Chapter 85: Demon‑Dividing Machine

The Mechanical Guild headquarters is in Los District, where the working‑class populace gathers.

Los District and Honeyton District are both built along the Feiregelun River, one to the south and the other to the north, facing Silver Star District across the river; Lei En's former apartment was not far from the Mechanical Guild.

The car sped along, taking less than twenty minutes to reach the Mechanical Guild.

Polok leapt out of the vehicle before it came to a stop, intending to rush inside.

Lei En and Furida followed behind.

Polok was visiting the Mechanical Guild for the first time, and looking up saw a building of over a dozen floors, nearly a hundred meters tall, standing out in Longshandecheng like a crane among chickens, second only to the Wizard Tower.

At the base of the building were several structures, all single‑story factory halls, from which waves of machine rumbling sounded.

Lei En saw this layout and instantly recalled the massive manufacturing plants of his past life.

At the guild's main gate, one on each side, stood two humanoid mechanical puppets over three meters tall.

Their bodies were silver‑gray, encased in thick metal plate armor, each wielding a massive sword, imposing, heavy and solemn, exuding great deterrence.

Polok approached the entrance; the two puppets' eyes instantly flared red, faint gear‑turning sounds emanated from within, white steam billowed from their backs, and they swiftly raised their great swords, clashing with a "clang" that blocked the way.

"Please stop."

"Show your identification."

The mechanical puppets' heads emitted a stiff voice, devoid of any feeling.

Polok quickly stepped back two paces, drew out his Demon‑Extermination Squad ID card, and shouted loudly, "Demon‑Extermination business, move aside immediately!"

The left mechanical puppet turned its gaze toward the ID card, seemed unable to recognize it, and remained motionless.

From behind the gate hurried out a uniformed, guard‑like Transcendent.

Polok tossed the ID card to him and called, "Emergency case, I need to see your president, open the door."

The guard glanced at the ID card once, and his expression changed slightly.

"Yes." He dared not delay, fished a metal box from his pocket, pressed a button on it, and the two mechanical puppets instantly retreated to their positions.

At the same time, the Mechanical Guild's main door swung open rapidly.

Polok swiftly snatched back his ID card and rushed straight into the building.

Rapid footsteps echoed in the first‑floor lobby, drawing the attention of the busy crowd; Polok lunged to the front desk and quickly asked the person behind the counter, "Where is Traweichi? Is he still in the Guild?"

The one Polok questioned was a woman in her twenties, dressed in a clean, tidy work uniform, with a pretty face; she was startled by the sudden pressure, thought something serious had happened, and almost turned to flee.

Polok, feeling helpless, could only raise his ID card again.

"We are from the Demon‑Extermination Squad; who would know Traweichi's whereabouts?" He raised his voice so everyone in the lobby could hear.

A few seconds of silence passed, then someone replied, "Mr. Traweichi left this morning and hasn't returned yet."

Polok looked at the man who answered and pressed, "Are you sure?"

"Yes." The man answered confidently, seeming also to be a mechanic: "I saw him leave with my own eyes; it wasn't even quitting time yet, he left early, so the impression stuck with me."

"Damn!"

Polok couldn't help cursing; it was clear Traweichi had sensed the irregularity and had already fled.

A Level‑5 Mechanic, hidden deliberately in a metropolis of a million residents, is far too hard to locate.

If this fallen one cannot be found in time, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"The Security Squad's idiots can't even investigate a person covertly; not only did they fail to find any issue, they exposed themselves," Polok ranted, thinking of the severe repercussions Traweichi might cause.

Lei En beside him, however, remained composed.

Traweichi's curse has been active for at least two months; his prolonged hiding surely indicates a scheme, perhaps using his position in the Mechanical Guild to do something unsavory.

He could clean up the clues at home, but not within the Guild.

He sensed exposure that morning, fled back home immediately, had no time to handle the Guild's clues, and dared not make any bold moves for fear of being caught by the Mechanical Guild.

Lei En looked behind the counter and asked, "Where is Traweichi's office?"

"Fifth floor, exit the lift and turn left to the first room."

Polok heard their exchange, instantly understood, and led the charge into the lift.

With a "bang", the doors were ripped open.

Traweichi's office was spacious; besides a set of luxurious desks and chairs, there were several large cabinets filled with books and documents.

Lei En, Polok, and Furida rummaged through the cabinets, hoping to find something useful.

"What are you doing?" A middle‑aged man appeared at the office doorway, about to question sternly, then his tone shifted, "Lei En, what are you doing here?"

"Mr. Kaineji."

Lei En set down the drawer in his hand and quickly explained, "I am now a member of the Demon‑Extermination Squad; Traweichi's curse has manifested, he has become a fallen one and fled. We are searching for clues to his whereabouts."

Kaineji had intended to reminisce with Lei En, but upon hearing this, his expression changed dramatically, "Traweichi has fallen? Are you sure?"

"Over ninety percent sure; we just came from his residence, and there were no living people there," Lei En replied.

"What are all these things? They're useless," Polok tossed aside the stack of books in his hands, looked at Kaineji, and asked irritably, "Who are you? What relation do you have with Traweichi?"

"I am the Vice President of the Mechanical Guild," Kaineji said with poise, "Traweichi is one of my subordinates; we don't interact much privately, but I'm fairly familiar with him." He recalled for a few seconds and continued, "Five months ago, while repairing a magical airship, Traweichi suffered an explosion, was severely injured, and only returned after two months of convalescence."

Kaineji's words made it clear that Traweichi must have fallen during that incident.

"Five months ago..." Polok said, clearly displeased, "He returned from injury and worked this long, and you all didn't notice..."

Kaineji spread his hands, "We are the Mechanical Guild, not the Demon‑Extermination Squad; besides, he hasn't caused any problems at work."

Polok felt his anger flare, but also knew that a Transcendent fallen one deliberately hiding would indeed be hard to detect.

The Mechanical Guild bears some responsibility in this matter, but it is not the primary factor.

Lei En quickly tried to smooth things over, saying, "Mr. Kaineji, you know Traweichi better; where do you think he might be hiding?"

"I don't know."

Kaineji thought for a moment, waved his hand and said, "I have a method, follow me."

The three followed Kaineji to the second floor, entered a spacious room, and upon stepping in, everyone was drawn to a massive machine.

The machine was enormous, occupying almost half the room, assembled from countless parts—gears, pillars, levers, shafts—tens of thousands in total, each polished to a gleaming shine that flashed metallic light. They were neatly arranged in rows, fitting together with tight seams, ultimately forming a complex and precise mechanical instrument!

Lei En recognized it the instant he saw the instrument.

"Differential machine? Or analyzer?"

On the Earth of his previous life, someone had built a prototype differential machine, which, along with several copies, was displayed in a museum; the more advanced analyzer existed only on blueprints, but in Ai Lun E Si, such mechanical computers had entered practical use.

Lei En widened his eyes to examine it and soon discovered that it differed greatly from the differential machine he had imagined.

The instrument was not purely mechanical; it was linked to a steam engine that supplied power, and that engine burned not coal but a costly magical crystal ore.

The steam engine's surface was covered with runes and patterns, emanating magical energy.

That energy not only heated the steam engine but also diverted a portion through pipes toward the massive machinery, its purpose unknown.

"A differential machine that combines machinery and magic?"

Lei En was very curious about what this device could be used for.

Next to the instrument was a console with two people who appeared to be operators; in their souls Lei En saw that they were both mechanics.

When Kai Nie Ji entered, the two rose respectfully and said, "Vice President, sir."

"Alright, sit down," Kai Nie Ji said, pulling a white card from his jacket; one side of the card bore many small holes and printed his portrait along with brief information.

He handed the card over and instructed, "Retrieve Te La Wei Qi's work files from the past three months, including all documents he handled and his travel records."

"Understood," the mechanic took the card and inserted it into the slot before him.

His lips twitched slightly, as if muttering a spell.

The sound was inaudibly low; Lei En didn't have time to listen closely, but vaguely caught a few phrases: "Ring the great bell… pull the lever… inject life… sing in unison, praise…"

Then he moved the lever beside it.

Buzz—buzz—buzz…

A magical radiance flared, energy coursed, and the steam engine roared, driving pistons; the power transferred to the differential machine, setting it in motion. Rows of gears of all sizes turned, numbered components whirled, and the massive instrument emitted a rhythmic metallic clatter.

Clack—clack…

The sound fell densely like raindrops; it wasn't music, yet it possessed a strangely pleasant quality.

For a moment, the whole room trembled faintly.

Watching the dazzling scene, Lei En's heartbeat quickened, and he inexplicably felt a sense of mechanical beauty, becoming somewhat intoxicated.

He wasn't the only one; Bo Luo Ke and Fu Li Da were also stunned, speechless.

Kai Nie Ji saw the three's reaction and a hint of pride flashed in his eyes.

The mechanic flipped out a book, opened its pages as if searching for something, then rapidly pressed the console, entering a string of numbers.

The machinery ran continuously for over ten seconds, then halted with a snap.

A bright magical beam shot from the console onto the opposite wall, forming a full page of clear textual records.

Lei En skimmed through quickly and found that all the content pertained to Te La Wei Qi.

He was greatly surprised; the magic differential machine outputted information in this way, more wondrous than he had imagined.

"Input, compute, control, store, output…"

"Aside from its slow computation speed and complex operation, there's little difference from a computer."

Lei En was greatly amazed.

The records displayed on the wall were numerous and complex, already neatly organized item by item, column by column, with text and numbers intermingled densely; in total they spanned over a hundred pages. Such a database‑like compilation, to anyone unfamiliar, was tantamount to a celestial tome—ordinary people could not comprehend it at all.

Bo Luo Ke glanced a few times, then felt dizzy and his eyes went blank.

Fu Li Da wore a bewildered expression as well.

Lei En, however, was completely familiar with this; his mind raced, his eyes scanned line after line, and he simultaneously activated his mobile phone's camera to covertly capture each page, hoping to find useful clues.

Kai Nie Ji told the mechanic to step aside and took over the operation himself.

He examined the records, and after each page he pulled a lever, letting the machinery run for a few seconds before the wall's content flipped to the next page.

Time passed minute by minute, and the room contained only the sounds produced by machinery and magic.

Bo Luo Ke repeatedly took out his communication device, pacing anxiously back and forth.

Just as he could no longer hold his question, Lei En and Kai Nie Ji simultaneously said, "Warehouse No. 35 at Valen Port Dock."

"What?" Bo Luo Ke was momentarily confused.

Kai Nie Ji looked at Lei En, surprise barely concealed on his face, and explained, "This is the place where Te La Wei Qi had the most interactions over the past three months; he used his job's convenience to purchase many materials and deliver them to this warehouse."

"Although he acted covertly, the magic differential machine's statistics still exposed it."

"Te La Wei Qi is probably hiding in that warehouse now."

Lei En thought to himself that the differential machine was called a "magic differential machine," which was quite fitting.

Bo Luo Ke ignored the explanations; he only understood one thing—that they had found Te La Wei Qi's whereabouts—and shouted loudly, "We'll head there immediately."

Before the words finished, he bolted out.

Lei En lagged a step, intending to bid Kai Nie Ji farewell, but saw him stand and say, "I'll go with you. Te La Wei Qi is a Level‑5 mechanic, the top talent in our guild, extremely powerful; I'm afraid you're no match for him."

"Then we'll trouble Mr. Kai Nie Ji," Lei En said, not refusing.

Kai Nie Ji sighed, "As the guild's Vice President and his superior, this is my responsibility."

The two did not delay further and headed downstairs at once.

The Demon Exorcism Squad's car drove out of the Mechanical Guild's gate, and Kai Nie Ji's vehicle followed behind, speeding like lightning, soon reaching Valen Port Dock.

The dock lay on the riverbank of Los District; the district was filled with factories, and the Mechanical Guild's strong presence made the dock's throughput huge, with thousands of dockworkers bustling—a scene of great prosperity.

On the way, Bo Luo Ke had already reported the situation to Chief Commander Da Wen La He; reinforcements would arrive soon.

Two cars passed through the dock and quickly located Warehouse No. 35.

The location was a short distance from the dock, relatively secluded, with few people around and only a single road leading to the warehouse's gate.

The group, seated in the car, could already see the warehouse's doors tightly shut, appearing as if everything were normal.

Bo Luoke drew his Soul Gun, turned back to his two teammates and said, "First, don't alert him, we…"

Boom!

The fierce explosion flipped the whole car over, blasting it into the sky, turning it into a massive fireball.

(End of chapter)