Zhou Beichen suddenly opened his eyes.
He instinctively looked down, his hands frantically groping across his chest—no hole, no blood, no gruesome wound.
He panted in disbelief, cold sweat instantly covering his forehead. The chill and agonizing pain of his chest being pierced and his life force rapidly draining away felt as real as if it had just happened.
He raised his head and looked around blankly.
This was clearly not Perfect City. It did not even resemble any structure known to mankind. He seemed to be inside an incomparably massive metal construct, surrounded by walls that soared up to the dome, their dark-green energy circuits flowing with light.
Countless metal scarabs buzzed softly as they flew above and around him, busy as worker ants. Farther away, Canoptek constructs with even stranger designs—like hybrids of spiders and beetles—moved with precise, rapid steps, carrying unknown components and glowing cubes.
The entire space was filled with a cold, orderly, yet inhuman sense of bustle.
His gaze finally settled on a spot not far away. Trazyn the Infinite stood with his back to him before an enormous screen made of pure green light. Displayed on it was the scene of Lorgar in the basement of Scholars' Tower, silently punching Magnus, who lay limp and unrecognizable on the ground, again and again.
Trazyn's smooth metal head was tilted slightly, light flickering in his emerald eyes as though he were thoroughly enjoying the show.
Zhou Beichen's throat felt dry. He struggled to sit up, only to find that his body was still weak.
The slight movement alerted Trazyn. He turned around, his emerald eyes sweeping over Zhou Beichen. A trace of satisfaction seemed visible on that cold metal face.
"You're awake? Wonderful!" Trazyn's voice brimmed with undisguised delight. "To witness two beings of such power