Wizard starting from shoeing donkeys Chapter 1452 - 498: Breaking Through the Ground

The first sight to meet Rein’s eyes after the spatial shift was a colossal mechanical beast standing over twenty meters in height.

Positioned alongside it were two prototype machines, identical to the ones encountered previously.

This massive mechanical entity looked like a titan-sized octopus, equipped with eight metallic tentacles that were as thick as wooden barrels.

Constructed from interlocking ring-shaped metal segments, one of these heavy tentacles had just sent Sword Saint Terrio tumbling through the air.

“Hmm? Was Terrio really that reckless?”

Rein was confused as to how a warrior of Sword Saint Terrio’s caliber could be struck by such a lumbering metal limb, but he quickly sensed that something was wrong.

The moment his foot touched the floor as he exited the portal, he realized the gravitational forces in the vicinity were shifting violently.

At that instant, Rein grasped why even a Sword Saint like Terrio had stumbled.

“It possesses the power to manipulate the local gravity? This mechanical octopus is truly remarkable.”

Just as Rein deduced the cause, a metal tentacle lashed out toward him with the speed of a lightning bolt.

“Clang!”

Bright sparks flew in every direction!

A massive dragon claw manifested instantly, intercepting the path of the incoming metal limb.

Hernandez and Haleem followed Rein out of the mirrored corridor shortly after, appearing right behind him.

The sight that greeted them left both men paralyzed with shock, particularly Haleem, who found himself completely lost for words!

He could hardly believe what he was seeing!

Sword Saint Terrio was currently surrounded and besieged by multiple metal tentacles, while the two prototype machines—which Haleem once thought he controlled—were now raining a relentless storm of metal projectiles upon the Sword Saint.

The situation on Rein’s side was even more incredible!

Having partially assumed a draconic form, Rein used a dragon claw nearly the height of a man to firmly halt the octopus's strike, refusing to yield even an inch of ground.

“Is that the Dragon Vein Transformation?!” Haleem whispered, his eyes wide with disbelief.

“Move! Don't just stand there gawking, Haleem, give us some support!”

Hernandez reacted quickly, invoking a Water Snake Vortex Shield to provide cover for himself and Haleem. Being pure wizards, unlike Rein and Terrio, they had to prioritize their personal safety; seeing Haleem frozen in a daze, Hernandez could not help but bark an order.

“What am I supposed to do?!” Haleem stammered, snapping back to his senses in a state of mild panic.

His alarm was justified, as the violence had erupted with terrifying suddenness.

Furthermore, Haleem had always believed the prototype machines were the pinnacle of ancient Goblin engineering.

That belief was now shattered; not only were there two of them, but they weren't even the primary threat in this chamber.

They were clearly serving as mere flank guards for the giant mechanical octopus, a realization that shook Haleem’s fundamental understanding of technology.

As the leader of the Federation Mechanical Research Institute, his expertise lay in theory and study, not the chaos of the front lines.

Had Rein and the others not been there, Haleem and his research team would have been nothing more than lambs led to the slaughter in this room.

“Focus your fire on those two prototype machines first!”

Hernandez shouted while simultaneously casting Water Shield Technique and Water Membrane Technique to bolster Sword Saint Terrio’s defense.

“Understood! I’m launching an attack now.”

Haleem immediately began the rhythmic chanting required for his spells.

Hearing the familiar incantations and sensing the surge of energy, Rein cast a quick glance back.

He noted that Haleem was preparing a Metal Series witchcraft he knew well—the ‘Sawtooth Ring’.

Four spinning, jagged metal discs quickly formed in front of Haleem.

However, in both scale and quantity, Haleem’s version of the ‘Sawtooth Ring’ seemed somewhat underpowered.

The fact that Haleem was relying on third-level witchcraft instead of the more advanced crystallization-tier ‘Sawtooth Cutting Net’ during such a crisis suggested he hadn't fully mastered the higher forms of his craft.

Rein’s brief assessment confirmed that his own initial instinct had been correct.

When the mechanical octopus attacked, he had the choice to evade or stand his ground.

If he had dodged, Hernandez might have survived, but Haleem would have almost certainly been pulverized by a tentacle.

Judging by the force vibrating through his dragon claw, the octopus possessed epic-level strength; Haleem, despite being a Crystallization Wizard, would have been turned into a bloody pulp instantly.

Out of respect for their cooperation and his friendship with Hernandez, Rein chose to meet the blow head-on.

Sensing that Rein was a formidable obstacle, the mechanical octopus redirected two more tentacles to crush him.

“Look out!”

“Roar!!!”

A thunderous Dragon Roar echoed through the chamber as Rein shifted into his Fifth Form, becoming a massive Dark Silver Dragon that shielded Hernandez and Haleem.

Though Rein had recently mastered the Dawn Killing Move known as the ‘Blade-toothed Disc’, he dared not reveal it in public.

To show such a technique now would mark him as a freak of nature.

No human could possibly learn at such an impossible speed.

To finish the mechanical octopus quickly, Rein was forced to rely primarily on his bloodline transformations.

Even then, he refrained from using his multi-headed form or his Sixth Form—the Old Dragon Form—opting instead for the Fifth Form he had already revealed to them.