Inside the cramped Scrap Cavern, the heat warped the air.
As they watched the flames devour everything, a glimmer of hope flashed in the squad members' eyes-even a Level Five warrior should have fallen to such a meticulously planned chain of ambushes.
Just as everyone thought it was over, the sea of fire suddenly churned violently, as though some enormous creature were awakening within it.
"Creak-snap."
The teeth-grating sound of twisting metal came from the heart of the blaze.
A huge hand encased in a heavy gauntlet forcibly pulled out the spear that had pierced his knee.
There was no blood.
Not even the faintest sound of tearing flesh.
Adam casually snapped the refined steel spear in two, as though breaking a rotten twig.
"Clang."
The broken spear fell to the ground.
The orange-red Blazing Fire Gel was still burning, but the towering figure had already stepped through the flames.
Completely unscathed.
A dark red glow flowed over his black plate armor, keeping all the alchemical flames clinging to it at bay.
But what chilled them most was his leg.
Through the gap the spear had torn in his armor, they could now see what lay beneath where his knee should have been.
It was an exceptionally smooth metal limb. It gleamed with a cold silver light, its seamless surface looking as though it had formed naturally.
"Construct augmentation?"
A knowledgeable GEBU squad member cried out, his voice trembling.
"Ah, yes."
Adam rolled his neck, his vertebrae cracking like popping beans.
He glanced down at his mechanical legs, which were still trailing wisps of smoke, his voice brimming with pride.
"For these legs, I sawed off my original pair of weak, useless flesh-and-blood ones. Hurt so much I nearly pissed myself."
"But..."
"It was worth it."
The instant those words