68: Break the barrier!

"Gentlemen, what do you think?"

President Wilson rubbed his temples, his voice hoarse.

"Hmph, they didn't send it earlier or later, but precisely when our army is at their doorstep? It's clearly a delaying tactic from Divine Summer! Buying time!" a hawkish admiral slammed the table.

"But... these evidences don't seem to be fabricated out of thin air. The Sea God Cult's modus operandi indeed has many inexplicable points. We must maintain the highest vigilance against non-humanalien race," a relatively cautious staff officer interjected.

Everyone's gaze ultimately fell on the blond man sitting directly opposite Wilson,

who had been resting with his eyes closed—the Freemasons' President, Elias, the spear of dawn.

A faint, holy glow emanated from him, clashing with the high-tech room.

Wilson leaned forward slightly, his tone clearly respectful:

"Respected Mr. Elias, what is your opinion?"

Elias slowly opened his eyes, his azure pupils unruffled.

He elegantly flicked his finger, and a wisp of faint light flowed.

"Divine Summer's warning cannot be entirely trusted, nor can it be entirely dismissed."

His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority,

"But one thing is beyond doubt: no matter how detestable Divine Summer is, it is still a member of human civilization. The Sea God Cult... is an alien race. Those not of our kind are sure to have different intentions."

He changed the subject,

a cold arc forming at the corner of his mouth:

"However, if the Sea God Cult wants to use us, why can't we... use them in return?"

He looked at Wilson and the American Guys' high-ranking officials:

"We can proceed with the original plan, using the 'power' provided by the Sea God Cult to swiftly take Xuanming Island and seize the star-patterned vibranium ore vein!"

"Once the ore vein is in hand, we immediately fortify our position and cease advancing!"

"Avoid an all-out war with Divine Summer, preventing both sides from suffering heavy losses, which would only benefit the Shadow Scale Clan as the third party."

"By then, no matter what schemes the Sea God Cult has, with vibranium resources in our grasp, we will be invincible!"

Wilson's eyes lit up instantly, and he slammed the table:

"Excellent! Mr. Elias's insight is profound! Let's do it!"

He stood up abruptly, his face regaining a glow of confidence and greed, and loudly ordered:

"Order! The Blue Star Alliance Joint Fleet, deploy as planned! Target—Xuanming Island! After securing the ore vein, immediately switch to a defensive posture!"

"Yes!"

...Deep within Mount Fuji, in a scorching volcanic chamber.

Aria, in her spider form, sat on a relatively flat black volcanic rock,

holding a small, sizzling, oil-dripping, huge tentacle tip that was roasted to a fragrant crisp, eating it in small bites.

Her eating posture carried an almost elegant focus, inconsistent with her identity as the World-Ending Spider Queen.

Beside her,

Su Chen's colossal, mountain-like black body was half-submerged in the boiling dark red lava, idly rolling roasted octopus legs in the molten rock.

"Hey, Spider Spirit, this piece is almost done too, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, crunchy..."

A tentacle nimbly curled up another larger, perfectly roasted tentacle tip,

offering it to Aria.

As he spoke,

Su Chen propped his chin with two tentacles,

"Oh my! I'm so bored! The third day is almost over, why hasn't the Divine Summer military shown up yet!"

As he spoke,

his gaze dropped to Aria, who was chewing slowly,

that boredom instantly replaced by intense curiosity, and he couldn't help but lean closer again, his mental fluctuations carrying a mischievous undertone:

"Hey... I say... since we're just idling anyway,"

"How about... you still show me how you poop? I'm dying of curiosity!!!"

Aria's chewing motion suddenly stopped,

her pretty face instantly darkened.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don't get angry! Don't get angry!"

Su Chen quickly waved his tentacles,

"You've eaten my roasted tentacles! With our friendship, what's wrong with discussing the mysteries of life?! Academic exchange! Pure academic exchange!"

Just as dangerous spatial fluctuations began to emanate around Aria,

and her chitinous blade-like long legs slightly lifted, preparing to give this foul-mouthed giant monster a thorough chill—

Rumble rumble rumble—!!!

The entire volcanic chamber suddenly shook violently without warning!

The incredibly solid rock ceiling above groaned under the strain, and a large amount ofgravel rattled down!

Immediately after, a deafening metallic roar exploded!

Boom!!!

An enormous, rotating, super-giant drill bit, its tip glowing with the unique eerie blue light of star-patterned vibranium, like a roaring metal dragon, violently drilled through the hard rock layer, tearing open a massive breach!

The cold, fresh air from outside instantly rushed in, clashing with the hot volcanic gases, forming a howling whirlwind!

Almost at the same time, the dark green divine domain barrier that had trapped Su Chen and Aria, emanating a blasphemous and ominous aura, flickered violently a few times like a popped bubble, making a soft "plop" sound,

and completely vanished without a trace!

"Lord Kraken—!!!"

Chen Feng's hoarse but incomparably excited and ecstatic roar, amplified through the mecha's external loudspeaker, thundered from the passage behind the drill bit like rolling thunder!

A 'menshen' mecha, entirely fiery red and still mighty despite being covered in scratches,

stepped in with heavy strides, pushing aside the swirling smoke and dust!

"Hahahaha! They're here! I've been waiting for you!"

Su Chen's massive body suddenly rose from the lava, his ten tentacles wildly thrashing in excitement, stirring up waves of molten rock,

He was calculating with wild joy in his heart.

The system's timed mission still had over six days left; crushing those pests from the Sea God Cult, though a bit tight, was still achievable!

Actually,

the drilling project was originally expected to take 4-5 days,

but,

thousands of officers and soldiers from the East Sea Fleet's Engineering Department, to ensure Su Chen could emerge a day earlier,

worked tirelessly, pushing every ounce of their potential,

and managed to compress the time to just three days!

For Su Chen,

and for Divine Summer,

they had snatched this crucial day!

"Lord Kraken!"

Chen Feng controlled his mecha to kneel on one knee, gazing up at the colossal Su Chen,

his voice slightly distorted by urgency,

"We need you! Divine Summer needs you!"

"The American Guys, backed by the Sea God Cult, have returned! Their fleet is already approaching Xuanming Island! And domestically, those ambitious scoundrels from Kunlun Ruins are causing trouble!"

"Divine Summer is now facing internal strife and external threats, on the verge of collapse!"

"The Sea God Cult..."

Cold, tyrannical killing intent flowed from Su Chen's giant eyes as if substantial,

"Indeed, it's those lingering pests! It's time to thoroughly crush them into dust!"

He turned his massive head to look at Aria, who had silently stood up beside him:

"Spider Spirit, how about it? Want to come play with me? Crushing bugs is the best way to relieve boredom."

Aria gently shook her head, her black hair falling like a waterfall, obscuring half her face:

"Big Guy, I have... more important things I must do."