The group of Floating Islands, Fort Hurricane, is located in the airspace between the Empire and the Federation, like a connection point linking the airspace of the two major factions. The hovercrafts of humans have a limited range, and the Spirit Seed Furnace and magic engine must rely on highly refined, concentrated Magic Element to operate. If the engine stops, it can be repaired, but once the Spirit Seed Furnace stops, the entire ship loses buoyancy and sinks into the Sea of Emptiness. The vast Sea of Emptiness has become a natural barrier, separating one Floating Island from another. Humans gradually made contact with these lost Floating Islands during the Great Age of Exploration eight hundred years ago, and with the prosperity of civilization, war followed closely behind.

The strategic position of Fort Hurricane is basically a relay station. Neither the hovercrafts of the Federation nor the Empire can directly navigate to each other's airspace due to the limited range, so they must find ports to replenish Magic Element. Fort Hurricane plays the role of such a port. During peacetime, merchant ships stop at Fort Hurricane to replenish Magic Element before heading to the Empire or the Federation. During times of war, capturing this relay station is necessary to enter enemy airspace, which is why the wars between the Empire and the Federation have always been close to Fort Hurricane. Neither side has hovercrafts capable of sailing such long distances to launch an attack across the Sea of Emptiness.

Each Floating Island is a shelter created by the Ancient Demon Kingdom, taking humans to the sky during times of great disasters. The half-permanent floating mechanism that supports the Floating Islands operates under a similar principle as the Spirit Seed Furnace, located below the clouds in a place beyond human reach. Its analysis has made no progress over the past millennium. However, in return, highly concentrated Magic Element is produced as a byproduct and supplied almost free of charge to the humans on the Floating Islands, supporting their difficult lives after the great calamity.

Ferixia von Bergman, the War Princess of the Empire and Border Duke, completely overturned the balance of power between the Federation and the Empire with her strategic genius. She overwhelmingly defeated the recklessly advancing Federation fleet in the third Battle of Alanzo Sea, causing Fort Hurricane to lose protection from the fleet. In the subsequent assault on Fort Hurricane, she deployed mass-produced Magic Armor for actual combat and used swarm tactics to overpower the elite Magic Armor forces of the Federation, successfully capturing the fortress. Her military achievements were celebrated by the world, but also attracted jealousy and hatred. Now, Ferixia has been appointed as the temporary governor of Fort Hurricane Fortress, while being relieved of her command of the fleet, which is equivalent to exile.

After a year of reconstruction, Fort Hurricane, destroyed by the flames of war, began to regain its former vitality. The port, being the first to recover its functionality, was repaired by the Empire's engineering troops within a month, and the docks and Magic Element storage facilities were expanded to complete the reconstruction work at the port as quickly as possible. Starting from the port, warehouses and other ancillary facilities were rebuilt, and the citizens' streets that support these industrial facilities also came to life with the assistance of the Empire. The resulting chain reaction quickly spread across the entire island. A year passed in the blink of an eye, and although destroyed houses from cannon fire can still be seen in the city, the streets have already regained their former liveliness.

However, not everyone had a smile on their face. In a corner of the area known as the port district, a dimly lit tavern remained open all night, and drunken customers murmured about their own pasts. Lin sat in front of the bar, drinking bottled alcohol, while the smell of burning tobacco permeated the dim place, evoking the most basic disgust in humans.When Lin realized that there was no liquid passing through his throat, he reluctantly put down the empty bottle and reached into his deflated pocket, placing three coins on the table. "Another bottle," he said. The hotel owner, Field, looked at the young man with concern. "You've had enough," he said. "It's time for you to go home." "Give me the booze," Lin said forcefully. "I'll pay, I never owe anyone." Field sighed and placed a bottle in front of him. Lin reached out to grab the bottle, but Field didn't let go. They held the bottle in a stalemate. "Drink this bottle and go home," Field said. "As advice from an acquaintance, if Irene sees you like this, even in her grave, she won't rest in peace." "Irene...Ah," Lin grabbed the bottle. "Fine, I'll go home after I finish..." Snatching the bottle, Lin eagerly poured the cheap alcohol into his mouth. The alcohol numbed his nerves, making him feel light-headed. Maybe this would make him forget all his troubles up until now? In his hazy state, he looked at the table next to him where a group of dockworkers dressed in their work uniforms were happily drinking. Suddenly, the scene changed. The dockworkers turned into soldiers from the Federation army, his former comrades who were no longer alive. "Kalyus, even you died..." he took a sip of alcohol. "Why am I the one who survived when all of you were much stronger?" However, the past ghosts couldn't answer him; they were just mirages that had faded away. Before the tavern closed, Lin walked towards the old warehouse in the dock area. It was his final refuge, filled with a large number of discarded parts. As someone who relied on fixing magical devices to make a living, it was his last resting place. Snowflakes fell in the cold night, but Lin couldn't feel the cold at all due to the effects of alcohol. Lin stumbled as he walked and eventually fell into the snow. He knew that sleeping here for a night would mean death. His rationality told him that, but his body couldn't move. Would there be one more corpse here in the morning? But there were already enough people who froze to death this year, who would care about one more? As long as he threw the body directly into the Sea of Emptiness, that would suffice; funerals were just a hassle. As his consciousness drifted away, a figure wearing a cloak appeared in front of Lin. Lin tried hard to move his eyeballs, attempting to see the person's face, but all he saw was darkness beneath the hood. "As a human, you are truly weak," the person said. Lin silently endured the person's words. "Do you want to avenge your Irene Lanson?" The voice of the mysterious person was very pleasant; it had a feminine and magical quality that instantly captured Lin's heart. His fingers moved slightly and tightly gripped the snow on the ground. "Very well," the mysterious person smiled. "Including you, Mr. Genius Mechanic, let's count you in."

Opening his eyes, Uther saw the familiar ceiling. The intricate patterns arranged in an artistic and non-monotonous way adorned the ceiling. This was her room on the third floor of the Ophelia's Court; it was a unique and exquisite bedroom. However, even wrapped in thick blankets, the feeling of cold still lingered in her bones, as if she had just been lying on the snow not long ago. What on earth happened? Uther hugged her shoulders, but still couldn't dispel the cold in her body. Early to bed, early to rise is a good habit. Uther finished refreshing herself and put on clothes that were easy to move in. Though she no longer needed to shave, she still had to comb her hair. It was a difficult task to style her beautiful light brown long hair neatly, but recently she had discovered a trick, making it less difficult to comb. Uther once wanted to cut her hair short, but she faced strong opposition from Lusita, who had never been so insistent about anything before. She even looked a bit frightening. Realizing that cutting her hair short was a dangerous thing to do, Uther had no choice but to comb her hair every day. First, a run. Although it was impossible to restore her physical fitness to what it was when she was male, exercising was still beneficial. Uther jogged several laps around the main mansion of Ophelia's Court, gradually warming up her body. Snowflakes were falling, and the towering Stormwall isolated everything outside. In fact, Ophelia's Court was located beneath the dimensional barrier of the Sea of Emptiness. After the morning exercise, Uther returned to her room to wash away the sweat. The automata brought her clean clothes. They had no language ability, but they were diligent and their magical inscriptions were exquisitely complex. The technology of the Ancient Demon Kingdom was astonishing.The daily life was also quite regular. After breakfast, there was the morning Mage training, then lunch, followed by independent practice in the afternoon, dinner, and reading time in the library at night. Uther used to dream of such a life where she could focus on learning various knowledge without having to worry about anything else.

If she continued to live as Karlheinz Noinheim, Karlheinz believed that one day he could re-enter the military academy for further education. He could rise to the rank of Colonel relying solely on his achievements as an exceptional Magic Armor pilot. Whether it was aerial combat or tactical command, Karlheinz was a top figure in the Federation military. His most impressive skill was being able to pilot the Magic Armor continuously for an extended period without needing rest. He once fought for two days and nights continuously in the Magic Armor before having to withdraw from the battlefield due to extreme fatigue, accidentally setting a world record.

Although her current comfortable life was fulfilling, Uther couldn't help but feel that something was missing. She missed her friends, but she wasn't sure how many of them were still alive. Even if she could meet those survivors one day, how could she face her former friends? She couldn't just directly tell them that the Federation Army's top ace Karlheinz Noinheim had turned into a beautiful girl, could she? Just thinking about it, Uther had the urge to bang her head against the wall.

Lucita β, the owner of Eve's Garden, was a perfect woman in every aspect. First of all, her appearance was elegant and stunning enough to drive half of all humanity crazy and the other half jealous. Secondly, she possessed good education and carried herself with grace and elegance. Lastly, she had extensive knowledge, and conversing with her was anything but boring. But Uther was particularly curious about her age. Looking at her appearance, Lucita could be anywhere from her twenties to thirties. With different outfits and styling, her age and temperament also varied greatly, sometimes mature and steady, sometimes elegant and innocent. However, asking a woman's age was strictly prohibited, and Uther didn't have the courage to touch that metaphorical live wire.

During lunch, Uther told Lucita about her morning dream.

"Dreams...," Lucita pondered while sipping the tea offered by a maid doll. "Generally speaking, dreams are the reflections of human daytime thoughts, a projection of the subconscious mind's activities during the superficial conscious sleep. In summary, they are thoughts during the day and dreams at night."

"Could it be because of the cold weather?" Uther asked.

"Perhaps," Lucita thought for a moment before suddenly asking, "Did Uther have a lover before?"

"Lover... this...," Uther gave a bitter smile. While her outward appearance was that of a beautiful girl, her soul was that of a twenty-five-year-old adult male. "Unfortunately, although I have had relationships with several women, I had no intention of getting married. The only person I liked ended up being in a relationship with my best friend."

"Had relationships with several women?" Lucita was visibly shaken, as if struck by a blow. "In other words, when Uther was still a man, he had been intimate with other women..."

This time it was Uther's turn to be dumbfounded.

"Uther is already an adult," Lucita's eyes seemed to be dying, "while I still don't have a partner..."

"Elder sister, please cheer up!"

Seeing Uther's shocked reaction, Lucita smiled happily. She seemed to enjoy teasing Uther. However, her expression quickly turned serious.

"Uther, you and I are not human," she said earnestly. "Theoretically, we are not capable of dreaming."

"Not... human?" Uther couldn't help but be stunned.

"We are 'Mage Lifeforms'," Lucita said. "We are artificial beings created by the alchemists of the Ancient Demon Kingdom using forbidden life technology. The Philosopher's Stone serves as our core, enabling us to have semi-permanent activities, in other words, near-infinite lifespan. Our cells do not age, be it a hundred years or a thousand years, there will be no change."

Uther couldn't help but tremble involuntarily. She began to vaguely realize the secret of her body. Although a year had passed, which wasn't considered long, apart from normal hair and nail growth, there had been no changes in her height or weight. For a 12-year-old girl in her growth period, not experiencing any changes in a year was definitely abnormal."Am I going to stay like this forever?" She looked at her hands, "For the rest of my life?"

"I don't think so," Lucia crossed her arms, "Anyway, there must be a reason why Uther turned into a child, maybe it's because I made a mistake while operating... but it doesn't matter, as long as he's cute."

"That's not the point..."

"Alright, let's get back to the point," Lucia clapped her hands, "Earlier, I mentioned that magic life forms don't dream. However, we have a strong affinity for magic. In other words, Magic Element which is toxic to humans is like a nutrient for us, and we can even directly consume it as a means to replenish our magic power. This affinity is not only reflected in our magic abilities but also in inspiration. Simply put, if someone far away misses you strongly enough, your soul can feel it through the enhancement of your body. That's why I asked Uther if he had a lover. But men like to form brotherhoods and call each other bro, just like in the legends."

How well do you understand men?! Uther barely held back his comment.

"That feeling... it's so cold." Uther hugged his arms, as if trying to ward off the chill in his body. "It's winter now, does that mean... someone will freeze to death?"

"There's a possibility," Lucia said, "but it doesn't have to be that way."

"Don't comfort me, I know..." Uther closed his eyes, "I have nowhere to go, there's no place for me outside. Even if I were to see my old friends again, what would it matter? Can they accept me as I am now? If I tell them that Karlus Norheim has become a beautiful girl, they would probably die laughing..."

"I'm sorry," Lucia lowered her head.

"It's alright, Karlus Norheim is already dead." Uther sighed, "A dead person should look dead, why bother to disturb the living?"

She looked out the window at the pure white snowflakes gently falling from the sky.

The secret hideout was located in a corner of the warehouse district, not far from the warehouse where Lin lived. Lin sat on a wooden crate closest to the window, drinking boredly. In front of him were a dozen men dressed differently and behaving casually, but the atmosphere around them had nothing to do with a group of misfits. These men were all soldiers, or at least they used to be soldiers. They stayed behind after the Federation withdrew, nowhere to go. They were Federation veterans.

And the one who gathered these men was a woman wearing a hooded cloak, her face hidden in the shadow of the hood, with black lipstick that gave off a seductive vibe. However, the words that came out of that mouth were poison.

"You mean, assassinate Felicia?" one of the veterans asked.

"Yes, exactly," the mysterious woman said, "Felicia is the princess of the Empire. This woman has taken everything from you, whether it's reputation, status, or wealth. She has left you with nothing. And now, she is ravaging your homeland. Fort Hurricane is being trampled under the iron hoof of the Empire. Do you know how many people have starved or frozen to death this year? The Empire doesn't need you Federation leftovers. The space for human survival is already too narrow, and an excessive population will only cause trouble."

"What will killing her achieve?" another veteran said, "The Empire will send someone to replace her."

"Killing her won't make much difference," the mysterious woman admitted, "But the Empire will take time to send a new governor, and Felicia's death will surely lead to chaos. As long as chaos is created, the Federation will have a chance to retake Fort Hurricane. Then you will all be heroes of the Federation and receive praise from the President."

The veterans started to stir, and some of them showed a spark of determination in their eyes.

This is very dangerous.

Lin continued drinking, without making any comments.

"Colonel, we need weapons, ammunition, and Magic Armor," a middle-aged soldier named Carlos Rand stood up and spoke. "If the homeland can provide us with enough support, I am confident in leading an army to strike directly at the governor's mansion and kill that woman."

"Major, we will fulfill your requests," the mysterious woman said, "However, you need to be patient for a while. It will take around twelve days to mobilize the fleet and a month to complete the preparations for the attack. During these forty days, our intelligence department will provide you with what you need, but the timing of the operation will be determined by us. Can you accept that?""For the Federation!" Carlos saluted.

"For the Federation!" The veterans were filled with fervor.

Lin watched them from afar, as if existing in a completely different time and space. His heart was as cold as iron, unable to blend into the passionate group before him.

The secret meeting quickly came to an end, and the veterans took down the Federation flag hanging on the wall. Lin patted his behind, holding a bottle of alcohol, and followed the others out of the secret hut. However, he was stopped by a mysterious person.

"Lin," she said, "you don't seem very enthusiastic about this mission, do you?"

"If you need a mechanic, I'm willing to help," Lin swayed the bottle, "but don't expect me to be a combat force."

"Very well," the mysterious person smiled slightly, "we need someone like you."

"But," Lin pretended to be drunk, "are you really a special agent from the Federation Intelligence Department?"

"What do you think?" the mysterious person countered.

They locked eyes for a second before Lin looked away.

"Lastly, I want to tell you something," the mysterious person said, "Colonel Karlus Noyneim was not shot down when Fort Hurricane surrendered. He successfully raided the Empire fleet flagship and nearly killed Felicia. And after he surrendered, Felicia personally killed him."

"What did you say?" The bottle in Lin's hand shattered as it fell to the ground. He grabbed the collar of the mysterious person, "Didn't Karlus die in the sky?"

That's a fact," the mysterious person sneered, "do you think Felicia, the Empire princess, would let him live after he offended the royal family?"

After hearing those words, Lin weakly released his grip.

"Please take care, First-class Technical Sergeant," the mysterious person patted his shoulder, "you are the key to the success of this mission. After all, the Magic Armor is a complex machinery that cannot function without a mechanic."

Lin drooped his shoulders, wordlessly walking out of the gate. The fire of revenge ignited within him.

Alchemy is truly miraculous!

Uther stared intently at the workbench. A metal part was being shaped layer by layer without using any casting or milling techniques. It started from a flat surface and gradually transformed into the part. This technology, which Uther had never seen before, could only be described as a miracle.

In this way, the problem of repairing the Magic Armor's parts was solved.

However, Uther was only a pilot, and her repair knowledge only extended to minor fixes. To perform a thorough overhaul, a professional mechanic was necessary. After a year of effort, she had almost repaired her Night Owl Command type, but the body still hadn't reached its optimal state. It seemed that a major overhaul was necessary.

After installing the new parts on the body, Uther felt a sense of accomplishment. Two maid dolls clapped their hands in celebration beside her, and Uther was filled with a sense of achievement.

"Uther, how are the new parts?"

Lucita's voice echoed in her mind. It was a basic magic communication called "telepathy," which was even more convenient than a radio. Recently, Uther had started to communicate with Lucita using telepathy. In addition to transmitting sound, it could also transmit images, making it a very convenient means of communication.

"They are perfect," Uther replied in her mind, "I'm going to test-fly it later. After all, I won't know what else needs to be repaired until I fly it."

"Then skip the afternoon practice."

"Isn't that something I should say?"

"Hehe, Uther, you're so cute."

Uther reached out and pulled the handle on the left side of her chest plate. The chest armor of the Magic Armor opened downwards, and the helmet flipped back, revealing the cockpit and seat. She gracefully jumped in, fastened her seatbelt, and eagerly extended her limbs to grab the control handle. Although she had adjusted the handle and pedals to the limit, they were still a bit out of reach for a 12-year-old girl.

She pressed the pedals, and the foot servo mechanisms responded to the driver's movements. The Magic Armor stood up, facing the three-meter-tall steel giant. The two maid dolls lifted their white-masked faces.

"Open the door!" Uther commanded them, then closed the cockpit.With the closing of the cabin door, Uther's helmet flipped up and fastened onto her head. However, as her body became smaller, she struggled to reach the goggles and barely managed to see outside. She maneuvered the Magic Armor out of the mansion's warehouse and into a silver-white courtyard. The magical puppets working in the courtyard stopped their activities and watched her Magic Armor intently. Uther proudly increased the magical power injected into the Spirit Seed Furnace and behind the heavy steel armor, platinum-colored light particles emerged, allowing her feet to lightly detach from the ground.

The Spirit Seed Furnace operated normally, as did the anti-gravity mechanism. Uther lightly pressed the pedal and the Magic Armor began to accelerate, with the folded wings sequentially unfolding to provide partial lift to the aircraft. The nocturnal owl-type Magic Armor accelerated again at a height of sixty meters, and Uther increased the flying speed to two hundred knots per hour, swiftly gliding over the snow-covered Eve's Garden before decelerating near the Storm Wall.

The flowing clouds formed a magnificent wall, and this was the first time Uther had observed the Storm Wall from such a close distance. Uther couldn't conceal her excitement. She manipulated the armor to extend a mechanical arm and touched the white clouds. Just then, an alarm sounded in her ears, indicating the Magic Element concentration was too high as they approached the Sea of Emptiness. As Uther hurriedly searched for the cause, her foot accidentally slipped off the pedal, causing the servo mechanism to execute the wrong command, resulting in her Magic Armor crashing into the cloud wall.

Regaining control of the aircraft in the storm, Uther observed her surroundings, but all she could see was the white cloud, making it impossible to determine the direction. The alarm warning of high Magic Element concentration continued to scream in her ears, but she didn't feel any discomfort as she would when approaching a high concentration of Magic Element. On the contrary, the flowing Magic Element within the white clouds felt like a gust of wind, dissipating the stagnation in Uther's body and making her feel comfortable all over. She closed her eyes, expanded her senses, and activated innate magic formula number 999 - wide-area perception.

A three-dimensional map of the surroundings appeared in Uther's mind, and Eve's Garden was just a stone's throw away, yet she couldn't see it with her naked eyes. She decided to return, but then she sensed something approaching.

"Lucita sister," she activated telepathy, "something is approaching Eve's Garden."

"The patrol unit, Graham, is engaging in a battle with it," Lucita responded. "Uther, come back quickly. Anything that can cross the Sea of Emptiness is not an ordinary human ship. It is a formidable threat."

"You said the Sea of Emptiness?"

"Uther, haven't you realized?" Lucita's voice held surprise. "Eve's Garden is hidden beneath the dimensional layer of the Sea of Emptiness. The storm wall you just entered is part of the Sea of Emptiness."

Uther was speechless. Why didn't she experience the Prometheus discharge effect when approaching?

The sea of clouds in front of her suddenly disappeared, and Eve's Garden appeared in her field of vision. However, a grey battlecruiser suddenly emerged from the cloud wall to the left. It was an extremely old-fashioned hovercraft, unmistakably a warship. Unlike the current active warships of the Empire and Federation, this ship had a very primitive design, with a brass relief adorning the bow and cannons of varying calibers, with the main guns divided into three levels and not of uniform caliber. The main guns in the round turrets at the bow and stern of the ship were probably 305mm, while the cannons equipped in the smaller turrets around the bridge were only about 280mm, a firepower configuration that was not conducive to salvo and made command difficult.

The Federation and Empire had phased out these old-style warships over a hundred years ago, yet here was one appearing in the airspace above Eve's Garden. What amazed Uther even more was that this ship was riddled with holes, and a large hole had even been blown open at the rear of the hull, yet it hadn't sunk despite such damage. Truly strange.

"It's an old armored cruiser," Uther telepathically transmitted. "It looks like it belongs to the Empire.""Uther, don't approach it rashly."

"Understood," Uther replied, "I'll conduct a close reconnaissance and then retreat."

"Come back quickly! Don't get close to it!"

Before the words could even fall, the anti-aircraft guns of the armored cruiser opened fire. Black smoke burst around Uther, and shrapnel flew everywhere. Uther immediately lowered the altitude and hid in the blind spot of the anti-aircraft guns. Almost at the same time, the rear deck of the cruiser began launching Magic Armor. Diving straight into combat, Uther, as the pilot, felt her soul ignite. She deftly approached an enemy machine that was taking off from the flight deck, knocked it down with a kick, took its equipped machine gun and ammunition pack before it could recover, and fired a few shots towards the cockpit before leaving.

"I got the first kill!" She announced loudly on the public frequency, "Listen up, unidentified warship, you're gonna play with me! Hahaha!" However, after making this bold declaration, Uther felt her face burning. She shouldn't call herself "me" and all that next time.

The Magic Armor troops from the enemy ship immediately followed suit. Uther quietly observed her opponents and discovered that these Magic Armor units were also very ancient. Their round armor looked cumbersome, and even their waist sections couldn't move flexibly. The style of the machine guns was also old-fashioned, with a caliber of 12mm. These were old models from several generations ago, and no one had been using them for a long time. To see them, one could only go to a museum or a private collector's hangar.

Old-style warships, old-style Magic Armor, and well-trained too.

The enemy's equipment lagged behind the times by a hundred years. Who exactly were they?

With this question in mind, Uther once again dove into battle. The cruiser had already launched all of its Magic Armor, and the number of enemy aircraft in the vicinity settled at fifteen, including the one previously shot down on the flight deck, making up a full squadron.

Just as the aerial battle was brewing, a small boat landed in front of the courtyard of Eve Villa, and a woman with long blue hair stepped out of the boat. She was wearing a tight combat suit that accentuated her figure, with a red cloak fluttering in the snow. She had a blue sword and a red sword crossed on her back. She glanced at the chaotic battle in the sky, with fifteen against one, and disdainfully strode towards the main gate of the mansion. The maid puppet standing at the gate did not stop the stranger. Instead, she bowed politely to her.

"My Lady!" Uther initiated telepathy, "An enemy landing force has landed in the courtyard, and a woman has entered through the front gate. The mage puppet at the gate didn't react."

"I see," Lucita's voice trembled slightly, "I will take care of the enemy who entered Eve Villa's main mansion. Uther, don't force yourself."

"Understood."

Uther glanced at the rearview mirror. The enemy aircraft had followed, a full fifteen of them. Even if she didn't want to force herself, she had no choice. She would try to shoot them all down, but it didn't seem easy. The enemy aircraft formed four formations, moving in perfect synchronization with no flaws. It was evident that their pilots were not only well-trained but also experienced in actual combat. The performance gap between the two types of machines was thus narrowed. Coupled with the enemy's absolute numerical advantage, Uther was at a disadvantage. Each enemy formation consisted of four Magic Armor units, with three aerial suppression machines equipped with machine guns and one heavily armed support machine with a Gatling Lin machine gun on its arm. However, one formation was missing because Uther had shot one down during takeoff.

The breakthrough was right here. Uther flipped her machine, slicing through the snow-filled sky with the flying wings. She flew low, taking cover in the shadows of Eve Villa's main mansion. While evading, Uther activated her wide-range perception and found that the enemy aircraft had split into three formations. One formation flanked to the front, while the other two formations continued to chase, and the last formation occupied a favorable position high up. In the realm of Magic Armor combat, height meant an advantage. No matter where Uther rushed out from, she would be subjected to the attacks from the enemy above. This was highly unfavorable, and she could easily be shot down on the spot.

Lucita might get angry if some rooms were destroyed, but right now, there was no time to worry about that.

Uther stepped on the pedals, and her Magic Armor crashed through the windows of the guest rooms, then broke down the doors and walls, and after passing through a devastated corridor, headed towards the spiral staircase of the tower. At this time, the encircling enemy formation happened to be on both sides of the main mansion, completely unaware of Uther's actions. By the time they circled around to the back of the main mansion, it was already too late.The magnificent tower exploded in an instant, and Night Owl Commando rushed out of the scattered debris. As the smoke cleared, Uther immediately spotted the four enemy aircraft occupying the sky. Their reaction was even faster than Uther had expected. The Magic Armor equipped with Gatlin's Magic Armor immediately began to preheat its weapons, and the six barrels of Gatlin's machine gun started spinning, spraying out a dense tongue of fire. However, in the blink of an eye, so much can happen in an aerial battle. Uther's precise five-shot burst almost hit all the targets, and one of the enemy aircraft, carrying Gatlin's Magic Armor, lost a leg and its left wing, causing it to lose balance and crash to the ground. Its three teammates began to accelerate in a dive, but the conversion rate of their old-fashioned Spirit Seed Furnace was not high, and combined with Uther's sudden emergence from the tower, the height difference between the two sides was greatly reduced. While the enemy planes clumsily accelerated, she actually gained the advantage in height.

Overlooking the battlefield was the privilege of the king.

Looking at the enemy planes below her, Uther revealed a cold smile. They had lost their advantage in height and now had nothing, while Uther, who occupied the high sky, could freely ravage the enemy planes in the lower sky. To elevate their altitude, they would inevitably sacrifice speed, and the opponent's outdated Magic Armor itself was no match for Uther's Night Owl Commando in terms of acceleration and speed. With the combination of height and speed, Uther had no reason to lose.

Who to target first?

The enemy formation, which had lost its support aircraft, changed its formation and ended its brief dive to gain altitude. Their speed instantly dropped, and the problem with the output of the Spirit Seed Furnace was exposed. Uther easily occupied the advantageous position behind them, effortlessly shooting down all three enemy planes like hitting targets. At the same time, the armored cruisers that had originally been observing the battle began firing their anti-aircraft guns. AA shells exploded next to Uther, and the fragments of metal flew, hitting her armor.

To forget that the enemy still had a warship was quite a strategic mistake. However, the old-fashioned AA shells fired by the anti-aircraft guns were much weaker than those currently used, posing little threat to the Magic Armor. The Night Owl's armor thickness was generally over ten millimeters, and as long as they were not directly hit, they had no fear of anti-aircraft barrage. Uther changed her flight path to avoid the anti-aircraft fire, while hunting down the enemy planes pinned down in the lower sky in a more ferocious manner. It seemed that the enemy commander was not a mediocre person.

If it were an ordinary pilot, they would probably be disrupted by the anti-aircraft fire and unable to fight properly. However, Uther, who inherited all of Carlus Noinheim's operating skills and combat experience, only found it troublesome. Coupled with her nearly cheating inherent magic-style wide-area perception, Uther held the upper hand on the battlefield at all times, seizing every opportunity.

In the next ten minutes, thirteen out of the fifteen enemy planes were shot down, while the remaining two simply abandoned flight and sought cover on the ground, hiding in the shadows of buildings in the Ivory Gardens, engaging in a shootout with Uther. This was a very correct judgment, as sacrificing the pilot's glory in exchange for a higher chance of survival was more beneficial. It was somewhat laborious to attack the enemy hiding behind cover from the air, but since the enemy had already given up on fighting for air superiority, then... Uther turned her gaze towards the armored cruiser that had entered the airspace above the Ivory Gardens. Perhaps it was time to greet that agile-minded commander?

Having made up her mind, she dodged the machine gun bullets fired from the ground and plunged headfirst into the barrage formed by the armored cruiser formation. Since the enemy was just an armored cruiser, its command tower should not have heavy armor protection, and the 12mm machine gun was enough to blow holes in it. Uther avoided the anti-aircraft flak shells fired by the main cannon and charged towards the front of the main bridge. She aimed her 12mm machine gun at the broken windows of the bridge, but the scene inside the bridge made her gasp for breath.

The entire bridge was in a state of disrepair, riddled with bullet holes, and the rusted metal twisted, emanating a sense of death. And the sailors who operated the warship from this broken bridge were not living humans, but skeletons with blue flames burning in their eye sockets. Uther felt her finger tremble as she held the trigger, and she remembered the legend of the ghost ship.

The impact from behind caused her to lose balance, and Uther swiftly manipulated her machine to stand up. She saw a damaged Magic Armor staggering towards her, which was the enemy plane she had shot down on the flight deck at the beginning. Its cockpit had clearly been blasted apart, so how could it still move? Uther aimed her 12mm machine gun at it and fired, shattering the enemy's helmet, revealing the face of the pilot. Inside was a skeleton wearing a blue flight suit, a leather helmet with goggles tied on. Flames of blue fire were burning in its eye sockets. Then, the flames roared and engulfed the damaged Magic Armor, twisting and deformed metal began to regenerate in the flames, quickly restoring its original state.The feedback from the wide-area perception showed that the number of enemy aircraft was recovering and the downed Magic Armor had restarted. Uther couldn't help but smile bitterly. It was indeed impossible to kill the dead again. She lifted her head and looked at the bridge. A skeleton wearing a worn-out captain's uniform was looking down at her with his arms crossed, the ghostly fires in his eye sockets filled with hatred towards the living.

Is this the captain?

"Welcome aboard the Barabaraus," the skeleton captain spoke, "I am Captain Alberd, a valiant warrior. Please join my ranks after your death."

Uther couldn't help but frown. She had no intention of dying.

Just then, the long-unheard voice sounded in Uther's mind (Warning! Archmage Lucita β's vital signs are low. Control authority is transferred to Uther Nornheim. Confirmation effective.)

Something has happened on Lucita?