Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!-Chapter 944 - 663: Crushing All Opposition

As the truck gradually approached, the searchlight from the tower beside the rusty iron gate of the mining area swept over, locking onto the truck with a blinding beam.

A few pirates, dressed in ragged leather armor and wielding firearms, lazily gathered around, cursing under their breath.

"Where did this junk come from? What are you hauling?" A one-eyed pirate tapped the gun barrel against the driver's door.

Victor forced a smile, explaining according to the prearranged story: "Big brother, we're from the 'Waste Pit' in the east and dug up some good stuff. We want... want to exchange with Boss Claw for some food and filters."

"Waste Pit? Can anything good come out of that godforsaken place?" The one-eyed pirate skeptically eyed Victor and the miners on the truck.

Though nervous, the miners' tattered clothes and emaciated appearance matched those who have struggled to survive long-term on the Mine Star.

Another pirate jumped onto the truck bed, rummaging through the covered tarpaulin, and seeing that it was indeed black, with some metallic gleam stones underneath, lost interest in checking further.

"Go ahead, park the truck at the third depot and wait for inspection. You know the rules? We take fifty percent."

"Got it, got it!" Victor nodded repeatedly, starting the truck and slowly driving through the gate.

Upon entering the mining area, the scene before their eyes made the miners' hearts sink.

The mining area was larger than they had imagined, filled with crude shacks, piled-up ores, and rudimentary smelting furnaces billowing black smoke.

More pirates roamed around, either supervising ragged, shackled slave miners at work or gathering to gamble and drink.

At a rough glance, there were no fewer than a hundred pirates within sight, and each one was armed.

On a distant high ground, two rapid-fire cannons' muzzles gleamed coldly under the searchlights, with the slight flicker of what appeared to be an energy shield generator nearby.

More terrifying was that as the truck moved in, they could feel numerous hidden eyes watching them with scrutiny and malice.

Catherine, hidden in the truck bed, extended her spiritual energy perception quietly, also feeling a chill: the number and level of armament of the pirates were stronger than expected, and more dispersed, with hidden sentries in some secluded corners and underground entrances.

To seize control instantly would be no small feat.

"Are we going to attack them?"

"Really?" The miners on the truck began whispering among themselves.

At the start of their journey, besides nervousness, there was a bit of excitement about doing something big.

Attacking pirates! A feat only heroes from legends would undertake.

Yet now, up close and seeing those fierce-looking individuals and their menacing weapons, their spirits deflated instantly.

Me? Fight pirates?

Really? 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Just a few of us here, aren't we just marching to our deaths?

Where's that man who said we wouldn't have to fight? Where did he go?

Could he be negotiating with the pirate leader how much we're worth selling for?

"Don't talk." Despite the unease in his heart, Victor spoke up to stabilize their mood, "Bai said it can be done, you just need to focus on moving the goods."

Following the pirates' directions, Victor parked the truck near the third depot.

This area was relatively spacious but far from the pirate's residential shantytown and the warehouse that seemed to be an underground entrance.

A few pirates followed, demanding they unload the cargo for inspection.

"Hurry up! What's the holdup?" The one-eyed pirate urged impatiently.

As the miners started to unload slowly under Victor's signal, he glanced around with anxiety.

Why hasn't Bai E made a move yet? If they delay any longer, and a pirate leader shows up or demands they go elsewhere, the plan could change.

Just then, from the largest metal shack in the mining area, adorned with a blood claw banner, emerged a burly bald man with three ferocious claw scars on his face, the leader "Claw."

He seemed to have been briefed and was looking towards the depot, his gaze fierce.

Catherine's voice came through Bai E's mecha communication device: "The leader has appeared, and there is increased energy reaction at the suspected underground entrance, possibly indicating activation of personnel or equipment. Immediate action is advisable!"

Almost simultaneously as Catherine transmitted the message—

"Whizz—!!"

An ear-piercing sound tore through the din of the mining area and the whimpering wind!

Everyone, pirates, miners, and Victor, instinctively looked up at the sky.

A streak of blue-white light, like lightning tearing the sky, suddenly erupted from behind the wind-eroded stone columns, racing toward the center of the mining area at eye-popping speed!

At the heart of the light was the "Storm" mecha, dropping its disguise, engines fully powered, and its rear thrusters spewing fiery tails!

"Enemy attack!!!" A quick-reacting pirate shrieked the alarm.

But it was too late.

The mecha's speed exceeded their comprehension.

Almost as soon as the alarm sounded, the blue-white giant was hovering above the mining area.

In an agile roll and dive, the huge alloy battle blade on its right arm gleamed coldly under the searchlights, exuding a deadly glow.

"Boom!!!"

The first strike aimed at the high ground of the two rapid-fire cannons.

The blade's light swept past like a curtain, and the gun emplacements, shield generator, along with several pirate gunners nearby, turned into fragments and flames amidst an earth-shattering explosion and the screech of metal tearing.

"Buzz—!" The mecha's left arm raised, and the built-in rapid-fire cannon spewed fire like the scythe of death, precisely sweeping over some watchtowers and notable fire points.

The alarm abruptly halted, and the searchlights shattered one after another.

"It's a mecha! It's a mecha!" The pirates panicked, firing wildly into the air, but the energy beams and bullets only sparked faintly upon hitting the mecha's thick armor, barely scratching it.

The Claw leader's eyes bulged, roaring: "Activate anti-air! Deploy all weapons! Bring him down!"

Meanwhile, he quickly retreated toward the large shack where there was an emergency passage leading directly to the underground facility.

However, Bai E's target was very clear.

The mecha made a sharp stop-change in direction mid-air, ignoring the sporadic attacks below, its eyes locked onto the retreating Claw and the heavy metal door with energy fluctuations beside his shack—

That was likely the underground entrance.

Spiritual Energy surged, executing hundreds instantly!

The alloy battle blade in the mecha's hand was instantly enveloped in a layer of radiant spiritual light, the blade seeming to blur for a moment.

In the next instant, countless sharp blade images poured down like a tempest, not directly targeting Claw, but covering the area in front of the shack and the rooftop where the communication antenna seemed to be located.

"Boom boom boom boom—!!"

The continuous explosions completely engulfed the area, tearing the metal shack into pieces, the hidden communication devices and antenna rods vaporized under the blade energies, and the ground plowed into deep furrows.

Though Claw reacted quickly, rolling away to dodge, he was still flung by the blast wave, hitting a pile of ores hard, spurting blood, unable to rise for a moment.

The mecha finally landed firmly with a loud "boom," shaking the ground.

Standing between the underground entrance and most pirates, like an invincible War God of steel.

"Drop your weapons, surrender and live!" Bai E issued an icy and authoritative voice through the mecha's external speaker, while the spiritual energy pressure spread like something tangible, covering the entire mining area.

Most pirates, already terrified by the overwhelming assault, had their courage utterly collapsed.

The leader's fate was unknown, heavy weapons destroyed, communications cut off; faced with a mecha like something out of a myth, their will to resist crumbled instantly.

"Clang!" "Clang!" Weapons clattered to the ground one after another.

Numerous pirates dropped to their knees, raising their hands high.

Only a few diehards or marauders tried sneaking toward the mining area's edges or hiding in the barracks.

But the mecha's shoulder missile nests slightly adjusted, with soft "whoosh whoosh" sounds, several small missiles precisely landed ahead of them or where they hid, the explosive flames once again asserting absolute control through force.

Overwhelming!