Beast Tide
Tierney suddenly leaped out and charged towards the Blue Horned Rhino, simultaneously raising his hand to fire a bomb.
Although he failed to complete the Path of Ascension, his body underwent a second development under the stimulation of drugs and hormones, reaching a height of 2.03 meters. The Bolt Pistol he used was much larger than the mortal version, being a modified version created by a Legion forged servant.
He avoided the most valuable horn and shot at the Blue Horned Rhino's left foreleg.
The Hardened Diamond Warhead pierced through, and with a loud bang, the Blue Horned Rhino was thrown into the air, tumbling and crashing to the ground.
Tierney leaped onto his head and swung his sword, severing the glowing horn at the base.
After completing the hunt, he immediately called for a pilot to come and assist him in evacuation.
While waiting, he was pleasantly surprised to find that one of the blue rhinoceroses had a white horn.
Tierney mentally summarized his experience hunting Blue Horned Rhino: [Lightning Paralysis is effective against white rhinoceroses.]
But it's useless against things that discharge electricity, probably because they discharge electricity themselves and are already used to it.
As Tierney boarded the transport ship and slowly ascended into the air, he stood by the window and surveyed the forest below.
Suddenly, his pupils contracted as he noticed that the green forest in the distance looked as if it had been torn apart piece by piece.
His superhuman vision focused on one of the torn forest strips, and he saw that the Blue Horned Rhino were lined up in a straight line, pointing directly at the human settlement.
Tierney immediately remembered that five days later would be the start of the local Reaping season in Daxos Alpha.
He immediately took out a high-definition camera and started recording.
Tierney returned to the Void Hunter and presented the spoils to the Monarch.
After examining it, Nimrod discovered that the white unicorn was the main ingredient for the potion "The Arbiter," Sequence 7, which corresponds to "The Interrogator."
He said approvingly to the resolute-faced Tierney, "Well done."
"The Monarch Majesty, I have made another noteworthy discovery. I have learned from the serfs that the local Reaping season will begin in five days."
"And in the forest, I discovered Blue Horned Rhino, converging on human settlements."
"This is very valuable intelligence."
Nimrod's eyes were deep; while he acknowledged Tierney's abilities, he was also considering how to utilize this intelligence.
[This is an opportunity I can seize to accelerate my conquest of Daxos.]
Nimrod knew that winning the duel was necessary; his strength would force Vixatrix to submit.
But that's not all, especially considering the local culture's loyalty to Mars.
After a moment's thought, he spoke to Bukayo beside him.
"Prepare for battle. Your Chapter is to intervene in this Reaping and defend against the Blue Horned Rhino's attack."
"Yes, Father."
"I will take care of them, bring back their unicorns, and offer them to you."
Bukayo knew Nimrod's preferences, and he decided to please the Primarch as before.
He then questioned Tierney in detail to obtain information.
Bukayo learned that, in addition to the Great Beast, strange humans resembling rats would emerge from the shadows during the annual Reaping to rob and steal valuables.
Having gathered all the intelligence, the lord ordered preparations for war.
Just as the Third Legion was preparing for battle, inside the mountains of Daxos Alpha.
The Apprentice of the Sacred Maintainer were astonished to find that the alien giant, whose level of sanctification was not high, suddenly accelerated his movements.
His servo arms swung rapidly across the Knight Mech, crackling with flashes of electricity.
The lower-ranking Apprentice asked the higher-ranking Apprentice in surprise.
"Ginora, why has his movement suddenly become faster?"
"Did he know he couldn't win and just mess around on the Sacred Mars hoping for a lucky break, or did he actually find a way to modify it?"
Ginora did not answer immediately; his Cybernetic Eye captured the intruder's movements and analyzed them using Logic Engine.
After a moment, he said in an incredulous tone.
"He really found a way to fix it."
Gabriel's superhuman senses overheard their conversation, and he couldn't help but praise the Primarch in his heart.
[Thanks to the Primarch, I am able to understand the Mystery of the Knight Mech.]
The Tech Sergeant did encounter some trouble at first; during his selection to study on Mars, the Titan and related machinery were not the focus of his studies.
The relevant knowledge he acquired was only fragmentary and incomplete, obtained from his studies in other areas.
When Gabriel first began inspecting the Knight Mech, he couldn't even find a suitable starting point.
If the repair goes wrong, it could cause a systemic malfunction in the ancient mech.
Just as the "Savant" was struggling, fragments of knowledge surfaced in his mind.
The parts of the Mars Sage' accounts that he hadn't understood, the fragmented knowledge recorded in his superhuman memory, quickly began to be understood by him.
After grasping the principles, the previously scattered knowledge begins to connect, linking isolated points together to form a knowledge network.
The veil covering the Knight Mech in front of him was lifted, and he quickly devised a repair plan and began to implement it.
Five sidereal days later, Nimrod received news that Gabriel had completed the repair of the Knight Mech first.
He led his men, including Bukayo and Arsena, back to the surface.
Before the gates leading to the treasury, Campbell Vixatrix congratulated Nimrod with great aristocratic grace.
"Nimrod, congratulations! Your skilled craftsmen have achieved victory."
His brown eyes held a hint of worry, yet he still spoke with a confident tone.
"But that doesn't mean you've won. The Sacred Maintainer told me he'll finish the repairs in twelve standard hours."
"Afterwards, we will conduct a fair test at the testing ground."
"I believe that the ultimate victory will belong to the Shield of Daxos the Sacred Maintainer."
Nimrod noticed that only two Knight Mech remained from the welcoming procession.
He also did not sense their Machine Spirit in the surrounding castles or mountains.
[Preparations should have already been made to deal with any attacks during the Reaping.]
He opened his senses and began to feel his surroundings.
They immediately sensed a slight tremor in the ground, and a massive horde of beasts was charging in their direction.
He then spoke, saying something profound.
"I think there will be a more suitable target to test the combat capabilities of the Knight Mech."
"They are not works of art for people to admire, but knights galloping across the battlefield."
Campbell looked at Nimrod, a hint of approval in his brown eyes.
His thick eyebrows furrowed as he pondered another layer of meaning.
A few seconds later, he spoke.
You've heard about the beast tide?
"I understand, and I sense it."
"If you need help, my Warrior will be happy to assist you."
Nimrod said with a smile that this would not only win the favor of the local families, but also allow him to obtain materials for magic potions.
"Thank you for your kindness," the Knight King said stubbornly, "But we can handle it."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Communicator built into the Daxos Glory beeped.
When Campbell answered, a panicked voice came through.
"My lord, the beast tide has begun."
"This time, the scale is larger than ever before."