Legend of the Cyber Heroes
Chapter 704 - 348 Paradox City

Chapter 704: Chapter 348 Paradox City

For the Protector stationed in Paradox City, it was a very ordinary day.

Paradox City was the Martial World’s deadly ground and naturally like stagnant water, which only ripples when a stone is thrown into it. However, it had been decades since anyone had thrown a stone into this pool known as Paradox City.

The last time tensions rose in Paradox City was when the Eleventh Martial God was born and even silently exterminated the Moon’s Anti-Martial God special forces. Only when they heard that the squad under King Aqini, specifically aimed at Martial Gods, was annihilated did the Protectors of Paradox City feel a trace of tension.

Of course, it ended there.

The status of Paradox City was very unique. Should anything happen in Paradox City, the King of Godspeed would immediately rush over, while King Aqini was just 1.2 light seconds away from Paradox City.

The two strongest among the Kings both supported this city.

There was nothing to fear.

This was what high-level military officer White Night Lux thought.

Although through various transmissions, she had received a notification from a high-level military officer named Fraser in the north, stating that a heavy prosthesis owned by a high-level military officer had been stolen by daring thieves who could do anything.

But as of today, not even one or two martial artists above the First Heavenly Layer could possibly strike at Paradox City.

Like most civilians, White Night Lux also followed a nocturnal schedule. This was rare among the nobility. Civilians worked at night because they often needed to deploy solar panels during the day. In some affluent settlements with community solar panels, people were also active during the day.

White Night Lux chose this simply because she was part of the generally half who did. The city permanently housed twelve martial artists above the First Heavenly Layer, divided into three shifts, always ensuring at least eight martial artists remained in high spirits. She just happened to be part of this half.

Under the influence of a flight-configured external device, White Night Lux soared across the city’s half-sky, flying a circle. In the distance, the Moon, representing King Aqini’s gaze and protection, was setting in the west, looking very dim due to the vast sandstorm.

At this time, those civilians began their daily rituals.

Yes, there were civilians in Paradox City. The city had lenient entry but strict exit regulations. There was no restriction when entering, but leaving was not permitted. Over the decades, quite a number of people had come here. Initially, some Heroes came to rescue the Ninth Martial God, bringing their disciples. These were just reactionary newcomers to Jianghu. After their masters died, they had no choice but to stay in this city. As long as they didn’t attack the Protectors or initiate contact with the Ninth Martial God, the Protectors didn’t give a damn about them.

There were also disheartened Heroes who came here to live in seclusion, merely to watch over the Martial God and end their failed lives.

Latecomers included civilians who were targeted by Green Forest and fled into this city.

Although these people were anti-human on a mental level and had nothing left, gathered in this city, they had fermented over seventy years and surprisingly produced a whole new filthy and foul entity.

As the Moon sank, more and more civilians emerged from the corners of the city and moved towards its center.

Their destination was the bound Ninth Martial God.

The city center’s massive tower was akin to a signal tower, but its base was crafted in an ancient style, said to resemble the pyramid that originally stood there.

At the peak of the pyramid-shaped base, the Martial God was suspended.

The god and its twelve top-tier machines. It was said that the Ninth Martial God possessed the Hundred Machines Martial Performance ability, could control multiple prostheses, each equivalent to a martial arts master. These machines could also form the Military Battle Formation.

Aside from the Sixth and Seventh Martial Gods, who cultivated Ship Techniques, the Ninth Martial God was one of the few who could face an army head-on.

And these twelve machines, collectively known as the "Zodiac," were the last twelve surviving machines from when he was defeated at the Throne.

Numerous cables extended from the tower, binding the Ninth Martial God and his twelve Zodiacs. At the joints of these twelve machines, extra molten metal was poured over. The traces of this flowing metal fixed these thirteen top-tier bodies into a tormented stance.

These shells, like birds with broken wings, like insects trapped in a spider’s web.

The civilians left their dwellings and solemnly walked towards where the Ninth Martial God was bound. They raised their hands high all the way until they reached the district where the Ninth Martial God was located, and then they slowly knelt down.

Cyber warriors do not subscribe to the notion of "hands up, surrender," nor do they follow the custom of "kneeling to surrender." Ultimately, the prosthetic modifications were too freeing, and any posture could potentially unleash deadly moves.

These individuals only heard that this was understood as "submission" and "respect" in the Old Era.

Others raised their hands to the height of the shoulder, performing a military salute.

This matter... nobody knew when it had begun. Initially, it was just some Jianghu people using this Old Era custom to pay homage to the Martial God. Later on, some civilians followed suit. The Ninth Martial God, being the most prominent in "publicity," was also known by civilians. These people were surprised to find themselves witnessing a figure from mythology. At the same time, they discovered that those "Lords" also held great respect for this particular figure.

Thus, they learned from those Heroes and gradually a custom was formed.

Theoretically, this was, of course, a violation of the Dyson Principle. But it seemed there was a decree from above stating that Paradox City was an exception, so this violation of the Dyson Principle could be specially pardoned.

"Just let those who refuse to follow this principle see what kind of twisted things humanity’s collective imagination can give birth to,"

After all, those civilians could be punished at any time. The surveillance in Paradox City was unmatched by any other place, so the Protectors let it go.

White Night Lux raised her height and then landed on a platform atop a high tower. An autonomous robot approached her and removed the flight module from her back. White Night Lux said to the high-level military officer Lian Yunhui beside her, "Seeing those fools below, I realize how noble it is to be a Protector."

Lian Yunhui nodded without saying a word. This guy was originally from the Life-Chasing Cavalry and had only been promoted during the period of upheaval caused by the Eleventh Martial God. He practiced the Stardust Rotation Technique, a Gang Qi Martial Studies that was not conducive to cooperation with others. This guy was naturally taciturn.

White Night Lux had gotten used to this. She looked down and said, "I heard that the building originally down there was used for primitive and bloody sacrifices... If they continue to emulate the Heroes recorded in their texts, do you think they might kill their own companions in front of the Martial God to perform sacrifices? After all, those Heroes all came here to die."

Lian Yunhui looked down and said, "Possibly."

"Is the Ninth Martial God’s Prosthetic Eye in active mode?" asked White Night Lux, "I really wonder what he feels now."

"You could ask those three below," Lian Yunhui responded.

"Those three" referred to three experts from the Moon. Their names were complicated, and they were said to be disciples of King Aqini. These three High Tier Mechanical Realm experts were specifically here to comprehend the operating system constructed by King Aqini to seal the Ninth Martial God.

These three masters had abandoned the human form. In the eyes of White Night Lux and Lian Yunhui, these three experts were like some kind of security device transported from the Moon and fitted onto a base to operate ceaselessly once they arrived.

These three masters could monitor any cognitive activity of the Martial God.

"Forget it. Better to leave some respect for the Martial God. After all, he is ’Xiang Shan’s’ persona," White Night Lux remarked.

After a while, she said, "I heard an alert from outside claiming that imitators of the Martial God are causing trouble in the north. The Moon is thinking of sending more people over. What do you think, if high-tier experts from above the First Heavenly Layer stay here permanently and then, once the situation cools down, we might get reassigned? The Lord of Pine Eagle City has been killed. We might have a chance."

Paradox City concentrated the elite of the Earth Protectors. For some Protectors of humble origins, "coming to Paradox City" was a direct path to promotion.

Perhaps it was because Paradox City was quite effective in cleansing the human superstition towards ’Xiang Shan’.

For Protectors, this was also pretty important. Everyone hugely respected the old Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan, even though in his later years he betrayed his ideals, went mad, and implemented extremist heroic concepts, which did not negate his past contributions to humanity. However, due to the social phenomenon of ’Martial God Rebirth,’ the Protectors couldn’t afford to lose judgment over this ’natural’ respect.

In Earth, a third of the Lords had served as guards in Paradox City. And the First Heavenly Layer experts who guarded Paradox City felt this might be an opportunity for reassignment.

Although becoming a Lord meant being responsible for many people and having a lot of work, no longer idle, there seemed to be some magic to this status. The high-level military officers privately acknowledged this with a silent understanding signaled by a :-) .

White Night Lux had been curious about this for a long time.

Lian Yunhui unusually adjusted the color of his breathing light, showing a trace of "desire." For a high-level military officer like him, who came from the front lines, "protecting a territory" was a childhood dream.

Both high-level military officers received a report at the same time.

"A Hero has entered the city? Three meters tall? Heavy Prosthesis?" White Night Lux was startled.

"Three meters tall" was an important point. If the Prosthesis was smaller than this, it couldn’t fit into the Reactor. Of course, there were some mediocre martial artists in Jianghu who also used big Prosthesis, it wasn’t that bigger meant stronger.

But smaller Prosthesis wouldn’t fit into the Reactor. There was no need to be vigilant against those above the First Heavenly Layer.

Lian Yunhui gazed into the distance and said softly, "A sandstorm is coming."

This was not a good time.

"AI analysis, the Prosthetic Framework matches closely with the one lost in the north," White Night Lux exclaimed, "Did they really come knocking on our door?"