bookrandom Chapter 1381 Failure!
Chapter 1381 Failure!
"Reporting to Master!"
A robot approached Xiao Dingshan and reported: "Detection confirmed: a high-density mixed minefield exists within a three-kilometer radius ahead. It contains a large number of old explosive detonation devices and booby traps. The structure is complex, with a chain-triggered design. It is estimated that complete elimination will require... at least six standard hours. A forced breakthrough will result in a loss rate exceeding thirty percent."
Six hours…
Xiao Dingshan's voice was devoid of emotion, but the surrounding air pressure seemed to drop even lower.
He glanced at the blurred outline of the ruins in the wind and snow, then at the icy plain in front of him filled with deadly traps, and at the heavily damaged and demoralized troops behind him, especially Shahar's elite infantry, who were almost stunned by the bombing!
"Clear the mines." Xiao Dingshan finally gave the order in a cold tone, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "Clear a safe passage. Night Owl, keep watch around the area and prevent any interference."
Thus, the army that should have been charging headlong into the ruins was forced to stop in the freezing cold.
The engineering robots worked slowly and cautiously on the snow like worker ants, and every detection and every careful bomb disposal took up precious time.
The piercing alarms, the occasional sporadic airbursts triggered by accidents, and the painful groans of wounded soldiers formed an ironic symphony.
Shahar slumped dejectedly onto a cold stone, staring at the hellish scene before him and the miserable state of his elite soldiers. He was filled with fear and deep dread of the unknown enemy.
Kornev also kept his head down in silence, the hideous scar appearing even more distorted in the firelight.
Actually, Xiao Dingshan didn't ask, but did Shahar and the others need to guess?
Who else but Xiao Ce could do this?
The most terrifying thing about this is that Xiao Ce did all this right under their noses, without them even knowing...
A tremendous fear gripped Shahar...
He glanced furtively at Xiao Dingshan, who was standing silently not far away.
He then pulled his hood up again, concealing the face that had terrified Shahar...
Only an unfathomable silhouette remains.
The wind and snow seemed to deliberately avoid his body; the invisible pressure was even more suffocating than the bitter cold of the northern border.
Shahar knew he had to do something, otherwise he would lose even the last bit of value as trash in his master's eyes.
He couldn't be used as a scapegoat; he knew all too well what would happen to him if he were...
He took a deep breath, suppressing the surging fear and shame, and dragged his heavy steps, almost crawling, to Xiao Dingshan's horse...
He then knelt down heavily again with a thud, his forehead pressed deeply against the cold snow, which was mixed with blood and gunpowder smoke.
"Master...Master!"
Shahar's voice trembled uncontrollably, filled with desperate remorse as he spoke:
"Your subordinate... Your subordinate is utterly incompetent! A thousand deaths would not atone for my sins! I've already figured out who did it... It must be Xiao Ce..."
Upon hearing Shahar's words, Xiao Dingshan's eyes revealed a mocking expression: "You discovered it? You really are clever..."
Shahar naturally heard the unspoken sarcasm in Xiao Dingshan's words, and he knelt on the ground again, saying:
"Master, this time... that brat Xiao Ce's treacherous scheme actually succeeded, causing damage to your divine weapons and delaying your journey to retrieve the treasure!"
"Your subordinate... Your subordinate deserves to die! Please punish me severely, Master!"
He dared not raise his head, his body trembling slightly with extreme fear, awaiting the arrival of thunderous wrath.
After he finished speaking, time seemed to stand still.
Only the howling of the wind and snow and the monotonous "beep beep" of the mine-clearing robot in the distance could be heard.
Shahar felt his heart was about to jump out of his throat...
Although he verbally agreed to the punishment, he still didn't want to be actually punished...
Finally, Xiao Dingshan's voice came, cold and calm, without any emotion, yet it chilled Shahar more than any roar: "Get up, Shahar."
Shahar felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and with disbelief and astonishment, he cautiously raised his head, only to see the bottomless darkness beneath the hood.
"It's normal that you were played by him."
Xiao Dingshan's voice was devoid of emotion, as if he were stating a simple fact. After a pause, he continued.
"That's Xiao Dingshan, an opponent I personally 'cultivated'..."
"His cunning and methods are far beyond your imagination. Even if I were to fight him, I would not have a complete chance of winning."
Shahar was stunned.
Master... Master actually admitted that there wasn't a definite chance of winning?
Moreover, Xiao Ce... was an opponent he had personally cultivated?
This information exploded in his mind like a thunderbolt!
In an instant, many doubts were resolved...
"Master...Master..."
Shahar's voice trembled with sobs, mixed with utmost reverence, as he continued, "Your subordinate... Your subordinate may be as dull as a pig, but... But your loyalty to your master is as clear as heaven and earth! As clear as the sun and moon!"
"From this day forward, my life, and everything of the Slavs, will belong only to my master! Whatever command my master gives, Shahar will obey even unto death! I will never dare to make any further mistakes!"
"I only beg... I only beg my master to give me another chance, to let me retrieve the divine artifact for you, even at the cost of my life!"
He kowtowed again, his posture so humble it was almost insignificant; at this moment, this was all he could do, all he would do...
Xiao Dingshan merely tilted his head slightly, and the shadow of the hood seemed to sweep over him!
His gaze remained cold, devoid of any emotion or approval, only silent.
“Do what you have to do.”
Five words, carrying an absolute command to end the conversation.
Shahar felt a chill run down his spine and dared not say another word. He quickly got up, bowed, and stepped aside, his back soaked with cold sweat.
Although he was ignored, he wasn't killed.
His only chance of survival at this moment was to prove that he still had some value to him.
The long six hours slowly passed in a state of tension and anxiety...
The engineering robots finally cleared a winding, "safe" passage, just wide enough for two mechs to walk side by side.
Shahar was ordered to send out the remaining, still-shaken elite soldiers in small teams to cautiously explore the passage, using their own flesh and blood to clear any potential, undiscovered dangers.
Each time a soldier's foot landed, it was accompanied by a suppressed gasp.
Fortunately, no further major explosions occurred. Only a few small explosions, possibly caused by triggers left over during mine clearance, were detonated, taking the lives of several unfortunate individuals.
After confirming that the passage was basically safe, Xiao Dingshan ordered his massive army of black robots to set off.
A short while later, we finally arrived at the magnificent and weathered stone gate of the Tsarist ruins.
The stone gate, towering over ten meters high, was cast from an unknown material that gleamed with a dark metallic luster under the dim light of the ice field. Its surface was covered with intricate and ancient patterns, as if it contained some kind of dormant power.
The door was perfectly sealed, forming a seamless whole. There were no keyholes or handles to be found. Only a palm-shaped recessed area in the center of the door emitted a faint glow of energy, which was the key verification point for the core of the Hidden Dragon Armory.
As Shahar gazed at the gate that had haunted his dreams for countless nights and held the hopes of restoring his kingdom, all he felt now was trepidation. He knew the real test had begun.
Xiao Dingshan raised his hand slightly in a gesture.
Captain Night Owl, who had been silently following behind him, immediately stepped forward and took out a specially made metal box from his equipment.
When the box was opened, inside lay a lifelike bionic hand model that was exactly the same as Xiao Ce's hand!
Whether it's the texture of the skin, the details of the fingerprints, or even the temperature of the palm, everything achieves an astonishing level of realism.
This is a "key" that the Creation Base created by using the biological information of Xiao Ce that it had previously acquired, and by spending a huge amount of resources to model and replicate it one-to-one!
The owl carefully inserted the bionic hand into the recess in the center of the stone door.
hum...
A deep hum resounded, and the ancient patterns on the stone gate instantly lit up with a ghostly blue light, flowing like blood vessels.
A powerful energy surge emanated from inside the stone gate, causing the surrounding wind and snow to momentarily stop.
Shahar's heart leaped into his throat, and his eyes blazed with wild joy! It's done?!
Even Xiao Dingshan got excited...
However, the light lasted for less than three seconds!
Click!
A crisp, locking click rang out.
The blue light on the stone gate suddenly went out, the patterns dimmed instantly, and it returned to a deathly silence.
The lifelike bionic hand model was ejected by an invisible force and fell to the cold snow with a "thud," with wisps of smoke still rising from its fingertips.
failure!
"This...how is this possible?!"
Shahar screamed in shock, his face instantly filled with disbelief and immense panic. "It's...it's exactly the same! Master, this..."
The shadow beneath Xiao Dingshan's hood seemed to freeze for a moment, but then returned to its unfathomable calm.
He seemed to have expected this, his voice still icy: "As expected... the core verification mechanism is more complex than anticipated."
"It's not just about form, but also about spirit... or rather, some deeper imprint of bio-energy field. A copy is ultimately just a copy."
His tone didn't reveal much disappointment; instead, it carried a hint of higher regard for Xiao Ce, or rather, for the Hidden Dragon Armory itself.
"Night Owl, attempt a physical breach."
Xiao Dingshan coldly gave the order, abandoning any attempt to take shortcuts.
"As ordered!"
Night Owl nodded and immediately commanded several exceptionally large engineering robots equipped with heavy demolition weapons to move forward.
boom! boom! boom!
The high-energy laser cutter shot out blinding white light and sparks from the surface of the stone gate. The energy beam, powerful enough to melt the armor of a warship, only left shallow burn marks on the dark metal of the stone gate.
Boom!Boom!Boom!
The massive impact drill pounded against the crack in the door with high-frequency vibrations. The dull thuds shook the ground, and the snow fell in a flurry, but the stone door remained unmoved, not even a single piece of debris crumbled.
Even more powerful directional blasting devices were placed on the door hinges and key nodes, and the violent blast shockwave spread out, blowing away the nearby snow and gravel, and filling the air with smoke and dust.
When the smoke and dust cleared, the ancient stone gate still stood majestically, with no obvious cracks on its surface except for some charred marks.
All attempts were in vain!
The stone gate's indestructibility exceeded everyone's imagination, or rather, it exceeded the limits of current technology.
It was like a piece of meteorite from outer space, silently mocking their futile efforts...
"Trash! They're all trash!"
A suppressed growl, like that of a wounded beast, finally burst forth from the shadows beneath Xiao Dingshan's hood.
He turned around abruptly, and the composure he had been deliberately maintaining, the composure that suggested he was in control of everything, was completely shattered!
The brim of the hood trembled slightly due to intense emotional turmoil.
He took a few quick steps and kicked the engineering robot that had just been performing laser cutting hard!
The heavy metal boots clashed against the cold armor, producing a piercing clang.
The multi-ton robot was kicked and staggered, sparks flying from its joints, clearly indicating damage to its internal intricate structure. It stood frozen in place, emitting an unstable hum.
"The demolition unit, built with the best resources of the creation base, can't even open a single door?! What use are you?!"
Xiao Dingshan's voice carried a furious rage at being fooled!
He abruptly threw off his hood, revealing a hideous face contorted with rage, eyes bloodshot, staring intently at the ancient stone door that seemed to be mocking him.
His meticulously prepared bionic key became a joke, and his proud technological prowess seemed so pale and powerless in the face of this door.
The robot he kicked over just thrashed around; he showed no emotion whatsoever...
Shahar, standing to the side, was also afraid of being implicated.
He knelt down with remarkable ease, saying, "Master, please calm down! Master, please calm down!"
Shahar's voice trembled with tears, "It must be...it must be that Xiao Ce who used some evil magic to reinforce this stone gate! This...this isn't the fault of the divine weapon..."
"Reinforcement?"
Xiao Dingshan abruptly turned his head, looking coldly at Shahar, and then said, "The material and technology of this stone door are far beyond our comprehension! It is inherently indestructible! Xiao Ce? He doesn't have the ability to change its nature!"
He took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his emotions, which were almost out of control.
Because he knew very well that his negative emotions at this moment wouldn't change anything...
"He just... he just used it! Just like he used those damn keys!"
The anger did not disappear, but transformed into a more sinister anxiety.
He looked around. In the wind and snow, this area, ravaged by bombing, covered with charred craters and twisted metal debris, now looked to him like a huge, cold prison.
His gaze swept across the perimeter, over the minefield that had been meticulously prepared by Wei Wuji's engineering battalion, a minefield that was both real and illusory.
"The door won't open... Good, very good!"
Xiao Dingshan gritted his teeth, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth: "Xiao Ce! You think you can trap me by blocking the door??"