leonardwarren Chapter 144 Metal Base
Chapter 144 Metal Base
Chapter 144 Metal Base
The group set off again, this time heading directly towards the Scorched Rift Valley.
The further we went, the stronger the scorching heat and sense of chaos became, and the darker the sky turned red.
After walking for about half an hour, the outline of a huge building appeared on the horizon ahead.
It was a fortress built against the mountainside, standing on the edge of a scorching rift valley.
The dark red rock walls are tall and thick, covered with rough flame runes, and in many places you can see traces of new construction or repairs.
Above the fortress, a faint halo of energy shield swirled.
Soldiers patrolled the city walls, and inside the fortress, tall chimneys billowed thick smoke.
This is the Forge Wall, a newly built Imperial Fortress located near the ruins of the former Obsidian City.
Approaching the fortress, one can better feel its solemnity and majesty.
The city gates were tightly closed, with only a heavy metal gate slowly rising from the side.
Inside the fortress, the light dimmed slightly, but the temperature rose even higher.
The streets were wide, but there weren't many pedestrians; most of them were fully armed soldiers hurrying along.
The architecture is rugged and practical, with furnaces and blacksmith shops everywhere, and the clanging of hammers and the roar of furnaces can be heard all the time.
The air was thick with the scents of metal, flames, sweat, and a faint tension.
Imperial officers led them through several streets to a relatively isolated three-story stone building guarded by soldiers in the center of the fortress.
"This is the foreign object identification center. Your work will be conducted here."
The officer stopped and spoke to Duden.
"Daily working hours are from sunrise to sunset, and you must return to your designated accommodation stone house at night and are not allowed to wander around at will."
"If you need any tools or materials, you can apply to the manager here, and we will provide them after review."
"During the assessment, we will send personnel to supervise the process."
"The final assessment result needs to be jointly signed and confirmed by representatives from both of us. Understand?"
"Understood," Duden replied calmly.
"Go inside, Manager Barum on the first floor will receive you."
After the officer finished speaking, he left two soldiers to guard the entrance of the stone building, while he and the rest of the men left.
Pushing open the heavy stone door, one enters a large hall filled with stone platforms and shelves, upon which many things are haphazardly piled:
Damaged weapons and armor, strangely shaped ores, animal bones or shells, and some everyday items that clearly bear the style of a scorching hell.
A short, stout old man with an earthy yellow soul flame and wearing a greasy leather apron was holding a magnifying glass and examining a twisted piece of metal closely.
Hearing the noise, he looked up, and the orange soul flame flickered.
"An appraiser from another realm?"
Barum's supervisor had a hoarse voice with a heavy local accent, but he could still understand Common Tongue.
"Come with me, the items are in the warehouse on the second floor."
He put down the magnifying glass and led the three of them up the rough stone stairs.
The second floor was much tidier than the first floor, and had several separate rooms. Barum opened the door to one of the rooms.
In the center of the room was a huge stone platform, on which were placed about twenty items.
Most of them were covered in dust, and some still had traces of mud or cooled lava, indicating that they had just been cleaned up recently.
These items come in various shapes and sizes:
There was a broken metal plate engraved with runes similar in style to the fragment in Rolin's hand.
There are several smooth components made of non-metallic and non-stone materials whose purpose is not immediately apparent.
There were several crystals with dull colors but unusually complex internal structures.
There was even a palm-sized, polyhedral black stone with regularly spaced pits on its surface.
The most eye-catching feature is a corner of the stone platform, where an object about half a person's height is carefully secured with a metal bracket.
It resembles a fallen metal gun mount without a barrel, or the base of a complex instrument. It is made entirely of dark silver metal, and its surface is covered with fine engravings consistent with the style of those rune plates. There are also inlay slots in many places, but the inlays have long been lost.
Although severely damaged and covered with scratches and rust, one can still appreciate the exquisite craftsmanship and complex structure of the piece.
Duden’s breathing quickened noticeably. He strode to the stone platform, his eyes fixed on the items, especially the metal base, as if he were looking at a priceless treasure.
Gorson silently walked to a corner of the room, crossed his arms, and scanned the room with his eyes, remaining vigilant.
Luo Lin did not step forward immediately, but stood at the door, the Insight Ring on his left index finger slightly warm, and the Echo Unit was fully activated.
An invisible ripple of perception spread out, slowly enveloping the entire room and the objects on the stone platform.
In an instant, a massive amount of information flooded into my consciousness.
The lines on those rune plates, analyzed in tandem with the Echo Unit and the Ring of Insight, are even more vivid than those on the imprint.
He could see the traces of energy flowing through these lines and sense the precise control intent contained within them, far exceeding the current level of technology of the natives or even the Ash Ring.
Those dim crystals were not lifeless inside; rather, they contained an extremely weak but exceptionally stable energy framework, as if they were dormant, waiting to be reactivated.
And that dark silver metal base—when Rolin's senses touched it, a much stronger sense of resonance came from the depths of the echo unit!
Among the seemingly chaotic scratches on the surface of the base, there were extremely subtle details that clearly resonated with the lingering energy of the observer that he sensed from the metal fragments and the gray stone slab!
More importantly, deep within several key nodes inside the base, he actually sensed the almost completely dissipated but incredibly pure remnants of star power.
No, not exactly the same. It's more like a highly purified and ordered form of cosmic energy, originating from the same source as stellar energy, but applied in a completely different way.
Looking at Duden and Rowling's reactions, Manager Barum curled his lip and said, "These are the things we dug out of that burrow in the mountains that was contaminated by gray rats."
"It looks strange, but it's useless. It can't be burned or forged, and it's extremely heavy."
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"The important figure from the royal court said it might be an antique and told us to seal it away."
"If you outsiders are interested, then take a look. But don't break it, or you'll be in trouble."
Researcher Duden had already put on white gloves, picked up a smaller rune plate, and carefully examined it with his magnifying glass and miniature energy detector, muttering to himself: "Energy conduction path — node connection method — this coupling structure — never seen before —"
Rowling then walked to the metal base.
Instead of touching it directly with his hands, he placed his left hand, which was wearing the Insight Ring, about an inch above the base. He concentrated his mental energy and guided the echo unit to try to "read" the remaining, almost dissipated energy imprints inside the base.
Time passed second by second.
Researcher Duden was immersed in the world of the runeboard, occasionally letting out a whisper of amazement or doubt.
Gorson stood guard at the door like a stone statue.
Barum, the steward, grew impatient and paced around the room.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Luo Lin's forehead.
This extremely precise energy tracing and interpretation is incredibly energy-intensive, but the rewards are astonishing.
Through the remaining energy imprints and the structure of the base, he gradually pieced together a vague picture in his mind:
This appears to be part of a larger device, possibly used to converge, regulate, and emit some kind of highly ordered energy beam, its target—which seems to be for precise observation or scanning, aimed at the very depths of the earth or—the sky?
Just then, footsteps and voices came from outside the door.
Then, the door was pushed open, and several people walked in.