Chapter 2233: The Essence of Jenkins |
"In the hands of different wielders, abilities manifest in different ways. An exceptionally high affinity can even trigger further evolution—a principle I came to understand shortly after acquiring Four Seasons."
A golden light burst from Jenkins's fingertip. The giant raised its hands to shield itself, but the light passed through them as if they were an illusion, striking the massive cheek. The layers upon layers of gears offered no resistance.
The original target had been the black orb on its forehead, but because the giant had turned its head, the blast only struck its cheek. That cheek was also composed of metallic tendrils and gear-like structures, and when the golden light hit, electricity began to flicker through the machinery.
Like a malicious, creeping moss, brilliant arcs of electricity danced wildly across the giant's face. Silver patterns spread out from the point of impact, branching across the brass-colored surface of the mechanical structures and allowing the electric currents to flow even faster.
Even though the Difference Engine was now a Beast of Calamity, it could still feel this strange power corroding it, causing a subtle change in its own strength.
"This isn't corrosion. Just as you said, it is evolution. Your existence is a testament to human ingenuity, which transformed power from manual labor to steam. And now, I am here to prove that steam can become electricity."
It wasn't corrosion, but a further evolution. The knowledge from another world proved that this could bring about even greater power. But for the Difference Engine, which had achieved its ascension by absorbing the very first steam engine, it was the embodiment of steam power itself. It could not accept the evolution into electricity, for that would be a denial of its very essence.
Had it not transformed into the avatar of steam power, the Difference Engine would not have feared the methods Jenkins was now employing. But in accepting the power of a Calamity, it had to accept the influence that power had on its being.
"This is not fair!"
But the golden pages once again blocked the attack. The pages themselves remained unmoved, while the giant staggered back, nearly toppling over completely.
It stood before the vortex and opened its mouth. A black light capable of corrupting the world and ushering in the doomsday of a "Land of Steel" shot forward, but the pages still held firm. They even absorbed some of the dark energy, staining the characters for "Illusion" at their corners black.
"Savior, what is your essence, truly?"
The roaring giant demanded an answer as it retreated to the center of the vortex, its hands gripping the edges. The power it had been radiating now converged entirely on the black orb set in its forehead. As the Beast of Calamity manifested its full might, the sea of stars itself seemed to dim. Black clouds and gray mist poured in from the material world, but the golden light of the pages dispelled them.
Though Jenkins was still in his mortal form, the power he wielded seemed divine. Even the members of the Church could not discern the difference between this force and that of a god, yet at this moment, Jenkins was truly just a man.
The cat on his shoulder grew restless, worried that it would miss its chance to contribute. It hurriedly tried to spit out the bright yellow pearl in its mouth, but at that exact moment, Jenkins pressed his fingers against Chocolate's throat.
"Meow?"
With a firm push, he forced the pearl from its throat back down into its stomach. Chocolate let out a pitiful cry, finally realizing that Jenkins had done it on purpose.
"My essence is actually quite simple. It is not life, death, machinery, destiny, or truth. My essence is my original state, my original form."
He spoke to the giant, making no move to stop the Difference Engine from accumulating power.
"They were right. My essence is my initial form—the form I had when I first came to this world. It is the shape of my soul, the essence I carried within me, an essence vast enough to encompass all mortal things."
"Savior, you are indeed the variable."
The vortex gradually shrank, joining the seven heart-shaped diamonds to form a halo suspended behind the giant. It roared, spewing steam and the power of sin, gathering the iniquities of all eighteen epochs.
"So what? You are not a god yet. But I am a Beast of Calamity!"
It threw its most powerful punch at Jenkins. This was the full force of the Beast of Calamity, the Difference Engine—a blow containing enough power to subvert the rules of the world, enough to bring an end to any mortal thing.
The fist shattered the golden pages. Jenkins simply raised his hand, stopping the fist that seemed ready to pulverize him with the index finger of his right hand.
With a gentle push, the colossal giant stumbled backward. Its massive metal body crumbled, and the black orb immediately shot out from its forehead, attempting to flee into the depths of the starry sea.
But the golden radiance of the pages, which had at some point expanded to cover the entire expanse, had already surrounded the black metal sphere. The light transformed into chains inscribed with square characters, binding the true form of the Beast of Calamity and pinning it firmly in place among the stars.
The pages floated up and merged with the orb, suppressing the Beast of Calamity's power, or rather, embedding the orb into the very center of the pages.
Had the Beast of Calamity been in its complete, undamaged form, it might have been able to put up a fight. But its repeated clashes with Jenkins and his friends had already knocked it from its peak state.
"You are clearly not a god! Why? Why can't I calculate what is happening? What is this power you are using!"
The Difference Engine's voice still echoed from all directions, but now it was tinged with madness. Generally, Beasts of Calamity were insane and impossible to communicate with; only a few rare exceptions possessed intelligence far surpassing that of humans. The Difference Engine was one of those exceptions. But now, faced with an enemy it could not comprehend, calculate, or model, the machine was breaking down. It could not accept that its computational power was unable to analyze reality. This violated its most fundamental rules.
"To be honest, I don't quite understand the current situation either."
Jenkins said, looking down at his own hands, which were glowing with a golden light.
"But I have a theory."
He waved to the train circling overhead. The nine stone tablets of the Doomsday Document, brought by the Church, flew out on their own, crossing the starry sea through the train's windows to float before him.
These nine tablets symbolized both the savior and the calamity. If Jenkins had been able to combine their power with the nine jeweled coins earlier, he might have been able to defeat his opponent without needing the Blessing of the Book.
But that did not mean the tablets were useless now. Their appearance was fitting. The Doomsday Document, which signified the end of the epoch, served a dual function for both calamity and civilization.