Abnormal crossing

Chapter 265 Hayel: These are all my words!
pain.

This was the only feeling in Hayel's mind at that moment.

It was a pain that was difficult to describe in words or writing, a pain that transcended flesh and bone, penetrating to the very marrow, like a knife reaching the deepest part of the soul.

Hayel instinctively wanted to let out a roar to vent his emotions.

However, before he could utter a sound, the surrounding scenery began to flicker and distort violently, like a picture with a poor signal.

Followed by.

A stronger, irresistible suction force grabbed him, and a dizzying sensation, as if he were falling at high speed, suddenly filled Hayel's mind.

Hayel only had time to glance at the source of the light with all his might before the surrounding view began to spin rapidly.

Tracing back to the source, or rather, the power of the [Prayer] gear set began to fade.

next second.

The tactile sensation of reality surged back like a tide, and Hayel found himself once again standing before the enormous gear-shaped diagram deep within the Silent District.

at the same time.

[Prayer] The light of the four gears in the gear set suddenly went out, and the entity maintained by energy began to become blurry and transparent. Its outline was slightly distorted in the void, like a reflection thrown into a still lake being scattered by ripples.

finally.

Where the [Prayer] gear set was originally located, only an area of ​​absolute darkness, deeper than the surrounding environment, remains.

Hayel sighed slightly upon seeing this, then looked at the mechanical cat head not far away: "[Prayer] The gear set can only..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he discovered that the mechanical cat head had fallen to the ground, and half of its head was twitching repeatedly.

Hayel's phantom image flickered, and the next second, he appeared next to the mechanical cat head.

then
He then saw his old friend staring upwards with a look of utter despair, his single eye flashing a weak red light: "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"

What's even weirder is.

Because it was emitting a synthesized mechanical voice, the cat's head was clearly crying out in pain, but its tone and manner were unusually calm.
Hayel: "?"

No, what's going on?
I haven't even cried out in pain yet, and you're already yelling?

They stole my lyrics, okay?
Regardless, at least the cat's head was out of danger, and Hayel breathed a slight sigh of relief upon seeing this: "What happened to you?"

"God knows what happened."

The mechanical cat floated up from the ground again, its head tilted, looking like a frail old man: "When you were tracing the source, I reinforced the 'chain' for you in place according to the operating procedures. As a result, a strange pain suddenly rushed into the core of my logic. You may not believe it, but it didn't hurt this much when that big guy glared at me and split me in two."

Hayel: "."

Well, it seems this old friend has had the same experience as me.

Then the mechanical cat's head twitched twice, and its state returned to normal somewhat: "So instead of asking me this, you should ask yourself, Hayel. What exactly did you see during the tracing process? How could even someone like me, an outsider, be affected?"

“A small golden ball of light, about this size,” Hayel pondered for a moment, then used black energy to form a fist-sized sphere around him. “Of course, that’s just the size I perceive in my conscious state; it may not be the same in the macroscopic realm.”

"I was nearing my limit, so I grabbed it without thinking—and then the pain was so intense I felt like I was half dead." "A little ball of light?"

A thoughtful look flashed in the single eye of the mechanical cat's head: "It's the size of a fist, can generate pain, is related to the Echo Trigger and the Primal Scale, and can also affect me through the chain of the Initiation Rune."

Suddenly.

The mechanical cat suddenly raised its head, its synthesized voice unusually tinged with excitement: "Hayer, if I'm not mistaken, someone is trying to break the nine-fold creation cycle!"

Is this the creative cycle of breaking through nine?
Hayel paused for a moment, then the black barrier surrounding him began to fluctuate wildly: "Are you sure?"

“The probability is infinitely close to 100%,” the mechanical cat head announced a number, its red light flashing rapidly: “Only a creation cycle that breaks through nine can produce the initial trace that can make the echo trigger resonate under the current rules of this universe. Only in this case can it bypass the chain of the starting rune and affect me.”

"Furthermore, if it is the creation cycle of breaking through nine, then our pain can also be explained—the pain of the creation cycle is not the same concept as ordinary pain. It does not belong to the body's feedback protection mechanism. Even if it is only a conscious body, it can still feel intense pain. In fact, it is a kind of method to train the conscious body's tolerance in a certain sense."

Hayel listened quietly to the mechanical cat's analysis, then pondered for a moment: "It sounds reasonable, but there are still two questions that can't be explained—why did that pain intersect with you and me? And who can provide the conditions for the creation cycle?"

This time, the mechanical cat head didn't respond.

indeed
If Hayel's first experience of pain was due to the resonance between the initial mark and the echo trigger, then the pain Hayel and the mechanical cat head experienced this time was quite strange.

After all, this time they traced the origin through the [Prayer] Gear Set. Although the [Prayer] Gear Set is somewhat related to the Echo Trigger, the source of the power for tracing the origin has absolutely nothing to do with the First Mark or even the Primal Scale.

Take ten thousand steps back.

Even if there are some unknown entanglements involved, the pain could never be felt by the mechanical cat head—it is merely the provider of permissions.

But that's exactly what happened.
more importantly.

The creation cycle involving breaking through nine is no small matter.

The amount of preparation work was enormous, even more than a hundred times that of starting the [Prayer] gear set. Even if Hayel and the mechanical cat head worked together, they would still have to bleed profusely.

Of course.

Although some questions remain unanswered, both Hayel and the mechanical cat-headed creature can sense a certain tension in each other's reactions.
excitement!
A more suitable echo trigger carrier than Hayel, and two allies who have started or even more and have not given up.

Either of these pieces of news is undoubtedly a powerful shot in the arm.

"Hayel".

After a while.

The mechanical cat head finally spoke again: "Looks like it's time for you and me to make some moves."

“I agree,” Hayel said, as the black shadows around him slowly receded. “But you should stay here for now. Leave the things outside to me.”

"Over the years I've accumulated some wealth. I can't do big things, but I can still get some small jobs done—at least until I've gathered some intelligence."

The mechanical cat head quickly agreed: "Okay."

“Alright, I’ll keep you informed immediately if there’s any news,” Hayel’s illusory figure seemed to raise its head and glance upwards.
"The timeline remains chaotic, and it's about time I took my leave. May the flame endure, Linge."

The mechanical cat head remained silent for a moment:
"May the flame endure forever, Your Excellency."

(End of this chapter)