บท 342: CHAPTER 342 - The Storm of Crows!
As Li Lin arrived at the edge of the forest, a battle chariot-shaped Titan swiftly descended from the distance, transforming before him into a humanoid mech.
The shell of the Infinity Armor adapted to the cockpit of the Titan, quickly establishing a connection with the system—this entire process took no more than two seconds.
This Titan was an upgraded version, enhanced by the new technology that Li Lin had mastered.
It was powered by a nanotech energy core and featured a medium-sized matter disintegration cannon along with a concentrated particle spear as its primary weaponry, supplemented by a kinetic weapon matter projection cannon.
Thanks to nanotechnology, the bullet compression technology was further refined.
Each specially designed bullet could be compressed without increasing weight, measuring even less than the size of an adult's pinky nail. Yet, under electromagnetic acceleration, it could unleash astonishing power.
The Titan was equipped with 100,000 compressed rounds and 200 high-compression rocket missiles, providing firepower far exceeding that of Li Lin's current sixth-generation Project Genesis: Infinity Armor.
Although in terms of mobility, this medium-sized mech couldn't compare to more ergonomically designed power armor, agility was unnecessary when dealing with Fiddlesticks.
After confirming that Jarvan IV was not affected by Fiddlesticks, Li Lin commanded the Titan to venture into the shadowy forest.
Accompanying him were hundreds of stealth Storm Robots, as well as medium and small battlefield mechs known as Skarner, which had left a trail of felled trees in their wake.
Perhaps due to the influence of dark magic, the forest remained shrouded in gloom, rendering even the mech's night vision ineffective. Visibility barely reached ten meters, even with the enhanced sight function.
The energy detector of the armor was also compromised, displaying fluctuating readings that could no longer detect energy fluctuations in any particular direction.
This made finding Morgana impossible…
Li Lin couldn't help but ponder his next course of action.
In horror films, the majority of victims who fall prey to ghosts or evil spirits often do so because they stray from the group, becoming easy targets one by one.
Regardless, it would be wise to regroup with Morgana first.
"AI, initiate deep scanning mode and activate the energy visual system."
Deep scanning provided a "penetrative" view, filtering out unnecessary obstacles based on Li Lin's thoughts, making it particularly suitable for this forest terrain.
The energy visual system resembled infrared thermal imaging; however, it could accurately identify concentrations of magical energy and display them in varying colors based on their intensity.
The deeper the color, the more energy contained within the target.
In simple terms, the darker the color, the stronger the target.
With the energy detection system compromised, this visual system would serve as a backup.
Once fully prepared, Li Lin heightened his alertness and began to search for Morgana's whereabouts within the sprawling forest.
The cawing of crows continued, their chaotic cries igniting unease and tension deep within him, even as he tried to block out external sounds.
The AI could not identify the species of these crows, only noting their deep blue hue. Yet Li Lin's Data Mind faced no such limitations.
These crows were not true "crows" at all but energy entities formed by Fiddlesticks' dark magic.
Moreover, these "crows" seemed endless—no matter how many were slain, their numbers remained unchanged.
With no other options, Li Lin had to abandon the idea of having his mechanical forces exterminate them.
As time ticked away, the Storm Robots and battlefield mechs had scoured much of the forest, yet Morgana's trail remained elusive.
Along the way, many scarecrow-like figures that mimicked the speech of Hengfeng villagers had activated, launching various dark magic attacks against the mechanical forces that disturbed them.
While the robots lacked "vitality," Fiddlesticks' ability to siphon life and instill fear was ineffective against them.
However, as an avatar of a formidable demon, the range of dark magic he could wield far surpassed Li Lin's imagination.
The battlefield mechs fared well, thanks to the remarkable defense provided by the new zero-element materials and their generated shields, suffering almost no damage.
But the Storm Robots were another story; under the onslaught from the scarecrow figures, over twenty had been incapacitated in less than ten minutes, leaving Li Lin heartbroken.
It was worth noting that during his time in Shurima facing the Void, he had lost only a handful of Storm Robots…
"Damn it, this isn't working," he muttered, feeling the weight of his thoughts as he hesitated over whether to unleash the battlefield mech Kog'Maw and the warlord to raze the forest to the ground.
After all, the area was already tainted by dark magic; every animal had either fled in fear or had become a part of Fiddlesticks, consumed along with their flesh and souls.
Destroying this place would bring no negative repercussions.
But...
If the disintegration cannon's power were increased, Morgana would likely be caught in the crossfire.
As Li Lin grappled with his indecision, a soft, melodic voice suddenly penetrated his ears:
"When the fields are calm and still, run home fast..."
"When the crows cry at dusk, find a safe place to hide..."
"When the trees sway, weeping and sighing, bow down low..."
The familiar melody resonated; it was the haunting song of Fiddlesticks!
The scarecrow was coming!
Li Lin halted, breath catching in his throat as he dropped into a defensive stance, scanning his surroundings.
To his shock, shadows had materialized among the trees and thickets, densely packed figures that had seemingly appeared out of thin air, unnoticed even by his mechanical forces just moments ago.
These shadowy figures varied in height and size, resembling a crowd of villagers drawn together, swaying in the biting cold wind as if whispering secrets to one another.
Among them stood a "woman" humming the "Song of Fiddlesticks" directly in front of Li Lin, her outstretched arm holding a familiar, dimly lit lantern that illuminated her lower half.
Her body was constructed of wooden straw.
"Though the light beckons and the melody resonates, it is too late… too late."
At that moment, accompanied by the cawing of circling crows above, the surrounding shadows began to echo the last line of the song: "Too late."
[Master! The magical barrier cast upon you by Lady Morgana has been breached!]
Without the AI's reminder, Li Lin was already aware of the dire situation; his "Data Mind" had displayed the information panel of the "woman" before him.
[Name: Fiddlesticks]
[True Name: Fear]
[Occupation: Primordial Demon of Fear, one of the Ten Great Demons]
[Abilities: Primordial Emotion, Mimicry, Undying Body, Witch's Scarecrow, Fear Incursion, Bountiful Harvest, Soul Devour, Moment of Darkness, Storm of Crows…]
Before him stood the true form of Fiddlesticks!
As he realized this, the view in his holographic display grew increasingly dim, nearly shrouded in darkness.
The cawing of countless crows penetrated deep into his soul, their crimson eyes fixated on the isolated and defenseless Li Lin, while the surrounding shadows twisted into bizarre shapes.
"Not good!"
Li Lin hurriedly activated the "Force Field Shield" of his warrior mech, a translucent barrier rising around him.
At that moment, all the scarecrows emitted chilling, piercing shrieks, scrambling on all fours with disjointed, contorted movements, rushing toward him at a speed almost too fast for the eye to catch, accompanied by the swirling crows.
Storm of Crows!
(End of this chapter)
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