Interval: Captain's Diary

I am Tristian, the commander of the Magic Armor unit on the Barbaros, also serving as the first mate. Since the captain's head was taken by that little girl, it's finally my time to shine. Last time, I accidentally triggered the Prometheus effect and caused a glamorous self-destruction. It took me a whole day to regenerate. What a tragedy. The Barbaros approached the Floating Island under the cover of an ice storm, and I went ashore on a small boat.

The sky above was filled with snow, and the ice storm was approaching. Thunder rumbled in the dark clouds, occasionally accompanied by flashes of lightning, giving the illusion of doomsday. There were hardly any people moving in the harbor. The cold wind blew across the pier. Damn, it was cold! I have flesh on my bones now, temporarily resembling a living person. My plan is simple: infiltrate the high-speed merchant ship, find the captain's head, and quietly return to the Barbaros.

It's a perfect plan!

That ship, called the Adventurer... it's docked right next to the pier. The gangway is lowered, and the metal railings are covered in frost. It's really cold today, which is not good for someone who is now alive. I quietly climbed up the gangway, and there was no one on the deck. Hahaha, luck is on my side. I can sense the captain's position. Even with only his head left, he is still the captain of the Barbaros, our master. Lord Olbede, I'm coming to rescue you right away.

I sneaked into the bridge quietly, and of course, there was no one there. The crew must have gone to sleep in the cabins. With such a strong wind and snow, no one would stay on the cold bridge. I descended the ladder from the bridge into the cabin, and the heating was on. It was warm inside the ship. The captain was in the cabin ahead, and I was about to rescue him.

Oh, what's going on? What is this dark thing?

I looked up and finally saw the face of the dark object. It was a Kunlun slave, with dark, shiny black skin and well-developed muscles that looked as sexy as a bodybuilder's. Before I could say anything, the muscular Kunlun slave punched me in the face, and I immediately felt everything spinning, and then I knew nothing...

Interval (end)

Two mechanical servants were fighting each other in the courtyard, making the sound of clashing metal. Their owners were busy injecting magic and controlling the servants to make precise movements, with no time to spare. Spider monsters battled against centaurs, while Uther stood on the side, watching with a curious attitude.

In terms of magic technology, these mechanical puppets were much more advanced than Magic Armor. In a previous conversation, Uther heard that several major sorcerer families in Jade Capital seemed to monopolize the ancient magic technology, each developing their own set of spells. These spells originated from the ancestors' magic system but were not completely the same, as they had been specialized. It was not until now, seeing it with her own eyes, that Uther understood what "specialization" truly meant. The two sorcerers summoned their respective servants, and the combat effectiveness of the mechanical servants was incredibly strong. If they were humans, they would be invincible. However, the sorcerers themselves were a significant weakness. If they were targeted from the beginning, they wouldn't even have a chance to summon their servants.

But the biggest problem was mass production, or rather, economies of scale. Training sorcerers was extremely difficult, and there were very few talented individuals. The major families monopolized the sorcery industry, resulting in a severe shortage of sorcerers. Even if there were enough sorcerers, the production of mechanical servants was a major issue. Although these magitech mechanisms were powerful, there was no possibility of mass production. Each mechanical servant was unique, leading to a severe shortage in their numbers.

While the Federation and the Empire were mass-producing standardized Magic Armor, Jade Capital was still taking an elite path. It was no wonder General Yang Jiye reluctantly accepted the Empire's assistance and purchased a large number of low-performance mass-produced mechanical armors. On the other hand, Philicia's concept of simplified mass-produced Magic Armor was correct—using quantity to compensate for quality. In the Battle of Fort Hurricane, the elite Federation Magic Armor units were depleted as a result.

In war, what is needed more is a large number of expendable soldiers. Quantity itself is a form of violence.

It might be a good idea to observe quietly without posing a threat to oneself. With this thought, Uther stood behind Ding Yi and suddenly noticed that Ding Yi's face was twisted in pain. This guy is in trouble! Uther's bad premonition suddenly became extremely strong. Before she could do anything, Ding Yi suddenly leaped forward and stood between the two battling mechanical servants with his own flesh and blood. In the instant his body was about to be shredded, the centaur's long sword and the spider's sharp talon both stopped.The bond between blood relatives cannot be easily severed. In that brief moment, Uther saw an opportunity to save them.

"In the name of the High Administrator," she established a tactical connection with the entire estate, "cease all spells, override all permissions, freeze all capabilities."

In an instant, all spells within the Qin mansion ceased to function. The barriers were forcibly lifted, and the lanterns' flames were extinguished. Even the expressionless maids collapsed to the ground like broken dolls.

"What's happening?" Qin Yongsheng tried to regain control over the centaurs, but the forcefully halted mechanical ghosts showed no response. No matter how much magic he infused, the locked-down system refused to accept any external commands. At the same time, Qin Feng's mechanical spider exhibited an uncontrolled state. However, it was not closely connected to the mansion's spell system and had not been completely frozen.

"Damn it," Qin Feng's voice seethed with resentment, "let's retreat for now!"

With that, the mechanical spider leaped into the air and disappeared behind the dense cedar trees, vanishing without a trace.

The battle ended, and no one was injured.

Qin Yongsheng, with a bewildered expression, withdrew the centaurs. Qin Jiang anxiously looked at his father. They were only witchcraft practitioners, their powers still derived from the ancients' magical system, unable to escape the control of the High Administrator.

"Mr. Qin, we shall take our leave," Uther bowed, "it was a splendid battle, truly eye-opening."

"It's just a small family matter that made you laugh," Qin Yongsheng hastily returned the gesture. "Jiang, see our guests off."

Qin Jiang reluctantly nodded.

"Let's go," Uther tugged at Ding Yi's sleeve, "the ice storm is about to descend, we must return to the ship."

It was only then that Ding Yi snapped out of his daze. He bowed to Qin Yongsheng before hurrying off with Uther. Once they left the main residence, Uther once again used administrator privileges to release the spell freeze on the building.

The functioning barriers resumed their operations, protecting Qin Mansion once more with the mysterious power of the ancients.

After parking the magic-powered car in the cargo hold, Uther ordered the Kunlun slaves to close the doors. The vanguard of the ice storm had already arrived, with feather-like snowflakes falling. The two of them hurriedly made their way back to the Explorer, just in time before the blizzard struck in full force. Ding Yi still carried a heavy burden on his mind, prompting Uther to sigh. Some matters were beyond her involvement as an outsider. However, she would help as much as she could; it was an unhealthy habit she held. The incident today, freezing all spells at Qin Mansion, shouldn't have been exposed, right? The witchcraft practitioners merely specialized in combining the ancient spells, yet they hadn't delved into deeper layers and were unaware of the existence of administrator privileges. So, it probably won't be exposed.

"Master," the first mate approached, "we caught a thief."

"A thief?" Uther tilted her head slightly, pondering.

She and the first mate went down to the storage room, where they found a beaten man tied up in the corner. He appeared to be a sailor by his attire, but his arm bore magical circuits, distinguishing him from common thieves. Uther kicked the man with her foot, eliciting a moan from his injured mouth.

"This guy is a Magic Armor pilot," Uther observed his arm. "If he were a thief, it wouldn't be a big deal. I'm afraid he might be a spy from somewhere, considering Jade Capital doesn't have any Magic Armor. The 100 units we brought might be their first batch." She crouched in front of the man, poking his swollen cheek with the barrel of her revolver. "Hey, are you still alive? Who exactly are you? And why did you come on this ship?"

"I'm just a thief," the man said. "I wanted to steal something."

"You're stubborn," Uther continued prodding his face with the gun barrel. "So, Mr. Thief, care to explain the magical circuits on your arm? Please enlighten us."

"That's just... a tattoo, a tattoo," the man grew flustered.

"Really just a tattoo? Let me test it out then." Uther grabbed his hand and injected magic in the opposite direction of the magical circuit. The man immediately screamed in pain as the glowing tattoo hissed.

"This tattoo is quite peculiar," Uther released his hand. "Why can it conduct magic?"

"Stop, it hurts!" The man writhed like a caterpillar."What are you doing on this ship?" Uther demanded. "Speak up, or you'll regret it."

"A real man may lose his head and shed his blood," the man shouted, "but he will never bow to a young girl!"

"What did you say?" Uther's hair stood on end with anger.

"This is about a man's dignity!" he continued shouting, "I will die before I yield!"

Uther snapped his fingers, and three muscular Kunlun slaves burst into the room. They cracked their knuckles and prepared to pummel the man.

"Beat him up! Then throw him onto the dock!" Uther commanded, and the three brutes immediately went in, unleashing punches and kicks.

And so, Captain Albeld's plan to retrieve his head - spectacularly failed.

Interlude: Forbidden Children

My name is Ding Yi, currently serving under General Yang Jiye. Although I am just a battalion commander, I am considered an officer. I come from the Qin family, one of the four great sorcerer families. Unfortunately, I was born without magic power. Despite having the ability to see fluctuations in magic power with my eyes, without magic power, I cannot become a sorcerer. Therefore, my surname was taken away, and I was expelled from the family, becoming a rootless person.

Even so, I continue to strive. Even if I cannot become a sorcerer, can I not achieve something in my career? With such aspirations, I joined the military of Yu Jing, until I met that person.

Uther Noyneim.

The owner of a merchant ship from Fort Hurricane, she still looks like a little girl. She gives the impression of a "doll," about 12 years old, with waist-length hair that shimmers like platinum. Her budding beauty is enough to arouse any man's protective instincts and any woman's maternal instincts. Even General Yang thinks so, right? However, the only regret is her personality and way of speaking. Despite her adult tone, she is very masculine. She is not ignorant of etiquette; in fact, she seems to have received strict etiquette guidance, but her personality ruins it, which is a great pity.

In the beginning, both General Yang and I thought she was just a decoration, a nominal secret messenger. But when I saw her piloting a Magic Armor to take off and engage in battle, I finally realized that I was completely mistaken. Uther is the true pride of heaven. She alone defeated the well-trained Federation army, sinking a cruiser. Both her combat skills and her judgment as a commander are outstanding. If there are people loved by the gods in the world, she is undoubtedly one of them.

It seems that General Yang's mission to find the real secret messenger has gone down the drain.

However, what truly shocked me was not her beauty, but the unbelievably vast total amount of magic power. With my eyes, I could see terrifying fluctuations of magic power surrounding her body like a hurricane, even affecting the Sea of Emptiness. When she told me that she had continuously infused magic power into the Spirit Seed Furnace of the merchant ship for a day and night, my worldview was completely shattered.

Since I had the opportunity to come to Cangyin, I returned home. Although the family no longer recognizes me as the eldest son, I had to see my mother. My younger brother, Qin Jiang, strongly objected to my return, mocking and taunting me, but I just smiled and let it be. He probably sees me as a potential rival for the position of family head, right? In fact, I never had any chance from the beginning.

My mother still resides in the secret room, the center of the Qin family estate's protective barrier, with her as the eye of the formation. Compared to the last time I saw her, she has become even more miserable. Her pale skin is entwined by demonic trees, gradually withering and decaying. However, in her decay, she has merged with the demonic tree. Her black hair falls on her cheeks, and she no longer responds to my voice. My father always tells me, "This is her fate." But I have never agreed with that statement. The so-called "fate" is only the "reasonable use" of a weak-bodied but magic-rich woman.

Seeing my mother's current state, I can probably understand Maple's anger, right?

Mother is not the main wife; in fact, Qin Yongsheng, the head of the Qin family, has a total of six wives, without any formal first wife. Although not every wife has given birth to his children, I still have many siblings. So, losing one or two wives is nothing to that man. What he values is his wife's bloodline, in other words, the total amount of magic power. He wants offspring with high amounts of magic power, and as for the wives, they are just tools for producing children.I have never seen a genuine smile on my father's face, but he always maintains a humble attitude and a gentle demeanor, making it hard for people to associate him with cold-heartedness.

While I was visiting my mother, Feng Jie arrived with a mechanical servant spirit shaped like a spider, which she obtained from somewhere unknown. It started fighting against my father's centaur, and surprisingly, it held its ground. Feng Jie truly lives up to her reputation as a once-in-a-century genius, as my father often praised her. However, in the end, she was forced to leave because of our mother, who has now become the core of the formation and is acting as a battery. I can only imagine the anger my sister must harbor, but I don't want to see her kill our father. I will handle this act of rebellion myself and I will definitely kill Qin Yongsheng, my father.

(Chapter, Uther's Perspective)

The ice storm rages on, and there is absolutely nothing to do.

Except for the de-icing operation every three hours, such severe weather leaves us with nothing to do. The Kunlun slaves are well-trained, and they don't need her involvement for such small tasks. The deck officer has everything under control and planned out.

Lying on the soft bed in the captain's cabin, Uther picked up the snuff bottle from the cabinet and played with it. It was a golden-brass vessel, but Uther didn't know how to inhale snuff. So, when she grew tired of it, she put the snuff bottle back where it was originally placed. This captain's cabin belonged to the previous captain, and when the Empire confiscated the ship, they hardly touched the captain's personal belongings. Therefore, Uther took full possession of the previous captain's property, although it would be best to throw away those strange costumes in the cabinet.

The Kunlun slaves brought dinner, and Uther quickly sat up, maintaining the lowest level of etiquette. The dark-skinned slaves put down the food and drink, lowered their heads respectfully, and left without a sound. Uther, who had no appetite, fell back onto the soft bed.

"So bored...," she let out a helpless groan, burying her head under the velvet pillow.

"Hahaha, so you get bored too!"

"Shut up, skeleton!"

Uther gave a disdainful glare at Albed, who was placed in the center of the red velvet pillow. Although he only had a skull left, for some reason, the bones were polished with the best scented oil, emitting a pleasant fragrance. But even the best fragrance coming from a skull wouldn't attract anyone, especially when the eye sockets of this skull were burning with ghostly flames.

"Little miss," Albed said, "if you die, please be sure to join my ranks."

"I'm not dead yet," Uther turned over, "let's talk about it when I die."

"Your piloting skills are so amazing, who taught you?" Albed asked, "Even that arrogant bastard Tristan can't stop praising your skills. You actually managed to keep fifteen Magic Armors pinned down, while they could only be continuously ravaged by you, eventually giving up and finding cover on the ground."

"Finding cover is the correct tactic," Uther picked up a piece of bread, "I would also find cover in that situation, as long as I'm not killed. There's always a way to turn the tables. But you guys are cheating! You can revive even after death!"

"How about this, if you come to my ship, I can turn you into one of those undead."

"Enough, I have no interest in becoming a skeleton."

"Haha, then let's go back to the first topic," Albed said, "who taught you to pilot the Magic Armor?"

"A man named Misha," Uther said, "he lived in a nearby rundown house when I was at the orphanage. As long as I cleaned his house, he taught me the basic piloting skills. He also taught me martial arts and swordsmanship, so I'm good at fighting. They say he was a veteran who participated in Empire's expedition, but that expedition ended in failure when the Federation fleet surrounded the Imperial Capital and cut off their supply lines. It was a great regret."

"Misha... Misha... Michel Shal?" Albed laughed, "The commander of the Empire's Royal Knights, hailed as the strongest knight. I didn't expect that guy to end up in Fort Hurricane, and to encounter a genius like you. When he was at his peak in Empire, if there were ten thousand words of praise, 9999 of them would be about him."

"Misha is that formidable?" Uther was surprised, "I always thought he was just a crippled old man without legs."

"Unfortunately, his luck ran out." Albed sighed, "His first half of life was glorious, but due to a small mistake, he was labeled a heretic by the Empire.""I want to know the details," Uther said, crossing his legs and sitting up straight.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Of course," Uther nodded, "after all, he was my master...although he didn't teach me much."

"Well, since we have nothing else to do," Alberd said, "Mishah, I mean, let's call him Mishah. Mishah said something he shouldn't have said about a person, which caused him to fall from the pinnacle of his life. And that person was the Emperor of the Empire, who ruled for thirty years, single-handedly building a powerful sky fleet and four great knight orders, and conquered the surrounding Floating Islands, ushering in a glorious era for the Empire. It can be said that the current Empire is entirely built on the foundation of that emperor. Without him, the Empire might still be a small Floating Island state today."

"Oh, he was a great emperor," Uther said, "but why did Mishah have bad luck because of him?"

"Do you know about the Church of the Winged God?"

"Yes, they operate the orphanage where I grew up, but the higher-ups in the church are greedy and not kind to us orphans. They only provide enough to keep us from starving, and we have to work in the factories every day."

"It seems you have a deep hatred for the Church of the Winged God," Alberd laughed, "Well, rejoice, young lady! Congratulations, we have found our first common ground."

"Go to hell, you skeleton."

"Haha, the dead cannot die again, didn't your teacher teach you that?" Alberd coughed, "Alright, back to the point. Before the current emperor suppressed the Church of the Winged God and restored the imperial system, the Church had great influence in the Empire. They established a special Inquisition to help the emperor and the pope eliminate heresy. And the greatest heretic in the Empire was the Martial Emperor, Onaredo, who expanded the territory. He was the first and probably the only emperor in history to be labeled a heretic. His name was completely erased. This era no longer has anyone who can spell and pronounce his name correctly, the Church of the Winged God did a thorough job."

"That guy, was he a tyrant?"

"On the contrary, his rule was very wise," Alberd said, "Emperor Onaredo's domestic governance was as remarkable as his military strategy. Although I admit he killed many political opponents, the Empire remained stable and united as a result. The real reason why this martial emperor was labeled a heretic was his fanatical research on the ancient magic technology. In order to incorporate the ancient technology into military applications, he even conducted human experiments. But this approach resulted in a significant increase in the Empire's military power. However, he made a grave mistake and pushed himself into the abyss in the end."

"Tell me quickly, don't keep me in suspense."

"Don't worry, let me have a sip of water."

"You forgot how to drink water through your jawbone?"

"Haha, can't I make a joke?" Alberd continued, "Everyone pursues one thing when they grow old, and that is immortality. Our Emperor Onaredo, unfortunately, fell into this common trap. If he had lived as a mortal and died at the right time, his fame might have lasted for centuries. Unfortunately, when he was fifty years old, he initiated a forbidden magical experiment. Using a cursed crystal as a resonance medium, he created a ritual that could create immortals. He and his flagship, the 'Great Emperor' were sent to the Gates of Hell together. When the ship returned, there were no longer living humans on board, only undead skeletons, including the emperor himself."

"It's a complete reversal," Uther sighed, "No one wants to be ruled by the undead, right?"

"That's why the Empire abandoned their emperor," Alberd said sadly, "Martial Emperor Onaredo was surrounded by the entire Empire fleet. He led his undead followers to escape into the Sea of Emptiness and disappeared."

"What exactly did Mishah say?"

"He inadvertently recited that emperor's name," Alberd said, "That's it? So what?"

"As a result, the Supreme Senate declared him a heretic," Alberd continued, "The four great knight orders of the Empire joined forces to suppress him. In the end, he managed to break through the encirclement, but lost both his legs." He paused for a moment, "I found him on the Sea of Emptiness, barely hanging on, and rescued him with my ship, the Barbaros. I had hoped to recruit his soul to my side, but he refused.""It seems I'm not the first person to refuse."

"Don't flatter yourself, there are plenty of people who have refused."

"Looks like appearance really matters," Uther smirked mischievously, "Standing together, a handsome guy and a skeleton, I choose the handsome guy."

"I was quite handsome when I was alive, you know!" Albert shouted, "Well, forget it, there's no need to waste my time with a little girl like you. Go drink your milk."

"Thank you for your story, Captain," Uther took off her coat, revealing her fair shoulders, "At least now I know my master was an impressive person. So tomorrow, I might give you a massage with high-quality oil."

"Oh, I can't wait for that," Albert said sarcastically. "By the way, what are you doing? Hey, don't take your clothes off in front of me. You're a girl, right?"

Uther undressed one piece of clothing after another, and when she was left only in her underwear, Albert fell silent. Uther gave a slight smile and got into bed.

"Dream on if you want to see my naked body."

"I don't want to see it!" Albert retorted.

Completely different from the warm cabin, the blizzard was raging at the freezing cold dock, the wind and snow brushing against the warehouse, forming frost on the eaves, as if trying to freeze the whole world. In this minus fifty degrees Celsius, a figure was walking, the wind and snow brushing against the frozen bones, and the ghostly flame in the skeleton's eyes flickered. If it were a human, they would have frozen to death, but for the undead, this cold only posed the inconvenience of frozen bones.

Tristan paced in the snowstorm. The plan to rescue the captain had magnificently failed, and he himself had been beaten up by a group of heavily-muscled Kunlun slaves, feeling extremely resentful. With the captain absent, the remaining undead pirates couldn't fully control the Barbossa, as its steering system had long been destroyed, and even the Spirit Seed Furnace had become nothing more than a decoration. If Albert were present, he could easily control the Barbossa with just a finger, but the other pirates didn't have that ability. In pursuit of a similar instinctive contract, the Barbossa had always lurked in the harbor, waiting for the captain's return.

Humans couldn't detect the ghost ship lurking beneath the Sea of Emptiness plane layer, and Tristan was very certain of this. However, returning empty-handed was too humiliating for him, so he had to make another effort.

Having made up his mind, Tristan drew the curved blade he always carried with him. But just then, a figure appeared in the wind and snow. It was a young woman, in her early twenties, with her long black hair flowing in the wind and snow. Her pitch-black eyes revealed an extremely strong determination. She remained calm upon seeing the undead, which startled Tristan. He didn't expect to encounter a human at this hour, but his thoughts were interrupted by an impact from the side. A mechanical spider crashed into the icy warehouse wall, pinning him down with its knife-like forelimbs.

"What do you want to do?" Tristan struggled desperately, but his curved blade couldn't harm the mechanical spider's shell.

"Interesting, I didn't expect to find an undead on the dock," the young girl stroked Tristan's skeletal face, "My name is Qin Feng, and from today, I will be your master."

"Don't joke around!" Tristan shouted, "I only serve Captain Albert!"

"Don't worry, you'll soon change your mind," Qin Feng snapped her fingers, and the abdomen of the mechanical spider opened. A dried-up corpse fell out and immediately turned to ashes in the wind and snow. The tentacle-like darkness seized Tristan, and no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't escape being dragged into the body of the mechanical spider.

"Help!" Tristan wailed, "Help, Captain!"

"Be happy," Qin Feng sneered, "From today, you will become the power source for the mechanical servant ghosts."

The abdomen of the spider closed with a bang, and Tristan's voice disappeared within the cold shell.

At the same time, inside the cabin, Albert seemed to hear the cries for help from his subordinate. He woke up from his dormant state, the ghostly flames burning in his eye sockets, but he couldn't make any movements. With only a head left, he could only remain on the velvet pillow, motionless.

"Wake up! Wizard!" he shouted, "Wake up!"

"What's wrong? Are you going crazy in the middle of the night?" Uther was awakened, she grumpily uncovered the blanket, her light brown hair messy and her wet eyes filled with sleepiness.

"Listen to me," Albert said earnestly, "One of my subordinates seems to be in trouble, on the nearby dock. If you help me rescue him, I will repay you.""Ah... What kind of play is this song from?" Uther rubbed his eyes, "Let's talk about it tomorrow."

"Hold on!" Albert said, "Please help me, I beg you. I've never asked anyone for help in my life, you're the first, maybe the last."

Uther wanted to crawl into bed, but hesitated, "Are your subordinates really that important to you?"

"I can't abandon them," Albert sighed, "It's my responsibility that they turned into undead, and I can't even repay their loyalty now."

"Understood." Uther started getting dressed, "If this is your trick, I will blow your ghost ship into smithereens, just to be clear."

"Deal," Albert said, "If I tell half a lie, the Barbarossa will explode automatically."

"Captain, you're really daring to gamble with a curse," Uther put on thick shoes, "Let's go see your subordinates then."

Dressed in white winter clothes, Uther briefly explained to the deck officer and descended the gangway with Albert, who had only one head left. The dock was covered in ice, with freezing winds of minus fifty degrees, making a wailing sound. Uther pulled down her hood and the piercing cold crept into her body, making her shiver uncontrollably.

If she had known it was this cold outside, she would have regretted coming out.

"Hold on," Albert said, "We're getting close. That bastard Tristan seems to be up ahead, he's actually approaching us, but I can't get a response from him."

"What's going on?" Uther perked up her ears, "It sounds like mechanical noises."

"No, it's the guy who caught Tristan!" Albert shouted, "Young lady, run!"

Uther jumped back, sharp claws shattered the ice beneath her feet. The spider guardian appeared in the snowstorm, surprising Uther. Although she had already sensed this unwelcome guest, she didn't expect the opponent to attack without a word. Behind the mechanical guardian, a long-haired young woman appeared. She was dressed in a thin black robe, which matched her flowing black hair. A discerning person could tell her identity - someone who was not a sorceress wouldn't be able to obtain the fabric of that purely black color.

"Good evening," the woman said politely, "My name is Qin Feng. Can you hand over the skeleton in your hands to me?"

"I'm sorry, he is my guest," Uther smiled slightly, stared back with sharp eyes, "Although I don't know what's going on, it seems like you have captured this captain's subordinates? If possible, could you let him go? If necessary, I will pay the corresponding price, like money."

"You mean the skeleton just now? Hehehe." Qin Feng smiled affectionately, "That's quite a powerful undead. It has existed for more than a hundred years, and it's suitable as a power source for my mechanical guardian."

Before she finished speaking, the mechanical spider made a weak sound, "Captain... Help... Ah..."

"Tristan?" Albert yelled, "You've turned my subordinate into fuel for the magic mechanism? Do you want to consume his soul? Release him quickly!"

"Fuel? That's a fitting metaphor." Qin Feng played with her long hair, "Indeed, that undead makes excellent fuel, burning brightly. But compared to you, he is far inferior. If you join me, I can create even more powerful mechanical guardians. Then, even that old man won't be able to do anything to me."

"Dream on!" Albert exploded with anger, "Be careful, I'll blast you away with the Barbarossa's main cannon!"

"Controlling two mechanical guardians at the same time, do you have enough magic power?" Uther asked, "Even if your magic power is sufficient, controlling the guardians is very unstable. Aren't you afraid of backlash?"

"Oh, I didn't expect a young foreign girl like you to understand so much about the ancient spell theory." Qin Feng stared at Uther, a shadow cast over her pitch-black pupils, "Whoever you are, I don't want you to get involved. Hand over the skeleton you have, and I'll leave immediately."

"Sorry, this guy is my guest."

"Isn't he your familiar?"

"I'm not a familiar!"

Qin Feng smiled slightly, and the iron fan in her hand unfolded with a swish. The runes on the metal fan blade emitted an ominous glow, and a red light flashed in the mechanical spider's eyes. It swung its knife-like forelimb at Uther. Uther jumped back, activating her strengthened body, barely avoiding the fierce strike. However, the ground beneath her feet wasn't so lucky and cracked open.The power is very strong, being hit by it would definitely result in death! Uther sensed the danger and quickly turned around to run, but the Mecha Arachne immediately began to chase after him. The spider's body structure allowed it to move swiftly in the snowstorm, but Uther was able to predict its ambushes in advance using her wide-area detection. Thus, in the warehouse area of the dock, a game of hide and seek began between Uther and the Mecha Arachne.

"I say, Uther Nornheim!" Albert said anxiously, "Quickly use the firepower that rivals a warship's main cannon to blow up that chasing hunk of metal!"

"No," Uther said firmly, "I can't guarantee the safety of your subordinates while destroying it. They are tightly connected, and if one is damaged, they all are."

"Then kill the warlock!"

"I don't want to kill someone so easily! Besides, the opponent is a girl."

"You still want to show mercy at a time like this?" Albert shouted, "When you were on my Barbarossan ship, you used full firepower, ah ah ah!"

"You are all dead, even with full firepower, nobody will get hurt."

"Don't the dead have rights?"

"What rights do the dead need?"

Before the words fell, the warehouse wall on the left side turned into fragments, wood and ice flew everywhere, and the Mecha Arachne blocked Uther's way. In the midst of the two's screams, Gatling machine guns fired tongues of fire. Uther dodged the attack with an exaggerated back bridge, barely avoiding it. In that brief moment, she pressed her hand against the Mecha Arachne's forelimb. "Forced connection! Start taking control!" Her long hair danced in the light of magic, and the magical circuits engraved on the Arachne's body were forcefully activated, radiating a bright light.

Qin Feng stood in the wind and snow, allowing her black hair to fly in the cold wind. The inner side of her black robe was inscribed with fire-elemental incantations. Although individual incantations couldn't form spells, they could exert their pure power. A thin layer of hot air enveloped her body, and even in the face of minus fifty degrees Celsius, she did not feel cold. She formed hand seals, manipulating the distant Mecha Arachne, and through shared senses, she could grasp its real-time movements.

"Sister, stop," a man's figure appeared in the wind and snow. Ding Yi, wearing a white cold-proof suit, walked out of the wind and snow. His body trembled slightly from the cold, but his eyes showed unwavering determination.

"Huaiyu?" Qin Feng showed a look of surprise and reached out to affectionately touch her brother's cheek, "Why are you out in such a heavy snowstorm? Don't freeze yourself."

"Sister," Ding Yi said, "Stop torturing yourself. Revenge will not bring anything."

"But at least it can ease the hatred in my heart," Qin Feng said firmly, "That man took away our mother, exiled you, don't I even have the right to seek revenge?"

"Do you really want to hurt others just for revenge?"

"So what?" Qin Feng touched her own chest, "Perhaps I've already fallen into the path of darkness, but I don't care. It's only you that I worry about. If possible, I hope you can stay away from this land of disputes."

"Sister should be the one leaving with me," Ding Yi said, "I know a captain who can help us all leave on a ship. Sometimes leaving everything behind is the right choice."

"That's just a coward's way of avoiding," Qin Feng turned her face away, "I will continue seeking revenge."

Suddenly, her expression stiffened, and her right hand spasmed uncontrollably, twisted and broken bones pierced the skin, blood sprayed out. This was the feedback from the Mecha Arachne. Due to the close connection between the Arachne and the spellcaster, if the Arachne was damaged, it would directly reflect on the spellcaster.

"That girl has some tricks," Qin Feng said as she held the bleeding wound, "It's been a long time since I've encountered such an interesting opponent. Hehehe, hahahaha, ahahahahaha..."

Her laughter echoed in the wind and snow, conveying a deep sense of despair within her anger. But Ding Yi sensed something else, a raging madness. His sister was not like this, she was being controlled by something.