five percent of the bullets.

The few bullets that struck true were promptly deflected by him.

Soon he realized Olivia had changed her tactics—likely following the Difference Engine's suggestion—and her shots now blocked his escape routes.

By relentlessly pressuring his movements, she waited until he had nowhere left to dodge—then the main cannon in the lion's mouth fired.

A massive column of energy, laced with nearly solidified Steam Rule force, roared toward Peacebringer.

Seeing evasion impossible, Wu Chang activated Peacebringer's energy barrier and triggered the mech's Divine Mode.

"Item Skill: Divine Mode"

"Skill Description: Remove all restrictions within Peacebringer, enter Divine Mode, gain Semi-Divine status. The mode automatically deactivates when stored Divine energy is depleted. If the pilot possesses Divine energy, the effect is amplified. In Divine Mode, energy consumption triples that of normal mode."

The colossal force of the Steam Rule column struck Peacebringer's energy barrier. After a brief silence, a tremendous explosion followed.

The shockwave from the explosion shattered the crystal palace's glass walls on the side facing the battlefield, even hundreds of meters away. Alongside the shockwave spread steam transformed from the Steam Rule, obscuring the sky and swallowing the entire battlefield.

These uncontrolled Steam Rules after the explosion were beyond Olivia's control; her vision blocked, her cannon fire entered a brief cooldown.

She watched warily toward Wu Chang's position—she felt that last shot had hit, but could not determine how much damage it had done to Peacebringer.

She tried asking the Difference Engine, but received no reply.

Does that mean this shot vaporized Peacebringer outright?

If Wu Chang knew what Olivia was thinking, he would surely correct her: "No—the Difference Engine is telling you, smoke without damage. Damage is blank."

In Divine Mode, Peacebringer's existence was equivalent to a Semi-Divine, and its energy barrier carried Divine power.

A special shell combining Steam Rule, Steam Explosives, and Anti-Magic Seal—if any ranked player took this head-on, even without suppressing their abilities, they would be instantly vaporized.

But against the Divine-infused energy barrier, it only consumed five levels of Wu Chang's Divine energy.

"Current Stored Divine: 95/100."

A strike approaching the peak of Source Force, hitting a Semi-Divine, caused only this much damage.

Wu Chang looked at Peacebringer's Divine energy bar and thought inwardly: Divine energy really is useful—the value of "only a god can defeat a god" keeps increasing.

Olivia's shot not only revealed the chasm between mortal and god, but also exposed one fact: Olivia had not condensed Divine energy.

If Xavier were piloting the lion-shaped mechanical beast, taking this shot would have reduced Peacebringer's Divine energy by at least twenty points.

But if it were Xavier, he would never have gotten the chance to fire.

Amid the mist, Olivia was pondering the extent of Peacebringer's damage when a voice emerged from the fog beside her.

"Your Majesty, why haven't you awakened Divine energy like Xavier did?"

Olivia's heart sank—Wu Chang's voice showed no sign of serious injury. She scanned her surroundings, searching for him, then replied:

"You should know—Steam Rules brought by the Superb Steam Machines have been tampered with; foreign elements are mixed within. They can only be used, not integrated. Otherwise, you become puppets in the hands of those gods."

"Moreover, I am the Queen of Stilran. A monarch needs no Divine energy—only humanity."

Wu Chang's voice came again: "Your Majesty, don't you wish to become a god?"

Olivia shook her head: "Before fulfilling my promise to Zhu Li, I have no interest in becoming a god."

Hoo~

A strong wind swept through, dispersing the thick steam. Olivia's vision partially cleared—and she was stunned to see Wu Chang's Peacebringer already standing ten meters before the lion-shaped mechanical beast.

Peacebringer held a firearm she had never seen before, aimed squarely at the lion's chest.

Wu Chang said: "Pity you took the wrong path."

He pulled the trigger.

Olivia's pupils contracted. She immediately activated the lion-shaped mechanical beast, linking the Heart of Land, Heart of Ocean, and Heart of Sky—the three vehicle-type Superb Steam Machine cores, each possessing defensive capability.

The triple defenses stacked together formed an impenetrable barrier.

Worried it still wasn't enough, she formed a shield of her own Steam Rule across the lion's surface—this was the maximum defense she could achieve.

Unfortunately, Olivia had not condensed Divine energy—but Peacebringer now contained Divine energy.

Her maximum defense, like her maximum offensive firepower, meant nothing before Divine energy.

Wu Chang's attack, fueled by five points of Divine energy, effortlessly pierced through the combined defense of the three Hearts, then shattered Olivia's Steam Rule shield.

No sound, no explosion—only a flash of light. Half the lion-shaped mechanical beast's body, plus one wing, vanished in the Divine attack.

The next instant, the maimed mechanical beast tumbled awkwardly toward the ground.

Boom!

The lion-shaped mechanical beast fell from nearly a kilometer high, crashing into the earth and becoming a pile of scrap metal.

Olivia barely escaped using her Steam Rule in time—but the plan she had intended to complete was now over.

She stared at the ruins below, her gaze vacant.

It felt as if she had lost something vital, yet also as if she had shed a heavy chain. She stood frozen, unsure whether to feel joy or sorrow.

Wu Chang piloted Peacebringer down slowly, making no further attack on Olivia.

After all, he had no mortal grudge against her; and from the perspective of his true self, since becoming Grand Master of the Mystic Knight Order, Olivia had always treated him well.

Had it not been to help the client resolve their inner turmoil, he wouldn't have lifted a hand against her at all.

What happens next depends entirely on the client.

Zhu Li approached Olivia and whispered: "It's over."

Olivia wanted to speak, but opened her mouth several times, unable to find where to begin.

I never thought things would come to this—I only wanted to fulfill the promise between us; I just didn't want to disappoint you.

But judging by the outcome, it seems I took the wrong path.

Zhu Li grabbed Olivia's hand, trying to soothe her uncontrollable trembling, and said:

You didn't do anything wrong. Precisely because of the path you chose, Styland has become the most prosperous nation in the world.

Here we have the most advanced industry, the most developed railways, the strongest medical care, and the most vibrant universities.

We were just too eager—we rushed to solve every problem at once, trying to mold the world into the shape we wanted.

Olivia turned to Zhu Li and asked: "Then what should I do?"

Zhu Li's gaze grew distant as she replied:

At first, I didn't know what to do—until I saw Xiao En's Lady helping people in the slums, and only then did I begin to understand.

To create a world where everyone can live in peace, you may not need to pass laws or design complex plans—just lend a hand to those in need, instead of treating them as necessary sacrifices on the path to your goal.

Xiao En's Lady did it well. I think perhaps we could replace the Holy Revelation Sect with her faith, the Yongguang Sect Sect, and then gradually change everything based on the Yongguang Sect Sect.

Wu Chang, listening in secretly, felt a jolt in his chest and his face flushed with guilt.

Young Lady Zhu Li, be mindful of your position—you, a Saint of the Apocalypse, suggesting we replace the Holy Revelation Sect with the Yongguang Sect Sect—is that appropriate?

Although he did have thoughts of poaching, Zhu Li speaking up so openly—wouldn't that make Kristin misunderstand something?

Olivia turned her gaze to Wu Chang and asked:

Sir Xiao En, what do you think of this proposal? If I wish to promote your wife's faith, the Yongguang Sect Sect, in Styland, what would I need to do?

Wu Chang shook his head: "You need do nothing. If Your Majesty wishes to spread the Yongguang Sect Sect in Styland, my wife and I will fully assist."

A free gift of faith territory—how could he refuse?

Kristin had called him to help, but never said it involved an S-rank instance—he'd take this faith territory as compensation.

As Wu Chang spoke, several prompts popped up before his eyes.

"Player has completed Main Quest One: Survive at least thirty days in the Styland capital, Grimlan, and witness the Grand International Industrial Exposition."

"Player has completed Main Quest Two: Acquire at least one Pearl of the Industrial Crown."

"Player has completed Main Quest Three: Investigate the truth behind the Prime Minister's assassination."

(End of Chapter)