"The unification of Vedtal requires a true Imperium Titan."
After saying this, Ayla withdrew her hand from the load-bearing beam. The scavengers around her looked at each other, none of them daring to say anything.
They had certainly heard of something called the " Imperium Titan ".
In the old legends of Vedtal, it was a war behemoth that only appeared Dark Age of Technology and the Imperium Expeditions. Its steel body towered like a building, the earth trembled when it walked, and it could destroy city walls with a single blow.
But legends are legends.
The largest war machine they had ever seen in their lives was the "mini Titan " that Ayla had just assembled in two hours.
Now this thing is scattered into a pile of rubble. Ayla, however, has started thinking about the "real Imperium Titan," which sounds rather unrealistic.
Gunshi sat on a twisted armor plate beside him, his newly reattached mechanical legs still not quite obeying him, twitching every now and then.
He hesitated for a long time, but finally couldn't help but ask, "Hey, why don't you consider something more immediate?"
Ayla turned to look at him.
"For example?"
"For example, Black Iron City."
Gunshi pointed into the distance.
"We just detained all five or six hundred of them; this can't be kept secret. Those guys in Black Iron City aren't dead; once the news gets back, they'll definitely send more people over soon."
"There might not be this many people by then."
Ayla remained silent for a few seconds.
He then said, "No."
Gunshi was taken aback. "What don't you know?"
"They won't be sending another army of that size anytime soon."
How did you know?
Ayla didn't answer, but walked directly towards the Black Iron City officers who were tied up not far away.
Among the prisoners, the middle-aged officer who had originally commanded the entire attacking force was sitting on the ground, half of his face covered in blood. His right wrist had been dislocated by the final impact from the little Titan, and his face looked horribly pale.
When he saw Ayla approaching, he instinctively straightened his back. Not out of respect, but purely out of fear.
Just a few hours earlier, he had witnessed this woman piloting a dilapidated mech cobbled together on the spot, forcefully crashing through his entire battle line.
The last minute was even more absurd. Despite being reduced to scrap metal by the mining blasting cannon, it inexplicably stood up again.
He never wanted to see that scene again in his life.
Ayla walked up to him, skipped the pleasantries, and asked directly, "How many troops does Black Iron City have left?"
The officer remained silent. Ayla thought for a moment, then turned to look to the side.
" Gunshi."
"What?"
He refused to answer.
Gunshi immediately flashed a very friendly smile, limped over, and pulled a pair of pliers from his waist.
"Back when I was in Black Iron City, I learned a little about interrogation."
The officer's face immediately changed. "Wait!"
In less than five minutes, everything was explained.
The Black Iron City's standing armed force numbers over two thousand.
It sounds like a lot, but only less than 1,200 are truly fully equipped, systematically trained, and ready to be used as field troops.
The force that just attacked Seventh Dock was one of the most elite units.
More than 500 people, more than 20 vehicles, heavy exoskeletons, mortars, rocket launchers, plus that extremely valuable mining melting cannon.
Black Iron City's original plan was simple: to flatten the Seventh Dock in one fell swoop.
Instead of flattening it, it ended up giving away half of its own arm.
The remaining troops in the city were mostly tasked with maintaining order, guarding warehouses, protecting the Chamber of Commerce, and controlling outlying strongholds.
There are very few regular troops left that can be quickly mobilized.
After listening, Ayla lowered her head and drew a simple troop distribution map on the ground. Gunshi stood beside her for a long time, watching, his expression gradually changing.
What do you want to do?
"Attack Black Iron City."
"Now?"
"Now."
Gunshi's lips twitched slightly. "No, we just finished fighting."
"The wounded haven't been carried out yet, the bodies haven't been collected, and you're already planning to raid their hometown?"
Ayla looked up at him. "That's why we should go now."
"They suffered the greatest losses, had the most disorganized communications, and the fewest troops within the city. It will be more difficult for them to reorganize their defenses and recall their outer defenses."
The Gunshi seemed to want to say something, but ultimately kept quiet.
But there was something inexplicably wrong. Just hours ago, everyone was thinking about how to survive Black Iron City, but now Ayla was already calculating how to devour Black Iron City.
This pace is a bit too fast, yet it makes a lot of sense.
Firstly, Ayla's words do make sense.
Secondly, the battle just now has emboldened everyone; Black Iron City is not invincible.
Their imposing armored vehicles would be overturned, their heavy exoskeletons would be kicked away, and their mining-powered melting cannons, which were supposed to be able to destroy city walls, would eventually become nothing more than a pile of scrap metal on the ground.
More importantly, they now have vehicles, guns, heavy weapons, and over five hundred prisoners.
For an ordinary person, over 500 mouths would be a hassle. But for Ayla, they're over 500 reusable parts.
She quickly began regrouping.
Those who could drive continued to drive, those who could repair engines were organized into separate maintenance teams, medical personnel treated the wounded, and those who were originally in charge of heavy weapons continued to maintain captured equipment.
As for the original officers of Black Iron City, they were all relieved of their command and placed under the care of Gunshi and the people of the Seventh Dock.
One of the prisoners couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you afraid we'll run away?"
Ayla was inspecting the transmission system of an armored truck without looking up.
"Okay." The man was stunned.
"What did you say?"
"Those who want to run can run."
Ayla pulled her hand out of the engine compartment; her hands were covered in black oil.
" Black Iron City just lost an army. What can they possibly give you after you return?"
"If you stay and finish your work, I will provide you with food, water, and lodging."
"Obey arrangements, work for a year, and you will regain your freedom."
The surrounding prisoners all fell silent.
These conditions are hardly benevolent, but in a place like Vedtal, they are almost unrealistically good.
When Black Iron City captures people from the outer settlements, there are usually only two outcomes.
They went to the mines or the slave markets.
Live for a year and regain your freedom? Many people even doubted that they had heard correctly.
A young soldier hesitated for a long time before stepping forward.
"I know the enemy's firepower deployment at the west gate of Black Iron City."
Then someone else raised their hand.
"I used to work at a machine repair shop in the city, so I know where the armored vehicle depot is."
"There's a maintenance access road next to the granary in the North District that leads directly into the inner city."
More and more people started to speak up. Gunshi's eyelids twitched as it watched.
This woman just beat someone to a pulp. Now, without even much torture, the guy is already betraying his former employer.
He suddenly realized that Black Iron City might really be doomed this time.
A few hours later.
A convoy that looked very strange appeared outside Black Iron City.
At the very front was the armored unit that had just been dispatched to encircle and annihilate the Seventh Dock.
Not many vehicles were missing. In fact, even the Black Iron City's own flag was still hanging on it.
The defenders on the city wall were initially quite excited.
Some people even whistled.
"I'm back!"
"I knew it! What kind of trouble could a bunch of scavengers cause?"
"It's estimated that Seventh Dock has already been bulldozed."
But as the convoy drew closer, the noise gradually subsided. They realized something was wrong.
A woman was standing on the turret of the foremost armored vehicle.
Her long black hair was blown back by the wind, and her purple eyes stood out in the sunset.
The officer who was originally in charge of the army sat in the back truck, looking disheveled.
Their hands were still bound with ropes. A deathly silence fell over the city wall.
A few seconds later, a piercing alarm blared throughout the entire Black Iron City.
"Enemy attack!"
"Close the door!"
"Everyone, Uptown!"
The heavy city gates began to close slowly. Ayla, standing on the roof of the vehicle, glanced at them but did not stop them.
She had already obtained information about Black Iron City from the prisoners.
This so-called city is essentially just a large outpost transformed from an old industrial area.
The city walls were thick, and there were plenty of weapons, but the vast majority of the defensive structures were built on the industrial structures of the old era.
in other words.
These things, in her eyes, were flawed in every way.
The people of Black Iron City attempted to demand their immediate surrender via radio broadcast.
Ayla didn't bother to respond.
The first shell quickly flew from the city wall, landing in front of the convoy and kicking up a large amount of earth and rocks.
A car burst into flames on the spot, and Gunshi peeked out from the side.
"What to do? Launch a direct attack?"
"There's no need."
Ayla jumped off the armored vehicle. She walked along the city wall for a while and finally stopped next to the main city gate.
The gate of Black Iron City was originally a heavy-duty gate used to transport large mining machinery in the old industrial area. Later generations welded a large number of steel plates on the outside, making it look exceptionally sturdy.
However, they clearly did not understand the original design. The outer armor was very thick, but the mechanical locking mechanism that actually controlled the opening and closing was still an old thing left over from hundreds of years ago.
Ayla watched for two minutes, then summoned several captured heavy trucks.
The steel cable Uptown. Several engineers cut the two hydraulic locking lines as she requested.
Then, all vehicles accelerate simultaneously.
The engine roared deafeningly, and the steel cables tightened.
A sharp, metallic creaking sound rang out, and the defenders on the city wall panicked instantly.
"What are they doing?!"
"The door lock! The lock on the bottom door is broken!"
"Send someone to fix it immediately!"
It's too late.
With a dull thud, the entire old mechanical locking mechanism was ripped apart.
The seemingly indestructible steel city gate slowly cracked open.
The scavengers outside burst into cheers, while chaos erupted inside the city.
The most elite field troops of Black Iron City have just been wiped out, and now even the city gates are being forcibly demolished right in front of them.
Even more fatally, the news could no longer be suppressed.
The expeditionary force failed, but the Seventh Dock was not destroyed.
The woman with black hair and purple eyes not only survived, but also led Black Iron City's own army back to fight their way back.
The riots started among the peripheral workers, followed by the slave laborers in the mines, and finally the civilians.
The Black Iron City Chamber of Commerce and its management have ruled this place for so many years, and it has never relied on love and respect.
Instead, it's about making everyone believe that resistance is pointless.
But now, that premise has been shattered.
Someone secretly cut off the power supply to the western defense tower, and a side door was also secretly opened.
Even some members of the city's security team threw their guns on the ground.
When Ayla actually stepped into Black Iron City, the anticipated street battle never occurred.
The city has already cracked open from within.
Gunshi and his men took control of the armory, while the men from the Seventh Dock went to the granary.
Ayla, on the other hand, gave the orders directly.
"First control the water purification station, then the power plant, the granary, and finally the armory."
Gunshi paused for a moment.
"Shouldn't we arrest the city lord first?"
Ayla looked at him.
"The city lord has escaped; we can catch him again."
"The water purification plant exploded; people will die tomorrow."
The Gunshi were silent for a few seconds, but ultimately said nothing.
That night, the lord of Black Iron City naturally couldn't escape.
He was carrying several boxes of valuable supplies and tried to leave through the underground transport tunnel, but was blocked at the exit by his own security team, who delivered him and the boxes to Ayla.
Ayla didn't even execute him immediately.
What she needs is far more useful than a person's brain.
Population records, grain reserves, mine distribution, peripheral settlements, industrial equipment.
And all the stuff that was shipped back from Seventh Dock decades ago.
When she reached the last item, she suddenly stopped.
An old, yellowed file contains a record of an extremely special trophy.
It was the wreckage of a large Imperium war machine that had been dragged back from the underground of the Seventh Dock.
Given the level of Black Iron City at the time, it was simply impossible to repair.
Only the outer armor and a few parts could be removed; the main body was too heavy and too complex, so it was sealed in an underground warehouse in the old industrial area.
For decades, no one cared.
Ayla stared at the file for a long time, then stood up and kicked the Black Iron City Lord.
"Lead the way."