Chapter 45: Combat Alchemical Golem: Crackground Centipede

Luo Si stood atop the highest point of Iron Fir Hills, his gaze slicing across the ground like a blade.

The usual tunnel entrances where earth spiders traveled lay silent, not a single earth spider in sight.

This was highly unusual.

Driven by their innate urge to reproduce, earth spiders never vanished without cause, let alone collectively disobey orders.

Luo Si pried at the empty black oil canisters with his claws, his mind heavy with thought.

For the past several months, the small oil fields the earth spiders visited belonged to the Black Rock Duchy, a nation of dwarves and a member of the Lothain Federation.

A Black Rock military unit was stationed at the oil field; Luo Si had observed it from afar before.

Overall, it was far smaller than the Kamel Black Oil Field he had glimpsed once, which belonged to the Lothain Kingdom, yet still formidable.

It boasted over two thousand heavy infantry, each an elite soldier, clad in rune-reinforced full-body armor, armed with battle-axes and large shields.

Over two hundred rock-armored war sheep cavalry were present.

Luo Si had seen them drill on the battlefield; when the heavy cavalry charged, they kicked up vast clouds of dust, their iron hooves making the earth tremble and moan—far superior in strength and discipline to the goblin wolf riders he had faced before.

Each dwarf heavy cavalryman wore even finer rune-steel full armor, armed with lances several meters long and curved tower shields.

There were also lightly armed scouts and mounted rangers patrolling the outer edges of the oil field, each equipped with powerful crossbows, grappling hooks, and smoke bombs; their mounts, green-maned steeds, were monsters swift as wind.

As for the rarer spellcasters, Luo Si had not seen them directly, but they certainly existed.

And these were not even the most dangerous.

The true core of the Black Rock forces were their war machines and alchemical golems.

One by one, massive, rock-like alchemical golems stood motionless, radiating an aura of lethal intimidation.

In short.

Compared to such a large force, Luo Si was vastly outnumbered and currently unable to oppose them.

If a young dragon were discovered and his location exposed, the Black Rock forces stationed near the oil field would have no hesitation sending troops to hunt him, gaining unexpected resources.

The dwarves had many alchemists.

They had great demand for top-tier alchemical materials.

On a dragon’s body, scales, flesh, bones, claws, and fangs were all excellent materials; imprisoning and raising a young dragon would provide a continuous supply of high-quality alchemical resources.

“Over these past months, the earth spiders have brought back considerable quantities of oil-soil—though only from the outer edges—if anyone paid close attention, they would notice something amiss.”

Luo Si flicked his tail, sending a few stones flying.

At that moment, the earth spider’s usual tunnel entrance suddenly cracked and bulged upward, as if something beneath the ground was drilling toward the surface.

“The earth spiders returned? No—wrong!”

First, one earth spider crawled out—but before it took a few steps, an invisible shockwave passed over it; its soft internal organs were damaged, and it collapsed instantly, limp on the ground.

Luo Si’s gaze sharpened as he saw a triangular, flat head emerge.

Then.

The entire long, slender body burst forth from underground.

A cold, metallic black shell, a body composed of dozens of steel segments linked together, with limbs extending and retracting at the joints like folded battle knives.

It was the alchemical golem Luo Si had seen in the earth spiders’ memory fragments—the guardian of the oil field’s depths.

It measured 8.2 meters in length, with a trunk diameter of 1.5 meters, resembling a steel centipede.

Crackground Centipede.

A subterranean anti-infiltration alchemical golem, also of combat type.

Its body was stained with greenish blood from the earth spiders; it advanced, effortlessly tearing apart the last remaining earth spider, then lifted its head, scanning the surroundings. Two metallic filaments on its triangular head twitched continuously, as if assessing the environment.

Click-clack!

The ground cracked and bulged again.

Two more Crackground Centipedes emerged, jointly scanning the area; their body lengths and trunk diameters were identical, as if carved from the same mold.

“The loss of oil-soil over these five months has drawn attention. The alchemical golems originally assigned to guard the black oil killed the earth spiders and followed their underground tunnels here.”

The moment he saw them, Luo Si confirmed his suspicions.

“This day has finally come.”

He thought.

He had long anticipated being discovered; while training daily with flight and aerial maneuvers, he had also used his high vantage to observe the surrounding lands, watching for approaching troops.

Meanwhile,

Red lights flared on the heads of the three Crackground Centipedes, as if sensing something, then they all looked up simultaneously toward the young red iron dragon perched atop Iron Fir Hills.

Samantha, the young red dragon closer to them, was ignored.

The reason was simple: they detected a far more dangerous high-energy signature on Luo Si, labeling him the threat, while Samantha posed no immediate concern.

“They’ve found me.”

Luo Si’s mind went alert, yet he felt no panic; from his perch, he scanned the distance—no sign of the Black Rock forces.

“Since it’s come to this, let’s test these golems’ strength.”

These Crackground Centipedes were clearly nothing like the Giant-Arm Miners.

Their cold, hard finish gave off a dangerous, icy aura—they looked like weapons, not tools like the Giant-Arm Miners.

“Samantha, Mobel, keep your distance. Do not interfere.”

Hearing Luo Si’s command, Samantha, though eager, did not defy him; she flapped her wings and soared into the sky, circling far above. The Earth Bear Mobel hid behind an iron fir tree.

At the same time,

Luo Si leapt from the hilltop, diving at high speed toward the three Crackground Centipedes.

As countless branches and trunks were severed, the fine scales on his wing membranes rubbed together, sparking tiny flames that seemed to weave a hazy cloak of fire and embers.

Facing the young red dragon’s swift assault,

the Crackground Centipedes unfurled their blade-like limbs in a flash, vibrating at high frequency—but instead of meeting his charge head-on, they plunged straight into the ground, writhing and vanishing beneath the earth.

CRACK!

As Luo Si landed, a massive crater opened in the ground, stones spewing like bullets, dust swept outward by the shockwave.

Luo Si’s wings flicked, dispersing the murky dust.

His eyes narrowed, scanning inch by inch—no sign of the Crackground Centipedes.

They seemed to have fled.

No.

They had not fled.

Luo Si felt a growing, subtle vibration beneath the earth—the Crackground Centipedes had only buried themselves to evade his first powerful strike, not to escape.

These combat-type alchemical golems had no option in their system to retreat without fighting.

(End of Chapter)