Chapter 1852: Chapter 1852

"Yes, you can see my form. It is my honor."

The dark figure drifted slowly out from the depths of the white steam, just as Jenkins had anticipated. The woman had lost her physical body; her soul had merged with a cloud of mist. This was no malevolent spirit, nor was it a mechanized corpse, but an entirely new form of existence.

While Jenkins couldn't comprehend how it was achieved, he understood that such a malformed soul would likely collapse before long.

The shadow drew nearer, allowing Jenkins to make out more details. Though roughly humanoid, the body and face, composed of black mist, lacked any definition—nothing more than dark dust held in a constrained form. And there, on its chest, a woman's face flickered in and out of view.

As Jenkins stared, the woman asked a question, one unrelated to the maze-lock:

"I have seen wisdom now. I possess a fundamental knowledge of mechanics, and I even have my own ideas for their application. My husband and my daughter... when they next speak of such things, surely they will include me in their conversation?"

Jenkins nodded, and a smile spread across the woman's face within the misty form.

Leaving the third floor, he climbed into the attic. It was unlit, just like the floor below; only the faint light filtering through a skylight allowed Jenkins to barely make out his surroundings. This was the highest level of the building, and the roof above him transmitted the sound and force of the heavy summer rain. The moment he set foot in the attic, the ladder and trapdoor leading back to the third floor slammed shut. Though he didn't try it, Jenkins knew it would be impossible to open now.

Perhaps due to the diligence of the lady of the house, the attic was quite clean. The floor was free of dust and clutter, with only old furniture pushed against the walls and a few cardboard boxes stacked in a corner. Drawn on the floorboards in a blue, strangely fluorescent chalk was a massive foundational ritual array that encompassed the entire attic. One glance told Jenkins that this was the core of the maze-lock. But considering how everyone had been separated upon entry, this maze-lock possessed certain spatial properties. It was hard to say if the ritual core before him was the true one.

"You can choose to remain silent or not. It makes no difference. Either way, you're going to learn a lesson."

Jenkins said, preparing to strike.

"Demigod of an Orthodox Church, perhaps you could wait a few minutes and hear what we have to say."

The man closest to Jenkins spoke.

"We sensed someone intruding upon the maze-lock, so we were already aware of your identity and that of your companions. The fact that you reached this place so quickly proves you have a talent for mechanics. Might I ask which demigod from the Church of Creation and Machinery you are?"

"That's not important."

Jenkins shook his head.

"If this is just more nonsense, then don't bother. I'm not in the habit of giving my enemies time to call for help."

"No, no, it's certainly not nonsense. Since you are also able to comprehend the mysteries of the machine and have your own ideas about matters the churches don't prioritize, why not join us?"

"Are you trying to persuade a demigod of an Orthodox Church to join an illegal cult?"

Jenkins asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Please, hear me out. We can give you things you cannot get from your church—and not just power and longevity, but knowledge. As one who walks the path of the machine, are you not interested in the fruits of our research? Are you not curious about the unknown technologies we possess? We are not asking you to abandon your identity, nor will we demand you worship our god. We simply wish to form a union with you."

"Yes. People with talent, people with wisdom, people who can feel the power of the machine—they should all unite. Flesh makes mortals weak and miserable. The machine is the true path of human evolution."

Jenkins stated flatly.

"If that's all you wanted to say, then..."

"Don't be so hasty. Perhaps you should see this first. See what we have truly discovered. A union does not mean you must obey our orders. Our leader is another miraculous existence. It possesses true Great Wisdom."

A small booklet flew to Jenkins's feet, emanating a deep, dark spiritual aura. Though he didn't know what it contained, Jenkins was certain it was some sort of mind-control device.

"Since you're proposing a union, before I pick that up, I want to know what this maze-lock is for. The Church only acted today, but we know this maze-lock has been active for at least two weeks. Where are all the missing people?"

"We are recruiting like-minded individuals. The ordinary people who were summoned in their dreams and hurried here all have talent. They passed their respective tests and have since been sent to a place where their skills can be put to good use."

"And everyone passed the test?"

Jenkins asked mockingly. The man sitting on the left in the darkness spoke up.

"Of course, not everyone possesses the wisdom and talent to join us."

Jenkins didn't ask what happened to those who failed the test. Instead, he changed the subject.

"You may not know this, but the Church has been monitoring this location for over a week. While we failed to realize a maze-lock was active inside the house during that time, we can confirm that none of the missing people ever reappeared. Your maze-lock may be impressive, but I don't believe it has the ability to transport ordinary people underground out of thin air."

"You are correct. It does not have that function."

The first man said. Because of his seated position, he had to tilt his head up to meet Jenkins's gaze, which looked rather ridiculous, especially since the man had no eyebrows.

"Rest assured, you are different from them. If you agree to cooperate with us..."

"You still think I'll agree?"

"Once you see the knowledge in that book, once you witness the technology we possess, you will not be able to refuse. I am certain that no mechanist would pass up the opportunity to acquire this knowledge."

"Then what makes you think I'll open this book?"

Jenkins glanced down at the book lying at his feet. It had a plain brown cover, seemingly made of cowhide or a similar material. It wasn't particularly thick, but the cover bore no title.

"I may not be from the Church of Knowledge and Books, but even I know that not all books should be opened—especially one offered by an enemy."

"Have so little confidence in yourself?"

The man on the right, who had been silent until now, chuckled. Before Jenkins could mock the clumsiness of the goad, another object fell from the air. This time, the item had no spiritual aura; it was an ordinary object. Read complete versıon only at novel✦fire.net

It was a cardboard box, looking no different from the ones stacked in the attic. Jenkins opened it to find a collection of metal parts and a folded blueprint.

When he unfolded it, he saw a diagram for an exquisite, purely mechanical arm. The blueprint detailed the size, shape, and dimensions of every component needed to assemble the arm. Notes in the margins explained the assembly process and precautions for connecting it to a human body.

The arm was a completely metallic structure. The perfectly ordered arrangement of gears, bearings, chains, levers, screws, and nuts came together to form a diagram worthy of being called a work of art. Even Jenkins, ever wary, had to admit that their technology was truly remarkable.

The only thing missing from the blueprint was the auxiliary power source. To allow the metal arm to be controlled like a flesh-and-blood limb, capable of any movement, it needed a power source. The space for the power module, a metal block about the size of Chocolate's four little paws combined, was left blank. This was the core technology of the arm.

"We know the Church of Creation and Machinery has similar technology for metal organs, but you are all too cautious. You've never researched such technology in depth. Look at ours. And this is just an outdated version, something we don't mind you seeing."

"It's impressive, I'll admit. But I'm sorry, I still can't cooperate."

With that, Jenkins decided to waste no more time with them. Flames shot from his hands, but at that exact moment, the book on the floor shot into the air, nearly smacking him in the face.

It burst through the wave of blessed fire to appear before Jenkins. The edges of its pages were singed, but the book itself did not ignite.

With a loud rustle, the book opened itself before Jenkins, displaying its knowledge for him to see.

"This book is a creation of our collaborator, the Great Wisdom from the depths of the earth. It shares a connection with this maze-lock. It will automatically present itself to anyone in its vicinity who comes into contact with information related to mechanics. You could call it one of the maze-lock's automated defense mechanisms."

The man's voice seemed to come from a great distance, for Jenkins's consciousness was already completely captivated by the contents of the pages.

"Welcome, fellow traveler."

Although only a single page was displayed before him, Jenkins saw the entire book. He couldn't find the words to describe the form in which it appeared; all he knew was that, in that instant, knowledge itself was truly laid bare before him.

He was no longer seeing pages, but a series of rapidly flashing images. It was as if he were suspended high in the air. The land below him was devoid of any green. Amidst towering smokestacks, a city of pure steel, laid out in perfect order, stretched from beneath his feet to the distant horizon.