Rimuru nodded and patted Sentinel Prime on the shin.
"You get it. I'll treat you to tea sometime. Motor oil works too."
Seeing that Sentinel Prime had completely let go of the past and was enjoying a carefree retirement, Rimuru raised an eyebrow but teased him no further. He followed the two of them into Metroplex's enormous body.
They passed through layer upon layer of magnificent mechanical corridors and giant chambers, proceeding deep into the core area. Before long, the source of the malfunction appeared before everyone.
The instant Rimuru got a clear look at the Transformation Cog, he couldn't help exclaiming again.
"Good grief!"
Now that was an eye-opener.
The core component of an ordinary Transformer was no bigger than a basketball at most, but Metroplex's Transformation Cog was far larger than the vast majority of individual Transformers. It was forged entirely from top-grade Cybertronian special alloy, its surface engraved with densely packed, intricate ancient mechanical runes. Their patterns intertwined and coiled around one another, forming a structure of the utmost precision.
The gear had cracked in multiple places, its teeth were jammed, and its internal energy circuits had completely ruptured. The damage was shocking to behold. No wonder it had locked Metroplex's transformation form in place.
Rimuru floated in front of the giant gear, frowning slightly as he pretended to study it carefully and analyze its damaged internal structure.
Optimus Prime, standing beside him, felt his heart tighten at the sight. He hurried forward and asked softly, his voice full of concern.
"Lord Rimuru, is the damage too severe to repair? If it's truly troublesome, we can gather the materials slowly. It doesn't matter how long it takes."
"It's not that I can't fix it."
Rimuru shook his head gently, his round face perfectly serious as he said