Chapter 2055: Chapter 2055

“I understand. The Tree House wants to be the final winner.”

“Good that you understand.”

A miserable smile touched the old man’s face.

“I thought I’d never get the chance to say these words, or that I’d finally escape to the Church of the Sage only to draw my last breath before uttering the most critical sentence. If that happened, I wouldn’t be able to close my eyes even in death. You must defeat the Difference Engine. You must eradicate the Tree House!” The source of this content ɪs novel⦿fire.net

He wasn’t hoping for Jenkins to save the world; he was simply expressing a profound hatred for those two entities.

“While I’m not dead yet, is there anything else you want to ask? I’ll answer anything I know.”

“How exactly did the Difference Engine escape its ancient seal? The Church once captured a demigod vampire from the Tree House, who said it escaped using the Mechanical Heart.”

“Yes. And it was the Mechanical Heart that gave it the opportunity to declare itself the Lord of All Machines and achieve apotheosis. A pity you ruined it.”

“No. It wants to integrate the Mechanical Heart into the original steam engine, and then fuse that engine into its own core to achieve an even deeper level of sublimation.”

That meant it was still possible to use the [Ocean’s Heart] to locate the [Mechanical Heart]. Unfortunately, Magic Miss had said it would take a very long time, and now there were only twelve hours until the Difference Engine reached the ninth floor of the metal tower. There wasn’t enough time. The idea of using the “like-devours-like principle” between two numbered items to create a resonance was a good one, but it was far too late.

“You were all wiped out. Won’t your god react to that?”

Though he knew it was impossible, Jenkins still held onto a sliver of hope that the heretical god, the Gear King, would fly into a rage and simply annihilate the Difference Engine.

“Our Lord never reacted to us helping the Difference Engine in the first place. If we had succeeded in bringing about the apocalypse, greatly increasing the Church’s power to the point where it could rival the Orthodox Churches in the next epoch, our Lord would naturally have been very pleased. But since we failed, our Lord won’t do anything. After all, this was our own decision...”

This heretical god sounded incredibly pragmatic. The dying man before him held no resentment toward the deity he worshipped.

“This was all our decision. If there’s anyone to blame, it can only be that the god of fate did not favor us.”

Since the man was on the verge of death, Jenkins didn’t argue the point. He asked another question instead.

“Since the Difference Engine and the Tree House have destroyed the Gear Artisans’ Association, they must have seized all of your assets. Among your collection, are there any items that are particularly dangerous, or at least noteworthy enough to potentially impact the final battle?”

The old man, who had been curled up on the ground, suddenly sat bolt upright. His face was flushed, his eyes bulging—a classic sign of a final burst of energy before death. This old demigod of the Gear Artisans’ Association realized he had reached the end, so he spoke in a rush, terrified he would expire before relaying the crucial information.

“Over the years, we collected a great many numbered items. To unseal the Difference Engine, in particular, we and the Tree House scoured every corner of the material world for special artifacts. But there is only one that you must be most wary of. It’s a coiled sword. We found it on a platform in an active volcano out at sea, lying next to a skeleton that hadn’t been consumed by the lava.”

“A sword forged by forcibly twisting two pieces of metal together. Because of its unique design, it’s mostly used in rituals. That sword is numbered B-01-1-0006, and its name is the Sin’s Eternal Flame Greatsword. It is, by all records, the most powerful sword in existence. In the Orthodox Church’s evaluations, judging by the blade itself, it’s rated even higher than the Skull Sword. Its greatest property is that it can cut through any other sword. We even speculated that it could completely sever the Skull Sword. So, whatever you do, do not let your sword come into contact with it.”

Jenkins had heard of this sword before, but it had been missing for many years. Otherwise, it would have been the best weapon to use against the Skull Sword back then.

The old man said no more. His eyes grew vacant, and his body slid down the wall as his spiritual aura slowly extinguished. Jenkins watched him for a moment, then slowly rose to his feet.

The man was likely a heinous villain, one whose name had probably been on the Church’s wanted list for years. But at the end of his life, for whatever reason, he had helped Jenkins, and for that, Jenkins was willing to show him respect.

Afterward, once he was certain that neither the Tree House nor the Difference Engine had sent any other pursuers, Jenkins took the bodies of the old man and the magician back to the Church of the Sage.

The Church said nothing of Miss Fabry’s little excursion. They were far more concerned with the intelligence she brought back. The revelation of a terrible power from the past lurking within the tower, and the complete annihilation of the Gear Artisans’ Association, were both of immense significance for their strategic planning.

Moreover, the Church learned that the Tree House intended to summon a terrifying creature from the void to obstruct the Savior before he could enter the ninth floor of the metal tower. The Church had no intention of letting Jenkins handle it himself; instead, they planned to use the strength of mortals to clear a path for him, allowing him to face his formidable enemy in peak condition.

He slipped back into the church, delivered the bodies and the intelligence to Princess Sophia, and then had her report it to the rest of the Church. By the time all of this was done, it was time for lunch.

Even though Jenkins didn’t need to eat to replenish his energy—a little sunlight was all he required—he still maintained the good habit of having lunch. For one, his cat’s mealtime was impeccably punctual. For another, he didn’t know if this would be his last opportunity to share a meal with his family, so he would never dream of being absent.

A late summer noon should have been the brightest time of the year, but on this day, the entire world was plunged into a silent, endless night. Candles were lit along the long dining table, their bright flames burning quietly atop silver candlesticks.

Thanks to his special privileges, Jenkins was able to request a private room to dine with his family. He held his knife and tilted his head, gazing at the white ash fluttering outside the window. A long moment passed before he finally set down his utensils.

“What are you thinking about again?”

Hathaway asked, then paused to reconsider.

“Never mind, you don’t have to explain. At a time , let’s not say anything to spoil the mood. Where did you go after ten o’clock? We were looking for you to decide what you should wear for the photograph.”

“You all can decide. Just give me the clothes when you’re done.”

Jenkins replied, his mind elsewhere.

“I went out this morning to visit some friends, but there wasn't enough time. I only managed to see Mr. Hood. I had to give up on saying goodbye to Mr. Black Cat and Mr. White Cat. I hope they won’t hold it against me.”

Of all the ladies present, only Hathaway was a friend to Mr. Hood, Mr. Black Cat, and Mr. White Cat, and only she knew of them.

“You’ll be back soon, so goodbyes aren’t that important. Speaking of Mr. Hood, is he doing well? You mentioned last time that he wanted to repay you for saving his life. I hope he hasn’t gotten into any more trouble.”

“Don’t worry, he’s fine. He’s still busy with business matters with Mr. Black Cat and Mr. White Cat... Alexia, the Gear Artisans’ Association has been completely wiped out. I’ve already informed the Church. What sort of uncertainty do you think this will bring to the future?”

He turned to the shorter woman. Alexia considered this for a moment before setting down her cutlery.

“For the Difference Engine and the Tree House to dare to make such a move, on one hand, it shows they’ve been pushed to the brink. They know that for everyone, this is the final moment. On the other, it means the Gear Artisans’ Association is no longer of any use to them. In their three-way partnership, the Gear Artisans’ technical advantage was significant. I’m very concerned about the consequences of the Difference Engine fully mastering the mechanical manufacturing technology of our era.”

Jenkins nodded, understanding her concern. He then turned his gaze to Sigrid.

“Is there any news from the Church of All Things and Nature?”

“As you requested, we are transporting all the safe, numbered items we can mobilize to Nolan. However, we have to account for the risk of interception by the Difference Engine, and the roads outside are nearly impassable. The flying ash has a strange effect on metal, and the railway system is no longer considered safe. But don’t worry. While the Church cannot defeat the Difference Engine, it is more than capable of handling other matters.”

Jenkins nodded again, thought for a moment, and then turned to Dolores.

“Regarding the disaster that has already begun, I imagine the mortal kings have also recognized the danger. Has your father mentioned anything about expediting the environmental governance laws?”

The Tri-King Summit had only established the standards; for each nation to enact laws, the proposals still had to pass through their own domestic legislative processes.

“Not yet. The country is in complete chaos. If it weren’t for the Orthodox Churches maintaining order, the cultists preaching about the apocalypse would likely have started to disrupt civil order by now.”

Dolores said with a hint of worry, and Julia added:

“But I heard that the conference documents are being reviewed again to draft practical and feasible regulations. It should be implemented soon.”

“The same goes for the Fidektri Kingdom. Her Majesty has entrusted all matters on this front to us.”

J-Miss, seated at the table, commented. Jessica nodded in agreement.

“It’s all thanks to Miss Windsor for persuading Her Majesty.”

The other woman gave a demure nod. Among the three Jessicas, only she had formulated and successfully implemented a similar plan. After all, having fused with the Mechanical Heart and gained a degree of control over the Difference Engine, she had attempted to avert the apocalypse in her own way.

Seeing the three Jessicas reminded Jenkins that he had yet to discuss the matter of the throne. So, after the family had finished their lunch, he spoke with the three of them in private.