As soon as the Human Emperor Banner came out, I became the Lord of the Old Ones

Chapter 251 The final madness
As a result, even if these remnants of the past that burrow into the bodies of beasts or machines can initially maintain clear thinking and a high degree of rationality, it will not be long before their minds are twisted and eroded, turning them into incredibly insane monsters.

For these monsters that possess "human souls and non-human bodies," survival itself is no longer the goal, but has become nothing short of agony.

They could only vent their pain through incredibly cruel killings, and hoped that someone would end their lives as soon as possible, lives that they shouldn't have had.

When Xu Yan first arrived near Rolling Stone Fortress, he encountered such an ancient monster.

The remnant soul of an ancient martial artist burrowed into the body of a giant earthworm.

It's like stepping into cement that's about to solidify, and then you can never pull yourself out.

What impressed Xu Yan the most was that when they finally used a trap to kill this ancient monster, a highly infectious sigh came from the front of its bloated, rotten body, from its gaping maw that resembled an abyss.

Think about it carefully, what if Xu Yan's soul had entered the body of an earthworm instead of a human, and he couldn't find a way to escape?

Perhaps he also felt that it would be better to die.

This is why, over the past thousand years of the Heroic Spirit Era, so many "old men" were willing to sign contracts with ignorant teenagers—no matter how poor their aptitude, they were still human beings who could communicate.

The opponent of this ancient monster was none other than a half-human, half-machine creature.

At first glance, it still has a human-like outline.

However, not only were both arms replaced by mechanical arms inlaid with gears and spewing steam, as thick as gorillas.

Even the legs have been transformed into anti-joint and tracked mechanical devices.

Not only that, its body is also inlaid with thick steel plates.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out that large rivets were driven directly into the flesh.

Rather than saying this is a modified human being.

Rather, it's more like a heap of cobbled-together scrap metal with bits of flesh and blood clinging to it.

Because Dawn City is a mining town, and mining accidents are frequent, many miners here have various disabilities, and the technology of mechanical prosthetics is very advanced.

Replicated from the Fourth Age, the way of blending flesh and machine in the Qiji civilization can not only help disabled miners regain their former working abilities, but also give machines a delicate touch, enabling them to complete heavy tasks that flesh and blood cannot.

Therefore, during economic downturns and periods of high unemployment, there have even been tragedies where healthy individuals have deliberately maimed themselves and undergone mechanical modifications in order to secure jobs.

Many unemployed miners who have undergone significant modifications also venture into underground arenas to try their luck, smashing their opponents' heads with their rock-crushing iron fists.

However, judging from the extent of the alienation of this "mechanical gorilla," it has long exceeded the scope of mechanical modification.

He, or rather "it," should be a terminal patient of the Spirit Erosion Syndrome.

In other words, they are alien beings who were directly parasitized by the remnant souls of artificial intelligence from the Age of Wonders, and underwent a complete transformation from the inside out.

Both monsters were two to three times larger than normal humans.

The roars and engine noises they emitted were like two ravenous beasts tearing at each other's throats.

The claws of the ancient monsters scraped against the mechanical gorilla's armor, sending sparks flying.

The mechanical gorilla repeatedly used its strong arms to lift the ancient monster high into the air and slam it into the octagonal iron cage electrified with high voltage, causing the opponent to emit blue smoke and squeak. Each time the octagonal iron cage was hit and twisted and deformed, the floor trembled and cracked.

The surrounding spectators, completely absorbed in the moment, would let out a series of incomprehensible shouts.

It's unclear whether they were terrified that the monster would break free of its cage, or incredibly excited and anticipating seeing it.

However, today, the main event organizers' focus is clearly not on "the old monsters escaping their cages and slaughtering unfortunate spectators."

After a protracted and agonizing battle, the magical power originating from the Fourth Age ultimately prevailed.

The mechanical gorilla seized the opportunity and once again lifted the giant crocodile-like ancient monster high into the air.

But this time, instead of throwing it at the octagonal cage, he opened his breastplate, revealing two pairs of flamethrowers.

With the addition of a special combustion accelerant, the intense flames, powerful enough to melt alloys, penetrated directly into the gaping maw of the giant crocodile, burning it from its throat to its internal organs into charcoal.

Then the mechanical gorilla exerted its strength again, and with a "crack," it tore the immobile giant crocodile in two.

The foul-smelling blood poured down on the mechanical gorilla like a torrential downpour.

All the mechanical devices and alloy armor on its body seemed to come alive, rippling with eerie waves, and in no time, they had completely absorbed the blood droplets.

The mechanical gorilla let out a roar that was neither a laugh nor a cry.

Not yet satisfied, the metal arm, thicker than his own waist, roared with the engine running at its limit as it slammed its fists down on the giant crocodile's carcass like warhammers.

First, he smashed the corpse into a pulp, then grabbed the pulp and threw it through the octagonal iron cage at the audience below the stage.

The audience, whose nerves were in a state of extreme excitement, were fully immersed in the literal meaning of "bloodshed and carnage".

At first glance, they also seemed to be possessed by the remnants of the past, becoming terminal patients of the incurable Spirit Erosion Syndrome.

Another host, dressed in a python skin outfit, was also jumping around and gesturing wildly, adding fuel to the fire.

Accompanied by intense rock music and flickering lights, the atmosphere was brought to its climax by his highly provocative lines.

The scene of demons dancing wildly gave Xu Yan an extremely strange feeling.

It's important to know that in Rolling Stone Fortress, in the boss's underground laboratory, both the ancient monsters and the terminal patients of Spirit Corruption are extremely sensitive beings.

Even if they were to be used for experiments, they had to be hidden deep underground and handled with utmost care.

Who would have thought that in a safe zone where management should be much stricter, these monsters could appear so openly in front of everyone?

Is Jean-Jacques's background so powerful that he's completely unafraid of investigations and sanctions from the Security Bureau, the Old Foundation, and the Museum of the Outer Gods?
Wait a minute, Xu Yan suddenly realized that there was another possibility.

Under normal circumstances, neither Jean-Jacques nor any other important figure would be so arrogant as to allow ancient monsters and patients with the Spirit Corruption Syndrome to openly appear in Dawn City.

Otherwise, they wouldn't need a front man like the big boss to conduct illegal research and collect sensitive data in the underground laboratory at Rolling Stone.

But what if they sensed that Dawn City was doomed?
(End of this chapter)