Chapter 1582: Chapter 1582

The next morning arrived, and after we enjoyed a delicious breakfast, we decided to depart for Floor 47. Alma nearly forgot to retrieve Undine along the way. When she did, the spirit's entire metallic wand body had transformed slightly, gaining a blue and golden luster with brighter gems embedded in her long form.

Her Spiritual Aura had expanded, overflowing with Dream Essence. When Alma grasped her, she felt a surge of power. Her Dream Heart brimmed with newfound strength, surprising her. Her energy reserves skyrocketed, reaching nearly twelve times their original capacity. This was the limit of what Undine could absorb, but it made her exceptionally powerful.

My other spirits, including Root, couldn't absorb as much power. After two hours, they emerged and returned to me. Only Undine, with her strong affinity for water and spirit energy, utilized this energy most effectively. Oh, and Celes's spirits also absorbed a fair amount of the onsen's power.

"Wait, so last night you chatted with this world's god?! What did he even look like?" Lucifer asked.

As we made our way to the portal leading to Floor 47, I shared details of my activities from the previous night. They were quite surprised I had sneaked out to talk and share drinks with that god.

"Yes, his name is Shuten Douji. He was a decent god. He was once the Demon King of another world. This entire Realm is a fragment of a world he preserved. Originally, this place was a 'Gate,' meant to invade another world, but that never happened. It drifted through the void for centuries while Shuten remained mostly dormant, until the Tower manifested here. This is Floor 48, but it used to be Floor 1," I explained. "Apparently, every few years, the Tower either devours Floor 1 or moves it upward, replacing another world that was already destroyed and consumed."

"T-That sounds terrifying!" Nyx said. "Mom, we can't let that happen to Earth!"

"I know. That's why we must reach it as quickly as possible," I nodded. "And here we are."

"Oh wow, it's another portal!" Alma said. "This one looks a bit different."

"Auntie, what's Floor 47 like?" Celes asked. "You asked the god about it, right?"

"Yes, but revealing that would spoil the fun, wouldn't it?" I smiled. "Let's step inside. I only heard a brief description, so I'm eager to see what it's really like. I heard it's a fascinating world, one whose inhabitants rarely leave."

We stepped into the white portal and teleported to Floor 47.

A cascade of lights and colors swirled into a spiraling ocean of ethereal energy. When we opened our eyes, we found ourselves in a brand-new world.

This world was far larger than Onsenkai, and it was daytime here, unlike Onsenkai, which seemed perpetually locked in night or sunset.

The blue sky, white clouds, and bright yellow sun felt strikingly familiar, reminiscent of Yggdrasil and Azure Star. Follow current novels on n0velfire.net

In the distance, mountains and lush green forests stood alongside abandoned temples and towering metallic structures.

The mountains were enormous, larger than any we had seen in other worlds, and were covered with vast deposits of metallic ores protruding like pillars.

Although the landscape featured familiar soil and vegetation, vibrant clusters of colorful metals also sprouted across it.

The portal stood within an ancient Chinese temple, adorned with zodiac table decorations and surrounded by large statues of colorful gold shaped like animals from the Chinese zodiac.

As we stepped out of the mysterious temple, we caught sight of a massive, titanic mechanical rabbit leaping away just as we emerged. Its intricate form and shape left us astonished.

The giant mechanical rabbit, over ten meters tall, noticed our presence, halted, and glared at us with glowing red eyes made of LED lights.

"You come from Floor 48? You look like newbies."

It spoke with a loud, feminine, mechanical voice.

The gigantic creature transformed into a humanoid machine, reminiscent of something from Transformers. It gazed down at us, its body primarily white and pink, with wide hips and a slender, feminine figure.

"Welcome to Floor 47! There's never a day when we're not busy protecting our homes. If you're newbies, you'll need a guide. You're lucky to find me. I was just heading home from mining Zodiac Stones and Diamonium, which are incredibly rare. Look, I barely got a tiny piece."

This world was truly unique, hinting at the extraordinary wonders the Tower held.

"I-Is that a giant talking machine? Wow!" Alma exclaimed. "H-Hi… Sorry, I was nervous."

"A machine?" Lucifer asked. "Like golems?"

"Somewhat," I said. "Yes… but not exactly. The people here may appear mechanical to us, but they're living beings, made of metals and other inorganic materials."

"That's right! Actual machines, built by humans, can be found lower in the Tower! Haha!" the figure laughed. "I'm Quick Hare, a Zodiacron. That's the name of our kind and our world. Follow me, I'll take you to our city. It's not far. Traveling alone in the wastelands is dangerous for small folk. The Hive could find you, and that'd be the end."

"I'm confident we can survive," Lucifer said. "But I suppose it's fine if you guide us to your city. We'd like to move quickly, though. How do we reach the next floor?"

"You're moving from the upper floors to the lower ones, right? You still have to face the trial… Well, I'll explain on the way!" Quick Hare said. "Let's go! Climb aboard, it'll be faster. I think I can carry everyone."

The female Zodiacron transformed back into a giant hare, sprouting wheels on her long legs and reshaping her back to form comfortable seats for us.

"Thank you so much! You're very kind," I said with a smile. "Let's accept her generosity, alright? Making new friends is always fun."

"I'm shocked we haven't encountered anyone hostile yet. Perhaps I was wrong about the Tower, and there are many good people just trying to survive," Jonathan said with a smile. "It's a relief."

"I wouldn't lower my guard just because I'm kind. I could be an Evil Zodiacron serving the Hive, ready to kill you, heheh!" Quick Hare laughed.

Her words left us stunned, and we stared at her in silence.

"I-I'm joking! I'm joking! I'm not evil, okay?! Sorry… They always say I take my jokes too far…"

"Uh, alright… Everyone, it's fine. She's not lying."

I had already inspected her soul, confirming these machines possess souls, another reason they're living beings, not mere constructions.

In this world, Zodiacrons are born naturally in carved mountain spaces, often surrounded by glowing crystals.

Zodiacrons are among the Tower's most unique inhabitants.

"This is so cool!" Celes said.

"Yeaaaah!" Nyx giggled.

"It feels nice, the wind," Arachne said.

The children enjoyed the ride. Quick Hare moved swiftly, even with wheels. I suspect she chose wheels to avoid jostling us with her leaps.

"You like the ride, kids? I'm glad!" Quick Hare seemed genuinely kind, likely raised by a compassionate community.

"I'm surprised by this world's structure. Is there any place without those pillars?" Lucifer asked.

"The ocean has them deep below," the female machine lifeform explained. "But you can't usually see them! It's just natural here. Mother Zodiac produces endless metals for our creation, repair, and sustenance. No matter how much you mine, more always grows back."

"Sounds like a great place to gather resources!" I said.

"Yes, it is… but the Hive harasses you every time you try, unless you're a swift Zodiacron like me!" she said. "They found me once, but I leaped so far and fast they couldn't catch me. Unless I slowed down significantly, they'd never—"

Her words were cut off by a furious, hissing scream from a monstrous creature behind us, its footsteps shaking the ground.

We looked back and saw an insectoid, almost alien-like monster with four long legs, a large oval body, sharp claws, multiple red eyes across its face, and drooling jaws secreting acid that melted the metals on the ground.

"Uh-oh, it found me…"

"What is that thing?!" Partner asked. "It's huge! Twice your size? Though, compared to what we've fought, it's not that big."

"That, little ones, is a Hive Drone! Hahaha… You're supposed to take it down when you see one," Quick Hare said. "But… um, well, I couldn't be bothered."

"Hive Drone?" Emeraldine asked. "Quick Hare, what is this 'Hive'? Are they bugs?"

"Yes, sort of… They come in various shapes and sizes!" Quick Hare said, accelerating. "Long ago, our world was peaceful, but then spaceships crashed, bringing the Hive Queen and her colony of metal-devouring aberrations. Since then, we've been fighting them, sometimes reclaiming territory, other times losing it. They crave Living Metallium, the steel we're made of."

"You've been fighting an alien invasion this whole time?!" Alma asked. "And you can't win, even with Players' help?"

"No… I mean, we nearly win sometimes, but… well… some of us betrayed our kind and became Evil Zodiacrons, serving the Hive Queen. That's made things more complicated," Quick Hare sighed. "We can't really burden Players with our problems. They're forced to help a bit, but they leave quickly, and we're too proud to beg for aid."

"I see, a truly fascinating world," I nodded. "See? It's amazing!"

"That's why you didn't tell us anything. It's a strange world," Arthur said. "We shouldn't let this thing , right? It could discover the city…"

"Ah, right…" Quick Hare stopped. "Then I guess I'll have to fight it!"

She was terrified, wasn't she?