Exploring the Unknown

Dago's eyes flickered as he took out the magic box that served as a guide. Before he could make another move, the box composed of countless brass gears suddenly disintegrated on its own, flowing like water into the circular indentation.

"Clack, clack, clack—"

Amid the dense, unceasing sounds of metal mechanisms turning, Dago instinctively took a step back. Immediately afterward, two metal cylinders that looked as though they had been cast from brass rapidly rose from underground.

The tremor was not merely the shifting of earth and stone, but something far more precise, as though some dormant mechanical behemoth deep within the crust was adjusting the rhythm of its breathing.

As the metal cylinders rose, the surrounding air seemed to be compressed by an invisible force field, producing a low hum.

The pillars were engraved with intricate, exquisite patterns, resembling layers upon layers of intertwined black vines...

Dago's Eye of Truth activated instantly, data-like radiance flowing through the depths of his pupils.

In his vision, those so-called "black vines" were not decorations at all, but solidified, high-density energy transmission circuits.

They were arranged according to a geometric logic that defied conventional magical energy guidance, gathering the massive underground energy network at a single point.

"Ding—"

Something flew out from between the metal cylinders, and Dago caught it in one swift motion.

Opening his palm, he found a golden gear the size of a thumbnail, exquisitely crafted beyond compare.

The workmanship of this gear completely surpassed any forging technique Dago knew. Every pattern on its surface meshed with a certain frequency in the air at micron-level precision.

It was as though it was not merely a component, but a living, breathing metallic lifeform.

Before Dago could inspect it closely, intense energy fluctuations surged from ahead. Streams of light rapidly intertwined between