"So that's how it is. You guys really ended up with an unlucky general agent."
Under the explanation of the mecha battle squad captain named Huo Dai, Lin Lan gradually understood everything that had transpired.
A few days ago, Zhu Mobo, the general agent of Battleaxe Military Industries, was coerced by the Sirens into secretly undertaking a terrifyingly ambitious project.
The project involves repairing the Overlord Mecha, which was housed in the Dongyun City Mecha Exhibition Hall and had once participated in the war against the Natlan Empire.
No wonder Jian Qian'ou, the hidden overseer of the Tian'ou Group, had warned him to pay attention to Dongyun City.
To repair the Overlord Mecha in such a short time would require mobilizing a vast amount of resources and materials from across the entire Western Continent—there was no way such an operation could escape the notice of Tian'ou Group.
But if it weren't for the unwavering assurances from these mecha pilots, Lin Lan would never have believed that Orlan, in its current state, would dare to attempt restoring the Overlord Mecha.
Even if they were under the Sirens' threat, was the Overlord Mecha something Orlan could repair so easily?
Just moments ago, he had witnessed firsthand the battle stance of the Overlord Mecha—like a scene straight out of a sci-fi blockbuster.
That brief yet spectacular aerial battle had left a deep impression on Lin Lan.
Of course, compared to his fleet girls, the Overlord Mecha was nothing more than a flying target, something they could easily defeat.
But honestly, what man could refuse a badass fighting mecha?
That said, could Orlan, having suffered through the Siren calamity, truly possess the capability to restore the Overlord Mecha?
And all this with just the resources of Battleaxe Military Industries, a single corporation, and only one city's general agent?
Back in the day, the Overlord Mecha was a project that required the combined industrial power of the entire Orlan Federation.
The level of technology involved was far beyond what a single corporation in today's Orlan could possess.
Even if the Sirens provided Battleaxe Military Industries with sufficient technological support, without the necessary resources and materials, restoring the Overlord Mecha would still be a complete fantasy.
However, as Huo Dai continued explaining, Lin Lan soon learned that the so-called "repair" only involved restoring the mecha's body and outer shell.
Not only had they failed to rebuild the small homing missile system, the energy blades, and other supporting weaponry, but they hadn't even solved the most critical issue—the power core.
"Forget the weapons system; without a power core, that Overlord Mecha isn't even considered repaired. It can't even be started."
"But somehow, that massive, unfinished Overlord Mecha vanished into thin air from our underground mecha research lab."
As Huo Dai recounted what she had seen upon returning from training, her face was filled with terror.
"That's more than enough. With the Sirens' help, none of this is a problem."
Lin Lan sighed, cutting Huo Dai off.
With the Sirens' mysterious technology, they could pull off all sorts of insane feats—stealing an Overlord Mecha was nothing for them.
What he couldn't understand, however, was why the Sirens would go to such lengths to coerce Battleaxe's general agent into attempting to restore the Overlord Mecha.
Was it just for convenience? That seemed way too low-level for them.
Lin Lan had dealt with the Sirens for years, even if it was through a game. But that experience had given him a solid understanding of their patterns.
Beneath seemingly absurd actions, there was almost always a hidden, sinister plot.
As Lin Lan and the fleet girls around him fell into silence, Huo Dai swallowed nervously and continued.
"After the Overlord Mecha disappeared, we immediately received an order placing all Battleaxe Military Industries combat personnel on full alert."
"That was when we first learned that the general agent had been threatened by the Sirens. But afterward… afterward…"
Huo Dai suddenly covered her head with both hands, as if recalling something truly terrifying, and froze.
"What happened then? Take your time, don't rush."
Lin Lan, who had been deep in thought, quickly spoke up to stop Huo Dai from forcing herself to recall.
"After that, you saw an incredibly dense fog engulf the entire city, and then all of you—everyone from… Battleaxe Military Industries, right?—you all ended up here."
A cheerful, feminine voice rang out from the sea of flames, causing Huo Dai to tremble violently, her eyes widening in horror.
And it wasn't just her. Every mecha pilot around Lin Lan was now shaking, their faces twisted in fear.
As if they had just heard the devil whispering.
The moment that carefree voice fell silent, all of the fleet girls immediately aimed their rigging weapons in its direction.
"Protect the Commander! That voice… it's the Purifier!"
The one who shouted was Hipper, the golden-haired Ironblood heavy cruiser girl. She swiftly positioned herself in front of Lin Lan.
"Hahahaha! That's right, that's right! It's me, the incredibly adorable Purifier, making my grand entrance!"
Hearing that familiar voice, Lin Lan froze for a moment.
"Pur… Purifier?"
He knew full well that Purifier was a terrifyingly powerful high-ranking Siren. If it came down to a fight, Purifier might even be stronger than Tester.
But his shock wasn't due to fear or apprehension over Purifier's strength—it was something else entirely.
Was it… relief?
He couldn't help but think this way.
In his memory, this high-ranking Siren had never shown genuine intent to kill him or his fleet girls.
In fact, during a certain in-game collaboration event, Purifier had even assisted his fleet girls in overcoming a major crisis.
If there was any high-ranking Siren he wanted to have a conversation with, it was definitely this one—the Purifier, whose free-spirited nature set her apart from the others.
Soon, a massive hammerhead shark-shaped rigging emerged from the flames, and the Purifier—floating in mid-air—revealed her true form before him for the first time.
"A-A talking Siren?!"
Huo Dai, paralyzed with fear, stared at the grinning yet terrifyingly imposing girl. She collapsed to the ground, too weak to stand.
She had seen Sirens attack cities before, but a talking Siren? That was unheard of.
Purifier, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying the thrill of being treated as a major boss.
She playfully glanced down at the terrified Battleaxe mecha pilots, then turned her golden eyes toward Lin Lan's fleet girls, who were bracing themselves for a fight.
With a delighted smile, she said:
"I wasn't the least bit surprised that you guys managed to break through the Natural Calculation System's predictions and show up here."
"Wait a sec… If I predicted your arrival here, doesn't that mean I'm better than the Natural Calculation System? I should totally submit my thought process data to the mainframe!"
Seeing just how bizarrely offbeat Purifier was acting, Lin Lan couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
Sure, Purifier had always been a bit eccentric, even in normal event storylines—but this? This was the next level.
What was with this whole "family gathering" vibe she was giving off?
Had she completely abandoned all decorum?
Lin Lan couldn't help but lean toward Hipper and quietly ask,
"How long has she been like this?"
"Hah? She's always like this when we see her. We've just gotten used to it," Hipper replied irritably without even turning her head.
But their whispered exchange didn't escape Purifier's sharp ears.
The previously smug, floating Siren suddenly froze, her golden eyes locking onto them.
"Hm? Hold on, hold on… Did I just hear something outrageous?"
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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