Full health is the kill threshold, no matter if you're a god or a demon!

"He's searching for the remnants of the Omnics on the battlefields of the heavens... Star Dwarfs?... My God..." Gerbin's voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.

After Liu Nian and Gerbin had roughly read through the diary, he briefly recounted his experiences on the battlefield of the heavens—how he found the diary, how he discovered Morse who was locked up, and how he rescued him.

"You mean, you've met him? You saved him?" Gerbin asked excitedly.

Liu Nian nodded: "In fact, if it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have saved him."

"My friend, why is this?"

Liu Nian noticed that Gerbin's way of addressing him had changed, indicating that their relationship had taken another step closer.

"Because after I mentioned your name, he recognized you and told me about your background and some history of Gnomeregan! I don't think he was lying. I already have a good relationship with you engineering gnomes, and we're now staunch allies in building the city together, so for your sake, I chose to save him!"

Gerbin listened, nodding repeatedly, as he recounted their adventurous journey, their battles side-by-side, and how they were about to obtain the engine when they suddenly encountered an unexpected and formidable enemy…

Gerbin's emotions fluctuated wildly as he listened, sometimes widening his eyes and sometimes cheering loudly. When he finally heard that a level 999 super player had appeared and defeated everyone with ease, stealing the Eternal Engine and kidnapping Morse, he remained speechless for a long time.

He knew that Liu Nian was truly powerless in this matter.

Let alone Liu Nian, even in Gnomeregan, there are probably very few people who could stop that kind of player!

"Don't worry, since that player chose to kidnap rather than kill Morse, she obviously knows Morse's value. She probably wants Morse to help her research the Eternal Engine, so she won't be in any danger for the time being. She might even benefit from this!"

Gerbin nodded slowly upon hearing this; what Liu Nian said made sense.

However, he was somewhat pleased to hear that his elder brother had become the de facto supreme ruler of the Engineering Dwarfs.

"I always thought..." he finally spoke, his voice hoarse, "I thought that even if my brother's branch of the family hadn't been wiped out, there would be very few left. I never expected..."

He looked up at Liu Nian, his eyes slightly red: "Thank you, Liu Nian. Thank you for telling me all this."

[Gelbin Nomo's favorability towards you has increased; current relationship: best friend]

Liu Nian waved his hand: "No need to thank me. You've helped us a lot too. I'm just relaying what he told me to you. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on Morse's situation, and if there's an opportunity, I'll try to rescue him!"

Gelbin took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He opened his diary, read a few more pages, and suddenly looked up: "I know where Gnomeregan is! It's in a separate plane deep within the battlefields of the heavens, and only engineering gnomes know how to get there. If you ever want to go there, come find me! I can take you there."

Liu Nian thought for a moment and said, "There's no rush. I still have a lot of things to finish."

Gerbin nodded: "Alright. Let me know when you're ready."

After saying goodbye to Gerbin, Liu Nian walked out of the tower.

He opened the task panel, and the text appeared before his eyes:

[The Mission of Inheritance: Rekindling the Flame of Hope]

[Trial One: First There Must Be Light (Executor: Liu Nian)]

The Heart of Terra at the bottom of the Tower of the Sky is dead, infested with the most dangerous aggregates of corrupted energy and out-of-control mechanical guardians. They are immune to most techniques; only the most resilient and powerful, capable of withstanding immense damage and unleashing ultimate strength in an instant, can forcefully break through and purify the core. Please carry the Soulfire, ignite the core, and let the light shine upon this place once more!

Liu Nian turned off the control panel and stretched his wrists.

"Time to get to work."

Walking north along the main road of Dragon City, the outline of the Ascalon ruins appears both desolate and magnificent.

Ascalon's architecture is purely functional—thick walls, narrow windows, straight lines, all for defense and practicality. Each building is like a small fortress, sharply defined and imposing.

Liu Nian's target is the Sky Tower in the city center, which is nearly half collapsed.

That was once Ascalon's heart, now standing like a cold corpse in the very center of the ruins.

The tower is also made of a single piece of anti-magic rock without any gaps, and its surface is covered with Ascalonian script, each of which has a different meaning.

As expected, when Liu Nian reached the bottom of the tower, Hector's spirit appeared.

"Liu Nian! Are you finally going to light up the Heart of Terra?"

"Yes!" Liu Nian looked at the soul of the last king.

"With your current abilities, you certainly can do it! Please, and I wish you all the best!"

"Thanks!"

After exchanging pleasantries, Liu Nian slowly placed his hand on the massive stone gate.

There was no handle on the door, no keyhole, only a line of text in Ascalonian script—which he couldn't understand, but it meant:

"This place is a death zone for exorcists; only flesh and steel can pass through!"

Liu Nian reached out and pushed the door open.

The stone gate was heavy, but it meant nothing to him.

He slowly exerted his strength, and the stone door slid open to both sides with a deep rumble.

Behind the door was a deep passageway, and he stepped into it.

The moment he stepped in, an invisible force enveloped him.

You have entered a special area: the Tower of the Sky.

[Area Effect: Exorcism Dead Zone]

[Effect Description: All magic, elemental energy, spatial spells, and summoning spells within the area are nullified. Pets, magical servants, and mounts cannot be summoned or maintained. All magic-related effects in the skill bar are unusable.]

Liu Nian glanced at his mana and skill bar.

Sure enough, his energy blue was blocked, and all the icons for his active skills turned gray. He tried to summon Arachne, but there was no response. He tried to transform into a dragon, but there was still no response.

All he can use now is his fists and his body.

There was another thing: Liu Nian took out the rhombus-shaped crystal device from his backpack.

That was the control device for controlling the spider servants, which I obtained while exploring the dungeon.

This thing is a technological creation, not a magical item, so it can be used normally.

As soon as this thing was taken out, it was as if an invisible dimensional portal had been opened, and a large number of spider servants began to appear nearby.

However, it is obviously not as quick as summoning magical pets or servants; their appearance takes time.

Liu Nian waited in place for more than ten minutes before all the spider servants appeared. Following Morse's advice, he put one spider servant and the main control crystal on his person to prevent any accidents from happening.

"Let's move forward! Let's begin our exploration!"