"This little thing really knows how to talk."
"Sensei, where did you abduct her from?"
Looking at the tiny Beruru, Yingda covered her mouth with a laugh.
Admittedly, this little cutie was rather unique.
"Her aura of verdure is very strong."
Fan'nan tilted her head, sensing something:
"She seems like… an elemental lifeform enlightened by Sensei?"
"Correct."
Taro nodded with a smile. "Fan'nan's observation is sharp as always."
"Eh? Sister, how did you know that?"
Yingda looked at her sister in astonishment.
"You~"
Fan'nan shook her head helplessly.
"If you just thought about Beruru's words for a moment, you'd notice it.
Danger abounds in the depths of the Chasm, yet you're this careless?
'Wisdom Lord.'
'Creator.'
That bottomless pit behind us.
And all the strange things Sensei has shown…
Anyone thinking even slightly would reach the same conclusion."
Her little sister was still as brainless as ever.
"Hehehe…"
Yingda scratched her head awkwardly, then hurried to Taro's side in a mock-guarding stance.
"Sensei, Lady Huoliya hasn't returned yet?"
Fan'nan glanced around, brows furrowing.
In raw strength, Huoliya as a god was beyond comparison.
But both Fan'nan and Yingda had already arrived.
It made no sense for Huoliya to be delayed.
Had something happened to her?
Boom~Rumble~
As they puzzled over it, a booming roar shook the stone wall ahead.
Bang bang bang~
As if some giant hammer pounded the cliff.
BOOM!
The wall split apart, rubble cascading.
A gaping tunnel appeared in the dust.
"Hey, boss, I'm here~"
"I brought you something big."
A massive shape, like a serpent but wholly metallic,
burst out, flew skyward, and crashed back down.
Thud!
Huoliya leapt from the opening, landing lightly on its body.
"Boss, this thing almost escaped. The Chasm's deep tunnels connect everywhere. Hunting it down was tough."
"…"
Taro blinked at the sight of the ruinous serpent.
Before the others could react, he jammed his hand into its body and pulled out a crystalline core.
White light flickered within.
"This is… elemental energy?"
Fan'nan's eyes narrowed.
"This machine can generate its own power?"
Made of rare metals, the ruin serpent's frame was crushed by Huoliya's might.
Its core was exposed, shining.
"Yes. And this energy… is different from common elements."
"Mm…" Huoliya admitted.
"It's condensed essence. Its elemental density exceeds normal Vision energy by about sixty percent."
"Khaenri'ah's creation."
"The Ruin Serpent, a specialized mining machine."
Taro crushed the core in his hand.
That substance—Azoth.
Concentrated elemental power refined in Khaenri'ah,
used in the development of ruin-series war machines.
Products of Khaenri'ah's Mechanism Science 1.0 era.
As for 2.0? That drew on Abyssal power, borrowing technology from King Deshret's eternal research.
Such as the Millennium Perdition Beasts, running on Abyss-forged energy.
Khaenri'ah—the nation of the Fallen Gods.
Their purpose could be summed in a few lines:
To resist injustice.
To defy fate.
To conquer the Seven Nations and march upon Celestia.
But instead of living in peace, they chose rebellion.
Even if it meant bringing the world to ruin.
Unsurprisingly, they failed.
And in their failure, they unleashed the Abyssal calamity and the beast tides.
"Khaenri'ah…"
"The nation that caused the Abyssal Beast Tide?"
Both Yingda and Fan'nan paled.
Yes. The ones who triggered the disaster five centuries ago.
Beasts flooding the Chasm.
Her elder brother perished in that war.
Countless adepti and Millelith soldiers fell.
Countless families shattered.
As for Khaenri'ah's destruction?
Deserved. Not a shred of sympathy.
It was about standing on the right side, not personal grudge.
"…So those neatly carved tunnels below—
they were dug by this machine?"
"That's… not good."
Huoliya frowned, glancing back at the gaping tunnel.
Pits of that scale littered the Chasm depths.
The entire underground was riddled with holes.
If left unchecked, one tremor could collapse the Chasm entirely.
"Once this is done, inform the Qixing. Let them deal with it."
"Since it's Khaenri'ah's mess, they should handle it."
"Right. Fan'nan, take this thing. Afterward, research it—maybe find some use for the people's livelihood."
"Yes, Sensei."
Fan'nan nodded and stowed the ruin serpent away.
"Come on, the bottom is close."
Taro strode toward the deepest cavern.
"Wisdom Lord, I'll lead the way!"
Beruru flitted ahead, eager to prove herself.
"This little thing… quite amusing."
Yingda muttered oddly.
Huoliya gave Beruru a glance, then looked back at Yingda.
A strange smile curved her lips.
"Hmm?"
Fan'nan noticed, puzzled.
Her eyes saw nothing wrong,
but Huoliya's expression said otherwise.
Little sister was still too naive…
She was going to suffer sooner or later.
(End of Chapter)
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