Following the familiar route, Joey quickly returned to the base. There are many such places in Old Dunling, so of which are unguarded, generally serving as safehouses with dical supplies, food, and so weapons, enough to sustain those seeking refuge for a while.
After greeting the gatekeeper, Joey was allowed entry. Sotis the Purification chanism’s protocols are just this rigid; even if you’re familiar, to prevent any accidents, Joey still has to follow the formal procedures. The only advantage of being familiar is that if he breaks the rules, the gatekeeper will shoot his leg rather than straight to the head.
This is how the Purification chanism operates: only by adhering to absolute rules can they ensure that the darkness has no chance whatsoever to erode order.
Sighing long, pushing away all the ill ons he faced in the White Church, Joey adjusted his mindset and pushed open the door, ready to continue working.
"You’re back?"
As soon as the door opened, an unpleasant and discordant voice sounded, as if mocking Joey, deliberately stretching the final tone.
Lorenzo had moved the sofa to the entrance, sitting casually, who knows how long he had been waiting for Joey.
"Lorenzo?"
Joey never expected Lorenzo to find his way here; of course, this guy showing up ant no good.
Just as he thought, Lorenzo didn’t give Joey ti to think, directly bouncing up from the sofa, hurriedly pulling him away before he could step inside.
"What are you going to do?" Joey couldn’t quite understand what Lorenzo was up to.
"Urgent matters, take to see Arthur, this is related to the Revelation." Lorenzo said directly.
The footsteps echoed in the stairwell, and the gatekeeper opened his sleepy eyes—it’s not usual to have this many people entering and leaving this building.
Lorenzo signaled to the gatekeeper, truly appearing anxious, talking to Joey as they walked.
"Joey, because of your... privacy issues, I’ve been delayed for a long ti, can you hurry up, please."
Standing at the busy street corner, Lorenzo stopped, then looked at Joey expectantly.
"What are you waiting for?"
Upon hearing Revelation, Joey understood the gravity of the situation but was puzzled why Lorenzo was looking at him like this.
After waiting a few seconds, Lorenzo shouted.
"Car! Carriage! We aren’t going to walk all the way to the Broken Do, right!"
This guy was as quick as a gust of wind, stirring Joey’s thoughts. He finally reacted, then headed back towards the building, entering the grounds where pitch-black carriages were parked.
"If you ask , you should just give the address of that Broken Do—to avoid all this trouble each ti."
Inside the speeding carriage, Lorenzo complained this way.
Joey shook his head, as he had denied this request from Lorenzo many tis before.
"Impossible, Lorenzo, it’s our core, our brain. It must remain in a state of absolute purification, allowing no potential danger."
"Am I a potential danger?"
Though Lorenzo seed happy-go-lucky, there was a hint of vigilance in his light-heartedness; originally it sounded like a joke, but given the current situation, it beca more serious.
Joey didn’t notice these shifts in Lorenzo; despite being an Upper-Rank Knight, to the Purification chanism, and to all of Ingwig, he was just a soldier... maybe a slightly bigger soldier—or perhaps cannon fodder.
In the Purification chanism, the security level of information is extrely strict; so things Joey couldn’t have known aren’t necessarily his fault.
"Probably, do you not consider yourself dangerous?"
After seriously thinking about it, Joey replied.
"Think about it, Lorenzo, you’re a monster that ca back to life. If it weren’t for your Geiger index stabilizing back then, we were truly ready to bomb it all over again!"
At that ti, the situation had everyone’s nerves taut, as if at a doomsday stand-off.
Listening to Joey’s sowhat playful tone, Lorenzo was stunned for a mont, then resud his usual ranting.
The carriage had been moving for a while, but this ti no one blindfolded him or guided him, and Lorenzo felt sothing off.
"We’re not heading to the Broken Do, are we?" Lorenzo asked.
"I never said we were, did I?" Joey replied, "You’re aware of the situation now, to ensure safety, the Broken Do has been sealed off, to prevent any threats."
"What about Arthur?"
"He’s not always in the Broken Do. For etings, all you need is a room with a table and chairs, right?"
Outside the window, the sky turned increasingly gloomy and gray, and the wind stirred up ancient dust. The desolate land started to unveil before them; Lorenzo understood where they were headed.
"Actually, you ca just at the right ti, rlin has been wanting to et you, but never had the chance, so it’s good timing."
Joey said, then a gray silhouette arose on the rugged landscape; it seed like a gigantic heart made of steel and machinery, standing firmly on the ground. With its powerful beating, the space between the machinery resounded with a tallic roar, with crimson and scorching blood flowing.
"chanical Institute..."
For a fleeting mont, many thoughts crossed Lorenzo’s mind. But for so reason, a fuzzy shadow flickered in his vision, with sothing spreading its wings, enveloping the sky.
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