Chapter 637 — Surrounded

Despite the countless thoughts running through her mind—and the sea of treasures surrounding her—Liora did not linger for long.

She knew better than anyone the structure of the Heavenly Armor Pavilion.

Treasures like the Battle Fury Hammer had not been found on the first floor. Similarly, neither had the techniques and jade slips containing precious information.

If she wanted to obtain the more valuable treasures inside this place, wasting time here would be counterproductive.

Moreover...

"The aura lurking within the pavilion stems from the higher floors. Sooner or later, everyone will gather there."

"If I want to participate in this event too, I’ll have to go as well."

With that thought, Liora didn’t hesitate any longer. She didn’t even try to collect the treasures.

Ignoring the glass displays around her, she transformed into a stream of light before streaking through the dark void like a comet.

--

Although Liora’s arrival in the pavilion was silent and mostly uneventful, the other Emperors weren’t nearly as fortunate.

Some of them were far less fortunate than her.

Of course, whether it was mere bad luck or deliberate targeting remained a mystery.

"Have you all gone insane? Do you really wish to fight against me?"

"Don’t forget! If I decide to fight desperately, even you won’t fare well! Don’t push me to that point!"

In the endless dark void, the figure of a bloody demon could be seen. His body heaved as blood poured out of the countless wounds riddling his body.

Surrounding him were several machines.

Some of them looked completely humanoid, simply made out of metal and other ores, while others had screens instead of heads, wheels instead of feet, and similar characteristics.

No matter how different their appearances were, however, they all shared a common goal.

Their eyes were fixed on the demon as wave after wave of attacks crashed toward him.

Lasers. Cannons. Streams of information.

It didn’t take long.

Under their coordinated onslaught, the demon found himself unable to keep up with their pace.

More wounds gradually accumulated on his body. It seemed that his fate had been determined and his death was only a matter of time.

Having experienced countless battles over the years, the demon understood this very well.

Thus, he didn’t hesitate.

Hatred flashed across his face.

Then, his body began to swell violently.

He had already made a decision. Since he was destined to die no matter what, he was going to take these Mechanical beings with him to the Underworld.

Perhaps... there was even a chance to save himself amidst the chaos.

Such thoughts raced through the demon’s mind.

But the very next moment, the hope that had just arisen in his heart was instantly wiped out.

An overwhelming aura erupted from the void surrounding him and fell on him.

Instantly, his squirming body was forced back to normal, as though the previous scene had been an illusion.

The next instant, the enemy attacks landed on him.

His body was neatly separated under the blows of the Mechanical beings.

His vitality faded together with it.

Throughout the entire process, his enemies didn’t pause at all.

It was as though they had expected that suppressive force to intervene. Or rather, that it had been under their control that it did.

After wiping away the last trace of the demon’s consciousness, the Mechanical beings erased every trace of the battle and glanced at each other.

Thanks to their processing speed, communication was instant.

Without exchanging a single word, they spun around, splitting into smaller squads that disappeared into the void.

--

The demon’s situation was not a unique occurrence.

Throughout the pavilion, the same scene was currently being played out.

The reason the Mechanical beings had divided everyone upon their entry had finally been revealed.

Outmatched in numbers and facing the suppression of the building itself, the Emperors of the other races found it impossible to contend against them.

At most, they could use their trump cards to flee.

Although Liora had long suspected this, she had yet to confirm it.

Yet as she drew closer to the transit point between the pavilion’s different floors, she finally had a chance to encounter her own set of opponents too.

--

Liora was speechless.

Staring at the several Mechanical Emperors surrounding her from all directions, she couldn’t help but feel strange.

She didn’t care about their menacing expressions, nor that they were pointing their weapons at her and were ready to shoot.

What surprised her was that they had appeared at all.

She had spent so much time searching for the Mechanical Emperors before.

Yet although she and Alpha had searched throughout the outskirts of the city, the number of them they had managed to control was limited.

Now...

Several of them had appeared in front of her.

Out of their own accord, nonetheless.

"Warning!"

"Intruder! Give up all resistance!"

"Follow us, and you can save your life!"

A cold, ruthless voice suddenly rang within her mind, bringing her back to reality.

It came from the Emperor at the very front of their composition.

The voice was devoid of any emotion, seemingly having reached the utmost state of indifference.

After Liora failed to respond within several seconds, it immediately proceeded to the next stage of its protocol.

Extermination!

Immediately, the sound of gears turning echoed as several auras erupted.

Powerful lights flickered throughout the surroundings, lighting up the dark void while aiming toward Liora.

Even the surrounding space resonated with their attacks, amplifying their destructive force.

No Emperor could face such a barrage of attacks. Moreover, the range they occupied made it impossible to dodge.

But contrary to what one would expect, Liora showed no panic.

Watching silently as the lights drew closer, she neither defended nor evaded.

Instead, she calmly waved her hand.

The Cosmic Sea within her trembled.

The person inside it disappeared before emerging beside her.

At first, their arrival caused no reaction.

But as an overwhelming force suddenly appeared and spread with them as the center, the incoming attacks suddenly halted.

Then, everything fell silent.