Chapter 37: Autonomous Mobile Fortress
The sun is the source of all energy in the world. All things originate from the blazing radiance of the sun, allowing them to flourish and grow, rather than sinking into barren, cold stillness.
The world before Joshua's eyes undoubtedly confirmed this—a dark canopy obscured the sky and the blazing sun, completely blocking its light. Thus, the land had transformed into a barren plain, where heaven and earth were filled only with a deathly silence.
However, even in this sunless world, there was still a distinction between day and night. When Joshua and the others first crossed over, the unknown light source, though dim, at least allowed them to see their surroundings. But now, all light had been extinguished. Apart from the faint glow emitted by the Gold-rank experts themselves, there was not a single ray of light in the world.
And it was in this indescribable darkness that a distant whistle, audible for hundreds of miles, suddenly rang out, accompanied by the rumbling roar of steel turning. Turning their heads, Joshua and the others were shocked to discover a massive shadow, like a mountain peak, moving toward them at a considerable speed.
"...Isn't that a mountain range?"
Moria immediately stood up, dusting off the dirt on his pants, and stared in surprise at the enormous moving shadow in the distance. "I originally thought that shadow was just a series of mountain peaks."
Claire also rose slowly, gazing in the same direction. "Mountains don't move," she said.
"Monsters as big as mountains do exist, though," Joshua remarked, watching the rhythm of the distant mountain's movement and listening to the changes in the whistle. He quickly estimated its speed and distance in his mind. "Old Mountain Farmers, Peak Mountain Dragons, Floating Mountain Dragons... these are all monsters comparable to mountain peaks. But this thing, by the sound of it, is clearly man-made."
In the distance, as the shadow gradually approached, the four people standing still could already see more detailed features. With each blast of the whistle, several dense white pillars of steam broke through the gray mist, shot into the sky, and then dissipated. These faintly glowing mists were strikingly conspicuous against the black sky.
"Rumble, rumble, rumble—"
Now, the sound revealed even more details. The noise of steel turning was unmistakably the sound of tracks grinding over rock and axles slowly rotating. Joshua exchanged a glance with Lin, then looked at Moria and Claire.
"This is getting stranger and stranger."
He seemed intrigued, a hint of a smile curling at the corner of his mouth. The bizarre scene and objects before him piqued his curiosity, and Joshua appeared eager to investigate.
Moria seemed to catch his intention and immediately warned, "Be careful. We still don't know what that thing is. Are you really planning to go over and check it out just like that?"
"It's better to be cautious," Claire echoed, furrowing her brow.
In such a lifeless world, suddenly discovering a massive moving object—a steel construct as large as a mountain—required careful observation before considering anything else.
Hearing their words, Joshua simply shook his head.
"Friends, do we have any other choice?"
His expression was calm, as if he were merely stating a fact. "I don't think any of you brought supplies—water, food, or anything else. While Gold-rank experts can maintain a certain level of combat effectiveness without eating or drinking, that's in the energy-rich Mycroft Continent. In this strange world, which constantly drains our power, without food and water, even resting is a futile drain on our energy..."
With that, Joshua shook his head and concluded, "Caution is indeed a virtue. In the past, I would have supported thinking things through before acting—but right now, we don't have that luxury."
Having said that, he looked up to confirm his direction and resolutely walked toward the massive shadow. Lin trotted along behind him, offering an apologetic smile as she passed Moria and Claire.
"...Let's go."
After a moment of silence, the old dwarf shook his head and laughed. "He's right. We don't have the luxury to dawdle right now."
Claire followed closely behind Moria, heading in the direction Joshua had gone. She looked at the twin serpent ring on her finger, lost in thought.
Soon, they caught up with Joshua atop a small hill.
Why did he stop?
The old dwarf wondered, standing to the warrior's left and looking straight ahead.
Then he, too, froze in shock.
There it was.
Before them all lay an enormous trapezoidal pyramid. Its massive body, comparable to a mountain range, sat atop a base and tracks covering dozens of square kilometers. The steel rollers were imbued with terrifying magical radiance, supporting this moving mountain as it traversed the land. Amid the rumbling noise and the whistle's blare, white pillars of steam shot out from both sides of the pyramid, turning into mist glowing with magical energy that drifted toward the high sky.
Claire also arrived, joining the observation. The green-haired elven beauty stood rooted to the spot as well.
Closer now.
They could see the various marks on this colossal pyramid. It was forged from countless silver-white steel plates. The left, right, and rear sides were smooth, while only the front, in the direction of travel, had an exceptionally wide, flat path leading to the top of the tower. Sensing that an ecosystem existed within the pyramid, Joshua thought, "Let's go in and take a look first."
(To be continued.)