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Duanmu Huai initially expected to see a scene reminiscent of cyberpunk filled with modified people on the other side, but to his surprise, there seemed to be nothing significantly different from the places he had seen before. People came and went, the streets were lively, and there were noisy crowds and stalls.

Not only that, but the people here seemed quite enthusiastic about Duanmu Huai and Ogis, unlike in the areas controlled by the church.

“Hey, Steel Bro, would you like to check out our fruits?”

“This lovely young lady, I have some jewelry that would suit you perfectly?”

It is worth mentioning that Duanmu Huai’s attire was almost universally intimidating in other places, which was quite normal. A 2.5-meter-tall Steel Knight with a Power Armor adorned with skull and cross symbols gives off a frigid, keep-out aura. Yet, in this place, people didn’t seem to be bothered at all by this steel creation.

Duanmu Huai approached a fruit stall, and the owner warmly greeted him upon his arrival.

“Welcome, Sir Steel Knight, what would you like?”

“I’ll just have a look…by the way, you don’t seem to be afraid of my appearance?”

Duanmu Huai looked at the vendor and curiously asked. For safety, however, he didn’t take off his helmet.

“Ah, maybe you are not aware, Sir Steel Knight. Our area is different from other places and we don’t fear such things. Moreover, even the Church Saintess here is a great Steel Angel. Although people were somewhat uneasy at first, we are now accustomed to it.”

“Really?”

“Of course, if you don’t understand, I recommend you visit the church and then you will understand immediately.”

“Okay, thank you.”

Following the simple conversation, Duanmu Huai headed towards the church in this city, guided by the stall owner’s directions.

With the help of bystanders, Duanmu Huai and Ogis located the church of the Mechanical Religion quickly. At that moment, he finally understood why the people here behaved as they did.

That’s because almost all of the church’s clergy appearing here have prosthetic limbs that have been modified by metal.

“Welcome to the church, sir, can I assist you with something?”

While Duanmu Huai was closely observing the church, a nun approached him. She looked no different from an ordinary person, except for what looked like wings constructed by slender metal arms, like the thousand-armed Guanyin, behind her. These arms were holding different objects, including prayer’s tin rods and some tools for work and daily life.

“Are you here to join our church?”

She was quite friendly towards Duanmu Huai.

“Seeing you coexist so perfectly with steel, you surely have a deep understanding of our doctrine…”

“No, I just wanted to discuss some things with the person in charge here…”

“Well then, please follow me. The Holy Woman is likely inside.”

The nun warmly invited the two of them into the church and led them deeper inside.

On the way, Duanmu Huai, through discussions with the nun, got a rough understanding of the doctrine of the “Mechanical Religion”. Simply put, it’s like what Lorena told him: the Mechanical Religion believes the flesh is weak and it hinders people from feeling the will and strength of the deity. Only by replacing it with pure steel can one better feel the deity…

The extent to which one is modified corresponds to one’s status within the Mechanical Religion. For example, those like nuns who install external add-ons are just prayerists, the lowest status. One level higher involves replacing both hands with iron fists, thus becoming an Iron Fist Monk. Even higher, one can become a Mecha Priest by transforming all of one’s body, excluding the head, into machinery…

Wow, you all want to ascend through mechanics, huh? I might as well introduce you to worship the Mecha Spirit and all of you can just become Mecha Servants.

Listening to the nun’s explanation, Duanmu Huai was speechless. He had always been wary of mechanical modifications. It was acceptable to have prosthetics due to physical defects or diseases. However, if one abandoned their own flesh just for convenience… Well, as a human, he found it hard to accept this practice.

“So this is what the Mechanical Religion is about?”

Duanmu Huai also turned his head and inquired in a low voice towards Lorena, who looked confused.

“Sorry… actually, I’m not very sure either…”

Under the guidance of the nun, Duanmu Huai and his party arrived at the church, where they were introduced to a…mechanical priest.

“What can I do for you?”

The priest before them had a stern expression. Apart from his head, the rest of him seemed to have been replaced by machinery. He wore a thin coat, and he looked like a robot with a human head – well, that was not far from the truth.

“I came here to investigate the matter of the murder dolls.”

Duanmu Huai stepped forward, explained the situation, and then fixed his gaze on the mechanical priest.

“Under our chase, those dolls fled here, so we wanted to investigate here.”

“Investigation?”

Upon hearing Duanmu Huai’s request, the mechanical priest’s face seemed somewhat displeased.

“What gives you the right to investigate here?”

“Of course we have our reasons.”

“What if I refuse?”

“Then I am just here to notify you.”

Faced with the mechanical priest, Duanmu Huai was not afraid at all. Regardless of whether the other agreed or not, what he had to do would not change. Now, he was just giving fair warning before using force. If the other agreed to help, it would naturally be the best situation. But if the other did not agree, then Duanmu Huai would have to force his way.

“Uh…”

Looking at the tense standoff between the two sides, Ogis remained expressionless, while Lorena looked anxiously back and forth, then hurriedly raised her hand, approaching the mechanical priest.

“Most Reverend Father, we mean no harm, but this matter is indeed serious. Many innocent people have been killed already. We just want to find the perpetrator, and not cause any trouble here…”

“………”

The mechanical priest was silent for a moment, then nodded.

“Alright, I agree to your request, but we must have someone present.”

“As long as you don’t cause trouble, I don’t mind.”

Duanmu Huai made a concession, and the looming conflict subsequently faded, which allowed Lorena to breathe a sigh of relief. The mechanical priest, however, did not care about these minor issues. He sent someone to relay his decision, and soon a young woman appeared before Duanmu Huai and the others.

“This is Merlot Hannah, a priestess of our church and an excellent exorcist. She will be working alongside you to seek out the murder dolls. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

After a brief introduction, the mechanical priest turned and left. At this time, the young woman also approached Duanmu Huai.

“Merlot. Hannah, nice to meet you.”

Contrary to Lorena, Merlot gave off the initial impression of a soldier. She wore a dark coat and stood straight. Huge metallic wings were attached to her back, and she held a finely-crafted sniper rifle in her hands… Well, she did indeed seem like a soldier.

But well…

Duanmu Huai glanced at Merlot’s curvaceous figure, then he eyed Lorena’s slender and flat frame.

Although they were both priests, the disparity was a bit too much…