Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 112 Under the Same Starry Sky
The Machine Race is said to be an ancient race buried in history.

Unlike the mecha-like creatures they appear to be, they are not machines in essence, but rather alchemical creations similar to Kusla.

Or to put it another way, most of them are magical puppets or silicon-based beings created by divine power or magic.

They once had a brilliant civilization, and their entire race was not wiped out. However, most of the survivors escaped to the Mechanical Realm, an outer plane mostly controlled by metallic lifeforms.

"She should still be alive, at least her soul is still burning. It's hard to say what will happen if the Hall of Heroes awakens her and leaves her for too long."

Ancient races have faded from the historical stage; some have gone to so-called other worlds, while others have stayed or returned to the main plane for various reasons.

The underground world is a gathering place for various remnants of the race. Hiding underground may be a good way to avoid being hunted and retaliated against by the dominant race. There are quite a few remnants and returnees.

It's perfectly normal for the underworld to have evil creatures like mind flayers and liches. It's not that they like living there, but their reputation is so bad that their appearance on the surface is tantamount to war.

They came to the main plane from the outer plane and the plane of death, and the underground world is safer.

Judging from Kuku's feedback, this Mech is probably not a returner, but a survivor, and has now entered the race's unique "hibernation mode".

Human life is not immortal. She can hibernate for a long time in the "refrigerator," but once she is taken out, she will quickly rot and be left unattended. As she begins to awaken, she will probably die soon.

"Probably around here! Yes, that's right! Here." Kuku pondered, pointing to a coordinate on the map. It was in an area outside the city of Mosodirka, seemingly a rocky cave.

Leaving the city? This undoubtedly gave the temporary team a headache.

There are still a lot of people watching outside the hotel. It's hard to even get out of this street, let alone out of the city.

It's not that we can't force our way through, but we have important matters to attend to. It's easy to break out, but difficult to come back.

“I can teleport people here. There are no magical fluctuations, so most barriers can't defend against it.” Many large cities have similar anti-teleportation barriers, but the “snake’s” ability can pass right through them.

The smiling Purple Rose pointed to a corner outside the city.

"My 'Return Spell' can locate up to five coordinates. Indeed, leaving coordinates along the way is a good habit."

A seasoned veteran adventurer, he truly manages to surprise you at every turn.

With the travel destination decided, the next step is to decide who will go. Rean and Kuku are naturally going, and Purple Rose is also very interested, so that should be enough.

"Can I go too?" Nokturna asked unexpectedly.

She is also an extraordinary being, but her combat strength is so low that it can be ignored.

“Such an opportunity is rare.” She looked at her sister, seemingly seeking support.

Larry thought for a moment and nodded. "If Senior Rean goes, I'll go too. I'll protect Nona."

Well, that's a completely unsurprising answer.

With the personnel almost confirmed, Sally Man looked around and suddenly felt that perhaps going with them would be safer.

“I’ll come along too.” The ambassador simply gave up and chose to go out treasure hunting.

But now, the temporary embassy really only has staff left.

At that moment, Rean saw Kuku humming a little tune and seemed to be deep in thought.

Kuku was clearly impatient; he took out his miner's hat and pickaxe, and even found a pair of tattered overalls.

Their eagerness to set off immediately suggested they weren't searching for someone but rather digging for treasure.

"No, it might actually be a treasure hunt." Rean finally realized.

There's no reason for the ancient Mechs to be suddenly buried here. It might just be an ancient battlefield or ruin, and such places are where treasures are most likely to appear.

His expression as he looked at Nokturna was somewhat subtle. As expected of a professional businesswoman, her reaction was quick.

With just a few words, she sensed an opportunity and followed it without hesitation. Even if she didn't gain anything, it would probably be worth it to go treasure hunting and build a closer relationship with the "magical girl boss."

He then looked at Larry, wondering how such a smart family could produce such a simpleton.

"Senior? Is there something you need to tell me?" Noticing Rean's gaze, Larry immediately rushed over like a puppy summoned by its master.

"Protect your sister." What else could Rean say but encourage her?

Ten minutes later, accompanied by a hissing incantation, nearly half of the hotel's guests disappeared.

Twenty minutes later, all the forces in Menzodilka that were paying attention to the situation received the news.

“These filthy earthlings, they really did have a backup plan.” Someone cursed angrily and stopped the assassins they were about to send out.

"Is this a statement that she can leave at any time?" Upon receiving the news, City Lord Verna Talabal nodded in satisfaction.

At least for now, the two sides that do not want war are on the same page.

These allies, who cannot be openly acknowledged, are a good thing if they are slightly stronger. They did not hinder the actions of certain families, but in fact, they were also some of her own tests.

There are some things she shouldn't interfere with; she even hopes that Rean and his group will go on a killing spree.

"Perhaps we can create an opportunity for them to establish their authority, which will reduce trouble and make it easier for them to move around in the city." The city lord, the countess, seemed to be thinking about ways to escalate the conflict.

She had long wanted to take this opportunity to change some things.

While Rean and his group happily embarked on their treasure hunt, the second batch of candidates were also caught in a state of confusion and busyness.

In the initial chaos, they quickly determined the truth. The knowledge that filled their minds was an undeniable truth.

They naturally went their separate ways; some verified what they had learned the night before and began enjoyable self-study. Others, using the contact information they had exchanged beforehand, began to coordinate privately.

While Rean was embarking on his journey, a private gathering of candidates was taking place in the city of Menzoderka.

"I never expected you to use 'Poison Blade' as a nickname. Is it because your sister is Black Blade?"

The alchemist Victoria V. Yunir, a dark elf codenamed "The Sage's Hand," stared in surprise at the people entering the tavern's private room.

She never expected it to be this noble lady who entered the agreed-upon private room.

After all, there was no one in the entire city who didn't recognize the beautiful woman in front of them.

“I never expected that the person who arranged to meet me would be a Yunir. If someone knew that a Talabal had met with a Yunir in private, all sorts of conspiracy theories would probably be flying around the next day.” “Poison Blade” Alexne Talabal lowered her cloak and sighed.

She never expected that her agreed-upon "partner" would actually come from a rival family.

"Don't you know? I've been abandoned by my family."

"Ha, what a coincidence, me too."

Two disheartened individuals huddled together, exchanging bitter smiles, but in reality, neither of them took it seriously.

Dark elves are probably the most skilled in politics and intrigue in the entire world. Even though the level of infighting in this era has slightly decreased with the fall of Lolth, the weak still cannot survive in a family.

Both of them were indeed marginal figures in their respective families, but they were by no means weak.

They did indeed have to lament the cruel irony of fate, after all, the families they belonged to, Yunir and Talabal, were respectively the leaders of the hawks and doves!

"Poison Blade" Alexne Tarabal is the twin sister of the city lord Verna Tarabal. She is the older sister, not the younger sister.

She should actually be the leader of Tarabal, and her name, derived from the spider god, signifies the importance her family places on her.

But fate played a cruel trick on her. Due to the awakening of her younger sister, who possessed divine blood, she, who was destined to be the city lord, became a marginalized member of the family.

If Rean were here, he would be surprised that despite their similar appearances, the two have completely different auras.

Black Blade is an indestructible blade, while the woman who calls herself "Poison Blade" is gentle and quiet, her temperament completely unlike that of a dark elf.

They are twin sisters, but one is a prodigy, born at the end of most people's lives.

The other one, however, was confined to his home most of the time, with neither freedom of movement nor life.

Because of the mystical significance of twins, she was, in a sense, seen as her sister's weakness.

If it weren't for her sister's will, she would probably have been executed.

Suddenly, Victoria felt that this meeting was a bit rushed.

"This is getting a bit boring."

Unlike himself, who felt his family was a constraint and was trying to break free from it, the woman in front of him, though beautiful and of a special status, was of little value.

It could even be an unexploded bomb that could cause a lot of trouble.

Even though she disliked the lifestyle of the Dark Elves and had long planned to "run away from home," Victoria still subconsciously thought and judged in the way of the Dark Elves.

She somewhat regretted her impulsive meeting.

A strictly guarded doll is even less capable than a puppet; it can do very little, and its information should not be leaked here.

If nothing unexpected happens, the chat will end here (Dark elves generally don't drink tea or alcohol when they meet in private because of the prevalence of poison).

Cooperation and alliances require equal strength, but at this moment, Alexie gritted her teeth and revealed some secrets.

“I know the real identities of those candidates on the ground; they are also in this city.” Having a special identity has its advantages; she had seen the files on Suliman and her group and had even managed to locate them through certain means.

“Oh, then we can talk about cooperation. What do you want?” Victoria smiled, realizing that the information was indeed quite valuable.

"Help me get rid of my family; I want freedom," the noblewoman said, revealing her ultimate goal.

"Hehe. Okay." Although he smiled, there was no sincerity in his words.

This agreement is completely unequal. It's supposed to help the "weakness" of the descendants of the gods escape surveillance and house arrest? Victoria doesn't want to die so stupidly.

"Help me gain the power to take control of my future."

"What a coincidence, me too. Perhaps we can cooperate further." It's perfectly normal for two people who crave power and change to be chosen by Valhalla.

They made a pact to become partners with each other.

Under the same starry sky, beneath the same cave, the candidates began to take action.

The second batch of candidates were used to the brutal underground world, where hesitation meant certain death. But one of them was even more special.

He, or rather it, had received the teacher's (Kuku's) request early on, and with explosives, the labor of his tribe, and a large mushroom beast for digging pits, he began his own journey.

Glow-glo is a young mushroom, yet it yearns for adventure and the blue sky.

Behind him are colorless mushrooms such as Buzz, Spore, and Gray (the language of mushroom people is often based on vibration transmission, with many repetitive syllables and buzzing onomatopoeia, and many of them have the same name).
Mushroom people have no secrets; when good opportunities arise, everyone naturally shares them.

"Our teacher said that we mushroom people will also have a bright future, and I, Mushroom, may also become a strong person and a traveler!"

Meanwhile, in an underground ruin, a one-eyed half-human robot is struggling to crawl, trying to break free from the rubble.

But this underground ruin is not just for her. Some of the "outcasts" who were kicked out by Rean also live and explore it!
(End of this chapter)