Chapter 1421: Sideways Into Trouble

Night gradually settled over the sea.

They built a small fire in the center of the barrier and lay down around it to rest for the night. Once the pale green shield was withdrawn, Seraphina covered the outer perimeter with a dense layer of Primordial Death Energy.

Black-gray energy flowed slowly across the barrier, shutting out the night wind and the tide.

If any small animal happened to pass by, a single touch would quietly end its life without the slightest pain.

Very humane.

As the tide began to recede, a pair of mechanical eyes rose from the water.

The two eyeballs blinked one after the other. Only after confirming there was no danger nearby did the body hidden beneath the surface slowly emerge.

It was a crab made of metal.

Several iron plates had been fitted together to form its shell, and tiny gears were visible between its joints. Its two enormous pincers opened and closed with the waves while eight mechanical legs dug into the wet sand, dragging its heavy body ashore inch by inch.

Compared to an ordinary crab, it was slightly larger.

Large enough to look a human in the eye.

Inside its shell, however, it was far more complex than it appeared. Narrow passages connected instruments of every size. Rows of buttons crowded the control panels, and dim red lights blinked at a steady rhythm.

Strangest of all, the machines weren’t being operated by humans.

They were being operated by a group of tiny crabs.

They gathered in clusters throughout the control room, waving their pincers as they discussed the strange barrier on the beach. Even surrounded by advanced machinery, they could still only move sideways.

No crab could escape its fate.

One small crab pointed at the observation display, clearly suggesting that they go take a look.

Another immediately raised a pincer to stop it.

Under some long-forgotten article of crab law, curiosity was not sufficient grounds to investigate an unidentified object without authorization.

The mechanical crab had already begun preparing to turn around when Nysera stepped out of the barrier.

Everyone else had fallen asleep, but she wasn’t tired, so she went for a walk along the beach exposed by the retreating tide. Her bare feet left a trail of shallow prints in the wet sand.

Chaos immediately erupted inside the mechanical crab.

Some of the little crabs wanted to retreat. Others argued that they should keep watching. Several collided while quarreling. Pincers waved everywhere in front of the control panels, and the red indicator lights flashed nonstop.

Nysera had noticed the dark shape ahead as well.

From its outline, it looked like an enormous crab.

She softened her steps and crept closer.

Only when she reached it did Nysera realize the crab was about as tall as she was. She walked around it once, then raised a hand and knocked on its shell.

Clang.

Her knuckles struck metal with a crisp ring.

She knocked a few more times before confirming that it wasn’t a real giant crab at all. It was some kind of machine built in the shape of one.

No wonder it was so big.

An alarm immediately sounded inside the mechanical crab.

Red lights warning of an "attack" filled the control room. The little crabs that had been running around in confusion rushed back to their stations. Their pincers pressed different buttons as they carefully maneuvered the two mechanical eye stalks to survey the surroundings.

Nysera was still knocking on the iron shell outside.

By the time her fingers turned red, the mechanical crab still hadn’t responded.

She was about to give up and return to the barrier when a chill suddenly ran across her back.

Something was watching her.

Nysera stopped at once.

She didn’t turn around or move another muscle. Only her peripheral vision shifted as she examined her surroundings.

The little crabs inside the machine were just as nervous.

The knocking outside had stirred their curiosity. One mechanical eye stalk extended from the top of the shell and slowly bent toward the source of the noise until it hovered directly over Nysera’s head.

The mechanical eye rotated downward while Nysera stood with her back to it.

Neither side dared to move first.

Nysera was afraid that some enormous monster was lurking behind her.

The little crabs were afraid that the humanoid creature in front of them would attack the moment they made a move.

The standoff lasted a long time.

The tide receded completely, exposing a broad stretch of wet, soft sand. More mechanical eyes poked out of the beach, all staring curiously in the same direction.

Those mechanical crabs were clearly waiting for the scout they had sent ahead.

But their scout still hadn’t returned.

Inside the barrier, the others gradually woke from their sleep. The clouds had dispersed, allowing the morning sunlight to fall across their faces. Only a small patch of ash remained where the fire had been.

With the brighter light, Nysera could finally make out the thing behind her.

Something really was staring at her.

It was thin and curved, almost like a snake.

But the longer Nysera looked, the less sense it made.

Why was that "snake" growing out of the mechanical crab’s head?

The mechanical eye blinked again.

A sphere of white lightning instantly formed in Nysera’s palm. She spun around and hurled it forward.

The energy sphere struck the mechanical crab’s shell. Electricity raced through the gaps between the iron plates, and the resulting blast threw up clouds of sand and white smoke.

Nysera didn’t wait around.

She slammed a second energy sphere into the ground at her feet. The explosion launched her into the air, where a pair of white wings unfolded behind her and carried her swiftly back to Ethan and the others.

The mechanical crab disappeared completely inside the smoke.

In the control room, the little crabs stared blankly at one another.

What had they been about to do?

And what was all that smoke outside?

Their tiny heads began thinking as fast as they could, which was roughly the same speed as the smoke slowly rising outside.

The other mechanical eyes on the beach immediately withdrew underground.

Their fellow scout had been attacked aboveground, but they would never forget its heroic sacrifice.

They also had no intention of rescuing it right now.

Nysera landed safely beside Ethan and pointed at the cloud of smoke nearby.

"Brother, there’s a giant mechanical crab over there!"

She paused to catch her breath.

"Should we—"

Before Ethan could answer, Auri and Idra had already charged out of the barrier.

A mass of vines grew beneath Auri’s feet, carrying her over the wet sand. Idra spread her wings and quickly broke the sound barrier, leaving an expanding ring of compressed air behind her.

Elira followed close behind.

Divine Sovereign Moth wings unfolded from her back, carrying her light body over the beach as she chased after Idra.

Ethan crouched in front of Nysera and pointed toward the mechanical crab hidden inside the smoke.

"Nysera, do you know when it showed up?"

Nysera tried to remember.

She had been so focused on the mechanical eye creeping toward her that she hadn’t noticed how much time had passed. In the end, she could only shake her head.

"Then do you know what it does?"

Ethan smiled and shook his head as well.

His gaze moved past Nysera to the beach the tide had just exposed. More and more tiny tracks had appeared across the wet sand, along with round depressions in several places.

That clearly wasn’t the only mechanical crab.

Auri and Idra hadn’t thought that far ahead.

Idra beat her dragon wings, blowing away all the smoke surrounding the machine. The instant it came back into view, she raised a dragon claw and slammed it down on the metal shell.

Clang!

Half the mechanical crab sank into the sand, its eight legs straining to support its body.

It was more than twice Idra’s size, but her claw showed no sign of stopping. Every strike made the iron plates shake violently, tossing the little crabs inside out of their seats.

Auri raised both hands.

Thick roots burst from the sand and wrapped around all eight mechanical legs, hoisting the entire metal body into the air.

Then she conjured a long, slender branch and stood beside it, repeatedly whipping the shell.

Smack!

Smack!

The crisp cracks rang across the beach.