Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

Soon, the elevator arrived at the "-1" floor.

"Please watch your step." The automaton answered after the elevator door opened.

"Oh, thank you." Shangluo thanked subconsciously.

The automaton's eyes seemed to tremble. She opened her mouth, but there was only the squeaking sound of parts in her mouth, because she couldn't make any pre-prepared sounds.

"Interesting." Little Pompeo asked, "Are you Cathayans accustomed to saying thank you to household appliances?"

"I have a habit of saying thank you to everyone who has helped me - but then again, I do say thank you to the printer a lot."

Chapter 727 Firing Pin

Little Pompeo's face showed obvious doubts, but he was relieved immediately: "Chendan's technology is really wonderful."

"I think people who plant bombs under their feet are more amazing."

"Hahaha~" Little Pompeo smiled, "Actually, we thought the same thing. Fortunately, the bomb has been defused now - please take a look."

The elevator door opened wide, and he stepped aside, allowing Shangluo to see the scene outside the door——

The marble floor, the temple-like tall columns, the rolling train timetable, everything on this first floor is the same as the first floor. In fact, even the sounds here were exactly the same - the noisy voices were no different from what he heard before.

"Captain Marcus, do you feel a little chilly in the back?"

"It's because you didn't adjust the lights properly."

"No, I feel like I'm being watched."

A familiar voice appeared in front of them—the voices of Marcus and his crew members who were still on the first floor. Even, their golden forms still remain in the sky, but they no longer have coats.

"Interesting." Little Pompeo tilted his head, "It turns out that the structure of those people is like this."

"Where is this place? It doesn't look like a simple copy of the building structure, right?"

"Of course, of course." Little Pompeo replied, "I thought you would find out after you came out. Because if you look carefully, you can not only hear the sound on the first floor, but also see the whole floor through the smooth marble floor. The figure reflected by the building - the invisible shadow of your guard, seems to be reflected as well. So, you may have guessed: "

He paused for a moment: "What is reflected here are all invisible things. Sound, light, etc. Only the form cannot be reflected - if your guards are not wearing combat uniforms to restrain and protect them, I am afraid they can come down directly through the mirror."

"They can't do it." Phaethon replied, "They are still humans after all. The act of crossing the mirror will cause serious confusion to them. So you can rest assured that there is no need to leave them above. "

"No, no, no, I really felt that it was safe enough down there, so I didn't let them come down. Then, my king, the bomb you want to check is there - it was originally there."

He raised his hand and pointed to the top of the ceiling. There was nothing there.

This is the biggest difference between the entire lobby and the first floor: there is a huge crystal chandelier in the lobby on the first floor, but there is not one here.

"The bomb was originally suspended here as a crystal chandelier. Lord Phaethon can also prove it."

"Yes." Phaethon also looked up. "I was indeed here to supervise the installation work. The large box was brought in by the freight elevator, and then it was disassembled, installed, and hung from the ceiling. The chandelier is no longer there now."

"I have a question," Shangluo asked. "How do you define invisible things? For example, the main structure of this building, these pillars. Why can these pillars appear here?"

Pompey the Younger replied: "Because there is always something that can penetrate between the tangible and the intangible. Because intangible things must be supported by tangible things. Marble is a material that can withstand the wear and tear of time. A marble that appears in the world, It will also appear in the invisible world. Such a subway station also exists in the invisible world."

"So... what about the chandelier? I remember there is a chandelier above. If the bomb is gone, there will be no chandelier here. Does this mean you can selectively prevent it from appearing here?"

"Of course. It's the exquisite design of this [Aotearoa]." He opened his hands up and down and gestured:

"The way to detonate is to blow up two crystal chandeliers on the 1st and -1 floors at the same time. The upper one is just an ordinary chandelier, the firing pin of the entire mechanism, and the lower one is the bomb. The virtual and the real collide in a mirror image. , after annihilation, [Aotearoa] will be activated. This [Aotearoa] is used to detonate the entire New Antioch Ground Zero. As long as the bomb here is detonated, a series of interlocking devices will be activated along the The subway network spread, shrouding the entire New Antioch in the 'Long White Cloud Country', completely isolated from the outside world - this was how it was designed at the time."

He pointed upward again:

"The most important thing is the real 'crystal chandelier' below. If you check the one above, you will find that it is really just an ordinary crystal chandelier, just a part of the ceremony."

"So, [Aotearoa] is all installed in the invisible world?"

"Yes." Little Pompeo replied, "The so-called essence of [Aotearoa] follows Newton's fourth law - after it is detonated in the invisible world through rituals, it will have a corresponding impact on the tangible world. In order to amplify this impact, we need to create a weak point between the earthly and invisible worlds: the mirror. The mirror, the false perfection, will break with the slightest force, and then break the fragile boundary between the earthly and invisible worlds.”

As he said that, he smiled: "Of course, I personally do not support this. I did not think that such weapons should be deployed in New Antioch from the beginning. After all, this is using terrible means to destroy the border, which will make Everything in it fell irresistibly. No matter how you think about it, it's still pretty scary."

"Yeah" Shangluo nodded. To a certain extent, this is indeed a kind of "annihilation." Shangluo has seen the power of the invisible world, he has seen it in Nemi Lake. The device in front of me is to first create a mirror and then break it by taking advantage of the "mirror is fragile" characteristic. This is simply

[It’s just like a super huge villain, isn’t it? 】

"How do you know I'm thinking about this?"

[The sympathetic law of the three arcane laws, the basis of magic. Expand it, extend it, and you have this doomsday weapon in front of you. In fact, you are already inside the bomb. The entire subway station including the buildings on the ground are all part of the bomb, which is considered the outer shell. The chandelier on the first floor is a striker. And this Aotearoa, which is no longer in place now, is the explosive of this bomb. Well, it looks like it has been demolished. 】

"Are you sure?"

【If it's not here, it's really not here. Because the invisible world is a world of symbols, its absence means its absence. 】

"Come on." Shangluo looked outside the door - this is the first floor. Although it is the "-1" floor, the door is indeed open.

"What will happen if you walk out from here?"

【Outside? Outside is the 'Metropolis', a special place in the invisible spiritual world, which is why the new Antioch was sited here. However, I don’t recommend you to watch it, but if you ask to see it, he probably won’t refuse. If you really want to look, it's important for your safety to go upstairs and ask for a light. 】

Chapter 728 Firecrackers

"So, we are now in a 'well'-like space?"

"Your metaphor is very subtle." Little Pompeo explained, "This is actually the well we penetrate into the invisible world. After all, the power of [Aotearoa] does not all come from the materials we put in, but through precise The ritual resonates with the spiritual world, triggering a bottom-up psychic explosion that encapsulates the entire area and pulls it into the invisible spiritual world."

"So you are throwing firecrackers into the manhole? What explodes is not only the firecrackers, but also the methane gas inside. This can indeed cause a child with no strength to burst out with destructive power that will destroy the world. As long as you stand on the giant's side, Just put it on your shoulder.”

"This is also the teaching of Newton's sage."

"So." Shangluo raised his head, "Where is this 'giant'? Metropolis, what is it?"

"Metropolis?" This word made little Pompey stunned for a moment. "Your knowledge of magic is beyond my imagination, and you actually know this name."

"I happen to know." It is true that he is learning now and selling it now, he just heard what Apollonia said. Before Apollonia said it, he didn't know how important this name was. However, from Pompeo's performance since childhood, this name is indeed unusual.

"This is not a coincidence. For example, this bomb, if you say it is a 'Crystal Chandelier' or a 'Night God Bomb', it can be heard from hearsay. As a symbol, it can have many such names. But 'Aotearoa' is the name that is closest to its essence, and it is almost impossible to 'hearsay'. Because this name is only spread among those who truly know it."

Shangluo can understand this. For example, the "modem" connected to the home optical cable is generally called a "cat". Although the real name is "modem," you don't often hear this word even when users accept the installation. Because "modem" in a normal context sounds like gibberish that "can be understood individually, but completely incomprehensible when connected together". Even if it is said, most users will not understand it. In this case, just say "cat".

Aotearoa will also come into contact with many people during the installation process. In this process, various code names will be circulated that do not directly understand its essence. And those who know the name "Aotearoa" have probably read the instructions.

[In fact, many mysteries are like this. For example, very few people know about the archangel who was restrained by Stephen the Shepherd. But there are actually not many people involved. After all, someone has to maintain the seal of the archangel, and someone has to guard the shepherd Stephen. In fact, the front-line personnel involved in the affairs sometimes do not know what they are doing at all. They only know enough knowledge to complete their mission. Most of them are unable to connect the two things 'Archangel' and 'Stephen'. After all, they are in two places. 】

"So, what about Metropolis?"

[Metropolis doesn’t even have an instruction manual. So when you said this word, it probably scared him. 】

"Metropolis." Little Pompeo shook his head, "Logically speaking, even Victoria shouldn't tell you this. It's not that the King of Rome shouldn't know, it's just that the King of Rome doesn't need to know everything. I want to confirm , how much do you know.”

"." Shangluo thought for a while, "I only know the name."

"Then that's enough. You don't need to know more, and I don't recommend you to know things you don't need to know. After all, you are a Cathay native, and this is not your world."

"So, what if I want to know something?" Shangluo asked, "Within the scope of your knowledge, what do you think you can tell me?"

Although you can ask Apollonia directly, let the person in front of you talk about it to test his attitude.

"If you really want to know, then I'll tell you something you might already know but haven't realized yet."

He looked at Shangluo, then looked at the "alchemist" next to Shangluo.

"How much do you know about this Alchemist?"

[The alchemists come and the alchemists go, and they still use the quantifier "Tai" to describe me. If it weren't for my control, you would already have 10 black beans. 】

"Well, this person was sent to me by Victoria. It is said that the main function of the alchemist is to resist some kind of desert in the real world?"

"That's it. And, as far as I know, you also encountered elves on the broken branches when you went to Lake Nemi, right? Those great spring elves come from a certain royal court in the spiritual world."

"Is this the same thing as the metropolis? What is the relationship between the spiritual world and the so-called 'desert'?"

"Although the two are not the same concept, they are in the same location - not all areas in that desert have 'meaning'. The meaningful parts will be defined by various concepts. For example, the Changxia you encountered The Royal Court, and the 'Metropolis' in front of us, these are all spiritual worlds. Some spiritual worlds are connected to each other, but most areas are covered by the desert of nothingness. People who have lost their bodies will If you cannot be protected by the sun and moon, you will be forced to face the vast desert. But if you are lucky enough to be taken in by the spirit world, you can continue to preserve your consciousness."

"So this is it, too, the city and the wilderness?"

"You have a very thorough understanding. In fact, even the 'King's Court', which we regard as a wilderness, they have their own wilderness to deal with. There are also conflicts between the spiritual world and the spiritual world, and sometimes they even affect reality. "

"By the way." Shangluo asked, "Where are we?"

"Where are you? Don't you have the Great Wall over there? Whether it's the desert or the spiritual world, it's all a 'play' outside the Great Wall, and there's another version inside the Great Wall. So I don't recommend that you face what we have here. In the spiritual world of Preface, this has nothing to do with your mission this time, right? Are you here to rescue pandas?"

"That's true." Shangluo nodded, "I'm not in the habit of wandering around in minefields."

He looked up at the top of his head: "Now the bomb does seem to have been dismantled. If possible, would it be best to dismantle the firing pin on it as well?"

Shangluo refers to the physical chandelier on the first floor. That thing looks pretty big. Although the opposite [Crystal Chandelier] on the negative floor has been moved, the firing pin is still on it.

"If this is your wish, we will do it. However, it will take some time to dismantle it safely. Maybe during the period of your operation, the chandelier cannot be dismantled. But please don't worry, since you said it, we will It will definitely be demolished.”

Chapter 729 Karin

"Yes." Shangluo nodded, "Now that my safety has been ensured, it's time to deal with what we are here to do this time - where was the panda lost?"

"It's a bit far away from here at the zoo. But should you take a rest? After all, it's midnight, and it's difficult for us to get all the relevant people up to cooperate with you."

"That's okay." Shangluo glanced at the time, "I can sleep at any time, just in time to replenish my energy."

"Then please come with me. Someone has been sent to prepare your accommodation just now. You and your entourage will live on the same floor of the hotel. At eight o'clock tomorrow morning, I will accompany you to investigate the panda incident. Lord Phaethon Please also”

"No need to call me." Phaethon waved his hand, "I have other things to deal with tomorrow morning. We can just split up."

8 a.m. New Antioch time, Central Park, Pigeon Cafe.

Central Park is located in the center of New Antioch, an oasis carved out of the concrete jungle. The surrounding greenery is completely isolated from the hustle and bustle of the city. The pond not far away is fed by the living water of the Hudson River, and there are swan boats and waterbirds on the river. In the morning, there weren't many people here. Some people come for morning exercise, while others, like Phaethon, come to the cafe to have something to eat and meet the guests.

There were iron-framed tables and chairs in the outdoor cafe. Phaethon was drinking milk through a straw. Sitting across from her was Karin, whom she had heard about frequently recently but was meeting for the first time.

"You are indeed quite cute."

"Ah" Karin blushed a little.

【She looks cuter when she blushes. 】 Apollonia sitting next to her shook her head.

"Then, let me open the skylight and speak frankly." Phaethon said, "It's not that Shangluo doesn't want to see you today, it's that he doesn't have enough time. So as his assistant, I'm here to meet with you."

"Oh okay." Karin held the cup and lowered her head to take a sip of hot chocolate. The heat steamed up, forming a layer of mist on her glasses.

"Relax, let's just talk. Are you short-sighted?"

"No. This is a prop prepared for me by the library. You may have heard from Mr. Shangluo that I am the elf saved by him. Although with his help, I gained a sense of the world, but my The origin of elves still makes this perception occasionally biased. So this pair of glasses can correct my vision and allow me to see a more ordinary world."

"What if I take off my glasses?"

Karin shuddered: "It's a little scary. I can feel that there is some kind of huge, cold space underground. It's much better if I put on glasses."

"Then put it on." Phaethon nodded, "The soul is precious, you should pay more attention to its care."

"It's sister Phaethon."

"Don't call me sister." Phaethon covered his forehead, and she suddenly felt that she was a little nervous.

"Huh? Then me."

"Forget it, just scream. If I had a sister, I really hope she can hold hot chocolate and chat with me like you."

[Hey, don’t be fooled, this is an innocent trick of Latin people. 】

"Ah, that being said, she is indeed very cute."

【Is it as cute as Yanqiu? 】

"It's different. Yan Qiu knows how to restrain herself, and the guy in front of her is an elf, do you understand? She is also very cute from a 'physical' point of view." Karin in front of her revealed a kind of clarity and tranquility like spring water. , peaceful. Just like the nymphs in the forest, the larks in the park are jumping around not far from her, with no intention of leaving.

【not understand】

"Because you don't wear the same 'glasses' as hers. The things you see are somewhat different from what she sees."

She looked at Karin: "I heard Shangluo talking about you."

"Ah, what did he say about me? Can I ask?"

"He said you were cute."

"Ah~~" Karin buried her face into the mouth of the cup again, and her eyes that had not yet dissipated were covered with another layer of fog, and now her eyes were completely invisible.

"Then, let's get down to business." Phaethon took a sip of milk. "Do you need our help with anything? Or do you just want to meet Shangluo? I can ask him to take time out to meet you."

"Ah, it doesn't have to be so troublesome. In fact, there is something very important. The Great Library has a long-sealed archives here. We need to open it under the supervision of members of the 'Inner Circle'. When considering this operation , the King of Rome happens to be here, so I can ask him to open the door."