Chương 327: The Machine Remembers

Chaos exploded across the Undying Valley. The cry of the awakened machine echoed through the endless wasteland like a catastrophe made sound. It rolled over mountains of ash, swept through forests of petrified bone, and vanished into horizons where even silence feared to linger. Every creature within the valley heard it. Predators halted their hunts. Colossal beasts raised their heads from ancient nests. Swarms of lesser horrors scattered into crevices as instinct screamed a single warning into their minds.

Something immense had awakened. Something powerful. Something that had never been meant to wake. Yet the scream reached farther than anyone present could possibly imagine. Far beneath the largest mountain in the entire valley, beneath layers of ancient stone compressed by countless ages, something stirred. A single crack spread through the mountain's foundation. Then another. The fractures multiplied, racing like veins through the rock until the mountain itself seemed to groan beneath an unbearable weight.

An eye opened. It was colossal beyond comprehension, an iris darker than the void itself, swallowing every trace of light that dared touch it. Around that eye, stone crumbled away, revealing flesh that looked less like living tissue and more like condensed darkness. Slowly, an enormous maw stretched open beside it, lined with metallic fangs the size of castles. Steel scraped against steel as it inhaled for the first time in centuries. The true king of the Undying Valley had awakened.

Above, completely unaware of what they had awakened beneath the earth, the group remained focused on Tyrus. The colossal machine stood beneath the harsh sunlight, his pristine ivory frame still gleaming despite the devastation covering his body. The enormous cavity torn through his chestplate exposed fractured mechanisms and shattered conduits where the Blade of God had rested only moments before. His systems flickered uncontrollably.

Blue lights shifted to crimson, then white, then back again as every circuit struggled against overwhelming instability. Finally, the machine released a roar that shook the valley itself.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Before anyone could react, Tyrus moved. The enormous construct launched himself toward Chrome. Hachi's thrusters ignited immediately, forcing the black mech backward, but it was already too late. Tyrus's hand closed around Hachi's forearm, crushing the armor beneath his grip as warning alarms erupted throughout the cockpit. Chrome's processors calculated hundreds of possible escapes. None of them succeeded. With terrifying ease, Tyrus lifted Hachi from the ground like a toy.

His other fist pulled back, hydraulic systems screaming as thousands of servos locked into place. The force behind the strike was enough to reduce both machine and pilot to nothing. The punch never landed. A violent shockwave erupted from the side, striking Tyrus before impact and sending the ivory giant flying through the air like a meteor. He crashed through an entire mountain, causing an avalanche of stone to bury him beneath tons of rubble. Atherius slowly lowered his arm, a faint smile resting on his face.

"Now, now, Tyrus," he sighed.

"That is no way to greet the people who just saved your life." The mountain exploded. Tyrus emerged from the destruction moments later, staggering upright while clutching his head. His optical sensors flickered wildly, but he wasn't seeing the valley around him. He wasn't seeing the people standing before him. He was seeing something else. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"No..." His voice fractured.

"You... you're the enemy..." His entire body trembled as broken memories and corrupted systems fought for control.

"I'll save them. I'll save my people from your grasp. I'll save them all!" Atherius watched silently before releasing a tired breath.

"It appears his mind is completely fractured." He glanced toward the others.

"Would you mind helping me? Normally, he isn't this troublesome... though his size does make things rather inconvenient." The horned woman crossed her arms, letting out a quiet hiss.

"You'd better make this worth our effort." Without another word, she removed her heavy traveling robe, revealing the sleek black combat attire of the Royal Library of Irea beneath it. Silver markings decorated the fabric, while twin swords rested across her back, radiating faint streams of pale energy. Hunter stepped beside Atherius soon afterward. Fear remained visible in his expression, his breathing uneven and his hands trembling.

However, after closing his eyes and taking several slow breaths, he opened them again with a calmer resolve. The fear remained. He simply refused to let it control him.

"I'll do everything I can." Atherius smiled warmly.

"Thank you." He rolled his shoulders before turning back toward Tyrus.

"I'll keep him occupied." His gaze briefly shifted toward Ember.

"Our guests can simply enjoy the show." The enormous wyvern growled in protest, his claws scraping against the stone beneath him. Despite his reluctance, however, Ember eventually stepped back. Tyrus's scream echoed once more.

"You murdered them!" Static distorted his voice as his systems continued to malfunction.

"You slaughtered every last one of them! I won't let you escape! I'll kill you! I'll make sure that when I'm finished, even time itself forgets your name!" Atherius sighed.

"My dear Tyrus... that is hardly how one speaks to an old friend." Then he transformed. Dark scales spread across his body like living armor as enormous black horns emerged from his skull. His golden eyes split into predatory vertical pupils, his fangs lengthened, and his entire body expanded beneath the force of his transformation. His clothes tore apart as his skeleton shifted, muscles grew, and four enormous wings erupted from his back.

Two massive tails followed, each ending in bladed ridges capable of carving through mountains. When the transformation ended, no ordinary wyvern stood before them. No lesser dragon. A true dragon. Atherius now matched Tyrus's height even while standing upright. He inhaled deeply before releasing a roar that shattered the clouds above and sent tremors throughout the valley.

"Now then, Tyrus..." His eyes narrowed.

"Let's calm you down." The two titans collided. Instead of meeting Atherius's strength directly, Tyrus used his surprising agility against him, pivoting beneath the dragon's center of gravity and throwing him toward a distant mountain. Atherius dug his claws into the earth, stopping himself before spreading his wings.

"No chance." Using Tyrus's own momentum, he reversed the throw and slammed the machine into the valley floor. The earth shattered beneath the impact. Yet Tyrus refused to stop. His chest compartments opened as energy flooded through his damaged systems, condensing into a massive sphere of destructive power.

"HUNTER!" Hunter reacted. He raised one trembling hand. The energy vanished.

"Perfect timing," the horned woman muttered. She was already moving. Landing atop Tyrus's shoulders, she sprinted across his armor, twin glowing blades appearing in her hands. Tyrus roared and forced himself upright, throwing Atherius aside before reaching toward her. The sudden movement nearly sent her flying, but she caught one of his shoulder plates and continued forward without losing momentum. Atherius emerged from the dust, shaking debris from his scales.

"Oh, for our lord's sake..." He sighed.

"Would you just surrender already?" For a brief moment, Tyrus stopped. His crimson optics flickered. Something buried beneath the madness remembered. Then it disappeared.

"I'LL NEVER GIVE IN..." His voice distorted.

"... TO YOUR KIND!"

"So be it." The dragon charged again. Their final collision shook the entire valley. Mountains cracked, cliffs collapsed, and the force of their blows created winds powerful enough to send every nearby creature fleeing. Neither side surrendered until finally Atherius managed to seize both of Tyrus's wrists. The dragon strained against him, his claws digging into ivory armor.

"Any minute now!" Atherius shouted.

"I'M A LITTLE BUSY, DAMN DRAGON!" The horned woman sprinted across Tyrus's arm, leaping over his shoulder before reaching the junction behind his head. Both swords ignited as she drove one deep into the machine's neck. Ancient runes spread across the blade. The weapon activated. Tyrus convulsed violently.

"No..." His voice broke apart into fragments.

"I... can't..."

"... lose..."

"... to..."

"... filth..." The runes spread through his systems. Blue light became static. Static became silence. The colossal machine finally went limp. Atherius caught his falling body and gently lowered him to the ground before allowing his transformation to fade. Scales disappeared, wings vanished, and horns receded until he once again stood in human form. He brushed the ash from his shoulders and looked toward the stunned group.

"It's alright. We've shut his systems down. He won't move again until we've repaired him properly." Nobody answered. Everyone simply stared. Atherius blinked.

"... Is something wrong?" After a moment of silence, Yuki suddenly burst into laughter, bending over while tears formed in her eyes. The others exchanged uncomfortable glances, unsure how to respond. Callum scratched the back of his head.

"Well..." Before he could finish, Ceasar sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"... Atherius." The dragon looked over.

"... Yes?" Ceasar pointed downward.

"... You're naked." Only then did Atherius look down. His confident smile disappeared.

"... Ah."