Chapter 413: Concordat (1/2)
Cosmic Energy streamed through MacKenzie’s body at unprecedented speeds, and Mental Energy was rapidly getting drained as her mind formed thin strands of her Daos and ingeniously wove them into her Cosmic Energy to create a facsimile of true skill.
Jeeves used roughly 30% fire, 10% wind, and 60% water to cause a reflective mist that formed an amazingly real illusion of herself and Ilvere falling while covering their real bodies in a thick mist. Her arm reached out to grab Ilvere’s shoulder as a rapid succession of bursts of Cosmic Energy mixed with the Seed of Gust unpredictably moved them until they landed some distance away.
Balls of acrid sludge shot through the mist like bullets, but Kenzie’s body floated around like an unbound pixie with the help of Jeeves, effortlessly avoiding all the projectiles. They finally reached the ground that silently opened up to swallow the demon inside.
“Stay here,” Kenzie whispered with a monotonous voice as she flitted away.
A dozen emergency drones emerged from her Cosmos Sack and instantly fired at four specific spots that made no sense to Kenzie, but it caused an enraged screech to echo across the area. The newly erected pillar had been destroyed as well, and a scorch-marked woman emerged from the smoke where it had once stood.
It was some sort of the corporeal undead, and no doubt also the source of the attacks earlier as it looked like she stood in a pool of oil that bubbled and churned. She was slim had long grey hair that fell down to her shoulders, and she wore a well-fitting dress that looked suited for a summer stroll. The woman would have been quite beautiful in an austere way if it wasn’t for her enraged and scarred face, or the grisly half-meter talons she had instead of normal fingers.
Unfortunately it looked like Jeeves illusions had failed as the woman looked straight at them through the mist. Kenzie could only see the undead leader's shape through the haze thanks to Jeeves, so the woman must have some sort of skill to do the same.
[Target level 85 – Low-Medium talent. Chance of victory through traditional battle <5%. Permission to activate ‘Pretty Pretty Mecha Kenzie’ Protocol?]
‘Granted.’
“Get ready to flee,” Kenzie whispered, taking control of her voice. “I’ll unleash something my brother left for me in case things became desperate.”
“Just run, lass,” Ilvere said with a shake of his head. “I might be able to hold her for a bit at least.”
“Don’t worry,” Kenzie said. “I won’t risk my life against some E-Grade powerhouse.”
The next moment a massive robot appeared in front of her, reaching over ten meters in the air. It radiated danger as its various weapon system went online one after another due to Jeeve’s instructions.
“Wha-“ Ilvere said, but Kenzie indicated for him to be silent as they were once again shrouded by an altered illusion technique that hopefully would be able to trick the undead general.
The robot shot a wild array of thin laser beams toward the woman, forcing her to start dodging to avoid getting scorched again. This was what Jeeves aimed for, and the AI helped Kenzie silently sink underground with Ilvere in tow. Simultaneously a fake Kenzie rose into the cockpit of the stationary robot, and the cockpit closed behind her.
The mecha generally required a direct neural connection to control due to its high complexity, but Jeeves had circumvented that somehow, allowing it to be controlled just like the drones. However, even Jeeves’ abilities were limited and such a thing would only be possible in close proximity.
But the Undead Woman was not ready to simply eat the beams without fighting back, and Jeeves continuously reported new sources of damage to her precious machine. Only 30 seconds of intense battle passed before Jeeves warned Kenzie that systems were critical.
‘Blow her up’ Kenzie instructed with some heartache as she soundlessly moved through the earth while the shockwaves of battle became more and more muted.
[Affirmative.]
A few seconds later a massive explosion rocked the very foundations of the area, making it feel like they were swept up in an earthquake.
[Self-Destruct initiated within 10 meters of the target, connection cut. Likelihood survival: <5%]
Unfortunately, there was no surge of cosmic energy to tell her whether the sacrifice was successful or not, as not even Jeeves was able to circumvent the ironclad rule that kills by technology wouldn’t award levels.
But even if that crazed banshee survived the blast she would no doubt be taken out of commission for a prolonged duration, which would hopefully help her brother when he returned. As far as she knew there were only a few Undead Generals still around. She guessed that trading her prized mecha for one of them was a worthy exchange.
Thirty minutes later it became clear that they had evaded pursuit, and the two quickly made their way toward the closest Teleportation Array. It was time to return to Port Atwood. Her mission had been a success, but who knew what countermeasures the Undead would have at the next infusion pillar now that even one of their generals had fallen.
With her mecha destroyed and drones exhausted she was unable to keep destroying the pillars in either case.
She could use a rest.
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“Wake up sailor!” Sap Trang grunted as he kicked the sailor who was supposed to keep a lookout. “This is no time to daydream!”
“I’m sorry!” the young man said with a start, forcefully dragged out of his daydreams. “But captain, is there really any need for us to patrol these waters? We haven’t seen a single boat for months, and no beasts that Lord Bau can’t handle.”
“Would you rather head to the front-lines, changing the open seas for a sea of zombies?” Sap said with a glare.
“No! Please don’t make me fight the undead! I’ll keep watch!”
“Good,” Sap Trang said with a nod as his eyes scanned the endless ocean. “Remember, we sail with the flag of Lord Atwood, the champion of Earth. If there is one place that the invaders would want to hit, wouldn’t it be our kingdom? Our soldiers are fighting tooth and nail to protect our world, the least we can do is keep watch over our waters to keep their families safe from ambush.”
Seeing that the young man took his task more seriously after the lecture Sap nodded in satisfaction as he kept making rounds. He didn’t know why, but he had found it hard to stay calm all day, and he needed to keep himself busy.
Perhaps it was because he would soon be back home, which would allow him to meet his grandson again. Who would have known that little Bao was as charming as his grandpa was back in the day, and had already found a little lass for himself?
Even more shocking, the lass was with child! He would be a great grandfather. It was an amazing source of joy in these bleak times, and it was reason enough for him to exhaust his old bones to make sure that the waters were safe.