With a thud, the Eastern Peak sword landed, its blade mostly buried in the ground. Qian Ye stumbled and nearly fell to his knees, gasping for breath, his body radiating an astonishing heat, with white vapor spewing from his mouth and nose.
Though he had slain the spider-demon viscount with two strikes, it appeared effortless but was in fact a full exertion of his power. The Eastern Peak sword had delivered both heavy and agile blows, and almost all his original force was expended in an extremely short time, making it difficult for him even to stand now.
However, the death of the spider-demon viscount at his hands immediately stunned the entire battlefield. The morale of the dark soldiers crumbled, and they began to scatter in panic. The Darkflame warriors formed teams, continuously chasing and killing the fleeing soldiers, though they were only stopping their regrouping rather than completely annihilating them.
Without the drive of the spider-demons, the high-ranking servant-spiders also fled into the wild, while the low-ranking ones turned ferocious, continuing to charge forward. However, these cannon-fodder-like minions posed no threat against such powerful firepower and were mowed down in swathes.
Qian Ye, catching his breath, gradually calmed down. He waved off his personal guards’ attempts to help him up. From his pocket, he drew a syringe and injected himself with a dose of stimulant. Moments later, threads of original force regenerated within his body, and his complexion improved somewhat.
At this moment, A Qi, clad in military attire, approached, asking with concern, “Master, are you alright?”
“I’m fine, just a bit tired. Be careful when cleaning up later, and try to capture as many living technicians as possible.”
A Qi responded, “Understood, Master.”
Even after the stimulant, Qian Ye still felt the emptiness from the depletion of his original force. He lit another cigarette and took a deep drag.
The elite Darkflame forces, without needing Qian Ye’s command, tended to the wounded, counted casualties, and reorganized into several combat units to systematically search the mine. The miners and technicians who hadn’t managed to escape were herded into an open area. A major, who was originally an engineer from the Ningyuan Group, was interrogating and sorting them by profession.
Among the technicians were many werewolves, mostly blood descendants, and even a very rare demonkin. He was immediately isolated for detailed questioning. This demonkin, surprisingly cooperative, answered almost every question.
Intrigued by the demonkin, Qian Ye, having regained some of his original force, walked over. “What have you found out?”
Before A Jiu could answer, the demonkin interjected, “No need for her to speak; I will tell you everything. I am Basi, the great Metal Mage, from the ancient and noble Dark Abyss. I was invited here by Lord Stuka to serve as the technical director for a year.”
“Those mining machines you see? All my handiwork!” Basi boasted proudly.
Qian Ye’s face showed a hint of surprise, and he nodded, saying, “Very well.”
Basi arrogantly stated, “I admit you have captured me. As a member of the great Children of Darkness, I have the right to let my nation pay a ransom for my freedom. However, each member of the Dark Abyss is valued differently, so the ransom standards vary. Lucky human, I must remind you, you only get one chance to collect the ransom, and do not try to bargain.”
Qian Ye couldn’t help but laugh, saying, “Is that so? Well, I’ll pass on this opportunity. A Jiu, take him away and watch him carefully. Understand?”
“Yes, Master,” A Jiu replied obediently. But as she turned, her true nature emerged. She pulled out a fine metal wire rope from somewhere and approached Basi.
Basi’s face changed dramatically, and he shouted, jumping back, “You can’t do this! Stay away! Back off, you little devil in beautiful disguise!”
Shaking his head and chuckling, Qian Ye turned and headed down into the mine.
Seeing Qian Ye leave, Basi grew even more anxious, shouting at his back, “I am Basi, the great Metal Mage! This is a disgrace to the Children of Darkness, a disdain for technology! What are you doing? Don’t! Let’s talk, argh! Mm! Mmmm!”
As Qian Ye reached the edge of the mine, he heard Basi’s cries and laughed again, leaping into the deep pit.
With a loud thud, Qian Ye landed heavily at the bottom, creating a large crater. He stood up nonchalantly, looking around. The mine bottom spanned over a thousand meters, with six or seven mining machines scattered about.
Up close, he truly felt the enormity of the machines. The wheels alone were twenty meters tall. Standing next to them, Qian Ye felt like an ant at the foot of an elephant, marveling at the sight.
Qian Ye, with basic knowledge of machinery, knew that while the structure of these mining machines was not complex, building them to such a scale was incredibly challenging, a true masterpiece. If these machines were indeed designed by Basi, his title of Metal Mage was well-earned.
Reaching out to touch a wheel, Qian Ye felt he had found a treasure. The value of Basi, the demonkin, was immeasurable. With his technology and the growing manufacturing capacity of Ningyuan Heavy Industries, it meant countless war machines would be continuously deployed to the front lines.
As for the ransom from the Dark Abyss, let it go to hell!
Circling one of the mining machines, Qian Ye increasingly regretted their immobility. These behemoths were impossible to move, and they might have been assembled or even built on-site. Without proper lifting equipment, they were doomed to be buried with the mine.
Otherwise, if one of these machines could be moved to the front, regular elemental guns would be useless against their shells. The top could easily support heavy artillery, effectively turning it into a mobile gun platform.
However, besides these massive mining machines, there were other valuable acquisitions. For instance, the nearly hundred heavy trucks in the parking lot, which could be converted into various military special vehicles with minor modifications.
Bending down, Qian Ye scooped up a handful of black stones, crumbling them in his hand. These were ordinary black stones, nothing special, and even if they were, he couldn’t identify them.
Shaking his head, he brushed his hands and discarded the powder. Whatever secrets the dark races held in this region, they would be uncovered once enough territory was captured.
At the edge of the mine, a dozen Darkflame warriors appeared, each pushing a large wooden barrel, which they hurled into the pit. The barrels tumbled and crashed, releasing a pungent odor.
The barrels contained purified black stone powder mixed with oil-based accelerants, the fuel for the heavy trucks, capable of burning for a long time. Shortly after, more barrels were pushed in from another direction by additional Darkflame warriors.
Qian Ye did not linger, easily climbing out of the hundred-meter-deep pit.
From a distance, A Qi saw Qian Ye and ran over, saying, “Master, we have inventoried the important materials and loaded them. However, with our limited numbers, thirty heavy trucks cannot be driven away.”
“Destroy what cannot be taken.”
A Qi nodded and went to carry out the order. Soon, A Jiu joined them, reporting, “Master, all the key captives are loaded, ready to depart. There are still a few hundred worthless captives. What should we do with them? Shall we push them into the mine?”
Qian Ye shook his head, saying, “No need. We need someone to deliver a message to Stuka. Bind them and leave them aside, then forget about them.”
A Jiu responded, “Understood. The mine is set, and all our people are in safe zones. When should we ignite it?”
“Now.” Qian Ye said, throwing a prepared incendiary grenade.
The grenade, reflecting the sunlight, became a brilliant meteor, flying nearly a kilometer before landing in the center of the mine. A burst of flame ignited the flowing fuel, spreading in multiple directions. In moments, the vast mine transformed into a sea of fire.
“It’s over. Let’s go.”
Qian Ye turned and walked toward the mine exit. Behind him, a deafening explosion echoed, and several huge metal parts flew hundreds of meters into the air before crashing back down.
This was the final glory of the giant mining machines.
Somewhere far away, a majestic castle stood atop a peak. In terms of scale, history, and heritage, Count Stuka’s castle could not compare. In the main tower, Nighteye stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the distant horizon.
At this hour, it shouldn’t be dark yet.
At the edge of the sky, a massive shadow loomed, covering almost half the sky. This was the Western Continent, known as the Beacon Land by the dark races. The sun, behind the shadow, cast a brilliant golden rim along the floating continent.
On the other side of the sky, another vast shadow slowly drifted closer.
This was a unique view of the Evernight Realm, always so spectacular and despairing.
Nighteye stood motionless, like a statue.
Just then, the door opened, and a woman slightly taller than Nighteye entered. She had short, light blonde hair, cold yet mesmerizing eyes, and a strikingly beautiful face.
“Dusk, this is the last time. I do not wish to be disturbed at this hour. If you intrude uninvited again, I will crush your blood core.” Nighteye’s voice was icy.
Dusk, seemingly ignoring the threat, walked to Nighteye’s side, standing shoulder to shoulder, both gazing at the stunning view. “Indeed, worthy of a pure-blooded descendant with awakened ancestor blood. You’ve just become a third-rank viscount and dare to speak to me, who is almost a count. Dear sister, should I praise your courage or call you foolish?”
Nighteye remained icy, “If you think I’m bluffing, then try.”
Dusk turned, her crimson eyes staring deeply into Nighteye’s, then shrugged, “Fine, I’m not interested in a fight. Our Moneclan has suffered greatly recently, and we don’t need more internal conflict. I’m just curious, why do you come to the Evernight Continent periodically? What attracts you here?”
“It’s none of your business.”
Dusk suddenly smiled, sensing a subtle change in Nighteye’s tone. The change was minuscule, but perceiving subtleties was her forte, and any meaningful shift wouldn’t escape her notice.
Thus, she decided to continue the topic.
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