NABC 062 Ice Cellar
062 Ice Cellar
"Hey! Push!" Angers lifted the bottom of the brass can and together with Schneider, tried to lift the brass can into the superconducting magnetic field.
"It's going to collapse! It's going to collapse!" Schneider said.
"Angers, quickly help over there!" Mans directed from his wheelchair.
The two men huffed and puffed, finally managing to put the brass can into the superconducting platform. In fact, each of them could have moved the brass can, but the height of the platform made it difficult to exert force, so the two old men had to hold each other back.
"I'm getting old, and even moving things makes me sweat a lot." Angers took out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead.
"It's all your fault for announcing the Kuimen operation ahead of time. All the researchers here have gone out to celebrate. None of us know how to operate this robotic arm!" Mans complained.
The four mechanical arms directly above the brass can remained motionless, "watching" the disheveled state of the three old men below.
"You teach mechanical design, Mans, why don't you know how to use this mechanical arm?" Schneider hissed as he stared at Mans as if he wanted to kill him.
"Fighter jet designers don't need to know how to fly fighter jets, so why should mechanical design teachers know how to operate robotic arms?" Mans retorted confidently.
"Alright, we've captured Dragon King Norton. It's right here. Now it's just the three of us. Let's enjoy this moment."
The brass jar floated silently in the superconducting magnetic field, its surface covered with dark green rust, and faintly visible were engraved Gandharan-style patterns, with two snakes guarding a giant tree. A crack ran down the upper part of the jar, meandering from the edge of the mouth.
Mans stood in front of the quartz glass cavity, leaning on his cane, his gaze fixed on the crack.
On the Moniach, the brass can was still covered in mud and seaweed, and he only had time to confirm that it was generally intact. Now that it was clean, under the light, the cracks were deeper and longer than he remembered.
"What happened to this crack? Was it there from the beginning, or was it caused by an impact during the mission?" Schneider asked.
"It was there from the beginning," Mans replied.
The atmosphere grew tense. If the Dragon King Norton was asleep inside, what did this crack mean?
"Angers, do you think Norton is inside this 'egg'? Could he be watching us from behind the crack?" Mans asked.
"Whatever is in there, it's currently suspended in a low-temperature environment without metal, and a uniform, strong magnetic field is keeping it suspended," Angers said. "It poses no threat to us at the moment."
"Why don't we run an MRI scan on it and see what's inside?" Schneider suggested. "Do you know how to use an MRI scanner, Professor Mans?"
"Not only do I know how to use an MRI scanner, I also know how to shut down your respirator, Professor Schneider," Mans retorted irritably, starting the MRI scan.
Soon, the results of the MRI scan were displayed on the huge screen, and in an instant, everyone's expression changed.
"Two chambers," Schneider said in a low voice.
"One is empty!" Mans said.
The internal structure of the bronze vessel is clearly visible, divided into two halves. One half appears to contain a huge fetus curled up, while the other half is empty. A disturbing crack is located precisely above the cavity.
"That's the crack where the dragon egg hatched," Angers said.
"Two dragon eggs, one hatched, is it the one you fought?" Schneider asked Mans.
Mans shook his head and said, "No, the size is wrong. The dragon servant is fifteen meters long and wasn't hatched temporarily. Besides, it's not qualified to sleep with the king."
"The King of Bronze and Fire, the King of Earth and Mountains, the King of Sky and Wind, the King of Ocean and Water," Angers said. "We have been studying why the titles of the Four Dragon Kings have two parallel attributes, and now we have the answer."
"Twins!" Schneider growled, staring at the empty cavity with a look of hatred in his eyes.
"If one of the Bronze and Fire Kings has awakened, where is it now? Could it already know about our actions?" Mans said worriedly. "Moreover, is there some kind of connection between the awakened Dragon King and the sleeping Dragon King inside that we don't know about? After all, they are twins. If there is such a telepathic connection as twins, it is not a wise choice to put the brass pot in the school."
“Don’t worry, Mans,” Angers said. “Norton is the King of Bronze and Fire, and fire and metal are the essential forces that awaken him. That’s why we designed this quartz glass cavity to house him. It’s isolated from metal and close to absolute zero, sealing away the realm of bronze and fire.”
Angers added, "This is the power of science."
"If the King of Bronze and Fire realizes something is wrong, he will definitely return to Bronze City. If he finds that the brass pot is missing, he will surely go mad, and that will be a disaster!" Mans said.
Angers nodded and said, "We must keep a close watch on that place. The crew of the Moniach are still in the Three Gorges, and they can carry out the surveillance mission."
"That's right, they played a significant role in this operation. If there's a situation there, we can restart the personnel deployment for the Kuimen operation, saving us the adjustment period," Mans said, a hint of pride on his face.
"Heh, Mans, who are you trying to fool?" Schneider sneered. "They are indeed excellent, but if it weren't for Lu Mingfei and Zero joining at the last minute, would you and your apprentice have been able to return? Would Ye Sheng and Jiu Deyaji have been able to escape Bronze City?"
Mans' breath hitched, and he was speechless for a moment.
Angers patted Mans on the shoulder and said, "Ye Sheng and Aki have already retired. Their resumes are already very impressive, and they don't need to return to the battlefield. Our young people are also very outstanding, so let's leave the future operations to them."
"That's right, the emergence of S-class has indeed brought about changes to this academy," Schneider said.
"Changes?" Mans was in the Three Gorges when school started. This was his first time back at school since the start of the semester, and he was unaware of what had happened there.
Angers said, "Caesar and Chu Zihang are jointly preparing a debriefing meeting, using footage of the Kuimen Operation as teaching material. Previously, those two would compete with each other whenever they met, but now they're sitting at the same table discussing tactical plans."
Schneider snorted, his tone unusually relaxed: "Finally, it's starting to look decent."
"Young people are changing faster than we expected," Angers said.
The three men's gazes returned to the brass pot. Under the light, the crack resembled a half-open eye, quietly watching the three humans standing before it.
"Ye Sheng has retired, and you're injured. I'll have Manstein lead the next mission; his Word of Power is also 'Snake,'" Executive Director Schneider suddenly turned to Mans and said.
Mans nodded and said, "In water, 'Snake' has irreplaceable strategic value; it's the most suitable. I'm going back to teaching. In the meantime, I'll be working with the equipment department to design the refit plan for the Moniach. I'll show you what I'm capable of as a mechanical design expert then!"