Boom!

The moment the tremor reached them, it abruptly froze. Countless fragments hung suspended in the underground workshop. A moment later, they flowed backward as though time itself had reversed, returning to their original positions. Everything was restored to perfect condition, without the slightest trace of damage.

Only the mercury spiders were crushed flat by an invisible pressure. Their remnant spirits were extinguished, vanishing without a trace. Then, an unseen force rushed downward and spread out. Following the remaining traces, it pursued its target and swept the area again and again, but it didn’t find anything. There was only a trail of footprints deliberately left to confuse the searchers and a swarm of spiders that had dragged shoes around through the tunnels.

“Where did you hide her?” Jian Yuan asked with a straight face.

Ji Jue grinned, completely unconcerned. “Hide who? I have no idea what you’re talking about. You’re a distinguished Master Craftsman. You can’t just throw accusations around. Otherwise, I’ll report you to Maelstrom for slander. Besides, weren’t you the one who just said it? One must always be prepared for the unexpected.”

There should always be a backup plan. Better yet, there should always be a backup plan for the backup plan.

In a situation like this, no amount of trouble or extra preparation was excessive. Deus Ex Machina was...