In the Silvermane Guard Restricted Zone, Ye Yan stood before the equipment Gepard had collected, including an assortment of weapons used by frontline guards, marksmen, and cannoneers.
Silver Wolf had run off to clear out the remaining Fragmentum Monsters. The amber hammer was quite handy, taking out a Fragmentum Monster with every swing.
"Forgive my presumption... Mr. Ye Yan, the weapon Miss Silver Wolf is using..."
Gepard had never expected such a contrast from her. With such a cute face, she actually used a hammer as her weapon.
That was not the point. The point was her weapon... Gepard could feel the energy contained within it. Every time Silver Wolf used it to eliminate a Fragmentum Monster, Gepard and the other soldiers could feel an invisible force of [Preservation] within their bodies.
Unfortunately, Miss Silver Wolf had given them no opportunity to demonstrate it. With just herself and a hammer, she had wiped out the ferociously advancing Fragmentum Monsters, and now she had even run off to mop up the remnants.
If Gepard was not mistaken, this amber hammer must also have been bestowed upon Ye Yan by the Aeon of [Eternity].
Qlipoth above, these visitors from beyond the sky were far too powerful. They had so many weapons bestowed by Aeons. If Belobog had weapons gifted by an Aeon, it would not be in such a miserable state today.
The Fragmentum's corrosion had already spread into the city. It would not be long before it spread further, and then large numbers of residents would have to be relocated to seek shelter again.
"It just has a bit more amber in it. No need to think too much of it. These portable hand cannons are pretty good... They have quite an advantage at range, and the power of a single shot is nothing to scoff at, but they're still a little lacking against Fragmentum Monsters."
Ye Yan changed the subject. "Captain Gepard, look at this black [Bulwark] of yours. Not that Master Ye wants to criticize you... but you'd be better off using a lieutenant's giant shield."
"Uh..." Gepard was momentarily speechless. In truth, the weapon made from his sister's instrument case was very comfortable to use, and he quite liked it.
"Of course, I'm not saying your weapon is bad. Master Ye is going to give it a proper upgrade now. Protecting Belobog is everyone's responsibility."
The Landau family all had rather unusual weapons. The eldest sister, Serval, used an electric guitar, which perfectly suited her image as a rock music lover.
Gepard's [Bulwark] had been personally modified by Serval from an instrument case. Back when he was still an unremarkable private, he had already sworn to become Belobog's sturdiest shield and share life and death with his comrades.
Even becoming captain had not changed that. This was by no means an idle joke told by the Silvermane Guards around a fire at night, for Qlipoth himself was witness to that oath.
Such absolute conviction in [Preservation] was one of the few breaths of fresh air in present-day Belobog.
The youngest sister, Lynx, used a climbing pick... which Serval had also modified a little.
No wonder Serval and he hit it off. She formed a band and repaired things, too. How had the Landau family produced such a versatile woman?
It even made Ye Yan want to help modify Serval's electric guitar. Simply discharging electricity would not do. It needed something more practical.
Unfortunately, even a genius like Serval could not accomplish certain things, such as restoring her close friendship with the Supreme Guardian.
The Cocolia she knew would accompany her to the rooftop and listen to her sing.
But... the Supreme Guardian would not.
Ye Yan made a show of taking out a toolbox. It served no purpose, but he had to keep up appearances.
Another burst of sparks and lightning later, a brand-new [Improved Bulwark] appeared!
Gepard seemed to have gotten used to it. It was reasonable for interstellar travelers to possess some abilities that defied common sense, but wasn't this a little too fast?
Besides, this modified instrument case did not seem any different from before.
Ordinary eyes could hardly make out Ye Yan's movements. In fact, he had made no major changes this time, merely stuffing a piece of amber and a little something of his own inside.
The Landau family had served the Supreme Guardian for generations. To them, it was both an honor and a responsibility.
Only by becoming a shield the people could rely on could they accept the prestige that came with the title of [Architects] with a clear conscience.
Thus, any overall improvement to the shield had to involve [Preservation]. Ye Yan happened to have plenty of little trinkets from Aeons, and amber crystals were merely the most ordinary among them.
The amber that fell from Qlipoth's body as he swung his celestial hammer... Ye Yan had a whole pile of the stuff the Corporation regarded as treasure.
The time he and Akivili and the others had driven into the crystalline wall and each taken a hammer blow from Qlipoth was still vivid in his memory. Ultimately, it had all been Aha's fault.
The crafty Aeon of [Eternity] would not leave it at that. He had brought along Aha of [Elation], who loved joining in the fun, and Akivili of the [Trailblaze], who loved adventure...
As well as the Astral Express, which had innocently gotten caught in the crossfire. To put it nicely, they were testing the train's durability. To put it bluntly, they intended to ram the Astral Express back into Qlipoth.
The outcome was obvious. Not only had they failed, but the front of the train had also been severely damaged, leaving the Conductor with serious psychological trauma.
Well, the upside was that the Conductor had started taking train safety seriously... The downside was that the Conductor had given them a thorough dressing-down and confiscated all their food money. They had come within a hair's breadth of being sent to sleep beside the train's engine.
In the end, each of them had written a self-criticism before earning the Conductor's forgiveness.
Time flew. When Ye Yan boarded the Astral Express again, the front of the train had suffered another devastating collision. It had now faced an Aeon's body head-on twice, without succeeding once. What a shame.
As for this piece of amber, Qlipoth had actually given it to Ye Yan of his own accord. Perhaps he had become too annoyed to bear it any longer, or perhaps his conscience had stirred, and he had come to offer an apology...
That did not seem to make sense. Qlipoth had done nothing to wrong him. On the contrary, throughout all those millions of years, he had constantly been harassing Qlipoth with their other colleagues.
Looking at it that way... their civil engineering bro really was a great guy. For thousands of years, he had never found them annoying. Only when they truly disturbed him did he reward them with a hammer blow.
He really... Ye Yan could cry.
Ye Yan's nose stung. Truly worthy of being the Aeon of [Preservation]! He felt as though he understood the Interastral Peace Corporation now.
Touched as he was, Ye Yan had not forgotten the business at hand. He began explaining the improved Bulwark to Gepard.
The instrument-case Bulwark was different from Dan Heng's Cloud-Piercer. The former leaned toward business... toward defense, while the latter leaned toward offense.
With the amber crystal's assistance, its power of [Preservation] was strengthened further, allowing it to better support the Silvermane Guards fighting Fragmentum Monsters and spare them harm in the physical sense.
Considering that Gepard also swung the instrument case around in combat, Ye Yan had improved the Bulwark's handling as well. That was the little something of his own he had slipped in.
The power of preservation associated with [Eternity]!
Click!
With a mechanical sound from the Bulwark, an enormous pitch-black gun muzzle slowly extended from its front. Even from afar, the sight shook the soul as though one were staring straight into the abyss.
Just swinging it around to hit things was so dull. Better to catch the enemy off guard. Times had changed! Ever heard of American iaido?
Compared to close-quarters combat where every punch struck flesh, Ye Yan still preferred ranged attacks.
The instrument case itself was black, too, helping conceal the muzzle. It could hardly have been better for sneak attacks!
As a captain, one had to master not only excellent combat techniques but also the use of ranged combat capabilities, striving to wipe out the enemy's entire base with a single howitzer shot.
As long as all the enemies were eliminated, one's companions would not get hurt. That was a form of [Preservation], too!