On a shady slope, Gustavo concealed himself with Shadow Cloak and began to alter his appearance.
His 12-meter height was quite conspicuous, and his appearance was too ferocious and brutal. Although there were not many good people in the Jilong Highlands, Gustavo still preferred to keep a low profile.
Even bad people like to associate with good people, don't they?
With a series of sharp, teeth-grinding cracking sounds, Gustavo's body began to shrink.
It's a physical shrinking, not a magical power like Polymorph. The principle is similar to the shrinking technique on Blue Star, but the magnitude is much greater.
Spikes shrink, shells fold, muscles shrink, skin dries out... even bones are getting shorter and thinner.
Three minutes later, a Black Spider, only about four meters tall, with a smooth exoskeleton, eight bright silver pupils, and a bewildered, somewhat dazed expression, lay prostrate on the ground.
Taking out a mirror, Gustavo examined his changed appearance and was quite satisfied.
"That's more like it, making them look harmless and cute, like they're easy to bully. It's a pity, changing them like this reduces their combat power by about 30%."
For Gustavo, his naturally grown size was the best fit for his combat prowess.
Whether it shrinks or grows larger, it will severely impact combat effectiveness.
Just like those humans who use the art of bone shrinking, they can certainly pass through some narrow gaps or openings, but because their physical structure undergoes drastic changes when their body shrinks, their speed, strength, and other abilities will decrease to some extent.
After the physical transformation was completed, Gustavo released the three puppets and had them stand on his back, pretending to be his master, while he himself pretended to be a pet and a mount.
"In this way, even if we encounter an enemy, they certainly won't attack me first; the puppets will become the first line of defense." Gustavo chuckled, then spat out several thin, almost imperceptible threads, connecting them to the three puppets, and channeling his own consciousness into them along the threads.
The next moment, the three puppets' previously somewhat dull eyes suddenly became lively, no different from those of other intelligent beings.
In contrast, Gustavo's eyes had lost seven or eight tenths of their sparkle, making him look even more dazed. And this wasn't a deliberate act of dazedness; it was far more genuine.
"Hmm... not bad, not bad. From now on, we are the Black Spider Squad, and I, Lennar, will be the captain. What do you think?" The golden fairy flapped its small wings and flew around the other two.
"We have no objection," April and Elia replied in unison.
"Then, let's go!"
At Lennar Gustavo's command, the squad broke free from the protection of the Shadow Cloak, and Black Spider, with its eight long legs, slowly crawled towards the nearby Jilong Highlands.
Although Jilong Highlands is a relatively chaotic gathering place, it doesn't mean that there is absolutely no order here.
There is no absolute chaos in the Astral Realm. Even the Demons of the Abyss, the representatives of the chaotic faction, are divided into classes and have subordinate relationships with each other, let alone the Jilong Highlands.
While this place doesn't have towering city walls like Night City, there are only four entrances to the settlement. The rest of the area is filled with various weapons, making it difficult to pass through.
The four entrances were divided up by powerful forces in Jilong Highlands, who then charged entrance fees.
Gustavo entered through the eastern entrance, which was guarded by a garrison of the Steam Church.
The golden sun shone brightly, casting brilliant rays of light. Various intelligent creatures of different shapes came and went. Most of them were humanoid, but there were also many magical beasts, as well as strange creatures that were soft and limp like a lump of paste.
Along the wide road, hundreds of fully armed Steam Church warriors stood proudly. They wore rough and primitive mechanical energy armor. Because they were powered by Transcendent steam, the armor appeared bulky and rigid. Black and blue pipes and wires were exposed and looked messy, making people wonder if these things actually had any combat capability.
Many intelligent beings who come to the Jilong Highlands for the first time have the same thought.
But these thoughts were quickly banished from their minds.
In the group, perhaps growing impatient, a burly orc and a Golden Lion first got into a verbal argument, which then escalated into a physical fight.
Both of them were visiting Jilong Highlands for the first time and were not very familiar with the local customs.
Furthermore, since they felt the warriors of the Steam Church were nothing special, they had no scruples and started fighting on the spot.
Their strength was indeed considerable, all reaching the Tier Seven. The orc was clearly stronger; each swing of his thick, dark spiked club was like a thunderclap, accompanied by a violent boom, making the Golden Lion unable to lift his head.
But at that moment, the leading Steam Church warrior casually pointed, and one of the warriors stepped forward from the ranks.
Bend your knees and push off the ground.
Pale blue wisps of Transcendent steam billowed from the gaps in the kinetic armor.
The next moment, with a loud bang, a huge crater appeared in the ground, and the steam warrior had vanished.
Gustavo's main consciousness, now attached to the Fairy Puppet Lennar, narrowed its two golden pupils slightly, thinking to itself, "Such speed!"
This explosive power was completely at odds with the outdated appearance of the steam-powered armor.
"Tsk, those two are in for it," Gustavo thought to himself.
The moment that thought crossed his mind, two screams rang in his ears. Then, both the Golden Lion and the orc fell silent, like a hen being choked.
Bang! Bang!
Not long after, the soldier returned, throwing the two troublemakers to the ground. "Captain, they've been captured."
"Hmm, well done, Amir." Captain Ricardo nodded slightly. "Return to the ranks!"
"Yes, sir!" Amir placed one hand on his chest, gave a salute to the Steam Church, and returned to his unit.
"You two, are you blind? Didn't you see that huge sign?" Ricardo pointed to a wooden sign that was at least a meter tall and swaying in the wind not far away, and said.
The wooden sign bore a line of blurry, crookedly written Astral Common: "No fighting is permitted in front of the settlement gates. Violators will be severely punished."
The Golden Lion and the orc exchanged a glance, their lips twitching in unison. They cursed inwardly, thinking, "Who would even notice such a tiny sign?"
Of course, they didn't dare to say what they really thought, so they could only lower their heads, admit defeat, and apologize repeatedly.
"Alright, considering this is your first offense, each of you will be fined 10,000 Ta Pound and work in the mine for a month. That'll be the end of it." Ricardo waved his hand, appearing quite magnanimous.
"What? Why don't you just rob it?" The orc's temper had clearly become even more volatile, his eyes, as big as copper bells, glaring angrily.
10,000 Ta Pound is not a small amount for orcs.
After all, he was a wanted criminal of his tribe, without any powerful backers or resources, and his income was very unstable, so he could only rely on robbery to make a living.
Don't assume these criminals live carefree lives. In reality, they are far less comfortable than their peers who are protected by powerful forces.
In every dimension—equipment, wealth, resources, secret techniques, etc.—there is a vast disparity between them and Transcendent individuals backed by powerful forces, and they are also constantly being hunted down.
If given a chance to start over, most people would probably refuse to become criminals.
The orcs reacted strongly, Golden Lion also looked angry, but this guy was a bit more cunning and didn't say anything to refute them directly.
It was precisely this slight caution that allowed the Golden Lion to escape disaster.
"Rob? You said it yourself."
Upon hearing the orc's words, Ricar, hidden beneath his visor, revealed a faint smile on his scarred face.
He then raised his finger.
A dark blue cross-shaped light shone from the tip of the index finger.
A deadly threat surged within the orc's heart; fear, like the claws of a demon, tore at his soul. Without thinking, he cried out, "Stop..."
Puff!
A deep, guttural sound, like the firing of an electromagnetic gun, echoed in front of the settlement gate.
Under the gazes of indifference, coldness, schadenfreude, or fear, Captain Ricar of the Guards unleashed a dark blue beam of light, as thick as a thumb, from his fingertip. The beam pierced straight through the orc's forehead, leaving a gaping hole and instantly vaporizing a large portion of his brain tissue.
The orc's eyes widened in disbelief, as if he couldn't believe he'd been shot so easily, without even a chance to negotiate.