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"Don't even think about succeeding!!!"

Forcing himself to ignore the horrific state of his people, Mekkatorque strained to raise his weapon, flipped it to its maximum like a goblin, and pulled the trigger. A high-energy ray shot out, burning through the tank's hull and melting a large hole in it. The tank, struck by this attack, quickly redirected its highest threat target back to Mekkatorque, and the turrets began to rotate again.

"All right!"

Just as Mekkatorque was about to be locked on, Tannis's voice rang out. Beside her, a thing that looked very much like a giant bird's nest had been teleported over, and drones swarmed out from it in units of 10.

"Airborne units have been identified. Activate air defense modules."

The tank tried the same trick again, preparing to take down Tennys's drone once more, but this time, it miscalculated.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!!"

The instant the metal dwarf head flew up, more than ten drones launched a self-destruct attack on it, and amidst bursts of fire, the mechanical dwarf lost its balance.

"Airborne module malfunctions, unleashing a barrage of attacks."

With another gear-gear-sounding hum, the tank retracted its flamethrower and pulled out several machine guns and something resembling a radar wave generator crackling with electricity.

"Unleash a barrage of comments? I'll show you what real barrage comments are..."

Tannis snapped her finger, and the drones in the nest instantly accelerated. They surged forward, surrounding the tank tightly and destroying its various small weapons with energy blasts. Although many drones were destroyed, more took their place.

"Emergency repair module initiated. Emergency repair module initiated."

Finally, the tank, whose armor had been mostly destroyed, retracted its support arm that was stuck in the ground, and began to repair itself by deploying a barrier. However, all of this only made Tannis's lips curl into a cruel smile.

"Mekkatorque, you know what we should do now, right?"

"Yes!! Everyone who can still move! Concentrate your firepower! Destroy its barrier!"

"Light quantum reaction module, loading!"

35. The Battle of Gnomeregan—A Tragic Enemy

The tank was destroyed, completely destroyed.

Despite being equipped with a large number of heavy weapons, despite being constructed from a special alloy that is much stronger than ordinary steel and has a certain degree of magic resistance, and despite even possessing a self-repair module that can repair itself in critical situations...

However, with the combined efforts of a goblin engineering master and a gnome engineering master, this war machine, capable of crushing a thousand elite soldiers, was reduced to a pile of scrap metal before it could fully unleash its meat grinder power.

However, even though the vehicle had not yet fully demonstrated its power, and even though Tannis provided medical services immediately after the battle and used her inner energy to keep some of the seriously wounded alive, three dwarfs in the dwarf assault team still lost their lives, and seven dwarfs were unable to continue due to serious injuries. The number of other dwarfs who suffered injuries of varying degrees was countless.

"You two, take the seriously wounded and the bodies of the fallen soldiers to the shelter! Hurry! They need further treatment! The rest of you, reorganize the teams, making sure each special operations squad has at least three members! We can't afford to waste any time!"

Mekkatorque decisively issued the order, and knowing that now was not the time to hesitate, the dwarves immediately followed Mekkatorque's instructions. In less than ten minutes, the team was reorganized.

"Alright! Everyone, put on your radiation protection suits and follow me!"

——————————————Gnomeregan————————————————————

This was Tannis's second time entering Gnomeregan after several years. However, unlike the surprise, shock, and slight bewilderment she felt the first time she entered Gnomeregan, the current Gnomeregan felt deathly silent.

Yes, it was deathly silent. If it weren't for the still-lit lights and the continuous rumbling of machinery in the distance, Tannis might have even had the illusion that Gnomeregan was dead.

Under Mekkatorque's arrangement, the dwarves who were still able to fight were divided into front and rear teams, keeping watch for any possible attacks. Some dwarves at the front used instruments to detect whether there were any traps installed under the floor, some dwarves observed the walls on the left and right sides in case something suddenly popped out from inside, and some dwarves used strange things to scan their surroundings, not knowing what they were guarding against.

However, no enemies appeared until they reached the first major intersection, as if Thermaprag paid no attention to the invaders.

“That’s strange, this isn’t like him.”

While arranging a temporary rest, Mekkatorque chewed on some bread crumbs and frowned in thought. He knew that Thermapulg was a dwarf who was willing to take risks and was good at seizing any opportunity. After becoming a mechanical dwarf and possessing even more terrifying logical thinking ability, Thermapulg would inevitably become even more adventurous and radical!

"The intensity of radiation in the air is showing an upward trend, which is not normal."

Tannis, who was wrapped in a thick, fully enclosed garment, spoke leisurely.

"I have also been monitoring the radiation levels in our area, and this is a normal fluctuation."

"Not necessarily... My glasses showed a cluster of highly radioactive arcane energy approaching from over there."

Tannis pointed to the deep passage ahead of them. Although there was nothing inside at the moment, Mekkatorque suddenly felt a strange sense of fear when he looked into it!

"Everyone! Prepare for battle!"

Knowing that following his instincts would be the best course of action in this situation, Mekkatorque quickly finished his food and prepared his armor for battle. The other dwarves also drew their weapons, waiting for the enemy to emerge from the passage.

About fifteen minutes later, the first enemy came into view.

"Oh... God... no..."

One dwarf let out a soft wail, while the other dwarfs either stared wide-eyed, covered their faces with their hands, or trembled.

Because what came into their view were some dwarves dressed in Gnomeregan guard uniforms, carrying weapons, with green faces, lifeless eyes, and unsteady steps. Although they didn't know more details, the members of the assault team knew that these dwarves... were the dwarves who volunteered to cover the rear after the Gnomeregan catastrophe!

"Enemy!! Enemy!!"

"Die! Monster! Traitor!!"

"Gnomeregan will never fall!"

"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!! Charge!!! Charge!!!"

These dwarfs roared slogans that sent shivers down the spines of the commandos, brandishing their weapons and charging into the crowd. Behind them, a creature that looked somewhat like a slime gradually emerged—clearly, this thing was a monster born from the effects of radiation.

“They are beyond saving, Mr. Mekkatorque. The result of wasting time is that you will all die here, and even the dwarfs in the refugee camp will die.”

Seeing Mekkatorque's stunned expression, Tannis spoke softly.

“Miss Tanyas, I know…”

Mekkatorque closed his eyes in anguish, gathered his emotions for a moment, and then suddenly opened them, regaining the aura of a great craftsman.

"Commandos! The only thing we can do now is let our heroes rest in peace!! Raise our weapons..."

Mekkatorque slowly raised the gun, which now felt much heavier than before, took a deep breath, and pulled the trigger.

"For... Gnomeregan!!!"

——————————————Hall of Craftsmen——————————————————————

“The plan has failed, Thermaprag. They didn’t panic; instead, they chose to fight back.”

In the very center of the Craftsmen's Hall, a peculiar sphere slowly floated on a platform, facing the current ruler of Gnomeregan, Thermaprag. Although the sphere seemed unremarkable, the readings of the surrounding instruments indicated that it was no ordinary object.

This is the core of the robot that was activated and nearly destroyed the entire Gnomeregan.

"As expected, the variables brought about by emotions are something you can't understand, and it's impossible for you to understand."

Thermaprag watched with a pleased expression as the dwarf commandos on the screen were using weapons to annihilate the leper dwarfs. He could easily discern the commandos' expressions, and he was pleased that most of them had fallen into grief and self-blame.

"Feelings are useless."

The core answer made Thermaprag smile, his metallic face twisting into an ambiguous expression.

"This is why I don't choose to format my mind... Great Messenger."

36. The Battle of Gnomeregan – Radiation Elements

'If we consider radiation as a poison, then it must be one of the most deadly and perfect poisons in the world: colorless and odorless, spreading and taking effect covertly, with a high mortality rate and no antidote—however, it can be perfectly defended against through certain means, such as specially designed protective suits!!'

This is a report on radiation energy submitted by Thermaprag to the Guild of Craftsmen before Gnomeregan fell. It also subtly mentioned that he had found a possible way to use radiation more effectively. This greatly interested the Gnomeregan leadership. After verifying that what he said was true, Gnomeregan launched a series of research projects related to radiation.

Then, they successfully made radiation the final straw that broke the camel's back for their homeland...

"Talking about effects without discussing dosage is just being dishonest! Radiation is a very broad concept; to put it simply, we are all sources of radiation!!"

Compared to the other dwarves who were somewhat hesitant in combat, Tennys, the villain, faced these hopeless individuals without any pressure. She pulled out two anti-material sniper rifles, set up her auto-machine gun, and unleashed a hail of bullets on the leper dwarves in the distance. Although these cannon fodder had been slightly 'enhanced' by Thermaprag using machinery, they were still as weak and helpless as their original flesh and blood bodies in Tennys's insane barrage of fire.

As time went on, more and more remains of leprosy dwarfs appeared on the ground, their foul-smelling blood mixed with engine oil flowing everywhere. Some of the dwarfs, unable to bear it any longer, retreated to the back, lifted their masks, and began to vomit.

"I strongly advise you not to do this. The radiation level of that untouched thing is rising like crazy. If you're unlucky, you'll turn into those walking corpses like before."

Feeling dissatisfied with the anti-materiel sniper rifle, Tannis pulled out a portable siege cannon she had developed for attacking ordinary castles, firing a single shot that ripped the leper gnomes in front of her off, along with the metal ground. At this moment, very few leper gnomes remained. The radioactive elemental figure standing in the distance had grown so large it reached the ceiling.

"It... is absorbing... the blood of... the dead... leper dwarfs... absorbing... the blood of all our remaining warriors!"

Mekkatorque, who had been observing the battlefield the entire time, spoke with a trembling voice. He had figured out something he absolutely didn't want to face—the Gnomeregan rearguard... were all gone!!

"Using useless leper dwarves as cannon fodder and bait to lure this radioactive element into fighting us, while simultaneously depleting our weapon supplies... High Tinker Mekkatorque, didn't you realize before that Thermapulg was such a decisive and ruthless person?"

For some reason, Tennys' tone held a hint of admiration.

“If I had known he was this kind of person, I wouldn’t have become friends with him, much less made him my chief advisor!”

Mekkatorque's voice betrayed his obvious pain, as he failed to grasp the underlying meaning of Tannis's words.

"If he were a goblin, he could at least be a baron..."

"Do you think his actions are understandable, Miss Tanyas?"

"No, no, no, what Thermapulg did is an atrocity that no intelligent being on Azeroth can tolerate, there is no doubt about that. What I mean is, Ratchet welcomes such ambitious gnomes. In the future, you can send people like Thermapulg to us as teaching assistants, we will take as many as come."

“Indeed, someone like Thermapulg is more suited to following goblins.”

Mekkatorque pieced the repaired Death Ray Gun back together and then took out a strangely shaped device, which he placed on top of the Death Ray Gun.

What effect will this have?

Knowing that dwarfs often came up with strange and unusual things, Tennyson immediately became interested.

"Anyone who knows about elemental creatures knows that they all have a 'core'. If the core is disturbed, the element will either lose its combat power or dissipate... This device is designed to make the core of an elemental creature 'resonate'!"

After proudly introducing his creation, Mekkatorque simultaneously pressed the switches on the instrument and the death ray gun. A blood-red ray with an unsettling, slight buzzing sound shot out from the muzzle, striking the elemental creature in the distance that was still slowly absorbing the radiated blood of the leper dwarf.

"Splash!!"

The moment the ray struck, ripples spread across the massive elemental creature's body, countless droplets of water were squeezed out, splashing onto the ground and forming puddles of radiant green radiation. The elemental creature, having been attacked, ceased absorbing the radiation, clasped its hands together, and a pale green wave surged towards Tannis and her companions.

"It seems anyone who tries to fight that thing in melee will get terribly irradiated—maybe bringing a priest or something could help save them with Holy Light?"

Faced with the oncoming waves, Tanis calmly flipped her wrist to put away the useless weapon, turned around and took out a strange weapon with an extremely large caliber but a very short and thick barrel, and stuffed a huge cannonball with snowflakes painted on it into it.

"Take this!!"

After a brief aiming, Tennys pulled the launch lever, and the massive projectile tumbled into the radiated water and exploded. Cold mist spread in all directions, and in an instant, part of the radiation monster's body, along with the radiation wave it had thrown out, was frozen.

"Well done, Miss Tennys!"

Seeing that Tennys had easily blocked the radiation monster's attack, Mekkatorque praised her and launched a second attack on the radiation monster using his equipment. The powerful rays struck the radiation monster's body a second time, causing cracks to spread across its body.