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Chapter 82 Perfect Intelligent Machine - Cataclysmic Star Envoy - Dragon Mechanic [Two-in-One]

The Ember Base in the torrential rain.

Rocks were falling like raindrops, and the island was crumbling like the end of the world.

The open-air training ground where the Sons of the Stars used to train is now riddled with holes and unrecognizable, smashed by rocks.

The cafeteria in the distance was smashed into pieces like a soft cake, with explosions and flames continuing.

However, these two places are not the worst.

As one of the only two areas receiving special attention from the 'Skyfall'.

Today, the outer staff dormitory area on the ground has been almost completely destroyed.

One of the largest dormitory buildings had been cleaved in half by some unknown boulder, revealing honeycomb-like rooms inside.

"Help, help!"

"Medical team! The West District needs support!"

Amidst the screams of countless members outside the Ember Base.

Tiandao slowly walked to the outer gate and looked up at the sky above.

Above his head, a massive floating island was peeking out from behind thick layers of dark clouds, revealing only a glimpse of its enormous, icy tip.

At the top of this floating island, a group of people dressed in Association Star Envoy uniforms stood, coldly looking down at the Ember Base below, which was constantly exploding and engulfed in flames.

It seemed to them that the Ember organization members on the outer perimeter of the base were fleeing in terror.

They were just a bunch of insignificant cockroaches; once they died, they were gone. There was no need to waste any more emotion on them.

However, among this group of indifferent people, two people showed completely different expressions.

One of them is Ghosn, a referee from the Deep Blue chapter.

There is also William the Clock Knight from the Steam Guild.

The former's expression was one of disgust, while the latter's was one of reluctance.

“William, they’re just a bunch of self-destructive bastards. You don’t need to pity them.”

Noticing William's unusual behavior, the explosives expert Benjamin, who was standing next to him, immediately offered some words of comfort.

William, however, did not quite agree with this.

"No, Captain, I feel there are definitely some among them who are worth saving, so..."

"No, William, mind your place."

“You are merely a deputy captain of a district branch, while Lord Byron is a special envoy from the headquarters.”

"You have no right, nor can you question Lord Byron's decisions and actions."

Before William could finish speaking, Benjamin, who had been speaking softly just a second ago, suddenly changed his expression and interrupted him in a cold tone.

Seeing the contempt for life in Benjamin's eyes, William ultimately hesitated to speak, his expression complex.

It was as if we were getting to know this captain who had suddenly been parachuted into the steam city from the headquarters.

At the same time, Isaiah, the captain of the special operations squad from the Deep Blue branch, suddenly noticed Gorn, who was about to turn and leave, and immediately questioned him, "Gorn, where are you going?"

Ghosn not only did not stop, but even raised one of his hands out of his pockets and arrogantly waved it at Isaiah behind him, clearly not taking him, the so-called squad leader, seriously.

"It's just a massacre with no suspense whatsoever, what's so interesting about that?"

"A competition is only interesting if it's fair, even if it's only fair in a superficial sense."

After saying that, Ghosn deliberately found a flat rock and lay down on it without any hesitation.

His undisciplined and irresponsible behavior...

The sea spider Isaiah's expression immediately turned extremely ugly.

This was because Isaiah felt that his authority as the captain of the Third Division of the Deep Blue Branch had been challenged.

It also made him feel that he had lost face in front of Lord Byron.

After all, if he can't even control his own subordinates, how can he possibly manage the headquarters?

You see, he was planning to take advantage of this precious opportunity to make a good impression on Byron, the General Assembly's special envoy.

In this way, they can gain the other party's appreciation and enter the coveted club.

Therefore, it was astonishing to see Ghosn make a mistake at such a crucial moment.

Isaiah was about to teach the other party a lesson.

However, before he could take any action...

Byron, the General Council's special envoy who was originally focused on controlling the 'fall from the sky', unexpectedly spoke up at this moment.

"Let him be, Isaiah. Since Ghosn wants to rest, let him rest for a while. Don't disturb him. After all, his mission is much more important than yours."

"Yes, Your Excellency Envoy Byron."

It's like this again, it's like this again!
Upon meeting Byron, the special envoy of the General Assembly, he showed Ghosn an almost 'indulgent' boundless tolerance without any reservations.

Isaiah the Sea Spider's face was filled with resentment.

At the same time, Ghosn, as if on purpose, gave him a perfectly timed smile, brimming with sarcasm.

In response, Isaiah felt an endless fire of rage burning within him.

Why? Why am I the captain of the Third Division of the Deep Blue Branch?!
But whether it's Dortre, the branch president of the Deep Blue Chapter, or Byron, the special envoy from the headquarters at this moment.

They all showed almost unlimited tolerance for Ghosn, forgiving his outrageous and willful behavior time and time again.

Just because he's younger than me?
Is it because he is the only member of the branch with a 100% win rate in missions?
But if I were to do those tasks myself, I could do them just as well!

If he is also given the right to choose his tasks at will
If he were also given almost unlimited resources in the branch...
Then Isaiah might also be able to achieve a 100% mission completion rate!
Damn Ghosn, you better not let me catch you off guard, or I'll make you pay!

Looking at Isaiah's gloomy face, Ghosn, lying on the rock, guessed what he was thinking, but didn't care at all.

After all, in his view, from the moment Isaiah decided to curry favor with the General Assembly's special envoy Byron in exchange for the qualification to enter the General Assembly.

Isaiah had already surrendered to his rivals deep down.

In this arena called life, having lost his 'confidence' and 'dignity', he is destined to never be able to compete with himself again.

Because Byron, as the 'referee,' certainly had the ability to influence the course of a match.

But that is based on the premise that the 'athlete' himself has a certain level of ability.

But with Saiyan's current strength, referee 'Byron' alone can't help him.

Not to mention, it's not even certain who Byron will side with.

Thinking of this, Ghosn didn't even care whether Isaiah could hear him and laughed out loud without restraint.

His laughter reached Isaiah's ears.

This immediately made him unable to control his anger any longer, and he was ready to completely break off relations and teach him a lesson.

But at that moment, Byron, who was standing at the very front, suddenly spoke up.

"Alright, I've cleared away most of the star energy detectors down here."

“Once that guy comes out and I hold him back, you can find an opportunity to put down those four ‘Star Beast Induction Devices’.”

"Yes."

Isaiah and Benjamin responded simultaneously, then turned and walked toward the four enormous star energy devices, each ten meters tall.

But at that moment, a loud dragon roar suddenly came from the Ember Base below.

Before long, to the astonishment of Isaiah and Benjamin,

A colossal mechanical dragon, its entire body crafted from a special metal, flew out from the base, now ablaze with explosions and flames.

Below, the mechanical dragon was rising into the sky, and a familiar figure stood atop its head.

Byron's expression turned excited.

"You've finally come out, Dr. Ember, or rather, one of the former Grand Master's prized students, the Level 3 Perfect Omnic Star Envoy known as the Dragon Mechanic, Dragon Cybercross."

Amid Byron's excited tone, the doctor, standing atop a mechanical dragon, ignored the boulders flying all around him.

He went straight up to the clouds and looked at Byron, who was standing on the floating island, across the distance.

Neither of them spoke.

But an invisible clash of auras quietly unfolded between the two.

Meanwhile, this includes Benjamin and Isaiah, one a high-ranking second-level envoy and the other a mid-ranking second-level envoy.

Under the watchful gaze of the mechanical dragon beneath the Doctor, most of the Association's Star Envoys present knelt down uncontrollably.

Only Ghosn and William withstood this invisible pressure and managed to stay upright.

Gorn, who had already climbed down from the rock, was clutching a red card tightly in his hand, looking excitedly at the mechanical dragon beneath the Doctor.

It was as if he was assessing whether he could have a chance to win against a stronger opponent if he could secretly manipulate the game as a referee.

William gritted his teeth and used both hands to brace himself against the 'second hand giant sword' that was stuck in the ground, barely managing to keep himself from kneeling.

Because he adhered to the code of chivalry, he would never allow himself to kneel down and beg for mercy from his enemies.

The doctor, who noticed the situation of the two, showed surprise but also gave a rare high evaluation.

“Byron, it seems you have indeed found two very good helpers for the ‘key’ in my hands.”

"A madman who pursues extremes at all costs, and a fool who pursues fantasies at all costs, they both have the potential to create perfection."

"After all, the word 'perfection' will never be bestowed upon mortals who are always looking back and forth."

"And that's the real reason why you've always been inferior to me."

Byron did not agree with the doctor's statement.

He slowly removed the mask from his face, revealing a terrifying android face that had been completely mechanically modified.

"Is that so? But why is it that I, a mere mortal in your eyes, am the one who has trapped you, this powerful 'dragon'?"

"Furthermore, as long as I can obtain the 'key' in your hands, even if I am just a mortal, I will still have the opportunity to make up for my flaws and forge that supreme 'perfection'!"

To Byron's surprise, the Doctor responded to his somewhat provocative remarks.

Instead of getting angry, he said with great regret, "Byron, it seems that even after fifteen years, you are still unable to see reality."

“You should understand that if you could truly forge ‘perfection,’ you wouldn’t need the key in my hand.”

“And if you cannot forge ‘perfection,’ then even if you obtain the key in my hand, you still cannot achieve it.”

"On this point, you don't even see it as clearly as the two younger ones behind you."

"After all, they've always been very clear about what their 'perfection' is."

"."

Upon hearing these words, Byron's excited expression gradually disappeared, replaced by an inexplicable gloom and indifference.

He raised his hand, and the huge floating island beneath him suddenly trembled violently.

Then came a massive, technologically advanced mechanical fortress.

It suddenly split off from the interior of the floating island.

Byron stepped forward and stood atop his omnic fortress.

The terrifying aura of a fourth-level high-ranking star envoy even caused the surrounding clouds to distort slightly.

He stared directly at the doctor standing atop the mechanical giant's head in the distance and said coldly, "Dragon, whether something is perfect or not is not up to you, a stray dog."

"Once I get the key you've hidden on your person, I'll make my own judgment."

Boom!

A thunderclap flashed through the clouds.

Byron and the Doctor began to raise their respective altitudes with perfect understanding.

After all, they knew very well that even the aftershocks of their battle were enough to completely destroy everything around them.

To highlight the danger posed by Level 4 Star Envoys, the Association specifically created a title for them.

This title is 'natural disaster'.

The doctor, however, is only at level three perfection.

However, in terms of strength, a level three perfect is completely equivalent to a level four. In other words, the Doctor is also a Calamity-level Star Envoy.

When two natural disasters collide, they will only bring greater disasters to others.

Therefore, going to the battlefield far from the crowd was a tacit understanding between him and Byron.

Under natural disasters, everyone is like an ant; this is not just a saying.

As the two terrifying Cataclysmic Star Envoys, Doctor and Byron, completely disappeared into the clouds on the horizon.

The Association Star Envoys who were left behind on the floating islands were finally able to catch their breath.

After a short rest, they immediately began to carry out the orders that Byron had left behind not long ago, and got up to walk towards the four huge 'star beast induction devices' not far away.

However, during this process, yet another person broke the rules.

"Gorn! What are you still lying there for? Have you forgotten what Lord Byron said?!"

Seeing Ghosn lying back on the flat rock once again, Isaiah, without Byron present, could no longer contain his anger.

But his furious expression, which looked like he was about to devour someone, was what drew attention to him.

Ghosn's answer, though seemingly nonchalant, revealed an unquestionable resolve.

"Please, Isaiah, you want me to lure a bunch of star beasts to attack those guys below who are only level two at most? What's the difference between that and having someone beat up the opposing athletes before the competition even starts?"

"You should know that as the 'referee,' all the power I wield comes from the 'fairness' that the audience believes in."

"And once the audience feels that my rulings have lost their fairness, then I, as the referee, naturally lose my purpose."

"Therefore, no matter how important the match is, my first priority is not to think about how to win against my opponent, but how to convince the audience that the match is fair and to get them to agree to let me play."

"Because only in this way can I exercise the power they have given me."

At this point, Ghosn, who was already lying on his side on the rock, yawned, then scratched his slightly itchy back and said in a relaxed tone, "Isaiah, I've pretended not to see it and let you go off the field to beat up the opposing athlete."

"But if you insist on dragging me into this dirty operation, then you'd better be prepared to be killed by me first."

"After all, the audience's eyes are discerning. You can fool yourself, but you can't fool them."

After saying that, Ghosn ignored Isaiah's ugly expression and started snoring to himself.

That damn guy actually fell asleep at such an important and crucial moment!
And it was after Ghosn finished saying those words.

William, who was originally heading towards the four 'Star Beast Induction Devices', suddenly stopped, seemingly lost in thought.

"What the hell is wrong with you now?!"

Looking at William, who had inexplicably stopped moving.

Completely blinded by rage, Isaiah disregarded any consideration for 'comradeship' and roared at him in fury.

In response, William calmly said, "Mr. Isaiah, I think Mr. Ghosn is right. Even if I can fool myself, I can't fool the audience."

"Similarly, a knight's justice should be to cut down fully armed enemies, not to wield the sword against defenseless civilians."

"My failure to persuade Lord Byron earlier was already somewhat contrary to my sense of justice."

"Since that's the case, I can't keep making the same mistake again."

"I know that on the battlefield, any means are understandable in order to win, but a righteous knight should not use this as an excuse to deceive himself, much less use it to deceive others."

"So, I can watch you put down those four star-energy devices that symbolize 'butcher's knives,' but you can't expect me to pick up that butcher's knife too, I'm sorry."

Isaiah was completely stunned by William's words.

Because he simply couldn't believe that the Star Envoy world was cruel, full of danger and deceit.

How could such a foolish idealist as William be born?

The Way of the Knight?

No, how did a fool like you manage to survive until today?!

However, before Isaiah could express his thoughts...

Ghosn, who should have been asleep nearby, suddenly spoke again.

"Heh heh, I didn't expect there to be such an interesting guy like you among this bunch of idiots."

"It seems that the guy riding the dragon was right, you really do have the potential to forge perfection."

"It's just that you seem to have realized it a little too late, which caused you to take some wrong turns along the way."

William, who had fully realized his true nature, remained completely at ease about this.

"Yes, Mr. Ghosn, I have indeed made many mistakes and taken many detours in the past."

"But after I actually got married and had my own daughter, I suddenly realized my mistakes and kept trying to correct them."

"After all, as a father, the first thing I need to do is set a good example for my daughter, otherwise she won't be proud to have a father like me."

"Is that so?"

Ghosn rolled over and sat up abruptly, looking up at the clockwork knight William, whose expression remained resolute amidst the torrential rain.

"No wonder someone told me that humanity's most precious asset is not wisdom, but its rich emotions."

"If it were a calm, intelligent machine, it would be absolutely incomprehensible to your foolish idea."

"After all, changing oneself for others, or even completely denying one's past, is no different from having those omnipotent machines overturn one's underlying code and then recreate a completely new code. Both are foolish acts tantamount to suicide."

"but."

Ghosn stood up, ignoring Isaiah who was glaring at him angrily, and walked up to William, looking directly into William's clear eyes.

"You'd better think this through. While I may resist the temptations of capital to some extent in pursuit of fairness, that doesn't mean I'll go against capital."

"In other words, even if I know someone is trying to harm the players off the field, I will at most warn them, but I would never risk my life to help them."

"After all, if you want to organize a good competition, you can't just have an audience; you also need capital to operate it."

"Therefore, the ability to compromise and be compromised is also a good quality that a referee needs to possess."

“But you are different from me. You are now putting yourself on the fire, and you could lose your life at any moment.”

"After all, even the most unarmed and weak civilians, given the opportunity, still have the chance to kill you, a fully armed knight."

Faced with Ghosn's well-intentioned advice, William gave his answer without hesitation.

"As long as the code of chivalry resides in the heart, there is no need for this body to return home."

Upon hearing this, Ghosn was stunned for a moment before he couldn't help but sigh: "...I understand now. No wonder that guy riding the dragon said you were an idiot. You really are incredibly stupid."

Although Isaiah, Benjamin, and even the other association stars around them could not understand the meaning of William's words.

But Ghosn understood it instantly.

William meant that it was better to take up the sword, return home with a broken body filled with guilt and sin, and live with regret for the rest of his life.

He would rather lay down his butcher's knife and die in a foreign land with a clear conscience and a sense of justice, without any shame in his heart.

The former may be alive, but their heart is dead.

Although the latter person died, his heart still lives on.

However, while Ghosn could understand William's thoughts, he could not agree with them at all.

After all, the person is dead, so what's the point of talking about feelings?

While Ghosn may disagree with William, that doesn't mean he doesn't admire him.

"Alright, since you've thought it through, then do it your way."

"And if your body really stays here, don't worry, as long as conditions permit, I will definitely help you bring your heart back."

"But no matter how I think about it, I feel that if such a situation really occurs, it might not be a good thing for your daughter."

William smiled and then held up the pink children's watch on his right hand.

Despite his disgusted expression, which resembled that of someone who had eaten shit, Yu Gon said with great pride, "No, I think if she knew what her father had done, she would be incredibly proud to tell everyone that she has such an excellent father as me."

"Just like how I can now proudly tell everyone that I have such a lovely daughter."

"..."

"Damn it, I feel like I've said too much again. You and that Tianji Cat are almost twice the age difference, but I always feel like what you're saying is the same thing. It's all about things that I can't have but I envy so much."

"Go to sleep, go to sleep. I shouldn't have been so cheeky as to ask you that question."

"Hey, Isaiah, send someone to call me after you've used that perfect second-level Dream Star."

"If I want to keep her occupied, I need to get some sleep now, otherwise I might just fall asleep while we're fighting."

After saying that, Ghosn didn't care whether Isaiah heard him or not, and went straight to sleep.

And this time, Ghosn was genuinely asleep.

This shows just how troublesome that so-called 'Dream Star Envoy' was for him.

As for Isaiah, although he was very reluctant to call Ghosn, which would have resulted in Ghosn being punished by General Byron afterward.

But in the end, he didn't dare to do it.

Because among the second-level star envoys present at the moment.

Only Ghosn has the ability to hold off that monster.

Just because he thinks that way doesn't mean he'll say it out loud.

"Damn it, that Calamity Star Envoy was right. You two, one is an incomprehensible madman, and the other is an incurable fool."

"Perfect? ​​To hell with perfection! All I know is that as long as I can live, whether it's perfect or not is completely unimportant!"

After saying that, Isaiah led the others to set up the 'Star Beast Induction Device' that had been prepared in advance.

High in the sky, they didn't need to worry about the large number of marine-type star beasts attracted by the guide.

Therefore, even if this man-made horde of star beasts cannot completely destroy the Ember Base below.

But it was enough to deplete their already limited defensive capabilities.

They will arrive at their peak and take advantage of any openings.

And in the Ember Base, they found the 'key' that Lord Byron had been talking about and longing for.

A key to true perfection.

The ground area of ​​the Ember Base, at the main entrance.

"Heavenly Dao, do you think the Doctor and we can safely weather this calamity?"

After dealing with the last rock falling from the sky, Chen Xing sheathed his demon sword and solemnly asked the Heavenly Dao, who was standing with its back to him.

At the same time, all the other children of the stars, including Dust Sky and Mirror Glass.

They all subconsciously came to the side of Heaven.

Because they don't yet know exactly what happened.

But regardless of that terrifying meteor shower of giant rocks just now.

Or perhaps it was the mechanical dragon that suddenly appeared beneath the doctor.

This made them realize that what happened today was absolutely extraordinary.

Therefore, they instinctively questioned the will of Heaven and tried to learn from it what they should do next.

After all, their trust in the Heavenly Dao was an instinct ingrained in the very bones of these Star Children.

It's as if as long as the Way of Heaven exists, no matter how tortuous or arduous the road ahead may be.

He will surely lead everyone out of this long and dangerous darkness and into the bright and dazzling dawn.

Upon hearing Chenxing's words behind him, Tiandao turned around and calmly looked at the hopeful eyes of the Star Children.

A moment later, amidst everyone's tense expressions, Tiandao suddenly smiled.

"Don't worry, you and the doctor will be fine."

"Because I have already seen that tomorrow that belongs to you."

Upon hearing Tiandao's words, all ten Star Children present, including Chenxing, subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

Although they knew that the words "the way of Heaven" might just be a comforting thought.

But for some reason, when such words came from the mouth of Heaven, they were so reassuring.

P.S.: That concludes today's update. As usual, please vote with your monthly tickets!
(End of this chapter)