Chapter 496 Gear Tomb Xaltras Gear Shrine
The song of the Iron Symphony still reverberates in the walls of Narthrador, even though it can no longer be heard. The ancient machine city now lives in silence, like a body that has just awakened from a coma. Gears that were once still now turn slowly. A thin mist of old lubricant and static energy fills the air, hinting that something in the heart of the city has... succumbed, if only for a moment.
The atmosphere of the city is filled with a sharp metallic aroma, as if every fold of time holds a longing for the days when gears and magic danced in harmony. The dim light from flickering lamps seems to signal the presence of something greater, something lurking in the shadows. The flow of energy in the air makes the hair on the back of Fitran's neck stand up, indicating that they are not just in a location, but also on the brink of some latent wonder.
However, Fitran and Beelzebub do not head towards that heart.
They move downward, much deeper—into a place that even Deus would not want to touch again.
Beneath the surface, the universe of Narthrador transitions. Shadows take on vague forms, moving between the corridors, echoing the heavy footsteps of their march. There, among the ruins of gears and remnants of life, the magical power of the Origin Code dances, reflecting strange light onto the stone walls. In the silence, its magical resonance creates ghostly sounds, whispers from souls trapped in eternal mechanisms.
This place is referred to in the murky tomes as:
"The Tomb of Gears."
In that corridor, shadows of gears that seem to vibrate instill a sense of fear and awe. Stepping deeper brings them into a magical atmosphere that makes the heart race; as if every beat is connected to the heartbeat of the city itself. The sound of whispering winds carries notes from the past and blurred nostalgic melodies, making their steps feel more like an exploration into the soul of Narthrador.
The place where the first automaton was buried.
The place that birthed the first rejection.
The place where Xaltras reincarnated into a systemic trauma that cannot be killed or forgotten.