Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 561 - 514 Infiltration Plan

Silence filled the room like settling dust, and Lyle could even hear the vibrations from a water tank behind the wall amidst the quiet. After a few seconds, the sound of scales rubbing together in a giggling noise arose from behind Lyle.

"I didn’t mean to!" Shiny clasped his hands to his chest, smoothing down the scales on the backs of his hands, "This plan is just too brilliant... too crazy, gave me goosebumps."

Lyle turned back, and SS was still sitting there, only the shifting light on his goggles proving his persistence.

"Are you serious? Allowing an outsider to infiltrate your temple? To spy on your god?"

SS tapped his knuckles on the tabletop, his head bobbed up and down as he faced Lyle, as if scrutinizing a qualified test subject.

"First, the Mechanical Divine Sect is not a typical religious organization, and I don’t have much... um... devotion to the very useful Mechanical God. An entity that is always taking from me, yet I never see it; it’s difficult not to define it as a ’tool’. Besides, Executor 10001, the High Priest, has no intention or action of praising the Mechanical God either. This realistic pragmatism, I believe, has indeed covered each corner of the sect. The Mechanical Divine Sect is simply cloaked in divinity to blend into this world. In fact, our organization is more aptly called a ’company’ or ’corporation’."

"Furthermore, this is my personal view, I believe it’s a move to protect the interests of our clan. Our Mechanical God has a problem; it is aging and even moving towards obsolescence. As a member of the Mechanical Divine Sect, a ’faithful’ believer of the god, I think it is my duty to make an effort to figure out what’s wrong. Find the problem, solve the problem. This is my, SS’s effort for my own clan."

"Finally..." SS’s slender metal knuckles made a resounding snap like the striking of a bell, and his index finger pointed straight at Lyle. "You need this information as well, don’t you? If you follow normal protocols, believe me, you will definitely not be able to meet the Mechanical God. Starting a difficult task with unsure trepidation is also for your own good. Moreover, according to the information I’ve collected about Andrey’s Liches, it seems like an assignment you would gladly accept and excel at."

"Look, this benefits both you and me."

SS extended his palm toward Lyle, "Lyle, help me."

He didn’t look like a mechanical creature, his sincere plea was genuinely moving, and his slightly humble posture combined with his tall stature would make anyone’s heart flutter. Any human being with a heart would agree to his request.

Then Lyle coldly observed his acting.

"Haven’t you left something out? Like the risk involved in infiltrating this city’s architectural wonder, those interested in this city won’t be deterred by the simple instructions of Mr. Delusion. That’s the Sun Pyramid, where your High Priest and god reside together. Since even you are barred from it, how do you expect me to infiltrate? As a loose experimental subject on a metal platter being sent in?"

"Besides, what could I possibly learn from peeping at the Mechanical God? Maybe that magnanimous entity can accept your tool-like sneering, but if I were discovered, would it still be so generous as to let me stay for a working lunch? If that’s the case, SS, why don’t you infiltrate it yourself? You would be more suitable than I am, wouldn’t you?"

At Lyle’s unemotional counter-question, the stealthy hand that had reached out from behind him retracted.

SS exhaled with an almost human-like sigh, retracting the hand that had hung in the air, his voice box muttering quietly.

"Aren’t Liches supposed to be easy to persuade, just like any other undead creature? It turns out that the ancient Spellcasters that still exist today are no fools. Even though that guy 10001 managed to persuade someone, I could not; it must be because my cheating module isn’t skilled enough."

Lyle paused for a moment. "Because Mr. Delusion from the literary club has helped me many times, he is my friend. Nevertheless, my involvement this time was also unexpected." Putting aside his regret, in his line of sight, SS made a decision, sliding his hand across the table, a virtual projection of the Sun Pyramid appeared in the middle of the table.

"The security measures of the temple include, but are not limited to, laser cannons, alloy mechanical dogs, huge engineering machinery, laser traps, and the locations of machine gun cameras are unknown. Every piece of wall is covered with anti-magic coating, and the Titan electromagnetic ring set is buried in the bottom floor. If necessary, it can pull the entire pyramid and squeeze this colossal pyramid into a flat plate. You cannot use magic inside, and it itself contains the highest technology of the Mechanical Devine Sect."

"But it won’t kill already sentient magical creatures, including those Necromantic Creations."

"This infiltration mission has almost no chance of success," said SS, spreading his hands, as a glowing blue path appeared on the projection of the pyramid within, leading from the upper side towards the center, then branching like a spiderweb to every corner of the pyramid. "This is the only possible entry, the relatively loose air ventilation ducts."

"I can guarantee your safety in these series of ventilation ducts because I designed them, as my first design for my coming-of-age ceremony."

Going through air ducts to infiltrate a secret facility, quite the work of a secret agent.

"My plan is this. Lyle will infiltrate the interior of the pyramid through the ventilation ducts, I will assist him with remote connection, Lyle will go straight to the bottom through the ducts, where he can spy on the Mechanical God."

"During the process, I will use an electronic virus to leave a layer of misleading disguise on Lyle, replacing the read-write information of the pyramid’s internal machinery with me, meaning Lyle will be cloaked in my information to infiltrate the pyramid. We can disguise all this as a clumsy SS inspecting the ventilation ducts and then accidentally falling inside. If he is discovered after emerging from the ducts, those machines will ultimately assist Lyle to be safely returned; if not discovered, that would be impossible."

"Lyle, what you have to do is, during the time you are exposed until you are assisted back, discover as many problems facing the Mechanical God as possible. I will seek with you, but remote cameras definitely won’t see as much as being there in person."

Lyle measured the possibilities within this plan.

"I still don’t understand, SS, why don’t you infiltrate yourself, whether it’s through the ventilation ducts or your personal information, wouldn’t it be more convenient for you personally?"

SS hesitated for a moment, then told the truth.

"Because you are important, Lyle. My disguise might deceive those mechanical eyes, but absolutely not 10001 or the Mechanical God. If it were really me who was discovered, I would face punishment, the punishment of the Mechanical Devine Sect, either the seizure of the body or the formatting of the mind. Our punishments for mechanical lifeforms are much more severe than yours."

"But it’s different for you, Lyle, you come from that Andrey, you’re still a friend of 10001. From a diplomatic perspective and for fear of the Undead Academy, your treatment will surely be extremely cautious, and you might not even receive any punishment because that guy needs you, you’re here to deal with these issues, right."

"You’re important, Lyle, so important that they wouldn’t dare to act rashly."

Lyle tapped his forehead lightly with his index finger, looking at SS with a teasing gaze.

"So you let someone as important as me crawl through your ventilation ducts."

SS touched the metal back of his head, chuckling sheepishly.

"But they are useful, aren’t they."