Chapter 83#

Gears of Fate 25#

“These stacks’ functions are respectively reversing key spells, extracting other steam engines’ energy, and balancing magical power.”

Lillia withdrew her gaze from Jililigulung, suppressing a smile as she added: “All must be completed through the third spell reader. Takes very little time, takes effect immediately.”

“We’ve also installed and tested the mechanical arm and torque,” Xue Xin pointed at the newly installed machinery. “We replaced the original arm with this. There’s a lever button here—pushing forward is normal rotation, pushing back is reverse, middle is stop.”

His tone carried a trace of unnatural drifting, obviously restraining laughter. Before finishing, Zheng Yuan laughed first.

Chen Tong’s display was most exaggerated. Not only was he roaring with laughter, he kept hammering Jililigulung’s shoulder. Jililigulung’s refined face showed infinite confusion until Anphiel drew several symbols on paper. His expression gradually shifted from confusion to blankness.

After laughing, Bai Song said: “I have one more question.”

Anphiel, supporting Yu Feichen’s injured arm to examine it, said: “Go ahead.”

“After successfully reversing and opening the gate, how do we reach the gate entrance?” Bai Song asked.

Good question. Yu Feichen had thought about this many times. No train to ride. The path from here to the gate was undoubtedly extremely long and dangerous. The machines chasing them were stuck, true, but could recover anytime.

However, the rabbit hole Anphiel discovered was suitable in both angle and size. The landing was also quite gentle.

Chen Tong became the first test subject.

The recycling station sprayed fire everywhere, damaging many floor devices. They easily pried up several thick-material gears from the floor, two people in diameter, using components to fashion fixed rods and handles—work they’d done assembling the roller coaster on day one, now executed with unusual familiarity. Chen Tong, still recovering from wild laughter, was hoisted up and fixed in the gear’s center.

“What, what is this? Are you burning bridges after crossing?” Facing the pitch-black tunnel entrance as he was pushed toward the rabbit hole, Chen Tong was extremely reluctant.

Lillia clapped her hands: “I’ve heard the fairy tale of Thumbelina. Today you’re Gear Girl, taking a gear tour.”

“Girl, you can’t say it like that—”

Chen Tong’s protest hadn’t finished when Yu Feichen said: “After reaching the first workshop, board the train when it comes. Get off at the gate entrance. Move quickly.”

Finished speaking, he kicked the gear’s edge.

“Ahhhhhhh————”

The smooth-surfaced gear, supported by tracks originally designed for the recycling station, slid downward at high speed. Chen Tong, with pig-slaughtering wails, disappeared into the tunnel’s depths.

Lillia looked back at the working spell reader: “Done reading!”

Anphiel said gently: “You go too.”

Lillia: “????”

Yet her resistance, like Chen Tong’s, was futile. Moreover, she was paired with Zheng Yuan. The two delicate girls in fluffy dresses were installed on the same gear and mercilessly pushed down.

Then Xue Xin and Jililigulung, finally beginning his delayed wild joy, were sent off. After they disappeared, Anphiel quietly looked at Bai Song and Lingwei.

Lingwei Daoist bowed to them: “Many thanks for everyone’s righteousness. This humble Daoist shall repay your kindness in days to come.”

Composed, he boarded the gear.

Only Bai Song remained bewildered: “Huh?”

Yu Feichen actually thought to explain slightly.

Sending people ahead wasn’t because they were no longer needed, but the system here seemed jammed. The recycling station had burned through half the floor. The steam engines lacked maintenance. Reversing gears wasn’t guaranteed successful. Anphiel didn’t want to risk everyone together—he wanted to transfer them all to the gate entrance first. At least, once the gate opened a crack, they could all leave. Since it could be avoided, this person didn’t want to see unforeseen casualties.

Perhaps future dungeons would offer teams that could unite like this, but rarely.

But ever since he’d returned with a severed arm from the mechanical dummy’s pursuit, Anphiel had silently followed behind without leaving. After Yu Feichen said he had words for Bai Song, Anphiel quietly stepped back several paces.

Yu Feichen approached, whispered something in Bai Song’s ear. Ignoring Bai Song’s astonished expression, he immediately pushed the man down.

Now only three remained: him, Anphiel, and Vincent.

Yu Feichen told Vincent: “You leave too.”

Vincent: “I’m staying.”

Yu Feichen: “Then take him with you.”

Hearing this, Anphiel suddenly widened his eyes.

Yet even with only one arm, Yu Feichen was stronger than Anphiel could resist. Before Anphiel could even voice objection, he was hoisted by the waist and pressed onto the gear.

Vincent furrowed his brows, stepped forward quickly: “What are you doing?”

Yu Feichen completely ignored him, leaning near Anphiel’s ear to speak flatly: “Remember to find me after resurrection day.”

—Then he pushed him down.

Anphiel turned back on the gear, but that faint luminescence quickly vanished into the tunnel’s darkness, leaving only a blurred shadow in Yu Feichen’s memory.

Lillia had called Chen Tong Gear Girl, somewhat far-fetched. At least Anphiel just now could barely deserve the name.

After Anphiel left, Vincent stopped insisting and voluntarily departed.

Yu Feichen alone returned to the steam engine. The main control was now precarious, mechanical crashes echoing everywhere, the air filled with burnt odor.

The remaining operations were simple: first use the stop spell Anphiel left to halt the central gear. Fit Xue Xin and Zheng Yuan’s mechanical arm to the correct position. Finally, pull the control lever backward, and all operations concluded.

After Anphiel decoded the steam engine’s internal spells, he’d used his own spells to halt all unrelated facility operations to conserve energy, concentrating the fortress’s entire power on this machine. Once reversal began, it would be roughly ten times faster than normal.

Yu Feichen stood before that giant steam engine, watching as, after reinitiation, it suddenly spewed dense, smoke-like white vapor, nearly filling the entire space.

Then came the machine’s grinding rotational sound. In that snow-white, illusory smoke, the brass gear gleamed with ancient luster. It first stood still, then slowly began rotating counterclockwise.

Accompanying this was the entire fortress’s operational noise. Monotone sounds merged into an omnipresent ocean. This mechanical world had seemed strange and uncomfortable upon arrival, but after mere days, he’d completely adapted to its sights and sounds. Staying in such a place, he felt surprisingly serene. Whether this was unique to him or others felt similarly, he couldn’t know.

The steam engine entered normal operation. Though the place grew increasingly precarious, gear speed gradually accelerated. All gears began rotating in directions opposite their original ones. After a certain moment, those frenzied recycling stations and mechanical dummies abruptly stilled.

—Success.

The entire fortress began reversing through time.

Train sounds drifted faintly. Through the floor’s cracked gaps, Yu Feichen traced the sound downward and indeed saw the familiar train moving from right to left.

In normal time sequence, it would travel from the first to fourth workshop. But now everything reversed. The train, moving backward, traveled far faster than before from the fourth to first workshop.

The teammates must already be in the first workshop. He’d instructed Chen Tong to board immediately when the train arrived. Though letting Anphiel and Vincent leave wasn’t sacrificing himself—regardless of accidents, these two probably wouldn’t die at the dungeon’s final moment.

Gears continued reversing. The train, after brief pause at the first workshop, began backing toward the fortress’s main gate.

The gate was open, everything as previously calculated. This dungeon had casualties, but the final outcome wasn’t too bad.

Bai Song watched sparse ore rolling in from outside: “Didn’t you say the entering ore would block the gate? We’d have to wait for the entire cycle to end?”

Vincent: “It wanders in eternal night. Within fixed timeframe, captured power is limited. It’s not normal operation now. Won’t receive much ore. We can leave now.”

“Then…” Lillia looked upward. “What about him?”

“He’ll find his own way out,” Vincent said. “You all go first.”

Zheng Yuan: “But after leaving here, where else can we go?”

When not addressing Yu Feichen, Vincent’s tone became much warmer: “We’ll discuss after leaving.”

Anphiel still hadn’t recovered from dizziness. Following Yu Feichen’s instructions, Bai Song stayed at his side without wavering.

Vincent confirmed Anphiel’s condition, looked at everyone: “Leave together. Otherwise we’d have to wait another cycle.”

Bai Song supported Anphiel, heart pounding, eyes never stopping as they scanned Vincent and everyone around. Frequently glancing at Anphiel’s state—Anphiel-xiongdi was completely unaware now, following wherever Bai Song pulled him.

Yet Lillia still hesitated: “We’re just leaving him behind to go first?”

Then the lowered-head Anphiel suddenly spoke softly: “Go ahead.”

He paused, then: “I’ll wait for him here.”

Bai Song sighed again—Anphiel-xiongdi was truly a good person, especially toward his Yu-ge. And Yu-ge’s instructions, by comparison, were so—

At this moment, Vincent turned toward Anphiel, speaking softly: “You…”

The moment Vincent opened his mouth, Bai Song’s last nerve snapped. He didn’t even hear what Vincent was saying, simply grabbed Anphiel’s arm and bolted madly toward the wide-open gate.

“I’m really being forced into this!”

“Sorry, Anphiel-xiongdi!”

The voice scattered in the steam fog.

—And gradually faded from Vincent’s ears.