Chapter 57 The Mechanical Heart All he needed to do was trust her. But…

Nova slowly climbed down from the Yeti's back, a wrench dangling from his mouth, and fiddled with a tool Lucas couldn't understand in a hidden spot.

With a "click," a small metal door, almost blending seamlessly into the fur, slid open on the Yeti's trapezius muscle.

"Meow." Lucas thanked her and wished her to adjust the ring as quickly as possible.

The Yeti's interior was warm, just like when they had warmed themselves on its head that day. The deeper they went, the stronger the metallic smell became.

Beneath their feet was a metal mesh, and below came the slow rumble of gears turning. The walls were covered with riveted steel plates and incomprehensible pipes, as if it were another world.

“Absolutely amazing,” Lucas exclaimed. “The craftsmanship of the dwarven mechanics… a product of the fusion of mechanics and magic, I’ve always dreamed of seeing it…”

Ashlin rolled her eyes at him. Lucas thought to himself, at least she looked at him.

At the confluence of the pipes lies that ever-beating heart.

Lucas was so excited he could hardly breathe; perhaps he was dreaming. The mechanical heart was as exquisite as the illustrations in those storybooks, made of interlocking bronze components, polished to a perfect smoothness, like a sleeping giant cocoon.

At its core, a large white crystal is embedded. With each pulse, the crystal's halo shifts and ebbs like the tides, its radiance filling the cabin with a discordant softness.

“Absolutely amazing,” Lucas said, completely forgetting why he had come. “If only I could draw this…”

Ashlyn stepped on his front paw.

Behind the crystal hung several design sketches. Lucas leaned closer to examine them; they were mostly about the Yeti's body structure. Several words appeared frequently:

Creation, destruction. Silvina, Cynthia.

At the bottom is the dwarf's signature: Amber.

On the metal platform below, another word is engraved:

Number three.

"Is this Yeti number three?" Ashlin asked. "Are there any others?"

“I’m afraid so,” Lucas said. “But they might be far away. Let’s deal with this one first.”

Ashlin placed Billy's seed on the mechanical heart with her mouth, gazing intently at the seed, trying to awaken it with forest magic.

The seed has sprouted.

But something inside the Yeti also discovered this.

A piercing metallic scraping sound rang out from all directions, the mechanical heart suddenly paused, and then began to beat even more wildly, as if it had suddenly encountered a beloved one.

The white light from the crystal flickered, causing the entire space to shimmer, making it impossible for them to open their eyes.

"It's a defense mechanism!" Lucas exclaimed. "Ashline, act quickly!"

"Stop ordering me around!" Ashlin shouted, and tried to cast a spell again.

The green sprouts have grown a little taller, but it's still far from enough.

Ashlin's magic is so powerful that making plants grow is no problem for her at all.

Unless, something on her mind has disrupted the rhythm of the magic.

The metal pipes began to writhe like tentacles, quickly reaching towards Ashlin. Lucas quickly stepped in front of her, scratching them a few times with his fingernails.

That's incredibly stupid. Now he's missing a few nails.

The pipes bound him up, and Lucas couldn't help but feel that he had been bound too many times along the way.

The golden retriever deftly dodged several pipes while maintaining its balance on the trembling ground, staring at the twin grass seedlings, but it remained motionless.

“What are you thinking?” Lucas felt like he was suffocating. “Just let it grow, you can do it.”

“I don’t understand,” Ashlin murmured. “I don’t get it, Lucas. Do you think I’m stupid?”

Lucas felt incredibly stupid. "Of course not. I was just trying to point out that you could stop me from becoming CatSnacks."

“Symmetrical grass,” Ashlin said. “Twin grass. I can tell LKD is a very powerful mage, or at least an excellent researcher of magic, even if he or she isn’t of divine lineage. LKD wrote that twin grass can grant magic, but even orcs have found that this grass doesn’t actually grant anyone magic. How could LKD be wrong? Why do you say he’s wrong?”

The pipe was tightened.

"Now is the time to be agonizing over this?" Lucas asked incredulously. "Do I need to remind us of our current situation?"

Ashlin turned her head, behind her was a pale, flickering light.

"I could guess the answer, but you already knew it all along, yet you never told me."

Lucas widened his eyes, trying to appear pitiful, but it was probably useless. He was never good at playing dumb.

"The Twin Grass does indeed grant magical powers, doesn't it? Only half of it does. The other half is highly poisonous. Both sides look exactly alike," Ashlin speculated.

Lucas managed to utter, "Yes."

“That’s why, even after finding the truth about Billy and exposing the High Priest’s lies, we still didn’t pass the trial,” Ashlin dodged several flying pipes and approached him. “You knew about the Twin Grass all along. And you also knew something about LKD. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Lucas wished she had chosen a better time, at least not when he was about to be strangled by the insane mechanical pipes.

He had to tell the truth, at least part of it, or Ashlin's magic wouldn't work. He now knew that the witch's magic was entirely tied to her mind; if her mind was in turmoil, her magic would be just as chaotic.

“I didn’t want to tell you because it’s a secret.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Lucas realized it was a pointless statement, so he added, “A family secret.”

Ashlin bit through several fragile pipes, silently watching him. Lucas, feeling he wouldn't die anytime soon, simply said:

“I know about the Twin Grass because of my uncle. He didn’t die of illness… he also took this grass. In the end, it sounds better to say he died of illness.”

"Duke of Langrit".

“That’s right. Taking this herb is like taking a gamble: either you gain magic, or…”

"To die."

Lucas nodded. "And he lost the gamble; the stake was his life. We just announced to the public that he died of illness."

“Billy lost the bet too.” Ashlin realized. “Then LKD…”

“Lanrit Noel Deville. Actually, I think many people might have that name, but after seeing the handwriting, I'm certain he's my deceased uncle.” Lucas spoke quickly. “That's my biggest secret. That's what the High Priest wants to hear. Are you satisfied, Ashlin?”

"So you didn't tell me just because it's a royal scandal?" Ashlin said irritably. "You're something else, Lucas."

Lucas felt a pang of guilt.

"Yes, now you have leverage over the Deville family. May I continue the spell?"

Ashlin hummed a few times, giving him a suspicious look. "Perhaps."

She turned around, her steps becoming much lighter, and pointed her nose at the twin grass.

A green light emerged.

The pale green and snow-white leaves emerge in pairs, each pair a perfectly precise mirror image, as if meticulously calculated by a mathematician. They twine around mechanical pipes, their roots penetrating the metal gaps.

At this moment, the white stripes on the right half of the Twin Grass, as if soaked in ink, turned into the black of the night. The magical poison flowed into every part of the mechanical heart, and gradually, the heartbeat grew weaker and weaker.

The pipe was loosened, Lucas.

The cabin shook violently and tilted to one side. The Yeti was falling. Lucas slid toward Ashlin, thinking rather inappropriately: a golden retriever would be a comfortable place to lie down.

However, the twin grass never stopped growing. It grew taller and taller, reaching straight for Lucas.

Ashlin immediately rolled over to stand in front of him, assuming a defensive stance. Dark branches and leaves wrapped around her limbs.

Lucas's heart was gripped by fear.

Driven by canine instinct, Ashlin took a vicious bite of the Twin Grass. The grass trembled in pain and began to grow elsewhere.

The Yeti fell to the ground.

They quickly escaped the Yeti's body and leaped bravely into the trees of the Frostclaw Forest. Nova was also on the ground, turning his ring.

The light from the crystal at the center of the heart went out.

In its final moments before collapsing, the Yeti emitted a strange sound. Completely different from its previous roars, it was extremely high-pitched, likely inaudible to humans.

However, Lucas didn't have time to think about that; he rushed towards Ashlin with worry. "Meow, what are you thinking about? You can't bite that grass!"

Ashlin looked at him, puzzled. "I didn't swallow it!"

“The Twin Grass is a masterpiece of God; its poison doesn’t only take effect when swallowed.” Lucas tried to pry open her dog’s mouth with his paws.

Ashlin shouted angrily.

"I feel great! Nothing's wrong, just a little dizzy," she said, swaying slightly. "Like I've been drinking."

Just then, Lucas sensed something was different. Ashlin emitted a faint green light, her form shifting and changing, sometimes resembling a dog, sometimes a girl.

"We passed the trial!" Lucas breathed a sigh of relief. At least they wouldn't suddenly die in the battle against the Yeti because of failing the trial.

But then he realized that this also meant he was about to lose his humanity.

He wanted to say something more, but Nova held up the ring, which was glowing red. Clearly, she hadn't figured out how to adjust it yet.

"There are two more Yetis. They're here. This Yeti just summoned them. That strange sound."

In the distance, two enormous white shadows came treading on the pitiful pine trees, like a massive avalanche.

They don't have any more seeds.

“Turn back to human form, put on the ring, Ashlin,” Lucas said hastily. “You are a child of the forest; perhaps you can wield the power of the Ring of God.”

"Another method?" Lucas found it hard to accept the idea of ​​breaking the trial. "Ashlin, the three trials are an ancient tradition of the orcs. The wreath isn't something you can get so easily."

“Ray said the high priest put the wreath in the mouse hole, remember? I did see a mouse hole during the first trial.”

“Unfortunately, none of us are rats,” Lucas said. “If everyone could just steal the wreath, why would the High Priest bother with all this?”

“We’re not mice, but we know a mouse!” Ashlin grinned. Lucas saw a dog with its tongue sticking out and a happy girl at the same time. “When I fainted from hunger earlier, I re-established my mental connection with the dragon Aisusa. She and Zack are coming soon. If we’re lucky, we’ll see them today!”

“Wow,” Lucas feigned surprise, “when did you become so resourceful?”

Ashlin's two forms flashed continuously.

“Let me think…maybe from when I was born.” Ashlin pretended to think, then looked at Lucas seriously. “I’m going to change back. Are you ready?”

Lucas nodded.

All he needed to do was trust her.

It doesn't matter if he temporarily loses his mind; Ashlin will bring him back. Not because he's somehow worthy of her doing so, but simply because that's who she is.

The light exploded like green paint. Ashlin transformed back into the blonde girl he knew.

She shifted her legs uncomfortably and stretched.

“Oh dear,” she frowned, “I still feel dizzy. Is it the Twin Grass that’s causing this?”

“That’s right. Lanrit’s notes say that the Twin Grass might have a drunken effect on the divine descendants,” Lucas reminded him. “It’s a good thing you’re a divine descendant! Otherwise, you would have ended up like him.”

Ashlin pouted.

"I can't understand you anymore, and I don't know if you can even think like a normal person anymore. Come on, there are still two mechanical monsters to deal with."

She patted his shoulder, gesturing for him to go up.

Lucas felt increasingly drowsy, his human consciousness threatening to slip away. He did his best to maintain his mental focus, at least enough to catch a glimpse of the current battle situation.

The houses in Coldclaw Forest were already in ruins, and most of the orcs had fled to who-knows-where.

Although the Yetis were enormous, they were not particularly agile, and no Orcs died; at most, they were injured.

Samuel, the deer-man, lay unconscious on the ground. Billy tried to chop at the Yeti's feet with an axe (with little effect). Ray fired arrow after arrow at them, only slowing them down.

Nova hid behind a rock and examined the ring with a magnifying glass.

“This turquoise originally contained magic for both creation and destruction. But the magic for creation has been consumed.” The dwarf handed the ring to Ashlin. “Now only the magic for destruction remains.”

She looked up at Ashlin, her face as expressionless as ever, but her eyes sparkling.

“You are the child of the forest, I’ve heard. You can save all of this.” Her tone was firm.

Ashlin hesitated for a moment, for some reason.

Just as she was about to put on the ring, Ray screamed from behind her: "Watch out!"

They immediately lowered their heads. The Yeti stepped over their heads and, like plucking daisies, uprooted all the pine trees around them.

The golden ring flew into the snow.

Before Lucas could react, a large hand grabbed him and lifted him high into the air.

"Lucas!" Ashlin cried out in alarm, grabbing the ring in a panic.

But the ring was kicked away by the Yeti.

The Yeti gave Lucas a careful look, probably thinking he wasn't even enough to fill a tooth gap, and then casually tossed him aside.

Not far away, a ball of fire seemed to be shooting towards him, but Lucas had no time to pay attention. He felt himself falling continuously, like in a dream where he was falling off a cliff.

Just then, a red, scaly creature slid past him and caught him.

Author's Note: I've been writing the later drafts lately, and I've gotten to a part I really enjoy writing! So, I'll be updating the current drafts daily (???)