The two men, suddenly released, were slightly bewildered, unable to understand why they were so suddenly released.
Kavala scratched her arm, then her neck.
She took a look around and decided to stay put. Waku, standing beside her, was also aware of the situation.
Sofia, standing right beside them, seemed capable of easily crushing them.
The aura he exuded made the two men feel as if they were facing some terrifying creature.
How could a person achieve such a degree of power?
"Sure enough, they're allergic," Simon said, approaching the two men, observing their movements and skin.
"Allergic?" Alka looked over.
She saw red spots appearing on their grayish-white skin, especially on their arms and necks.
The red, raised spots on the skin resembled bites from a venomous mosquito.
Kavala was still scratching unconsciously.
As she scratched, she left more red marks.
"You mean they're allergic to magic?" Sofia asked, somewhat surprised.
She hadn't expected such a situation to occur. How could they survive outside?
How uncomfortable was the resonance of magic? Could it be that these two people before them had no magic at all?
Kavala and the others seemed to have noticed their own symptoms.
Seeing the red spots on their bodies: "High magic syndrome?"
"I didn't expect we'd get this disease?" Kavala's voice was surprisingly amused.
She seemed amused by her own allergy to magic.
"Yeah, I didn't expect it either," Waku nodded, looking at the red spots on his body with a sense of novelty.
"Take us to your gathering place," Alka said directly, looking at the two of them.
Hearing this, the two looked at him warily.
It was clear they didn't want this to happen.
"You're not doing well. Resources are incredibly scarce, and magic is scarce.
You must be in a state of unsustainable existence.
Perhaps within a few decades or even centuries, your race might be wiped out here, isn't it?" As Alka spoke, their brows furrowed deeper.
When had they been exposed? Then they thought of the abilities Alka and the others had displayed during their meeting.
Perhaps these people had been observing them for a long time. "Okay, don't ask how I know.
These are just my guesses, but they must be true, right?" As Alka entered this space, he gradually began to understand it through the treasures.
He began to master it, and as he gained understanding, he could sense that the space had become somewhat gray and dilapidated due to the long period of lack of magic.
A simple exploration with the treasure revealed that large tracts of land within this space had essentially become a wasteland, identical to the wasteland beneath their feet.
Only tiny pockets of life remained. Perhaps the two individuals before them, as well as the surviving Vastva, were relying on these tiny pockets to cling on.
I have to say, this was truly quite impressive.
"You've been trapped here for over 30,000 years. I wonder how you've managed to hold on," Alka thought, unable to resist.
Then, watching the two men still warily struggling, Alka bluntly said, "What are you so hesitant about? Even if you don't take me with you, this place is so small, it'll only take us a little longer. It's not a big deal, is it?"
"And you didn't even bother clearing yourselves along the way. You never considered that there might be other people here," Alka pointed behind them.
There lay a long trail of mechanical footprints. The ground was thick with dust, making their tracks incredibly conspicuous. Simply following the tracks would be like being led by them.
Then Alka added, "I'm not asking you to lead me into your rising ground secretly, but openly."
The two nodded, clearly convinced by Alka's words. This was the truth.
They could also sense the powerful magical energy emanating from Alka's people. Even the incomprehensible ability they had just used was of high magic.
They had only briefly touched them, and they had already experienced an allergic reaction due to the high concentration of magic.
To be able to wield magic so recklessly was like something out of a historical myth.
Perhaps it could even save them.
"In exchange, we must get our machines back," Kavala said, looking at Alka.
Alka turned to look at Simon.
Simon nodded: "No threat."
Hearing this, Alka nodded: "Alright, but I hope you won't do anything stupid."
With a slight wave of his hand, the two machines suddenly vanished from their original location. They then reappeared before the two men.
This sudden action made the two men's eyes widen.
"How...how did they do that?" Waku was completely shocked.
Beside him, Kavala's eyes widened, and they were stunned.
This also made the two men realize the power of Alka and his men. It was clearly not something that could be resisted with mere resistance.
They gradually came to believe that Alka and his men had good intentions.
They silently donned the mechanical armor in front of them.
As the machine began to turn, the two men began to move forward. "Then follow us. We're not far away."
The world followed suit, slowing down their pace as they followed the two machines.
"How did you do that?" Lucelia asked quietly, sitting on Alka's shoulder.
They had no idea Alka had the ability to suddenly move things.
"A new ability," Alka said roughly.
"You're moving so slowly," Simon grumbled helplessly beside him.
"That's already fast. Any faster and a lot of unnecessary magic power would be wasted," Kavala retorted.
Thinking of the situation, Simon said nothing more. It was all forced upon him by the circumstances.
Then he extended his mechanical arm and pointed the treasure's index finger at the machine.
The two machines seemed to undergo subtle changes, their internal energy suddenly filling.
The last two machines sped up, as if entering some kind of overload mode.
"What's going on?" Waku, piloting his own machine, was surprised. Then, a sudden thought struck him, and he turned.
Simon smiled and said, "No need to thank me. Let's go."
The two men, ready to ask, shut their mouths and, suddenly surging with power, began to race recklessly across the wasteland.
The entire road lay utterly desolate, devoid of a trace of life.
Arka quickly spotted what appeared to be the foundations of some buildings in the distance. But, let alone ruins, not even a single, intact stone could be seen.
If it weren't for the foundations still visible above the surface, who would have known there was such a vast complex of buildings here?
"There must have been a large complex of buildings here before, right? Why aren't there even ruins now?" Sofia asked, observing the scene nearby.
Upon hearing this, Waku turned and said, "Of course we're recycling the materials. How could we just dump them here? They're so valuable."
Everyone understood instantly.
Indeed, this place had become so desolate that every large, intact stone was a resource.
How could they just let the ruins go to waste?
It also indirectly revealed to everyone that life had clearly become extremely difficult for the surviving Vastva people.
Resources were extremely scarce.
Soon, they spotted a cluster of buildings in the distance.
This cluster of buildings lacked any structures like city walls, which made sense. After all, they had been the only people living here for tens of thousands of years. What was the point of them having towering walls?
However, they could still see some rudimentary defensive measures, suggesting that they weren't always safe from each other.
As they got closer, they could get a closer look at these buildings. The style of these buildings was strikingly similar to the ruins they had seen outside.
But they were clearly not as majestic and exquisite as those outside. After all, they were largely constructed from materials found in the ruins. The fact that they were built to this level was a testament to their remarkable accomplishment.
Dilapidation was inevitable.
Then the two stopped in front.
Kavala turned and said, "For safety's sake, you wait here for a moment. Vaku will stay with you. I'll go in and inform the elders."
At this, Alka nodded unconcerned.
"Of course, it's fine even if you two go together."
The two exchanged glances at each other, but Vaku remained, leaving Kavala to head toward the gathering area ahead.
"How are you currently controlling your magic?"
Alka asked, looking at Vaku who had remained behind.
Alka was curious. From what he could see, both Vaku and Kavala could be described as ordinary mortals. While they possessed magic, it was almost insignificant.
It was extremely rare, barely enough to maintain specialized bodily functions.
After all, they hadn't fully transformed back into humans, and still held traces of their former Vastva heritage.
They could naturally generate some magic, albeit minimally, but it should be enough to fuel some of their lingering talents.
Of course, this was just Alka's speculation.
Their magic was active, albeit extremely minimal. This also suggested that they didn't need the Toucher's Ritual, like ordinary humans, to utilize their magic.
However, to achieve growth, they still needed to undergo the Toucher's Ritual. This was essential and fundamental to the construction of the Spiral System's Creator Lock.
"Through construction, through various mechanical structures, magic power is collected and condensed into batteries, which then power these structures."
Waku said, patting the mech he was riding.
I see. It means using the remaining magic power as a high-energy battery to power ordinary mechanical structures.
"So, how much do you know about your own history? Do you understand your ancestors and the experiences of your ancestors?"
This was what Alka was most concerned about.
If Vastva City has always existed here, it means that many of its people still survive.
Then the most valuable treasures of Vastva City may have been left behind, and the most valuable would certainly be their research and the knowledge it has brought.
And the situation of the gods from the Golden Age.
From the ruins of the Broken Isles, we can glimpse the rich research atmosphere of Vastva City.
This is especially true in the area of space and the various research extensions enabled by space. These are often unattainable outside.
‐‐ While the data suggests this may be due to the Vastva people's innate talents and the conditions created by their living environment, the results of this research are still results.
‐‐This will be of great help to Alka and the others.
‐‐"Although some records have been lost for various reasons, most still exist. For example, we know about the outside world.
‐‐For example, we know that we live in a world equivalent to a mezzanine dimension.
‐‐We live in a world brought about by a divine artifact. And that artifact was lost outside due to a war thousands of years ago, and we are locked inside because of this situation."
‐‐Waku rambled on, and although he didn't elaborate on the history in detail, his brief introduction reassured Alka and nodded.
‐‐This suggests that much of the knowledge left behind by the Vastva city-state is likely well-preserved.
‐‐It's just that a large portion of it may no longer be possible to access, at least for the Vastva people today.
The magic here is so scarce.
"So, how are you doing now?" Simon asked from the side.
"We're still alive, albeit it's hard to muster much magic, so we need to use it carefully.
But at least we're not starving, and we're still alive."
The two sides exchanged brief words, waiting for Kavala and the elders to arrive.
Both Vaku and Alka knew this wouldn't happen overnight; they'd undoubtedly discuss it for a while before deciding to come.
Through his conversation with Vaku, Alka also gained a general understanding of the current situation in this area of the remaining Vastva city-state.
Their current population is probably less than 20,000 or 30,000, a pitifully small number.
And their food, clothing, and daily necessities all depend on magic, supplemented by a nutrient solution made from the scraps of plants grown on the remaining land.
It's a bit hard to imagine.
Most of the magic they gathered was consumed as food and essential water.
Many years ago, the increasingly scarce resources nearly led to a civil war.
Thankfully, the Vastva people, by nature, abhor war. They prefer research and exploration.
Even in this situation, they continued to explore, searching for a way out, though such exploration was clearly fruitless.
The only thing that sustained them was the records passed down ten thousand years ago, which stated that one day, guided by some chance, someone outside would obtain the key and open the door to their world, allowing them to survive.
All they had to do was survive until that time.
Arka agreed with this statement; it was indeed true.
Clearly, the person who wrote it understood the difficulty.
Because, as far as Arka knew, with the exception of the Winter Flower, which had been driven out through one of the gaps, the other three treasures had all been left inside. Hope was so slim.
And if it weren't for Alka obtaining this treasure, even if someone else had obtained it, they wouldn't have been able to open it.
You know, because of the damage to the world, the fragments of the world where they lived had long been pushed outside the world, quite far away.
If it weren't for Alka, there was no guarantee they would be able to be pulled back.
Only Consider it their luck, then.
But their luck wasn't exactly great. After all, they had waited for over 30,000 years, when their entire race was likely teetering on the brink of extinction, before they finally saw the light of day.
Just as everyone was conversing, a noise came from the distance. Alka looked over.
They could see a number of strange, yet seemingly unique, mechanical structures approaching them.
Leading them was none other than Kavala, who had gone in to notify them earlier.
Alka and the others stood up and waited.
He wondered how these people would treat them, hoping they wouldn't be so foolish as to resort to force.
That would be foolish.
But his wish didn't come true.
Behind Kavala, a strange mechanical device about four meters tall opened.
An elderly man in slightly tattered clothing, hunched over, leaning on a cane.
He came over in a hurry that could even be described as excited.
The people beside him kept supporting him, fearing he might fall.
He looked truly old.
The old man came up to Alka and looked at him, taking in Alka's appearance.
Alka also looked at the old man before him. He also had sharp, drooping ears.
But his grayish-white skin was now speckled with spots of other colors.
He was slightly slender, hunched over, and leaning on a cane, his entire figure wrinkled.
He leaned on the cane, his eyes, slightly larger than a normal human's, a little cloudy, but a glimmer of hope could be seen in them.
He clearly knew more than Kavala and Waku.
"Finally, finally," he muttered, his voice a little hoarse.
Then, as if finally controlling his emotions, he looked at Alka and asked with a trembling voice, "You, you really came in from outside? From the outside world?"
Alka nodded. "Yes, I've seen the ruins you left behind and know some of your history."
"Okay, okay, okay." The old man could no longer conceal the excitement in his voice.
Tears of excitement streamed from his eyes, but he paid no attention. He simply steadied his cane with excitement, and it trembled visibly.
"Elder Astwa, calm down," said the middle-aged man standing beside him, helping him along the quilt.
"That's great, that's great, you know. We have hope of survival. We can survive, and everyone can survive too."
He spoke excitedly, placing his hand on the middle-aged man's.
"What a shame! What a shame! So many people can't see it anymore. We've been waiting for so long."
Besides him, many of the people who had come with him were also a little excited.
Arka and the others didn't interrupt them, simply standing there waiting, waiting for them to calm down.