Chapter 1588: Chapter 1588

Vyperion stared at us in disbelief, realizing we were far stronger than he had ever thought possible for "small people."

"Y-You're…! Just how strong are you all?! Crimcrow…! Dark Zodiacrons are immensely powerful…! Cough… Ugh, my fuel tanks are damaged…"

"Vyperion! I brought a repair kit!"

Quick Hare leaped to his side as I instructed her to help her senior. She took out a silver cube and began repairing the wounds on his stomach and chest.

"Q-Quick Hare… Ugh…! Just get out of here… see how dangerous it is?!"

"No, this is not right! Why has this war dragged on for so long anyway? We have to end this somehow, and I think Maria and her friends can help!"

"War never ends…! It never ends…! Quick Hare… it never… ever ends…"

"V-Vyperion! Hang in there! Almost done! Please don't die!"

I could do little for her beyond protecting them and watching.

Maybe I could do more.

[I know, Maria. I have already found three possible skills.]

Well, he certainly could read my mind!

[Mechanical Repair: Lv1] [Cost]: [30,000,000 System Points] Updates are released by novèlfire.net

[Machine Construction: Lv1] [Cost]: [25,000,000 System Points]

[Metal Bending: Lv1] [Cost]: [20,000,000 System Points]

"Okay, give me the most expensive one, and I'll master it to Level 10 instantly."

[That'll be ten million more.]

"That's fine! Hurry."

I felt a portion of my System Points vanish as a new Skill imprinted itself into my soul.

Then, this skill absorbed more energy, evolving to its maximum form, spreading like a radiant magic circle filled with runes across my Soul.

[You have exchanged 30,000,000 System Points!]

[You have learned the [Mechanical Repair: Lv1] Skill!]

[You have exchanged 10,000,000 System Points!]

[The [Mechanical Repair: Lv1] Skill has reached Maximum Level!]

I heard Quick Hare screaming and crying. Her repair kit wasn't fast enough, and Vyperion was losing critical oil needed for his body to function.

"Calm down. I think I can do something now."

I pointed my small hand at Vyperion, who gazed at me while slowly losing consciousness.

"{Mechanical Repair}"

My Aura surged, Mana flowing from my hand, transforming into silver-colored ethereal gears that formed a vast magic circle. Light enveloped Vyperion's wounds.

By focusing on his injuries, I began repairing them, closing the wounds and preventing further fuel loss.

"I-It was repaired?! Maria! You used magic that can repair us!" Quick Hare gasped.

"I just learned a skill by spending copious amounts of system points," I sighed. "This is just the power of being rich, kid. Now, give him plenty of fuel. You've got an extra bottle, right?"

"Yes!" Quick Hare retrieved it from her inventory, feeding the oil to Vyperion, who slowly began to recover.

The ground shook as dozens of Hive Drones emerged, hissing and charging us with all their strength, their footsteps making the earth tremble.

"Uwaah! There are too many!" Quick Hare screamed.

"D-Damn it…!" Vyperion groaned. "If only…! Ugh, where's Gallotron? Q-Quick Hare! Where is he?"

"I don't know! He was far away!" Quick Hare said, looking around frantically. "Gallotron! Where are you?!"

Three Hive Drones lunged at us, intent on tearing us to shreds.

Let's try an old Skill, now enhanced with my current power.

A box formed from my dark energies appeared in my hands, opening to reveal an endless, chaotic void, a swarm of black specters and flames.

The three Hive Drones that attacked were instantly consumed by the Chaos, collapsing to the ground and screaming in agony as their lifeforce was drained.

The moment they fell, I sensed something pulling their souls away.

Was it the Hive Queen? Her power over souls explained her strength.

"No, you're not going anywhere."

With a simple command, the souls remained, re-entering their corpses and rising again.

"W-What happened?! They stood up again! Your attack didn't work!" Quick Hare said.

"No, they're dead. I govern the dead," I explained. "You could say I'm a 'Necromancer,' for lack of a better term. The dead answer my call and become my eternal servants."

"N-Necromancer…?" Vyperion's eyes widened. "The power of the small people… have we been… underestimating them this entire time…?"

More Hive Insectoids charged toward us, their sharp claws and fangs gaping, hungry for the living steel that composed Zodiacrons.

My three Undead Hive Drones clashed with them, gradually overpowering them as I infused them with Nightmare power. Their bodies turned black, sprouted red crystals, and doubled in size.

"And this is the power of Nightmares. When combined with my Necromancy, I can evolve my Undead," I explained with a smirk. "This is the power your people have looked down on! The war you fight is a fabrication, I'm sure of it! You cannot keep suffering for the greed of those above you."

The three Undead Hive Drones roared, opening their jaws and firing nightmare acid breaths at their kind, burning their bodies and slaying them.

The black fog they emitted, Nightmare Essence from the Death Authority I claimed from the Nightmare Demon King, infected their bodies, transforming them into more Nightmare Undead.

"Your war ends today! Go, my Undead!"

The Hive Drones faltered, bewildered as their own brethren crushed them mercilessly, and their fallen kin rose again, turning against them.

"Now's the perfect time, Quick Hare. Claim your strength and level up! Grab your blades and fight."

Quick Hare stood, gripping her long knives and clashing with a large Hive Drone. She was quickly overpowered, worrying Vyperion.

"Aim for the joints! Their legs! Incapacitate their legs first, Quick Hare! Don't let their acid touch you. Stay behind them! They can only shoot acid from the front and have a hard time turning around!" Vyperion instructed, guiding her.

Something he likely never did before, believing a Rabbit Zodiacron like her would never need such guidance.

"O-Okay!" Quick Hare kicked the ground, dodging a deadly claw attack and appearing behind the Hive Drone. She struck its legs from behind. The monster indeed struggled to turn, and Quick Hare unleashed a barrage of attacks, destroying its back legs and making it collapse to the ground.

"I did it!" she celebrated.

"Don't claim victory yet! Kill it! Strike its head with your weapons!" Vyperion urged. "Here, take my gun! Shoot at the cracks you made!"

He tossed the large laser gun to her. Quick Hare grabbed it and fired at the beast's head, causing it to explode.

The monster died by her hand, perhaps her first kill.

"I did it! I leveled up too! I'm Level 22!" she celebrated.

"You've got a long way to go, rookie," I said. "Come on, don't slack! Three more are coming for you!"

"Aahhh!" Quick Hare panicked as the monsters hissed at her.

"Tch, do I have to do everything around here?" Vyperion's voice echoed as he flew to her side, striking all three beasts with his long snake tail.

"Quick Hare, you've got potential! Maybe I was wrong about rabbits, but you're still inexperienced. Follow my lead, and we'll take them down together!" Vyperion said.

"Okay!" Quick Hare nodded with an innocent smile.

They clashed with the Hive Drones. Vyperion used his snake tail to strike them hard, his sharp fangs to tear through their legs, and his long swords to pierce their heads.

Quick Hare followed, shooting into the cracks he made, blowing up the creatures' heads one by one. She gained several more levels this way.

The battlefield intensified, with battles raging everywhere. The Hive realized things were not going according to plan.

Something gigantic emerged from the ground, shattering it and leaving countless cracks everywhere.

A massive Hive Insectoid, the size of a skyscraper, loomed before us.