Chapter 58: Chapter 58: The Lost Machina 3

He observed Machina as they went back to the cavern cities. She was amazed by the glories of the cave, not caring about the looks of those who would think that she was human, only to realize their mistake at the sight of her dangerous red eyes. She was a carefree woman who hides her loneliness upon that mask of happiness.

Adey worked with races. He has observed all of those who try to hide their emotions under their mask. It was part of his duties as a Porter to observed those who he knew and know what they needed. It was part of the reason why he was adept in telling what those around him feel. Without that knowledge, he would have died and was not fit to be a man worthy of being a Porter.

She said, "Why do they call you Porter?" They were on a bench near the central part of the city. The cavern skies created a stream of energy that bloomed like a last drop of fireworks.

"I wander and explore. I carry goods and sometimes people," said Adey.

"Is that really it?"

"Yes."

"You are fairly good at fighting. I am proud of my superhuman abilities but you dodge my attacks easily."

"When you live in a land like this you'd learn how to fight easily."

She looks above the ceiling. Her eyes wondering something.

"Is the world as advanced as this place? You have steam engines and ventilations here that handles the air. Electricity is around to power the streets and I think I saw trains being built in one of the areas we wandered around. I would have thought that I was back at the time of Queen Victoria."

"You know its name. How old are you truly?"

"Asking a woman's age is quite rude you know?" she smiled. "Though I have long lived enough to witness the stars. But who would have thought that one day I'd be in a world like this? I cannot believe it...the land being caught in such an event."

"What do you mean?" asked Adey.

"Nothing," she said with a shake of her head. "The past is long gone. There is no need to think about it. But finding a place in this world might be easier than before."

He eyed her, "You really plan to stay in this city?"

"Stay? No, I'll guess I will try to bother you. The world's so vast that it might be best to follow a Porter like you. Or do you have a place where I can a build a load of weapons?"

She stood up firmly in front of Adey. Her blood red eyes locked into Adey. There was this menacing aura around her that divided Adey's impression of her. The Machina who looked like a carefree woman turned into a being that was enough for Adey to question what she truly was.

"Do you want me to turn this place into a civilization strong enough to split an atom?"

"The power to reach the skies? Machines that could turn this world into yours?"

"Just tell me your desires and I will give you the knowledge in thanks for saving me."

"Can you do that?" asked Adey with cold eyes.

"I can. I am part of the people that you call 'Old Ones' and I have the knowledge to turn this land into a superpower nation. I heard that you have enemies living a fertile land. Imagine their fear as machines impenetrable by swords could easily tear through their walls. Machines that could rule the skies and they could only kneel and a plea for mercy."

Adey's expression stood still. The thought of overcoming the enemy churned Adey's stomach. Deep inside him was this wanting to end the war against the humans forcefully. He wanted a world of peace but he knew that there was no way he could achieve. Now that there was someone telling him all of this. He was quite pessimistic. He wanted to joke yes but, in the end, he shut the idea away from his head.

"No. Do you think I can do that?"

"Not with that attitude," she smiled.

"I am content with my life. I may want to defend this land by replicating this piece but I have no desire of replacing the Overlord in his duty of protecting it. I have faith in my protector and masters. There's no need to fear about the humans as long as he reigns supreme in this land. He's long-lived and no human could ever defeat him in single combat."

She smiled and laughed heartily. "Good times...they never last. I may not be human but I know of their tenacity and will. The determination that they could muster at the height of despair is nonetheless beautiful...no matter how cruel-hearted they are towards the unknown."

She was speaking with admiration towards them. It was like she was admiring them with a hateful yet seething tone that it was hard to imagine how could she have this tone towards them. Was she human before she became a monster with blood-red eyes? How long has she lived that she was able to masterfully speak about humans with seething admiration?

Adey didn't know. He could only stare at this black-haired woman named Machina. He had seen many things in his life as a Porter but not once have seen such a woman who eluded such sense of misery and loneliness. Adey continued staring at her until the aura she gave out vanished. The smiling blood-red eyed woman suddenly sat and with a voice so sweet, said.

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"Okay. But remember my words when this land goes to waste. I owe you from freeing me from my glass coffin. I might just live long enough to enjoy this. Though I must say that having someone other than a human to care off is quite the nice change of pace. An elvish explorer that wanders a land and he has a gun in his waist. These are interesting times, and a city filled with non-humans where they face men at the brink of discovering gunpowder. I wonder, what will happen to this land? Or will this world end up as every civilization at its peak?"

She left words that made no sense to Adey.

...

Although Adey was willing to accompany her. She wanted to find her own place to stay. Adey took him to Dedra who was alarmed by the appearance of her. She was fluent enough to speak for herself and she only thought that she was great at being a good Porter. She had no presence before in this city but Adey was able to back her up.

She got her own room in the building where Adey lives. The red-skinned assistant of Dedra welcomed Machina into her home that was just four feet away from Adey's door. She danced at the thought of being able to annoy Adey with her questions. He had to ask himself if this ancient woman was truly right in the head. Adey sat back on his room cross-legged with his back straight. His room was empty and there was only a mat and a floor table inside. He sat on the mat and gazed upon the window that overlooked a huge complex where the soldiers of the city were doing their briefing.

Adey took out the gun that he holstered on his waist. He unloaded it and started cleaning the insides of the gun. He handled it carefully and used the cloth he had to thoroughly discard the dirt. He has an idea how the thing works. But the overall mechanics of how it truly function was lost to his head. All he could do was follow Faust's instruction until the whole gun was clean.

After that, he fell backward and closed his eyes. He awoke later when the bright green light coming from the cavern ceiling bothered his eyes. He woke up and pat his coat to straighten it out. He stood up and he saw blood-red eyes staring at him. She stood in front of the door with the same expression that confuses Adey every time she looks at.

She was wearing a long coat and her pants were black. She now had a dagger slung to her waist. Adey rubbed the back of his head. He leaned his back on the wall and looked at her dead in the eye, "Breaking in?"

"Nope," she said. "I was looking out for my Guardian."

"Guardian?" he drew his brows together. "I don't remember being your guardian, Miss Machina."

"You didn't but you should know that you technically birthed me in this new world by waking me up in that glass coffin. You should be happy that you have a beautiful person to take care off."

"Oh please," he scoffed. "I don't know anyone who would want to baby an ancient woman."

She displeasingly smiled, "Come on, I stopped aging when I was twenty so do not worry. I am a forever young."

"Narcissism is quite hard isn't it?"

"Who knows?"

There was no need to argue with her further. He went out of the room and contacted Dedra for a job. The job given to him was another ventilation that needed to be fixed. Machina didn't have anything else to so she tailed Adey up the narrow passages that lead to the giant fans that keep the air clean inside the cavern. The area was manned by non-humans. They all know who Adey was but unaware of the red-eyed Machina. She tailed him until he reached the area where the ventilation needed to be fixed.

"You are doing it wrong," said Machina. She pointed at the part he was tampering. "Try not twisting that. Also, I got to say our machines really have improved to be still working even to this day. For thousands of years they still lovingly work and save those who need it. Hmm, though they are technically made for space travel and not underground cities like this. But seeing the outside world I guess it now fits."

"The world you knew...tell me about it."

"Space and a desire to move out of a bubble called the world. It was a good age but somehow greedy men wanted to ruin it all. For-profit on who wanted to have it all. So, they fought and used those who have power to their needs and ended the world."

"Sounds awful," said Adey without any care.

"It does," she nodded. "Think of the progress that they could have made. But...I am quite surprised that you are taking this well. Aren't you going to be afraid of an ancient woman that came from a world you have no idea about?"

"You saw the world out there," said Adey. "It is bland and hope seems always lost. We live underground like rats. Around the eastward side of this city orphans from war, bands cry at their sleep after losing their kids. They grow up bitter and fight the humans until they die, leaving the kids they have sired. Some have their mother, but most don't have anyone to rely on and they grow up like their parents. I've seen many wonders outside and saw the salt passing already. I think nothing surprises me anymore..."

"I see," said Machina. "Were you one of those kids? Why aren't you vengeful?"

"I don't know." Adey took a step back from the fan. "My heart told me that it is right for me to take revenge. My mind, however, told me to step out of that cycle."

"So that's why you don't want to have my knowledge?" Machina smiled at him. "You could have it all."

"This kingdom of dirt?" he snorted. "No thanks. I have enough of doing this. I don't know what'll make me use your knowledge. But I got to ask this, Machina. Why are you so sure that you'll have enough knowledge to conquer the world? What's the point of machines when Heroes that could turn them into scrap metal exists?"

Her smile turned cold. "I have many names. They call me many titles and for years they have wanted to gain my knowledge. Some wanted my hand for marriage, some wanted to drink my blood and kept their youth. I have been burned once in a stake only to regenerate after the burning. They call me a witch. They call me a saint. They call me the illustrious lady. But..." She eyed Adey with blood-red eyes, "most of them fear me as a destroyer of worlds, the Lady of death that brought forth wars. I could be this world's end you know?"

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