Star Iron: I, who forged my own armor by hand, ascended to the cycle of reincarnation.

"I will work hard and will not let [Storage Protection] down."

Hiluva pinched Jepard's flushed cheek and said with a coquettish smile, "Alright, little brother, if you can't, you can't. Just admit it openly."

At this moment, Chen Jie did not participate in the discussion, but instead stepped forward on his own.

"These spikes are tens of meters tall, emerging from the ground at inconsistent and haphazard angles, yet they are incredibly hard and sharp."

Touching the newly sprouted branches, Chen Jie nodded silently. Even he needed to use some force to crush these branches, which showed how hard the top part was.

"This skill is decent. At a height of tens of meters, the attacks are chaotic, numerous, and the sharpness and hardness are all good. It should be able to instantly dismantle the creation engine's operation."

"Not bad, it's just a pity that Jepard hasn't adapted yet, and his physical strength hasn't kept up."

He glanced back at the laughing crowd.

"We should continue on our way; we came here on important business."

Only then did Jepard realize what was happening. "Sis, you guys keep going. I believe you can bring the High Guardian back."

However, Hilva, who had been longing for him all along, surprisingly shook her head and refused. Jepard looked at her with confusion in his eyes.

"If I leave, will you still be able to stand up?"

Jepard stared blankly at Shiluva.

"Alright, why are you acting so dazed? I'll just stay here with you, in case another rift monster pops out from some corner."

"Leave Cocolia to them."

As she spoke, Shiluwa turned her gaze toward the train crew.

The apology on March 7th, Danheng's agreement, Xing's self-evident truth, and the silent tribulation.

Bronya gripped her spear tightly, her eyes resolute. "Let's keep going."

"The Rift Labyrinth is just ahead."

"Huh? We have to go through a maze?" March 7th asked in surprise. They were already in dire straits, and there was still a maze to navigate.

Chen Jie frowned slightly, but quickly relaxed.

"It's just a maze; there are different ways to navigate it."

"Stay close to me, I'll teach you how to navigate the maze."

The group exchanged bewildered glances, following Chen Jie with a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

Soon, the group arrived at the maze, where strange plants, twisted and deformed by the rift in the realm, could be seen everywhere.

"Judging from this, it looks a bit like a maze, Dust Tribulation. Which way do we get through?" Xing said, shaking his baseball bat.

"Are you going to break down the wall and rampage through everything?"

Dust Tribulation was somewhat speechless. Ignoring Star, he observed his surroundings and quickly spotted his target: a slightly lower wall.

"Watch closely, I'll only teach you once."

Dust suddenly started running, its speed increasing rapidly, even though there was clearly a wall in front of it.

Just as March 7th was about to exclaim in surprise, Chen Jie stepped on the wall and flipped over, landing directly on it.

"This is another way to navigate the maze; you can only move towards the end once you see it."

"Wow, that makes a lot of sense. I feel like I need to start thinking."

March 7th scratched her head and followed Chen Jie up the wall. When she finally got on top and saw the maze's structure, her mouth dropped open.

"If it weren't for Chen Jie coming up with this method, how much time would we have wasted?"

After watching Xing imitate him and climb the wall, Danheng turned his attention to Bronya.

Xi'er understood Danheng's meaning and quickly said, "I can help her, thank you for your kindness."

That would be best.

Soon, Bronya, with Seele's help, climbed the wall. This was her first time here, but the maze's immense size left her puzzled and confused.

"This is an abandoned old town, why would there be a maze like this here?"

No one answered her this time, but the result was self-evident: Bronya fell silent.

"Let's go. Now that we can see the finish line, everything will be much easier."

Dust broke the silence. He walked along the wall, leaping onto the opposite wall when he encountered a dead end and continuing onward.

"Hey! You know what, it's actually pretty fun!"

Dan Heng and Chen Jie were almost indifferent to this chuckling tone.

That's March 7th for you—always managing to say something lighthearted to lighten the mood in serious situations.

Unable to resist, Chen Jie wanted to tease her.

"Really? Then why don't you stay in Belleburg? That way you can play every day, wouldn't that be great?"

"Huh?" March 7th immediately waved his hand in refusal. "That won't do. Our journey can't be this short. We hope our journey can go on forever."

Dust Calamity chuckled, and suddenly an ice spear shot towards him. He ducked, and the ice spear flew past.

"What's going on? Where did this ice gun come from?"

Everyone was shocked and looked in the direction the ice spear had come from. There stood a woman, staring at them expressionlessly.

"Intruders, leave, Star Core!"

P.S.: There will be another chapter around 6 PM. Don't let the book wait too long! Three chapters a day! o(TヘTo)

Chapter 54 The decisive battle is coming

There stood a well-dressed middle-aged woman, holding an ice spear in her left hand, while her free right hand made a grasping motion in the air, and an ice spear materialized out of thin air.

Bronya stared blankly at the person who felt so familiar, who was raising her ice spear and aiming it at her.

"How could Mother have this ability? When did Mother acquire such power?"

"Intruders, stop here!"

The ice spear pierced the air, a fleeting pale blue light, only to be shattered by a long spear. Seele nodded apologetically to Danheng.

Then, still angry, she pinched Bronya's cheek hard.

"What are you spacing out for! Look closely, is that your mom? Huh?"

Bronya, jolted back to her senses by the pain, realized that it was nothing more than a projection, a blur of reality and illusion.

Dust Calamity, meanwhile, gazed meaningfully at the lingering echo.

"Echoes, I've studied these things. Star core creations can recreate what happened in this place, or perhaps, deliberately leave behind someone's image."

"This was left behind by your mother on purpose, to stop us. She's become obsessed with turning everyone into monsters; she's beyond redemption."

Bronya, who had still held a sliver of hope, was momentarily lost in thought, her eyes filled with grief, but she quickly regained her resolve.

Even so, I will persevere! The reason the Great Guardian is the Great Guardian is because of the people's trust.

"My mother's mistake should not implicate all the people of Belloberg, and I must correct it!"

Can one still be so resolute?

Dust Calamity was slightly surprised, but answered very firmly, "I think you would be a qualified leader."

"Watch out, she's attacking!" Dan Heng's eyes narrowed, and he leaped down to meet Cocolia, who was swooping down with an ice spear in her hand.

The clanging of metal echoed through the maze. Xing and March 7th didn't hesitate and immediately jumped down from the wall to help.

"Bronya, you can't fight in close combat, so stay up here and help out."

Seele finished speaking and quickly followed.

Seeing that the attack had escalated from one person to four, Echo suddenly hurled his ice spear at Seele, who was the last to enter.

However, a gunshot rang out, and the ice spear shattered instantly.

"I will never let a monster like you hurt my friend!"

Seele, who had just landed, turned around, gave Bronya a thumbs-up, and immediately joined the battle.

"Is this really the echo and not the real thing? And her ice spear, why is it so hard when she holds it, but not so hard when she throws it? What's the logic behind that?"

On March 7th, his hand was almost trembling from drawing the bowstring, and he couldn't help but complain. No sooner had he finished speaking than an ice spear came hurtling towards him.

After rolling on the ground to dodge the attack, March 7th's face turned red.

"How can they be so tough to deal with? One person is taking on so many of us!"

Even the dust-covered figure standing on the wall was surprised. This echo had considerable combat experience, something that someone who sat in an office couldn't possibly possess.

This is clearly a super-enhanced version of the Star Core.

Suddenly, the situation on the battlefield changed. Seele risked her life and charged forward, her purple scythe swiftly severing the two ice spears in Cocolia's hands.

Seeing her surprise attack succeed, Seele couldn't help but shout, "The opening! Now!"

Dan Heng's aura suddenly changed, and he thrust out with his spear, shouting, "Break!"

Cocolia's echo seemed oblivious to the shot; she swiftly raised her left hand, aimed it at the sky, and then swung it down sharply.

An enlarged ice spear, several meters long, descended from the sky in an instant, blocking the way in front of the echo.

The giant spear slammed into the ground, the violent tremor even causing large sections of the walls to shake.

"What?!" Dan Heng stared in astonishment as his attack was blocked, utterly surprised.

With a sudden, resounding wave of his right hand, he cried out, "The wind and snow will bury you!"

The giant spear emitted a blue glow, and blizzards constantly swirled around it.

A ring of icy blue light, accompanied by wind and snow, began to rapidly expand outwards from the ice spear as its center.

Upon seeing this, Dan Heng's expression instantly changed. "Oh no, March 7th!"

"We saw it!" In a moment of urgency, March 7th quickly cast a shield around everyone, preventing anyone from getting hurt.

Bronya, forced to jump down from the wall, looked anxious. "Damn it, why?"

"Why isn't the gun you have very effective? Then use this one."