Wasteland Echoer.

Chapter 672 The New Entrance to the Divine Mountain
At the same time, in Torii Town, on the west side of Shinjibe Mountain, a "new entrance" was set up.

When Wright and Dark arrived at the foot of "God's Edge Mountain" in the newly repaired mechanical vehicle, Artyom, George, Iron Arm, and the "Red Bundle" and "White Bundle" who had previously trapped them inside the mountain were already waiting for a long time.

As soon as Wright stepped off the brand-new mechanical vehicle, he heard a deafening roar of machinery.

He looked up and found that the "new entrance" on the west side was unusually spacious, no less than the width of the mountain.

In just a few days, the surrounding long-arm machinery, excavators, and all sorts of new machines whose names I don't know have already dug a winding mountain road that can accommodate two mechanical vehicles driving side by side.

“Salute to the two Federation commanders!” Artyom first raised his right hand, giving an old-fashioned Crusader salute.

Then, the town's military council members and the town soldiers who came to supervise the construction stomped their right feet on the ground and raised their arms diagonally upwards in a gesture of praise to the sun and the supreme god. They gave Wright and Dark a traditional military salute from the local Flame Empire three times in a row.

At the same time, they chanted in the dialect of the Flame Empire, shouting "Long live!" three times in a row to express their praise for the two "meritorious officials".

"Didn't Mayor Artyom go to the official trading post to purchase supplies? How come he has time to put on such a grand welcoming ceremony for me and Wright?" Dark looked at Artyom with disdain, gave him a somewhat forced but polite smile, and shook hands with him briefly.

Artyom knew that the "Red Bundle" and "White Bundle" had been unfair to him and Wright a few days earlier by leaving them alone to fight against the "Sorrow" of the highly concentrated corrosive spirit and the earthbound spirits formed by the souls left behind by the "Chosen One." They even seemed to be betraying him after using him.

But seeing that Dark and Wright not only found the "Relics of the Chosen Ones" so easily, especially the "Blessing Banner" that protected the town from most extraordinary powers and "heartless people", but also easily defeated "MB-1829: Nightmare" that had been entrenched there for many years.

Such formidable combat power, and a "divinity" that surpasses that of ordinary people and is close to that of a god, forced Artyom to put on a smiling face as much as possible, exchanging honor, a humble attitude, and relatively considerable benefits for Dark and Wright to appease their anger.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, Artyom took a metal box sealed with lead from "Iron Arm" and handed it to Dark.

"What's this?" Dark casually removed the unusually sturdy lock from the metal box, tossed it aside, and forcefully broke the box in half. He then placed the two small, azure-blue vials inside in his palm, examining them as he asked Artyom:
"It looks like some kind of drug developed by the Federal Council. However, now that the Federal Council has disintegrated, its subordinate technology groups have probably ceased operations as well, right?"

“That’s right. This is indeed the work of the Federal Technology Team. This bottle of potion, rich in spiritual energy, was made by the former team leader, Igor Constantine. Our truck convoy heading south to purchase supplies rescued Mr. Igor near a wasteland along the way, and as payment, he provided us with some potions to enhance our bodies,” Artyom explained.

"Igor?" Dark asked loudly. He hadn't seen this scientist, who had done in-depth research on the "Evolution Platform" [Core], since leaving Icefall City.

He knew that any force that could gain the upper hand in the impending great war by relying on Igor's knowledge and abilities, as well as the scientific projects he had been exposed to, could even reverse the battlefield situation between humans and the "heartless".

But since he had already decided to go to the Flame Empire with Wright, he didn't want to inquire about Crusad anymore. He then coughed lightly a few times, straightened his relatively new dark black military cotton uniform, and asked calmly:
"Mr. I've heard of him; he's very capable, but many of his research projects haven't made progress. By the way, are you planning to take him in?"

“Yes, that’s the idea for now. Now that the earthbound spirits inside ‘God’s Edge Mountain’ have completely disappeared, and the town is under the protection of ‘Blessed Banner,’ then various forms of industrial development are inevitable in the future. Science is the core connecting the steam age and the industrial age, and we must recruit as many talents as possible in this area.” Artyom said, pointing with his scarred right hand to the bottle in Dark’s hand:

“I know that ‘Red Bundle’ and ‘White Bundle’ are impulsive and reckless, so I didn’t bother to explain anything. These two bottles of ‘W-S0735’ are a small compensation for you and Wright.”

"compensate?"

“That’s right.” Artyom nodded and said:
"These two potions can guide the magical energy in your body for a week and strengthen the various organs in your body that transport magical energy, thereby expanding the 'channels' for the circulation of magical energy and achieving the effect of improving your magical level."

"At the same time, it will not have any negative effects on the body, nor will it enhance magic by overdrawing physical strength or consuming energy. It is an absolutely safe potion."

“Safety? I remember, no potion can simultaneously possess the three functions of rapid effect, safety, and significant enhancement. Since…” Dark casually tossed the potion to Wright, then patted Artyom on the shoulder and whispered:

"Since the 'W-S0735' potion is safe and has no side effects, and can greatly increase the level of magic power, it will probably have to be taken for a long time. Is Mayor trying to tie us to Torii Town?"

“Of course, Commander Dark, you can take this as wishful thinking on my part.” Artyom didn’t deny this little thought. Since Dark had seen through his idea, he laughed heartily without any reservations, and then, maintaining the composure and calmness of a leader, explained: “Chaos is coming. All the strongholds are preparing for the upcoming large-scale melee. If Shaneva’s death meant the demise of the dictator, the darkness before dawn, then now is the most beautiful and brilliant twilight before the long night.”

"A powerful superhuman who surpasses most of the lost ones, his strength will be coveted wherever he goes. The Khitans often say: 'A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime.' Possessing power and magic is also a sin."

“But you can’t stop Wright and me from making this decision. We will head east, and perhaps years later, we’ll return to Crusad. Mayor Artyom, I can promise you that if we’re still alive then, I will definitely come back to Torii Town for another visit. Alright, that’s all…” Dark looked at the group of “combatants” from the Torii Town Military Council around him and smiled:
“Take me and Wright to see those children. Didn’t you want Wright to teach them mysticism?”

“Yes, that’s the important thing.” Al nodded quietly and said to the crowd behind him:
“Iron Arm, you, 'Red Bundle,' and 'White Bundle' stay with us and protect us. Tell the rest of you to disperse and return to your posts. The new entrance and the mountain road must be completed before the 'Spring Ceremony' in 15 days, or the entire town will be punished by the gods, understand?”

"Yes, Mayor!" everyone replied in unison.

As the crowd dispersed, leaving only Artyom and Dark, the sky over Torii Town, which had been somewhat gloomy under the clouds at dawn, gradually brightened. The heavy morning fog and dew quickly dissipated, making way for the approaching scorching sun.

“To facilitate the children’s education and protect their safety, our Materials Committee has renovated and put into use the ‘Mountain Cable Car.’ Commanders Dak and Wright, why don’t we skip the car this time and take the cable car up?” Artyom suggested, pointing to the brand-new red cable car entrance.

“Then, I shall accept your offer, Mayor Artyom,” Dark said with a polite smile.

Soon, the three boarded the cable car to the top of "God's Edge Mountain," while "Iron Arm" and George stayed near "New Entrance Highway" to oversee the finishing touches, leaving only the two young men, "Red Bundle" and "White Bundle," to drive the mayor's brand-new pickup truck up the mountain.

The morning mist thickened as the cable car ascended, forcing Wright to squint in the damp environment.

Soon, it seemed that the remaining divine energy inside the "God's Edge Mountain" sensed the arrival of the two "Children of Destiny" and opened a crack in the scorching sky.

"It's really blinding," Wright muttered to himself.

However, the sunlight seeping through the crack did not weaken; instead, it grew stronger, making it almost impossible for Wright to open his eyes.

But as the sun's radiance surpassed the scorching fog, reaching its peak of intensity, the blinding sensation vanished instantly, transforming into a warm and gentle, strange feeling.

Wright tentatively opened his eyes and looked around. Sometime during the night, Dark and Artyom had completely disappeared, and even the cable car beneath his feet had vanished into the confusing clouds, leaving only golden light mingling among them.

Immediately afterward, just as Wright tried to reach out and touch the clouds, these golden rays, driven by the magical power, transformed into an incredibly long and continuous thread. They danced in the air, scattering strands of golden sparks, before intertwining and entwining together.

Within seconds, it solidified into a giant clock, emitting a disturbing "thump-thump-thump" sound.

"Is this the clock that appeared in my dream back in the Genne Empire?" Wright guessed.

Then, he looked up at the clock and, sure enough, the hands that had passed 12 o'clock had somehow been turned back and stopped at 11:45.

Although the second hand continued its tireless rounds, the hour and minute hands seemed frozen in place, not moving an inch.

"Indeed, it's a dream. So what message will the gods lurking in the shadows send me through this 'gray dream'?" Wright said in a deep voice, as if asking himself, or perhaps questioning the mist and the clock.

Almost at the same second, Wright heard a boy's youthful, innocent voice:
"Hades' Box, the Labyrinth of Sharon. After passing through it, there will be a new beginning."

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