Chapter 1162: The New Weapons

After Shane warned them of what could happen soon, the Trident pilots made their decision.

For now, they didn’t simply leave the work to the engineers. Amon, Ryn, Lyn, and Kira rolled up their sleeves and joined the maintenance crews.

They knew their machines better than anyone, and after the brutal fight against wyverns and dragonoids, every bolt and joint mattered.

Amon climbed onto his mech’s shoulder, directing workers to scrub hardened wyvern blood from the gears...

"Focus on the knee joints. If they lock up mid‑battle, we’re finished."

He sounded like a supervisor, but he worked alongside them, scraping residue himself.

Ryn and Lyn moved together, as they always did. Ryn handled the heavy lifting, pulling off corroded plates, while Lyn checked sensor arrays and recalibrated targeting systems.

"The acid from those spits is a lot more corrosive than I thought..." Lyn muttered. "If we don’t neutralize it, the armor will peel like paper."

Kira, who also seemed restless, moved between crews, pointing out inefficiencies.

"Don’t waste time on the torpedo racks. They’re useless here. Focus on the hydraulics. If we can’t move smoothly, we’re dead weight."

She wasn’t wrong... the Tridents were naval mechs, but they had to adapt to land combat.

By the time Shane left the hangar, the pilots were drenched in sweat, but their machines gleamed. The Tridents were almost ready...

***

Shane’s next destination was the barracks of the Super Soldiers. The air inside was thick with the scent of oil and steel, and the atmosphere also seemed quite tense.

These warriors had carried the front lines, their enhanced bodies breaking dragonoids and wyverns with sheer force. But Shane knew they needed more.

They were already too exhausted. No amount of potions could help them at this point.

Furthermore, continuously using drugs for such a short time wasn’t a good idea either.

If more Vampire Lords came on the last day of the event, they wouldn’t have enough people who could fight them head-on. If that was the case, some of them had to step up.

As he arrived at their barracks, Shane started taking out items in his Inventory...

Soon, several crates were on the ground.

Inside were the Tactical Sentinel Combat Exosuit IV...

Indeed, it was the fourth and the latest and most expensive version of the exosuit line.

He had been reluctant to deploy them before since repairing them was costly, and their durability came at a steep price.

But with the threat of multiple Vampire Lords looming, hesitation was no longer an option.

The soldiers gathered as Shane opened the crate.

"Whoa~"

"Sir... That looks expensive."

"Is this for us?"

The exosuits gleamed, their armor was infused with mana‑steel, their joints had shock absorbers designed to withstand explosive force, and lastly, they were made large enough for the Super Soldiers!

After all, not everyone was like Asta, who had a normal-looking body despite consuming the Super Soldier Serum. Most of them still had larger and more muscular bodies because of the side effects.

"This... this is incredible."

Asta, the leader of the Super Soldiers, stepped forward. His eyes widened as he touched the armor.

"Amazing, right?" Shane nodded. "Version Four. They’re stronger, faster, tougher. You’ll feel like you can block an RPG with this suit. But remember, even if repairs will be difficult, do not hesitate to use them to protect your bodies. Your lives are more important."

Asta wasted no time. He donned the exosuit...

Soon, the plates locked into place with a hiss of compressed air.

As the systems activated, his HUD lit up, scanning the room, highlighting allies and potential threats.

"Whoa... This feels awesome..." He muttered as he looked around.

"Test it out." Shane said.

Just like that, Asta flexed his arms, feeling the strength surge through him.

He slammed his fist into a reinforced wall panel.

Bam!

The impact echoed like thunder, but the suit absorbed the shock effortlessly.

Asta grinned. "I feel unstoppable. This... this is what we needed."

The other soldiers cheered, eager to try.

Soon, twenty Super Soldiers were outfitted in the Tactical Sentinel IV.

In just a few moments, the barracks that were previously filled with tense atmosphere had completely changed... Everyone looked so excited as they tested their new gear.

One soldier sprinted across the hall...

"Whoa! This feels incredible! Look!"

His speed was already enhanced beyond normal limits. However, with the addition of the Exosuit, he became even faster!

Then, another one leapt high, nearly reaching the ceiling beams... He then landed with a crash that shook the floor. A third soldier lifted a steel crate that normally required a forklift, tossing it aside with ease.

"Hahahaha! This feels awesome!"

"I think we can stop even the Wyverns with these suits!"

"Sir Shane! Want a duel?!"

"Hey, he can still bring you down even without the Suit, you know?"

"Ahem... I’m just kidding."

Laughter and shouts filled the room.

For a moment, the grim weight of the apocalypse was lifted, and it was replaced by exhilaration. They ran, jumped, sparred with each other, testing the limits of their new armor.

Soon, several people started watching the situation...

They watched sparks fly everywhere as blades clashed against blades... Some would even hit their suits, proving that the new armor could withstand even enhanced strikes.

Soon, when everyone already felt comfortable with their suits, Asta spoke up to gather everyone’s attention.

"Form up! This isn’t just play. We need a new tactical plan to utilize these suits... With them, we’ll hold the front lines against anything... even Vampire Lords. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir!"

The soldiers snapped to attention with their discipline returning. The exosuits hummed with power, since they weren’t using just any power cores, they were actually using Mana Crystals.

Shane watched in satisfaction...

Even Tris, who had just arrived, couldn’t help but feel impressed with what Shane had brought...

"Exosuit... This guy has so many secrets... How did he obtain such advanced tech? Is this his Talent?" Tris muttered.

If he had endured this event alone, there was no way he’d be able to protect this Fort.

He could only feel thankful for Shane’s presence.

After all, with so many Wyvern Cores being extracted, they were also getting stronger and stronger.

Finally, Shane spoke before leaving the barracks...

"Enjoy this moment. But remember that the next wave will be worse. When more of the Vampire Lords arrive, you’ll be the wall that holds them back."

Silence fell. The soldiers exchanged glances, their excitement turned to seriousness...

Asta stepped forward...

"Then let them come. With these suits, we’ll make them regret ever setting foot here."

Shane nodded. "That’s the spirit. Prepare yourselves..."

***

Soon, Shane entered the chamber where the ten Epic‑Grade Elves were gathered.

At this time, they were also busy...

There was even the scent of incense and faint traces of mana around.

Mystra, their leader, stood at the center...

The others sat in meditation with their bows and blades resting nearby.

They had fought tirelessly these past days, purifying corrupted mana with their arrows.

Without them, the Dragon Army’s attacks would have overwhelmed the defenders.

After all, the corruption that they had was no joke... Perhaps, only the Warden Units could survive against it.

Unfortunately, the toll on these elves was visible. There were dark circles under their eyes, strained movements, and mana exhaustion.

Shane approached... He had given them as many Mana Crystals as he could. However, there was an even more important matter.

"How’s the development of the new weapon?"

Mystra opened her eyes. She looked tired, but there was a spark of relief in her gaze.

"Yes... Finally... there is good news."

The elves gathered closer as she explained.

"With the supply of red mana crystals you gave us, we’ve managed to stabilize the corruption. At first, we could only purify small fragments, but now we can contain it. We’ve forged arrows tipped with crystal shards that not only resist corruption but carry it back into the dragons themselves."

One of the elves added, "When fired, the arrow pierces scales and spreads a counter‑corruption. It disrupts their mana flow, weakening their breath attacks. Even a single shot can bring them down..."

Another elf held up a small talisman, glowing faintly red.

"We’ve also created seals. These can be placed on the battlefield to form barriers that absorb corrupted mana. They won’t last long, but they can protect the Super Soldiers during critical moments."

Mystra nodded. "The purification rituals are draining us, but with these crystals, we can turn corruption into a weapon. The Dragon Army’s greatest strength will become their weakness."

Shane listened carefully... He couldn’t help but smile hearing this.

This was exactly what they needed.

After all, if the elves could no longer use purification arrows, corrupted mana would cripple the enhanced warriors and even the Super Soldiers...

"Good," Shane said firmly. "Keep producing as many as you can. I’ll make sure you’re supplied with more crystals. When the dragons come, we’ll meet them with their own corruption."

Just like that, the final day of the event had finally arrived.