Geardock/Story

AreaStory

← Night of Phantasms | Geardock | →

Main Story

Jupiter's Promise

In Gob's abandoned workshop, Geardock, Jupiter appeared before the remaining Ancient Gods whose power had not yet been stolen by the Apostles. Jupiter addressed the gods and asked them whether there were any amongst them who did not hold a grudge against the Overseers' servants. He noted that they had been forced into a long slumber by the Adversaries, and that they had only just woken up to find that yet another servant of the Overseers – the Transcendent Gerand Darmoor – and his followers were now targeting them. He explained that he had lost his left arm because of Darmoor, and that his mechanical prosthetic symbolized the end of the gods. He then asked the gods whether there were any amongst them who claimed to be stronger than him, pointing out that despite all his power, he had been defeated and humiliated by Darmoor, who had stolen the power of the Ancient Gods and given it to his mortal followers. Jupiter then declared that they had effectively not been attacked by the Transcendent's followers, but by dozens – if not hundreds – of gods whose power was now in the Apostles' hands. He noted that in doing so, the gods, who had once ruled as supreme beings, were now rendered no different from mortals. He asked the gods whether he was the only one angered by the collapse of such a truth, to which one hooded god declared that they were all just as furious as him. Jupiter then explained that he had been fortunate enough to meet Gob's disciple, Melian, who had replaced his arm with his prosthetic, adding that it may have proven to be a disaster if she hadn't. He noted that he wasn't the only victim, as such things had already happened or would soon happen to the rest of the gods. He told the gods that they had no idea how many of them had already lost their power, or what Darmoor intended to do with all that power. He added that they would all be killed if they simply stood by and allowed it to keep going, to which Garuda declared that they could not let that to happen, while another goddess wondered what kind of person could have taken out all the gods. Jupiter rallied the gods and told them that they needed to work together against Darmoor, as they couldn't let him keep doing as he pleased. However, he told them that he wouldn't stop those who didn't wish to fight from leaving. Nevertheless, the hooded god and Garuda declared that they would all follow him, while a small, spirit-like god named Tiny told Jupiter that he would do whatever he could as well. Jupiter thanked the gods for their support and promised that he would personally put an end to the age of the Transcendents with his own hands.

Elsewhere, Gob arrived in the Arcus desert to meet with Melian. However, Gob curtly asked Melian what she had to tell him, to which she replied that she hadn't thought that he'd come to see her so easily after how long it had been. She then began asking Gob how he was, though Gob cut her off and asked her whether she had really asked to meet for a social call. He explained that he had only come out of curiosity to see what she wanted from him after so many ages, to which Melian replied that she had thought that he had come out of affection for his old student. Gob asked her whether she still believed there to be any sort of feeling between them, to which Melian noted that he was just as harsh as ever. Gob asked Melian to hurry up and get to her point before asking whether she was still trying to go on about ‘it', adding that he wouldn't sit and listen if she insisted on talking nonsense. After a pause, Melian admitted that she felt guilty about what she was about to do, though she then smiled sinisterly and told Gob that he was right when he had said that there was no sentimentality left between them. She then activated her control device and summoned several robots that surrounded Gob. As they advanced on him, Gob asked Melian what she was doing, to which Melian laughed and told Gob that she needed him, adding that she was still his one and only disciple.

Investigating Arcus

Several days later, Kelly and Ailene summoned the Adversary to the Arcus train station, where they told the Adversary that Gob had been missing for several days. With Iker and Khafdi out on their mission, and with no information on who had taken Gob, the Primacy asked the Adversary for their help in finding him. Ailene explained that they had already searched Grandis for Gob, though the only lead they had found was a broken robot in a remote part of the desert, with several machines installed around the robot. Though she had believed it to be too suspicious, Kelly had insisted on investigating, as she was certain that Gob had built it. Ailene asked Kelly whether she was sure about investigating personally, as she was a non-combatant who wouldn't be able to escape any trap set for them while also rescuing Gob. When Kelly retorted that she wouldn't be a burden, the Adversary agreed to reinforce them so that they could help the pair in case it really was a trap. As they traveled to their destination aboard the Arcus train, the Adversary asked Kelly why she couldn't have teleported them there. Kelly explained that they needed exact coordinates, and that Ailene only remembered the general area where she had come across the robot. Ailene then asked Kelly whether there was anything from Gob on her communication device, to which Kelly listened in and noted that there was nothing. She explained that Gob must be unconscious, as there was no way that he would be out of touch for so long. Ailene wondered whether Gob had been kidnapped, with Kelly speculating that perhaps someone who wanted Gob's technology had taken him. Ailene asked Kelly whether she knew about any sort of Ancient God who held a grudge against Gob, though Kelly replied that she had never heard him mention anyone who did, adding that he would already be dead if he had been taken by one of his enemies. When Ailene speculated that perhaps the High Flora had taken him, Kelly agreed that Darmoor was targeting the power of the Ancient Gods, though she then noted that since Darmoor had already taken most of Gob's power, there was no reason why Gob would be targeted again. Ailene wondered whether Darmoor may have been trying to take even the little power that Gob had left, as the Primacy's investigation had led them to learn that there weren't many Ancient Gods left in the world, meaning that the High Flora may have wanted to take whatever they could still get. Kelly realized that if that was the case, then the situation had turned into a huge problem. However, she also pointed out that there was no way that Gob wouldn't have made preparations for such an eventuality, as he had already done a good job of hiding from his enemies inside Tirnog. Ailene agreed and noted that Gob would have been careful after his powers had been stolen. Because of this, Kelly believed that whoever had taken Gob had to be someone unrelated to Darmoor, adding that though she had no idea who that could be, the clues in the desert may point them in the right direction.

After they arrived at the site, Kelly began inspecting the machine, which Ailene believed couldn't have been made by Gob, who always designed his machines in his signature image of a toad. However, Kelly was certain that the machine was identical to Gob's construction and decided to activate it. Immediately, the ground began rumbling as the sands shifted to reveal an enormous elevator shaft installed in the middle of the desert. As they approached it, the elevator began descending deep beneath the desert, leading them into Geardock. As they did, Melian reported to Jupiter at the bottom level that uninvited guests had entered the facility. Upon learning that they were Gob's mortal allies, Jupiter noted that he still couldn't understand Gob's eccentric behavior before ordering Melian to handle them, claiming that he didn't wish to be disturbed as he put their plan into motion. Melian then activated Geardock's security system and ordered the machines to attack Gob's guests, noting that it would only be polite to greet her old master's friends. Meanwhile, as the Adversary and the Primacy marveled at such an enormous facility existing beneath the desert, the security robots were activated and began attacking them. As they fled to safety, Kelly noted that the machines had also been created by Gob, meaning that they would likely find their answers by continuing to investigate the area. After the Adversary fought through the robots, they arrived at the second floor, where Kelly told them that after examining the area, she was now certain that Gob had not only created the robots, but the entire facility itself. As Ailene wondered why Gob had created such a place, the Adversary noted that if Gob had built the space, then he may have come there of his own volition, rather than being kidnapped. However, Kelly replied that if Gob had gone to do something there, he would certainly have told her about it. Ailene pointed out that perhaps there was something that Gob was hiding from them, which frustrated Kelly to realize. The Adversary then suggested that they continue looking for clues, and so they split up into two teams, with Kelly and Ailene investigating one part of the third floor, and the Adversary investigating the other. After rendezvousing, however, the group realized that they hadn't found anything, and so they decided to go down even deeper.

Meanwhile, Jupiter confronted a wounded Gob, who demanded to know what Jupiter was doing. Jupiter asked Gob why he hadn't answered his call, to which Gob replied that he had no intention of siding with him, claiming that Jupiter stood no chance of winning the war that he was about to begin. Though Jupiter noted that he wasn't trying to start a war, he nevertheless asked Gob why he believed that they would lose. Gob replied by asking Jupiter why he was gathering the Ancient Gods together if he didn't intend to fight, noting that it was obvious that Jupiter was trying to get revenge on Gerand Darmoor. He then asked Jupiter what else he would call immortal beings trying to annihilate each other if not war. However, Jupiter retorted that the fight against the Transcendent of Life was inevitable for Darmoor to fall, and that someone had to start it. He asked Gob whether he truly believed that Darmoor would stop hunting them down if they sat by and did nothing. Gob agreed that while someone had to stop Darmoor, it wouldn't be Jupiter, warning him that not even uniting the Ancient Gods together would be enough to defeat the Transcendent. Jupiter then asked Gob who, if not him, would kill the Transcendent before laughing and asking whether Gob himself would do it. Gob explained that it wasn't him or Jupiter or any of the gods who would defeat Darmoor. Jupiter asked Gob who he had in mind, noting that it surely couldn't be any of the mortals whom Gob had sided with. Gob admitted that while he wasn't sure who would kill the Transcendent, he believed that the Adversary of the new age stood a chance against Darmoor. Jupiter was taken aback and asked Gob whether he truly meant to say that one servant of the Overseers would turn on another. However, Gob revealed that the Adversary didn't serve the Overseers, and that they had already slain one fallen Transcendent and saved the world. He added that Jupiter would be amazed by what the mortals that he looked down upon could accomplish, adding that he himself was also quite amazed as well. After a pause, Jupiter asked whether there was truly such an Adversary in the world who had killed a Transcendent, noting that such a being was yet another threat to all immortals. As he turned away, Jupiter told Gob that Melian had voiced her concerns when he had sent out his call to all the Ancient Gods, believing that he shouldn't have invited Gob when she was certain that he would refuse to side with them. Though he had once thought differently, Jupiter realized that Melian had been ultimately been right. He noted that they had all been cast down as gods by the Overseers' servants, with their names long forgotten and their power stolen and used by common mortals. He declared that the supreme beings who had once been revered as gods had disappeared, leaving them as only ghosts of a forgotten past, and yet he noted that Gob still didn't seem angry about such an ignobility. Realizing that he would never appeal to Gob through ideology, Jupiter instead ordered him to activate Kronos, promising to release him if he did. Gob was shocked that Jupiter knew about Kronos and realized that Melian must have told him about it. He angrily demanded to know whether Gob even knew what Kronos was, revealing that it was a furnace that used the divine Erdas of the gods as its fuel. However, he explained that Kronos was useless on its own without the Erda Condenser that he had built as its counterpart, adding that the Erda Condenser was stored in a place that Jupiter could never reach. However, Jupiter simply told Gob not to worry, as the preparations had already been made.

The Tiny God

Elsewhere, the Adversary and the Primacy continued fighting through the endless waves of machines, with Ailene cursing Gob for creating so many of them. As more robots continued teleporting to their location, Kelly realized that the security system must have been configured to continue creating more robots until all enemies had been eliminated. After fighting through the machines, the group reached the furnace entrance, which appeared to be free of any threats. As they reached a locked door, Kelly noted that it was being guarded by a security system, making them wonder whether there was something important inside. In order to find a way to disable the system, the group decided to explore the other side of the floor, leading them to a robot warehouse. As they walked past the offline machines, Kelly noted that the robots in the warehouse seemed to be offensive weapons, rather than being designed for defense and security. Ailene was surprised that Gob was secretly creating weapons without informing the Primacy, though the Adversary pointed out that the robots in the facility could have been made in the past instead. Kelly believed that was plausible, noting that they had no idea what Gob had been like long ago. She then recalled that Gob had once told her something about his workshop during the Ancient War, with Ailene noting that it wouldn't be strange for Gob to have come to his old workshop on his own. She then wondered whether Gob had come there looking for something and had gotten trapped inside, speculating that perhaps he had forgotten his password from long ago. However, Kelly chided Ailene and told her that Gob wouldn't possibly have done something so stupid, though Ailene mumbled that it was completely possible for something like that to happen to someone. Just as they decided to split up and search the area, however, Tiny – the small, spirit-like Ancient God who had attended Jupiter's rally – arrived with a security robot and trapped them inside a bubble with his divine power. Tiny demanded to know who they were and why they were trying to attack him when they didn't seem to be Ancient Gods. The Adversary began explaining that they weren't trying to fight, but rather, they were merely defending themselves from the security robots. However, Tiny angrily declared that they were Jupiter's minions, causing the Adversary to recall how Jupiter was the Ancient God whom Gob had told them about.

Tiny then asked the group to let him go free, claiming that his absence wouldn't cause any disruption to Jupiter's plan. As he began threatening the group, the Adversary interrupted Tiny and explained that they weren't Jupiter's minions, but Gob's friends who had come looking for him. Tiny realized that even the Hand of God himself had been captured, which confirmed their suspicions that Gob had indeed been kidnapped. After Tiny released them from their bubbles, he introduced himself and explained that he had followed Jupiter's call to Geardock, and that Securitron Z beside him was a machine from Gob's workshop. Tiny explained that after he had escaped Jupiter, he had been wandering around Geardock until he had encountered Z, who had helped him navigate the workshop. Z explained that his function was to assist those in need, causing Ailene to note that Z appeared to be different from the other robots. Z revealed that he was capable of thinking beyond his programming, and that he had determined that those who were lost needed help, which was why he had decided to assist Tiny. Tiny then asked the group whether they were here to save Gob, revealing that he had come across the Hand of God several times during the Ancient War, and that he had even asked Gob to make weapons for him. He noted that if Gob had been kidnapped, he would surely be in Geardock, as Jupiter had summoned all the Ancient Gods to Gob's workshop, much to the group's surprise. Tiny then asked that they let him go, as he just wanted to escape Jupiter and reach safety. Though the Adversary began considering it, Ailene suddenly pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Tiny, who was furious at being betrayed. However, Ailene retorted that while Tiny had claimed to not be Jupiter's minion, he had never promised not to harm them, for which she threatened him to reveal everything he knew about Jupiter and what he was planning to do in Geardock. Though Kelly noted that Ailene's methods were a bit extreme, she agreed that they couldn't simply let Tiny go when they had almost no information to go on. The Adversary concurred and pointed out that even if they could get that information themselves, they still needed to know how to disable the security device at the furnace entrance.

Furious at being betrayed when the group had initially showed him kindness, Tiny ordered Z to do whatever it took to stop them. However, Z remained paralyzed by indecision while processing the fact that both Tiny and the Adversary's group were in need of help. An angry Tiny reminded Z that they had been working together the entire time, and so Z agreed to keep his promise to Tiny. Though Ailene threatened to pull the trigger if Z chose to fight them, Z simply declared that he didn't fight and instead activated the war machines in the warehouse. As Tiny and Z fled, Kelly asked the Adversary to hold the war machines off while she analyzed their energy signature to track down Z. Soon enough, the group pinpointed Z's location and discovered both Z and Tiny surrounded by Gob's war machines. Z told Tiny that he couldn't control all the robots and explained that he had assumed that Tiny, as an Ancient God, would easily be able to handle a few machines. Just then, Ailene shot down the robots around them and rescued the pair, much to Tiny's surprise. Kelly then asked Tiny why he had chosen to flee in the direction that he had, to which Z explained that while there were no exits nearby, they could return to where they had originally been by going around the warehouse, adding that he hadn't expected Tiny to be so weak when he had activated the war machines. Kelly then asked Tiny to work with them, promising to help him escape if they helped him save Gob. However, Tiny refused and told them that had no idea how strong Jupiter was, adding that if they stood against him to save Gob, they would all be destroyed – whether they were mortals or gods. However, both Kelly and Ailene assured Tiny that he had no idea just how powerful the Adversary was, with the Adversary assuring Tiny that they wouldn't let him come to any harm. With even Z agreeing that the Adversary was leagues stronger than Tiny, Tiny reluctantly decided to place his trust in their confidence. Nevertheless, he pointed out that even after losing his arm, Jupiter was still quite formidable, as he was still the same god who had ruled over so many others during the War of the Immortals.

War of the Immortals

Kelly asked Tiny what he meant by Jupiter losing his arm, to which Tiny explained that Jupiter had told them that he had been attacked by an Apostle after he had woken up from his long slumber, losing his arm in the battle. Though Ailene noted that an Apostle wouldn't be much of a threat compared to Darmoor himself, Kelly reminded her that even an Apostle could beat the strongest god if Darmoor had given them the Ancient Gods' power. When Ailene countered that Jupiter would be easier to handle without an arm, Tiny revealed that Jupiter had been given a mechanical replacement which had made him just as strong, if not stronger. Kelly was impressed that there was a mechanic skilled enough to replace a god's arm with a prosthetic, to which Tiny explained that Gob's old disciple, Melian, had been responsible for repairing Jupiter. Z added that Melian was the mistress of Geardock, and that she had been responsible for bringing all of Gob's old machines back online. Ailene asked whether Melian had created Geardock, though Z clarified that while Melian was the current caretaker of the workshop, Geardock had originally been created by Gob himself. The group was surprised to learn this, with Kelly realizing that Geardock was indeed Gob's old workshop from the Ancient War. As more war machines advanced on them, Ailene shot them down, noting that Gob had been responsible for creating such powerful weapons of destruction. Realizing that he had no choice but to trust them, Tiny agreed to lead them to Gob, believing that he would be at the furnace, Kronos, after which he and Z would escape Geardock and flee to safety. However, Z told Tiny that he couldn't take them to Kronos, as the security device guarding the entrance – which had been created some time after Jupiter's speech to the gods – couldn't be disabled.

Z explained that only those who had permission to enter Kronos could go through the door, as not even Tiny could sneak them inside. However, Z explained that they could obtain Gob's keycard inside his workshop on the other side of the warehouse, which would allow them to disable the security system. Nevertheless, he warned that strange entities were concentrated in Gob's workshop, and that they didn't appear to be machines. Z then led the group to the other side of the warehouse, where the portal to Gob's workshop was. Inside, the Adversary fought through the residual entities created from the Kronos experiment and obtained the keycard, after which Z led them to the furnace entrance. As they walked, Tiny asked the Adversary whether they would really let him and Z go if the security device was successfully disabled, with the Adversary promising to set them free. Ailene then asked Tiny how he had ended up in Geardock in the first place, asking whether he had been kidnapped like Gob. Tiny explained that he and the other gods had followed Jupiter's call out of their own free will, as they had all believed in Jupiter when he had promised to lead them to victory. He explained that while not all the remaining gods had come to Geardock, almost all the gods who still retained their divine power had followed Jupiter's call. Kelly noted that while Gob had told her that Jupiter had been gathering the gods, she hadn't expected that all the remaining Ancient Gods with their power intact had actually gathered in one place. They asked Tiny whether Jupiter wished to make an alliance of gods, to which Tiny replied that he had initially thought that as well, but in reality, while Jupiter may have once wanted to create an alliance, he had gone completely mad. Tiny explained that he had first met Jupiter during the War of the Immortals, which mortals now referred to as part of the Ancient War.

Tiny told the group that the war had been far too dangerous for him, explaining that just as mortals had different talents – warriors, mages, blacksmiths, musicians, and scholars – so too did the gods. He noted that just because they were gods didn't mean that they were all strong, likening himself to a weak magician amongst mortal mages. He explained that for weak gods, their survival was dependent on being able to defend themselves from powerful enemies, possessing a talent that made them valuable to the strong, or living under the protection of a stronger god. However, Tiny explained that he had none of those things, as he only had a small bit of magic to his name. Despite being weak, however, he was still an immortal entity, though he constantly lived in fear of disappearing at the hands of a stronger enemy. Kelly asked whether the gods had first begun killing each other during the Ancient War, to which Tiny replied that he would assume so, as no one had ever heard of a god being killed before the war. He added that if such a thing had happened before the Ancient War, it hadn't been something that any of the gods had widely known about. He explained that many gods had been killed during the war, and that amongst those were gods close to him and others whose strength he had revered, which had made him realize for the first time that death was a true possibility for him. Tiny explained that when the Adversaries had first begun sealing the gods away, the Ancient War had shifted from a power struggle between immortals to becoming a matter of survival itself, with even stronger gods than him beginning to fear for their lives. He noted that amongst the stronger gods, some had wished to unite their forces, while others wished to rely on their own strength, while still other gods chose to ignore the conflict altogether, believing that it wasn't their business to get involved. Tiny revealed that during this time, many weak gods had looked towards Jupiter, who had believed that all the gods – no matter whether they were strong or weak – needed to work together against their common enemy. Ailene noted that Jupiter seemed far more righteous than she had initially believed, with Tiny agreeing that he, too, had once believed Jupiter to be a noble, true god. The Adversary then asked why he had changed his mind about Jupiter, but just as Tiny began explaining why Jupiter had truly summoned all the gods, Melian suddenly appeared noted that she had found the intruders at last. Upon seeing Z and Tiny, she remarked that amongst them was a defective machine and material which had slipped through the cracks. As Melian began summoning her robots, Tiny ordered Z to take the Adversary to Kronos while he held Melian off with the Primacy. Though the Adversary didn't want to leave him behind, Tiny explained that if Melian had come this far, it meant that the fusion process was about to begin.

The Furnace That Swallows Gods

As Kelly and Ailene prepared to fight, they urged the Adversary to hurry, promising that they would be fine. Z then took the Adversary to the furnace entrance, where Z asked them whether they would consider choosing not to put themselves in danger if Gob didn't need to be saved. When the Adversary asked Z what he meant, Z explained that with the additional information that the Adversary had supplied about Gob being kidnapped, he had concluded that Jupiter needed Gob to activate Kronos, which meant that he couldn't afford to harm Gob before he did. The Adversary noted that they had been wondering why Jupiter needed Gob when so many gods had already come to Geardock, especially when Gob was refusing to cooperate. Z revealed that Kronos couldn't begin the fusion process without Gob to start it, to which the Adversary asked what Kronos was. Z explained that Kronos was Gob's failed experiment, which he had sealed deep beneath Geardock, as it was a furnace that devoured gods. Though Kronos was capable of swallowing the gods, its true purpose had been to fuse together the power of those devoured gods in order to create an entity capable of destroying the Adversaries. He explained that from the data recordings that he had obtained, such an entity would effectively be a being without an ego, on par with the gods themselves. When the Adversary asked whether Gob had truly created a machine that could swallow the gods alive, Z clarified that Gob hadn't intended to create Kronos as a weapon against the gods, revealing that he had first begun developing it after the War of the Immortals had begun. Z then showed the Adversary a recording of Gob and Melian shortly after Geardock had been built.

In the recording, Gob proudly told Melian that with such a powerful security system, no intruder could enter and threaten them. He then gave Melian a control device that allowed her to command the machines of Geardock in case of an emergency. Melian glumly noted that Geardock was quite gloomy and noted that hiding underground was a rather ungodly decision. Gob asked her whether fighting and boasting one's power was the only way that one could prove themselves to be godly, to which Melian replied that she thought that the war between immortals was meaningless as well, though she pointed out that the Adversaries had now appeared in the mix, and that it ought to be their duty as gods to fight them. When Gob asked Melian whether she was calling him a coward, she quicky replied that she hadn't meant to imply that. Nevertheless, Gob told Melian that he agreed with her, as they had no choice but to do something now that the Overseers had decided to put the gods to sleep by sending their agents. However, he pointed out that they couldn't deal with the Adversaries with the weapons that he had created alone, to which Melian asked whether that meant that they were going to hide in Geardock and ignore the war altogether. Gob clarified that it meant that they needed to plan for the future and asked Melian whether she would truly go out and fight the Adversaries when it was certain that she would be defeated and sealed away. At Melian's silence, Gob told her that by leaving Geardock, their options were either to be killed by the other immortals or sealed away by the Adversaries. Though he believed it to be a meaningless choice, he invited Melian to leave if she felt so certain in her decision. After a pause, Melian conceded and told Gob that she couldn't leave, as she had chosen to study under him in order to learn everything that he knew.

Gob then told her that there was a far more important reason than the Adversaries why he had chosen to move his workshop underground. He explained that the immortals were slowly beginning to die and asked Melian whether she knew what it meant for an immortal being to perish. Melian replied that it meant that their world would become less chaotic, to which Gob told her that he wasn't joking around. However, Melian insisted that she was being serious, explaining that there were too many immortals in the world who caused endless chaos. She then told Gob that it was her belief that only the strongest, wisest, and most noble gods should live, while all the rest ought to disappear. Upon hearing her words, Gob admitted that the Adversaries in the outside world likely felt the same way, to which Melian added that she hated all her fellow gods. However, Gob told Melian that the solution wasn't so simple, explaining that the immortals possessed incomparably more energy than mortals. He then asked Melian what would happen if such vast quantities of Erda vanished from the universe altogether. He noted that while the Erdas of mortals reincarnated in the cycle of life and death through the Erda Flow, the gods didn't share the same fate, meaning that the death of the immortals would create a universal imbalance that would be impossible to predict or handle. He then speculated that it was perhaps for that reason why the Overseers had wanted their Adversaries to seal the gods away in eternal slumber, rather than killing them outright. Melian realized that Gob was right that the Adversaries hadn't actually killed any of the gods and asked whether the problem with killing immortals was related to the machine that Gob had once shown her. Gob confirmed her suspicions and explained that he had created the Erda Condenser in order to coagulate the divine Erdas generated from the death of the immortals, thereby preventing them from disappearing from the world. Melian then asked Gob what he planned to do with the Erdas of the gods, to which Gob explained that they would need to develop another machine in order to melt down the divine Erdas, for which he decided to show Melian the furnace that he had designed for such a purpose.

In the next security footage, Gob scolded Melian for coming back to Kronos once again, reminding her that he had already told her that he had pulled the plug on the Kronos project. However, Melian excitedly told Gob that she had figured out a way to use Kronos, though Gob pointed out that she herself had agreed that the Erdas of the gods would disappear immediately after death, making it impossible for the Erda Condenser to capture them. With a sinister look on her face, Melian declared that if the Erdas of the gods disappeared immediately upon death, then they simply needed to put the gods themselves inside Kronos before they died, thereby ensuring that their Erdas could be processed by Kronos as their physical bodies were melted down in the lava. Though Gob called Melian's plan insane, Melian noted that her solution was exactly what Gob wanted, as the Erdas of the gods could be used to create a being capable of destroying the Adversaries once and for all. She noted that while their current experiment would create nothing more than an unintelligent entity without an ego, further research could refine it into something even greater. However, Gob interrupted Melian and immediately expelled her from his tutelage and from Geardock itself. Though an angry Melian told Gob to stop making bad jokes, Gob told her that he was being dead serious, adding that keeping her from working on Kronos was the last act of kindness he could give her. When Melian continued furiously protesting, Gob told her that no matter how much he sympathized with her sad past, he refused to entertain her absurd ideology of killing the gods. Though Melian believed that she had done exactly what he wanted, Gob retorted that using the Erdas of already-dead gods to make an entity to fight the Adversaries was completely different from murdering gods and melting them down. When Melian refused to leave, Gob summoned his war machines and ordered them to escort Melian out of Geardock forever.

Facing Jupiter

As the Adversary finished watching the security recordings, Gob asked Jupiter what he meant by preparations already being made, to which Jupiter revealed that after he had delivered his speech, he had used his mechanical arm to trap the gods inside force fields, declaring that he and the world would remember the sacrifices made by the gods. As he had melted down the gods in Kronos, however, only Tiny alone had managed to escape and flee the massacre. Aghast, Gob asked Jupiter how he could have killed all the followers who had believed in him, to which Jupiter simply declared that they had made a noble sacrifice. He then noted that while Melian had been able to help him through the preparations, he needed Gob to cooperate for the fusion process. Gob angrily reminded Jupiter that he had wanted to fight Gerand Darmoor in the first place to ensure the survival of all the gods, and that he stood to gain nothing by defeating Darmoor at the cost of his friends' lives. However, Jupiter told Gob that everything had been decided for the gods' sake and for their glory, for which he ordered Gob once again to activate Kronos. Nevertheless, Gob refused and told Jupiter that he had no idea just how dangerous Kronos was. He explained that Kronos had been designed to use the Erdas of deceased gods, and that operating it by throwing in materials that it hadn't been built to process meant that it would be impossible to predict what kind of entity that such a fusion process would create. Gob warned that such a being would consume Jupiter and asked whether he was truly willing to sacrifice himself just for the sake of power. However, Jupiter replied that it wasn't a question of gaining power, but for achieving his goal, and that he would do anything it took in order to do so.

Realizing that Jupiter had gone completely mad, Gob noted that he had expected someone just like him to show up and misuse Kronos, which was why he had made it impossible for anyone except himself to activate the furnace. He declared that he would never go along with Jupiter's plan, adding that he would never have expelled Melian in the first place if he had wanted to. Upon hearing Gob's words, Jupiter suddenly realized that Melian was the key to changing Gob's mind. He noted that Melian, his first and only disciple, had spent countless years by his side, and that Gob – even now – still considered her to be precious to him. For this reason, he threatened to sacrifice Melian into Kronos if Gob refused to comply with his demands. Outside, Z finished recounting the purpose of Kronos to the Adversary and explained that with no way to capture the Erdas of the gods, Gob had sealed Kronos in Geardock and implemented a mechanism to make it impossible for anyone but himself to activate the furnace. Because of this, Z believed that it was impossible for Jupiter to harm Gob so long as Kronos remained locked to anyone but him. He then warned the Adversary that once the fusion process began, an entity strong enough to rival the Ancient Gods themselves would be created. He explained that he feared for the Adversary's safety, as he could sense the power of the gods radiating from the Adversary, just as it did with Tiny, noting that Kronos was designed to devour godly power. Though the Adversary thanked Z for his concern, they explained that they couldn't stand by and allow such a dangerous being to be let loose into the world. Z respected the Adversary's decision and gave them the keycard, explaining that since security robots weren't allowed to enter Kronos, he couldn't help them inside. When the Adversary pointed out that Z had grown beyond his programming, Z noted that after so long, he had developed his own form of thinking, which had allowed him to learn about and develop interest in Kronos when none of the other security robots even knew about its existence. However, as he was still bound by his code, not even he could go against his protocols and enter Kronos, as Gob had been extremely thorough in ensuring that not a single thing could access it. Nevertheless, Z promised to help Tiny and the Primacy while the Adversary rescued Gob.

Using the keycard, the Adversary entered Kronos and found Gob collapsed at Jupiter's feet. Immediately, however, Melian teleported before the Adversary and mockingly told them that though their friends had tried their best to stop her, Geardock was completely under her control. Meanwhile, Jupiter then told Gob to choose, to which Gob asked him how he could threaten Melian when she was his greatest ally. Jupiter replied that Melian herself had wanted to see Kronos in action more than anyone else, and that she would be happy to sacrifice herself for it. When Gob refused to choose, however, Jupiter used his mechanical arm to trap Melian in a force field and dangled her over the furnace. As he threatened to throw her into the lava, Gob finally relented and reluctantly activated Kronos. Upon seeing this, however, Jupiter laughed and told Gob that his choice had been no different from that of a mortal. He noted that if Gob was truly a god, then he would have made a decision that went with his own will, rather than going along with someone else. In disgust, Jupiter threw Melian into Kronos, declaring that his choice as a god would be to gain the power to stand against the Transcendent of Life. As Melian was melted in the lava, Jupiter claimed that the gods were, and still were, beings who had lost everything, which was why he was making such a choice. As a volatile, unstable purple entity created from the Erda of the gods emerged from Kronos, Jupiter claimed that if he had such power, even the Transcendent himself would be brought to his knees. Upon fusing with the entity, Jupiter immediately fought against the Adversary with his new abilities. After a fierce battle, however, the Adversary managed to defeat Jupiter, who seethed in rage that even after acquiring such immense power, he had still been unable to defeat even a single mortal.

End of the Ancient Gods

Unable to contain the power of the entity, the Adversary and Gob watched in shock as it devoured Jupiter and made his power its own, leaving behind only his mechanical arm. As the Adversary approached, Gob warned them to stay back, noting that he had thought that something like that would happen. He explained that the entity was far too dangerous and told them that they needed to seal it within Kronos as quickly as possible. Suddenly, however, the World Heart reacted independently to the vast quantity of divine power and began absorbing the entity inside itself. Gob immediately yelled for them to get the World Heart under control, warning them that it was too dangerous for it to absorb the entity's power. With the Adversary unable to control the World Heart, however, Gob quickly brought out the Erda Condenser and absorbed the entity into it, coagulating its power into a purple crystal. Just then, Z arrived with Tiny and the Primacy, who were relieved to see that both the Adversary and Gob were safe. After the Adversary explained what had happened, Gob thanked the Primacy for coming after him and asked whether bringing the Adversary along had been Kelly's idea. Ailene told Gob that with both Iker and Khafdi injured from their last mission, they had wanted to bring the Adversary along in case there was any danger. Gob then revealed that Jupiter had kidnapped him to force him to activate Kronos, to which Ailene noted that she had thought that he had gotten trapped in his own workshop while looking for something, causing Gob to angrily echo Kelly's earlier words that such a thing couldn't possibly have happened. The Adversary then asked Gob what the machine he had summoned was, to which Gob explained that it was the Erda Condenser that he had built to operate alongside Kronos. He noted that while it was nothing compared to the World Heart, it was capable of binding the Erda together as a cohesive force, making it impossible to fuse the entity with a living body or utilize its power through a medium.

As the entity's power was wildly unstable from the fusion process being done incorrectly, Gob believed that it was too dangerous to absorb it into the World Heart, and so they would need to refine that power in order to safely assimilate it. As he knew more about Kronos than anyone, Gob volunteered to conduct the research, promising to surrender all of the entity's power to the Adversary once he finished. As the entity's power was too great for them to make the decision alone, the Adversary decided to consult with the Alliance and contacted Neinheart, who was shocked upon hearing what had happened in Geardock. He noted that what was even more cruel to hear was that the Ancient Gods hadn't been sacrificed out of personal greed, but for a twisted greater cause. He told the Adversary that the Alliance would need to adjust its future plans in light of the recent developments, adding that they had also recently confirmed that Gerand Darmoor now possessed a vast quantity of divine power. As almost all the intact gods had been sacrificed by Jupiter, Neinheart noted that there were likely exceedingly few gods left in the world, and that Darmoor would likely respond in some way once he learned about what had happened in Geardock. After the Adversary told Neinheart about the crystallized entity, Neinheart noted that while the crystal was far too dangerous to leave in anyone's hands, Gob was also the only person capable of figuring out a way to stabilize it. Though he still didn't fully trust Gob, Neinheart decided to trust in the fact that they shared a common enemy in Darmoor, and so he decided to send a team of Alliance researchers to assist Gob in his investigation. He then asked the Adversary whether they had felt the power of Darmoor's magical aura in Geardock. After learning that the aura existed there as well, Neinheart decided to dispatch others to investigate it as well. Soon after, Neinheart informed the Adversary that the power of the Ancient Gods had scattered across Geardock during the fusion process, which the Adversary began gathering to craft the Grand Sacred Symbol of Geardock.

References

← Night of Phantasms | Geardock | →