Those engineering mechas seemed to be designed with functionality in mind rather than appearance.
The jagged steel structure and exposed hydraulic equipment give it a sophisticated technical feel and a crude industrial feel.
The roaring engine rumbles, and every step seems very heavy, and the thick exhaust pipe releases a lot of steam.
The engineering mechas that came out were of different sizes, some large and some small.
Some of them are hundreds of meters high, and their huge bodies look like mythical Titans. Just standing there gives people a huge sense of oppression.
The small ones are only five or six meters high.
Compared with the large mecha, it is small and flexible, with thrusters installed at the back, capable of hovering and flying, and using mechanical tentacles to perform operations.
Holding various mechanical equipment in his hands.
Those engineering mechas were opening up the black tunnel wall while assembling the mechanical equipment together to form a unique tunnel wall.
Surprisingly, the engineering mecha had no aesthetic appeal at all, but the tunnel it built was very smooth, without any trace of industry.
Just like a polished silver gem, under the crystal clear case, it sparkles with the unique glow of electromagnetic patterns.
Even with the naked eye, you can see how smooth the tunnel walls are.
Such a magnificent tunnel demonstrates a connotation that eliminates all functions and technologies, and expresses the lightness and transcendence of philosophy and art.
It can be called a work of art.
The tunnel is huge and can be called a magnificent engineering marvel.
Even mere humans standing inside seem insignificant.
Qiu Chen watched the engineering mechas coming out of the tunnel, their heavy metal bodies etched with golden double-headed eagle emblems.
It sparkles in the dim sunlight.
The suspension thrusters behind were also humming, emitting high-temperature air waves.
The pilot sits in the cockpit overhead.
With his enhanced senses, Qiu Chen was able to see the shock on the driver's face.
They themselves probably didn't expect such a scene to occur.
"Where did they come from?"
“Did you just dig it up like that?”
"There's obviously nothing behind the door, right?"
"Oh my god, this is incredible."
... ... ... .
Many time travelers gathered outside the cordon, with shock and astonishment in their eyes.
They talked a lot, all with amazement and disbelief in their tone.
But the imperial people did not give them any explanation.
Let doubts grow in their hearts.
Qiu Chen originally thought that the people in the engineering mechas would jump down and say hello to them or something.
Unexpectedly, after digging through the road, those engineering mechas behaved very vigilantly.
It was as if those imperial people and time travelers were some kind of indescribable monsters.
They retreated back to the depths of the tunnel in an orderly manner without saying hello to Qiu Chen and the others.
After a while, a train rushed out from deep in the tunnel.
The front of the train was equipped with a plasma energy stack. As it moved forward, it would occasionally emit high-temperature steam and make shrill whistle sounds, just like an ancient steam locomotive.
The train stops at the end of the tunnel, on the other side of the black gate.
After stopping, a group of imperial men wearing scarlet robes and holding gear crutches walked down.
They talk in a weird binary language.
A moment later, a guy who had been transformed beyond recognition and had little flesh and blood left on his body also walked down.
Qiu Chen could see that he had a very high status.
The red-robed people along the way were all saluting him.
Several important figures in the base, Celestine with white wings and Agman in blue power armor, also appeared and went to greet them.
After chatting for a while, they returned together to the high tower which had the highest level of confidentiality in the base and no outsiders were allowed to approach.
The train quickly returned to the tunnel and sank into the depths of the silver tunnel.
But soon, another train arrived.
More humans wearing golden double-headed eagle uniforms and some supplies were delivered.
They all have more or less mechanical prosthetic limbs and their expressions look very rational and indifferent.
No one talked to the travelers.
They were all in a hurry and didn't care about the noisy time travelers.
"Could they all have come from the Empire? Did the Empire dig a tunnel?" an elderly time traveler said in shock, "Then, can they rely on this tunnel to travel through different universes?"
"That's impossible! If they could do such a thing, how terrifying would that empire be
”
"They don't look very strong. We used real swords and guns to fight the fog creatures."
"What is strong?"
"Have you never seen the kind of supreme power? The kind that can blow up countless universes with a single breath, the kind that is immortal, reborn with a drop of blood, and rule the world for eternity? That kind of power is in line with the level of the multiverse. Look at them, they even have to use engineering mechas to repair the tunnel. They look so weak at first glance."
"You've probably read too many comics and have become hysterical."
"You think something that looks as powerful as a tiger but has a zero-to-five record is strong?"
"What he likes is the kind of supreme power that has a very awesome setting, where after three days of fighting, other than the Great Dao being wiped out, not even a pit could be made."
"Hahaha, I suddenly remembered a TV show I watched before I traveled through time. It was about two cosmic-level strongmen. They talked a lot, saying that the king was invincible and could destroy something in the universe with one breath. But they ended up fighting in the neighborhood and couldn't even leave a pit. And there was a group of people bragging about their fighting power."
"What's this? I watched an awesome anime, where the protagonist was immortal, beyond all boundaries, and a super strong man. Then, the protagonist was locked up in an iron cage by the villain organization, and had to fight wits and courage with a group of villains who could be killed with a pistol. He pretended to be a pig and ate the tiger, and had a harem. When I watched it, I wanted to kill the author with a kitchen knife. What kind of mental state could create such a thing? Speaking of this, I have to write this down. If I can go back, I will kill the author, otherwise it makes me angry when I think about it."
"If you use anime and novels to apply reality to others, you probably have a hole in your brain."
"Those multi-level supreme powers are so terrifying that they make me tremble. I hope they won't damage the floor of my house."
“I’m shaking too.”
When many time travelers talked about this, they all laughed again.
Qiu Chen looked at the huge tunnel and agreed more with the old timer's statement.
Perhaps it really is a tunnel connecting to other universes.
If that were really the case, how amazing would the empire's power be
It is definitely a powerful force at the multiverse level, capable of secretly controlling things like time travelers. It is an unimaginable existence.
From day till night, no one paid any attention to the time travelers who gathered around them.
You can see trains coming and going in the tunnel and staff wearing the Imperial Eagle emblem coming out one after another.
Seeing that no one paid attention to him, Qiu Chen didn't waste any more time standing there.
It seems that this matter will not produce any results in the short term, so it is better to go back to sleep and rest.
Just wait for the Empire to decrypt it.
I got home, just finished washing up and was about to go to bed when there was a knock on the door.
"Who is it? Why do you knock on the door when people are sleeping?" Qiu Chen was also a little annoyed.
But he had no choice but to get up.
When he reached the door, he looked at the situation outside through the surveillance camera.
The person knocking on the door was Titus, with whom he had a good relationship.
The other party was wearing heavy power armor.
Behind him were several warriors also wearing power armor.
Looks like it's ready for battle?
"Come to check the water meter?" This was Qiu Chen's first thought.
Has he done anything recently that violates Imperial law
Do you pray very devoutly every day
Is it against the law to talk about dating the beautiful Miss Celestine
Let a rough guy like Titus come to trouble him?
"Is there something wrong? Titus." Qiu Chen, feeling uneasy, opened the door and asked in confusion.
"There is an urgent mission. Put on your clothes and follow me." Titus said, "In the name of the great regent, we don't have much time to waste."
"You have to tell me what I'm going to do?" Qiu Chen felt relieved when he heard Titus' words. The laws of the empire are extremely harsh. Once you are found guilty, it will be difficult to justify yourself.
"I have to be prepared. You know, different environments require different weapons. The more targeted they are, the higher the survival rate."
After hearing Qiu Chen's words, Titus was silent for a moment, then said something.
"The alternate universe project needs you. We found a new coordinate from the soul of a time traveler. If nothing unexpected happens, the base will be able to master the method of traveling to different universes. For safety reasons, we need a few time travelers to travel with us."
"You are so powerful that no one can match you. Even those strange creatures are no match for you. Why do you want to travel with us?" Qiu Chen turned back to the room, put on his clothes, picked up his weapons, and asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"If you rashly enter one universe into another, there may be danger. The physical rules of the misty world have been distorted by the subspace. The gods have occupied this universe and destroyed its physical rules. This has also provided us with convenience. We can enter and exit this universe that is about to be destroyed and completely swallowed up without any restrictions. Just like a planet with a space rift, demons can easily enter and exit without blood sacrifice."
"You all have been selected as time travelers, and you may be able to help us avoid those crises. Let's go, the gunship is waiting outside, and we will be able to reach the base in a few minutes."
"It sounds like I'm just a mourning bird." Qiu Chen shrugged and said as he walked.
Qiu Chen lives in a building with a landing platform for suspended vehicles.
As you walk out of the gate, you can see a suspended gunship.
The imperial double-headed eagle emblem is embedded in the hatch.
The anti-gravity array emitted an electromagnetic crackling sound, releasing a powerful anti-gravity force field, allowing the gunship to remain suspended ten centimeters above the ground.
Unless the gunship does not need to go out on a mission, it will not shut down the anti-gravity array if it stops temporarily.
“A bird of mourning?” Titus strode onto the humming gunship, a blank look on his helmetless face.
"In my world, when industrialization just began, the automation of mines was very low, and there were not many devices to detect toxic gases. Many miners died of poisoning without knowing it. For safety reasons, the miners at that time came up with a solution, which was to bring a canary with them when going down the mine. As long as they didn't make a sound, it meant danger was coming."
Titus laughed when he heard Qiu Chen's words.
"If you think so, it makes sense. But I still want to tell you that this is a rare opportunity. If you succeed, you will have the opportunity to move up a level and be accepted into the huge system of the empire. One day, you will even be sent back to your universe as a model, so that the people in that world can swear allegiance to the empire."
"I understand that wealth and honor can only be achieved through risk," said Qiu Chen.
"Let's go. Those guys are already waiting for us. If everything goes well, we can set off soon. The empire needs more information about the universe, which will be very useful." Titus said.
The outpost is very large.
It was built on the foundation of the original small town.
Today, this outpost has become a bridgehead for the foggy world and the largest gathering place for humans.
Sitting on the hover gunship, watching the city.
Qiu Chen felt mixed emotions.
Outside the outpost city lies a dangerous foggy world where horrific, twisted monsters lurk.
Those ruined cities and ruins herald the horror of the coming of the old days.
The huge wall of the outpost city separated the two.
Inside the walls are safe gathering places where neon lights flicker and people work.
Enjoying a life that is no different from the normal world.
The buildings in the outpost city are getting taller and taller, and at this point in time, there are flashing neon lights everywhere.
Pubs, barbecue stalls, and hidden bad places have all started business.
People complete a day's work and are releasing excess hormones and relieving stress.
The flying traffic is like a school of barracudas on the seabed, flowing continuously and flying in an orderly manner according to the designated altitude and road.
The gunboat where Titus was located had the highest road authority.
The empire's first priority is military.
Military vehicles take precedence over social vehicles.
The Imperial gunships flew across the aerial lane, and despite the constant flow of traffic, they were able to move smoothly without wasting any time.
The center of the outpost city, and also the tallest building in the city, is tall and majestic.
The gunboat stopped on the exclusive helipad, and Titus jumped off the vehicle with Qiu Chen and others.
Qiu Chen noticed that the number of guards here had increased.
There were also some nuns in power armor patrolling back and forth.
Holding a gear scepter, the mechanical priest, with little flesh and blood left on his body, stared at Qiu Chen.
The rotating electronic prosthetic eye lists all the information in the mind with the database responding in milliseconds.
If there is a problem, they will take direct action and ask the target to undergo inspection without any reason.
They can even kill suspected targets who are unwilling to cooperate with inspections.
After walking through the corridor, Qiu Chen was brought into a magnificent hall.
A huge statue of the Emperor sits in a shrine at the end of the hall, a suspended servo-skull holding an incense burner or candlestick with mechanical tentacles.
The smoke of incense enveloped the hall, surging onto the ground like a tide after a floodgate was opened.
A group of high-ranking officials of the empire were standing around the projection, the pale light of the projection reflected on their faces.
Sitting in the main seat was Agman, who had a serious face and clear lines as if he had been cut by a knife or an axe. Next to him was Celestine, who had a handsome face, a good figure, exuded a sacred aura, and had a pair of white wings.
Qiu Chen glanced at those people. Each of them was a powerful figure who could easily decide his life or death.
This is no joke.
Anyone here who opens his mouth can cause the outpost to tremble.
No time traveler would be stupid enough to provoke anyone here.
Whether in terms of force or power, they stand at the top of this world.
Qiu Chen noticed that there were other travelers who were summoned, and he silently counted them in his mind. There were a total of eight travelers here.
Obviously, like him, he was one of the people chosen to participate in the journey to the other universe.
Eight mourning birds.
It seems that the danger of this operation is really "tsk tsk".
Fortune and wealth are achieved through risk.
Once successful, the future will be limitless and will definitely attract the attention of the highest figure in the empire.
If you can join such a terrifying empire, the benefits will be unimaginable. You may even become a big man walking in many universes, deciding the life and death of millions of lives with just a gesture of your hand.
There is no need to say anything if you fail.
"It looks like everyone is here, so let's officially begin." Agman waved his hand, and the huge projection changed, showing a series of words and images.
Qiu Chen saw his own image, and it was obvious that he was a member of the alien universe exploration team.
"Please explain the next phase of the plan to everyone attending the meeting, Sage Stern." Agman looked at a senior executive who was wearing a red robe and whose entire body was mechanically modified.
Qiu Chen followed the other person's gaze and looked over. It was the red-robed man he saw walking out of the train before.
The other party's name is Sage Stern.
After years of understanding, Qiu Chen knew that the empire’s main scientific research institution was an organization called the Mechanicus.
This organization calls researchers of different levels apprentices, priests, sages, and it is said that there is a higher level called Forging General.
Qiu Chen had only seen mechanical priests before, and had never seen the so-called sages.
This made him look at it a few more times.
The Mechanical Sage has a very tall body, which may be related to the fact that he has undergone a highly mechanized transformation.
There are seven or eight mechanical tentacles on his body, and each one is like an extension of his body. They can be used very smoothly without any jamming.
"The first section of the tunnel has been completed, which means that the Empire has achieved a phased success, but it is still a long way from the final success." Stern stood up, and a mechanical tentacle clicked on the holographic projection. "This universe is only of scientific research value to the Empire. A large number of worlds have been completely corroded, and the laws of physics have been distorted to the point where they are difficult to recover. For this reason, we cannot invest too many resources in this universe."
"We need to continue to study the characteristics of the subspace in depth. On the basis of today, we need to find a way to other universes. And they."
Sage Stern paused, pointed another tentacle at Qiu Chen and the others, and continued, "These strangers are our best chance to make a breakthrough. Even though they have lived here for a long time, they still have traces of their original universe on them. These traces are the coordinates we need."
"Starting from these coordinates, we may be able to reach those universes. Of course, this is an extremely risky behavior. We know nothing about those universes, and those universes may have complete laws of time and space, and have not been distorted or destroyed by the subspace. In that case, our appearance will inevitably cause some possible defenses. Just like demons entering our universe will be expelled by the laws of physics."