Super Mothership
At the mech deployment platform inside the arena, accompanied by a thunderous roar, the two mechs that had captured everyone’s attention began their entrance.
“Red Dragon! Red Dragon! Red Dragon—!”
From the spectator stands, countless fans erupted into cheers, thrilled to witness a legendary mech.
“So this is the legendary mech…”
Nie Yun stared intensely at the fiery red mech standing across from him.
This legendary mech stood about twelve meters tall, resembling a humanoid Bull Demon King. Its weapon was an enormous steel staff carved with intricate patterns. Two massive horns jutted skyward from its head. Bathed in light, the entire mech looked like a blazing inferno, delivering an overwhelming visual impact.
“Ghost Brother, I admire your courage for not retreating even when facing a legendary mech! Don’t worry—soon we’ll be family. I’ll go easy on you!”
Red Dragon’s confident voice boomed through the arena speakers.
Before the battle had even begun, Red Dragon was already acting like a sworn brother, clearly convinced of his victory. Because his Red Dragon unit… represented a legendary era!
Legendary mechs were one of the cornerstones of the Wulf Empire.
According to The Grand Encyclopedia of the Wulf Empire, thousands of years ago, the imperial family discovered ruins of a lost advanced civilization in a distant star system. Using a mysterious material found within those ruins, they spent several centuries developing a super mech core that far surpassed the technology of that era.
Every mech equipped with this super core possessed combat power capable of defeating hundreds alone, or even rivaling a small fleet.
The emperor of that time formed an elite one-thousand-unit mech guard known as the “Star Cross Knight Order.” With their overwhelming strength, they crushed several powerful neighboring civilizations, ushering in the golden age of the Wulf Empire.
In that ancient era, the Star Cross Knight Order represented the pinnacle of military might.
Because the mysterious material was a non-renewable resource, mass production was impossible. Thus, these thousand-plus legendary mechs became irreplaceable limited editions.
As time passed, the empire experienced civil strife and wars of fragmentation. The once-mighty legion was gradually reduced—some destroyed in battle, others lost through rebellion. The seven legendary mechs currently in the Shattered Star Sector were remnants that had drifted into civilian hands during that chaotic era.
It was said that fewer than three hundred remained by the end, and their final appearance occurred during the “Mechanical Catastrophe.”
The exact details of that war were lost to history, but one thing was certain: the disappearance of this legendary legion coincided almost perfectly with the fall of Gaia, the mechanical race’s supreme leader.
Some scholars speculated that this legion was annihilated during a secret decapitation strike buried beneath the historical record.
Nie Yun found this theory quite convincing. Indeed, over three hundred legendary mechs possessed the terrifying power to assassinate an enemy leader even in the midst of countless troops.
However, such a mission would have been a tragic, heroic suicide assault. Success or failure aside, total annihilation would have been inevitable.
Yet another question arose—how did the imperial family obtain Gaia’s exact coordinates? And how did they manage to drop such a strike force deep into heavily defended mechanical territory?
Nie Yun refused to believe Gaia died charging on the front lines. They were mechanical beings, not reckless berserkers.
“It really feels like the ‘Mechanical Catastrophe’ hides an enormous secret…”
Nie Yun stroked his chin, his thoughts drifting from the legendary mech before him to that monumental war which had shaped the empire’s present structure.
Could that so-called “imperial treasure” also be a cosmic artifact? What exactly did it do?
An ultra-long-range sniper rifle? A Gaia-tracking Dragon Ball–style radar? Or perhaps the legendary causality weapon—the Death Note that kills just by knowing a name?
After all, the Wolf Empire was his hypothetical future enemy. If they someday used such a weapon on him for a one-shot kill, that would be disastrous.
Still, even if the treasure were immensely powerful, it surely couldn’t be used freely—otherwise the empire would have already unified everything, instead of letting the three mechanical dukes run rampant.
Before he entered the empire’s high command’s field of vision, he had to understand their trump cards—so he wouldn’t die in some hidden trap.
“Alright! Safety first! I’ll collect the complete historical records, unravel the mystery of ancient weapons, and uncover the truth hidden behind history’s fog!”
Nie Yun set himself a small goal.
But that would take time. For now, he would start by evaluating the top-tier combat strength of that legendary battle—beginning with the mech before him.
Hold back? No, no, no—please, come at me with everything you’ve got!
“I heard you’re the arena’s No. 2?”
Commentator: “……”
Audience: “……”
Red Dragon: “???”
Red Dragon: “#”
Sometimes, there’s no need for physical insults. Simply reminding someone they’ve always been second-best is enough…
……
“Woooo—!”
The horn signaling the start of battle echoed throughout the arena!
“Boom!”
The Red Dragon unit surged forward like an artillery shell, carrying its pilot’s fury. The massive steel staff glowing with energy patterns was raised high.
Commentator A:
“Wow! Red Dragon is still as confident as ever! Even knowing his opponent excels in close combat, he still charges straight into melee without hesitation! It seems the Ghost Captain’s earlier words really provoked him. I have to say, this rising Top Ten contender not only fights boldly, but his personality is just as stubbornly fearless!”
Commentator B:
“Even so, provoking a legendary mech like this still feels extremely unwise…”
Clearly, the spectators overwhelmingly did not favor Nie Yun.
The corner of Nie Yun’s mouth lifted slightly. In his eyes, the movements of the Red Dragon unit instantly slowed down as streams of data and performance indicators flowed before him, evaluating this incoming strike.
“Bang!”
The Ghost unit’s energy shield shattered on impact.
Unlike Gemini’s recently developed armor-piercing techniques, the Wolf Empire’s armor-breaking technology was already highly mature. Therefore, choosing close combat greatly increased risk, but it also essentially meant the rapid neutralization of the enemy’s shield.
This was precisely why, on the interstellar battlefield, mid- and short-range mechs and cold weapons had once again risen to prominence.
The renewed balance between “spear” and “shield” elevated the strategic value of mechs. Whoever possessed superior mech forces gained crucial air superiority.
On the battlefield between Gemini and Jinlock, it was precisely because their mech combat power was unequal that Gemini fell into a complete disadvantage—trading cheap mech cannon fodder for expensive warships. Anyone could see who profited more from that exchange.
In terms of tactical mech deployment, the Wolf Empire was clearly far ahead of Gemini civilization.
After shattering the Ghost unit’s shield, the steel staff continued its downward momentum, howling toward the Ghost unit’s head. In the next instant, the Ghost unit crossed its arms and raised them, using its forearms to block the strike head-on!
“Boom!”
Another thunderous explosion rang out. The Ghost unit slightly crouched, and strange ripples appeared at the point of impact, rapidly dispersing the massive kinetic energy.
“Crash!”
The enormous force transmitted into the ground, causing spiderweb-like cracks to instantly spread across the ultra-hard special granite beneath their feet.
“What?!”
Red Dragon was clearly shocked by the Ghost unit’s structural strength. His movement hesitated for a split second—yet suddenly, a dark blur struck toward his centerline from below!
But Red Dragon’s No. 2 ranking was no fluke. His enhanced neural reflexes were astonishing. Sensing danger, he leaned back just in time.
“Boom!”
A skyward rising kick from the Ghost unit grazed past Red Dragon’s chin. The violent airflow roared, sonic booms thundered, and a visible shockwave rippled through the air, breaking out cold sweat across Red Dragon’s brow.
“Speed, power, and pilot reaction time—all far beyond ordinary mechs. But that alone doesn’t quite live up to the title of a legendary mech.”
Nie Yun commented calmly, his feet never slowing as the rising kick transformed into a brutal overhead axe strike.
“Bang!”
This time, Red Dragon raised his staff to block, but the overwhelming force still drove his mech downward, forcing him to bend his knees to absorb the impact.
After only two exchanges, Red Dragon realized his opponent was even stronger than expected—his power output had already surpassed that of the Red Dragon unit itself.
This only ignited his fighting spirit. The long staff swept sideways, his combat power unleashed in full!
The Ghost unit answered with fists and kicks alike, unleashing a fluid sequence of Shaolin Long Fist techniques. Red Dragon refused to yield, spinning his staff with roaring speed, meeting speed with speed.
The Ghost unit ducked to evade a sweeping strike, then drove a heavy punch toward Red Dragon’s abdomen—only for it to be deflected aside by a clever elbow movement, followed instantly by a devastating knee strike!
The Ghost unit twisted sideways to dodge, simultaneously bracing its right arm against the howling steel staff—
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
Explosions erupted in rapid succession. Metallic collisions rang out like tearing silk, unbroken and relentless. The battlefield suffered terribly—craters and cracks scarred the ground everywhere.
Nie Yun applied advanced bionic techniques, adapting Earth’s martial arts into mech combat. Yet the Wolf Empire’s fighting systems were equally ancient, refined through countless battles, and specifically optimized for mech warfare—equally formidable.
The audience outside had long been dazzled by the blinding speed of their exchange, so stunned they forgot to cheer. Even the commentators were left speechless.
But as the battle progressed, everyone gradually came back to their senses—and then discovered in shock that the one at a disadvantage…
…was actually Red Dragon!
Although the two exchanged blows back and forth, it was clear that in both speed and raw power, Red Dragon was at a disadvantage. Once Nie Yun adapted to Red Dragon’s fighting style, he shifted into a defensive-dominant, offensive-light rhythm, gradually suppressing his opponent.
“Damn it—so it really is a mechanical mind… learns way too fast!”
As Red Dragon struggled to fend off the Ghost unit’s relentless assault, a wave of helpless frustration surged within him.
Although intelligent life lacked creativity, their learning ability completely outclassed ordinary organisms. Any technique used against them could be analyzed and mastered after just one look, rapidly producing effective countermeasures. The same moves simply didn’t work twice.
Such a cheat-like ability ensured that the opponent would only grow stronger the longer the battle dragged on.
Even more shocking was the material of the enemy’s mech.
His own Chaos Iron Staff was forged from precious materials extracted from a planet’s core—unbelievably hard. A single strike could shatter virtually any mechanical component into flying fragments.
Yet the opponent was blocking it barehanded—and after dozens of exchanges, showed no signs of damage whatsoever.
Could this guy possibly be solid all the way through…?
“No! I can’t let this continue!”
Red Dragon grit his teeth and leapt backward, creating distance, then roared as he unleashed 120% of his power in a devastating overhead chop.
“Take my Void-Cleaving Slash!”
“At a moment like this, you have to catch the blade barehanded!”
Hearing the dramatic attack call, Nie Yun cooperated enthusiastically and raised both hands.
“Bang!”
The massive staff was firmly seized between two iron palms.
“Heh! I’ll admit, I underestimated your mech. But a legendary mech isn’t about pure brute force…”
Red Dragon grinned, tightening his grip. The energy patterns along the staff flared brilliantly!
“Boom!”
Blazing light erupted from the crimson staff, igniting into roaring flames as the surrounding air warped violently.
“Hiss—hissss—”
The Ghost unit’s palms began to glow red. The terrifying heat caused its sensors to instantly scream alarms.
“Hmm? Such extreme temperatures… the surface is already approaching one billion degrees Celsius, and it’s still rising…”
At this level of heat, even a few more seconds of contact would overwhelm the mechanical organism’s core, causing severe damage—or outright destruction.
Suppressing his surprise, Nie Yun immediately increased output, pushing the Ghost unit’s power to maximum!
“Huh?!”
The sudden surge of monstrous force caused Red Dragon to stumble, nearly losing his grip. In the next instant, he felt as if a giant had swung him bodily through the air.
“Whooo—whooo—”
The massive thirty-ton mech was spun in a full 720-degree arc, like a hammer throw, before being hurled violently away—transforming into a blazing meteor midair.
“Boom!”
After tumbling through countless rotations, jet flames burst from Red Dragon’s back, barely allowing him to stabilize and hover in midair.
Shaking his dizzy head, Red Dragon stared in disbelief at the Ghost unit below, then at the Chaos Iron Staff in his hands.
A clearly defined five-finger imprint stood out starkly.
“Gah—!”
He sucked in a sharp breath. Could it be… that his opponent hadn’t even gone all out just now?
Shaking off the heat as his dark-red palms cooled, Nie Yun looked up at the hovering Red Dragon.
“Finally getting serious? Good. I’ve gathered enough performance data. Now… don’t disappoint me.”
As if reading the Ghost unit’s thoughts, Red Dragon snorted coldly.
“Hmph! Then let me show you the true power of a legendary mech!”
“Boom!”
This time, eerie flames erupted across Red Dragon’s entire body, floating along the surface, making it resemble a blazing torch suspended in the sky.
“What a massive energy reaction! So… it’s transforming? Looks like a bull, but is it secretly a Monkey King?”
Nie Yun quipped while gathering environmental data.
These flames were the result of photons undergoing energy-level transitions upon colliding with ultra-high-energy matter. Achieving such a dazzling Super Saiyan–style transformation effect was something even Nie Yun currently couldn’t replicate.
The transformation lasted only five or six seconds before the flames gradually faded, revealing a set of ultra-thin, semi-transparent, skin-tight crystal armor!
Red Dragon’s weapon also underwent a complete metamorphosis. A layer of red crystal coated the staff, and a massive crystalline axe blade suddenly formed at its tip, transforming it from a staff into a magnificent poleaxe.
Outside the arena, the commentators instantly erupted in excitement.
“Look! There it is! The signature ability of legendary mechs—Energy Crystallization!”
TL Note- Final Move....
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