The group followed the corridor blanketed in ice and snow until they reached the edge of a deep pit.
Railings stood here, and within the pit lay an enormous, incredibly intricate mechanical structure. It supported a damaged but massive cross-shaped bridge that people could walk across.
The group stopped beside the railing.
Serval said, "See that mechanical Space Bridge in the middle? Cross it, and you'll find hell on earth on the other side."
"What's over there?" Stelle asked.
"A Fragmentum that stretches beyond the horizon, a bunch of exhausted Silvermane Guards, and... air thick with the smell of death. If you want to keep heading north, you'll have to cross that hell. Are you ready?" Serval asked.
Stelle thought briefly before saying, "We've already come this far..."
March 7th agreed. "Exactly. There's no room to retreat now."
"Then let's go. First, we need to find a way across the bridge," Serval said. "I helped write the underlying logic for this type of Space Bridge. It's controlled by several terminals working together. Let's look for them."
Then, led by Serval, the group continued forward. Along the way, they occasionally heard the Silvermane Guards chatting about things like the band Mechanical Fever, or replacing the lead singer with Pela...
Unfortunately, neither of the two terminals they found could be used. Serval suddenly realized the Silvermane Guards' strategy: the front line relied on this extreme method to prevent desertion, as well as a mass invasion of Fragmentum Monsters if the front line collapsed.
Even Seele was moved by this.
After making another circuit, Serval led the group to an energy hub that was heavily guarded and locked behind an iron gate.
"That's it. The thing that looks like a big iron ball," Serval said. "Its technical name is the Mechanism Energy Hub.