Chapter 175: Lectured

Words : 1373 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

Chapter 175: Lectured "..." "Okay...Uhm..." It wasn’t a boom, a bam, or one powerful kablam. But was instead a giant "Fwiishhh~." And it was awkward, to say the least. "..." Even the giant tortoise waited on the expected impact after it charged up like that. "..." But there was none. And only a sprinkling of what seemed like sparkling dust fell upon the land. Eh? Luca thought as he watched the dust settling from above like gentle rain. Then it happened. *Eeeeyaaahhh!* The corrupted barnacles wailed as if in agony, forcefully pulling everyone out of their dazed states. Luca was unsure what and how it happened, but the tentacles and the open maw started bubbling up, only to start slipping off the Tortoiseshell it was encroaching on. It was an image that was hard to forget, and it would especially remain with a father and son who thought they’d soon meet their end. When the Sludgeborn Tortoise attempted to swat at Jax, who suddenly went missing, it actually caused a giant change in topography. Which forcefully unearthed the trapped mechas who thought they had been discovered already. Only to see several mechas circling around the raging guardian! Kael wanted to ask for help immediately and was planning on starting up his mecha when the mechas he was looking at started disappearing one by one! "!" At first, the father and son thought they had been hallucinating due to their desperation, but moments after, the same mechas appeared right where they disappeared. "What the—?!" They thought they had gone nuts until they saw and heard the intense fight between the three mechas and those forsaken tentacles! It was nervewracking because, however, they looked at it, it seemed impossible for these few mechas to defeat a corrupted beast this size, much less one that was once a guardian. But then they saw a fourth mecha, which looked imposing with that giant cannon mounted on its shoulders. The green military manual mecha was a stark contrast to the cannon’s white build, and it was one that even the son, who was in active service, hadn’t seen. Was this the latest military technology!? Were they really going to be saved?! This brought hope—something they thought they had lost as they continued being buried in the rubble for several days. And so they waited with bated breath as the grounded mecha charged up the giant cannon. Then came the bright light, like a photon beam, which they thought would end up in a massive explosion. But nothing happened. Well, not until the oozing goo that would terrify anyone started falling in clumps like someone had power-washed them off the shell. It was a sight to see and became even more striking when the clumps started disappearing! However, no one was more excited than the little money grubber who rushed over to collect the spoils. Admittedly, he was terribly flustered the moment the Purifier shot, only for ’nothing’ to happen immediately. But it seemed like it was a non-combative purification method that worked even on those that were alive. The thought alone was groundbreaking. It was just that Luca wondered just how many times he would have to fire the Purifier to deal with something as enormous as this tortoise?! Several times, it seems. But what forced them to change tactics was the charging time of the purifier. It wasn’t instant, something that Luca learned painfully as he almost got mauled as he allowed the tortoise to close in on him. Uh oh. Luca thought as the cannon refused to fire, indicating a charging bar. Xavier’s heart dropped, and his breath was caught in his throat as the corrupted guardian was this close to gnawing on the little chipmunk’s manual mecha. That metal wouldn’t hold, and if that tortoise got close enough to burn through the metal, then Luca would’ve been in trouble. Thankfully, the little daredevil’s automatic reaction to such danger was to teleport back into his space. Soon, the rest of the members came teleporting back in, with Xavier going back last after observing the effects of the Purifier on the corrupted beast. "Brother!" Called Ollie, who clambered off Kyle as soon as he saw the weapon of mass salvation. "Did you see how those things on the shell started giving out with just a shot from that Purifier?!" As a mechanic, he was obviously excited that such a weapon existed, but as much as he would like to check its parts, he was not crazy enough to experiment on their only copy. So, all he could do was marvel at the cannon that was left charging. But before the deranged enthusiasts could discuss the weapon further, a disgruntled Xavier came in with a dark expression. "Luca, just what were you thinking earlier?" Kyle and Jax straightened up when they heard their Captain’s tone. Even now, these two had memories of being punished whenever the Captain sounded like this. And frankly, even the chipmunk was alarmed. Save for the first day when Xavier thought he was some criminal, the Prince had actually never talked to him like this. His husband had always been nice and patient, but right now, he seemed angry. And Luca didn’t know how to deal with such people properly, as most people would start throwing punches at him by then. So, he flinched, and Xavier noticed the panic in Luca’s eyes as the little chipmunk bowed his head as if in preparation for a blow that would never come. But instead of being hit, Luca was surprised to be pulled into an embrace by Xavier, who continued to ruffle his hair amidst lecturing on why he should at least think about calculated risks. "You’ve learned about mecha manufacturing, so I know that you know just how flimsy the manual mechas are." "They’re not meant to tank damages from beasts the size of a mountain. Not to mention the acid that would’ve torn the mecha worse than a powerful blow." "You almost killed me in stress, so do not do that again. If you want to engage in riskier combat, then at least use Sid." Luca, whose face was squished against Xavier’s chest, had to wiggle his head out just to be able to retort. At first, he thought he was going to be scolded, but then Xavier gave a lecture that embarrassed Luca, who was admittedly in the wrong. "But I’m not allowed to pilot other types of mechas right now..." Luca trailed off. "Exactly. And that’s for a reason. Until you’re able to do it properly, please refrain from risking your neck like that. Do you understand?" Xavier held on to Luca’s face, almost wanting to burn the warning into this guy’s head. "I’m sorry. I...I was too excited." Luca sincerely apologized, knowing that he really hadn’t been thinking much and only going by the excitement of being surrounded by this many possibilities. The Prince could only sigh as he accepted the little chipmunk’s apologies and thought of ways for him to learn about self-preservation. Because as much as Luca had always been scared of being incarcerated, it never seemed like he was scared of death. For now, the exasperated husband could only ask to be told of dangerous plans. "We’re here to help you, so please tell us what you need, this way we can provide you with proper support." Luca’s ears twitched at this, his eyes practically sparkling. And by now, Xavier already knew the meaning behind such a look. "Really? You’ll do that?" Asked one hopeful chipmunk, which received a nod from the suddenly regretful Prince. "So, what do you need me to do?" Asked Xavier with a sigh. "Husband, please freeze it for me." "I—I really want it." Said Luca, who clutched at the Prince’s clothes. It was a clear, low blow. And even the onlookers, who had no idea why they were being stuffed with so much dog food, could only watch as the normally stoic Xavier crumbled at the hands of their guild leader. The effect was obvious—a successful deal for the little money-grubber. Because several people were about to witness the formation of a giant glacier in the middle of what was now a dry ’wetland’.

Chapter 175: Lectured

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