Scaramouche's obsession with becoming a god had been with him for a long time.
So naturally, he didn't care about anything like "Divine Knowledge" right now—
The only thing on his mind was connecting with the "God of Pure Mechanization" as soon as possible.
Only through that connection could he draw on the power of the Electro Gnosis…
And _truly_ become a god!
"Heh… well, if that's what you want, then fine,"
The Doctor let out a light chuckle, pretending to offer a kind reminder.
"But just know—once this is done, your entire existence will be bound to the 'God of Pure Mechanization.'"
In truth, this entire "god-creation experiment" wasn't just for Scaramouche's sake.
It was also the Doctor's way of testing and proving the limits of his own knowledge.
Whether Scaramouche liked it or not—
This experiment _would_ proceed.
"Save your breath!"
Scaramouche brushed it off without a second thought.
Becoming a god—nothing else mattered more.
"Very well. Let's begin, then."
The Doctor's lips curled slightly into a smirk, hands clasped behind his back.
With a wave of spiritual energy, he activated the "God of Pure Mechanization."
Soon, the cockpit located within the mech's head began to slowly open.
Once Scaramouche stepped inside, the synchronization process would begin.
During the fusion, he would gradually come to master the Electro Gnosis—the mech's core energy source—
and eventually, he would truly _ascend_.
If one lacked the power to become a god through divine right,
then ascending through science… was another path.
"So it seems the creation of the 'God of Pure Mechanization' is complete—
now they only need to connect Scaramouche with it."
Nolan muttered, surprised, as he listened to Nahida's interpretation.
He hadn't expected the Doctor to move so quickly.
Which meant… the Electro Gnosis had most likely already been integrated into the body of the Artificial God.
Tch… That complicated things.
If that were the case, then there was no way he could sneak in and steal it while invisible.
Even if the Doctor _hadn't_ embedded the Gnosis yet,
he would definitely be carrying it on him—and getting close wouldn't be easy.
So honestly, this outcome wasn't too disappointing.
Either way, if they wanted the Gnosis now—
there was no doubt about it: they'd have to fight.
Nolan glanced at the two—Doctor and Scaramouche—and checked their levels.
Scaramouche was still the same as last time. No change.
After all, he hadn't fused with the Artificial God yet.
But the Doctor…
He was Level 106.
That was nearly on par with ancient Gods like _Osial_.
He was even stronger than the little Dendro Archon standing right beside him—Nahida, who was only Level 103.
Of course, Nahida was still a newly born god,
and she hadn't inherited the Dendro Gnosis left behind by the previous Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
That Gnosis was currently sustaining the operation of the Akasha System.
So in terms of raw power among Archons, she wasn't particularly strong.
Nolan couldn't help but wonder—
how exactly did the Doctor reach the level of a god?
Did he find some method to ascend from human to Archon through sheer knowledge?
Still deep in thought, he turned to Nahida and asked:
"So, right now, the Doctor's basically finished creating the 'God of Pure Mechanization.'
All that's missing is the injection of 'Divine Bottled Knowledge,' and then they'll have a perfect artificial god."
"At that point… he might actually replace you as the god of Sumeru.
Er, what do you think about that?"
The Doctor's unexpectedly high level had caught Nolan off guard.
While he was confident enough to hold his own against ancient monsters like Osial—
a fully functional Doctor, armed with his terrifying intellect and nearly equal level…
was far more dangerous.
Nolan didn't dare underestimate someone who _used their brain_.
And he certainly wasn't arrogant enough to think that being a transmigrator automatically made him smarter.
So when it came to what to do next,
he figured it was best to consult the one also known as the "God of Wisdom"—Nahida.
Though she was small in stature, her wisdom was undoubtedly among the highest.
"Sumeru must not fall into the hands of the Fatui,"
Nahida said calmly, her eyes fixed on the Doctor and Scaramouche as he flew up toward the head of the mechanical god.
"If possible, I'd like to speak with them—to ask them to leave Sumeru.
But considering how domineering the Fatui are… I doubt they'll agree so easily."
She paused, then added,
"So I was thinking of going back and using the Akasha System to obtain the 'Divine Knowledge' ahead of time—
then offer that as a bargaining chip to make them leave."
She understood all too well that, with Sumeru's current military strength, it would be difficult to oppose the Fatui directly.
This compromise, she hoped, could buy them some time—
time to find a way to strengthen Sumeru's military capabilities.
At the very least, they needed enough high-level combat power to make the Fatui think twice before making a move.
That was the only way to ensure Sumeru's safety.
"Mm… I'm afraid it won't be that easy,"
Nolan shook his head.
"The Doctor's not just running this god-creation experiment in Sumeru—
he's also here on the Tsaritsa's orders to collect the Gnoses.
'Bottled Divine Knowledge' alone won't be enough for them."
"Is that so?"
Nahida's eyes widened slightly.
The Dendro Gnosis… not only was it the key to the Akasha System's operation,
it was also a artifact left behind by the former Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
Unless absolutely necessary, Nahida didn't want to give it up.
Nolan thought for a moment.
Outside, there were only two of them: the Doctor and Scaramouche.
Scaramouche could be dealt with using his "Lumine's Sword God" avatar.
As for the Doctor—strong and cunning as he was—
Nolan had no intention of underestimating him,
but he was still confident he could go a few rounds with the man.
And with Nahida by his side, showing a bit of strength might not be a bad idea.
"After all, they're the ones sneaking around doing shady things in Sumeru.
Why don't we just confront them head-on and ask them to answer for it?"
Nolan smiled.
"That's true, but…"
Nahida raised a hand to her lips, falling into thought. Her expression revealed a trace of hesitation.
"Relax. You've heard the story, haven't you?
I took on the Musou no Hitotachi from the Raiden Shogun herself.
There's no way these two Fatui Harbingers are stronger than her."
As he spoke, Nolan let out a subtle pulse of his powerful aura.
Nahida's eyes widened in surprise as she sensed it—
then she gave a firm nod, visibly more confident.
This young traveler was easily as strong as she was—if not stronger.
If they joined forces, there was no way they'd be overwhelmed by the Doctor and Scaramouche.
Yes… confronting them directly just might work!
Seeing that Nahida agreed, Nolan and she backed off slightly—
then ascended from the "Shallow Layer" to the "Surface Layer" of space.
This was to keep a safe distance from the Doctor before revealing themselves,
to avoid triggering a reflexive attack from him the moment they appeared.
The Doctor, who had been watching Scaramouche enter the body of the "God of Pure Mechanization,"
suddenly sensed two unfamiliar auras appear nearby.
His previously calm mood instantly darkened.
The early warning system at the Workshop had been designed by himself—
so _who_ could've gotten this close without triggering any alarms?!
He turned his head toward the source of the disturbance on his right.
---
(End of Chapter)
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