Lancelot's life changed completely after that night. The ancient pocket watch was no longer just an item to be repaired, but had become an inescapable mystery in his life. Whenever he closed his eyes, those eyes made of gears would appear in his mind, and the cold light seemed to be silently urging him to continue his exploration.
A few days later, Lancelot decided to leave the steam workshop and go to the library in the Fog City to look for clues. This library was the oldest place for collecting books on the continent, and it was said to house many precious books on the occult and mechanics. Lancelot hoped to find some traces of the "Gear Eye" and that pocket watch there.
In the early morning, the Fog City was shrouded in a thin layer of mist. There were few pedestrians on the streets, and only a few steam carriages slowly passed by. Lancelot wore a dark brown cloak, carefully tucked the pocket watch into his bosom, and set foot on the path to the library. On the back of his right hand, that faint scar loomed in the morning light, as if reminding him of that strange experience that night.
The library was located in the center of the Fog City. It was a magnificent Gothic building, and its towering spire pierced through the mist as if reaching straight to the sky. Lancelot pushed open the heavy oak door and stepped into this temple of knowledge. The interior of the library was dimly lit, and the air was filled with the smell of old paper and ink. The tall bookshelves were arranged in labyrinthine corridors, and the shelves were piled with various books. Some of them had turned yellow, and some were even badly damaged.
Lancelot went straight to the area of the occult and mechanics. His fingers gently slid over the spines of the books, and his eyes quickly scanned through the titles. Suddenly, a book titled "Gears and Souls: The Convergence of Mechanics and the Occult" caught his attention. He took out the book and found that its cover was worn out, but the pages were well-preserved. He opened the book and began to read it carefully.
The book mentioned an ancient legend about a mysterious power known as the "Gear Eye". It was said that this power originated from a forgotten civilization that had mastered the technology of fusing machinery with the soul and created a device capable of manipulating time and space. However, this power was beyond the reach of ordinary people, and many who tried to touch it had fallen into madness or death.
Lancelot's heart beat faster. He realized that he might have already touched the edge of this power. He continued to flip through the book, trying to find more records about the "Gear Eye". However, most of the content in the book was vague, as if something was deliberately being hidden. Just as he was feeling disappointed, a yellowed piece of paper slipped out from between the pages and fell to the ground.
Lancelot bent down and picked up the paper. He found a line of scrawled handwriting on it: "The secret of the Gear Eye is hidden beneath the Fog City." He frowned, and a strange feeling of excitement and unease welled up in his heart. Beneath the Fog City? Where did that refer to? Was it the sewers, or some hidden underground facility?
He decided to continue looking for clues. In the corner of the library, he found an ancient diary. The owner of the diary was a mechanic named Edgar Klein. Edgar had recorded his research on the "Gear Eye" in detail in the diary, and he even mentioned a device called the "Time Core", which was said to be the core component of the "Gear Eye".
Lancelot's heart beat faster again. He realized that he might already be close to the truth. However, the last page of the diary had been torn off, leaving only a line of blurred handwriting: "Be careful, they are watching you."
"Who are they?" Lancelot murmured to himself, and a chill ran down his spine. He looked around. The library was still quiet, and only a few dim lights were flickering among the bookshelves. However, he always felt that there was a pair of eyes secretly watching him.
He decided to leave the library and go to the underground of the Fog City to find the answers. However, just as he was about to leave, an old man dressed in a black robe suddenly appeared in front of him. The old man's face was hidden in the shadow of his hood, and only a pair of deep eyes were revealed.
"You're looking for the Gear Eye, aren't you?" The old man's voice was low and hoarse, as if it came from the depths of the earth.
Lancelot looked at the old man warily and nodded.
"Be careful, young man," the old man whispered. "The power of the Gear Eye is beyond the reach of ordinary people. It has already devoured the souls of too many people."
"What do you know?" Lancelot asked eagerly.
The old man didn't answer. Instead, he took out an ancient copper key from his robe and handed it to Lancelot. "If you insist on pursuing the truth, this key might help you open the door to the underground. But remember, once you step on that path, there's no turning back."
Lancelot took the key and found that it was engraved with complex gear patterns. He looked up, wanting to ask more questions, but the old man had already disappeared into the shadow of the bookshelves, as if he had never existed.
Lancelot clenched the key tightly, his heart filled with doubt and determination. He knew that he couldn't turn back now. That pocket watch, the Gear Eye, the Time Core... What kind of secrets were hidden behind all of this? He decided to go to the underground of the Fog City to uncover the truth.
That night, Lancelot returned to the steam workshop. He placed the pocket watch and the key on the workbench and began to prepare the equipment for going underground. He took a few tools, a lantern, and some dry food, then put on his cloak and quietly left the workshop.
The night in the Fog City was still shrouded in thick fog, and there was no one on the streets. Following the clues given by the old man, Lancelot came to an abandoned church in the center of the Fog City. The church door was tightly closed, and the lock was rusted. He took out the copper key, inserted it into the lock, and turned it gently. Surprisingly, the lock opened with a click.
The interior of the church was pitch black, and only a few rays of moonlight shone through the broken stained glass windows onto the ground. Lancelot lit the lantern and found a hidden entrance on the floor of the church. Below the entrance was a stone staircase leading to the underground. He took a deep breath and stepped onto the stone staircase, walking step by step into the unknown darkness.
The stone staircase wound downwards, as if leading to the depths of hell. Lancelot's footsteps echoed in the narrow passage, and the air was filled with a damp, musty smell. As he went deeper, the temperature around him gradually dropped, and some strange symbols and patterns began to appear on the walls, as if telling some ancient secret.
Finally, at the end of the stone staircase, a huge iron door appeared. The iron door was engraved with gear and spring patterns, and there was a keyhole in the center. Lancelot took out the key, inserted it into the keyhole, and turned it gently. The iron door slowly opened.
Behind the door was a huge underground hall. In the center of the hall stood a huge mechanical device. The core of the device was a sphere made up of countless gears, and in the center of the sphere was inlaid with a gemstone that shimmered with a blue light. Lancelot's heart beat faster. He realized that this was the legendary "Time Core".
However, just as he was about to approach it, countless lights suddenly came on around the hall, illuminating the entire space. Lancelot was surprised to find that the walls of the hall were lined with people dressed in black robes. Their faces were hidden in the shadows of their hoods, and only a pair of cold eyes were revealed.
"Welcome, Lancelot," a deep voice echoed in the hall. "We've been waiting for you for a long time."
Lancelot's heart sank to the bottom. He knew that he had stepped into an inescapable trap. However, he didn't back down. Instead, he clenched the tools in his hand, ready to face the upcoming challenge.
The whispers of the gears were ringing in his ears...