Chapter 2: The Mysterious Maiden

The Dragon Valley, shrouded in thick fog, should have been teeming with monsters, but now it was littered with corpses, resembling a hell of carnage. Mels and his crew, who had finally entered the valley, had yet to see the rumored treasure but unexpectedly discovered some unknown danger was creeping up on them.

The massive black shadow approaching them through the mist was still unclear in its true form, but its height of over eight meters and its black humanoid shell brought back memories of a terrifying object they'd seen before!

"Boss, is this thing the same huge metal object we saw on Frank Island?" Rek said, looking at the shadow.

As soon as Rek finished speaking, Bagina tugged at Mels and said, "Never mind that for now. It looks like this thing is heading toward the pond. We should hide first and see what it intends to do before making any plans!" Mels thought Bagina's words made sense and immediately told everyone to duck behind the rocks, ready to observe the true form of the black object!

The black object in the mist seemed unaware of Mels and the others' presence. It strode forward, advancing toward the pond like a small hill. Perhaps because its body was too heavy, the ground trembled with each step it took, increasing the anxiety of Mels and the others hiding behind the rocks!

As the black figure drew closer, its features slowly came into view. The first thing that caught the youths' eyes was the deep red single eye they had seen on Frank Island, which they would never forget!

The black object moved closer and closer to Mels and the others, finally stopping less than ten meters from the giant boulder where the youths were hiding! Although it wasn't the first time Mels had seen the black object, it was their first time observing such a mysterious thing up close. The black object stood about nine meters tall, with a head resembling half an inverted watermelon placed on its body. Apart from the deep red single eye emitting a menacing red light, there were also two small metal antennae on top of its head.

Below the head was an elongated, round body. Unlike a human's appearance, the black object had no neck. Aside from a few 'bumps' on its body, its limbs were essentially similar to a human's, though its hands seemed to lack distinct fingers. Its entire body was black, not only emitting a metallic sheen but also seemingly protected by some kind of barrier!

The black object held a black metal club tightly in its right hand, with a hole through its center. Its left hand hung slightly downward, not in a combat-ready stance. Although Mels and the others had previously seen humans emerge from these massive metal objects and knew they must be controlled by humans, it was still hard for them to believe that such an agile and sophisticated machine was created by humans!

The black object remained in place, scanning its surroundings with its red single eye. Suddenly, it emitted a burst of intense light, after which the glow in its single eye gradually dimmed, and its body shut down with a low hum.

Just as Mels and the others were wondering why this strange object had stopped in this desolate valley, the head of the black object suddenly flipped backward. Immediately after, a figure in a sleek, black, glowing bodysuit, with a glass visor covering their head and gender unclear, slowly rose from the body of the black object.

"A person... mmm..." Sol, seeing a human emerge from the black object, couldn't help but let out a surprised exclamation. Fortunately, Mels was quick to react, covering his mouth to prevent alerting the mysterious human who had just emerged. After signaling for Sol to keep quiet, Mels and the others cautiously observed the mysterious person's every move.

The mysterious person had now jumped down from the black object and didn't seem to have noticed Mels and the others hiding nearby. After glancing left and right, they gently lifted the face shield from their head and strode toward the pond. "Hey," Mels whispered, huddling everyone closer as the mysterious person moved farther away. "Did you see that? It really is a human, and a young man at that! What do you think these black giants are? Are they some country's cutting-edge weapons? And who are these people?"

"No way! If any country had such advanced things, wouldn't they have already unified the continent? I think even one of these things could take on an entire army!" Sol scratched his head and said.

"Hmm, you're right! I don't think they're from our continent. Didn't our masters say there's an old legend about two other continents across the ocean? One called the Land of the Gods and the other the Land of Devils. Maybe humans from there created these things!" Rek thought for a moment before speaking to his companions.

"Hey, stop talking! He seems to be looking for something by the pond!" Bagina whispered, keeping an eye on the mysterious person.

"Oh no! Could he also be after the treasure we're looking for? Let's take a look!" Sol exclaimed in alarm. At Bagina and Sol's urging, Mels and the others climbed back onto the rock and peered upward.

The mysterious person had now reached the pond's edge and was using some kind of device to scan the water. After a while, he suddenly laughed and said, "Haha, I never expected the energy signal I accidentally discovered to be the energy leakage from the rebels' energy center! This truly is 'searching far and wide only to find it right under my nose.' As long as I report this to the Federation, hehe... hahaha..." The mysterious person's loud laughter left Mels and the others utterly confused.

Although they didn't understand terms like "energy center" or "Federation," they knew it must be related to the green glow they had seen earlier in the center of the pond!

After confirming what he wanted to know, the mysterious person had no intention of staying longer. He quickly packed up some metal instruments and prepared to return to the massive black object, unwilling to waste any more time.

"What should we do? Should we just let him leave?" Rek whispered to Mels.

"Hmm... This guy definitely doesn't seem like he's from our continent. And since he can operate such advanced weaponry, he might one day pose a threat to the continent! Also, the sudden appearance of so many monsters here must be related to whatever energy he mentioned. I think since we haven't completed our mission to eliminate the beasts, capturing him might allow us to learn many secrets! Now that he's left that giant thing, we shouldn't miss this opportunity!" Mels said after some thought.

"Boss, isn't that too dangerous? Our masters had a hard time dealing with people like him before. Since he's not threatening us now, shouldn't we just leave? The monsters are all dead anyway, so our mission is technically complete." Sol immediately objected when he heard they were planning to attack.

"Cut it out! We can't just take credit for something we didn't do! And I want to know who these people are. If you don't want to help, stay hidden here. I'm going to capture him!" Mels said decisively.

"Fine, if the boss says we should do it, then let's do it!" Sol reluctantly agreed, not wanting to be left behind. After a brief discussion, the youths decided to attack when the mysterious person returned to the black object and was closest to them.

With little time to plan, the youths roughly decided that Mels and Akafir would launch the ambush, Rek and Bagina would cut off the enemy's retreat, and Sol would provide magical support. Although this plan was somewhat reckless, Mels believed that with his and Akafir's agility, they could easily capture the mysterious person!

The mysterious person by the pond had no idea someone was planning to ambush him. He hastily packed up his metal instruments and casually carried them as he turned to walk back to the black object. Though not particularly fast, he soon entered the attack range Mels and the others had set.

"Five meters, four meters..." Mels whispered, gathering his Qi energy into his limbs. Just as the mysterious person was about to enter the attack range, the massive black object suddenly lurched forward two steps with a roar, and a piercing alarm sounded from its body, as if warning the mysterious person.

Sure enough, upon hearing the alarm, the mysterious person's expression changed. He threw down the metal instruments, quickly put on his glass visor, flipped onto the black object, and disappeared inside.

The sudden change caught Mels and the others off guard. Seeing their prey escape, the youths looked at each other in dismay. However, before they could regret their missed opportunity, a louder mechanical roar echoed through the air. In the white mist-filled sky, a red Metal Giant appeared before Mels and the others!

Oh no! Mels thought to himself, immediately gesturing for the other four to take cover. Mels initially assumed the new Metal Giant was an ally of the black one, but to his surprise, as soon as the red giant appeared, the black giant raised its hollow club high, and a blue beam shot out from it, flying directly toward the red giant.

The blue beam soared into the sky, about to hit the red giant's arm, when the red giant agilely dodged to the right, avoiding the attack. Almost simultaneously, the red giant's club also fired a blue beam, launching a counterattack against the black giant!

Seeing the situation unfold, Mels realized the red and black giants were clearly enemies, as they had immediately entered combat without a word. The "magic beams" they fired at each other were undoubtedly highly destructive attacks.

Although the black Metal Giant had attacked first, it seemed unprepared for battle. When the red giant fired its blue beam, the black giant remained unable to move. In the blink of an eye, a deafening explosion echoed as the blue beam struck the black Metal Giant's right arm, shattering it into dust amid a dazzling light.

"Federal Army soldier, surrender immediately! Surrender immediately!" The red Metal Giant, now in the lead, seeing its opponent's weapon destroyed, stopped attacking and slowly flew closer, emitting an androgynous voice.

Although the red giant had ordered its opponent to surrender, the black Metal Giant had no intention of complying. Within three seconds, the black Metal Giant slowly retreated two steps with a roar. Just as the red giant continued to approach, the black giant's chest suddenly opened wide, and dozens of small rods shot out from it, emitting blue flames as they flew chaotically toward the red giant.

Although these flame-emitting rods flew swiftly, they were still slower than the blue beams fired from the red giant's club. Almost as soon as the rods left the black giant's body, the blue beam from the red giant struck the black giant's body! A massive Fireball exploded before Mels and the others' eyes, reducing the huge black Metal Giant to fragments!

Perhaps because it had lost control of the black giant, the rods flying through the air lost their target. Most of them crashed into the valley walls, causing a series of explosions! For a moment, debris flew everywhere in Dragon Valley, creating a scene as terrifying as an earthquake.

The brief but intense battle ended with the red Metal Giant's victory. Watching the scene unfold, Mels and the others were stunned, hardly believing what they had just witnessed! Although they had seen the power of these Metal Giants on Frank Island, they had never experienced such terrifying force up close!

"Boss, let's get out of here. This thing is too terrifying. If it finds us, we're done for!" Sol whispered.

Hearing Sol's words, Mels was reluctant to let their prey escape but had no other choice! He knew that if they were to fight the red giant, even if they miraculously defeated it, they might pay an irreparable price! Helplessly, Mels nodded, quietly climbed down from the rock, and prepared to leave with the others.

Just as Mels was about to leave, two more blue beams suddenly appeared in the sky, one from the left and one from the right, crossing each other as they shot down at the red Metal Giant from above. Without even time to react, two faint piercing sounds were heard, and the red Metal Giant completely lost its earlier agility, freezing in mid-air like stone. Its left and right arms had separated from its body, with crackling green electricity sparking from the severed wounds.

Half a second later, the red Metal Giant's head suddenly shot upward, and a human wearing a red full-body suit, also with a glass visor covering their head, ejected from the red Metal Giant's body. At that very moment, the red Metal Giant exploded in mid-air, forming a fireball!

The sudden change made Mels and the others halt their escape. They hadn't expected that, during their brief pause, the human ejected from the red Metal Giant would be blown by the explosion's shockwave toward the rock wall behind them. After a faint collision sound, the mysterious person in the red suit slumped to the ground like a pile of mud after hitting the wall, now only ten meters away from Mels and the others!

Seeing the mysterious person so close, Mels made up his mind! Ignoring the risk of being spotted by any enemies that might appear, he leaped out from behind the rock like an agile mountain hare and rushed toward the slumped figure. Watching Mels' actions, Rek and the others wanted to stop him but were too late. They could only watch nervously from behind, praying no enemies who had attacked the red Metal Giant would appear now!

Determined to bring the mysterious person back, Mels moved swiftly. Ten meters was nothing more than a blink of an eye for him. When he reached the mysterious person, they were still unconscious. Without caring whether they were alive or dead, Mels grabbed them, turned, and leaped back, shouting to Sol and the others, "Rek, carry Sol! Run as fast as you can!" Without stopping, he leaped over Sol's head and sped back the way they had come.

As Mels and the others helped each other quickly leave their hiding spot behind the rock and turned into the northern mountain path of Dragon Valley, two black Metal Giants slowly descended from the misty sky, identical to the one that had exploded earlier. Their red single eyes scanned the area, and their cautious movements made it clear they were still wary of the red Metal Giant, unsure if it was still a threat. This situation fortunately helped Mels and the others escape quickly; otherwise, Mels' reckless rescue of the mysterious person might have led to lifelong regret!

They ran for what felt like an eternity, only stopping when the sun slowly set and darkness enveloped the surroundings. The youths found a sheltered spot in the Kamo Mountains to build a fire and rest. It was only then that Mels realized the mysterious person in his arms was actually a young woman, warm and soft, with a faint fragrance emanating from her.

The mysterious girl wore clothing made of a material resembling silk but exceptionally sturdy. The outfit tightly wrapped around her body, accentuating her curves. Apart from a zipper running from the collar down to her abdomen, there were no other buttons. The glass visor on her head was cracked but fortunately hadn't damaged her face.

Although unsure of her identity, out of respect for women, Mels asked Bagina to remove the girl's equipment and examine her, while he and Sol went to gather firewood and start a fire, adhering to gentlemanly etiquette.

After Mels and the others built the fire, Bagina approached them carrying the girl without her helmet. Setting her down, Bagina spoke before Mels could ask, "She's human like us, but like Akafir, she doesn't have a Summoning Gem! She has no other injuries, but she hit her head and is still unconscious. I don't know when she'll wake up! In short, she's not in immediate danger, but she's not lightly injured either. Whether she'll recover is still unknown!"

"Ah! So all this was for nothing? If she doesn't wake up or becomes an idiot, we won't be able to learn anything from her!" Sol exclaimed loudly after hearing Bagina's words.

"Yes! That's entirely possible," Bagina said as she sat down, addressing Sol.

"Sol, calm down. Even if she might not recover, at least we've confirmed that those huge metal objects are also created by humans! Maybe, as the Phantom Beast Mentor said, there are civilizations in this world completely different from ours! Besides, if we take her back to Governor Parker, I'm sure there will be a way to treat her. Then, we'll definitely learn a lot from her!" Mels gently stopped Sol and said.

Just as Mels finished speaking, Bagina suddenly said loudly, "We absolutely cannot hand her over to Governor Parker!"

Bagina's strong reaction surprised Mels and the others.

Mels asked gently, full of confusion, "Bagina, why don't you agree with handing her over to Governor Parker? Shouldn't we do something for the empire?"

"Absolutely not!" Bagina said resolutely. Then, softening her tone, she continued, "Think about it. Even though she's likely not from our continent, she's still human. Judging by her appearance, she's about our age. If we hand her over to Governor Parker, he'll definitely send her to the capital for scholars to study. Wouldn't that be too cruel for her?

Also, judging from the battle between those giant objects earlier, they're far more powerful than us. If her companions or enemies find out she's in our hands, they'll surely come in full force to take her back. Then, a war that might never have happened could spiral out of control!"

After hearing Bagina's words, Mels fell silent for a moment. Then, he nodded and said, "You're right. If we only care about our own interests and let her be studied like an animal, it would be terribly unfair to her! And leaking the news could indeed bring great trouble! But if we keep her with us, it might bring us even bigger trouble!" "What's there to worry about! We saved her. When she wakes up, if she doesn't want to tell us her secrets, we'll let her go. Honestly, all of this is so unbelievable that even if she tells us everything, it might not bring us any benefit!" Bagina glared, speaking without a care.

"You know, you're right. We really shouldn't be so selfish. Forget it, let's just say we saved an ordinary person. Anyway, we'll figure everything out after she wakes up!" Seeing Bagina's determination, Mels knew that even if he disagreed, she would do it anyway.

Instead of having Bagina secretly release the mysterious girl, Mels thought it better to agree with her suggestion first and then slowly figure out a plan. Once he realized this, Mels naturally stopped opposing Bagina's request.

Just as everyone was deciding how to treat the mysterious girl, the woman lying beside Bagina let out a groan and her eyes fluttered open!

"She's awake, she's awake!" Bagina seemed to really like the mysterious girl. Seeing her regain consciousness, she immediately exclaimed excitedly.

Hearing Bagina's call, everyone quickly gathered around the mysterious girl, eager to see if she was really okay. After Bagina helped the girl sit up, cradling her, the girl gazed blankly at the people around her. Perhaps she was sensitive to the light, or perhaps because she had no memory of Mels and the others, she remained silent.

However, Mels and the others noticed there wasn't a trace of fear in her eyes—instead, there was only bewilderment. This was the first time Mels had carefully observed the girl's appearance. She had delicate, peach-blossom features with a pointed chin, arched eyebrows, red lips, and a head of silky black hair, possessing a beauty that was hard to describe. If Bagina was a charming peach blossom, then this girl was like an orchid hidden deep in a valley, with a fragile, captivating beauty that made your heart ache.

"How are you? Does anything hurt?" Bagina asked softly.

At Bagina's words, the girl still looked confused. Finally, she barely managed to raise a hand to her head and said, "My head hurts... Who are you? Why am I here? I seem to remember... remember..."

"Wow! She speaks our language! That's great, we'll definitely find out where she's from!" Sol exclaimed in surprise.

"Hey, take it slow. Let's ask one question at a time." Mels stopped Sol and the others from all talking at once, then turned to the girl. "We're not bad people. We happened to save you. Who are you, and where are you from?"

"I... I think my name is X613. Where am I from? I... my head hurts!" the girl suddenly cried out.

"Back off, all of you! She just woke up. Don't rush to grill her like this. Let her rest. Don't question her like a criminal!" Bagina, seeing the girl's pained expression under Mels and the others' questioning, immediately snapped.

Seeing Bagina was angry and the girl still looked dazed, Mels and the others knew they couldn't get answers quickly. They meekly stepped back, and the four men began whispering. "Boss, do you think she's faking it? Giving us a weird name on purpose?" Sol quietly asked the others.

"Yeah, who calls themselves 'X613'!" Akafir clearly agreed with Sol.

Mels sighed. "Bagina's protecting her like a sister now. Even if she's pretending, we can't expose her. Forget it for now. Let's think about how to report on the mission when we go back!"

"Report? Aren't those magical beasts dead? What else is there to report?" Rek asked, confused.

"Haven't any of you thought about it?" Mels said with a worried expression. "The beasts in Dragon Valley are dead, but that doesn't mean we completed the mission! We didn't kill them—those Metal Giants likely did. If we go back and claim we did, the empire will investigate.

Think about it. Even we can tell these beasts weren't killed by humans. Do you think the empire's elites wouldn't notice? Then, Uncle Xiulan's enemies could pin a 'crime of deceiving the emperor' on us, and we'd all lose our heads!"

"Then it's simple. Just tell Uncle Xiulan the truth, right?" Sol said as if it were obvious. "Even if Bagina objects, Uncle Xiulan can handle it. Besides, this girl's pretty, but she's nothing to us. Whether she lives or dies, what does it matter?"

"Sol, I usually say you're dumb, and you really are!" Hearing this, Mels thumped him. "Haven't you considered? If she remembers everything, we can tell the truth. But if she's lost her memory, do you think Uncle Xiulan would believe such a bizarre story?"

"Right! Why didn't I think of that?" Sol patted his head. "Giant Metal Giants, thousands of dead beasts, a rescued girl with amnesia—it's so bizarre, even we feel like we're dreaming. If we tell Uncle Xiulan, he'll think we went crazy after the fight!"

"Him thinking we're crazy is one thing," Rek nodded in agreement. "If he thinks we were scared and made up a lie, that's real trouble."

"Boss, then what do we do? We can't tell him, and we can't not tell him. Do we run?" Sol asked, puzzled.

Mels sighed again, his face worried. "If I knew, why would I be discussing it with you?"

After his words, the group fell into deep thought, their troubled expressions plain to see.

"That's it!" Akafir suddenly exclaimed, turning to Mels. "Brother Mels, what if we tell Uncle Xiulan we reached Dragon Valley and found only a pile of beast corpses? Besides the fog and snow, there was nothing! And we rescued this woman from a griffin's mouth outside the valley!

This way, we prove we went to Dragon Valley and that the beasts are dead. We hide her identity for now. Once she remembers, we can decide what to do!"

"Exactly! That's a great idea. Akafir, you're clever this time! We'll go back to where I killed that giant griffin, cut off its horn as proof, and Uncle Xiulan won't doubt us!" Mels's words essentially decided the mysterious girl's fate, and their group, mission accomplished, prepared to return to the imperial capital.