Ghost Knight King's Dungeon Project

Chapter 37 [Witch Gold, Nether Bronze, and the Ace Tactician]

The cold stars burned in the depths of the dark sky, and when the two moons hung on the edge of the night, the moonlight shone on the trembling compass, leaving a long, thin, sword-like shadow.

As the compass needle shifted, Musa Salamanda gazed at the distant wheat fields, slowly rose from the exile wagon camp, and roughly shoved aside the exiles blocking his way.

The five demonized individuals behind him stood up.

The two men on the frame got up and nimbly leaped across the pole with one hand. One of them, sitting on the roof, flipped and jumped down, deploying his membrane wings before landing and gliding behind Musa. The other two, carrying large metal canisters and wielding oil spray guns, pushed the exiles aside.

“How interesting.” Musa reached out and grabbed the handle of the barbed whip wrapped around the old man, and pulled hard.

Amid the old man's painful groans, the whip tore through his sheepskin coat, leaving a deep, bloody scar.

“You stay here and watch over the homeless. We’ll need them on our way back.” He pointed to a demonized individual carrying a metal canister and a flamethrower.

The corrupted one nodded, detached himself from the group, and stood guard in the camp, sneering as he pointed his breath at the exiles.

Musa grinned.

The moonlight illuminated five figures side by side, their scorpion tails, pincers, jet-black claws, exoskeletons, membranous wings, and hooks protruding from beneath their black robes.

With a soft metallic clang, Musa drew his long, curved scimitar from his waist, the blade trailing diagonally behind him. Holding a whip, he slightly turned to the side, his white robe and muscular brown body concealing his wrist movements and grip on the scimitar. He led the four demonized beings, striding towards the wheat field like an arrogant army of five.

“It seems you finally understand that death is inescapable, Ronoway.” He cracked his barbed whip and growled in a rough voice, “Your fate is sealed. The vultures and sand hyenas were only drawn here by the smell of decay.”

"I will no longer fear death," the slender, black-armored figure in the wheat field replied.

The other person behind her stepped forward slowly, the moonlight illuminating his figure and revealing his dark blue rusted bronze armor and sword and shield.

“There is no death here, only me,” he replied.

The next instant, the Wujin Blade flashed with a cold light.

With a strange cutting sound, the Nether Bronze Kite-Shaped Shield was sliced ​​in half diagonally! The cut was clean, sharp, and had a bluish-gold luster.

Talia's hammer and spear slammed down from the side, while Samael thrust out with his sword in a backhand motion. However, Musa, dressed in white robes, dodged the attack with a powerful backflip, much like a dancer, and laughed heartily.

The scanner is now enabled.

[Race: Space Demi-human]

[Biological structural integrity: 82%]

[Stamina: 97%]

[Psionic Power: 93%]

[Biological Posture Detection: War Dance]

[A blend of humanoid warrior dance and melee combat, originating from the sacrificial dances and wrestling techniques of ancient barbarian warriors returning from the hunt. Swift, powerful, and combining practicality with visual appeal, it emphasizes strength and includes numerous kicking techniques, leg strikes, inverted spins, and somersaults.]

The database has been updated.

[Burn to the "Artificial Life Science - Biological Posture Materials" content library]

[The device is usable.]

"Identification magic? So you're the ally you met on the way to Ronoway?" Musa sneered, beckoning, "Kill."

He pulled out a sharpening wheel from his pocket, gave it a sharp tug, and began to repair the deformed shamanic scimitar caused by his earlier chopping of the bronze shield on the sparking wheel.

Two Dune Scorpion Demons, dragging their long, knife-like pincers and thick, jet-black scorpion tails, swiftly circled around from both sides, charging forward with a flash of their pincers!
[Biological Attitude Detection: Charge and Slash]

[A combat tactic for ambushing enemies while on the move at high speed, suitable for flanking maneuvers and quick escapes. Can be used with the aid of vehicles. Commonly seen in light cavalry and lightly armored infantry operations.]

The database has been updated.

[Burn to the "Artificial Life Science - Biological Posture Materials" content library]

[The device is usable.]

Bang! The demonized war scorpion on the left was interrupted by a spear, its charge halted. Like a baseball hit by a bat, it flew straight backward! Half of its carapace was dented, gleaming with a smoldering dark red!

He howled in pain, struggled in terror, and scrambled to his feet, retreating with severe injuries.

Talia's combat technique, [Conquest], while slow in movement, possesses immense power and impact, covering a large area in front of her and capable of interrupting enemy actions. Her hammer and spear are coated with a layer of dark bronze, which is also engulfed in her demonic fire. The originally pale demonic fire is affected by the dark bronze's flame reaction, transforming into a deep blue-green blaze.

Clang! The charging slash of the demonized scorpion on the right slammed into the Nether Bronze shield, the sharp edge of its pincers firmly blocked by the broken shield. He was stunned, intending to continue charging and bypass Samael, but the shield blocked his way once more, and the shadowy blue of the Nether Bronze Knight's Sword hidden behind the shield flashed rapidly, thrusting repeatedly.

The first strike of the [Precise Combo] was blocked by the War Scorpion's demonized carapace. The second strike caused cracks in the carapace. The third and fourth strikes created gaps large enough for death to burrow in. The fifth, sixth, and seventh strikes... each strike was more precise and penetrating than the last, carrying the chill of the Nether Bronze, and piercing deep into the internal organs!

The necromantic properties of the Nether Bronze began to take effect. The War Scorpion Demon, wounded by the Nether Bronze blade, trembled. A chill began to spread from his internal organs, gradually penetrating his bone marrow, like the weight of a grave pressing down on his spine, bringing a cold, numb, and stiff sensation. A rigor mortis-like aches seeped into his joints, like rusty machinery stuck in a rut.

*Thud.* The tip of the Nether Bronze sword pierced through his back, like an ice spike piercing his body. He struggled to break free from the rigor mortis caused by the Nether Bronze, trying to escape the attack range. However, the hammer and spear extended from behind the Nether Bronze shield, growing larger and larger in his vision as they burned with demonic fire. The moment they crashed down, charred flesh and blood flew everywhere.

He was sent flying backwards and stopped breathing instantly.

Kill, one. Samael counted silently, and with a clang, the hilt of his sword struck the shield, producing a menacing metallic sound.

"You trash!" Musa swung his scimitar, sparks flying from the blade as he charged forward.

At the same time, the Sand Wyvern Demon also roared and swooped down!

*Sizzle!* The grappling hook scratched at Talia's arm armor, leaving several deep claw marks. Talia suddenly reached out, grabbed the pterosaur demon's claw, and slammed it hard to the ground.

However, before Musa could finish her off, his Witchcraft Blade slashed down, aiming for Talia's neck.

Clang! Another strange cutting sound rang out as the Nether Bronze Kite-Shaped Shield struck the blade at an angle from the side. Samael struggled to deflect the Witch Gold Blade with his shield, but a large chunk of the shield was once again sliced ​​off at an angle, leaving only a small piece!

Meanwhile, the wounded War Scorpion Demon and the Insect Guard Demon carrying flamethrowers arrived to cover the landing Pterodactyl Demon, while attempting to flank from both sides.

"Harvest!" Samael suddenly shouted towards the barn behind him, and at the same time, he and Talia ran wildly towards the barn.

Musa and the other three demonized beings instinctively followed closely behind.

With the neighing of horses, a harvesting machine suddenly rushed out from behind the barn! Four horses were tied to the center of the chariot, driven by spiked iron balls strapped to their hindquarters. The four huge razor wheels whirred wildly with a clanging sound of gears, heading straight for the group! The distance was astonishing, and the wide razor wheels almost completely blocked any way to dodge!

Samael lunged forward and tackled Talia to the ground.

They barely escaped the reaper's charge from under the vehicle, as the razor wheel swept over their heads and backs, instantly tearing their cloaks and capes to shreds.

The reaping chariot carried a whirlwind of cold, sharp blades, its razor wheel plated with a layer of dark blue bronze!

The three demonized beings caught Musa off guard.

Musa jumped from the spot and did a backflip, barely dodging the first Razor Wheel.

Just as his body was about to hit the ground and be slashed by the second Nether Bronze Razor Wheel, he suddenly flipped over, using one hand to grip the hilt and support his entire body weight. He slashed at the razor wheel, severing the two Nether Bronze blades on it, and used the recoil to jump forward, barely dodging the chariot's attack.

The Demonized Sand Wyvern had just been dragged to the ground by Talia and slammed hard, leaving it dizzy and disoriented. Before it could even get up or think clearly, it instinctively struggled to flap its wings and try to take off, only to be caught between two dark bronze blade discs and instantly torn to pieces!
The heavily wounded War Scorpion Demonizer tried to withstand the attack by relying on its demonized carapace, since ordinary agricultural harvesters or ordinary razor wheel chariots would usually get stuck when they hit the demonized carapace.

However, the hardness of Nether Bronze far surpasses that of ordinary metals used to forge farm tools. With a scream, the Dune Demon was struck in the leg by the Nether Bronze blade wheel, lost his balance, and fell between the two wheels on the side of the chariot. The hardened carapace slightly jammed the wheels, making a series of crisp cracking sounds, and finally cut him in two.

Bang! The claws covered by the pitch-black exoskeleton clenched into fists and pounded against each other. The demonized being carrying a flamethrower tore off his cloak with his other hand, and his exoskeleton swelled up and began to turn red.

The Crimson Beetle Guardian Demon, lagging behind due to its slow movement, spread its heavy armor and, in a wrestling motion, slammed its shoulders and elbows, covered in crimson beetle shells, against the chariot!
[Biological Posture Detection: Lion Fighting]

[Humanoid combat style. It combines gladiatorial wrestling techniques from fighting wild beasts with the training skills of royal warriors in areas plagued by lion prides. Suitable for attacking larger enemies, causing them to lose balance and quickly kill them, it contains numerous shoulder, elbow, and striking techniques. Primarily unarmed, but can also be used in conjunction with heavy, large blunt weapons like clubs.]

The database has been updated.

[Burn to the "Artificial Life Science - Biological Posture Materials" content library]

[The device is usable.]

Clang! The bronze wheel was intercepted by the carapace of the demonized Crimson Shell Insect Guard, leaving only seven or eight messy scratches on the shell. Under the heavy impact of the [Lion Hunt Gladiator], the wheel was knocked off its axle, and the chariot was stopped in place. The horses neighed in panic, their hooves lifted off the ground by the wooden pole at the front of the chariot!

The demonized Red-Shelled Insect Guard roared, grabbed the oil spray gun on its back, and with a click of the flint at the nozzle, the burning oil, like a fire dragon, instantly covered most of the horses and chariots. Amid the painful neighing of the horses, the raging fire illuminated half of the night sky.

Three of the four demonized beings died in an instant, thanks to the combined efforts of the two and the chariot.

"What on earth is this…" Musa roared, "Follow me!"

He sharpened the blade of his magic weapon, then rushed towards Samael and Talia, who had just gotten up from the ground, and slashed at them with his sword!

Clang! The last small fragment of the Nether Bronze Kite Shield was cleaved in two, and the two fragments fell off Samael's arm armor, which was covered with dark gold knife marks, and landed with two clattering sounds.

"You inexplicable bronze knight, I have to deal with you first..." Musa roared, suddenly spinning upside down in his war dance, his strong arms pushing against the ground, followed by a flying kick, his boots slamming into Samael's neck and chest, sending him staggering backward. The force of the kick to his neck caused his helmet to fly off, revealing the empty void inside.

"What..." Musa was taken aback, and the movement of his right hand, the Wujin scimitar, slowed slightly.

At the crucial moment, Talia suddenly grabbed Samael's helmet as it flew backward, and taking advantage of Musa's distraction due to shock, she slammed Samael's bronze helmet onto Musa's head with a shooting motion!

A chilling darkness instantly enveloped Musa, the cold seeping into his skull and spreading wildly down his spine. A rigor mortis-like numbness and a feeling of rusting began to creep into his neck and shoulder joints! His dodging movements in the War Dance were affected by the joint rigor mortis, making them temporarily unusable!
Caught off guard, he tried to remove his helmet, but the headless Samael body pierced his chest with a sword.

Samael's vision overlapped with Musa's position. He manipulated his headless body and unleashed another "Precision Combo," stabbing Musa's chest accurately with more than a dozen consecutive sword strikes.

Talia raised her Demonfire Hammer Spear, leaped into the air, and slammed it down on Musa's chest! Musa was sent flying backward, blood gushing out! He crashed to the ground, sending dust flying!
This level of injury isn't enough to kill him! Talia gasped for breath and rushed forward with Samael's headless body, wanting to take the opportunity to deliver a few more blows to the fallen Musa.

Clang! Samael's headless body suddenly blocked her way. "Don't come any closer! Back off!" His voice came from the helmet on Musa's head.

Musa's throat, covered in crimson scales, suddenly began to glow, a faint firelight shining through his skin, making the scales and flesh appear translucent, as if a flame were moving upwards along his throat, and then—

call!
A violent, bluish-white demonic fire spewed from his throat and burst forth from the gaps in Samael's bronze helmet, igniting the sparse wheat stalks in front of the two.

If Samael hadn't warned them, the flames would have engulfed the area where the two were standing.

The scanner is now enabled.

[Biological Structure Detection: Polarized Glands]

[Polarized glands (and their associated high-temperature resistant structures) utilize biochemical energy structures to ionize gastric acid, generating a mixture of high-temperature ionic plasma and combustible gas. Upon contact with oxygen, this mixture explodes and is used in biosmelting, bioforging, or high-temperature heating.]

The database has been updated.

[Burn to the "Artificial Life Sciences - Biological Structure Materials" content library]

[Lacking an organic psionic structure, the body is temporarily unusable.]

[An abnormally high temperature was detected.]

The head component has reached saturation of free heat and can no longer absorb heat.

"Ancient Ghost Knight!" Freed from the chilling necromantic aura, Musa reached for his Nether Bronze helmet, roaring as he slammed it aside! "This is your secret weapon, Ronoway? It's meaningless!" Nether Bronze weapons could temporarily slow the wounded and numb their joints, but they couldn't stop the wound from healing. Under the influence of the demons' powerful healing abilities, the Nether Bronze sword wound on Musa's chest quickly began to heal rapidly.

Crack! The barbed whip lashed out, wrapping around Samael's headless body's sword-wielding arm, followed by a heavy slam! Caught off guard, Samael's headless body was tightly bound by the whip, and the immense force dragged the Dark Bronze Knight Sword from his hand!
Meanwhile, the slow-moving, demonized Red Shell Insect Guardian finally caught up with them, carrying a flamethrower, and pulled the trigger at the two.

Talia raised her hammer and spear, striking the Crimson Beetle Guardian Demon with a powerful blow. The black exoskeleton instantly glowed with a fleshy red, the shell shuddered, the carapace remained intact, and the hammer and spear were violently deflected.

The scanner is now enabled.

[Biological Structure Detection: Reverse Pump Housing]

[The anti-pump outer shell (and its associated pressure-relief chamber) consists of a rigid outer shell covered with congested hydraulic muscle groups. When the shell surface is impacted, the blood in these hydraulic muscle groups is pumped into the tough, highly elastic pressure-relief chamber to absorb the impact. When the external force disappears, the blood is pumped back into the hydraulic muscle groups, creating a powerful recoil. This can be used for biological cushioning materials, slow landing of spacecraft, and energy storage takeoff.]

The database has been updated.

[Burn to the "Artificial Life Sciences - Biological Structure Materials" content library]

[Lacking an organic psionic structure, the body is temporarily unusable.]

"Go!" Talia barely dodged the flames, quickly untied the long whip that was wrapped around Samael's arm, helped up Samael's headless body, and fled quickly, running wildly into the abandoned barn behind them.

"Kill them!" Musa roared, not having time to sharpen the Witch Gold Blade again, and rushed into the abandoned barn with the Crimson Beetle Guards.

The barn was pitch black. Logically, a long-abandoned barn like this should be empty, but for some reason, it seemed to be filled with a large amount of goods.

Some kind of soft, dry cargo, its color and outline vaguely discernible in the darkness, appeared to be white, and was bound with thick hemp rope.

Musa and the Crimson Beetle Guardian Demonized One moved among the piles of goods, searching for the two figures, when they suddenly heard a soft sound coming from the door behind them.

The barn door was closed!
Samael and Talia didn't go inside the barn to hide at all! As soon as they entered, they quietly huddled behind the door, waiting for Musa and the Crimson Beetle Guardian to enter before leaving the barn and closing the door!
"Ronoway! And the Ghost Knight!" Musa roared, slamming the door open but failing. Instinctively, he raised his Witchkin Scimitar and slashed at the door.

However, during the process of slashing at the Nether Bronze Shield, the blade of the Witch Gold Scimitar bent and deformed, the blade slashing crookedly at the door panel, leaving only a dark gold scratch on the panel, while the blade twisted once again.

In his frenzy, Musa instinctively took out the sharpening wheel and yanked it hard.

Sparks from the grinding wheel illuminated the mountains of cotton piled up in the abandoned barn.

Boom! Boom!
Two consecutive booming sounds echoed in the night sky—the first came from the burning cotton and cotton dust in the warehouse, and the second explosion was caused by the kerosene in the metal cans behind the Red Shell Insect Guardian Demon being ignited.

Most of the barn was blown away in the explosion, blasted into the sky by the shockwave. Pieces of burning wood and straw rained down, interspersed with the mangled, charred corpses of the Red-Shelled Insect Guardians. First the first piece, then the second, then the third; the carapace was hard, but it was no use. The corpses fell piece by piece, like ripped rag dolls.

All four demonized beings died.

"Ghost Knight! I'll melt you down and turn you into a chamber pot!" Musa roared, spewing out billowing black smoke and engulfed in flames. He strode out of the burning barn, brushing off his charred white robe to reveal gold-trimmed dark brown leather armor and boots.

His chest wounds, from being stabbed by the Dark Bronze Knight's Sword and smashed by the Demonfire Hammer Spear, were charred black, with the edges of several ribs exposed and the thin membrane of flesh and blood pulsating in front of his heart. Drops of blood kept dripping down, reminding Samael of the tyrant in the game "Resident Evil" from his previous life.

[Target Status Detection:]

[Biological structural integrity: 53%]

[Psionic Power: 47%]

[Stamina: 62%]

With a crack, Musa lashed out with his long whip, holding up the half-polished Wujin scimitar.

Talia had already picked up the Nether Bronze Helmet that Samael had dropped and secured it back around the neck of Samael's headless body. Samael picked up the Nether Bronze Knight Sword, holding it diagonally in front of him, assuming a [Blade Counter Stance].

The two stood side by side, weapons in hand, beneath the twin moons, their tacit understanding as one.

"You and this Ghost Knight will surely die here today, Ronoway!" Musa roared, charging in and closing the distance. He used [War Dance] to dodge Talia's hammer and spear combat skill [Conquest], but was caught by the [Luring Stance] of the Dark Bronze Knight Sword, which seized the momentary pause in his movement and stabbed him in the chest again!

He did a backflip, leaped up, and kicked upside down, slamming his legs together so hard that the heels of his boots slammed into Samael's helmet at the temple, making the UI of the interface rumble loudly!

[Severe tremors detected]

[Body condition: Imbalanced]

Musa gripped Samael's helmet between his boots, exerted force, and flipped over to stand on Samael's shoulder armor. He raised the witch-gold blade high and thrust it fiercely towards the center of the helmet!

However, before the Wujin scimitar could strike its target, Talia raised her claw armor and used the combat skill [Grasp]. The claws pierced through Musa's leg armor, into his flesh, and gripped his muscles and leg bones, dragging him by his calf and pulling him off Samael's shoulder armor, slamming him hard to the ground!

Musa performed a backflip kick, striking Talia's claw-armored wrist, and then raised his scimitar to slash at Talia's head.

Clang! The heavy bronze shoulder armor slammed into him from the side. The combined impact of the [Lion Fighter] technique and the bronze body sent Musa flying. He stumbled back several steps, followed by a swift elbow strike to the face.

Musa War Dance quickly dodged, raised his Witch Gold Scimitar, and the blade light suddenly turned into a dark gold afterimage as he slashed continuously.

[Bio-attitude detection: a wild dance stance]

[Delivers rapid and dense continuous random slashes to an area in front, causing massive damage in a short time. Often used for quick kills in close combat or to rapidly pulverize large pieces of material.]

The database has been updated.

[Burn to the "Artificial Life Science - Biological Posture Materials" content library]

[The device is usable.]

Samael had no time to dodge and realized he was in trouble. He tried to use [Battle Dance] to dodge, but found that Battle Dance was a combat skill that could only be used by unarmored and lightly armored warriors. His heavy metal armor body was too heavy to do complex moves such as quick backflips and continuous kicks!
He instinctively raised his bronze arm to block, thinking his arm would be severed. However, the bronze blade was dulled and unsuitable for such continuous slashing attacks.

The first strike left a deep, dark gold gash on Samael's arm guard, almost piercing the surface! The second strike left only a light gold scratch, and the third and fourth strikes left only thin white scratches. The subsequent swings of the blade produced only a series of clanging sounds.
Musa roared, raising his leg to kick Samael's helmet, trying to kick it off again and take the opportunity to sharpen his Witchcraft Blade and slash again. However, Talia's hammer and spear had already struck from the side, and the combat skill [Forging] slammed down hard.

Musa leaped up, dodging Talia's heavy slam, took a deep breath, and unleashed a massive ball of raging flames at Talia! The flames instantly turned the area around Talia into a giant fireball!
As the flames and black smoke dissipated, Samael's cold, bronze body was revealed—just before the flames struck, he had stood in front of Talia, using his fire-resistant armor to block the fire.

Taking advantage of the fire breath, Musa quickly sharpened his blade, wrapped his whip around Talia's arm with his other hand, raised the Wujin Scimitar, did a side somersault, and used the momentum to slash down hard!

[Biological Attitude Detection: Fallout Kill]

[This attack method utilizes the momentum of a jump or a fall from a height to quickly eliminate the target. The powerful impact of a natural fall can pierce armor and shields. It is commonly seen by desperate assassins and certain arboreal beasts. It is not limited to humanoid creatures.]

The database has been updated.

[Burn to the "Artificial Life Science - Biological Posture Materials" content library]

[The device is usable.]

Just before the blade was about to touch Talia, with a loud bang, Musa was once again violently slammed away by Samael's [Lion Fighting] combat technique. He roared and swung his magic blade at Samael.

Samael raised his Dark Bronze Knight Sword to parry, but the sword was cut in two by the sharpened Witch Gold Blade, which also caused Musa to lose another opportunity to kill with the blade.

He was panting, his strength and psionic energy were almost depleted, and the deep, bone-revealing wound on his chest was still bleeding, while the ripped wound on his calf by Talia had not yet fully healed.

Talia swung her hammer and spear, and [Conquest] covered a large area in front of her. Musa barely managed to dodge with a backflip, but the next moment, Talia turned to the side, revealing Samael charging wildly behind her!

With a clanging sound, Samael used the [Focus on Footwork] to accelerate his heavy bronze body and leaped into the air, delivering a powerful flying kick that slammed into Musa's chest!

The Dark Bronze's body is heavy, making it difficult to use [Step Focus] to dodge, but it can still be used to accelerate its run-up.

The heavy body, accelerated by the running start, contained enormous kinetic energy. The bronze boots broke two more of Musa's ribs, and he vomited blood again. The golden scimitar was stuck in the ground, barely supporting his body.

[Target Status Detection:]

[Biological structural integrity: 32%]

[Psionic Power: 12%]

[Stamina: 18%]

Samael scrambled to his feet, grabbed the broken sword, and hurled it! Musa dodged with difficulty, but his physical condition, as well as his remaining strength and spiritual energy, no longer supported him in using War Dance.

He managed to dodge, but the broken sword, which would have struck his chest, landed squarely on his shoulder.

Talia stepped forward and swung her fist, the black claw-shaped armor slamming into Musa's face, knocking him to the ground and breaking one of his jawbones.

Then came Samael's cold, bronze fist, accompanied by a bronze-colored gust of wind, which broke his other jawbone.

“You are an excellent warrior.” Samael leaned over Musa, one hand gripping his neck, the other raising his bronze palm. Semi-molten bronze flowed from his palm, covering his fingertips and the back of his hand, forming a bronze claw-shaped armor. “But you are not an excellent tactician.”

“There is no death here,” he said, looking into Musa’s dying, cold eyes. “Only me.”

He raised the bronze claw-shaped armor.

Combat Skill [Grab] – This was something Talia demonstrated and scanned for herself earlier today, after obtaining her consent. The Nether Bronze Claw Armor pierced Musa's abdomen, tearing out his internal organs and spine. A chilling coldness began to spread from his internal organs, and rigor mortis gradually engulfed him. Everything will eventually perish, only death is immortal, only nothingness is eternal.

Samael took a magic compass from Musa's bosom. In the moonlight, the compass needle silently pointed to Talia in front of him.

"Go face it, fight it, change it, defeat the old enemies, and create a new life." He handed the compass to Talia, who nodded and took it.

The two men stood up, their black and bronze armor stained with blood, and headed towards the exile camp under the twin moons.

"You... don't come any closer!" The last of the Crimson Beetle Guardian demons, holding the last flamethrower, pointed in panic at the exiles in the camp before him. "Don't come any closer, or I'll burn everyone here alive!"

Samael and Talia exchanged a glance, and then calmly raised their hands.

The demonized Red Shell Insect Guardian breathed a sigh of relief, but a chilling, corpse-like sensation suddenly pierced through his body.

He instinctively pulled the trigger of the flamethrower, but the trigger fell off.

"The prefix for the term 'Exiles' is 'Demon.'" A gentle yet sinister laugh sounded in his ear, and a hand reached out from behind him, gently taking the flamethrower from his hand. "We are, after all, demons. We may not be able to defeat high-level demons, but a mere demonized individual is underestimating us."

He turned his head with difficulty and met the squinting eyes of the foundry technician, Archie Yewell, who was smiling slightly.

“Your flamethrower looks a bit rusty, let me hold it for you.” Archie gently patted his shoulder.

He slowly turned to the other side, where Gwyneth Halder, her face bandaged, was wearing gloves and holding a bronze dagger. Like an experienced surgeon, she skillfully inserted the slender blade under the shell, smoothly turning it around, and like a crab picker easily peeling off a crab's shell, removed his bloodied armor.

She raised her face and revealed a serene smile.

“Red-shelled insect guards are a popular dish at the banquets of the demons in the eastern desert,” she said gently. “I also have some knowledge of the distribution of their nerves and organs.”

She stretched out her blood-stained hands, as if holding an apple, and reached into the chest cavity through the gap in the carapace of the demonized Red Shell Insect Guardian, pulling out a still-twitching heart.

"Are we done?" Samael asked Archie as he and Talia painedly picked up the scattered fragments of Nether Bronze from the battle.

He can't produce more Nether Copper right now; every bit he uses is a finite resource. There are always small, irretrievable fragments, inevitably leading to losses. He needs to find a way to unlock the [Nether Copper Casting Method] or [Nether Copper Generator] entries in the tech tree as soon as possible.

"It's done. Thank you both for your help." Yachi nodded.

"Then hurry up and help clean up the battlefield! The commotion is too great, the Imperial Foundry's garrison will be here soon!" Talia and Samael shouted in unison.

(End of this chapter)