The system is four years ahead of schedule, but Weird is still a cub.

In the center of the city, a giant pointer, taller than the "Heart of Iron" and made of unknown crystals, pierces the sky.

With each slow rotation of one space, the layout of the entire city undergoes a chain reaction-like reconstruction.

There are no fixed streets here. One second it's a smooth elevator platform, and the next it might become the wall of another building.

The only way to get around here is to master and follow the city’s unique “rhythm”.

The pilot ship led them to a central plaza docking port called the "Heart of Gears," composed of countless concentric circles. As the "Heart of Iron" approached, the port blossomed like flower petals, and dozens of enormous mechanical arms extended to secure the hull of the "Heart of Iron."

An elderly man dressed in a magnificent white archbishop's robe, surrounded by a group of robots, slowly descended from a lift platform.

He almost completely abandoned his physical body; except for his brain, which remained in a transparent crystal skull, more than 99% of his body had been replaced by a mechanical structure with flowing blue energy patterns.

"Welcome to Clockwork City, lost pilgrim. I am the highest leader of this city, the Archbishop—[Titan-7]."

His voice came through an external loudspeaker, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

"It is a pleasure to see fellow practitioners, like you, shining with the light of 'order' in the endless sea of ​​chaos."

His jewel-like eyes slowly swept over the dark gold living alloy shell of "Iron Heart" and the emerald green vines clinging to it, without showing any disgust. Instead, it was as if he were admiring a rare work of art.

"An interesting case. Combining disordered 'biology' with rational 'mechanics' in such a seemingly contradictory way... Please allow me to explore what kind of grand idea underpins the core of this mobile fortress?"

The seemingly polite greeting was actually followed by a surge of powerful, unpredictable energy that shot towards Shen Ge like an invisible probe the moment the words left his mouth.

Shen Ge remained seated firmly in the commander's seat, without even getting up.

He simply stared calmly at Titan-7, letting that probe-like eerie energy touch his eerie domain.

Then the probe disappeared without a trace, like a clay ox sinking into the sea, without even a hint of feedback.

Shen Ge smiled slightly, his voice amplified through the "Iron Heart" amplification system, resounding throughout the entire square: "We are all creations seeking truth; form is merely an outer shell, our essence is a yearning for the ultimate order of the universe. It is the magnificent sound of your 'Bell of Truth' that fills us with awe. I wonder from which deity its power originates?"

Although Shen Ge dislikes speaking in official jargon, it's not that he can't. Besides, having traveled the world and met all sorts of people, who wouldn't know how to speak formally?
In Titan-7's jewel-like eyes, the blue data stream flickered almost imperceptibly.

He didn't continue the topic, but instead gracefully waved his mechanical arm: "Guests from afar are honored. To show our respect, Clockwork City will provide you with the highest level of energy supplies and alloy materials to help you recover from your journey. Please allow my engineers to connect the 'Iron Heart' to the 'Central Energy Pipeline'."

Shen Ge's cunning eyes had already seen through the so-called "pipeline" interfaces, where countless tiny "nano probes" were hidden.

“Then I’ll have to trouble the Archbishop.” He readily agreed.

Thanks to Titan-7's "generous" arrangement, "Iron Heart" is temporarily docked at "Gear Heart's" exclusive port.

The massive robotic arm delivered a steady stream of energy and crates of rare alloys gleaming with metallic luster. On the surface, it appeared to be a friendly exchange where both host and guest enjoyed themselves, but behind the scenes, the two colossal war machines had already begun their first silent confrontation.

"My lord, the enemy's 'nanoparticle probes' have entered the energy cycle system." Hephaestus's voice was calm yet excited in the command hall.

"Hermes is intercepting and analyzing its data... Their structure is so sophisticated! Each probe is an independent signal transceiver and positioning device. They are attempting reverse infiltration..."

“Make it clean,” Shen Ge leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the city undergoing precise displacement through the huge porthole.

"I need a real-time 'underground' map of Clockwork City."

According to Titan-7, Shen Ge and his companions were granted "freedom of movement" in the city's core area. But this "freedom" was more like taking a stroll in an exquisitely designed birdcage.

Wherever they went, two silent robots, acting as "guides," followed them closely, explaining in detail the "beauty of order" represented by each gear and each building.

"The air filtration system here performs a precise cycle every 3600 seconds to ensure that there are no impurities in the air."

"The error in the nutrient solution distribution for all residents will not exceed 0.01 milliliters."

“Look, Your Excellency,” a guide said, pointing to a row of residents walking in unison into a building in the distance.

"Now is the time for 'consciousness upload,' during which they will enter a virtual space to learn skills in the most efficient way, eliminating all ineffective social interactions."

"..." Goodness, another consciousness upload, you'd think otherwise.

Shen Ge originally wanted to say that if you didn't know, you would think they were the guys on the Ark, but then he suddenly realized that perhaps... these people were the "creators" of another fragmented world?
While Shen Ge was pondering, the guide was still introducing Clockwork City to their group.

As she listened to these emotionless explanations, Alai's brow furrowed deeper and deeper. Looking at the empty, numb eyes of the residents, a deep chill ran through her.

This isn't a city; it's clearly a factory.

Kyle and Roca had long lost patience with this kind of "sightseeing," and they exchanged a glance and tacitly made up an excuse.

"The Archbishop's city defense system is practically perfect," Kyle said to the guide in a serious tone.

"My brother and I want to take a closer look at the linkage structure of the outer gears and learn from their advanced experience."

The guide's synthesized voice replied, "The outer area has a complex structure. For your safety, please allow us to accompany you throughout the journey."

“No need.” Roca grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. “We soldiers like to figure things out on our own. Don’t worry, I won’t mess around.”

After saying that, without waiting for the guide's response, the two brothers activated the short-distance jump function built into the "Raider-III" armor.

With two barely perceptible energy fluctuations, their figures vanished from their original spot in an instant, and the next second, they appeared in the shadow of a mobile platform more than ten meters away.

"Chase!" The guide reacted swiftly, immediately sounding the alarm.

However, the structure of Clockwork City was far too complex. Kyle and Roca, like two nimble apes, darted and leaped among countless moving platforms, pipes, and giant gears, quickly leaving their pursuers behind and infiltrating the city's lower levels.

The scene here was a stark contrast to the glamorous upper levels. The lighting was dim, and the air was thick with the smell of engine oil and metallic dust. Huge steam pipes crisscrossed overhead, spewing out scorching steam from time to time.

Just as Kyle and Roca were passing through a huge, abandoned ventilation duct, a faint, suppressed cough came from the shadows deep within the duct.

The two brothers immediately became alert. They turned off the lights on their armor and activated thermal imaging scanning.

At the end of the pipe, a huddled figure was seen shivering against the cold pipe wall.

He was a believer who looked very young, but one of his mechanical arms was covered with irreparable dark red rust, which spread like a plague across his body.

The rust clearly affected the precise operation of his body.

Sensing someone approaching, the young man immediately tried to run away like a startled rabbit.

“Don’t be afraid, we mean no harm.” Kyle’s voice was low as he removed his helmet, revealing his face.

Seeing Kyle's fleshy face, the fear in the young man's eyes subsided slightly, replaced by a morbid excitement born from long-suppressed emotions.

“You…you are people from ‘outside’?” he asked, trembling.

"I suppose so." Roca also removed his helmet.

"How will you be here?"

“I…I’ve been designated as ‘to be recycled’.” The young man looked at his rusty arm in despair: “My synchronization rate has dropped by 0.3%, and I can no longer keep up with the city’s ‘rhythm’. They…they’re going to send me into the ‘furnace’!”

"furnace?"

"It's the 'recycling center'!" the young man exclaimed excitedly, as if he wanted to pour out all the fear in his heart.

“They said it was a place for ‘repairs and recasting,’ but I saw it with my own eyes… my friend, who was sent there just because of a miscalculation… I heard him screaming in agony inside, and then… that was it! It wasn’t a repair shop at all; it was a cannibalistic place!”

This news sent a chill down Kyle and Roca's spines.

“This city wasn’t like this before.” The young man pulled a scratched data chip the size of a fingernail from his pocket and handed it to Kyle.

“This is something my father left behind. Inside… inside are images of what happened before the ‘bell’ tolled. Please… take the truth… out of here…”

Just then, a series of heavy, orderly footsteps came from the other end of the pipe.

It's the "Maintenance Guard"!
They have clearly located the "escapee"!

The young man's face turned pale, and he immediately tried to snatch the chip back: "No! You have to leave! We can't let them find out!"

"Too late." Kyle clutched the chip tightly in his hand and put his helmet back on.

"Roca, take him and go first, I'll cover the rear!"

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Roca cursed, and also entered battle mode.

"Let's go together!"

Meanwhile, in the most luxurious "reception room" in the upper echelons of the city, Shen Ge was being invited by Titan-7 to hold a "meeting".

On the table in front of them were two glasses of high-purity energy liquid, slowly rotating in crystal containers and emitting a soft blue light.

"Consul".

Titan-7's voice remained calm as he picked up the energy liquid and gestured to Shen Ge: "I think beings like us who have reached the pinnacle of evolution should have a more frank exchange."

He continued, “Flesh and blood are the root of pain, desire, and chaos. Disease, aging, death… all stem from genetic defects. Only by completely abandoning this fragile body, uploading pure consciousness to the eternal mechanical network, and becoming part of the great ‘order’, can one achieve the ultimate and most perfect evolution. I cordially invite you, and your ‘Iron Heart,’ to join this great plan and become gods of the new world together.”

Shen Ge really wanted to introduce him to the "Creator" later, but he suppressed his urge to complain. He picked up the energy liquid, gently shook it, looked at the blue light inside, and smiled as he said, "The Archbishop's philosophy sounds wonderful. But in my opinion, it is precisely because of pain that we learn to cherish happiness; it is precisely because we make mistakes that we have the possibility of correction and creation. The combination of biology and machinery should be like the relationship between wings and an eagle, mutually enhancing each other, rather than... one replacing the other."

The two diametrically opposed ideas made the air in the room feel cold.

Suddenly, a faint glint of data appeared in Titan-7's jewel-like eyes. He put down the energy fluid and said in a tone of "regret," "It seems Your Excellency the Governor is not yet able to grasp the true meaning of 'order.' Speaking of which, I just received a report that your two curious subordinates seem to have 'gotten lost' in the city's sewers."

He paused, his cold, mechanical eyes glancing meaningfully at Shen Ge.

"But please rest assured. I have already dispatched our most professional 'repair team' to 'help' them."

"Oh?" Shen Ge's hand holding the crystal glass didn't waver at all. He even took a sip of the pure energy liquid with great interest, letting the cool energy flow through his body, as if the threat mentioned by Titan-7 was just an insignificant interlude.

"Then thank you for your concern, Archbishop." Shen Ge put down his cup, his face still bearing that calm and composed smile.

“My men are used to wilderness survival and like to explore hidden corners and nooks. Maybe they can even help you find some small places that are hard to spot and need ‘repair’.”

Titan-7's jewel-like eyes met Shen Ge's gaze in mid-air.

The air seemed to freeze, and both sides saw in each other's eyes an undisguised, absolute confidence in their own beliefs.

After a few seconds of eye contact, Titan-7 slowly nodded: "In that case, I'll await good news. I hope your men won't keep the 'repair team' waiting too long."

This polite remark was nothing short of an ultimatum.

Meanwhile, in the city's underground pipe area, battle has already broken out! (End of Chapter)