If the Trash-Dragon had an energy heart, it would be the A.G.R.A. Sector—a vast area enclosed by warning fences and dense energy shields. This place lacked chaotic markets or dark alleyways; instead, it was an open space, its center dominated by clusters of gigantic, shimmering parabolic metal "mirror discs" rotating slowly and silently, like a majestic sculpture garden under the artificial starlight.
This was where the high-tech A.G.R.A. Damping Devices worked. And their "job" was to receive the landings of great entities.
Today, the atmosphere in the A.G.R.A. sector was unusually bustling. Cracked speakers blared lively music, mobile stalls selling fast food and cheap protective goggles sprouted up everywhere. Residents of the Trash-Dragon poured in from all over, gathering on observation platforms, their eyes fixed on the center with extreme excitement.
"ANOTHER GREAT GUEST IS ABOUT TO VISIT!" an excited voice rang through the public address system. "LET'S GUESS WHO WILL GENERATE THE MOST ENERGY AND AFTERSHOCKS TODAY! BETTING ODDS ARE OPEN AT COUNTER 7!"
Ember, Teron, Celeste, and Echo were also in the crowd. They weren't there for entertainment, but because Teron had received an abnormal energy alert from the A.G.R.A. system itself.
scanning_agrA_logs. anomaly_detected: incoming_entity_signature_does_not_match_any_known_database. energy_level: catastrophic. probability_of_system_overload: 47.3%. - Worrying text flashed on Teron's face screen.
"Nearly 50%? Seriously?" Ember frowned. "This system was designed to absorb energy from meteorite explosions."
"It means the 'guest' about to arrive is stronger than a meteorite explosion," Ember muttered, her grip tightening on the railing.
At that moment, the entire A.G.R.A. area shook. The parabolic mirror discs stopped rotating simultaneously, then quickly oriented towards a point in the void. A web of pale blue light—a Resonance Field—formed between them, denser and brighter than ever before. A deep, soothing yet powerful sound began to resonate, making everyone's chest feel compressed.
The space in front of the discs began to warp, like stretched fabric. Then a tear formed, not black, but a strange amethyst purple, emitting a painfully bright light.
From within the tear, an entity emerged.
It wasn't a ship, nor a creature. It was... a walking mountain. A giant, floating mass of rock, with rivers of silver lava flowing across its surface. Thick forests of black crystals grew wildly, and at its center, a giant, pale yellow eye opened, scanning the crowd curiously. It was "The Stone Wanderer"—a primordial entity rumored to have swallowed a star system for its frame and carved another version of itself.
"WOW! IT'S HIM! THE STONE WANDERER!" the crowd cheered excitedly. Bettors screamed the name of the entity they had chosen.
The Stone Wanderer slowly descended. With every meter it moved, the surrounding air pressure multiplied. Metal panels on the floor began to warp.
BOOM!
When the entity touched the Resonance Field, a terrifying shockwave sound erupted, not in the ears but within everyone's minds. The entire A.G.R.A. sector was submerged in a sea of blinding white light. The mirror discs shook violently, electrical sparks arcing from their joints.
The A.G.R.A. system was operating at maximum capacity. The deep hum became shrill, urgent. The thermal energy tanks and gravity batteries connected to the system glowed brightly, sucking in the colossal energy from the landing.
"ABSORB IT! ABSORB IT ALL!" someone in the crowd screamed like a prayer.
But Teron emitted a frantic beep. His face screen flashed red:
WARNING! CORE_TEMPERATURE_CRITICAL! GRAVITIC_POTENTIAL_OVERFLOW! SYSTEM_FAILURE_IMMINENT!
One of the giant mirror discs began to crack, leaking a toxic purple light. The Stone Wanderer hadn't fully stopped yet. Its mass and energy exceeded calculations.
"It's going to blow!" Ember shouted. "Teron, do something!"
Teron, with his error-correcting instinct, curled up. A series of rapid, dizzying beeps erupted from him. His face screen turned into a blue screen with code running frantically. He was trying to hack the A.G.R.A.'s own operating system, forcing it to perform at an impossible efficiency.
BIP... BEEEEEP!
A long, shrill, pained beep sounded. Teron's body shuddered violently, and a stream of blue fluid—his core data—leaked from a joint on his body.
But it worked.
The A.G.R.A. system suddenly flared brightly once more, even brighter than before. The cracks on the mirror disc were coated in a layer of pale blue energy, temporarily stabilized. The deep hum became soothing again. The Stone Wanderer finally came to a complete stop, gentle as a falling leaf, and its yellow eye closed, as if satisfied.
A silence fell, then was broken by a wave of applause and the crowd's wild cheers. The lights across the entire Garbage-Dragon flickered brightly, powered by the newly absorbed energy. A new record had been set.
But Ember wasn't cheering. She ran to Teron, who was curled up, his face screen dark. "Teron? Teron!"
Celeste ran over too, her eyes filled with tears. "Friend Teron! He... he pulled the machine's pain into himself!" she sobbed.
Echo appeared faintly beside them, its light body flickering weakly, reflecting the anxiety.
Then Teron's face screen suddenly lit up, displaying a silly smiley face:
(´▽ʃ♡ƪ)reboot_complete. system_stabilized. core_data_integrity: -8%. nap_time?`
Ember sighed with relief, but her heart was full of worry. Every time Teron used his power, he lost a part of himself. And the price this time was steep.
They left the A.G.R.A. Sector while the crowd was still celebrating. Behind them, the Stone Wanderer lay silent, becoming a new mountain within the Trash-Dragon, and the A.G.R.A. machines began their slow rotation again, quietly preparing for the next landing—because on the Garbage-Dragon, great guests never stop visiting, and energy is never enough.