The sensation of weightlessness lasted only a moment.
As their feet touched solid ground again, the distortion of light and shadow also came to an end.
A cold, deathly still scent, mixed with the heavy smell of iron rust and ten-thousand-year-old dust, rushed into their nostrils.
The four immediately entered a state of alert, warily scanning their surroundings.
They were in a subterranean temple of unimaginable grandeur.
The temple's vaulted ceiling was so high it was lost in a bottomless darkness.
Only the sparse, faint blue crystals embedded in the walls cast a dim light, barely outlining the space.
Before them was a long corridor of black stone, wide enough for ten heavy-duty trucks to drive side by side.
The corridor stretched straight into an unfathomable depth, the darkness itself radiating an ominous aura.
On both sides of the corridor stood towering statues, each over ten meters tall.
They were either half-kneeling or standing, guarding the passage in silent vigil, strictly spaced dozens of meters apart.
The statues' style was eerily uniform.
Half were Rock Giants with bulging muscles, radiating a sense of primitive, savage power.
The other half were Steel Golems of precise construction, their bodies covered in gears, pistons, and complex pipelines, exuding the cold cruelty of the post-industrial era.
This was the sealed land of the World Heart.
And it was also the destination of their journey.
"My god..."
Lin Xiyue clutched [Blackstone's Protection] tightly to her chest, the heavy pressure emanating from the statues making her arms feel numb.
"This place feels way more oppressive than White Tiger's obsessive-compulsive temple."
Just as she spoke, the four of them froze in unison.
"Wait,"
Su Wan adjusted non-existent glasses, her tone tinged with uncertainty.
"Xiyue, look closely at the shoulder armor of that Steel Golem. Under the thick layer of dust... isn't there the outline of some kind of pattern?"
"This style..."
Xia Lian also widened her eyes, lowering her voice to add.
"Gears, hammers, wrenches, and runes? It's half-hidden, but it's exactly the same as the Divine Emblem on that military robot we met before... the one called 055..."
The four of them exchanged glances.
A bold and absurd guess surfaced in everyone's minds.
Lin Xiyue's eyes lit up, and she suddenly clapped her hands. "I get it! This is our area of expertise!"
"Exactly."
Lin Qingyue's lips already curved up uncontrollably.
"I feel like... we might have obtained a VIP Pass."
As she spoke, she unhurriedly took an item out of her Storage Space.
It was the very same [Medal of the God of Machinery and Creation] that had proven so effective on robot 055.
Her three teammates immediately understood, and one after another, they pulled out their own medals.
Lin Qingyue held the small medal glowing with a soft golden light, her posture as relaxed as if she were about to swipe an access card for her apartment complex, and slowly walked toward the nearest Steel Golem and Rock Giant.
The moment she stepped within ten meters of the statues,
Vroom!
A low, powerful resonance echoed through the corridor, like a pulse from the depths of the earth.
The pair of statues closest to them, their once-dim eye sockets, suddenly erupted with two points of blindingly crimson light!
K-k-k... K-k-k-k...
The grinding of rusted metal and the wail of crumbling rock sounded simultaneously.
The two colossal figures, dust falling from their joints, slowly and with irresistible majesty, rose inch by inch from their pedestals where they had slept for ages.
Boom!
Their massive feet slammed onto the ground, triggering a minor earthquake.
Lin Xiyue stumbled, horrified to find that the Steel Golem, simply by standing up, had already surpassed fifty meters in height, its enormous shadow nearly swallowing the four of them whole.
Its cold mechanical eyes, or rather, optical sensors, locked onto them with precision.
The undisguised killing intent materialized into a physical pressure, making the surrounding air thick and heavy.
Zzz... Zzzzz...
After a burst of static, a cold, emotionless synthetic voice echoed through the corridor:
"System self-check in progress... Core Energy... 99.8%."
"External environment scan... Air dust levels exceed standards, consistent with ten thousand years of no ventilation."
"Warning: Unauthorized lifeforms detected intruding upon the Sealing Area."
"Security Protocol: 'Sweeper' activated."
"Target locked, threat level: High."
"Preparing to execute... Purge Program."
The moment the voice fell, the Steel Golem raised its massive fist, which was comparable to a siege ram.
On the surface of the fist, crimson energy patterns lit up one by one, and scorching heat waves began to distort the air.
The Stone Giant on the other side plunged its hands into the ground, and amidst a violent earthquake, it abruptly pulled out a massive battleaxe forged from black metal and rock.
Two destructive auras locked onto the four of them firmly.
"Damn it! Did it not work?!"
Lin Xiyue roared, slamming her Blackstone Shield heavily in front of her as the Power of Holy Light erupted, instantly deploying a golden protective force field.
"Prepare for battle!"
Su Wan's spell was nearing completion, and dozens of ice cones had already formed in the air, ready to be unleashed.
Xia Lian's figure had already merged into the shadows, the cold light flashing on her twin blades as she stood ready to launch a lethal surprise attack.
The great battle was on the verge of breaking out.
However, just before that massive steel fist was about to swing down.
A soft golden light rippled out from the [Medal of the God of Machinery and Creation] like water, gently brushing over the two bloodthirsty golems.
"Zzzzt—"
A sound like a system short-circuiting rang out.
The Steel Golem's raised iron fist, along with the crimson energy patterns lit up on it, instantly extinguished.
The Stone Giant's battleaxe, which it had pulled out, also fell to the ground with a "clatter," smashing out a huge crater.
The crimson light in their eye sockets, representing hostility, quickly faded, turning into a soft blue that represented "friendliness" and "obedience."
"Beep."
"Creator beacon detected."
"Warning lifted. Security Protocol: 'Sweeper' terminated."
The cold synthetic voice rang out again, but its content had undergone a drastic change.
"Priority Command Recognition... Privilege Authentication passed."
"Welcome, Favored One of the Creator. Serial Number A-01, Code Name 'Steel Bone,' pays you the highest respects."
The Steel Golem slightly bowed its massive metal head, its blue electronic eyes flashing with a gentle light.
Immediately after, another voice, even deeper and sounding like a giant rock scraping the ground, rang out, filled with the grumpiness of someone who had just woken up.
"Ugh... So noisy... Steel Bone, do you have to recite a report every time you boot up?"
The Rock Giant shook its head, causing more stone chips and dust to patter down.
"I'm Serial Number B-01, called 'Bedrock.' Finally, someone came. If you guys hadn't shown up, the moss on my body would have gained sentience."
Lin Xiyue: "..."
Su Wan: "..."
Xia Lian: "..."
As the final level guardians they had imagined, isn't this art style a bit off?