The muffled thud of the hydraulic shaft broke the deathly silence outside the Machine God, and the heavy brass doors slid open to both sides.
After being held back for over an hour, the priests and pastors practically swarmed forward, their red robes and black robes forming two rushing streams in the corridor.
But as soon as they stepped across the threshold of the temple, everyone stopped in their tracks.
There was no apocalyptic scene of spreading rust as expected, nor the horrific sight of charred remains after the Machine Spirit went out of control.
The brass lamps on the dome shone with a warm golden light once more, flowing down along the intricate mechanical patterns and illuminating the entire hall in every detail.
The musty and rusty smells that filled the air had completely dissipated, replaced by the crisp scent of ozone and refined engine oil, mixed with a faint aroma of holy oil.
That's the smell of the Machine God that has lingered since the Gemstone entered service a thousand years ago.
The woman in black robes had already vanished without a trace.
Only Dominic remained seated on the throne.
His military uniform was already charred and mottled from the electric arc, with the collar and cuffs frayed and charred.
Her exposed neck and the back of her hands were covered with fine burn marks, and the fiery red bangs on her forehead were singed and curled.
His face was as pale as paper, his eyes were closed, and his chest was rising and falling weakly, as if he had fallen into a deep coma.
"Major General!"
Lieutenant Karen cried out and was about to rush forward, but was grabbed by the arm by the high priest beside her.
The high priest in red robes had a solemn expression, his optical lens fixed on the arcs of electricity crackling around the throne, his voice still tinged with lingering fear:
"Don't come near! Just now, when the Machine Spirit was enraged, the servant was burned to ashes the moment he stepped across the warning line..."
Before the words were even finished, everyone in the hall watched in disbelief as a thin arc of blue-white electricity shot up from the armrest of the throne and grazed Dominic's cheek.
As if it had its own consciousness, it gently deflected just before touching his skin, leaving only a wisp of Mars before obediently falling back into the lines of his skin.
The hall was deathly silent.
Everyone was stunned.
The steel beast that was just moments ago so ferocious it wanted to tear everything apart was now as docile as a tamed griffin in front of the mortal sitting on its throne?
Bishop Venka strode forward, leaning on his silver cane, his white beard trembling slightly.
He paused for a moment outside the warning line to make sure the electric arc had no intention of attacking before carefully crossing the boundary that had once been considered a death line.
As he walked to the side of the throne, the Thunder of the Machine Spirit did not stir in the slightest. On the contrary, it seemed to sense his approach, and the arcs of electricity pulsed more and more gently.
"A miracle! This is a miracle from the Emperor..."
The old bishop muttered to himself, his eyes slightly warm.
He had lived for nearly a hundred years and had never seen a rebellious Machine Spirit be so kind to a mortal.
He reached out and touched Dominic's arm, which was burning hot to the touch. The other man's consciousness was already blurred, but he was maintaining a proper sitting posture only out of a soldier's instinct.
"Two men, be careful, help the Major General down."
Several young priests stepped forward cautiously, supporting Dominic's shoulders and knees, and slowly helped him down from the throne.
Throughout the entire process, the electric arc on the throne remained completely silent, without even a single extra spark.
On the contrary, the moment Dominic's feet touched the ground, the entire throne sank slightly, as if in a gesture of respect.
After settling the man on a bench beside the temple, Bishop Venka wiped the soot from Dominic's face with a gauze soaked in holy water and softly called his name.
After a few calls, Dominic's eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.
A layer of mist clouded his blue-gray pupils, and after a while they were out of focus, they slowly focused on the aged face of Bishop Venka.
"Bishop..." His voice was terribly hoarse, as if his throat was filled with sand.
" Machine Spirit..."
" The Machine Spirit is alright! Completely alright!" Bishop Venka couldn't hide his excitement as he pointed towards the throne.
"Look, the rust has faded, the energy circuit is working again, it's almost indistinguishable from before the war!"
"Major General, how did you manage to do that?"
The priests and pastors around them also gathered around, their eyes filled with reverence and curiosity.
Dominic looked in the direction he was pointing and saw the newly renovated Machine Spirit Throne, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
He... did it?
He didn't do anything.
The memories deep within his consciousness remained from the moment he stepped into the world of Machine Spirit: the overwhelming swarms of plague moths, Phelps's mocking sneer, the excruciating pain that corroded his soul...
Beyond that, there was only deep darkness.
He felt as if he had sunk into a bottomless abyss, his consciousness was hazy, and he could not perceive anything until he was awakened.
The only remaining fragment was the young male voice that echoed in the darkness.
His voice was calm, with a hint of nonchalant amusement, much like that of the young governor, Brevis.
But how is that possible?
Dominic frowned instinctively.
No matter how resourceful Kerry Von is, he's still just a mortal governor. Could he possibly enter the Gemstone's Machine Spirit world from such a distance and kill the remnants of the plague?
That's absurd.
It must have been a hallucination that occurred when he was on the verge of death; it was the Emperor's guidance, and Omnissiah bestowing divine grace through his hand.
"I can't remember either." He shook his head, avoiding the probing gazes of the crowd, his voice weak but steady.
"I only remember... a ray of light dispelled the plague."
"Perhaps it was the Emperor and the Machine God who took pity on the Gemstone and blessed it."
Upon hearing this, everyone drew the Aquila emblem or the cogwheel emblem on their chests, their faces showing understanding and reverence.
That's right, what other explanation could there be besides divine grace?
A mortal body penetrated the core of Machine Spirit infected by the plague, and not only did he not die, he also miraculously turned the tide of battle. What else could it be but a miracle?
No one pressed for details anymore; the hall was filled with prayers of thanks for the Emperor and the Machine God.
Dominic slowly stood up, supporting himself on the back of the chair, his legs still feeling numb.
He looked up at the floating throne of the Machine Spirit, but the doubts in his heart did not dissipate.
That voice sounded so real.
It was so real that he could even recall the tone of the other person's voice, with a hint of nonchalant certainty, exactly like how Kerry Von always sounded when he pulled out a surprise move.
He suppressed the absurd thought in his mind and was about to ask about the follow-up investigation when everything suddenly went black.
The days of fierce fighting had exhausted all his energy, and the battle on a spiritual level had drained his strength. He had only managed to hold on until now by sheer willpower.
Once the crisis was confirmed to be over, he breathed a sigh of relief, but his consciousness could no longer hold on.
"Major General!"
Karen rushed forward to support his limp body, only to hear his last whispered words before he lost consciousness, "The large-scale investigation at the bottom, don't stop..."