The smell of scorched earth lingered in the air. The dry, hot wind from the east stirred up dust and hit the tracks of the tanks. Twelve tanks were lined up in an alert formation. Facing the setting sun, they rolled over the scorched earth of the Holy Spirit Plains.
The company commander, Senile, was in the command vehicle, observing the situation in the distance through the periscope.
This was a reconnaissance team with powerful firepower and excellent survivability. It had nine Warhammer main tanks, three Iron Ambassador tanks, and dozens of experienced, loyal, and brave soldiers. Under normal circumstances, such a team could defeat an old-style noble army that was ten times or even dozens of times their number, and break into a fortress guarded by a Transcendent below the middle class. As a reconnaissance team, it was a little too strong. But in this war zone, Senile still had to be very careful.
Because the plains were full of wandering crystal giants, and he and his company had entered the area that had not been "purified".
Around Solin Fortress, this was the area where the Crystal Cluster Giants wreaked the most havoc. Naturally, the damage to the land and the town was even worse. Along the way, Senile saw countless collapsed walls and deserted farmsteads. The beautiful houses built by the rich were torn down into ruins, and the once valuable farmland was trampled into ruins. When they still retained their rationality, the Crystal Cluster Giants at least had a trace of order. But since they fell into a frenzy, they began to destroy everything in their path. Wherever they gathered, nothing could be preserved.
The vibration of the tank's engine came from below. This heavy and sturdy steel machine gave Senile a sense of security. A few months ago, he was just a beginner mechanic who had just come into contact with arcanotech equipment. After a short period of training, he was sent to the battlefield in the north. It was the pressure of the battlefield and the experience that made him really skilled, and he even became the commander of the company. For the entire tank unit that was newly formed and urgently trained, there were many commanders like him who grew quickly on the battlefield and rose to the ranks.
Senile moved his eyes away from the periscope and gave the position to the observer. He then came to the communication station on the vehicle. "Stay alert. We are close."
For the middle and low-level command nodes and ordinary tanks, the communication station on the vehicle was a simplified magical network terminal. Without the projection crystal to reduce cost, it could only transmit sound signals in a limited range. It could be seen as the most basic communication spell. But even so, it could still play a valuable role on the battlefield.
All the tanks responded. The reconnaissance team of twelve tanks slowed down slightly. The three steel ambassadors adjusted their position to ensure that the emergency shield booster could cover the entire convoy in time. Senile pushed open the armor plate diagonally above him and poked half of his head out to observe the situation on the plain.
This action may seem dangerous, but Senile's experience told him that it was not a big problem. The Warhammer Type-I's defense mainly relied on the shield system. This layer of shield was stronger than steel, and the armor of the tank was only a 'backup plan' to provide limited protection after the shield failed. In a situation where he needed to observe with his eyes, poking his head out of the tank was a feasible solution. If he was attacked, the shield could protect him. But if the attack was strong enough to penetrate the shield in an instant, hiding behind the armor plate would not make much sense.
In front of his field of vision, the white radiance that vaguely carried a sense of holiness was clearly visible. Even without the aid of any equipment, he could clearly see the various strange halos that it presented in the air. The intense malice and the hidden madness in the radiance had also become stronger than before, to the extent that it was so strong that it made ordinary people tremble slightly.
Senile did not know what he was facing. After all, he was just following orders. But the incredible power contained in that radiance was enough to raise anyone's vigilance. It was enough to make him realize that he was facing the most dangerous part of the supernatural domain, the 'secret'.
Fortunately, in this era, even ordinary people had a way to deal with the supernatural domain.
He retracted his head and calmed his turbulent emotions. He then turned his head and ordered, "Activate the mind defense system!"
"Yes, sir. Activate the mind defense system!"
With the faint sound of mana flowing, around the seats, periscopes, and observation windows, some mysterious runes that were originally invisible lit up as they were charged. Those runes were twisting and twisting. They didn't belong to any rune system known to humans. In fact, the various systems of the war chariot were unable to control the operation of these runes. The only thing that the power spine could do was to charge these runes that were mixed with magical materials, making them glow and appear. However, this sort of "appearance" had an inconceivable effect.
As the mysterious light blue patterns appeared everywhere in the car, Senile quickly felt his emotions calming down. The gentle sound of waves could be heard faintly, bringing with it a power that made him sober, invigorated, and high-spirited. It made his previous anxiety and vague fear disappear completely. Not only that, he even felt a little happy.
This was the Mind Protection System. It was a new equipment installed on the chariot by the magicians not long ago. Senile did not know the principle of this system, but he vaguely heard that this system was related to a certain 'technical cooperation project' at the rear. Its function was to protect the minds of the soldiers when facing the mental attacks of the supernatural. Now, it seemed that it was indeed very effective.
But this system also had its limits. Once it was used for too long, the soothing power released by the mind defense system would become another kind of mental pollution. The user would inevitably fall into a state of excitement and pleasure, and would even act irrationally due to the 'call of the sea'. Currently, the technicians at the rear were trying to find a way to eliminate or weaken the negative effects, but it seemed that the problem had not been solved yet.
"Pay attention to the timer of the defense system," Senile reminded his men. He then ordered the team to move forward. "Get close to that light."
Under the protection of the mind defense system, Senile's scouting team moved forward. The hazy light became clearer, and the source of the light appeared faintly.
After jumping over a collapsed wall, Senile saw it.
It was a monster that was sacred and terrifying, pure and blasphemous.
It was a giant deer shrouded in a white light, a man-made god that continued to disintegrate and reassemble its flesh.
"Ancestor …" A soldier looked at the giant deer standing quietly in the ruins through the front observation window in shock. His voice trembled unconsciously. "What is that?"
"No doubt, it is a monster," Senile was equally shocked, but he still said calmly, "The rest of the teams, spread out and approach in groups of four."
The convoy immediately split up according to the plan, with three Warhammer-I and one Steel Ambassador in one group. After spreading out, they cautiously approached the giant deer in the distance. The latter did not react as if it did not sense them, allowing the uninvited guests to approach.
But Senile remembered his superior's order. When the convoy was still a distance away from the halo around the giant deer, he ordered the whole team to stop. They stopped hundreds of meters away from the giant deer.
The giant deer still stood motionless, as if a soulless shell maintained its posture of looking into the distance. The transcendent light shrouded its body, forming a sharp contrast with the hideous scars and deformities on its body. It was like a painting standing between heaven and earth. It was extremely strange, but also extremely paradoxically beautiful.
"We can't get any closer. It's too strange. Something is wrong with this thing." Senile frowned. "Activate the Image Recording Crystal outside and record some video data. All teams, back off …"
The engines of the chariots were activated, the tracks turned, and the heavy chariots began to move back slowly. Senile looked at the giant deer vigilantly. Suddenly, he saw the giant deer's motionless eyes move slightly.
Perhaps some kind of hibernation had just ended, or perhaps the chariots had finally attracted the monster's attention. It moved.
As the engine of one of the chariots roared, the giant deer slowly lowered its head. Its crystal-like eyes stared at the chariots that were slowly retreating. Its eyes were brewing extreme madness in the calmness.
Senile reacted almost instantly. He slammed the button on the communicator and roared, "Speed up! Retreat! "
The engines of the war chariots instantly turned from a low hum to a roar, and all the war chariots suddenly began to turn and accelerate. It was also at this moment that a layer of blood appeared in the eyes of the giant deer. Following a frenzied roar that seemed to be a mixture of countless roars and murmurs, a dazzling ball of light condensed between the two horns of the giant deer. The ball of light jumped and was surrounded by countless lightning bolts, turning into a spear that shot straight at one of the war chariot teams.
The Steel Ambassador instantly activated the shield booster on the chariot. A layer of translucent energy barrier shrouded the entire team in the nick of time. At the same time, the energy spear struck almost at the same time. In an ear-piercing screech, the shield and the spear were annihilated together. The magic crystals fixed on the chariot of the Steel Ambassador were also shattered into pieces.
Then, a second energy spear quickly formed, and before anyone could react, it swept across the heavily damaged Steel Ambassador. With a series of deafening explosions, the Steel Ambassador was instantly reduced to ashes.
All the chariots turned, accelerated, and retreated as fast as they could. The giant deer let out a second frenzied roar. Amidst the roar that was enough to make one's mind collapse, it stepped forward and rushed in the direction where the scouting team retreated.
At this moment, another chariot suddenly fell behind. Its shield flickered violently as if it was being attacked by an invisible magic. After a brief struggle, its shield was completely extinguished. A large number of blooming flowers and green vines grew wildly from the gaps of its steel shield. In a few seconds, the entire chariot was wrapped in a living tomb. It was a terrifying sight.
* Boom! * * Boom! *
A series of explosions rang out as the chariots turned their turrets and fired at the terrifying monster. At such a close distance, and with the monster's relatively large body, almost all of the shells hit the target.
The sacred light around the giant deer surged violently. Half of the shells were prematurely detonated before they hit the target, and the remaining shells hit the ferocious body of the giant deer. Senile saw the monster's flesh and blood splattering everywhere. Its already battered body was bombarded several times, and it looked like it would shatter at any moment. But the monster only staggered a few times before letting out a roar and continuing its pursuit!
The bombardment only left a few small wounds on its seemingly fragile and broken body, and they healed themselves in the blink of an eye!
"We may have completely enraged it …" A soldier shouted. "It looks very, very angry!"
"When it's not angry, it doesn't plan to get along with us. But you're right, we've enraged it!" Senile replied loudly. "Spread out and prepare to throw the grenades!"
At this time, the terrifying giant deer suddenly let out a cry that was different from before, and then it stopped without any warning. It roared and let out all kinds of strange and terrifying sounds, and its body also underwent all kinds of terrifying changes. The torn flesh and blood sometimes merged and sometimes separated, the light around it sometimes became strong and sometimes dim, and its crystal-like eyes sometimes became blood red and sometimes dazzling.
It seemed to be in an extremely unstable state and actually stayed in place for a short while.
Senile did not know what had happened, but he knew one thing — life had appeared.
The entire scouting team quickly adjusted their direction and retreated into the distance.
…
In Saint Sunil, Gwen was interrupted by an emergency communication. He hurried to the study and saw Maryland's serious face appearing on the holographic projection.
"Sir, it has appeared," the former Rock Fortress general, the current commander of the Iron Throne, said with a deep voice. "It's a monster that looks like a deer, but it's as large as a castle."
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