Wasteland Echoer.

Chapter 701 "Shallow Layer"

"Era 4: The Creator created dimensions, and within those dimensions, He found time. Within the unchanging 'Principle,' He can traverse freely, yet cannot alter it in the slightest. Time still exists here, immovable, but in the chaotic realms of dimensions, 'Time Elements' are needed to maintain it. The dragons obtained 'Time Elements' but were never truly given control over 'time.' When the shadow of the Machine Lord descended upon the earth, the barely reborn 'half-dragons' could only vanish, awaiting the arrival of the next era belonging to the stars." — *Dragon's Words*

"This is what you call power? 'Blood Wolf'?" After passing through the chaotic "jump array" behind the steel gate, Wright and "Blood Wolf" arrived at the "inner dimension" deeper within the city.

However, after looking around, Wright discovered that the so-called "functional red zone" was nothing more than a much larger but still closed "room of truth".

"This is merely the shallow layer of the 'Red Zone of Functionality'," Blood Wolf said, pointing to the scattered mechanical parts and various documents floating on the oil, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"The governors of Nebusk throughout history have tried their best to seize the little scrap metal left in the shallow layer to arm their weak and pitiful army. However, what they did not know was that the shallow layer was always just a 'trial and error' and Nebus and his men could never truly enter the core area of ​​the 'functional red zone'—the 'red layer'."

"Why?" Wright asked curiously, glancing at "Blood Wolf" and subconsciously wiping away the inexplicable bloodstain on his forehead.

"Because of 'Shi Su'." Blood Wolf answered directly without beating around the bush:
"'Time Element' originated as a byproduct of the Creator's creation of dimensions, and can also be considered a... well, an industrial byproduct. It is said that when the Creator first awoke in this chaotic universe, he could only control three dimensions. As consciousness strengthened and spiritual power accumulated, time began to appear."

"When time spread to every corner of the universe, the world of thought was born. And when cause and effect and destiny were born, the fifth and sixth dimensions began to spread independently of this universe into the void. The universe created by the Creator has ten dimensions. You humans, we lost ones, will never be able to understand the 'world' above the fourth dimension before we become gods."

"So, what role does the 'time element' play between dimensions? And what is its connection with this 'functional red domain'?" Wright pressed, quickly scanning the shallow world of the "functional red domain".

Rather than a brand-new underground realm, the "Functional Red Domain" is more accurately described as a factory connected to the "Between of Truth" via the "Warp Array" and the "Magnificent Tower." The air here is thick with the dampness and oppressive feeling brought on by crimson steam.

The slightly jarring mechanical roar permeated the space, mingling with the constantly rotating crimson alarms, creating a space where openness and confinement coexisted. The sky here seemed boundless, yet always felt close enough to touch.

Beyond the broken machine in the center are endless circles of industrial machinery operating out of thin air, much like the steam-powered factory workshops that can be seen everywhere in the city of Crusad. The further away you look, the darker and more chaotic it appears, as if it is about to be swallowed up by endless dimensions of time and space.

woo-

After a long but not annoying blast of the steam horn, the crimson sky seemed to deepen slightly, but the noisy sounds seemed to have been put on pause, disappearing completely and leaving behind a place of absolute tranquility amidst the crimson and mechanical structures.

“‘Time Element’ is…” Blood Wolf’s voice broke the rare silence, “the only element that allows us to remain in the ‘Functional Red Domain.’ Do you know why Atlanca was so easily exiled to the Chaotic Dimension by the ‘Arm of Klein’s’ for such a minor problem as functional insufficiency?” Blood Wolf glanced meaningfully at the clean floor made of engine oil and sneered:

"Shota Hoshino called it an 'ancient backlash,' but more accurately, it should be that when the little dragon 'Eternal Light' forcibly borrowed energy, it accidentally extracted the energy from the 'Crimson Domain,' which is the 'Time Element.' However, it has no ability to compensate the 'Crimson Domain,' so as a price, the 'Crimson Domain' needs to use the 'Arm of Klein' to exile 'Eternal Light,' gradually draining the dragon power within him."

"However, the foolish Atlanca became a scapegoat for the machine, forever remaining in the chaotic dimension created by the 'Functional Red Domain'. That is to say, as long as an outsider enters the 'Functional Red Domain', they must inject or possess 'Time Element' to compensate for the damage to the space. Once the 'Time Element' is missing or exhausted, the 'Functional Red Domain' will require the intruder to repay with their body and soul."

“However…” Blood Wolf shook the faintly visible light blue-green halo on his right arm, then quickly pressed his wrist, marked with a countdown, against Wright’s left arm.

"Hiss—it hurts." After a slight tingling sensation, Wright raised his left arm, revealing a blue-green halo identical to that of "Blood Wolf," along with a 24-hour countdown clock typical of the Western Continent. "The 'Time Element' slowly depletes in the shallow layers; you won't even notice its passing. But once we enter the 'Red Layer,' it will be consumed exponentially until it reaches zero." "Blood Wolf" pointed to the slowly decreasing "13-hour" countdown on his and Wright's wrists, further explaining:

"The moment the 'Time Element' reaches zero, as long as we remain here, our physical bodies will be instantly obliterated by the 'Functional Red Domain' to repay the loss of dimensional repair, while our souls will suffer a loneliness even deeper than that of the Creator."

"How does annihilation work? Will we be stuck here forever?" Wright asked curiously, looking at the increasingly dazzling blue-green halo on his wrist and feeling the faint electric current generated as the "Time Element" flowed through his body.

"Stay here? Hmph, your body will become nourishment for this place, moisturizing this oil-based ground and giving birth to some new scrap metal. As for your soul, it will be trapped in a chaotic dimension forever, never to be freed." As "Blood Wolf" spoke, he reached out and forcefully ripped a steel plate off the window of an abandoned car, as easily as breaking open a biscuit.

Then, he used his sharp wolf claws to cut a slit, explaining:
“Once the ‘Time Element’ is exhausted, we will be identified as an anomaly by the ‘Functional Red Zone’, which will cause the entire space to collapse. Therefore, in order to maintain this relatively fragile space, the ‘Red Layer’ of the ‘Functional Red Zone’ will accelerate the consumption of energy to maintain balance.”

However, the energy of the 'Red Layer' is even more crucial; it essentially requires replenishment in equal amounts as it is consumed. Therefore, the 'Functional Red Zone,' under intense 'self-awareness,' will trigger dimensional chaos. To compensate for the losses, it will forcibly pull the spirit, existing as an energy body, into the 'deeper dimension' to fill the void, just like this.

As he spoke, "Blood Wolf" laid the steel plate flat on the oily ground, scooped up some oil with his left hand, and poured it into the crack.

Instantly, a scarlet light flashed continuously, emanating a terrifying aura, while the engine oil, like some kind of adhesive, completely filled the gaps, restoring the steel plate to its original shape.

“We don’t need to worry about the ‘Time Element’ problem, right? ‘Blood Wolf,’ I can read your true purpose from the relaxed tone in which you explained the ‘Crimson Domain’ to me in detail. Perhaps, with your strength, entering the ‘Red Layer’ in this crimson world behind the ‘Between of Truth,’ seizing the ‘Creator’s Mechanical Heart,’ and activating the so-called machinery buried deep within it would be a piece of cake.” Wright quickly walked behind “Blood Wolf,” his back to him, and said with a relatively serious expression and tone:

"You just want to persuade me one last time... by demonstrating your overwhelming power, to convince me to stay here, right?"

“It seems my intelligence was wrong.” Blood Wolf chuckled awkwardly, then picked up the steel plate and rubbed it vigorously, turning the incredibly sturdy steel into a puddle of fine powder that fell into the oily ground, creating countless fleeting ripples.

"Both the people of the Zhone Empire and the Crusad Federal Council call you an evil god. Even the top-secret 'Federal Council Document K-172' describes you as a raging 'monster' who cruelly incinerated Crown Prince Ivan of the Zhone Empire. You're either a rageous god who has lost his mind, a near-death person corrupted by 'Sorrow,' or a foolish puppet who has lost his memory." "Blood Wolf" patted Wright on the shoulder and continued:

"Actually, you are very intelligent. Your wisdom and moral standards prove that you deserve to possess 'Red Magic Source Power,' deserve the attention of the Creator and the Order Gods, and deserve the massive resources that the high-ranking officials of the two great empires invest in vying for you. To be honest, when I first saw you in Shaneva's 'military fortress,' I only thought you were a puppet with a little bit of self-awareness. Now I know I was wrong."

“If I had known I was talking to a smart person, I wouldn’t have wasted so much time on you… Since you agreed to give me the ‘Box of Hades’ and didn’t actually harm ‘Singing,’ then come with me.”

As "Blood Wolf" spoke, he put away his steel claws and bone blades, grabbed Wright's right arm, and walked forward together.

Soon, the surrounding space began to radiate brilliant light and shadow like the passing of stars. The pungent smell of engine oil in the air gradually faded, the hum of steel machinery gradually weakened, and the surrounding scenery also changed rapidly in a state completely inconsistent with objective physics, until the crimson sky in front of them was no longer there, and no machinery existed anymore.

Instead, there is a giant gate that is fifty meters high, and a half-cave area with a messy shape.