If the Golden City weren't so large in surface area, the crater formed in the Middle Region could have affected the other regions too. Hundreds of thousands of bodies would rot in the crater, mix with the soil, and give life to the seeds pouring from Alator's hand, causing the formation of another Great Tree. Including the World of the Six Civilizations, transformation was an inevitable reality; every living being had to open the way for the next one.
Speaking of opening the way, the Power Animal in front of the few humans advancing underground was doing this job literally, not metaphorically.
Master Leonardo was one of the few humans possessing a Power Animal, and thanks to his mole, he was advancing towards his target without getting involved in the hell above ground. Leonardo, Michelangelo, Alis, Holzmeister, and his son, advancing dozens of steps underground, continued on their way without getting caught up in the battle taking place in the Southern Part.
Almost all of their forces forming the Southern Front had reached their desired places. Only Dimitri Balsici and Dona Gracia, who had separated to look for the Leaders of the Four Great Merchant Guilds, hadn't managed to achieve their goal yet.
While following his Power Animal with quick steps, Leonardo suddenly stopped. The mole froze its small front paws in the air; it was waiting for its master's order. Then for some reason, it began to dig downwards; the journey towards the depths of the earth was continuing.
"Master Leonardo, why didn't we go straight. According to my calculation, we should be twenty steps underground!"
Holzmeister couldn't resist; he was demanding information about why they had to extend the path further when they were this far underground. For people who made it a principle to possess information, this behavior was so natural that Master Leonardo answered calmly as if he had been asked how he was.
"The Machine Empire units are aware of my skills. Even if it's impossible for them to know what I have invented, they know some of the features of my Power Animal.
If we had continued straight, we would have had to pass through an area full of mines the size of walnuts, and rest assured, even Michelangelo couldn't destroy them all at the same time."
The Machine Empire cared about information at least as much as Holzmeister and mobilized every means to obtain it. Just as they possessed information about Master Leonardo's skills, they were also equipped regarding his apprentice Michelangelo.
They had wanted to cover the handicap arising from his possessing the power to shatter mechanical devices with smaller but more numerous weapons. The foundation of the security network they set up underground came from information, but there always had to be someone more knowledgeable.
Master Leonardo might have been exempted from the Machine Empire's resources a long time ago, he was planning to do something with limited means on the Savage Swamp, but meeting Nafız had been a turning point for him.
The limitless wealth of the Orc Empire and the abundance of its investment in science had allowed Master Leonardo to make invention after invention. The device in the shape of a clamp attached to the sharp nose of the Power Animal was one of them too.
They were using this invention to see the dangers coming their way while underground. The vibrations emitting from the device were hitting the first obstacle coming their way and returning, or they could trigger the detonation of the mines, just like now.
"Get ready! We are going up to the surface!"
When Master Leonardo gave his instruction to those behind him, the Power Animal began to advance upwards at an angle. If it were only Leonardo, it could have surfaced vertically by taking him on its back, but they had to think about the ones following.
Especially Holzmeister and his son were people smarter than the others but mediocre in terms of physical attributes. Even if Alis and Michelangelo could adapt to any condition, this journey was perhaps the greatest danger in their lives for them.
When they reached the surface minutes later, they were taking deep breaths; their lungs, constricted due to the limited oxygen inside the tunnel while advancing underground, were showing the joy of suddenly returning to normal by coughing.
Those other than the father and son were relaxed. Master Leonardo was thoughtful while examining the surroundings; Alis hadn't made a move for her swords, but her body language was shouting she was ready to fight at any moment.
"Leonardo, Leonardo, Leonardo!"
Then a deep voice echoed in the darkness and advanced. While the group, uneasy due to the light being only enough to illuminate a distance of a few steps, was taking a defensive position, the torches began to light up one after another.
The torches on the walls, black as if covered with pitch, were arrayed at equal intervals, and the shadow of none of them fell upon the other. From top to bottom, there were ten rows, fifty torches from left to right on one wall, and judging by the darkness of the ceiling, they were still underground.
"I knew you would come here no matter what, Leonardo. That's why I had this place specially prepared for you; if you had delayed a little longer, I was thinking of making a few more additions, but I still think it is worthy of you.
I created the most ideal environment for a rat that does its business hiding underground, my dear classmate Leonardo!"
The faces turning to Master Leonardo saw the face of the short, sympathetic man, who always tried to take things on the positive side, contorted with anger perhaps for the first time. While the power animal disappeared and returned to the tattoo on his body, Leonardo stepped forward because the person who was the owner of the words just now was showing himself.
He was right opposite the group standing on the floor, but the platform he was on was a few human heights tall. The torch light hitting the face of the man possessing golden blond hair made his sky-blue eyes shine the most.
"Fritz Todt, the person who is condemned to always come one step behind me and who was once my best friend. I must say I liked the preparations you made for me very much; just like in the days when you always took the duty of preparing a celebration for me throughout our education and professional life. The fact that you haven't forgotten your duties as the biggest loser condemned to second place is admirable!"
Two Scientists, two High Architects were addressing each other. Neither curse nor direct insult was present in their words, but for a tenth of this, a mass massacre would be carried out on the Orc Steppes.
Even though the facial expressions, body language of the two men, and their breathing while saying the words were reminiscent of people fighting, their sentences were reminiscent of academics taking an intellectual debate one step further.
"If you remember the old days so well, you must remember the first event where I took place ahead of you too, right? Have you forgotten that the jury we presented our theses to chose me and not you?"
"How could I forget? Even if you were the first, the thesis that became the first belonged to me. I am sorry I couldn't guess that my best friend had been waiting for the day he would steal my work throughout his life!"
While two men, two old friends, two Scientists were talking, the others had to remain silent. Even though they learned the relations between them dated back to years ago, they couldn't react.
"I see you haven't been able to get over your sorrow since that day. While I rose rapidly within our society, you first hid in a squalid corner, then you are sustaining your life in a despicable, low-IQ, and uncivilized society like the orcs.
Actually, it is a great virtue to know your place; it might have been easy to be a great scientist among the mediocre."
Leonardo took a deep breath. Upon the insults he was subjected to one after another, his apprentice Michelangelo wanted to step forward, but grabbing the boy by his black metal arms, he sent him to his place behind him.
"You aren't wrong; I couldn't rise within your society that you praise to the skies. Even when my body was inside the Machine Empire, I had no intention of joining you. Then I wanted to establish my own utopia on the Savage Swamp; I strove to create an area far from you, even far from all other humans.
Finally, the Orc Empire welcomed me with open arms, and ultimately, here I am. Well then, tell me mighty Fritz Todt, what are you looking for here?"