The pitch-black figure that had dropped from the sky—or rather, the mech called the "Scavenger"—did not hesitate for a moment once it steadied itself.
Its crimson eye swept across the scene, ignoring Bai Zhu and the others. It barely spared even the scholarly-looking Overseer a glance.
It had only ever had one target.
Boom!
The ground beneath the powered armor exploded. The black mech became a blur, crossing dozens of meters in an instant as it charged straight at the Pope's Flesh Mountain, which was still swelling and roaring.
Its spectral-blue scythe blade traced an icy arc through the air.
Dozens of blood-red tentacles shot out of the Flesh Mountain's fungal mat. The instant they touched the scythe, they were severed cleanly, like butter beneath a hot knife. No flesh or blood sprayed from the cuts; a layer of eerie blue energy vaporized them outright.
Two protective-suit team members nearby had not yet managed to retreat. The mere shock wave from the scythe struck them like a speeding truck, hurling them through the air and slamming them into a distant shipping container. Its sturdy metal wall caved in and ruptured instantly. Their protective suits shattered as well, and neither made another sound.
"Fuck, what the hell is that?" Milluki watched, the flesh on his round face trembling with excitement. Holy shit, a mech!
Meanwhile, Hisoka made no move. He simply stood in the shadows, watching the rampaging mech with keen interest. His grin widened steadily, as though he were deciding what amusing score to give this new performance.
Seeing the mech's second swing about to cleave straight into the Flesh Mountain's core—the deformed Pope duplicate—Bai Zhu's expression darkened.
"We can't let it cut that thing down!"
The system quest's target was still attached to that lump of rotten meat. If