Chapter 174: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Words : 1248 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

Chapter 174: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work Five people, one system, and a guardian mecha felt like staring into the abyss after scaring themselves witless. "..." "..." If anything, Jax was supposed to be the most terrorized of all as he was the unfortunate pilot who knocked against a giant eye. But once he played the video for everyone, one mop figured he was going to get really sick. And it was all because there really was something wrong with the area compared to the last satellite images. It was not a bug. Realized D-29, who analyzed the footage of a colossal Sludgeborn Tortoise. Jax was trying to look into Kyle’s images when he noticed a sudden rock formation where there was once flat land. The approach was easy, but the escape definitely wasn’t. And it was then that all hell broke loose. Jax knocked on what he thought was stone, only to knock on what was apparently a giant eye. One that was humungous and extremely piercing. It was not a gaze anyone would want, but at that moment, it was fixed on Jax as if it had never seen anything better. And maybe it hadn’t because the slumbering guardian hadn’t been up until recently and had only encountered two manually operated mechas. But Jax was operating his personal mecha, and right now, he looked appetizing enough to uproot the beast’s entire body. The corrupted tortoise then realized that a metallic dust rife with energy had served itself on a platter, and there was no way it would let it escape. When the Sludgeborn Tortoise groaned, the sound reverberated like thunder through the desolate yet not-so-wet wetlands. Birds were disturbed, and the trees rustled as the lesser beasts turned away from what was definitely a much bigger predator. And with them shook everyone who was in contact with the ground. "This ain’t no rock—it’s alive!" Jax shouted to the rest as his mecha tumbled down. At first, he was trying to cling to the beast, but when he saw tentacle-like tongues lashing out from what looked like grotesque maws, Jax decided to let go. Then he prayed. Right before executing his best move. A teleport to his settlement house. It was a move he’d never executed in this manner because Jax recalled his mecha right as he fell to the ground—all in a bid to avoid collapsing his house and his children. Thankfully, it worked. And he wasn’t the only one. Oh, hell no. Thought most of them as they heeded Xavier’s call to retreat back into the space. One leveled cabin and a nebulizer later, five people decided to sit together to discuss the cluster fuck that had just awakened. But it took a while to start this brainstorming as they digested what just happened. "..." Now, Xavier, Kyle, and Jax had long been fighting corruption, but they had never seen something this massive. Especially one that used to be a guardian. While the Ancient arachnid was already something else, Xavier had doubts about being able to deal with such a colossal beast with whatever they had right now. "Captain, should we call reinforcements for this?" Asked Kyle, who propped himself from the ground. But before Xavier could answer, Luca shot up from his position on the floor, surprising everyone but D-29. Luca’s recovery was slower than most, but that was understandable, considering what he was recovering from. Utter joy. The little money grubber and one unhinged system could not believe that a corrupted beast so big could exist like that. Not to mention the ores that D-29 managed to scan from the beast’s back. Luca’s fingers were in pins and needles as he thought about just how financially stable they would be if he managed to deal with the beast. He wanted it. Really, really wanted it. And Xavier could see it in the gleaming golden eyes of his little golden dragon. So, the answer about turning away and asking for reinforcements would have to be a no. Because just how would they explain this shorty chipping at the giant tortoise to anyone else? "Luca, do you have any ideas?" Asked Xavier, who was inwardly sighing at his sudden backtracking just because he saw the chipmunk’s expression. At first, the guild leader didn’t. But D-29 reminded him of one thing he actually hadn’t tried. The Purifier. When the system reminded him about it, he was surprised to learn that it wasn’t a giant machine like the recycler but something more like a giant cannon. But apparently, it wasn’t a vacuum, but an actual cannon that would shock them at first use—he just needed to bring enough Energy Crystals. "I haven’t tried this, but maybe we could use it, " said Luca, suddenly removing the Purifier from the inventory. And the little money grubber was actually preparing to head out when he was stopped by Xavier. The Imperial Crown Prince realized that he would have to be the voice of reason for today, stopping his cannon-wielding wife who looked too excited to play with a new toy or earn CP—or likely both. "Luca, we’ll try to distract it first while you test out that gun. Then let’s return here to figure out what to do next." Of course, Luca loved the sound of that. It was just that Ollie wondered why Kyle and Jax straightened from the mention of ’distraction.’ "What’s wrong?" Asked the busybody who had noticed the blanching faces of both giants. "I suggest you stay here for this round," Kyle said with a dark face. "No, I—I don’t want to. I’ve already come this far!" Said Ollie, who figured that he’d just panic himself into fainting if he stayed inside the space. But then maybe Kyle wasn’t kidding. The little mop should’ve just stayed in the space. When Xavier meant distraction, he actually meant intense evasion exercises. Ollie lurched when he realized what was happening. Xavier was firing a sniping canon as they looked for vulnerable spots on the corrupted giant tortoise. Good and great. The only problem was that Jax ran a heavy mecha while Kyle was piloting a medium one. *BOOM!* It was a hit close to home, one so close Ollie felt like being sent home to his ancestors! "Wha—what the?!" He shouted, but there was nothing he could do about it. Jax and Kyle knew. Their Captain had long been crazy. And anyone who was slow enough would get hit. It was a teamwork that looked flawless, especially to Luca and to two other uncanny spectators. Wow. But it was teamwork brought about by blood, sweat, tears, and fear. Mostly fear. However, it was working. Jax was pulling in the tentacles’ aggro while Kyle was slashing them off. During all that time, Xavier kept on firing at the exposed face of the annoyed tortoise. It was boom after boom. And Ollie’s brain and resolve had been shaken. Maybe he was really just meant to be a mechanic? So, he decided to be an honest man because honest men probably live longer. Or as honest as he was willing to be. "???" "Just what do you think you’re doing?" Asked the adjutant, who wondered why the mop had turned into a monkey. "Protecting you. You should be grateful." Said Ollie as he snaked around the contracted mecha pilot. "Uh...okay? Well, hang on tight because the Captain does not play." And Xavier really didn’t, especially not after Luca fired the first Purifier shot.

Chapter 174: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

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