"I choose the second option," Fargo replied without hesitation. The temptation to experience a higher level of power was irresistible for someone like him, a mech pilot accustomed to wielding immense strength.
"As you wish, then. I will grant you the power to experience a higher level. Savor it well!"
The false devil, Muria, smiled slightly and, under the curious gaze of the Golden Dragon Lady, took out the Seven Sins Blade, cut his finger, and squeezed out a drop of golden blood. This drop of blood fell into the broken Dawn mech, which had been heavily damaged by the laser attacks from the dragon turtle.
"What is this?" Alarms blared loudly in Fargo's cockpit as he watched through the mech's optical sensors. A golden meteor had suddenly appeared in the sky, descending toward him, and its target was none other than the Dawn mech.
Boom! The moment the golden meteor struck the mech, the internal flesh that had been damaged by the dragon turtle's onslaught began to undergo a drastic transformation. The mech, which had been leaking fluids, suddenly stopped hemorrhaging, and the liquid even began to flow back into the machine.
The organic components within the mech, which had been pulverized by the previous impacts, started to reorganize and regenerate. The flesh rapidly multiplied, restoring the mangled parts of the mech to their original state and enhancing its overall performance.
Before his eyes, the Dawn mech began to grow larger. The armor that had previously concealed the organic material underneath was pushed apart as the mech's flesh expanded. Strips of muscle were exposed, giving the scene a visceral, violent beauty that was both grotesque and strangely mesmerizing.
However, this unsettling sight didn't last long. Soon, bone-like scales began to form over the exposed muscles, filling in the gaps between the metal armor. The Dawn mech was rapidly mutating, and its life force was becoming increasingly potent.
As this rapid transformation unfolded, the awe-inspiring sight of the golden meteor falling was witnessed by a squad of seven Beast Hunter mechs approaching from a distant base.
"What was that golden meteor just now?"
"I'm not sure, but I detected a high-energy reaction from it. If that energy were fully unleashed, it could completely obliterate the city below."
"It seems to have struck the damaged Dawn mech. Get in touch with Fargo and see if anything's wrong."
"Don't worry. His life signs are stable. But something's definitely off—the Dawn mech's energy levels and performance indicators are skyrocketing."
...
"Fargo, what's going on with your mech? What happened to it?"
Fargo stared in disbelief at the rapidly rising data on his mech's display when a message from his military command base interrupted him.
"Is your mech malfunctioning? The performance parameters are showing some serious anomalies."
"No, I—"
Just as Fargo was about to explain, the Beast Hunter squad arrived above the city and saw the Dawn mech, lying on the ground and undergoing a dramatic transformation.
The image of the transforming mech was transmitted live to the military base, where a stunned silence fell.
As a military base specifically designed to deal with anomalous beasts, they had witnessed many evolutionary processes before. Creatures suddenly expanding in size wasn't particularly rare. But this—seeing a fully constructed mech undergo a transformation akin to evolution—was something they had never seen before.
"Fargo, what's happening?" A senior scholar, overcome with excitement, practically threw himself at the communication terminal, shouting with fervor.
The scene before him was beyond thrilling. It suggested that the anomalous performance parameters of the Dawn mech were no malfunction—the mech was truly evolving.
"I…" Just as Fargo tried to explain, the familiar yet terrifying voice resounded in his mind once more.
"Kid, I'd prefer if my existence remained unknown to others for now."
"...I don't know anything," Fargo quickly corrected himself after hearing Muria's warning. In truth, he was just as shocked by the changes in his mech, so his unusually subdued tone didn't arouse suspicion from the base. "I don't know why my mech is transforming like this."
"It was the golden meteor. I saw a golden meteor fall from the sky and hit the Dawn mech," one of the mech pilots reported to the base, describing the strange phenomenon they had witnessed.
"This is an emergency situation! No matter what, protect the Dawn mech at all costs. Bring it back to base. If these parameters are real, our world might finally be saved. The anomalous beasts will no longer be a threat. The future belongs to us Xirons once more!"
A scientist spoke with unbridled excitement. On the rapidly mutating Dawn mech, he saw the hope for the Xiron people's future—an end to the fear of anomalous beasts and a bright, limitless future ahead.
Roar!
As the Dawn mech's aura surged, its mutation caught the attention of the dragon turtle, which had evolved into a giant form. Seeing the rapidly expanding mech, the dragon turtle felt an immense threat and let out a primal roar, much like a wild beast.
Noticing the danger, the giant turtle's enormous wheel-like structure on its back began to rotate, releasing streams of air that transformed into blades, slashing toward the Dawn mech. Wherever the blades passed, deep gouges were cut into the ground.
"Block the attack! Protect the Dawn mech!" the squad leader of the Beast Hunter mechs commanded. Following the orders from the base, they immediately moved to shield the Dawn mech.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The mechs deployed their energy shields to intercept the air blades, but to their horror, the shields were shattered, and the mechs sustained varying degrees of damage.
Roar!
The dragon turtle giant, excited by the results of its casual strike, let out another triumphant roar. The creature, now in a more powerful form, was ecstatic—such destruction had been impossible for it before its evolution.
It then brought its massive tail, which had only grown slightly larger in the evolution, in front of itself, charging it with energy. Brilliant flashes of electricity crackled around the tail, signaling an impending, devastating attack.
"There's no way we can block this!" Alarms blared within the remaining mechs as the dragon turtle prepared to unleash its full power. The pilots were overwhelmed by a sense of impending doom.
"Stand aside. I'll handle this," came a voice. The Dawn mech, its transformation nearly complete, suddenly stood up. It moved with such speed it seemed to teleport as it stepped forward, gently pushing aside the two mechs blocking its way.
Golden light radiated from the mech's arm, forming a giant shield that instantly blocked the dragon turtle's laser attack.
"What the heck is that?" one of the pilots couldn't help but shout from his cockpit. "Is that an energy shield? It doesn't look anything like the ones we use! We're running 16th-gen mechs, and this thing must be a 17th-gen or something, but the tech gap is ridiculous!"
"Shut up! That mech's been mutated by some unknown cause. This isn't about tech."
"So much power!" Fargo marveled, easily deflecting the dragon turtle's attacks. He was overwhelmed by the strength coursing through the mech, almost intoxicated by it.
Boom! With the laser cannon still firing, Fargo took a step forward, feeling no pressure at all. He continued controlling the mech, advancing steadily.
Thus, Fargo piloted the Dawn mech step by step toward the dragon turtle. Throughout the approach, the now fully evolved dragon turtle launched a barrage of frenzied attacks, all of which Fargo effortlessly blocked.
Finally, the Dawn mech, now over 40 meters tall, closed in on the dragon turtle giant. Half of its body was covered in bone-like scales derived from its mutated organic components, with only traces of its original metal armor remaining.
"Monster, die!" Fargo roared as he swung the mech's spiked, bone-clad fist. The punch broke through the field of thunder and wind surrounding the dragon turtle and struck it directly.
Boom! A massive explosion echoed as a visible shockwave spread outward, tearing through the atmosphere and sending debris flying. In the wake of the impact, the surrounding buildings were reduced to rubble.
Amidst the swirling dust and chaos, the black-and-blue giant dragon turtle and the golden Dawn mech clashed in a brutal, hand-to-hand battle. The shockwaves from their blows caused wave after wave of windstorms, making it difficult for the nearby mechs to even approach.
As Fargo's Dawn mech and the dragon turtle fought fiercely, a frenzy erupted in the military research base. Everyone watching the scene went mad with excitement. Scientists rushed to the screens, unable to believe what they were seeing—a mech holding its own against a creature as destructive as a disaster beast.
"This... this is a miracle. A true miracle!"
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