Chapter 137: The Power of Sequence

"Everyone, evacuate immediately!" Barfia roared, his great sword planted in the ground, a golden barrier instantly unfolded, trying to repel the impending energy shock.

But Melinda remained standing still, a flash of surprise passing through her silver eyes.

"Is that all?" she whispered, then suddenly looked up at Robin: "Fully feel the Order Knight's power of order!"

Robin nodded, quietly sensing the energy contained in the golden barrier.

After a while, the System Panel's alert tone sounded.

"Perceived Knight Order Power 1/10000!"

The system's prompt rang in Robin's mind; he abruptly opened his eyes, a faint golden glimmer flashing deep in his pupils.

Barfia's golden barrier trembled violently under the furnace's impending energy shock, cracks spreading like a spiderweb.

The old Knight's forehead veins bulged, he gritted his teeth and growled, "Melinda! Take them away—!"

Yet Melinda still stood in place, a hint of disappointment flashing in her silver eyes.

"Is that all?" she murmured to herself, then turned to Robin, "Feel properly, this is the true 'Power of Order'."

Before the words finished, she raised her hand and swung—

"Hum—!"

A far more refined golden barrier than Barfia's suddenly unfolded, like tangible Order Power sweeping the arena like a tide, forcibly suppressing the furnace's erupting crimson energy back!

Bishop Cress's mechanical core emitted a piercing wail; he stared in disbelief, "No... impossible! The Order Knight's 'Order Domain'?! How could you—"

Melinda gave no reply, merely stared coldly at the gradually collapsing furnace core, and said softly, "Robin, look closely—this is the true essence of 'Order'."

Robin's Tang Sword suddenly quivered violently, its azure glow resonating with the golden barrier, as if answering something.

The system's prompt sounded again:

"Perceived Knight Order Power progress: 50/10000!"

"High-level Order Power resonance detected, skill acquired—'Order Blade·Prototype'!"

Robin's vision suddenly shifted; in his eyes, the whole world seemed enveloped by countless golden threads—that is the 'Order' rules, the source of the Knight's power.

He instinctively tightened his grip on the Tang Sword, and a faint golden stream of light subtly appeared on the blade.

"So that's it..." he murmured softly.

Barfia stared at Melinda in shock, "You... what exactly are you..."

Melinda gave a faint smile, but offered no explanation, simply saying, "The furnace isn't fully stable yet; hurry."

Sasis's face turned extremely grim; he stared intently at Melinda, hissing, "The Round Table Council... indeed had a hidden hand!"

At the moment the battle inside the clock tower temporarily steadied—

"Boom—!!!"

The entire Obedi City suddenly shook violently, distant lakes roiled into towering waves, and a jet of black energy surged from the sea floor into the sky!

"Damn!" Odum's chains rattled wildly, "The inverted clock tower at the lake bottom... has been activated!"

Melinda's gaze hardened, she snapped at Robin, "No time left, we must split up— you go to the lake bottom and stop the Mechanical Church's final plan!"

Robin tightened his grip on the Tang Sword, and said gravely, "Understood."

"It's too late!" Odum's chains suddenly went taut, pointing toward the lake surface, "The inverted clock tower beneath the sea is activating a second soul furnace!"

Melinda's expression changed abruptly, "Cress in the clock tower was only a decoy; the real ceremony is at the lake bottom!"

Barfia's great sword suddenly emitted a dazzling golden light, "Knights, heed the command! Immediately seal Paron Lake."

At that moment, Sasis let out a cold laugh, "Too late, foolish knights," he waved his staff, his body turning into a black mist that dissipated, leaving his final words to echo in the air: "The furnace at the lake bottom is the true feast, and you don't even have a ticket."

Melinda produced a strangely shaped short blade; Robin noticed fine mechanical patterns appearing on its hilt—these patterns brightened gradually as the seabed energy intensified.

"That woman's blade is resonating with the seabed device?" Robin exclaimed in shock, watching the scene.

Melinda hurried over, pressing a hand on Robin's shoulder, "No time to explain. This blade is the Mechanical Church's 'key'; it can open the lake-bottom clock tower's gate and also shut the furnace." A complex emotion flashed in her silver eyes, "But it will cost something."

Odum suddenly coughed violently, his chains emitting a harsh snapping sound, "Dammit. My chains are dissolving! The lake-bottom furnace has already begun affecting the laws of reality!"

On the lake surface, a massive vortex was forming, its center faintly revealing the outline of an inverted clock tower.

Even more terrifying, the rescued Wizards suddenly knelt en masse, their pupils turning into gear‑like shapes.

"They're being remotely controlled!" Barfia roared, swinging his sword to block a frenzied wizard's attack, "Melinda, you must act immediately!"

Melinda quickly formed a seal, a flash of silver light streaked, and a teleportation array appeared beneath her and Robin: "Hurry, this teleport can only last thirty seconds!"

At the moment the teleport activated, Robin's system suddenly displayed a blood‑red alert:

【Warning! Ancient mechanical divinity fluctuation detected】

【Mission Update: Destroy the lake-bottom furnace, or the world's laws will be rewritten】

When the silver light faded, Robin found himself inside an inverted clock tower, its walls lined with rotating gears. Before him hovered a massive mechanical heart, beating at a steady rhythm.

Melinda's voice echoed in the darkness, "Welcome to the holy site of the Mechanical God Cult, where their most terrifying creation lies dormant."

Suddenly, the mechanical heart surged its beat, and a cold mechanical tone reverberated through the space:

【Key holder detected】

【Final activation protocol initiated】

【World reconstruction countdown: 00:59:59】

"Damn it! I've been fooled," Robin snapped, realizing the truth.

The mechanical heart's thumping sounded like a death‑drumming, echoing within the inverted clock tower.

Robin clenched the short blade Melinda gave him, its mechanical patterns fully illuminated, resonating eerily with the surrounding gear mechanisms.

"Melinda, you—" Robin turned his head, only to see data‑stream‑like light flowing in her silver eyes.

"I'm sorry, Robin." Melinda's voice suddenly took on a mechanical timbre, "I deceived you."

Her body began to disassemble and reassemble, precise gear structures surfacing beneath her skin.

When the transformation finished, standing before Robin was a semi‑mechanical being—silver metal fused perfectly with flesh, three pairs of luminous mechanical wings extending from its back.

(End of chapter)