56 The Lost Machina 1

It was a path shadowed by a mountain roof. He had to carefully cross the area while keeping a good out for the small monsters that crawl on the walls. It was a place called Sin-he's Ridge and it has a problem of monsters crawling out of the ridge to attack a barren-lander who was minding their business.

There was a crossing made of a rotten metal that somehow conjoined with the surrounding. It was unknown to him how the materials joined. It looked like the two materials melted into one single object. As Adey, the Porter walked the bridge he heard the sound of creaking and the voices of the warriors of the Hail Village.

In an open field far from where he was standing was a group of young men and women with palish skin and long ears. An instructor ordered the men and women of Hail Village to continue their practice as he stood with his hands behind his back.

The wind was getting cold. The bridge made of rotten metal was not to Adey's liking. So he moved out of the village and carefully pace around the corners of the village until the instructor who was teaching the young men and women noticed him.

The instructor moved his legs towards Adey and seized him. There was a look of blandness in his eyes before it suddenly transformed into that of a cheery one. "Adey!" said the man. "You're been not around for a while. What kept you from visiting eh?"

"Nothing much, Mikhail." Adey shook his hand. "Dedra has been making me go around fixing those Old One Machines that have been keeping the other's alive."

"Ah," Mikhail nodded. "You're really good at fixing those machines. They are a wonder to be able to purify the miasma that erodes the other's body. These mutations are the ones that keeping them in pain."

"Yes. Looks like we are lucky that the mutations have changed us into beings that could endure the miasma. If only they are lucky as us."

Mikhail turned towards his students. He folded his arms and said, "Even if they are not it is our duty to keep them safe from the external enemies. So what brought you here to Hail Village?"

Adey looked around. He gestured with his chin and told Mikhail to follow him. They marched towards this empty place. Adey took three paces back and drew a peculiar weapon that could be held by a hand.

"Is that?" asked Mikhail with brows furrowed.

"A piece of weapon from the old ones," said Adey. "It has a long metal tube and the peas inside can be propelled by an explosive force."

Adey pointed the piece at a direction. He pulled the trigger and a deafening sound roared in this empty place.

Mikhail stood, looked, at the place where the propelled material hit. His expression hardened as he gazes at Adey, "I could not even see it with my own eyes. If it was bigger I would have been killed in one hit."

"It is a dangerous weapon," said Adey. "I found it accidentally in one of the compartments of the vents of the old one's machine - along with ammo that could allow me to use this weapon.

"What?" Mikhail's face tightened. "Why would keep it all?"

"Because I doubt that Overlord and Overseer would care for it too much. Magic is still favored and we have our own abilities. I only have this bag of holding that allows me to keep as many items as I could. Having this weapon is honestly a good thing for me. But don't you see, Mikhail? Think of the possibility of producing these kinds of weapon. Think of a weapon that is a big as this! It would mean that we are able to crush the Inner-Landers!"

Mikhail 's face crumpled, "It's a wonderful dream and I can see the potential of it. But what can you do to produce these weapons?"

"I am planning to contact that Old Dwarf in Crystallite River. His hut should still be near the edge of the river."

"Do you really think that he'd help?" said Mikhail. "That dwarf would not look at anything that isn't a machine."

"That's why I have this with me." Adey patted the weapon. "It'll make that Old Dwarf at least look at this weapon and inspect it. The ideas should flow within him and he'll get right through forging as many items as he could."

"This is dangerous," said Mikhail. "What if our enemies are able to take a glimpse of this weapon?"

"This far?" Adey holstered the weapon. "I doubt that anyone could reach this far inside the barren land. They don't have any maps or any idea. Not to mention they'd have to face the population of the barren-land alone."

"I don't like it still," said Mikhail.

"You don't have to like it, Mikhail. I only want to borrow that mount of yours so it'll allow me to cross the area untroubled by the monsters."

Mikhail folded his arms still. His eyes stayed at Mikhail for a while before it moved to the place where his students are training.

"If they have these kinds of weapons maybe they won't die so early. You know what it is like out there, Adey. You are a wanderer yourself that bleakly walks the barren land. You've been inside the Inner Lands and you know your way around that place."

"I only know because of my brother's sacrifice. If I was to choose I would not pick the option of prowling inside the Inner Lands again. That damned Holy Woman hunts us down and now they tell that the War Maiden has awakened along with the Six Heroes."

Mikhail rubbed his forehead. "It looks like we are getting closer to a war. Not to mention that the volcano would soon erupt and I doubt we could see the skies for years."

"Yeah," Adey nodded. "Let us hope that it wouldn't and we are able to gaze upon mother moon. We are born in the darkness but it does not mean we favor it fanatically. We are fond of mother moon and I doubt anyone would say otherwise."

"That's right," Mikhail agreed. "Let me take you to my mount."

…

He mounted the beast lent by Mikhail. Through this valley where two-legged creatures that have looks of crocodiles, Adey trotted down with careful paranoia. The sun was bearing down upon him. There were many eyes of the creature's gazes upon Adey with a bit of craziness on them. Adey was able to go past this area and arrived in a crystal colored river that was more like a coiled lake. An old hut with a strange roofing stood out near the lake.

Adey moved the mount near the house. He dismounted and knocked on the door of this old hut. Knock, knock, there was no answer. It was only when a creature howled near the lake that the door swung open, revealing a short but muscular being with a mustache. The man sized him from head to toe. He grabbed hold of his mustache and said, "Adey, The Porter. How come a wanderer like you is here? Are you still planning to scam me of another machine? Teach you how to fix the ventilation so that you can have a place in the caverns like a gremlin?"

"Not at all," said Adey. "I am just trying to show you a wonderful item."

Adey took out the piece and showed it to the old dwarf. The old dwarf took the piece by the barrel examined it with his good eye.

"This piece is a weapon of the old ones!" he said exhilarated. "Can I wield this thing?"

"Go ahead." Adey took a step to the side and let the old dwarf the weapon. He pointed the piece forward and pulled the trigger with his trigger finger. The piece produced an explosive sound and a beast that was crawling got killed. The old dwarf smirked heartily.

"A nice weapon!" said him. "It shoots a small projectile but its power is enough to turn a head into smithereens! The caliber of this piece is quite magnificent! Produce a million of these and arm them to tough men and you have an unstoppable army that could crush the whole of the Inner-Landers. So tell me, Adey, The Porter, the silver-haired explorer, and wanderer. What do you want this weapon for and why did you bring it to me?"

"I want you to know how it works," said Adey. "This thing will soon run out of ammo and I don't want that. It would fare me better if I know how to fix and repair it."

He looked at Adey with suspicion, "Is that all truly? Adey, I have lived long enough to know how men like you think. You know that once I examine this you will have someone to rely on. I admit that I rely on you when I need some materials but this itself could turn the Overlord towards me. They have shadows and it would be best if they leave me alone. Why do you think I live near a crystallite river?"

"To observe the toads?" he responded dully.

The Old Dwarf palmed his forehead. "Bah, I want to learn it anyway. But do not expect me to reproduce it. I can probably produce the ammunition you need but other than that I will not produce any weapons other than for myself and for those who you can choose to have."

"Got it," said Adey.

"Get inside, Adey," said him. "I don't want you catching the attention of the goddamned toads."

Adey walked in and followed the Old Dwarf inside his humble hut. It was a hut that has a bed and a forge. But Adey knew that beneath the old hut lies a complex room that could reach up to five floors down. Who knows what the Old Dwarf makes down there but Adey knew that asking about it would do him no good. So he just sat in one of the stools.

"This here is an engineering marvel. These old ones are truly people who have reached the stage of modernism. Have you ever heard of the tale of how the lands became like this?"

Adey nodded, "Once upon a time there was a country of power and they have created a weapon strong enough to destroy the planet itself. A man once said that he has become death and the lives he could take with this weapon would mean the death of all. The world died when they release the weapons and a new age of ice happened. The burned world healed and yet the scars are here to stay. Then, the Light and Darkness argued to save the world from damnation. They could not let us all die and handed us gifts that would allow us to live. We are given equal power but through the intervention of the War God we are pitted and thus we are in these lands because of the results. They won and are able to reap the fertile lands for themselves, while we suffer the barren lands – developing odd mutations that turned some of us into monsters."

"You know it well," The Old Dwarf smiled. "Once upon a time they say that my people were able to reach the stars and started an odyssey to seek for other planets. Adey, do you think that an old man like me could grasp the stars?"

Adey felt stumped. There was sadness on the Old Dwarf's eyes that it was hard to speak of anything. Encourage him? Dissuade him from his dream?

"I know," said the Old Dwarf. "I, Faust, have always admired the stars. But I know it myself that reaching it would happen in my lifetime. Magic and Technology could do wonders and if I could only send myself out of this planet and die out there in the universe then I would die a happy man."

"Is that your wish?" said Adey. "Is that why you are trying that machine that could launch you up to the stars?"

"You know of it?" asked the Old Dwarf.

"I know and hear a lot, Faust." He placed his piece on the table near him. "You dream's one of the craziest that it is hard to miss it."

Faust didn't say anything. He took the piece and started disassembling the weapon with finesse. It was hard to dissuade a fanatical dream of an old man who might die sooner.