Chapter 1441: The Joint Engineering Team

The dragon flock’s landing at the island’s edge was far more chaotic than expected. Watching the scene unfold, Asalina—the dragonborn leader—couldn’t help but feel a slight twitch at the corner of her eye.

To be fair, although her own flying skills were mediocre due to lack of experience, compared to these robust “pureblood dragons” before her, she seemed almost competent in the art of landing.

In her red dragon form, the Dragonmark Witch touched down safely on a clearing near the landing zone. She felt the mechanical armor she wore hum softly as it slowly discharged built-up waste energy. Looking up toward the island’s edge and the vast sea beyond, she saw the dragon flock still descending in formation. It looked messy, but after the initial chaos, no major accidents had occurred. Some of the giant dragons tasked with transporting supplies and personnel were already unloading with the help of their kin. They folded their massive wings and the many figures riding on their backs disembarked in neat lines.

Those figures were the “Iron Men” from the Deep Blue Well city-state, here for the upcoming repair mission.

Further out at sea, the sea witch’s transport ship—bearing a strange name—was slowing down to dock. Its massive hull gleamed under the sun, water pouring out from drainage ports on both sides. White waves churned along the ship’s flanks, and within the surf, graceful shapes leapt and danced beneath the surface.

Dragons, Iron Men, Sea Witches—three vastly different races, hailing from all corners of the world, had now converged here to form a “special engineering team.” Their mission: to repair the ancient equipment left behind in space by the Voyagers. Even the wildest playwrights couldn’t have dreamed up such a scenario, yet here it was, unfolding in reality.

A radiant glow enveloped Asalina’s dragon form, gradually fading into her more familiar human shape. Just then, footsteps sounded nearby. Turning toward the noise, she saw a young female dragon approaching—her long red hair almost identical in color to Asalina’s, though slightly shorter in stature. From her aura, Asalina could clearly sense the unmistakable presence of a pureblood dragon.

Once, this aura had carried a complicated, somewhat alienating meaning for dragonborn who considered themselves “exiles.” But those gray days were behind them. Though the two dragon societies still faced a long road of reconciliation, for many dragons now, this aura was simply a mark to recognize kin.

“Bellranta, the one who fell into the sea just now…” Asalina nodded toward the pureblood red dragon, then glanced anxiously toward the shore. “She’s alright, right?”

“She’s already ashore—sorry you had to see such an embarrassing moment,” Bellranta smiled awkwardly. “Even though some time has passed, many of our kin still can’t shake the effects left behind after the Omega system’s departure. This isn’t something that extra practice can fix. Too many of our people’s bodies have been damaged by overuse of enhancers and faulty implants.”

Overused enhancers, implants malfunctioning after Omega’s exit—once symbols of advanced civilization and technological prowess, these had become a huge problem for dragons after their coming-of-age rites. Despite the combined efforts of the three leaders, the dragons themselves, and allied nations, Talrond society had narrowly avoided collapse. Yet the scars ran deep, and for a long time to come, every “pureblood dragon” would carry these wounds.

As Bellranta explained, life in the Cradle had not only fostered mental dependency but had also caused irreversible physical changes. When the Cradle fell, these once-strong dragons became the “disabled” ones—sometimes even less capable than the dragonborn who had long adapted to their own disabilities.

As a dragonborn unfamiliar with Talrond society, Asalina didn’t know what to say. Words of comfort felt hollow, and proud dragons didn’t need pity. So she simply nodded and turned her gaze to the towering structure before them.

“This is the second time I’ve seen it… and it’s just as awe-inspiring as the first.”

“Yes, the Voyagers’ relics are always breathtaking. Or rather, a civilization capable of venturing deep into the stars should create things that inspire awe,” Bellranta said, eyes narrowed in admiration. “I never thought I’d get to participate in such a mission as a ‘technician.’ The Voyagers’ legacy—even for dragons who have lived for ages—commands respect.”

“I heard… you were once a mechanic in Talrond, but had to give it up after your coming-of-age ceremony due to enhancer backlash,” Asalina said hesitantly, looking at the young red dragon who would soon be her “colleague.” “Are you sure you’re up for this repair mission?”

“Honestly… the only thing I’ve been able to do this past year is care for hatchlings and eggs. But…” Bellranta smiled and raised her hands, fingers trembling and bent unnaturally—clearly no longer able to handle delicate machinery. “I just can’t operate the tools myself anymore. My mind is still sharp. Dealing with the Voyagers’ legacy isn’t easy. Skilled operators and deep experience are crucial. And nowadays, it’s hard to find experienced mechanics in Talrond. Elder Dukemore thinks I can be useful.”

As she spoke, the young red dragon’s face lit up with a mix of hope and pride. “I’ll bring back what I learn here at Skyreach Station and share it with the hatchlings—that’s a promise I made to them.”

Asalina nodded gently. Just then, the sound of waves crashing against the island’s edge caught her attention. She saw the sea witches had landed, led by Viola, the deep-sea sorceress from North Harbor, and “old friend” Cassandra. Behind them, hundreds of deep-sea witches and deep-water technicians—the two main technical groups among the sea witches—were busy unloading all manner of strange mechanical equipment from the “Admiral Dinghai Pingbian” transport ship.

They all looked unusually cheerful, as if the daunting space mission ahead was actually a joyous holiday outing.

But after spending so much time with these ever-joyful “deep-sea allies,” Asalina was no longer surprised. This quirky bunch could strike a pose even in the moment of death. Who knew if anything in this world could ever make these salty sea folk serious?

Meanwhile, the Iron Men soldiers who had ridden the dragons’ “tailwinds” had finished assembling. These tall, human-like androids stood out sharply against the somewhat chaotic shoreline. They moved with precision, running self-checks and inspecting equipment according to preset protocols—disciplined, efficient, like machines or the most orderly army.

Compared to these Iron Men, the sea witches looked like they’d wandered onto the wrong set.

As Asalina and Bellranta turned their attention to the Iron Men engineers from Deep Blue Well, a tall female Iron Man strode toward them.

She wore a mage-warrior uniform from the ancient Gondor Empire, her short black hair neatly framing a flawless, doll-like face. Beneath her bangs, her eyes were cold and mechanical. She saluted Bellranta and spoke formally: “Thank you again for your assistance during the journey.”

“No need to thank us. Escorting you through the storm was the most reasonable plan,” Bellranta smiled, then looked a bit embarrassed. “Uh… Alice… what was your full designation?”

“Alice—RS6 Advanced Special Operations Tactical Iron Man,” the soldier replied expressionlessly. “Equipped with Level 3 autonomous learning and technical analysis capabilities, capable of offline command.”

“Ah, then we’ll just call you Miss Alice… Sorry, we’re not very familiar with Iron Man classifications,” Bellranta waved her hand. Then, curious, she glanced toward the Iron Men’s assembly area. “Strange… where’s the engineering commander sent by Cecil? He should be with you…”

“The engineering commander is adjusting his condition. He is unwell and temporarily immobile,” Alice-RS6 answered.

Bellranta’s face instantly grew tense. “Is he alright?! Let’s go check on him!”

Without hesitation, she strode toward the Iron Men’s gathering spot, with Asalina quick to follow.

They passed through the increasingly lively shoreline, weaving between sea witches, dragons, and Iron Men assembling and testing various equipment. Finally, they reached the edge of the earlier landing zone, where a metallic, vibrating voice was loudly complaining:

“How was I supposed to know I’d get dizzy?! I’ve never gotten dizzy since I was a little ball… well, I can’t really remember, but I’m pretty sure I never did… Maybe it was the magnetic interference when I passed through that cloud…”

Following the voice, Asalina spotted the striking silver-white metal sphere lying on the ground. The grumbling came from inside that very orb.

Bellranta’s expression twisted into something strange. Though they’d met and exchanged introductions before departure, seeing this “ball” now still felt odd.

To be fair, as an ancient dragon who had lived through countless years, she’d seen many strange races—if not in person, then through the Omega network. But she never expected the engineering commander sent by Cecil to be a ball.

A talking, floating ball.

And that ball’s name was Saint Nicholas “Egghead.”

The thought of working alongside such a bizarre orb in the days to come made the red dragon’s worldview feel like it was on the verge of collapse.

But in the end, she pushed all those strange thoughts deep down into her heart. The restoration of the Sky Station was initiated by the Cecil faction. The only access route to the station, as well as the permissions required to operate within it, were entirely controlled by the human emperor himself. Although ninety-nine percent of the actual project team was made up of sirens, dragons, and ironfolk, the crucial one percent—the key leadership positions—were naturally reserved for Cecil’s appointees. Among them, Cecil had the right to designate an engineering commander to oversee the entire operation.

Considering the legendary aura surrounding “Emperor Gawain Cecil” and his undeniable achievements, along with his immense personal prestige within dragon society, Bellanta was willing to believe that this “Mr. Egg” appointed by the “Emperor Cecil” had the capability to get the job done.

“Are you alright?” Asalina approached the Egg Commander with concern. The figure before her was a perfectly round, solid metal sphere, exuding an impression of extreme sturdiness. Yet now, it seemed this metallic being might have an unexpectedly fragile side.

“I’m fine, just a bit dizzy. Probably some magnetic interference when passing through the clouds earlier,” came the slightly muffled voice from inside the round body. “But more than that, I want to say—you knocked me down…”

“Knocked you down?”

Bellanta blinked in confusion. Then, the metal sphere suddenly wobbled, slowly bobbing upward with some effort. As it rotated awkwardly, a somewhat comical smiling face on its surface gradually turned to face the two dragons.

Asalina: “…”

Bellanta: “…”

“Much better now.” The Egg Commander emitted a relieved hum as it regained its ability to float, then slowly turned toward the towering structure ahead.

The majestic tower gleamed with a metallic sheen under the sunlight, casting a vast shadow over the distant sea—a shadow that stretched like an artificial twilight.

“This… is actually quite interesting,” the metal sphere buzzed softly. “Perfect. Let’s just say it’s a change of pace for the job.”

Within its full 360-degree view, sirens, dragons, and ironfolk soldiers had each completed their inspections and preparations. The massive engineering team split into several groups: some began setting up a temporary base on the “Island of Steel” as planned, while others headed toward the entrance at the base of the towering structure.

…

The “Joint Engineering Team” had now arrived at the base of the orbital elevator.

Gawain, who had been closely monitoring the progress, immediately confirmed this through the elevator’s sensors.

Now, under the command of Nicholas “Egg” as engineering director, the team—composed of three vastly different races—was establishing a surface research station on the Island of Steel. The first group scheduled to ascend and carry out tasks had already entered the tower’s main hall, preparing by the elevator.

In his study within the Cecil Palace, Gawain exhaled softly. A wave of indescribable relief and emotion washed over him.

After waiting so long, he could finally begin the restoration of the Sky Station.

(End of chapter)