The golden light faded, and the familiar rough stone walls and warm pulse of the chamber wrapped around them once more.

  But this time, the glow of teleportation had not yet fully dispersed—

  A shadow streaked out from the lingering radiance, carrying metallic reflections and high?frequency energy vibrations, accompanied by a faint buzz—pop of shifting frequencies.

  It shot forward like a bolt.

  “What is that!”

  Ye Lingyun’s hand went straight to his sword.

  Lin Che stepped back half a pace, taking a guarded stance.

  Sunri instinctively shielded Pardy in his arms.

  The shadow spun twice mid?air like a malfunctioning micro?flight device, then slammed into the stone table with a sharp clack, skidding twice before coming to a stop.

  Everyone stared—

  It was a sparrow?shaped advanced mechanical lifeform.

  Palm?sized, its feathers were a weave of metallic plates and energy membranes. Fine conduits of power were etched across its surface, glinting coldly under the chamber’s dim blue light.

  The pale blue lines on its wingtips and chest flickered irregularly—quantum energy still unstable from teleportation.

  It shook its head.

  A thread of blue?white energy flickered along the inner wing conduits, bending the air and scattering a few motes of light—residual teleportation energy still unwinding.

  A faint zzzt—pop accompanied the calibration.

  “…Ugh. I’m dizzy. Who set the teleport parameters like this? The energy fluctuations are a tangled mess of quantum knots…”

  It struggled upright.

  The energy veins deep in its wings jittered, emitting tiny hum, pop sounds like a high?grade device rebooting.

  Mo?Dou, who had been dozing on a cushion in the corner, snapped open his golden eyes.

  His tail rose, and he silently leapt in front of Sunri, placing himself between Pardy and the unknown creature.

  His tail swayed—graceful, rhythmic, but unmistakably alert.

  The metal sparrow finally registered the “giants” around it.

  It tilted its head.

  Those overly expressive optical lenses swept across the group, then locked onto the faintly glowing pendant at Sunri’s neck.

  Its eyes brightened for a moment—then dimmed with a clear “what a hassle” emotion.

  It fluttered its wings and managed to perch on the edge of the stone table, posture deliberately proud, though the slight tremor in its tail feathers betrayed its lingering teleportation discomfort.

  Sunri exchanged a look with Ye Lingyun and Lin Che.

  After the Gearworld, their tolerance for “non?standard beings” had increased dramatically.

  But a talking sparrow—clearly a hybrid of high?tech and spirit?energy, and with an attitude—was still beyond expectations.

  “Who are you?” Sunri asked calmly, though alert. “And why did you teleport with us?”

  The metal sparrow rolled its eyes—if it had eyelids.

  “With you? I was dragged here! I was peacefully resting in the lower layers of that gear?ridden world, sipping leftover spirit?energy for an afternoon snack… and then you activated that beacon.”

  It pointed its beak at Sunri’s pendant.

  “The energy resonance yanked me out of hiding like a hook and stuffed me straight into your teleport stream! I haven’t even filed a complaint for illegal kidnapping!”

  Beacon? Energy resonance?

  Sunri’s hand tightened around the pendant.

  In Lunelle’s memory fragments, she had indeed mentioned crafting a “Balance Beacon”…

  “You were left behind by Lunelle?” Sunri blurted.

  The metal sparrow froze.

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  Its fearless, cocky demeanor shrank for a moment.

  Its gaze drifted aside, tone softening—though still stubborn:

  “…Sort of. She… that woman used to give me spirit?energy regularly. Talk to me. Then she left, told me to ‘keep an eye out.’ If the beacon activated and the energy field shifted, I might wake up. But I didn’t expect to be dragged out this violently!”

  Its chest markings pulsed faster, wings jittering with agitation.

  Lin Che’s research instincts overrode caution.

  He stepped forward, eyes gleaming behind his glasses.

  “Spirit?energy and quantum mechanics coexisting? Direct energy drive? Your metallic feather texture resembles memory alloy. Where is your core located? How does your energy cycle—”

  Windbeak immediately hugged its wings and hopped back.

  “Hey! Bookworm doctor! Can you not talk like you’re about to dissect me? I have privacy rights! And I’m not some ‘hybrid structure’—I’m a Tri?Phase Spirit?Quantum?Mechanical Symbiotic Entity! My grade is way above yours!”

  Lin Che raised a brow—not offended, but even more intrigued.

  “You can sense my occupational tendencies? Even read shallow thoughts? Your cognitive capacity far exceeds your apparent biological structure…”

  “Enough!”

  Windbeak screeched and flew up to a stone stalactite.

  “Come any closer and I’ll peck you! My beak is sharp!”

  Ye Lingyun finally spoke, voice calm yet firm:

  “If you were left by Miss Lunelle, then you are no enemy. But your manner is frivolous, your words discourteous. This is not how a guest behaves. If you travel with us, you must observe basic conduct.”

  Windbeak looked him up and down and snorted.

  “Ancient fossil. Your centuries?old martial rules don’t apply here. And it’s not like I wanted to come with you. If it weren’t for that guy’s pendant smelling decently pure—”

  It glanced at Sunri.

  “—and the fact that I just woke up and need a stable energy source… hmph. I wouldn’t bother with you.”

  Despite the words, it didn’t leave.

  Instead, it began grooming its slightly ruffled metallic feathers, occasionally sneaking glances at the pendant’s glow, a faint, animal?like comfort sound rumbling in its throat.

  Pardy peeked out from Sunri’s arms, staring curiously.

  A child’s intuition sensed no malice—only awkward closeness.

  He tugged Sunri’s sleeve and whispered, “Daddy… birdie… hungry?”

  Windbeak froze mid?groom.

  Being seen through by a human child bruised its pride, yet Pardy’s pure gaze made it hard to snap back.

  “…Sharp little brat,” it muttered.

  Sunri set Pardy down and removed the pendant—not handing it over, but placing it on the stone table.

  “You need this energy?” he asked.

  Windbeak hesitated, then succumbed to temptation.

  It fluttered down, landing near the pendant, keeping a small distance, and closed its eyes.

  The light on its chest and wingtips began pulsing rhythmically—like breathing.

  The pendant’s glow resonated with its core, forming a thin thread of energy between them.

  Tiny spirit?energy particles flowed along the line into Windbeak, syncing with the quantum pulse in its chest.

  Windbeak let out a soft, relieved sigh.

  The tremors from teleportation and awakening gradually faded.

  The energy veins in its wings stabilized.

  After a moment, it opened its eyes—spirit restored, mouth still sharp:

  “…Barely acceptable. Purity’s fine, but the flow is too low. Enough for basic operation, but if you want me to be useful, you’ll need more sources like this. Or…”

  It glanced disdainfully at the pile of metal scraps in the corner.

  “I could peck some junk to fill my stomach. Your reserves are terrible.”

  Ye Lingyun’s temple twitched.

  Lin Che was already scribbling notes.

  “Non?contact energy siphoning… physical metal digestion… fascinating.”

  Mo?Dou remained alert, though his tail’s rhythm slowed.

  He approached the table, golden eyes fixed on Windbeak.

  Windbeak glared back immediately.

  “What are you staring at?” it snapped.

  “Your spirit?energy density is like a solid star?core, but your body structure… completely unscannable by quantum means? That’s not unscientific—that’s beyond the science I know. What civilization produced you?”

  Mo?Dou tilted his head and gave a soft “mrrp,” as if saying: Likewise.

  Sunri stepped in, putting the pendant back on.

  “Windbeak, since you came because of Lunelle’s beacon, and since you need the energy environment we can provide, then welcome. As Brother Ye said, traveling together requires basic respect and cooperation. We won’t command you, but we expect information sharing and mutual aid. In return, we’ll help you find suitable energy sources.”

  Windbeak clicked its tongue and flew back to the stalactite—accepting without admitting it.

  “Fine, but let’s be clear: I’m not your pet or scouting drone. I help only when I feel like it… and when the energy’s good.”

  And just like that, this tiny, noisy, prickly new member forced its way into the team.

  The Ancient Book opened and updated:

  [Name] Windbeak

  [Designation] Detection & Technical Consultant

  (Assigned by on?site personnel)

  [Level] 4 (Not fully activated)

  [Attributes]

  Spirit?Energy / Quantum / Mechanical

  [Skills]

  Energy Sight / Micro?Prediction / Spirit Resonance / Quantum Scan / Energy Siphon / Metal Consumption

  [Revelation]

  Reading failed.

  Reason: Core module inactive / insufficient clearance / creator?level concealment.

  Recommendation: Maintain survival. Await trigger conditions.

  A faint glow seeped out as the page closed.