Pushing the Boss?

The thing looked like a giant ball made of silver, rolling out from the hall. However, perhaps due to the material, it made no sharp sounds as it rolled on the ground, instead giving off a smooth, rhythmic sensation. The surface of the sphere was incredibly smooth, with no visible seams or mounting brackets. There was only a crest made of wings and an eight-pointed star, identical to the one by the entrance.

Overall, aside from its massive size, it looked like a friendly unit at first glance.

In fact, when Yu Lian met it in his "future," it hadn't shown any excessive hostility. As long as he didn't touch the secret treasures it was specifically guarding, it wouldn't object if he took a few other things.

But now, Yu Lian wasn't so sure. Back then, it had stayed in the room, disguised as a large chandelier. He probably wouldn't have even exposed it if he hadn't gone to pull out the crystal shard deep within the ruins. Yet, this time it had appeared on its own. What could be the reason?

Then, the giant ball stopped, its outer shell began to open like overlapping armor plates, revealing a majestic mechanical body within.

No matter how majestic, it doesn't change the fact that you're just a giant Bakugan! I wanted to say that last time. Yu Lian thought.

"Prepare for battle!" Ina shouted loudly.

No matter how disorganized the security team's riff-raff were, they were still professionally trained soldiers. Although they were still stunned and bewildered, they quickly raised their weapons at the command. Sergeant Baka, who had been kneeling on the ground, also leaped up, his right hand holding a Power Hammer and his left a Crystal Battle Axe, looking ready to charge forward as an MT at any moment.

...Idiot, shouldn't you be hiding behind the War Chariot first! Do you really think we're still in the age of cold weapons? Yu Lian thought again.

The Black Panther Vehicle's Vulcan cannon and the "Chimera" Tank's Ion Cannon simultaneously aimed at the transforming behemoth.

At this moment, Yu Lian made his move. The air around the "Giant Bakugan" began to congeal, turning into a misty cage that enveloped the opponent. Thus, the "Giant Bakugan's" unfolding action immediately slowed down, as if it had been pulled into a slow-motion space.

This was environmental resonance, a psionic spell that harmonized with the surrounding environment to attack or suppress the opponent. Theoretically, it was already a third-circle psionic spell. If he hadn't used it so many times in his "memories," becoming too familiar with its psionic composition and knowing how to cast it most effortlessly, he wouldn't have been able to do it. A mere first-circle spell would naturally be impossible to cast beyond its level.

Even so, Yu Lian felt as if he had suddenly been burdened with hundreds of pounds, his muscles, bones, blood vessels, and even his brain sending out alarms of being unable to bear the load.

However, even in slow motion, the "Giant Bakugan" was still unfolding its form bit by bit. After all, it was a guardian left by the Enlighteners, not something the current "greatly weakened" Yu Lian could directly destroy. Beneath its silver-white armor, dark muzzles were slowly rising.

It was confirmed that this "Giant Bakugan" was a hostile target.

However, before Yu Lian could give the order, the Sergeant Major had already commanded them to fire.

The soldiers opened fire, and the Black Panther Vehicle and the Chimera unleashed their artillery. As for Baka and Youyou, the barbarians who had volunteered to be the MTs, after a few seconds of hesitation, they finally didn't charge into the hail of bullets to fight. With a sense of anticlimax, they slowly joined the shooting.

Perhaps the Enlighteners' guardian had left a huge shadow on everyone, as the barrage lasted for a full three minutes. Yu Lian also felt like a shut-in in a gym, holding a 300-pound weight without daring to put it down, almost exhausted to death, yet he could only grit his teeth and persist. It wasn't until his vision, which surpassed that of ordinary people, finally saw the enemy completely collapse amidst the explosions of fire, and the indicator light on its chest went dark, that he slumped onto the Tank.

"Want a cigar?" Ina asked.

"A chocolate energy bar will do..." Yu Lian replied.

Ina sized Yu Lian up. Seeing him panting heavily, sweating profusely, his face flushed but his eyes unfocused, like a shut-in who had just run a marathon, she said with a serious expression, "Eating this right after exercising will make you gain weight."

As a result, Yu Lian only received a cup of water, given by a plain-looking, average-figured nurse whose name Yu Lian had already forgotten. As for Ina, she had already slowly approached the wreckage with a few bold individuals.

Wearing Power Armor, she strode forward with powerful steps. While Youyou and Baka were still a bit hesitant, she had already pushed through the crowd and gently poked the dismantled metal wreckage with her gun muzzle. Seeing no reaction, she then kicked it hard.

"Target confirmed neutralized," Ina announced loudly.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Some began to celebrate quietly. At that moment, various legends of exploring Enlightener legacies surfaced in their minds. They felt as if they had become part of those legends, enough to brag about for the next century.

It's just temporarily disassembled, but this thing is made of active metal, so it'll restore itself after a while. Yu Lian thought. But there's no need to dampen everyone's spirits right now.

"I thought all Enlightener guardians were very powerful," Miss Belinda said softly.

Yu Lian smiled and didn't answer, secretly rolling his eyes. Do you think all guardians are like the King of Star Dragons I met last time, the kind who could kill their way through the main fleets of both the Alliance and the Empire seven times over?

Enlightener ruins had levels, and the abilities of their guardians naturally had levels too. This "Giant Bakugan," according to the Alliance Bracer Association's classification, was a regimental-level "monster," capable of fighting an well-equipped army regiment. However, this was only if it fully "unfolded," deploying its antimatter shields, hive missile launcher, two energy cannons, and two cutting lasers.

We had 30 heavily armed soldiers, five Black Panther Vehicles, and one "Chimera." A three-minute saturation bombardment only managed to break it apart.

But wasn't I risking my life to create an opportunity for a saturation bombardment?

What else? Should it have deployed all its weapons and shields, and we fought it for hundreds of rounds, half of us dead and half disabled, before I, with my protagonist's halo, delivered the final blow?

Yu Lian jumped off the Tank and walked forward, rummaging through a piece of metal skeleton.

"Huh? It's incredible, our firepower was so intense, but the damage it received seems to be purely structural. Ouch..." Uncle Karl was about to speak when he felt a heavy kick on his backside. Enraged, he turned around, only to see Yu Lian standing a few meters away, signaling him with his eyes to shut up. The latter paused for a moment, then seemed to realize something, his face filled with solemn respect as he nodded in obedience.

So, what did you think of this time?

"See if there's anything usable," Yu Lian said.

Since the damage was only structural, it meant the parts weren't broken and there should be plenty of good stuff to salvage. Yu Lian believed the old engineer would understand his meaning. Indeed, the latter's eyes lit up, and he dived back into the pile of mechanical parts, his face beaming with happiness and excitement as if he had stumbled upon a mountain of gold.

Yu Lian also went over and started sifting through the parts with his hands.

"What are you looking for?" Ina asked, seemingly with a hint of knowing.

"Can't I just be scavenging?"

"Heh, guess if I believe you?"

"...Alright, as far as I know, the autonomous activation of all Enlightener guardians has a reason. For example, sensing something, resonance, or an echo. If it wasn't echoing me, then it could only be echoing you."

"Why couldn't it be echoing you?"

Because last time, no, "in the future," nothing happened when I came, but can I say that?

"...Because you were possessed just now, but I wasn't."

Ina found that quite reasonable.

"So, if you search carefully here, you might find something that perfectly matches your Awakening item, or even a treasure..."

"Sir, this thing is still usable!" Uncle Karl ran over excitedly, his expression as ecstatic as if he had dug a gallstone from the Spirit of the Universe out of a trash heap.

"This... is usable?" Yu Lian was skeptical. The object in his hand was a large hunk of metal, likely a heavy energy cannon that had fallen off the guardian.

Yu Lian wasn't doubting that the weapon was damaged. After all, weapons made of active metal by the Enlighteners were quite durable. But just because it wasn't broken didn't mean it could be used. If you gave a perfectly intact Tank to a Stone Age primitive, could they drive it?

"I've checked it. In fact, the internal structure is very similar to the products from my old factory," the Old Mechanic said with an awkward laugh as Yu Lian's suspicious gaze grew more apparent. "...Uh, alright, I only understand bits and pieces myself, but at least the energy transmission structure is very similar. As long as we equip it with a reliable energy source, we can use it. Hmm, let me think, yes, we can just use the energy packs from the Black Panther Vehicle or this Tank. I'll just connect a wire!"

"...Which factory did you work at before?"

As soon as the question was asked, an indescribable, visible sense of desolation and sorrow appeared on the Old Mechanic's face. In his silence, it was as if a multi-million-word realist epic had been narrated.

"It was Volley Fire..."

"The one that used to specialize in designing broadside cannons and close-in weapon systems for the Navy? Uh, sorry... Alright, I'll leave it all to you then."

The Old Mechanic nodded. Although his past had been brought up and he was still saddened, he had regained some spirit and vitality. After all, tinkering with all sorts of "bang bang bang" big killing machines was the lifelong passion of his career.