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

With Shen Ge finally issuing the order to clean up the mess, the relationship between "Iron Heart" and "Clockwork City" entered a new phase.

Alai, leading her civil affairs team and some of the survivors who volunteered to stay, began to help the city, which had just been liberated from the "absolute order," rebuild a more humane social structure.

Meanwhile, more spoils and data are continuously being sent to the "Iron Heart," waiting to be digested and absorbed.

The noisy battlefield has returned to calm, but for Hephaestus and his "Pandora Project Team," the real work has just begun.

In the highest-level laboratory of the "Iron Heart," the ancient and majestic "Clock of Order" is currently suspended silently in the center of the laboratory.

Its massive body was firmly secured by dozens of thick energy restraints to prevent the residual eerie energy within it from going out of control.

Countless optical probes and energy sensors, finer than a human hair, are attached tightly to every corner of the clock, transmitting the most minute data changes in real time to the high-speed "Hermes" beside it.

“Structural material analysis complete.” Ellie looked at the data displayed on the screen, her tone tinged with disbelief.

"The metal that makes up this bell has an extremely stable atomic structure, and none of our existing cutting tools can leave a single scratch on its surface. Its energy conductivity is more than three hundred times that of living alloys... This... this is simply a metal that only 'gods' could forge."

“Then let’s skip the outer shell and proceed directly to internal dialysis.” Hephaestus was not surprised by this; his gaze was already focused on the three-dimensional model constructed by “Hermes.”

"What I want to see is not its external materials, but its interior."

As the command was given, the ultra-high frequency detection wave, which was mixed with various strange powers, penetrated the indestructible outer shell and clearly presented the scene inside the bell to everyone.

When Hephaestus, a man of great knowledge, saw the structure of the core area of ​​the model, he couldn't help but feel a chill and subconsciously took a half step back.

Everyone in the laboratory fell silent; the only sound in the air was the beeping of the instruments.

The clock's interior was not the energy crystal or complex mechanical structure they had envisioned.

That was a...brain.

A giant, eerie brain, over three meters in diameter, still pulsating, covered in silver patterns!

The brain's shape was extremely bizarre, possessing both the supple texture of a living being and the cold luster of metal. Countless translucent energy beams, like rune chains, extended from the inner wall of the bell, piercing deep into every groove of the brain, forcibly altering and imprisoning its thought processes, making it like a pre-programmed CPU, only able to mechanically output the law called "order".

“Alive…” Hephaestus murmured to himself, and for the first time, another emotion besides fanaticism flashed in his eyes—awe, and a trace of fear.

"They...they turned a living, powerful, and bizarre being—at least at the peak of the seventh rank—into the core of a...server."

This technology is beyond their current comprehension. This isn't "fighting the strange with the strange," it's "enslaving" the strange, it's toying with the very essence of life!
“Attempt a simulated docking with ‘Hermes’.” Shen Ge’s voice broke the silence; he seemed unsurprised by the result.

"Yes, sir." Hephaestus suppressed his shock and immediately began to operate.

Instead of making a physical connection, he constructed a model of the "Iron Heart" in virtual space and then tentatively connected the energy circuit data of the [Clock of Order] to a subsystem of "Hermes".

The moment the docking simulation began, an unexpected change occurred!
The strange brain that had been "imprisoned" suddenly emitted an extremely dazzling light from the silver patterns in its core area!

An ultra-high frequency information pulse that could not be isolated or completely blocked by any physical means burst out from the bell and shot into the unknown distance!
"Warning! An unknown 'quantum entanglement' communication protocol has been detected and activated!" Hermes' alarm sounded.

"Link established! Coordinates revealed!"

“Cut it off!” Hephaestus roared.

"It cannot be severed! This protocol does not rely on conventional communication methods unless... the core of the clock is completely destroyed!"

Just as everyone's hearts sank at this sudden turn of events, Shen Ge's expression remained calm.

He looked at the brain model and said coldly, "So, this is a magical device 'tethered with a locator.' It will immediately notify them whenever someone tries to take it home."

As they were talking, Alai, who was in charge of monitoring the waters surrounding "Clockwork City," suddenly received an emergency call. Her image appeared on the screen, her face showing an unprecedented seriousness.

"My lord! A ship... no, an unidentified object has appeared off the coast of Clockwork City!"

The scene shifts, and on the leaden-gray Dead Sea, a small, jet-black speedboat, shaped like a sharp sword and moving so fast it leaves a trail of afterimages, is speeding towards us from the distant horizon.

It disregarded all the rules of the "Sea of ​​Trials" and barged straight into Clockwork City's restricted area.

The speedboat showed no hostility, but suddenly stopped at a safe distance of several kilometers from "Clockwork City".

At the bow, a faceless messenger, of higher rank than the previous pilot and dressed in a black monk's robe, raised a cannon-like arm made entirely of black metal.

The next second, an obelisk more than three meters tall, carved from pure obsidian and engraved with intricate gear and star patterns, was "launched" from his arm like a cannonball.

"boom--!"

The obelisk, trailing a black tail, landed precisely on the sea between Clockwork City and Ironheart, stirring up towering waves.

But strangely, it did not sink. Instead, it seemed to have taken root and floated steadily on the sea surface, like a tombstone of death, exuding an ominous aura.

Having done all this, the black speedboat didn't even pause for a moment before turning around and leaving at an even faster speed, disappearing instantly at the horizon.

……

Half an hour later, Shen Ge drove the speedboat alone to the obelisk that exuded a cold aura.

He reached out, and a surge of pure, eerie energy enveloped the monument.

The next moment, a cold voice resounded through the sky from within the monument:

"Pasture No. 7 has been contaminated by 'Logic Plague'. It is now being permanently quarantined."

“Any contaminant has been recorded in the ‘highest purification sequence’.”

“When the eyes of ‘God’ are on you, silence will be the only mercy.”

Shen Ge stood quietly on the speedboat, letting the cold sea breeze flutter the hem of his clothes. After a long while, a smile slowly appeared on his face.

"'Supreme Purification Sequence'?" "Finally... they've been targeted by the 'main leader' of the New God Cult?"

“Alright,” he said, turning his head to look in the direction of “Iron Heart.”

"It saves me the trouble of going to find them one by one."

The cold "verdict" from the "New God Cult" weighed heavily on the hearts of all the core members of "Iron Heart" like a boulder.

……

The formation of "Iron Heart" was not affected by this minor incident, and the work of assimilating "Clockwork City" continued intensively.

Once the assimilation of "Clockwork City" is complete, the next step is to continue heading to the far north.

However, the assimilation process proved to be more complicated than expected.

"Iron Heart," the central command hall.

The once efficient and orderly lobby now felt somewhat oppressive.

Shen Ge sat on the commander's throne, his fingertips tapping the armrests absently, his gaze fixed on the report personally submitted by Alai in the center of the conference table.

Below him, all the core leaders of the departments were present, but no one spoke.

"Speak," Shen Ge's voice broke the suffocating silence.

Alai stood up, her face, which always carried a gentle smile, now filled with exhaustion and anxiety.

She took a deep breath and spoke in an almost strained voice: "My lord, and everyone else. To make a long story short, the absorption of Clockwork City is more troublesome than we imagined. If we accept everything without question, Ironheart will face the risk of being 'stuffed to death'."

She raised her hand and brought up the holographic screen.

"Over the past two weeks, my Ministry of Civil Affairs, together with the Temporary Management Committee of Clockwork City, has completed the initial screening and resettlement of all survivors. After eliminating those 'waste' who have completely lost their humanity and reason, as well as residents who are unwilling to leave their homeland, a total of 28,762 former believers with basic labor capacity and recovery potential have boarded the Iron Heart and become our new members."

This number sent a collective gasp through many present. Twenty-eight thousand people—that's several times the original population of "Iron Heart"!

“Population growth should be a good thing. But our logistics system is clearly not yet capable of accommodating so many people,” Alai sighed.

She pointed to the first set of data: "Food reserves. The ecological cycle of 'Eden' has reached its limit. Even so, our total food reserves will be completely depleted within twenty days."

She then pointed to the second set of data: "Freshwater resources. The purification equipment has been operating at overload for 24 hours a day for 15 consecutive days. The three core pumps have suffered from severe metal fatigue and may break down at any time. Even so, our daily freshwater shortage is still as high as 15%."

Finally, her finger landed on the most crucial piece of data.

"energy."

"The daily patrols of the 'Raiders' legion, the city's defensive shields, the growth light of 'Eden,' the electricity used in residential areas... and most importantly, the energy consumption of the mechanical organs being maintained and replaced in the new members' bodies, are all rapidly depleting our 'Type III Bio-Battery' reserves. According to 'Hermes' calculations, if we don't find a new way to replenish our energy immediately, in at most another month, 'Iron Heart'... will become a floating iron block at sea due to energy depletion."

Originally, Ironheart didn't need to worry about energy issues at all, but recently, the "Heart of God" was separated, and most of the core buildings of Clockwork City were incorporated into it.

If the former Ironheart was just a small town on the sea, the now merged Ironheart is a huge floating city.

Furthermore, if "Iron Heart" chooses to remain in place and become a permanent sea city, the energy problem can actually be solved.

The problem now is that they still need to travel to the far north.

An ordinary fishing boat might be able to barely move a warship, but could it move an aircraft carrier?

"I propose that we sustain the war through war!"

Kyle was the first to step forward, his usually roguish face now unusually serious: "Since we don't have enough resources, let's hunt down the monsters of the deep sea! We now have the strongest 'Raider' legion, and the invincible fortress of 'Iron Heart.' The monsters of this sea are our best granary! I request to immediately organize a super-large hunting legion to fill our stomachs with the corpses of our enemies!"

"I object."

Ellie immediately retorted, calmly analyzing, "Your plan is too risky. Venturing into unknown waters not only risks encountering terrifying beings of the eighth rank or higher, but the energy consumption of the hunt itself is also enormous. If the costs we incur exceed the benefits we gain, it will only hasten our demise."

"I believe that the current priority should be to cut costs, reinstate a strict rationing system, stop all unnecessary research and expansion projects, and concentrate all resources on maintaining basic survival."

"Cut the budget? What's the difference between that and waiting to die? How can we train on an empty stomach? How can we deal with that 'New God Cult' that could come knocking on our door at any moment?" Roca couldn't help but say.
"It's better than rushing out to your death right now!"

A heated debate ensued.

The "open source faction," represented by the military, and the "cost-saving faction," mainly composed of the technology and logistics departments, each held their own views, and neither could convince the other.

"I...maybe I have a solution."

Everyone turned to look at the sound, and saw Hephaestus slowly stand up. He pushed up his slipped glasses, but his bloodshot eyes showed no sign of fatigue.

Without uttering any unnecessary words, he simply raised his hand and projected a massive structural diagram onto the center of the conference table—the "Flesh Furnace" beneath Clockwork City, which had devoured countless lives.

"Everyone."

His voice rang out in the conference room: "We've been thinking about how to find food and energy. But we seem to have forgotten one thing: right beneath our feet lies a highly efficient furnace!"

Which furnace should we use?

Kyle was the first to react. He was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up with excitement: "That's right! How come I didn't think of that? That thing can even digest the bizarre and turn it into an energy source. Combined with our hunting, we can establish a highly efficient energy source!"

"I strongly object!" Alai stood up abruptly, his body trembling slightly with excitement.

She stared directly at Hephaestus, her usually gentle eyes now burning with unprecedented fury.

"Hephaestus! Do you know what you're saying? That's a sinful thing built from countless pieces of flesh and blood! We just snatched it from the demons' hands, and now you want to make us the new demons?"

Hephaestus adjusted his glasses and said seriously, "Just as you said, whether a knife is a weapon of murder or a weapon of protection depends on who uses it. Clockwork City uses it to refine its people; it is a furnace of evil. We, on the other hand, use it to refine bizarre corpses to supply the Iron Heart with energy. Why can't we?" (End of Chapter)