Lu Yuan glanced over. The tips of the roots were probing toward the Great Ascendant's wrist, only to shrink back the moment they touched the alloy surface.
That was very much the Ascension Society's style. He withdrew his gaze and did not press further.
The team passed through the second fork, and the passage continued upward. The air was much drier than below, the temperature had risen somewhat, and the Fungal Hyphae on the rock walls grew increasingly sparse.
Adrian walked several steps ahead of Lu Yuan. The old Bishop was still pale, but his steps had steadied. The Scripture floated above his shoulder, its Holy Light restrained to the bare minimum.
Agnes supported the nun as they followed behind Adrian. Both of them were breathing a little heavily.
The Born formation at the rear silently followed the team upward. The sound of their metal joints moving echoed through the passage.
This was the batch that had previously remained behind on standby. They had not taken part in the rearguard action and had all withdrawn with the group. Their steps were perfectly uniform, their black robes gathered close in the narrow passage, while the cold white gleam in their eye sockets lit the gravel beneath their feet.
Lu Yuan looked back toward the way they had come. The ghostly blue firelight was completely gone, and the roar of the Born's flamethrowers had vanished deep within the rock strata.
The Born left behind to cover the retreat had probably used up all their ammunition. They would not be coming back.
At the end of the passage, the Copper Plate floor of the Pipe Network Layer's Patio reflected a dim metallic sheen in the light of the Marching Lamps.
They had arrived.
The Pipe Network Layer's Patio was even narrower than Lu