Chapter 101: Going to the center of the ruin

The machine crashed into another guardian, knocking both of them off the road.

The remaining units immediately redirected their attacks toward him.

Hundreds of energy projectiles filled the air.

Jake simply raised his hand.

A tremendous wave of energy erupted from his body, sweeping across the boulevard and colliding with the incoming attacks.

The resulting explosion illuminated the entire area.

When the light faded, several guardians lay scattered across the road, their armor crushed and their internal systems disabled.

Jake lowered his hand.

"Too weak."

His words had barely faded when Andrew moved past him.

Like Jake, he preferred close combat as well.

He charged directly into the enemy formation, his movements so fast that the mechanical guardians could barely track him. Every strike destroyed a target, and every step carried him deeper into the formation.

One guardian attempted to intercept him with a massive shield.

He struck it once with his Epic grade spear.

The shield caved inward, and the guardian behind it was sent tumbling across the road.

Another machine tried to attack from behind, but Andrew twisted around and struck it with the back of his spear.

Its upper body folded beneath the impact.

The battle quickly turned into a one-sided massacre.

However, the guardians refused to retreat.

Their artificial intelligence continued calculating attack patterns, adjusting their movements and deploying increasingly destructive weapons.

Several high tier legendary -grade units activated their concealed energy reactors.

A deep vibration spread through the boulevard as their bodies became enveloped in brilliant red light.

[Ding! Warning! High-Output Guardian Units have entered Overload Mode.]

[Combat efficiency increased.]

[Destructive capability increased.]

The machines attacked simultaneously.

One unleashed a concentrated energy beam, while another swung a massive weapon capable of splitting the road apart. Several more coordinated their attacks to restrict Andrew’s movements.

For a moment, the boulevard was engulfed in explosions.

Noah observed the battle calmly.

He knew his cousins possessed overwhelming strength, but there was no reason to underestimate an unfamiliar civilization’s defense systems.

"Don’t destroy everything blindly," he reminded them. "Some of these machines might contain valuable components. Disable what you can and preserve anything useful."

"Understood!"

Ryan laughed before raising his hand.

A powerful force descended upon the battlefield. He was the Ice Magus.

He domain of extreme cold landed on the battlefield.

The overloaded guardians were suddenly became sluggish as the cold permeated through their body. Their mechanical limbs limbs became frozen, and their energy beams were frozen as well.

Ryan advanced slowly through the battlefield, dismantling the immobilized machines one after another.

Henry attacked from the opposite direction, striking the guardians’ exposed joints with astonishing precision.

Within minutes, the Overload Mode units had been defeated.

The remaining guardians attempted to withdraw toward the buildings, apparently trying to reorganize their defensive formation.

Unfortunately, they were too slow.

They pursued them, destroying their weapons and disabling their energy systems before they could escape.

When the final guardian fell, the boulevard was covered with the remains of dozens of mechanical soldiers.

Noah examined the battlefield.

Something was wrong here. Although the fight had consumed some time, their losses were nonexistent and the system clearly said there was epic grade threats.

Just as everyone was preparing to explore further, Noah raised his hand, stopping them.

"There’s something else here. Be careful," he said calmly.

As soon as he finished speaking, a tremendous pressure descended upon them. Although it wasn’t enough to make them afraid, the sheer intensity of the pressure made it clear that whatever was approaching was far from ordinary.

Thud! Thud!

Heavy footsteps echoed through the ruins as a gigantic battle robot emerged into their field of vision. Standing at least fifteen meters tall, the mechanical monster possessed six arms, each equipped with a different weapon. Two held guns of different designs, another two wielded swords and shields, while the fifth carried a heavy chain. The sixth hand remained empty.

[Warning! The Warlord has appeared. It is an Epic-grade, Mid-tier Boss Monster.]

Everyone’s eyes lit up with excitement. Finally, they had encountered an opponent worthy of their attention.

Before anyone could make a move, Cris waved his hand. A massive formation materialized beneath their feet, enveloping everyone in a brilliant glow as their strength, speed, and defense increased tremendously.

"Best of luck," Cris said with a smile.

This time, even Noah drew his daggers. He had no intention of letting the others enjoy all the fun.

Boom!

Everyone charged forward simultaneously.

The Warlord reacted instantly. Both guns roared, unleashing a barrage of bullets that tore through the air. However, the group scattered before the attacks could reach them, swiftly closing the distance from multiple directions.

Everyone launched their attacks first, forcing the enormous robot to raise its shields. Sparks erupted as weapons clashed against metal, while the Warlord swung its swords with enough force to shatter the surrounding ground.

Its chain shot forward, attempting to catch several attackers at once, but Noah slipped past it with incredible agility. His daggers flashed twice, leaving deep cuts across the robot’s exposed joints.

"Not bad, but let’s see how you handle this!"

One of the others unleashed a powerful attack against the Warlord’s legs, disrupting its balance. At the same time, the remaining fighters concentrated their attacks on its weapons, preventing it from launching another barrage.

The Warlord roared mechanically as its internal energy surged. A terrifying wave of power erupted from its body, forcing everyone nearby to retreat.

Unfortunately for the boss, they had no intention of giving it another chance.

"Now!"

Taking advantage of the brief opening, everyone unleashed their strongest attacks simultaneously.

Boom!

A dazzling explosion engulfed the Warlord’s upper body. Its six arms shattered under the combined assault, and cracks spread across its massive frame.

The gigantic robot staggered backward before crashing to the ground with a deafening thud.

A moment later, its glowing eyes flickered and went dark.

[Congratulations! You have defeated the Warlord, an Epic-grade, Mid-tier Boss Monster.]

The battlefield fell silent.

Noah spun his daggers before putting them away, looking satisfied with the brief but entertaining battle.

"That was easier than I expected," someone remarked.

"That’s because we worked together," Cris replied, dismissing the formation.

One of them retrieved a glowing energy core from the destroyed guardian and examined its notification.

[Ding! You have obtained an Epic-grade Guardian Energy Core.]

After taking it’s weapons and other parts, they moved forward and kept searching.

Soon they found a metallic arm guard that had survived the battle almost intact.

[Ding! You have discovered a Legendary-grade Defensive Component.]

The discoveries continued as they searched the battlefield.

Some guardians contained valuable weapon modules, while others possessed advanced sensors and energy regulators. A few had even carried compact storage units containing ancient coins and small technological devices.

Noah collected the most valuable items before looking toward the distant structures.

"These machines were protecting this road for a reason."

His words attracted the attention of his cousins.

"Do you think there’s something important ahead?"

"Most likely," Noah replied. "The deeper we go, the stronger the defenses become. That suggests we’re approaching a restricted area."

He recalled Arthur’s instructions.

A red-and-white mecha carrying a sword.

Damaged, rusty, and apparently insignificant.

Arthur had specifically instructed them to obtain it regardless of its condition.

There was no doubt that the mecha was important.

But why would such a machine be hidden in the center of a ruin with defenses this formidable?

Noah couldn’t determine the answer.

"Let’s keep moving."

The cousins resumed their journey.

They passed through the boulevard and entered another enormous building, where they discovered a vast collection of ancient records. Most of the data terminals had been destroyed, but several still contained fragmented information about the civilization.

Unfortunately, the records were encrypted, and their current equipment couldn’t access most of them.

Nevertheless, one managed to activate a partially functional terminal.

A holographic image appeared above the control panel.

It depicted a massive city filled with towering structures, floating platforms, and countless mechanical vehicles. Unlike the ruined landscape surrounding them, the city in the recording was alive with activity.

Mechanical soldiers patrolled the streets, while enormous humanoid machines stood beside the buildings.

Then the image changed.

A formation of red-and-white mechas appeared on the screen.

Each carried a sword and possessed a remarkably streamlined design. Their armor was decorated with intricate patterns, and their energy signatures appeared considerably more powerful than those of the ordinary combat robots.

The recording was badly damaged, and the image flickered repeatedly.

However, Noah immediately leaned forward.

"Wait. Rewind that part."

Victor manipulated the controls, causing the holographic image to repeat.

The red-and-white mechas appeared again.

Noah studied their designs carefully, memorizing their general appearance.

Although Arthur hadn’t provided an image, the description was specific enough that he could recognize a similar machine if he encountered one.

Then the recording displayed something unexpected.

The mechas were standing before an enormous circular structure at the center of the ancient city.

A series of symbols appeared beneath the image, but the terminal couldn’t translate them.

Moments later, the recording ended.

The hologram disappeared.

Noah stared at the empty space for several seconds.

"The center of the city," he murmured.

"That must be where the important stuff is located."

"Then we should head there."

Noah deactivated the terminal and turned toward the exit.

Their objective had become clearer.

They needed to reach the center of the ruin.

And if Arthur’s information was accurate, the mecha they were searching for might be waiting there.