Later on, Yvette noticed several mechanical puppets coming to the sanctuary to pray, seeking to communicate some issues with the god.
Sunflower was currently busy transporting the energy boxes to the storage area. As she waited, one of the mechanical puppets sat patiently on a pew, holding a long, dark object in its hands.
Yvette, curious about the prayer process, wanted to observe without drawing the attention of the Mechanical God. As she approached and saw the item in the puppet’s hands, she couldn’t resist asking, “What questions do you have? Can you tell me?”
“Ah, you’re that traveling lady, right?” The mechanical puppet, noticing Yvette’s human-like appearance, exclaimed in surprise.
“Yes, haven’t you seen me before?”
“No, I was conducting archaeological research when you and the other lady arrived, so I missed you at that time.” The puppet bowed with a stiff motion. “I’m named ‘Film.’ It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“I’m Yvette Loxivia,” Yvette replied, returning the gesture.
This “Film” mechanical puppet appeared much like most others in the village, as if it had been excavated from the junk piles of the Blackwater District in Ish City, moving clumsily and showing clear signs of stitching. When trying to perform human-like motions, such as bowing, it looked somewhat strained.
“Regarding your previous question, I actually want to know what this stick-like object I found in the ruins is,” Film showed Yvette the item in its hands. Although it was blackened, Yvette could deduce its nature from its structure.
It appeared to be a toothbrush made from “fungal plastic,” an organic synthetic material developed from a Linthou creature.Film continued, “I believe I know what it is, but my neighbor, ‘Fuzzball,’ insists that it must be a ‘door key’ used to open locks. I said that’s impossible; humans have small keyholes that this wouldn’t fit into. Fuzzball insisted it could fit, nearly damaging the thing!”
“What do you think it is?” Yvette asked.
“I suspect it’s the legendary ‘ear pick!’ I’ve seen human images painted by artists, and I found that humans’ ear holes are just the right size for this to fit inside! And look at this small stick—it has fine bristles, right? It must be for cleaning ears!”
There was a hint of pride in Film’s tone as it asked, “How about that, Miss Yvette? Don’t you think my theory is better than Fuzzball’s?”
“That’s a great hypothesis; I believe the god might support your thinking,” Yvette couldn’t help but smile, her eyes softening.
“Right? Right?” Film beamed, and seemingly enchanted by Yvette’s beautiful smile, it paused for a moment before saying, “By the way, Miss Yvette, you’re truly as impressive as they say; how do you look so much like a human? If I may ask, do you have any cultivation experience you could share with me…?”
As they conversed, Sunflower had stepped closer.
Hearing their exchange, Sunflower interjected, “Now, now, Mr. Film, you must remember, true cultivation requires personal understanding. Relying on others for teachings will never lead to becoming a real human.”
“Ah, I forgot,” Film replied blankly.
“Alright, I’ve opened the ‘door,’ you can now pray to the god,” Sunflower announced.
Following her gaze, Yvette looked at the altar beneath the cubic statue. The altar was in an active state, with two metallic small doors opening to reveal the tip of a weathered machine inside.
Yvette watched attentively, soon grasping what it was.
Goodness, it was a signal base from centuries ago; the fact it still functioned implied it had been maintained.
Beside the altar were multifunctional wires, and as Film physically connected one of the data lines to itself, it immediately bowed its head, clasped its hands together, and entered a still prayer state as though it were a statue.
Five minutes later, this process concluded. Yvette hesitated for a moment, abandoning her idea of using her hacking abilities. While she could trace the network to locate the Mechanical God, this would expose her identity. Until she had a substantial understanding of the mechanical race, she wouldn’t take any rash moves that could startle the situation.
After Film unplugged the data line, Yvette asked, “What did the god say in response?”
“The god said I need to explore this myself…” Film’s voice was still full of confusion as it pondered for a moment and turned to Yvette and Sunflower. “Miss Yvette, Miss Sunflower, you both seem to have a higher understanding than I do; why doesn’t the god directly answer me?”
“The god’s silence must hold deeper meaning; perhaps the deity prefers you focus on the process of seeking answers rather than just the results, which are more precious,” Sunflower explained thoughtfully.
“I see! Truly admirable of the god!” Film immediately accepted this explanation.
I think the Mechanical God simply can’t be bothered to respond to such trivial inquiries… Yvette didn’t share the same sentiment.
Her mind flashed back to her past life as a delivery boy named Li You, and she imagined the Mechanical God as a weary customer service AI, dealing with a barrage of mundane issues daily.
It seems being a god is not as easy as it sounds…
…
In the evening, the puppet town lit up, exuding a lively ambiance.
As Yvette prepared to explore other areas, she suddenly spotted the ice-blue-haired, exquisitely cute mechanical girl, Ice Rain, darting out from a nearby alley, panting, “Oh, kind lady! I’ve searched for you everywhere!”
Observing her breathless demeanor, Yvette suspected this might be a part of human training, and asked, “What is it?”
“The Elder has invited us to his home for dinner,” Ice Rain explained.
After a while, they arrived at the container apartment, where the Elder had already set up the table. To her surprise, there were several plates filled with berries; some of them were clearly spoiled, but others appeared freshly picked that day.
Of course, the primary sustenance for mechanical puppets wasn’t this. Scanning the table, Yvette quickly spotted the energy box hidden beneath the small table, grasping the Elder’s intentions.
Charging the table using magic wires while pretending to eat like humans—a dual approach to substance and spirit.
Once seated, Yvette suddenly said during the “meal,” “Elder, can I ask you a question?”
“Miss Yvette, please feel free. I will answer all your questions to the best of my ability,” the Elder replied promptly.
“In the past couple of hundred years, have you seen a girl with blonde hair?” Yvette asked.
In their previous conversations, she learned that the Elder awoke about 170 years ago in some ruins.
Initially living in the Black Tide Kingdom on the Silver Mirror Continent, it had spent 120 years in a state of lethargy before suddenly opting to venture into the mysterious, perilous world filled with aberrant creatures, reminiscent of Ice Rain’s current stance.
After all, unlike the other three kingdoms—Sky, Ashen Scar, and Rift—only the Black Tide Kingdom originated from the Black Tide Continent. It was later that divine oracles led them to establish their mother kingdom on the Silver Mirror, which incited a more robust appetite among its citizens for travel.
The young Elder set off with simple weapons for self-defense, visiting the scattered kingdoms across the three continents and ventured forth for over twenty years, ultimately returning to the Black Tide Continent to establish the Agash branch of the Black Tide Kingdom.
Given such a lengthy life experience, Yvette thought that if Rosalyn had ever returned to the End of Days, perhaps the Elder would have heard something about her.
“A blonde girl?” The Elder appeared puzzled. “I have indeed seen some in my life, but which one are you inquiring about, Miss Yvette?”
Yvette contemplated for a moment before producing an image. This was a memory projection crafted using magic, almost indistinguishable from a photograph. It featured Rosalyn at the age of 22, dressed in a mage robe, now a stunning blonde beauty.
“Have you seen this girl?”
“Whew… what a strong human presence! Her cultivation must be very high, right? What’s her name?” the Elder marveled, while Ice Rain caught a glimpse and immediately displayed an expression of surprise, gasping in unison.
“Her name is Rosalyn Sien. She is my student,” Yvette replied.
“Ah, so she’s your student! No wonder her cultivation seems so high, resembling you closely,” the Elder mused, stroking its nonexistent beard, shaking its head. “I surely haven’t seen a mechanical race like hers before. If I had, I would remember her vividly.”
“Is that so…” Yvette sighed in disappointment.
But just then, Ice Rain suddenly raised her hand, cautiously saying, “Um… I think I might have seen her…”