Chapter 95: Welt: Raven's Counterpart is Indeed Not Simple
Meanwhile, the damp, rusted corridors of the Underworld echoed with the soft patter of bare feet. Seele and Bronya had encountered Clara on their way back through the winding metallic ruins.
The young girl was carefully scavenging through the debris, searching for usable medical supplies for the Vagrants. During their brief exchange, Clara softly revealed the core of Svarog's rigid stance. Based on his vast matrix of calculations, the towering machine had concluded that the surface was entirely unsafe. To fulfill his primary directive to 'Preserve' humanity, he had sealed off the Underworld, locking its citizens away from the encroaching disaster above.
Bronya stood frozen, her aristocratic composure cracking as the heavy reality of the Underworld's suffering washed over her. She was deeply moved, a deep sense of guilt gnawing at her chest. It took Seele's blunt, street-hardened voice cutting through the gloom to snap her out of her spiraling thoughts, reminding the future Supreme Guardian of her resolve.
After returning to the rusted shelters of Rivet Town and delivering the scavenged supplies, Oleg gathered them around a makeshift map. The veteran Wildfire leader tapped a calloused finger against the metal table, pointing out the harsh truth: if they wanted to obtain any concrete information about the Stellaron and lift the suffocating blockade, they had no choice but to confront Svarog directly.
The journey deeper into the mechanical graveyard was anything but simple. Sampo, wearing his usual slippery grin, led the Astral Express Crew toward the Robot Settlement, acting as their self-proclaimed expert guide. The path was heavily guarded. After systematically dismantling three separate layers of aggressive robot authentications, they found their progress halted by a massive secondary blast door. A cold mechanical voice informed them that Clara's personal authorization was strictly required to proceed.
They found the young girl not far away, tinkering with a broken terminal. At first, Clara shrank back, shaking her head. She refused to lead them to Svarog, her small hands clutching her coat tightly as she voiced her deep fears of sparking a violent conflict.
The Express Crew didn't push her with words alone. Instead, they rolled up their sleeves and helped her repair the sparking power supply device she had been struggling with. As the machinery hummed back to life, they gently explained their nature. They were not from Belobog. They were 'variables outside of calculation.' Touched by the genuine warmth and sincerity radiating from Bronya and the others, Clara finally relented, agreeing to make the introduction.
"I'm back, Mr. Svarog."
The heavy steel doors groaned open, revealing the heart of the settlement. Soon, everyone stood in the shadow of the mechanical giant.
Behind his rectangular lenses, Welt's eyes lit up with an unmistakable gleam. He stared up at the towering, heavily armed, sentient construct. A mechanical masterpiece with a glowing red optic and a sleek, imposing chassis. He kept his expression perfectly neutral, but internally, his mecha-loving soul was cheering. This robot was absolutely cool.
"I detect that the settlement's power supply system has been reactivated," a deep, synthesized voice rumbled through the cavernous room.
"Thank you, Clara."
Svarog's vocal processors initially carried a surprisingly gentle cadence, but as his single red optic shifted toward the group of strangers, the tone hardened into clear, mechanical confusion.
"But... why did you bring them here?"
"Mr. Svarog, regarding going to the Overworld..." Clara explained softly, stepping slightly in front of the group. "They want to talk to you."
"Analyzing—"
A sweeping grid of red light washed over the Express Crew.
"Analysis result: Target does not belong to the Wildfire organization."
"Background: Unknown."
"Classification: Unknown information."
The massive robot lowered his chassis slightly, the hydraulic joints hissing. "Given Clara's introduction, I will grant you one opportunity to state your case."
Svarog's scanning beam had swept over them from head to toe, yet his vast database failed to extract a single piece of valid information. Even so, his logic circuits chose to allow a dialogue. It was a deep display of respect for Clara's wishes.
"Hey, he seems willing to communicate!" March 7th whispered, leaning in and unable to hide her bubbling excitement. "Quick, Stelle, it's time for your silver tongue!"
"We have no intention of provoking conflict." Stelle stepped forward, her hands open and her tone perfectly peaceful.
"Seeking peace—understood. But this is your unilateral statement." Svarog's response was steady, rigorous, and entirely devoid of emotion. "As for my attitude, it will be determined after evaluating the negotiation results."
The red optic flared slightly. "Please get straight to the point; do not waste this world's precious time."
"He just cut off our words, this guy." March 7th crossed her arms, offering a helpless, exaggerated shrug.
"Don't lose your composure," Dan Heng reminded her in a low, measured voice. "Remember, we need him to believe that we are 'variables outside of calculation.'"
Caelus stepped up beside Stelle. He didn't bother with diplomatic pleasantries. He looked straight into the glowing red sensor and spoke with absolute directness.
"We are here for the Stellaron."
The cavernous room fell dead silent.
"Stellaron?"
Svarog's tone underwent a terrifying shift. The ambient temperature in the room seemed to plummet as heavy weapon systems began to hum to life.
"Accessing database—access blocked."
"Discussing Stellaron with unauthorized targets: prohibited."
"You are touching secrets sealed deep within the world."
"Those are secrets no human should know."
The hydraulic servos in Svarog's arms locked into combat positions. "Re-evaluating target status—threat index rising."
"I demand you state your true intentions."
The mere mention of the keyword 'Stellaron' had instantly triggered Svarog's highest-level defense protocol. The atmosphere grew thick with lethal tension.
"Indeed, he knows about the Stellaron," Dan Heng quickly judged, his hand drifting toward his spear. "But this is a dangerous topic."
The Astral Express Crew exchanged rapid glances. Svarog possessing knowledge of the Stellaron's existence was a massive breakthrough in itself. The scariest thing in the universe wasn't facing a powerful enemy; it was wandering blindly without even knowing where the target was hidden.
"At this point, what's there to hide?" Seele gripped the long handle of her scythe, the sharp blade scraping against the metal floor. "Let's negotiate with him—success or failure depends on this."
"We want to end this world's disaster." Stelle kept her hands visible, deliberately avoiding the sensitive word 'Stellaron' in a desperate bid to defuse the escalating hostility.
"In recorded history, humans have attempted to contact the Stellaron multiple times."
Svarog's mechanical voice stated the facts with chilling detachment. "Without exception, driven by human selfishness, they attempted to claim the substance for themselves."
"According to the Architects' directive: any attempt to contact the Stellaron will lead to severe consequences."
The red optic locked onto the group, glowing with lethal intensity. "Re-evaluating—target threat index has reached maximum."
Even though the Express Crew had carefully avoided the sensitive terminology, Svarog pressed on relentlessly, his logic circuits leaving no room for compromise.
"What should we do, what should we do?" March 7th shifted her weight anxiously, summoning her bow in a flash of crystalline ice. "This situation doesn't look good..."
"Your processing power is pretty mediocre, big guy."
Caelus looked up at Svarog, a serious but entirely fearless expression settling over his features. He understood perfectly well that Svarog didn't trust them. No amount of honeyed words or logical arguments would penetrate that steel skull.
It was time for a fight.
"The hostility displayed by the target significantly exceeds the baseline value."
"Maintaining original calculation results."
"Peace maintenance protocol temporarily terminated."
"Requesting activation of annihilation protocol."
Negotiations shattered like fragile glass. Svarog fully activated his annihilation protocol, the heavy mechanical arms raising to unleash a barrage of devastating firepower. Battle was imminent.
Just as the first volley of missiles locked on, the heavy doors behind them blasted open. Natasha, having been urgently notified by a frantic Sampo, led a heavily armed squad of Wildfire members charging into the settlement to provide immediate support.
A fierce, chaotic battle erupted. Svarog displayed overwhelming firepower, his lasers and missiles tearing through the metallic environment. But the Express Crew was far from ordinary. With Caelus's heavy strikes, Dan Heng's piercing precision, Welt's gravity manipulation, and the coordinated, relentless assault of the Wildfire members, the tide slowly turned.
Sparks showered the ground. Metal groaned and snapped. Under the crushing weight of their combined efforts, Svarog's defense systems finally overloaded. The giant machine was severely damaged, his massive frame paralyzed and sinking to one knee, hydraulic fluid hissing from broken joints.
Natasha raised her weapon, her eyes narrowed as she prepared to deliver the final, decisive blow to the Underworld's mechanical warden.
"Stop!"
Clara threw herself directly into the line of fire, her small body shielding the towering, broken machine. Tears streamed down her pale cheeks as she looked frantically between the Express Crew and the Wildfire members, her voice cracking with raw emotion.
She turned to the paralyzed robot, placing her small hands against his cold, dented chassis. She begged Svarog to tell everyone what he knew. She poured out her deepest wish: for the people of the Underworld and the Overworld to unite like a true family, rather than remaining forever bound by cold, calculated outcomes and historical directives.
The room fell silent, save for the crackle of damaged circuits. Clara's desperate, tearful plea washed over Svarog's sensors.
Deep within his core processor, a shift occurred. He restarted his evaluation system. For the first time, he manually inputted 'Clara's appeal'and'outsiders' motives' as entirely new variables into his rigid matrix. The calculation wheels spun, processing the emotional weight of the girl he had sworn to protect.
The results updated.
The red optic dimmed to a softer hue. Svarog agreed to hand over the decision-making power to the Astral Express Crew. With a heavy mechanical whir, he bypassed his own security protocols and granted them full access to the Stellaron-related database.
A holographic projector hummed to life, casting a pale blue light across the dusty floor. Svarog played the heavily encrypted historical records.
The flickering footage revealed the harsh truth. Scholars and Architects from Belobog, generations ago, had definitively confirmed the Stellaron as the absolute root of the eternal freeze and the Fragmentum disasters. They had submitted their exhaustive research reports directly to the Supreme Guardian of that era.
The Guardian had known the truth all along. Yet, terrified of the panic it would cause, she demanded that a guaranteed method to destroy the Stellaron must be found before the truth could ever be revealed to the public.
However, as the dusty records played on, it became painfully clear that their research had ultimately failed. The Stellaron remained indestructible, and the lie became the foundation of Belobog's history.
Svarog provided one classified document after another, laying bare the tragic, hidden history of their world.
After reading through the final lines of the materials, a heavy, suffocating silence fell over the group.
"Now, the truth is out, isn't it?"
After a long while, March 7th was the first to speak, her usually bubbly voice subdued and quiet.
"Yes," Bronya whispered, lowering her eyes as the weight of her city's sins pressed down on her shoulders. "The truth is out."
Although she had already suspected that her mother, Cocolia, had been swayed and corrupted by the Stellaron's whispers, seeing these concrete records made her deeply understand the crushing pressure and the impossible choices the Supreme Guardians had faced for generations.
Across the room, Natasha and Welt stood side by side, watching as the Robot Settlement slowly began to stabilize, the tension finally bleeding out of the air.
"Thank you for bringing hope to the Underworld," Natasha said softly, her gaze sweeping over the Express Crew.
She paused, a slight, knowing smile touching her lips. "Actually... I am the true leader of Wildfire. Oleg is my deputy."
"Eh—?!" March 7th's eyes widened into massive saucers, completely caught off guard by the sudden revelation.
Welt simply pushed up his glasses, his expression remaining perfectly calm and collected. "That's not unexpected."
He kept his deeper thoughts to himself. Welt Yang knew a thing or two about alternate universes and the familiar faces that populated them. A woman with that specific face, that commanding demeanor, and that particular counterpart back in his home universe—a highly lethal mercenary known as Raven—was never going to be just a simple, kind-hearted clinic doctor.
He had never believed her disguise for a second.
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