Chapter 21

In the 37th year of the Star Dome Calendar, the alarm system of the Cold Pool Quantum Lighthouse sounded before dawn. Chen Feng gripped the Resonance Compass tighter as the gear assembly in the center of the dial spun frantically counterclockwise, pointing its needle straight toward the "Rust Sector" at the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy—a place where no civilization had ever set foot, yet one that had suddenly erupted last night with the rhythmic sound of colliding gears. "The frequency matches the whistle wavelength of a 19th-century Earth steam locomotive." Su Yuhan's voice carried bewilderment. The waveform chart jumping across the holographic screen matched the vibration frequency of the gear mold left behind by Old Zhou down to the letter. "And even stranger... the signal is mixed with the hydrogen-oxygen isotope spectrum of Cold Pool water." At the same time, Liu Ruyan's interstellar communicator rang. The monitoring station of the String-Weaver Civilization sent an emergency visual: the core star of the Rust Sector was enveloped by a swarm of mechanical gears. Those metallic structures were devouring stellar energy at a visible rate, and every gear edge was engraved with forging runes homologous to the "Cosmic Artisan's Handbook".