Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

Behind the nails of hell were a strange group of demons.

Power axes, chainsaw swords, flamethrowers, and harpoon guns—these bloody weapons replaced the arms attached to the demon's arms. Catheters injected red liquid into those thick muscles, heavy armor welded to the muscles, spider-leg-like metal jointed feet, and thick cannons powered by blood extending from the back. Half of the face was covered in metal, with a nailed smile, and a huge roar came from the demon engine.

Lyle was a little bewildered as he looked at the group of monsters spraying flames and sulfur.

"Mechanical modification demon".

The group of people took a look.

"With skeletons above, are they going to a masquerade ball?"

Chapter 516 Limiting Force

The lich's attitude towards the mechanically modified demon was more one of novelty and amusement. Shining had already crouched down directly beneath the chainsaw sword, admiring the steel-like mechanical joints. The gleaming serrations created a gust of wind that caused the scales on the demon's head to flutter. If the modified demon wasn't careful, the chainsaw could pierce its skull.

Not only were they dazzling, but Lyle quickly regained his composure after a brief initial surprise at these modified demons. Although these demons had ferocious appearances and their roaring engines were indeed impressive, their magical aura was relatively weak, posing less of a threat to Lyle than a robust ordinary demon.

“They don’t seem very strong,” Lyle honestly stated his opinion, and Ferma, who was in charge of these projects, was not offended by his words.

"It is an indisputable fact that the bodies of demons far surpass those of steel. For Lord Lyle, they are certainly not strong enough. Their true forms are only of the lower to middle level of demons. The mechanical modification project is merely a weak-supporting project to raise the lower limit of demons. It cannot improve the combat power of higher-level demons, and its effect on strengthening the race is negligible."

"Then why are you pushing this project, which is not very useful? Aren't demons a race that only pursues power?"

"To solve the livelihood problems of us demons." Femma Black Abyss took out a parchment and led Lyle to her work position, the ground joint of a Hell Nail. Princess Black Abyss began to register the information of the demons, calmly answering Lyle's questions while multitasking.

"During my time in the City of Wanderings, I focused on studying the largest race in the world: humans. They are different from us. They extend a helping hand to the weak. The establishment of every human nation is never without a few wise and brave elite leaders, nor without the majority of weak and ordinary people. The weak build city walls and feed the horses of warriors. The strength of a nation is supported by the weak gathered under the leadership. It is a kind of strength that the hellish creatures of the survival of the fittest cannot understand."

Ferma's eyes seemed to be shining.

“Learning from the strength of humanity, I, Ferma Black Abyss, have decided to give my weak people a chance, a chance for their hearts to be reborn. Although, in my brother's eyes, this seems more like the whimsical idea of ​​a strange sister.” No one could have imagined that, years later, this Black Abyss princess, who had experienced the power of the people, would lead her army of the weak to launch a war of conquest that would shock Hell, becoming another new Black Abyss Demon Grand Duke.

The future powerful demon lady is now holding a horn pen, giving the newly modified demon a final check.

A new, towering mechanical demon bowed its head in greeting, and then its bent mechanical legs straightened up again.

"Hell above, Your Highness Ferma..." The demon, his face filled with reverence, raised his gaze and noticed the suit Ferma was wearing.

"Your Highness..."

"What's wrong? You seem hesitant to speak. This isn't how a demon should act." Ferma raised his head and looked up at the basketball-sized head embedded at the top of the metal lump.

"This outfit is so ugly; it makes Prince Ferma look so weak."

Crack! The goat horn pen was crushed. It was a black goat horn pen made specifically for the demon race, soaked in hellfire lava.

Ferma Black Abyss's pupils widened, like spotlights focused on the mechanical demon's face. A terrifying aura gathered around Ferma, and black demonic energy surged from the collar and sleeves of his suit. The metal block beneath his feet was cracking, and the Hell Nails seeped out black and red demonic energy to suppress Ferma's power.

"You blind worm~ You really dare to say that~" Ferma, on the verge of rage, was terrifying, as if he would twist the mechanical demon's head off at any moment.

"Your transformation results are a bit weak, but still acceptable. Go back to hell."

Ferma's rage was like a summer shower, lasting only a short while. Or rather, the powerful self-controlled demon ultimately yielded to reason, spinning a new horn pen to brand the parchment, and Ferma smiled as he controlled the Hell Nail to open the portal to Hell.

"Go home and start your new life, mechanical demon."

The mechanical demon, having narrowly escaped death, trudged through the portal to hell with its heavy mechanical legs.

"How gentle you are, Ferma. I thought you would retaliate because of the suit, but you chose to forgive."

To everyone's surprise, Ferma sneered as he looked at the next mechanical demon.

“Gentleness? Tolerance towards them is the greatest cruelty. That idiot’s mechanical modification is far below the average level of the demon race, which means that even if he returns to Hell, he will still be the one being bullied by others. Continuing to endure this powerless situation, this is my revenge.”

The work that Ferma was doing at this time, the main task of the inspectors, was to judge the results of the modifications to those mechanical demons and send the qualified mechanical demons back to hell.

"Too weak. Go back and inform Number 4266 to redesign your modification plan." Two demon guards walked up to the substandard mechanical demon and dismembered it amidst its terrified screams. The mechanical parts were discarded, and the barely alive remains were thrown back into the lava through the hell portal. The power of hell would help this unfortunate creature reshape its original body and then withstand the next mechanical modification.

“Insufficient stability; the mechanical parts have excessively affected your sanity.” Ferma reached out and crushed the metal monster’s head. A wisp of black and red soul was absorbed by the Hell Nail. The original body was ruined. This demon’s rebirth would take longer, but the mechanical modification that belonged to him was still engraved into his soul as a contract, a promise engraved in his soul.

A long line formed in front of Ferma Black Abyss, and things gradually got busy.

Lyle nodded to the working female demon, and the three from the figure club, their curiosity satisfied, left the demon's modification area.

“The Cult of Machine God doesn’t seem to be a big deal.” Shiny followed behind Lyle, his hands behind his head.

"They manufacture simple goods using novel technologies."

"And bio-modification, it's not very powerful either."

"While the metal feels quite nice to the touch, I must say that the Cult of Mechanics seems to be conducting some kind of experimental activity similar to Andrei's, like a weakened version of us, a weakened version of the Necromancer's Figurine Company. At least our summoned creatures can run away on their own, instead of having to wait for us to turn on a switch to show any 'intelligence'."

“Boss, I seriously doubt that the Cult of Mechanism, with its limited research capabilities, can provide the supposedly divine creator code that Mr. Delusional promised. After all, the level of technology they have demonstrated is so weak.”

Perhaps they were hiding something. Lyle was about to speak when a sudden voice interrupted them.

"That's because the world and the times are limiting us. Our technological capabilities are restricted, and we can't express more advanced scientific research results in a 'rational' way."

Chapter 517 SS

A tall figure stood at the street corner, his entire body covered in silver-white metal, making it impossible to determine his race. His outer armor resembled that of a human knight, with superior sealing. His joints were covered with a light blue, rubber-like material. His head resembled a race car driver's helmet, with half of his round head obscured by black goggles made of a material similar to one-way glass, making it impossible to see inside from the outside.

Lyle could only hear the electronic voice coming from the metal puppet as he walked toward the four people.

He looks like a member of the Mechanicus Cult, like Mr. Delusional, but his body is much more robust than those mechanical liches, and he maintains a relatively reasonable human form.

“Our technology is constrained by this era, otherwise, everything here would surely surprise you, Andrei people.”

"who are you?"

The tall robot reached out and patted its breastplate, stopping in front of Lyle, who was clearly on guard.

“Member of the Cult of Machines, SS-type No. 1. Since I am the only one of my kind, you may call me SS.”

The robot SS expressed its friendliness, and although its appearance differed from the mechanical lich, Lyle accepted the man's abrupt interruption. His voice carried a faint electrical hum, but Lyle judged that this humanoid creature was rather young. Like a young man, or an apprentice.

"SS?"

"Sun of the South. It is said that when my creator was making me, the Cult of Mechanics was conducting an explosive experiment in the south, and the light produced was like the rising of another sun. Welcome to my home, guests of Andrei. Do you intend to continue standing here, or do you want to find a suitable place to rest and have a good chat with me?"

Lyle shrugged. "Why not?"

The tall SS led the way, leading them through the commercial and industrial areas, until they arrived at the most brightly colored entertainment district. A restaurant with warm colors was to Lyle's left, but SS led the four into a grayish-blue building on the right that looked like a metal scrap heap. After opening the door, SS walked to the restaurant entrance and placed his order with the welcoming robot at the door.

"Five servings of Killer Crab Egg Yolk Fried Rice, with the delivery drinks changed to Centrifugal Moon Juice, delivered to my house. Tell number 527 that the bill amount will be deducted from my labor points."

SS walked through the doors of the gray-blue building, passed through three pneumatic cleaning chambers, and sat down in the only work chair. In front of him, four metal chairs and a square meeting table were slowly being printed up from the ground.

The interior of the house was not as shabby and dirty as its exterior, which surprised Andrei and his companions. Although they didn't care much about the environment, half of the Necromancer Figurine Company's laboratories were submerged in mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

“I did the exterior design, and the interior decoration and furniture were done by executors 2629 and 4957. I’m glad I didn’t insist on doing everything myself. This is my residence, and it’s the most comfortable place for me.”

The food was delivered quite quickly, and five steaming hot meals were placed on the table. Lyle and the other liches and robot SS glared at each other.

"Let's eat first, we can talk while we eat." SS waved his hand and picked up his own portion to eat.

"It's not as good as the food from the cooking club, but it's not too bad either," Manipulator commented after taking a bite.

Shining watched as SS stuffed the cooked food into a window that popped up on his head, and a straw was pulled out from under his head and inserted into a cup. "Aren't you robots just for charging? Since when can metal golems eat?"

SS retorted.

“You liches can grow flesh and eat, so why can’t we machines? My internal structure has a reactor that breaks down food, so I can eat and be powered on.”

He stirred the rice ball with a flexible metal fork, as if he were thinking about something.

"If we're naming things alphabetically, why are you called SS instead of SOS?"

Lyle spat out his rice grains, and he noticed that SS's body also trembled a few times due to his question about the change.

"SOS... is not a suitable name."

SS is a vibrant and energetic machine, and he quickly becomes close friends with Shining and the others through their witty banter.

"You filthy bastard, next time I'll shove my gun barrel into your dead mouth!"

"You idiot, let me recharge your device with my wand first!"

Shining was quickly defeated as two or three mechanical arms emerged from the wall and hoisted him up. However, Shining also used an angry headbutt to pursue him, and his skull bit into SS's arm and he couldn't shake it off.

It wasn't until Lyle reluctantly stopped both sides.

"SS, why aren't you and Mr. Delusional the same model? Why is there only one SS model, you?"

“Because I am the first prototype ever built in this world, a product of the compromise between the technology of the Mechanicus and this era.” SS propped himself up on the table. “The Mechanicus, including the Executor series of mechs that control the Mechanicus, all descended from another world. Just as demons come from hell, many races have migrated and evolved to this world, and my race is no exception. But there is a terrible reality: the rules of this world are incompatible with the technology of our machine race. We have knowledge, but we cannot transform that knowledge into our power in a short time.”

"why?"

“Because this world possesses magic, a power we have never heard of, or even dared to imagine.” SS slapped the wall, and symbols and patterns appeared on it. “According to the experimental calculations of our race’s mechanical god, this substance carrying magical power is the pillar that constructs the fundamental laws of this world. This strange substance even nearly turned all our technology into waste paper.”

"According to our investigation, the basic unit of magic is what we call Magic Element, a subspace complex particle. It can move freely between all matter in this world, and no higher-level element can achieve the complex structure and activity of Magic Element. We also gave it another name: Universal Element. Just like its name suggests, this magical substance can do anything, as long as you understand and learn its unique laws. Time travel, elemental control, mind shaping... and even the mastery of death."

"Magic essence is constantly disintegrating into various known elements. We cannot estimate its total amount, but just when we defined it as an irreversible rare substance, we discovered a magic essence manufacturing machine called a Magic Network Node. The principle of magic essence generation remains a mystery, but it is precisely this chaotic and powerful nature that makes our research and design by the Cult of Machines extremely difficult. Almost all experiments must take into account the existence of magic, and yet our understanding of it is not comprehensive. But its radioactivity is undeniably powerful."

"Wait, the radioactivity of magic? You mean radiation?" Lyle seemed to have heard something ominous.

"You actually know about radiation, that's impressive. Yes, as you said, the radioactivity of magic is extremely strong, surpassing any radioactive element we know of."

Lyle still couldn't connect magic with radiation.

"But isn't radiation something harmful to the human body that can cause physical distortion and mutation? If magic has radiation, how does it become part of the lives of us spellcasters?"

SS tilted her head.

"So how do you think magical creatures come into being? A beginner's gift from the gods?"

In places teeming with magic, magical creatures, more adept at using magic, evolved and were born from primitive races.

Chapter 518 Another Commission

"A body that manipulates magic, technology of the Mechanicus, that is me, SS." Electricity crackled between the mechanical boy's fingers, ion spheres spinning on his fingertips. "I am the future of the Mechanicus in this world, the connection between the Mechanicus and this world. Number 10001 said I had extraordinary potential, but that was after I mastered all the knowledge of the Mechanicus and completed the renewal of my body. I even doubted whether that guy was lying to me, because he's never been very serious."

Number 10001? If I remember correctly, SS should refer to Mr. Delusional, the special individual who became the High Priest of the Cult of Machine God and a member of the Literature Club.

"SS, the one you're talking about, is it Mr. Delusional, the one who brought us here?"

As if he had heard some stain on his life, SS covered his face with his hands, his voice sounding like he was suppressing some kind of emotion, "Judging from your expression, Lyle, I knew we were talking about the same person. The last Executor, the High Priest of the Cult of Machines, the guy who named himself Willem Wyjang. Actually, he was also my creator. Most of my initial memories were from learning with him, until my body was updated to its complete form. He was like a neural circuit malfunction; he suddenly dropped what he was doing, started shouting that he wanted to become a literary creator, and started running around everywhere."