BXBX NOVEL Chapter 103 - A Partial Mask
The three of them appeared in front of the statue, without the machines which Nikolai had already taken down. Yuxi and Lex looked around the tower and the platform.
Nikolai took out the key and placed it in the statue, and the eyes of the Souls Mechanic lit up. The sculpture began to move and aimed its gun toward the sky.
"I took care of the machines for you two, so I\'ll leave the rest for you guys," Nikolai said as the statue pulled the trigger, shooting toward the sky.
The two looked at Nikolai with a frown before looking at the shot in the sky. It was like a shooting star that exploded in the sky before falling toward the platform.
Each part of the shot struck a platform, making it start to move. The platforms began to line up between their platform and the tower. Then, the star in the sky descended toward the building and struck its highest points.
"What is going on?" Lex frowned as the gears began to shift in the tower and the gate parted open.
"The Souls Mechanic is inviting us in," Nikolai said with a grin. "Lex, prepare yourself. I\'m clueless here. You are the mechanic."
"Do you mean..."
"Use your eye," Nikolai said with a sigh. "Just don\'t look at me."
Lex looked at him and nodded. The three walked atop the bridge until they reached the entrance of the tower. The moment Nikolai set foot inside, the ground lit up with his step as the origin and lines darted everywhere.
The circular hall had a pillar in the middle of it. Lex turned toward Nikolai, who nodded before she walked toward the pillar. She took off her eyepatch, and the flame appeared around her eye.
The Celestial Eye analyzed all. Lines, numbers, and diagrams appeared on the pillar when the Gunmaster touched it. They moved around the pillar rapidly, with various circles appearing beneath them.
A wall of light appeared around the pillar, isolating Lex inside. She could no longer hear or talk to them until she calculates the inputs given to her.
\'What are these?\'
Yuxi pulled on Nikolai\'s sleeve and gestured. Nikolai flicked his arm away and glanced at her with a frown.
"You should have seen some of them in Rohan Academy," Nikolai said, but the archer shook her head. "They are equations, questions, and calculations."
\'Why here?\'
"It\'s a test for Lex from the Souls Mechanic." Nikolai turned toward the Gunmaster. "She might end up being possessed, though."
Yuxi\'s eyes widened as she tried to rush forward and prevent Lex. Nikolai, however, grabbed her arm and flung her back. She landed on her rear as she looked at Nikolai with confusion.
"Don\'t interfere with her fate." Nikolai glared at her. "She can do this. If she fails, I\'ll simply kill her."
"Ahh," Yuxi\'s face turned into a terrified expression. She tried to stand up, but Nikolai already had his gun in hand. He aimed it at her.
"The only reason that I told you about this was to test you," Nikolai said with a grin. "What are you going to do now, mute archer?" Yuxi looked at him with fear and then looked at the muzzle.
\'Why do you act this way?\' She raised her trembling hand and gestured. \'She\'s a good person.\'
"You think you have the duty of saving everyone as if they need saving. You are the truly arrogant person for thinking others can\'t fend for themselves. Lex will win using her efforts. If you truly care about her instead of your petty self-esteem, sit back and watch."
Nikolai lowered his gun and slid it back into the holster. He stood to the side and waited. This time, the archer didn\'t try to run forward and simply watched from behind.
Lex\'s hand darted from one place to the other, solving calculations and questions instantly. She flicked her finger, writing a string of numbers before the diagram disappeared.
Nikolai could never pull such a thing off. He wasn\'t the brightest in school and calculations, even with his advanced intelligence state. The reason was simple: he hated studying, despite knowing how important it was.
The diagram and numbers began growing fewer. Sweat rolled down Lex\'s face as her limits were tested one time after the other. However, she never folded. The calculations that needed several hours to finish were done with the flick of a finger.
The complexity increased by a large margin that even Nikolai couldn\'t keep up. At the start, he could make out what the question is. Now, it was beyond him.
The flame on Lex\'s eyes increased in intensity until it exploded. A celestial presence descended as a partial golden mask covered Lex\'s eye. She was waving her hand so quickly that it left afterimages.
"She can materialize the Celestial Eye?" Nikolai\'s eyes constricted as he unconsciously gripped his gun. The divine presence made him feel nauseous and threatened, even though it was less disgusting than holy powers.
The pillar began cracking as Lex continued to solve the calculations at breathtaking speed. Light shone from within the cracks before exploding as Lex drew the final line.
The Gunmaster retreated as the pillar began breaking. With a deafening sound, the pillar split into many pieces that fell apart under the eyes of the free.
The white barrier around Lex disappeared as well, and it gathered into what appeared from within the pillar. A fist-size crystal floated on top of a small stand. The spiritual energy that was countless times stronger than the one in the parts resided within the crystal.
"A soul?" Lex was surprised as her celestial eye looked at the crystal. The partial mask began cracking until it disintegrated into pieces.
She lowered her eyepatch and turned to Nikolai with confusion. Her black hair stuck to her tanned skin because of the sweat it poured out. Nikolai turned from her toward the crystal in the middle.
"Careful!" Nikolai darted forward as ethereal energy exploded from within the crystal. It formed a figure that rushed toward the unaware Lex.