Chapter Thirteen: The Hammer
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After putting on his protective goggles, he grasped the solid welding tongs with both hands. At the tip of the tongs was the electrode, with the welding rod clamped onto it. As soon as he pressed the foot switch, a surge of powerful electricity was ready to be unleashed. Once the welding rod touched the target, the heat generated by the burning electric arc would firmly fuse the rod and the target together.
If molten iron could be considered a form of “water,” then welding was essentially a kind of “glue”—only much stronger.
Now, with a gentle press of the switch, the power rivaling that of the sun could converge in the palm of his hand. This represented the pinnacle of human civilization! A technological marvel only recently emerged from the laboratory three years ago!
...
“Clink.” The molten welding rod dripped onto the workbench, resembling glue falling onto the surface.
Shang Luo was stunned.
The welding rod had predictably melted into molten iron. However, the outer shell of the Divine Machine showed no signs of melting whatsoever—there was no fusion with the welding rod, not even a trace of heat or redness.
It was as if nothing had happened.
[How’s it going? Fixed yet?]
Shang Luo did not reply. Silently, he turned the knob on the welding platform one notch to the right.
...
[Is it fixed now?]
...
[How about this time?]
...
[Now?]
...
The welding rod in his hand resembled a half-burnt candle, its lower half glowing red. On the workbench, droplets of molten metal had already accumulated into a layer. Bright light and smoke blurred his vision. When the smoke cleared...
[Sigh, still the same, huh.]
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“Wait! It’s red!” Shang Luo set down the welding tongs and leaned in to observe—the Divine Machine’s outer shell bore a dark red mark the size of a mung bean. The dark red spot vanished in an instant, but it proved that the shell might actually be penetrated.
“G-good... good.”
His excitement was hard to contain. Until now, Apollonia had only verbally acknowledged having some “weaknesses.” Though she had shown considerable sincerity, it seemed more like a natural courtesy born of her upbringing. Yet this tiny red spot revealed the true nature of the Divine Machine—it was not invincible; she could indeed be damaged by human force.
By this logic, the age of humanity might not be nearing its end so easily.
“You’re saved. Prepare for discharge.”
He set the power to maximum, aimed the welding rod at the shell, and pressed the pedal.
“Boom!”
A deafening explosion and a fireball erupted. Blinding white light and a shockwave burst forth, throwing Shang Luo to the ground.
The fireball extinguished in an instant. When he opened his eyes again, the welding platform a few steps away was already charred black.
“What... what just happened?”
[Eh... as expected.]
“You knew this would happen from the start?”
[No, I wanted to confirm it. Otherwise, I could have just kept hiding behind boxes or packaging paper, though that would be a bit embarrassing. I simply wanted to test the limits of this power. Remember my name? Infinite Divine Machine. As the name implies, the Divine Machine is ‘infinite’ to some extent. This world does not permit infinity to be glimpsed; any attempt to surpass the critical boundary is concealed by the world itself. In other words, the shell of the Divine Machine is indestructible—breaking through it is impossible.]
“Then how do you explain your current condition? If it’s impossible, why do you have a breach?”
[Allow me to reintroduce myself.]
Apollonia seemed to relax considerably.
[Infant Divine Machine ‘Apollonia’ greets you. Though you couldn’t fix my problem, please accept my gratitude. You have helped me so much, so you deserve to know the source of my condition.]
She paused for a few seconds:
[This bullet wound was inflicted by my elder brother—the Rhodes Island Divine Machine ‘Helios.’ He is not the strongest among all Divine Machines, but he is certainly someone I cannot match. In other words, this injury was caused by another Divine Machine. Only a Divine Machine can harm another Divine Machine. Had he not been clumsy on his first strike, I would have suffered far more than a mere bullet hole.]
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“What about the Foundation Pill?”
[Apologies. You haven’t fully repaired me yet, and the Foundation Pill is too precious a treasure for me to hand over lightly. Besides, I don’t even know why it appears in the data archives. Its very existence is a mystery. Carelessly giving away such an important item could lead to unpredictable consequences. Still, I thank you, regardless.]
“Wait... if that’s the case...” Shang Luo stood up on his own.
[If you ask a different question, I will comply... Hey! Wait! What’s that in your hand?!]
“Only a Divine Machine can harm another Divine Machine, right? Then this bullet fragment must be from that Rhodes Island Divine Machine, ‘Helios.’ Isn’t that right, Miss Apollonia?”
[That’s probably true. Wait, what are you doing! Why are you holding a hammer?! What do you intend to do?!]
Seeing Shang Luo’s determination, Apollonia already guessed his intention. Invisible ripples trembled in the air; the threads of fate shivered. Yet none of it affected Shang Luo.
“Don’t move. I’m going to fix you. I absolutely must have that Foundation Pill!”
The heart, seemingly made of brass, was still fixed in the welding platform’s clamp. The surroundings were blackened from the blast, but Apollonia’s “heart” glimmered in the darkness. In Shang Luo’s right hand, the red bullet fragment was clenched tightly.
[Wait! You don’t have to do this! Let’s talk it over! The Foundation Pill is off limits, but I can teach you how to boil an egg! Boiled eggs are delicious! Put the hammer down first...]
“You can shout all you want, but my greatest trait is keeping my promises! I will take full responsibility for my client!”
He picked up a prepared brass sheet. If the previous welding had worked, he would have used it as a patch to mend the Divine Machine’s shell. Since welding had failed, he would use it as a wedge. He decided to seal Apollonia’s shell with this fragment from Helios. It was a simple yet effective countermeasure—fighting poison with poison.
Covering the breach with the brass sheet, he pressed the bullet fragment in place with one hand and raised the hammer high in the other, then struck down hard:
Boom——————
Darkness fell.
The sound from the radio gradually grew louder, tuning steadily into a clear frequency.
“This is San Francisco Broadcasting Station. We interrupt regular programming with breaking news: At 12:27 PM today, multiple safety incidents occurred simultaneously and consecutively at the San Francisco Acropolis. Tram lines 1 and 2 suspended service for 15 minutes; several radios exploded; elevators 1 through 14 in the Golden Gate Building ceased operation, trapping 19 people, including Governor Yangzhou, for two hours; additionally, 68 arc welding platforms from the Workshop District zones Tian to Huang caught fire and exploded, causing direct economic losses of 2.7 million yuan. The Jinyiwei have commenced an investigation.”