Chapter 314: Regarding the Abyss, Unlucky Bastard

"Clang! Crash!"

Several heavy, short-range combat alchemy golems, standing three meters tall and clad in thick black armor, plummeted from the sky. They slammed violently into the body of the Abyssal creature, which was already riddled with cluster missiles, driving weapons resembling impact drills deep into its thick, outer carapace.

The alchemy fuel ignited, and the internal combustion thrust forced the drill bits forward, driving massive steel spikes through the creature's tough hide and into its flesh. Chains connected to these spikes pinned the beast firmly to the ground, rendering its desperate struggles futile; it would never rise again.

"Sizzle..."

The golems hovering above ceased their missile barrage. Instead, nozzles extended from their arms, spraying a specialized liquid over the immobilized creature.

The pungent fluid enveloped the beast, seeping into the wounds on its surface and soaking it through, inside and out.

The flames still licking the creature’s body were apparently not hot enough to ignite this particular fuel. As the heavy golems leaped away from the carcass, those in the air dropped several spheres that pulsed with a stark red light.

Seconds later, the spheres melted, releasing an intense heat that ignited the pungent liquid. A white, searing flame blossomed from the outside in, consuming the massive creature with relentless efficiency.

The surrounding buildings and the very ground melted and disintegrated under the radiant heat, reduced to charred, pulpy waste.

The white fire burned with such ferocity that the creature, which stood several meters taller than the buildings, was reduced to ash in less than a minute.

As the flames flickered out, all that remained of the beast was a blackened crater and a pile of ruins. Perhaps the only remnants of its existence in this world were the gases and dust generated by its burning flesh.

"Hum... Clang..."

With the Abyssal creature dispatched, the alchemy legion did not linger. They formed ranks and ascended, returning toward the Omnimech Tower, one of the central spires.

Along the ragged streets, objects resembling manhole covers flipped open, revealing tunnels from which small, half-human-sized alchemy machines emerged. These spider-like constructs were the fundamental building blocks of this sky-bound mechanical city.

Known as "Worker Bees," they handled most routine maintenance and construction. Hundreds of them converged from all directions, working with uncanny efficiency to clear the battlefield.

They hauled away the debris, tossing it into the tunnels for centralized processing, while limbs equipped with miniature drills and saws sliced the melted ground into manageable blocks for removal.

"Clang, clang, clang."

They unloaded steel plates, embedded them into the freshly cleared ground, welded them into place, and drove in spikes. The damaged road was restored in mere moments.

The Worker Bees did not bother repairing the collapsed buildings, merely clearing the area. After all, the contents of these structures were the private property of the unfortunate wizards; disturbing them could lead to unforeseen complications.

Watching these machines work, Wang Yu marveled at the extent to which alchemy was integrated into this city. In a sense, this was one of the reasons he had chosen to come here.

Only after the creature was dead did the wizards, who had been nowhere to be seen, begin to emerge from the buildings. Those whose homes had been crushed crawled out from their basements through trapdoors.

"The creature wasn't even that strong. Why were they hiding? If they’d come out and fought it, their houses wouldn't have been smashed."

Some of the wizards whose homes were destroyed shook their heads in helpless resignation, while others knelt on the ground, clutching their heads in despair. Wang Yu’s confusion only deepened.

He glanced at the Worker Bees scurrying about, grabbed one, and dragged the struggling machine into a nearby alley.

"Warning. Warning. Do not attack or detain the alchemy machines of the Sky Mechanical City. Failure to comply will result in your arrest and expulsion by the Central Council."

The Worker Bee flashed high-frequency red lights, its mechanical voice demanding release.

"Astartes, are you there? Are you there?"

Ignoring the warnings, Wang Yu tapped the spider-like machine on its head.

"You’ve got some nerve. If I weren't here, you’d already be under arrest and facing expulsion."

Astartes’ voice emanated from the machine in Wang Yu’s grip, sounding somewhat weary.

As Wang Yu suspected, these orderly machines were governed by a central consciousness, and given Astartes’ omnipresence, it was likely the soul of the machine network.

The surrounding Worker Bees, which had gathered at the sight of Wang Yu’s aggression, dispersed once Astartes spoke. Now, only Wang Yu and the mechanical spider remained in the alley.

"Tell me, why didn't those wizards come out to fight? This thing wasn't strong."

Wang Yu ignored the rebuke and asked his question.

"Because they are wizards... Abyssal creatures are their natural predators. Void energy cannot distort them, and most wizardry is ineffective against them."

"In areas with high Void concentrations, these creatures grow even stronger. If they had come out, you’d see if you could handle something dozens of times larger than that one."

Astartes’ tone shifted from weary to mocking; it seemed pleased by Wang Yu’s ignorance.

"I see. The Night’s Edge archives have no mention of Abyssal creatures because they are officially considered extinct. The Night’s Edge only needs to deal with the Void."

Wang Yu nodded, finally understanding why the wizards hid and why the archives were empty.

"Then why is there one here? Shouldn't they be extinct?"

Wang Yu asked his second question.

"Why should I tell you? That information is restricted. I can't just give it to someone without clearance. Wait..."

The mechanical spider shook its head. It didn't answer, stating it couldn't share restricted data, but then it paused abruptly.

"I’m going to state two protocols. Just say you agree. I don't know if it will work."

The mechanical spider rubbed its chin with its limbs and spoke to Wang Yu.

"Fine."

Wang Yu didn't know what Astartes was planning, but it seemed willing to share.

"Protocol one: All transmitted data must be kept confidential and stored permanently."

"I agree."

"Protocol two: The transmitted data must not be destroyed, forwarded, or accessed by unauthorized parties."

"I agree."

Astartes’ voice lost all inflection, becoming cold and mechanical as it recited the protocols. Wang Yu agreed to both.

"It actually worked..."

The mechanical spider rubbed its head with its limbs, the sound of metal on metal ringing out. Clearly, even Astartes hadn't expected it to work.

"Whatever. If you want to know, I’ll tell you. There are no restrictions on me now, and this restricted data isn't actually that important anyway."

"Tell me, when facing a dangerous enemy, after you've nearly wiped them out, is it better to eliminate everything related to them—fearing they might recover from the embers you’ve kept, which you can control but never fully trust—or is it better to keep a few captured, living specimens for research, to ensure that if the race ever returns, you won't be caught helpless?"

Astartes’ question was rhetorical, but Wang Yu understood. Some Abyssal creatures had been kept alive for study, a safeguard against the day a stronger threat might emerge.

After all, the "Morning Star" miracle was, in a sense, unrepeatable. No one knew if the intelligent races could win again.

"I don't know. But someone already made that choice, didn't they?"

Wang Yu shrugged. Both options had merit, and he doubted his own intellect was sufficient to judge which was correct. But looking at the creature that had just been destroyed, the choice made long ago was clear.

"The problem is, how did such a dangerous thing get loose?"

Wang Yu turned to the question that bothered him most. Regardless of the reasoning, the Sky Mechanical City shouldn't have let an Abyssal creature escape.

"An accident. They were in a rush to achieve a breakthrough. When people are in a hurry, details are always overlooked."

Astartes offered a flat, indifferent response.

"Who?"

Wang Yu paused, taken aback, before asking.

"We are not exactly well-acquainted, are we? While I could tell you, disclosing such information to someone who qualifies as an outsider fails my risk assessment, so I shall not answer any further questions."

Astartes ceased his reply, and the mechanical spider, suddenly stiffening, began to struggle restlessly in Wang Yu’s grip before the connection severed.

Wang Yu did not particularly mind; he had only asked on a whim, taking whatever he could get, and the fact that the entity had spoken so much was, in truth, quite unexpected.

"Hey, at least point me in the right direction."

Wang Yu tapped the squirming mechanical spider and named the alchemy shop he intended to visit; as the Tower Spirit, Astartes was always privy to the layout of the Sky Mechanical City.

The spider’s articulated legs lifted to indicate a path, and as Wang Yu followed the direction, he froze.

"..."

The alchemy shop Astartes had pointed toward was the very same one Wang Yu had smashed into, having dismantled their furnace to use as an improvised explosive.

The structure had now completely collapsed, and the workshop where the finished goods were stored was submerged in a deluge of multicolored solutions leaking from severed metal pipes; whatever Wang Yu had come to retrieve was undoubtedly ruined.

What was this—poetic justice?