novelraw Chapter 206: How Can Metal Mecha Compare to Flesh Tempered Through a Thousand Trials?
Chapter 206: How Can Metal Mecha Compare to Flesh Tempered Through a Thousand Trials?
The clash of weapons, the wyvern’s roar, and the goblins’ wails... all kinds of sounds echoed through the sky over Crescent Bay.
This place had turned into a battlefield.
“Damn the Molten Iron Tribe! How dare they attack Crescent Bay.”
A nearly six-meter-tall humanoid alchemical golem was plowing deep furrows across the riverbank, bursts of high-temperature steam spurting from its gear joints. It had four slender mechanical arms, none ending in palms; instead, one held a circular saw blade, another a sharp conical drill, and the remaining two were pincers.
[The Flesh Ripper]
—This was the creation of the Gold Fang Tribe’s alchemists.
The goblins’ workshops could manufacture relatively simple old-model alchemical golems based on blueprints while purchasing various precision components at high prices to assemble more advanced and powerful golems.
The Gold Fang Tribe’s alchemical industry was highly developed.
Or rather, their ability to establish a foothold in the Convergence Lands mainly relied on their alchemical industry.
The Flesh Ripper was an old-model alchemical golem whose blueprint was easy to obtain. It released energy by burning black oil and activated through gears, levers, and steam.Within the Gold Fang Tribe’s territory, the Flesh Ripper served as their primary combat unit guarding each stronghold.
It is also worth mentioning that the Flesh Ripper was a piloted golem, requiring an intelligent being to operate it.
Because these alchemical golems resembled mechanical armor suits, they were also called mecha.
Intelligent beings specially trained and equipped with advanced mecha golems often proved stronger than alchemical golems purely driven by engines and runes.
The goblin leader’s sharp ears twitched rapidly inside the cockpit, and the copper buttons on the joystick glistened with sweat.
At this moment, he was both frightened and angry—frightened by the sudden attack and furious over the loss of wealth.
“Damn those centaurs!”
To defend their wealth, the naturally timid goblins could summon courage surpassing that of most races. The goblin leader’s curses blasted out through the loudspeaker as he pressed the dark red valve on the left.
Buzz!
The saw blade and drill spun at high speed, tearing through the air with a chilling shriek.
A centaur warrior charged forward, spear thrusting toward the cockpit, but the Flesh Ripper’s pincers precisely brushed it aside. The other two arms crossed with a ringing sound, sweeping across the centaur warrior’s body. The saw and drill left horrifying wounds, ripping through flesh and bone.
Centaurs were fierce warriors.
The fall of their comrades did not instill fear but instead ignited even greater bloodlust. Several elite centaurs shifted their direction, locking their gaze onto the mecha golem.
“Everyone, fall back!”
Yinji shouted sharply.
Even the centaurs from the Convergence Lands had heard of alchemical golems before, though they rarely engaged with them. Yinji fixed his eyes on the Flesh Ripper, delighted by the mechanical and metallic monster before him.
Hooves struck the ground, leaving crater-like pits.
The centaur’s mane flew wildly as he charged toward the Flesh Ripper, crushing goblins obstructing his path underfoot.
In an instant, the two clashed at close quarters.
Yinji tightly gripped his heavy sword that gleamed coldly with magical energy surging like roaring flames, converging on the blade’s edge. He swung it toward the Flesh Ripper.
The goblin leader piloting the mecha twitched his eyelids.
He immediately manipulated the Flesh Ripper, employing its combat style—using the pincers to block the centaur leader’s attack while the other two arms attempted to tear his body apart.
The alloy pincers scraped against the centaur’s heavy sword, anticipating its descent trajectory.
Movements surged like a tide!
The centaur warrior let out a low roar.
The heavy sword’s strike speed suddenly skyrocketed, slicing through the pincers and heavily cleaving into the Flesh Ripper’s chest. Red-hot sparks scattered as the steel was forcibly split open with a huge gash.
This was only the beginning.
His strikes were as fast as lightning and as dense as tidal waves, flowing with agile footwork. From different directions but almost simultaneously, they rained down on the Flesh Ripper.
Clang clang clang!
The crisp sounds of metal striking metal rang out continuously. The Flesh Ripper stepped back, resisting on its knees.
A low horizontal slash!
Snap—an icy arc of light flashed as the mecha golem’s leg joint was severed. Broken parts and gears scattered. It collapsed backward with a thud.
“How can crudely made metal constructs compare to our warriors’ flesh and blood forged through countless trials?”
Yinji laughed loudly.
The centaur’s muscular body tensed, fibers twisting like steel wires. His front hooves lifted high and stomped heavily onto the cockpit at the already battered mecha’s chest.
Crash!
The metal plate dented, cracked, and shattered.
Accompanied by the cracking of bones, goblin screams erupted from inside but abruptly ceased. Blood slowly oozed from the twisted metal.
Rip!
Almost simultaneously, another Flesh Ripper fell.
A wyvern dived from the sky, knocking down the Flesh Ripper. Its powerful legs tore open the steel chest plate, and its stinger tail pierced through.
The poison had not even taken effect before the stinger had already pierced through and killed the goblin leader inside.
The Gold Fang Tribe was ambitious, recently intensively fortifying along the riverbank, establishing many new outposts but dispersing their strength as a result.
Strongest combat units in outposts like Crescent Bay were mecha golems like the Flesh Ripper.
There were many elite centaurs.
Moreover, every bipedal wyvern possessed a powerful draconic bloodline.
With golems falling one after another, the battle was clearly tilting.
“Don’t kill me, please...”
Smack! The centaur’s iron hoof crushed the goblin’s head, silencing the pleas.
Once the defense line was broken, the battle completely lost, and the mecha golems destroyed, the goblins began to scatter. However, their speed was nowhere near that of the centaurs and wyverns, making fleeing the stupidest choice.
A few stubborn ones were killed on the spot, while the rest were captured.
Ten minutes later.
Crescent Bay fell into rare silence, the goblins’ shrill screams vanished, replaced only by the muffled thuds of centaur hooves on wooden planks.
Yinji swung his heavy sword, and several droplets of dark green blood arced through the air before soaking into the soil.
“Hammer, we meet again.”
The centaur leader grinned, revealing a bloodstained smile.
The merchant forced a stiff smile: “Lord Zachary, we are merely passing traders... we have no intention of interfering in your conflict with the Gold Fang Tribe.”
The wyverns circling in the sky let out low growls, their shadows enveloping the merchant ships.
Elite centaurs stared coldly, spears in hand, hooves stamping, eyes full of predatory intent.
With the armed strength of these few merchant ships, they were no match and could only pray for mercy.
“All our cargo and wealth can be used to buy our lives.”
The merchant raised the stakes.
“Oh? Hammer, you’re foolish. If we kill you, these things belong to us too.”
Seeing the merchant drenched in cold sweat, Yinji suddenly laughed heartily and patted the merchant’s shoulder with his thick arm: “Don’t be nervous, that was just a little joke.”
He said, “This battle is a private grudge between us and the Gold Fang Tribe. We will not take it out on you, or you’d already be unable to speak.”
The merchant stared around incredulously: “Then what about these ores...”
“You’ll take the ores you bought as usual.” Yinji waved his hand. “The goblins’ gold coins and spices are our spoils. Remember, the Molten Iron Tribe only kills enemies, not merchants, and will even offer you convenience and protection.”
These were Iron Dragon’s orders.
He actually wanted to plunder fiercely, but reason and the trade knowledge inherited from his legacy told him that building a reliable trade environment was more beneficial for future development.
Only when the ships had already set sail and gradually moved away from Crescent Bay did the merchant in charge still feel dazed.
Just let them go like that?
No personnel slaughtered, no extortion?
They got dragged into the tribal conflict but emerged unscathed and fully loaded?
In a place like the Convergence Lands where the strong devour the weak, was there really a power that respected trade rules?
“Boss, those centaurs and wyverns are terrifying. Next time, let’s take a different route to avoid this place.”
The Estonian Great River’s waterways branched extensively, and the river bays under the Molten Iron Tribe’s jurisdiction were not necessary routes. The merchant apprentice thought of the terrifying scene earlier and spoke timidly to the boss.
“Fool!”
Hammer slapped the apprentice’s head and said, “Terrifying? You’ve seen too little. They didn’t extort us or slaughter the crew. In a place like the Convergence Lands, they’re practically saints!”
Not to mention, even the Gold Fang Tribe with fixed trade relations with the Iron Shield Merchant Group often faced greedy goblin leaders who tried every trick to extort and pocket gold coins during transactions.
“The Molten Iron Tribe is a better trading partner.”
The boss thought silently.
Watching the shore fade away, he planned to bring more Iron Shield Merchant Group ships next time to trade with the Molten Iron Tribe.
At the same time, iron chains hung from the wyverns’ legs, the other end wrapped around the mecha golems. Flapping their wings, they gradually took off, flying toward the Sulfur Hills to deliver the cargo to the Molten Iron Tribe’s alchemical base.
The centaur warriors quickly scavenged Crescent Bay.
All the gold coins the goblins had just acquired from the merchants were collected, along with many intact spices and ore goods.
The merchants got the ores they wanted and returned fully loaded. The Molten Iron Tribe gained gold coins and some extra loot—a bountiful harvest.
Only the goblins caught in the middle were injured.
At this moment, a wyvern circling high above let out a sharp shriek, alerting the warriors cleaning up the scene that reinforcements from the Gold Fang Tribe had arrived.
“Retreat! Burn everything left!”
Yinji ordered immediately.
The centaurs came quickly and withdrew quickly, hooves pounding the ground as they sped away like the wind, leaving behind the devastated Crescent Bay.
Not long after, with tremors shaking the ground, one by one alchemical golems arrived at Crescent Bay. Besides old models like the Flesh Ripper, many more advanced types appeared—golems the Gold Fang Tribe couldn’t produce. All were piloted mecha.
Perhaps because of their small, weak stature, goblins loved mecha golems that made them tall and imposing.
The centaurs set fire before leaving, turning the place into a wasteland. The flames reflected off the mecha cockpits as buildings and facilities burned fiercely.
“Molten Iron Tribe... do you want to declare war on us?!”
A goblin leader trembled with rage and said, “Our losses are severe, at least ten thousand gold coins evaporated.”
They didn’t care much about their fallen goblin kin.
But the destruction of Crescent Bay and the looted goods and gold... such loss of wealth was unforgivable in the goblins’ eyes.
Soon after, news of Crescent Bay’s destruction reached the Gold Fang Tribe’s base.
After elders deliberated, they decided the Molten Iron Tribe must pay the price.
Because the Gold Fang Tribe had other matters to attend to, they would not gamble everything to go to war with the Molten Iron Tribe. However, since the other side had suddenly attacked Crescent Bay, their riverbank outposts would not remain safe.
They agreed on tit-for-tat revenge.
The price war was over.
Next would be the real “trade war”—a conflict sparked by trade disputes.
Under the cover of night, the waves of the Estonian Great River still shimmered with scales of light, but the murderous intent on the shore was already boiling.