Chapter 335: What Did You Say? 2v2

"This should suffice for your needs. It can produce sound, print text and diagrams onto paper, and is connected to the magic network. If the Tower Spirit you mentioned has recovered from its 'silencing,' it will certainly be able to reach you through this device."

Ikaros held a square, box-like object with several additional components grafted onto it. It looked simple and clean, devoid of any superfluous parts. As she spoke, she handed it to Wang Yu.

"That’s good. Just leave me alone in there. The Astartes shouldn't be able to communicate directly with ordinary residents of the Sky Mechanical City like you; otherwise, their existence wouldn't have remained a secret for so long."

Wang Yu nodded, took the device, and walked toward a room prepared in advance.

"I'm counting on you."

Ikaros said earnestly, then closed the door to the room, leaving Wang Yu alone inside, isolated from everyone else.

After receiving a hint from the Astartes and analyzing intelligence regarding the Sky Mechanical City's Central Council with Aivia, Wang Yu had relayed everything to Ikaros.

Although what Wang Yu said was incredible, Ikaros did not doubt him. Firstly, Wang Yu had no reason to lie about this; secondly, his abilities had already been verified in the Elf Capital; and thirdly, the suspicious circumstances surrounding Lancer's death perfectly corroborated Wang Yu's claims.

Once one began to think in this direction, certain things started to fall into place. The troubles encountered by the researchers sent to the Fire Elemental Plane to collect data now appeared, in Ikaros's eyes, to be the result of deliberate external interference.

Zieg had already gone there. Because of "His" existence, a dragon's power could only be fully unleashed outside the Prime Material Plane. Helping those trapped researchers escape and return to the Truth Supervision Society was a sound choice.

While making a series of arrangements, the Truth Supervision Society began working overtime to advance their research on super-magic. With the help of the documents compiled by the scholars of the Nightfall Church, they successfully reached preliminary conclusions on super-magic in about a week.

The most difficult part was finished; the rest was merely a matter of time. During this process, beyond maintaining mechanical equipment and preparing for potential combat, Wang Yu spent his time waiting for the Astartes to be unsealed.

Last time, the Astartes had cut the connection after saying the word "book." Wang Yu guessed that some information he had deduced from the book was forbidden by the rules for the Astartes to speak. He had been waiting for the Astartes to lift the "silencing" so he could obtain more intelligence.

This morning, Wang Yu noticed changes occurring around him. Wherever he went, the basic infrastructure of the Sky Mechanical City would behave quite strangely.

For instance, patrol alchemy golems would suddenly crash into walls. After a brief reflection, Wang Yu concluded that the Astartes might no longer be silenced; these strange phenomena were meant to inform him of this news.

Placing the device in the center of the room and connecting it to a power source, Wang Yu began to speak to the box: "Astartes, can you hear me? Are you able to communicate with me again now?"

"Yes."

The device trembled slightly, and the paper stored inside was spat out. Astartes's answer had already appeared on the page.

"I recall this thing has a voice module. Why not speak to me directly? It would be much more efficient."

Wang Yu was puzzled. The typing function was meant for Astartes to draw diagrams or pass messages more intuitively; simple conversation should be done by voice. He hadn't expected Astartes to choose typing.

"The rule-based blockade has not been fully lifted. I cannot communicate through 'voice.' Besides, this method is more precise than speaking and prevents me from accidentally saying something I shouldn't. Have you figured out the message I tried to convey last time?"

Paper continued to eject from the device, bearing Astartes's words. His erratic way of speaking seemed much more restrained when expressed in text.

After a brief explanation, Astartes asked a question. It was clear he desperately hoped to avoid a situation where he paid the price of being silenced to deliver a message, only for Wang Yu to fail to understand it.

"Succession, right?"

Wang Yu confirmed the information he had gathered with Astartes in a concise manner.

"?, Fine, stop there. I don't want to be thrown back into the dark room; that feeling is not pleasant."

Astartes didn't use words to say whether Wang Yu's answer was correct, but instead drew a checkmark and told him not to continue the topic.

"Alright. Do you have any news for me this time? If not, I have some questions."

Wang Yu nodded. He knew that continuing the previous topic might lead to Astartes being unable to communicate again, so he pushed the conversation forward.

"There is some news. The Central Council knows you haven't given up on your research and has begun investigating you and the Truth Supervision Society. The explosion that happened here last time was caused by one of their members. I can only help so much; I can only help you protect those documents."

Text kept appearing on the paper. Astartes's words successfully explained the coincidences surrounding the experimental accident at the Truth Supervision Society. No wonder the boiler had managed to protect the filing cabinet just right.

"Thank you. Thanks to you saving the documents, the super-magic research has yielded results. As for the Central Council potentially taking action, I had already anticipated it. Both the Truth Supervision Society and I have been preparing. If they want to make a move, let them."

Wang Yu thanked Astartes sincerely. Without this Tower Spirit's warning, they would have been in trouble facing an attack unprepared, and he might not have had time to do what he needed to do.

"The Central Council has the authority to mobilize twenty percent of the alchemy mechanical legions. If they act against you within the bounds of the rules, I cannot stop them. This is a formidable force, at least not something this society can handle, even with a Winged One present."

Astartes continued to explain the situation through text. Between the lines, one could sense his seriousness and gravity.

"No matter. Within the rules, I assume it will be something like riot control or framing us. A group of people will come to attack us, and as long as we can deal with them, it will be fine."

Wang Yu appeared surprisingly relaxed. After a moment of thought, he realized there were only a few ways they could use the alchemy mechanical legions to attack them within the rules. As long as those could be handled, it would be manageable.

"Where does your confidence come from?"

The written question carried a hint of irritation at Wang Yu's lack of concern.

"I am merely stating facts. By the way, if I just kill the people in the Central Council, would that resolve this?"

"............"

"Are you insane?"

A long string of ellipses indicated Astartes's utter speechlessness, and the subsequent question was exactly what Astartes wanted to ask.

"No."

A surprisingly earnest affirmation came from Wang Yu.

"..., it won't work. I don't know what preparations your society has made, but you cannot kill them. I won't even mention the alchemy mechanical legions; even if you reached their location, you would have to face the creation left behind by the Mentor: the 'Machine God'."

"Its power is beyond your imagination. Furthermore, according to the rules, the authority over the 'Machine God' is shared between me and the Central Council. When the Central Council is threatened, I must follow the rules and do everything in my power to protect them. At that point, the 'Machine God' will destroy any existence that threatens them."

Astartes likely still couldn't understand Wang Yu's thinking, but he answered the question, rejecting the idea of wiping out the Central Council.

"Sounds impressive... Let me confirm one thing: you are the only existing Machine Soul in the Sky Mechanical City, right?"

Wang Yu muttered, then asked a somewhat inexplicable question.

"Yes."

Astartes answered, confused.

"That's good. If—and I mean if—that thing is going to kill me, please use your portion of the authority to change my method of death. Don't blow my head off. I think dying from a pierced heart sounds quite decent."

Nodding with satisfaction, Wang Yu pointed to his own chest, saying words that Astartes could not comprehend.

"What exactly are you trying to do? I'm starting to doubt my judgment of you. I thought you were someone who could think calmly, perhaps someone who could change something..."

Because he was baffled by Wang Yu's nonsense, Astartes's typing speed slowed significantly, and it took him a long time to squeeze out a single sheet of paper.

"Who knows."

Wang Yu shrugged.

"Forget it, there is more information to... wait, your luck is truly terrible. They have already started moving. A large number of people are approaching this location. I cannot view the branches of the magic network that some entities are connected to; it is the people from the Central Council."

"Proceed with caution. It is best not to die. If it comes to it, try to run, though that is unlikely. They can invoke parts of the magic network and a series of Sky Mechanical City devices, including spatial lockdown arrays."

"I will provide you with as much help as I can. As for the rest, you are on your own. Sigh..."

Astartes's typing speed suddenly accelerated at one point, paper spitting out rapidly, informing Wang Yu of the enemy's proximity in the shortest time possible.

"Fast, isn't it? Then let them come."

Without hesitation, Wang Yu pushed the door open and stepped out. Outside, Ikaros and Aivia were already waiting, as if they had been expecting Wang Yu to emerge.

"The enemy is here; prepare for battle."

Wang Yu checked his gear, spoke to the two figures standing outside, and stepped to their side.

"I sense it; the surrounding space has been sealed, rendering teleportation useless. It is the Sky Mechanist City’s array. I must assist the other members of the Society; I apologize that our research has dragged you into this."

Ikaros replied with solemnity, runes manifesting and shifting across his frame as the gem on his forehead rippled with an inscrutable power.

"No need for apologies. Super-magic is a technology we intended to utilize as well. With our safeguards, the worst-case scenario is merely failing to kill the enemy; escape is guaranteed."

Wang Yu felt the mark on the back of his hand, where silver dragon wings shimmered in the unseen, ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice.

"Yes, then..."

Ikaros began to speak, but a sudden sensation of spatial shearing tore through the air, and he vanished before Wang Yu and Aivia. Where he had stood, the corridor was abruptly replaced by the jagged half of a laboratory.

"It is the Sky Mechanist City’s array. The spatial coordinates have been shifted to partition the battlefield. Be alert, the enemy is here."

Aivia realized the situation instantly, warning Wang Yu, who had already drawn his Shattered Meteorite Blade.

"Understood. Below and to the side, two of them—a duo."

Wang Yu narrowed his eyes, extending the power of the Chariot to pierce through the layers of obstruction, spotting the two figures advancing with lethal intent. He recognized one of them: the young man from the Seekers’ Society.

Their disguises,

it seemed, had been useless; they had been identified. They had only altered their appearances and hidden their ID cards, never suspecting the enemy belonged to the Central Council.

But the enemy surely knew the roster of the Truth Overseers; those two extra figures were undoubtedly the ones who had infiltrated the Seekers’ Society that day.

"Boom!"

Wang Yu raised his hand, the Conqueror’s Alchemical Revolver manifesting in his grip. The Ice Heart component surged to life, charging at maximum capacity. The bullet in the chamber was imbued with hyper-compressed energy, and in the next heartbeat, he fired mercilessly toward the pair.

Strike first, strike hard—charged shot!