"Extremely Dangerous Ethereal?!" x6
Hearing Wise's words, not only the four from Belobog Industries, but also Belle and Fairy on the other side were left stunned.
[|Negative. Current data is insufficient to determine the contents of this monument. As such, it cannot be confirmed whether an Extremely Dangerous Ethereal is present. The probability of its presence or absence is evenly split at 50%.|]
"Fairy, don't say things like that right now. Before my brother showed what he could really do, would you ever have believed he could take down a dangerous Ethereal alone?"
Fairy's words made Belle want to roll her eyes. Perhaps it was because Anby and Nekomata hadn't been around lately, letting situations like this pile up. In the end, she held herself back from doing it.
After a brief pause, Fairy spoke again.
[|Affirmative. The Master has repeatedly demonstrated abilities beyond common understanding. As a result, my estimated probability has increased to 99.99...%.|]
"Heh, for me it's already 100%. I'll always believe in my Brother!"
'Of course, anything related to girls is an exception,' Belle quietly added in her heart.
Meanwhile, Wise heard their exchange, but his focus never wavered as he continued answering the questions from Belobog Industries.
"Wise, you're serious about this?" Koleda asked, looking at Wise nearby before staring at the monument ahead.
If something like that was truly inside, then her father back then might have been involved in something extremely serious.
"Yes. I am serious. Even though the Ether reaction is being suppressed, I can still analyze what's happening inside using more refined data."
After hearing this, the members of Belobog Industries decided to believe him.
"Damn it. If we move the prototype machine, that thing will be released? Is that why Father rushed out on his own after learning the truth?!"
Koleda bit her lip, clearly holding back her emotions. Seeing this, Grace spoke up.
"The smart machine mentioned earlier that it was coming to reinforce the seal. It was probably referring to this situation. What should we do? Do we keep that thing sealed here, or release it and destroy it?"
Grace left the decision to Koleda. After all, If that thing hadn't existed, her father might not have vanished.
To Koleda, whatever was sealed inside was directly tied to her father's disappearance.
"President, we'll follow your lead. If sealing it isn't enough, then let's release it and take it down together. For the former President!" Anton said, lifting the mechanical power drill on his arm.
Ben stood beside him without saying a word. His silence made it obvious he felt the same way.
"Everyone... I understand. Leaving this thing here is still a hidden danger. Even if the seal is reinforced, Hollow Raiders who come here in the future might release it anyway. Since that's the case, we might as well go all out and completely put an end to it today."
Koleda thought of how her father had gone alone to seal this thing. It was impossible for her not to feel resentment deep in her heart.
"Hmm, but before that, we need to prepare."
Wise calmly evaluated his current combat ability. Though he was in Bangboo form, the attribute point boost meant he could still contribute.
On top of that, the four from Belobog Industries were here, along with three powerful intelligent machines. With this kind of strength gathered, defeat seemed unlikely. He probably wouldn't even need to fight.
Still, as the group started dismantling the monument, Wise felt uneasy.
It felt like he had forgotten something important.
What was it?
"It's coming out! There really is an Ethereal, and the Ether concentration is off the charts!"
Grace shouted the moment she saw the Ethereal crawling out from the monument, pulling everyone's focus to it.
Before it could fully emerge, everyone launched a concentrated assault. Ben and Koleda even worked together, trying to force the Ethereal back inside.
Even an Extremely Dangerous Ethereal couldn't withstand such overwhelming firepower. Soon enough, it fell to the ground, unmoving.
Wise approached carefully to confirm its state. It was clearly dead.
"Looks like it's over. I didn't expect it to be this easy. Let's take it back and submit it to the Public Security or the Hollow Investigative Association."
Newly appearing Ethereal individuals like this were extremely valuable for research, so Koleda thought of this almost immediately.
However, just as the intelligent machines were about to step forward to retrieve the Ethereal's corpse and assist with transport, something unexpected suddenly happened.
"Koleda, look out!"
When Wise saw the Ethereal being transported by the smart machines suddenly start moving again, he immediately shouted a warning.
Koleda was too close to react in time. A massive burst of energy threw her back, but Wise caught her against his chest, taking most of the impact.
She got up quickly, grabbing Wise and pulling him close as she stared ahead in shock.
"What... what's going on?!"
"The children's signals are gone! And the Ether concentration keeps rising!"
Grace rushed over to Koleda, panic clear in her voice. Everyone looked ahead, tense and silent.
When the dust settled, a huge monster stood there, completely fused with the three intelligent machines.
"It absorbed all three intelligent machines!"
Koleda bit her lip, staring at the creature that had grown far stronger. Wise felt irritation boil up inside him. He never thought it would fake its death.
'Since when could an Ethereal think like that? Or was this some ability triggered by contact with machinery?' Wise wondered, his mind racing.
Meanwhile, the Ethereal completed its fusion and charged straight at them, filled with rage.
Now much stronger, the Ethereal quickly overwhelmed the group. Koleda tried to move Wise aside so she could focus on the fight.
But before she could, the monster's tail slammed into her, throwing her into the broken ruins behind.
"President!" x3
Koleda disappeared from view, causing everyone's hearts to tighten. However, with the monster bearing down on them and their faith in their President intact, they had no choice but to stand firm and face the assault first.
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