When Ebony contacted the Dark Nether Death God again, he brought news he had just received.
A contingent of engineering personnel from the Mechanical Civilization had already entered Source-Devouring Time-Space.
The first to discover this was not the surveillance network they had planted in Gear Time-Space, but subordinates who had taken part in the previous rounds of resource deliveries.
While dealing with Source-Devouring Time-Space, those subordinates had spotted mechanical equipment that should not have been there. They had then learned through routine trade dealings that the World-Realm Emperor Monarch was receiving more related supplies.
After comparing several reports, Ebony realized that this development was somewhat different from what had come before.
"He had already been in contact with the Mechanical God Emperor all along," Ebony said, looking rather angry.
"Now, it seems they're doing more than just exchanging a few things."
The Dark Nether Death God examined the records without speaking right away.
He knew that Saine had been in contact with the World-Realm Emperor Monarch. The ransom of the Spirit-Seizing Bone Emperor and the material exchanges that had continued afterward were hardly secrets that no one had ever discovered.
But bringing the Mechanical Civilization's forces directly into their Mother Time-Space was indeed a step beyond simply exchanging a few resources.
"How many have gone in?" the Dark Nether Death God asked.
"Not many. As far as we know, they're mainly engineering units," Ebony replied.
"Any Level-12 Strong Practitioners?"
"We haven't received any reports of that."
The Dark Nether Death God nodded slowly and asked him to continue with what had been confirmed.
Ebony was displeased, but he did not treat all his own guesses as facts.
They did not yet know what those mechanical forces were doing, or how much the World-Realm Emperor Monarch and Saine had agreed upon.