The Divine Armor of the Old Century（Book 1）

Chapter 68

Take a deep breath. As the iron coffin slowly opened, intricate machinery began to unlock it. The frigid temperature gradually rose, causing the dormant black substance inside to awaken and become increasingly active.

The already narrow space was soon engulfed by an ominous aura. It seemed as though the cold object had come to life, or perhaps it had always been alive, merely in slumber due to the low temperatures.

Now it was hungry. It craved blood and flesh. Whispers of a foreign tongue echoed in the ears of the two present, as if an ancient, bizarre, and maddening tale were being told by an unfamiliar stranger.

"Do you know? This thing is essentially a demon," Berlo said, trying to maintain a semblance of calm on his face as he looked at the blackened armor.

Beside him, Blue Emerald stood with a grave expression, gripping her forged spear tightly. She was poised at the doorway, ready to seal it if anything went wrong, though she doubted whether she could actually contain Berlo, at least she could restrict his actions.

"This technology comes from Nine Summers," Berlo continued. "Their emperor established a department called the Hidden Learning Temple, dedicated to studying demon technology. Think of it as a perpetual motion research institute. They discovered a common trait among higher demons: their brains and hearts."

As Berlo spoke, he reached into the darkness. The black substance stirred with the approach of flesh and blood, starting to quiver slightly. Though it was merely armor, Berlo could sense an emotion akin to joy emanating from it.

"To kill a high demon, you must destroy both the heart and the brain. Destroying only one leaves the bizarre body with some degree of combat capability. But those scholars delved deeper and found a distinction between the two."

"Destroying the heart alone means the body will follow the brain's will and continue to fight. Destroying the brain means the demon's formidable vitality will drive it to act on instinct. The Hidden Learning Temple developed the Yufutu, the old era's divine armor, based on this principle."

The eerie armor began to move, not with the feel of metal but as a shapeless mass of flesh. It squirmed and climbed up Berlo's arm, revealing a faintly glowing red heart within the darkness.

The whispers grew louder, roaring in their ears. Berlo let out pained groans as he seemed to endure immense suffering. The black substance wrapped around him like a snake, swallowing him in a tide of darkness.

"Are you alright, Berlo?" Blue Emerald tightened her grip on the spear, the unsettling scene causing her a hint of fear. The so-called corruption had begun, and human will was adrift like a boat in a storm.

"If I lose control, then kill me. You must wear the armor and continue the mission." He turned slightly, revealing a terrifying sight. His familiar face twisted with rage, eyes bloodshot and crimson.

"This thing is a demon, but it has lost its brain, leaving only the heart. Those madmen transformed it into a controllable body, but it is human will that governs this body."

Berlo's explanation unveiled the truth about the old era's divine armor. Through complex techniques and mysterious alchemy, those madmen had successfully separated the demon's brain from its heart and body. When needed, human will would replace the brain, granting the power of a demon. It was like dancing with a dragon, a dangerous gamble, but the only chance for victory.

Under the black substance, steel gradually rose, integrated machinery fusing with Berlo and covering his body. The black material solidified into a metal-like substance, with a sturdy mechanical structure spreading out, silver-white steel framework enveloping Berlo entirely before the blackness filled in the gaps.

This was the perfect fusion of demon and machine. Fine gears turned at Berlo's joints, and his entire body surged with power like a giant clockwork knight.

"The first-generation armor had poor controllability, so the second generation was improved. Mechanisms bear most of the structure, reducing the demonic component."

As he finished speaking, cables connected, brass pipes extended slightly from the armor, and heavy plating dropped down, protecting vulnerable parts. In a short time, the eerie iron coffin became an equipment station, armoring Berlo like a craftsman forging a knight.

Heavy steam engines merged with the demon's heart, and the black armor combined with the silver-white metal frame. Scalding steam hissed from the seams, filling the space with a hallucinatory mist.

This was the perfect blend of biology and machinery, the perpetual motion pump stepping further into forbidden knowledge.

Blue Emerald couldn't see Berlo through the dense fog, but soon a harmonious green light shone from within, and a steel body emerged.

"Begin the mission." The familiar voice, mixed with complex electronic sounds, echoed. This was a degraded version of the first-generation armor, with more machinery to reduce demonic erosion, allowing Berlo's will to withstand the corruption temporarily.

Blue Emerald nodded, suppressing her sorrow and stepping aside. At this moment, she suddenly understood Berlo's aversion to Galahad donning the armor. It meant infusing human will into a demon's body, a path from sanctity to ruin, a dire road, yet the only one.

She felt a pang of sadness, recalling a snowy day in her memory, regretting the choices she had made.

Humans had stolen forbidden power, and as Berlo exerted force, the heavy door opened easily. He took a blade from the weapon rack, a sword far beyond human strength to wield, yet perfectly proportioned in Berlo's hands, as if made for this armor.

The blade began to heat up, a product of those madmen, a byproduct of the thermite rifle. Wires connected the blade to the armor, and a small battery on the back powered it, heating the conductor until the blade glowed red, slicing through obstacles with ease.

The hard flesh now seemed fragile. Berlo gripped the red-hot blade and stepped out of the carriage. The cold air cleared his mind slightly, and in a daze, he seemed to return to the past.

Berlo hailed from Burhans, his industrial hometown. He remembered running on the green fields, sweating with excitement, watching the factory silhouettes against the sunset.

It was a long sunset, birds soaring, mist dispersing, and in this twilight, streetlights flickered on one by one.

Berlo cherished this time, feeling it was his alone. The air carried the scents of soft greenery and burnt ashes. After many years, it felt as if he had returned.

Yet now, endless demons surged towards the Radiance from the horizon. Berlo bit his lip hard, regaining clarity as blood trickled from his mouth.

No time for reverie. He swung the red-hot blade down.

Gunfire and sword strikes. An ominous knight and a lone kingfisher stood against the demons. It was a battle with slim chances of victory, but there was no retreat, only the path forward.