Chapter 41: Blooming

"I..."

Shakya, right there at the scene, was deeply hesitant.

Around Shakya and right beneath her feet, the army had begun their advance. Having finally seized an opportunity, the soldiers seemed eager to settle old scores.

"Fall back! Do not underestimate the enemy!"

Shakya's shouts were useless. The soldiers listened to the commands of their own headquarters, not those of Swalg or Shakya.

Inside the fissure, missiles and artillery shells continuously pounded the exterior of the cocoon, causing it to swell relentlessly.

The internal explosions made the cocoon grow larger and larger.

It looked as if it would be torn apart at any second!

"In times of crisis, one must still rely on the military."

High-ranking military officials said this to Shion.

Shion could only clench her fists, unable to refute him.

Suddenly, a powerful suction force emanated from the fissure, as if an invisible hand had grabbed the surrounding helicopters, fighter jets, and tanks, pulling them all directly into the rift!

The black cocoon, which had just been distended by the explosions, slowly returned to its calm state, acting as if all that previous ammunition had merely been a hearty meal to it.

It even felt as though it wanted to burp.

In an instant, the military suffered heavy casualties.

"Damn it!"

Unable to bear it any longer, Shakya fired photon missiles, but the result was the same. An invisible hand swept across the ruins, slicing towering buildings cleanly in half!

Thanks to the imaging system mounted on the Traum, Shakya vaguely caught sight of ribbon-thin tentacles whipping through the air.

Thrusters full throttle!

Only through emergency evasion did she manage to graze past this deadly thing.

This battle was simply unwinnable!

This monster was totally cheating!

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

A familiar, steady voice rang out. Everyone looked back—the Director had arrived!

"Good work, everyone! Let me take over giving instructions to Shakya!"

Seeing the Director's return, Shion let out a massive sigh of relief and roughly filled him in on what had just transpired.

She noticed the Director was holding an ancient-looking book.

The Director and Shion exchanged a glance and nodded.

"Shakya, I am your father! Can you hear me?"

Director Qin knew someone else was now inside the Traum, and not wanting Longsheng to find it too abrupt, he began speaking under the guise of being her father.

"Di—Director?!"

Shakya found it terribly awkward; this old man was still as unserious as ever.

"Father?"

Longsheng was also startled. True to form, Qin Yun—no... Shakya's entire family were extraordinary people.

"It's good that you're okay. The operation officially begins now. Ignore the military; their approach is incapable of eliminating the enemy."

Sure enough, the military was currently repeating Shakya's earlier mistake. Did that mean she needed to stop them quickly?

"I—I need instructions..."

The Director's voice gave Shakya peace of mind.

"This thing is no ordinary spawn! For now, let's call it the King of Yakshas. It possesses the abilities of multiple spawns! It is not an opponent that our current weapons can easily defeat."

The Director explained while flipping through the notes in his hand.

It seemed he and the monk had conducted a great deal of investigation regarding this new enemy.

"I'll handle the military side of things. You just follow the words of Master Jingci."

"Master Jingci??"

The sudden appearance of a brand-new name left Shakya completely baffled.

"Wait... aren't you going to command us, Director?"

Shakya wanted to ask more, but the Director seemed to have already disconnected from the communication channel.

"Master Jingci... That sounds like a monk..."

Longsheng muttered in confusion as well.

Not only Shakya and Longsheng, but even Shion had no idea what game the Director was playing.

The Director had only dropped that little piece of information before switching channels to negotiate with the military commanders.

"Fear not, female benefactor. I am Jingci; simply act according to my words."

A calm, firm, and magnetic male voice resonated right beside Shakya's ear.

"What?!"

This didn't sound like it was coming through the communication device; it sounded distinctly like someone speaking right next to her ear.

"Qin... Shakya... Th—There's someone here!"

Immediately following, Longsheng's startled shout came through as well.

"That...?!"

Everyone else in the command post, including Shion, stared in absolute shock at the scene before them. The imagery broadcasted by the frontline reconnaissance helicopter's camera was simply incredible.

If you wondered what everyone was so shocked about, it was naturally what Longsheng had just said: there was someone there.

Standing on Shakya's shoulder—or rather, the shoulder of the Traum—was a person.

"Eep!"

Shakya looked back and finally spotted the inconspicuous figure perched on her shoulder.

A person was standing on the shoulder of the Traum—to be precise, a monk.

How could anyone be up there?!

When did he get up there?

However, the situation was critical, and since reinforcements had arrived, it was for the best.

"Shakya, employ your breathing technique and stir the ripples of life!"

Breathing technique?

That must have been what Shakya used to repel that blob of black sludge.

She had to use it while piloting the mecha?!

"I understand!"

Shakya struck a pose to focus her inner energy. Although nothing was visible from the outside of the mecha, Longsheng could see it clearly.

Inside the cockpit, a faint golden glow began to emerge on the surface of Shakya's skin.

"Y—Your body seems to be glowing!"

Longsheng reported this phenomenon.

"How is it, Mr. Jingci? But the mecha still doesn't seem to be reacting!"

From the mecha's visual feed, Shakya could not detect any changes.

"That is only natural, for the female benefactor's power has yet to recover to its peak. Only with this poor monk lending you a hand shall you experience the mysteries of the Mecha-Soul Technique!"

"H—How do you lend a hand?"

Shakya was completely lost at the moment.

"Little benefactor inside the cockpit, place your hand upon Shakya as well."

Jingci seemed to know that Longsheng was in the cockpit too.

"Me?"

Longsheng hesitantly placed his hand on Shakya's wrist.

"This poor monk temporarily lends his power unto you!"

Jingci placed his hand against the Traum, and his arm began to radiate a golden brilliance!

This radiance was not the faint shimmer Shakya had previously produced, but a blinding, all-encompassing golden light!

This golden light illuminated the night-shrouded battlefield as bright as day!

Even the falling rain in the air was shaken apart, forming a protective barrier of mist.

"Master... Is this your true strength... Is this a realm that our generation of humanity... can never reach?"

In the temple on the outskirts of the city, old master Shi Silang also gazed in awe at the dazzling flash in the distance.

He had practiced martial arts under his master, Master Jingci, since childhood. This was the first time he had ever witnessed his master's true strength—the radiant glow of such intense ripples of life!

And according to the conjecture of Jingci and the Director, Shakya, who was linked to the Root Cube, might potentially surpass even this!

Inside the command post, the flashing light also caused Shion and the others to instinctively shield their eyes.

"You two, endure this for a moment; it might be a bit uncomfortable."

Shakya and Longsheng suddenly felt a sensation akin to an electric shock.

"Gwahhhhhhh!"

Although it wasn't an intensely violent electric jolt, it was certainly unpleasant. Jingci clearly had no intention of giving them time to mentally prepare.

The sudden electric sensation caused both Longsheng and Shakya to cry out.

"The thing inside that cocoon is hiding in another dimension. Only with this energy can we drag it out."

The Director explained to everyone in the command center as he watched the flash illuminate the night like day.

This energy seemed to resonate with Shakya, and that same golden glow began to emanate from Longsheng as well!

"Wh—What is happening?!"

Shakya realized that she—and the body of the Traum—was also suffused with a brilliant radiance!

Driven by the power injected by Master Jingci, the hull of the Traum actually resonated and turned a brilliant golden yellow!

"Shakya, when you first used the ripples of life, the breathing technique consumed your stamina to a certain extent. But through cultivation, you will surely reach this realm. This time, take this opportunity to properly experience the power I lend unto you."