"Alarm, alarm, alarm..."
Inside the underground mecha research institute of Battleaxe Military Industry in Dongyun City.
Tian Ming, who had barely slept for two days while working tirelessly on the Tyrant Mecha with Zhu Mobo's full support, was finally catching a brief nap on his office lounge table after lunch.
But just minutes after closing his eyes, a loud and shrill siren shattered the silence, jolting him awake.
"Ah? What's happening?! A Level One alarm?"
His bloodshot eyes widened behind his glasses as he grabbed the white coat draped over his chair and rushed out of the office lounge.
A Level One alarm signified an existential threat to the entire mecha research institute.
But this facility was buried a hundred meters underground. How could such an emergency arise so suddenly?
What on earth was happening?
To expedite repairs on the Tyrant Mecha, Tian Ming had chosen to rest near the repair area. To reach the surface, he had to pass by it.
As he ran, he saw other researchers dashing in panic, their faces stricken with fear and confusion.
"Damn it, is it the Sirens?!"
"We're hundreds of meters underground! This is Orlan's largest underground mecha research base! Even if the Sirens attack, they shouldn't be able to reach us!"
Tian Ming overheard the frantic conversations around him.
That was true. As the institute's chief technical officer, even he was baffled.
But before he could process further, he noticed something strange—everyone around him had come to an abrupt halt, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
"What are you all standing around for?! If you're not running for your lives, get out of the way!"
Tian Ming crashed into a frozen researcher, knocking his round-frame glasses to the ground. Annoyed, he snapped at him.
"Mr. Tian... you... look."
The researcher, pale with terror, pointed toward the Tyrant Mecha repair area.
"What happened..."
Muttering to himself, Tian Ming bent down to retrieve his glasses. But when he put them back on and looked up, his mind went blank.
He rubbed his eyes in disbelief. After confirming he wasn't hallucinating, his voice trembled with shock, grief, and rage.
"Where is my Tyrant Mecha?!"
"Where the hell is my mecha?!"
Indeed, the colossal Tyrant Mecha, as tall as a building, had vanished without a trace.
All that remained were scattered repair tools and severed cables.
The researchers were stunned. This wasn't just a theft—it was an impossibility.
If a few people or even smaller mechas had gone missing, it would have been one thing.
But this was a fully armed, heavily armored, building-sized combat mecha.
Even if its repairs were complete, it had no energy supply.
It couldn't have just walked away on its own. Moreover, the facility was surrounded by reinforced metal walls, with no breaches in sight.
"The power outage lasted only two minutes, and in just two minutes, the Tyrant Mecha disappeared. This is impossible!"
The murmurs of the soldiers and researchers sent chills down Tian Ming's spine.
But what could he do?
As the institute's top mecha engineer, he had poured his life's work into restoring the Overlord-class mecha.
And in recent days, Zhu Mobo had mobilized every possible resource, pulling strings and even offending high-ranking officials just to acquire the necessary parts.
Imagining Zhu Mobo's reaction upon hearing this news, Tian Ming felt his blood run cold.
"It's over... it's all over... Mr. Zhu is going to kill me..."
His legs buckled, and he collapsed, fainting on the spot.
Meanwhile, in a secret emergency elevator known only to the general agent, Zhu Mobo was ascending toward the surface.
The young general agent of Battleaxe Military Industry in Dongyun City was breathing heavily, his face a mix of disbelief and relief.
In his arms, he was carrying...
A petite, white-haired girl, her eyes closed, curled up like a sleeping child.
She wore a skintight white bodysuit resembling a combat uniform, with pieces of white armor covering her limbs.
Floating behind her were several sharp, translucent blue wings, their futuristic, mechanical design pulsing with an eerie glow.
"To think something as massive as the Tyrant Mecha could be transformed into this form... What the hell is that Rubik's Cube?"
Zhu Mobo stared at the girl's serene face and swallowed hard.
That's right. This white-haired girl was the transformed Tyrant Mecha.
The black and red Rubik's Cube that had accomplished this impossible feat had been handed to him by the golden-eyed, white-haired woman who had forcibly infiltrated his headquarters.
If he failed to integrate this mysterious artifact into the most powerful weapon at his disposal within a week, she had promised to ensure Dongyun City was utterly destroyed by the Sirens.
And as far as Zhu Mobo knew, the strongest weapon available was the Tyrant Mecha.
This was why he had stolen the Doomsday-class mecha from the exhibition hall.
Even though only its chassis had been restored, while its weapons and energy systems remained incomplete, the costs had been astronomical.
In just a few days, he had funneled nearly all his accumulated resources into this operation.
His reckless mobilization of funds had even drawn the suspicion of his superior, Ye Zhanke, CEO of Battleaxe Military Industry.
"I heard shipgirls are created from Wisdom Cubes and that their human forms can wield far greater power than their original warship counterparts."
"Then... what kind of power will this girl possess, now that she has become the Tyrant Mecha?"
Zhu Mobo murmured, unable to suppress his growing anticipation.
The emergency elevator reached the surface, and the steel doors slid open.
He stepped out onto a secluded hill on the outskirts of Dongyun City. Before him stretched the skyline of the metropolis, with the vast ocean shimmering in the distance.
"Mmm... Mmm..."
The girl stirred, her eyes fluttering open.
Deep-blue irises glowed like radar lenses.
Before Zhu Mobo could speak, she leapt from his arms, landing gracefully on the ground.
"Uh... hello?"
Zhu Mobo hesitated, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Sui Qiong, scanning... Environment confirmed safe. Threat level: negligible. Identity query... Query failed."
Her cold, mechanical voice sent a shiver down his spine.
As he reached for his phone to summon a retrieval team, he forced a reassuring smile.
"Can you hear me? I'm the one who repaired you. You'll follow me from now on."
The mecha girl gazed at Dongyun City, her glowing blue eyes filled with something unexpected.
Not confusion. Not curiosity.
But sorrow.
The sea breeze lifted her long white hair as she slowly closed her eyes.
"Proposal rejected."
Her chilling response shattered Zhu Mobo's fragile confidence.
"I...…"
Before Zhu Mobo could finish his sentence, he was abruptly interrupted by the shocking sight before him.
The sharp blue wings behind the girl—who had transformed from the Tyrant Mecha—suddenly flickered with an ethereal blue light, resembling phantom wings, before releasing a powerful burst of airflow.
The sudden force sent Zhu Mobo flying. He tumbled several times across the ground before crashing into a massive tree.
By the time he finally regained his senses and staggered to his feet, the imposing mecha girl had vanished without a trace.
"Fuck!"
Zhu Mobo, now covered in dirt, paid no heed to his disheveled appearance and scrambled to get up.
But before he could react, a sharp pain struck the back of his head. His vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground, completely losing consciousness.
Standing behind him was a woman with golden eyes and a ponytail, dressed in a formal suit befitting a corporate professional.
A playful smile graced her lips as she hummed a cheerful tune, pressing the heel of her high-heeled shoe against Zhu Mobo's back while gazing toward Dongyun City in the distance.
If Lin Lan or his shipgirls had been present, they would have instantly recognized her identity.
The Advanced Siren—Purifier.
"Hehehe~ You actually pulled it off. I have to admit, you're quite capable."
Like someone reveling in pure amusement, Purifier spoke to herself in a lively tone.
"Well then, let's officially commence the experimental field designated AL-06!"
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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