The Ascended Brain looked at Hel, who was fiddling with one of the light mechs, trying to pry open the cockpit. After a moment of hesitation, she asked cautiously,
"Are you not worried?"
"Worried? About what—the end of the world six hundred years from now?
What's there to worry about?
By then, I'll have been dead for who knows how long. Why should I bother?
The future generations can deal with their own problems. Even if I wanted to interfere, I couldn't. I'm just a small-time lord, not an emperor.
I'm a practical person—my perspective depends on my position. I don't stress myself out over things beyond my reach."
"Death, you say?"
The Ascended Brain tilted her head, studying Hel. After a long pause, she said uncertainly,
"But you radiate a divine aura—something only gods possess. That must mean you've inherited at least part of divine power.
If that's true, you might one day ascend to become a demigod.
And a demigod, unless slain in battle, can live for at least ten thousand years."
"Ten thousand years?"
Even Hel, usually so calm, couldn't hide her surprise.
Ten thousand years—that was no small thing.
For a human whose lifespan barely reached a hundred, who hasn't dreamed of immortality?
Ten thousand years of life—that was the ultimate wish of ancient emperors.
To be honest, Hel was tempted.
But only for a moment.
She was a realist. Whether it was living for ten thousand years or becoming a demigod—those were things far too distant for her current self.
Even when faced with the apocalyptic disaster looming six hundred years ahead, she still felt insignificant.
"All of that's still too far away. Rather than worrying about surviving in the future, I should focus on how to grow stronger now.
No point fearing the apocalypse if I'm just going to get squashed like an ant before then."
"You're remarkably open-minded."
The Ascended Brain nodded, seeing no reason to press further. There would be time for stories later.
After all, they still had six hundred years before the prophesied disaster. Once they returned, she could tell Hel more about the past.
For now, just as Hel had said—cleaning up the battlefield and developing strength came first.
With that thought, she extended one of her tentacles and touched a nearby light mech.
A stream of blue light flowed from her tentacle into the machine, and a faint mechanical grinding sound echoed from within its chassis.
Moments later, the sealed cockpit slowly opened.
But as Hel peered inside, her brow furrowed slightly.
Inside the cramped cockpit sat a small, silver-haired, tan-skinned girl.
[Designation]: Half-Blood Goblin
[Rank]: Tier 4
[Attributes]: Strength 10 (20), Magic 168 (60)
[Traits]: Goblin–Elf Hybrid (Purple), Advanced Elemental Spellcasting (Purple), Elemental Affinity (Purple), Expert Mech Piloting (Purple), Goblin Empire Mech Corps (Purple), Limbless (Black), Empire Above All (Black)
[Description]: The pinnacle of goblin bioengineering—created by grafting goblin genes into the Elven World Tree. Thus, a new race was born, one carrying half-goblin blood. Yet they were never truly goblins—and because of that, they escaped divine punishment.
"Half-blood goblins, huh?" Hel muttered. "A desperate attempt to preserve a dying race."
What she didn't understand was—why were these hybrids missing all four limbs?
Indeed, the girls inside the cockpits—all petite, silver-haired, with wheat-colored skin—had no arms or legs.
At the joints where their limbs should have been, cold metal rings encased the short stumps that remained.
"This was an inevitable sacrifice," explained the Ascended Brain.
"To synchronize with these mechs, the neural interface is incredibly complex.
Unless you're like me—retaining only the brain—it's impossible to control the machines without removing your limbs."
"And their lack of clothing? How do you explain that?"
"When the mechs are in operation, the cockpit fills with nutrient fluid," she said calmly.
"It cushions the pilot and maintains vital functions. Clothing would interfere with nutrient absorption through the skin."
"…Right. Whatever you say." Hel sighed, rubbing her temple.
"Honestly, if there wasn't a difference between the tubes connected to their front and back, I'd think this was some perverted machine straight out of Little Uncle Emperor."
"Little Uncle Emperor?"
"Ah—nothing. Don't worry about it." Hel coughed, then asked, "So… you half-blood goblins haven't rebuilt your civilization in the past 120,000 years?"
"Unfortunately, no," said the Ascended Brain, shaking her massive head.
"We've been barely surviving. The World Tree can no longer access higher-level permissions, so it cannot produce new life.
We half-blood goblins are merely the remnants from 120,000 years ago."
"120,000 years? You mean you've all lived that long?"
"Not exactly. We've been in cryogenic stasis this whole time.
Only when the underground city faces an invasion are we reawakened."
"I see."
Hel glanced at the Ascended Brain's mass of floating minds and decided not to question how she managed to hibernate.
The light mechs on the battlefield were still largely intact, though twelve millennia had taken their toll.
Even with their high-grade magical materials, time had eroded their inner systems.
They couldn't be relied on for prolonged combat—but until she found a way to repair them, they would serve as powerful trump cards.
Fortunately, Hel had held back during their battle, ensuring the mechs remained mostly undamaged.
This allowed her to completely take control of the entire mech corps.
Their numbers weren't large: five Tier 4 mechs and fifty Tier 3 units.
And since the mechs were bound to their pilots, Hel didn't convert the girls into undead.
Instead, she retrieved their souls from within the Philosopher's Stone and returned them to their bodies.
To ensure loyalty, she followed the Ascended Brain's advice—
Applying a full set of loyalty inscriptions and word-seals.
Only then did this mech corps truly become hers.