I'm in another world, and I start out transformed into Lancelot.

King G. Joe's electronic voice rang out in the quiet maintenance crew room, steady as ever, but seemingly clearer and smoother than before: "Thank you for your maintenance, Dr. Rose. The system is now in optimal condition."

"I'm fine as is." Rose gently patted King Joe's heavily armored "legs," her gesture filled with motherly affection. "Tomorrow, Yoko and Haruki will need you to protect this city."

“Understood. Guardian command: highest priority.” The energy core in Jin Guqiao’s chest flickered with a steady rhythm.

"Beep beep—!" Just then, the delicate personal terminal on Rose's wrist suddenly flashed with an imperceptible, cold blue light, breaking the tranquility of the setting sun in the room.

She frowned almost imperceptibly and quickly opened the news feed.

The soybean ball's data perception system clearly detected the anomaly simultaneously and immediately hovered over as if facing a formidable enemy. The screen instantly unfolded, projecting a data image that only Rose could clearly read.

"Boss!" Huang Douqiu's voice was extremely low, with a rare tension in it, his bean-like eyes sharpened by the high-speed calculations, "Those scattered void trajectory readings are starting to converge at an accelerated pace!!"

In the distance, at the edge of the city, a few stars twinkled and flickered eerily in the sky.

Almost simultaneously, the maintenance crew's huge floor-to-ceiling observation window emitted a slight humming vibration, the tiny tremor traveling along the ground, and the air seemed to freeze for a moment.

However, these unusual fluctuations came and went quickly.

The cold, blue light of the alarm faded quietly on Rose's wrist and eventually went out completely. The unsettling buzzing vibration in the air also subsided rapidly within a few breaths, finally returning to calm.

The few distant stars regained their stable brightness, hanging above the calm night sky, as if the brief and unnatural pulsation just now was truly an illusion woven by the elongated twilight light and shadow.

Chapter 120 The Night Before the Storm

Rose quickly scanned the data stream from the real-time analysis of the soybean ball. The solemn expression in her icy blue eyes slowly faded like the receding tide, revealing a familiar gentleness.

She put away the terminal and reached out to pat the massive, silent metal leg armor beside her reassuringly.

"The aggregation speed is still below the threshold, so it's normal that the main system can't detect it. Huang Douqiu's early warning was timely, so everything's alright, Jin Guqiao." His voice softened a bit. "The real battle is tomorrow; just keep things calm tonight."

“Understood. The core remains in optimal standby mode, ready to respond to guardian commands at any time.” The energy core on Jin Guqiao’s chest lit up and then went out smoothly, his tone returning to its previous gentle and calm manner.

"Great! Crisis averted!" Huang Douqiu, like a little guy relieved of an alarm, instantly switched the tense data screen on his device to a series of cheerful emoticons.

It circled Rose and King Joe twice quickly before landing steadily on King Joe's broad shoulders. "See? Boss says it's all right! Big guy, relax a bit~ We're fighting the big monster tomorrow, so take a good rest today!"

Rose chuckled as she watched the soybean ball trying to liven things up: "It's right, King Joe. Excessive vigilance can actually be energy-consuming. Now that the deep self-check and maintenance are complete..."

Her gaze swept over the massive, now calm machine, a hint of mockery in her eyes. "How about I have Huang Douqiu read you a few of the most popular fan forum comments to cheer you up?"

"Eh?!" Huang Douqiu's screen instantly turned red, and his eyes widened in disbelief. "Boss! This is too much! Those humans are so scary! They all said they're going to turn me into a body pillow!"

King Gorky's core processor seemed to activate for a moment. It turned its head to "look" at the small, frizzy data ball on its shoulder, its clear voice carrying a hint of "confusion":

"The pillow's peripheral functional modules are not integrated. Currently, my physical contact function is limited to combat vehicles and maintenance operations. Also, the comments and evaluations suggest it's a non-standard way to express affection?"

"Yes, yes!" Soybean Ball quickly shook its round body up and down. "But it's also embarrassing! Big guy, you don't understand! This is called being shy!"

“Shy.” King Gyu-jo’s electronic voice repeated the word smoothly, as if trying to understand this complex human emotion.

"Logical analysis: Avoidance behavior based on a liking for data falls under the category of emotional logic. It is difficult to understand, but the state description is acceptable."

It paused, then added, its tone rising slightly, mimicking an attempt to "reassur" the speaker, "No need to be shy, Beanball."

"Whoa—!" The screen of the soybean ball was immediately filled with huge exclamation marks, and it felt that its core was about to overheat and short-circuit.

"Boss, help! Big Guy's gone astray! He must have been hanging out with Natsukawa Haruki for too long! This way of comforting him is so blunt!"

Rose couldn't help but laugh out loud, her clear laughter echoing throughout the maintenance crew.

The setting sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm orange hue over the cold metal casing of the King Guccio, and elongating the silhouette of the man, his machine, and the ball—a touch of everyday warmth.

"Alright, alright," Rose wiped away the tears of laughter, her tone light, "Yellow Bean Ball, stop teasing him. He's alright for now."

She walked to the control panel, opened a soothing music playlist, and gentle piano music flowed out like water. "Jinguqiao, enter the lowest power consumption standby mode. Enjoy today's sunset and this rare tranquility."

She leaned against the nearby maintenance counter, picked up her slightly cooled coffee, and looked out the window at the city lights gradually coming on.

Huang Douqiu gradually calmed down, nestled on Jinguqiao's shoulder, and the screen went dark, leaving only a faint breathing light, as if it too had gone to rest.

In the maintenance room, only soft music and the almost inaudible, steady, and warm hum of the King Gucci core remained.

The lights of distant cities gradually come on, resisting the darkness that threatens to engulf them.

At least for now, in this sanctuary of the steel giant, everything is peaceful and warm, like a languid, precious twilight interlude before the storm.

The following morning, the sky was a clear, bright blue, almost too clear, as if it had swept away all the tension of the past few days.

The monster did not appear, and the rare calm filled the entire armory with a relaxed atmosphere.

Even more exciting was the electronic letter that arrived on the main screen in the operations room, bearing a commendation order from headquarters and a prominent "bonus" amount.

"Wow! A bonus!" Yuka was almost the first to jump up. She spun around in place while holding her tablet, her shoulder-length hair swaying lively with the movement.

"Can we go to that revolving restaurant with the starry sky theme that I've always wanted to visit? I heard their molecular gastronomy desserts are their signature dish!"

“The revolving restaurant is indeed great,” Yoko said, leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed and a slight smile on her lips. “However, it’s a bit tight for the few of us on the budget. I know a new Showa-style Kanto-style restaurant that just opened in the city center. It’s highly rated and has a nostalgic and quiet atmosphere.”

As she spoke, her fingers unconsciously rubbed the badge on her uniform cuff, her calculations clearly more practical.

Yao Hui stood to the side, his eyes sparkling. He counted on his fingers, his face serious: "Oden is delicious! But hey! I think the affordable all-you-can-eat barbecue that Mr. Ye Hu recommended last time was pretty good too! Plenty of portions! You can eat your fill!"

His voice was loud and clear, full of youthful energy. Clearly, for Yao Hui, "being able to eat his fill" was the highest priority when choosing a restaurant.

After all, there's a saying: "A half-grown boy can eat his father out of house and home."

Hebikura leaned against the doorframe, toying with an empty coffee cup, looking as languid as a big cat: "Youthful passion should be accompanied by barbecue and beer!"

Rose sat at her workstation, watching the lively discussion with a faint smile.

She rested her chin on one hand, her icy blue eyes sweeping across the faces of the crowd, her genuine smile reaching their very core, as if they too were infected by this ease.

She even turned her head slightly and whispered to the soybean ball floating in the air, "Looks like I can't avoid a big meal tonight. Little one, help me find out which shop makes the most authentic matcha ice cream?"

The screen on the soybean ball immediately lit up with excitement.

But deep within those smiling eyes, a barely perceptible gravity, like a pebble dropped into a deep lake, ripples spread out and then vanish in an instant.

Chapter 121 (3K) Greiza Attacks

She habitually glanced at the hidden icon on the terminal next to her that read "Real-time Monitoring of Griza Energy Field" out of the corner of her eye.

The status bar icon remains a gentle green—everything is as usual.

But she could clearly sense the undercurrents beneath the calm surface of the sea, which never ceased, and this peaceful dinner plan was likely destined to be disrupted.

The war room was filled with chatter and laughter, and no one noticed Rose's fleeting unease.

Jiehua's excitement continued as her fingertips flew across the tablet: "Let me see their dessert menu! Quantum Nebula Mousse, Galaxy Popping Candy Tart! The names are so cool!"

"Hey, Yuuka, let's put the dessert aside for now," Captain Hebikura slowly straightened up, precisely tossing her empty glass into the corner trash can. "Don't forget the main course is important too. Especially—"

He glanced meaningfully at Haruki, "Some people are huge energy consumers." Haruki scratched his head and chuckled, "Oh! The captain's right! Barbecue! Barbecue! Juicy, snowflake beef brisket!"

He couldn't help but make a wolfing motion, which made Yoko shake her head helplessly, but the smile on her lips deepened.

“It’s good that we’ve reached a consensus,” Yoko decided. “That buffet has a wide variety of food and the prices are right.” She glanced at the prize money on the main screen, quickly calculating the number of people and the budget in her mind, feeling confident in her plan.

"The location isn't far from the armory, within walking distance—" Just as Yoko was describing the location details, Huangdouqiu was dutifully projecting photos and ratings of matcha ice cream signs from three or four shops next to Rose.

Rose's fingertips twitched slightly, about to make a choice. Suddenly—a very brief, slight crackling sound of electricity swept by, and the lights on the top of the operations room flickered extremely quickly, so fast that it was almost an illusion.

The air seemed to freeze for half a second. Rose's icy blue pupils narrowed slightly, her gaze already precisely sweeping towards the desktop terminal.

On the screen, the inconspicuous "Griza Energy Field Real-time Monitoring" icon is showing an almost imperceptible, extremely subtle yellow ripple from its stable green edge.

The number fluctuated slightly, but her nerves picked it up instantly.

"Oh dear! Did the circuit breaker trip just now?" Yuka looked up at the ceiling in confusion, then looked down at the menu again. "Strange..."

"Huh?" Haruki blinked blankly, looking around. "Oh? Is that so?"

The soybean ball seemed to sense something, and several chaotic ripples flashed across the screen.

Yuka was swiping through the screen, browsing desserts, a small piece of cake still in her mouth. Her voice was a little muffled: "Speaking of which, there's a worker who was in charge of handling the wreckage, in the area where Zeta and Bruton fought, who seems to have gone missing..."

This news seemed to be something she stumbled upon while flipping through the pages, and she just blurted it out.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment. Upon hearing this, Shota Hebikura frowned immediately, his fingertips unconsciously twisting the corner of his uniform.

Another person has gone missing? And in that kind of place... He glanced at the monitor screen in the operations room. The city lights outside the window remained calm, but beneath that calm, was there something that shouldn't be there?

Almost simultaneously, a "hum"—an extremely subtle, almost negligible vibration—passed across the ground.

Standing to the side, Haruki Natsukawa froze abruptly. The relaxed smile on his face vanished instantly, and before he could even explain, he could only utter a short, curt "Oh!"

He turned and rushed out of the operations room like an arrow released from a bow, his footsteps quickly fading into the distance in the corridor.

Rose sat upright, her fingertips clearly feeling the subtle vibration from the moment the signal device in her pocket was activated—the relaxed warmth brought by the dinner discussion vanished instantly.

Her hand, hanging under the table, was steadily pressing the switch of the signal device that had just been triggered in her pocket.

Just as the figure of Greza's twisted, orange, bulb-shaped head appeared above the city ruins.

The activated signal device operates instantly, precisely weaving a thin electromagnetic energy field, as thin as a cicada's wing, flowing with pale blue data light.

It unfolds at an astonishing speed, forming an invisible barrier that appears fragile yet possesses ultimate defensive capabilities!

“Sizzle——!!!”

The piercing alarm roared without warning, instantly drowning out all discussion and doubt.

On the huge main screen, a glaring red alarm box suddenly popped open like the gates of hell, taking over the entire field of vision!

(A monster has appeared in Rokuoji City, Tokyo!)

A chillingly eerie figure was projected onto the large screen in the operations room.

The orange head resembles a giant light bulb, and the twisted joints of the body present a void posture that defies the laws of physics, as if the surrounding light is collapsing towards it!

"Whoa—!" Yuka suddenly covered her mouth, her eyes wide with horror as she rushed to the analysis table, her fingers frantically typing on the keyboard. "The mass sensor reading is zero?! The energy detector is blank?! No physical parameters detected?! The spatial fluctuation index is disordered... Does this... does this thing really exist?!" The little girl's worldview seemed to groan as the data stream collapsed.

The moment he recognized that nightmarish silhouette, Shota Hebikura—or rather, the cosmic mercenary Jugglus Juggler lurking beneath it—was shocked.

A chilling coldness instantly spread from his spine throughout his body. Greiza?! How could this all-consuming being have descended upon Earth?!

In a flash, the twisted figure of Cerebro and the defeated Bruton flashed through his mind... That's it! The spacetime ripples left by Bruton in the Cosmic Cave, like a lighthouse, lured Greiza, this hungry void monster, here!

"Cereblo, you madman!" An extreme anger and gravity surged within him. This was no longer an area that the armory's conventional firepower could reach!

Almost at the same second that the alarm blared throughout the operations room, Rose decisively pressed her finger down under the desk! The micro-touch sensor on her body precisely transmitted the signal that activation was successful!

At the same time, the transparent electromagnetic shield on the edge of the city hummed and vibrated silently, instantly switching from standby to maximum power operation.

A thin, pale blue force field, as thin as a cicada's wing yet containing immense energy, enveloped the designated key buildings like a sturdy eggshell!

Almost the instant the shield rose, Greeza's twisted body suddenly unleashed a visible ring of destructive shockwave! Like a destructive tide, it slammed into Rose's meticulously crafted electromagnetic shield!

"Bang—!!!" A deep, resounding thud, like the heartbeat of the earth, echoed through the screen!

The area of ​​the shield struck by the shockwave rippled violently, like the surface of a lake where a boulder had been thrown in. Blue light flickered wildly as it withstood the unimaginable force of the impact.

The operations room was deathly silent. Everyone's heart was in their throats.

Thankfully! The seemingly thin, almost transparent shield held firm!

The energy of the impact was directed to the sky and the earth, dissipating as a harmless halo, as if crushed by an invisible giant hand.

The buildings protected by the shield—the expensive core control tower, data center, and transportation hub—miraculously remained unscathed, except for the violent tremors and billowing dust.

Rose's tense nerves finally relaxed a little the moment she witnessed the shield's success, and she quietly exhaled the breath that had been hanging in her throat.

A hint of relief flashed deep in his icy blue eyes, mixed with a secret smugness at successfully protecting his wealth: Great, the money is safe!

Immediately following, a more pragmatic and urgent feeling welled up inside me. It was time for Kim Go-joo to step in!

"Captain!" The experienced Yoko stood up almost instinctively, her voice firm and urgent. "Give the order! Can we deploy King Gorky? I'll drive!"

Facing an unknown and formidable foe, Kim Go-kyo is the armory's strongest bulwark!

"No!" Hebikura almost sternly rejected Yoko's request, his harsh voice startling both Yuka and Yoko.

He knew all too well what Greiza was! The power of the Dark Ring was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot before that thing, let alone a human pilot made of flesh and blood!

The cold touch of Yu Yan falling into his arms that year replayed in his mind like a nightmare—it must never happen again! Absolutely not!

He made a decision in an instant, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and strode towards the door of the operations room, his steps carrying an unquestionable and absolute command.

"I'll be piloting King Gorky! Yoko! Yuka! Stay put! No one is to leave the operations room without my permission!"