"What is this..." Lynn frowned.
Sir Awen's eyes burned brightly. "The God of Ten Thousand Machines was weakened by your curse, and the entire Mechanical Church pulled back strategically. During this time, the Flesh God Cult has seized the opportunity to expand its control, even launching several small-scale counterattacks against the Mechanical Church."
"But strangely, their efforts to crack the Colossus Tower's defenses have slowed instead. That isn't how they usually operate."
"Given the current situation, with no major losses on their side, cracking the Colossus Tower and securing the Colossus Brain should be their top priority. But clearly, things haven't developed as I expected."
Lynn gazed at the scene displayed in the image.
Then he said hesitantly:
"Could they be waiting?"
"Waiting?"
Lynn nodded, thinking aloud. "The conflict between the Flesh God Cult and the Mechanical Church runs deep. For thousands of years, they've always been the ones the Mechanical Church suppressed. Could it be that they joined this struggle for the Colossus Brain not just to seize it, but also..."
"To deal the Mechanical Church a devastating blow here in one stroke?"
Something stirred in Sir Awen's heart.
"What makes you say that?"
Lynn pondered, his eyes sharp. "I'm not certain myself. It was only after hearing the Matriarch say that the Plague Doctors had developed a new kind of plague that I began to suspect the Flesh God Cult's motives."
The Mechanical Church's offensive had been far too fierce and overwhelming. Even while the Mother Tree of Desire was still present, they had launched one large-scale assault after another.
To outsiders, the Flesh God Cult seemed capable only of passive defense. Its defeat was merely a matter of time.
But a closer look revealed the problems.
1. Apart from confronting the God of Ten Thousand Machines in