Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.-Chapter 584: Xylos..again.

Sunshine caught it against her chest, her breath hitching. The device didn’t explode. Instead, it continued its low, mechanical whirring. The outer plates slid with oily precision, shifting from its original oval shape into a perfect, sharp-edged triangle. But it wasn’t solid; gaps appeared in the metal, revealing a glowing core.

She glared at Nine in disbelief. "For someone that called us friends, you sure have a funny way of expressing that friendship. If this bomb was to explode, my brains would be all over this room right now."

Nine was exasperated. "Ha! I should be the one saying that to you. You handed it to me without a warning. Just because we are friends does not mean that you are permitted to blow me into little pieces."

There was a click which silenced them both. Then, the text appeared on the device. Etched in glowing, jagged letters on each of the three sides was a single word: XYLOS.

"Wait a minute!" Nine came closer. "This thing is from Xylos! As in Xylos domain?" He asked, eyes filled with terror.

[Host, prime core energy detected coming from the device and it is spreading.]

"Prime core? Spreading?" Sunshine said quietly, she could not understand what was happening.

A faint, rhythmic orange light began to pulse from the center, matching the beat of Sunshine’s own terrified heart.

"Nine!" she gasped, staring at the pulsing light. "This... this cannot be good."

Nine didn’t answer with words. He simply shook his head, his antennas drooping flat against his skull. "Nothing good comes from the Xylos Domain," he whispered. Then, with a dramatic flair only an insectoid could manage, he squeezed his eyes shut, crossed all six of his limbs over his chest, and waited to die. "I hope my wife never remarries. I hope my wife never remarries. I hope all my enemies die in the worst fire in the universe. I really, really hope that my wife never remarries."

One second passed. Then five. Then ten.

The only sound was the beautiful, peaceful melody of the mermaid music box behind them. No fire. No shrapnel. No museum-leveling blast.

Nine opened one eye, then the other. He let out a massive breath of relief, his wings fluttering with a weak, buzzing sound. "Okay. So, you were wrong. It’s not a bomb. My gorgeous thorax shell is still in one piece, and I am still the husband of the beautiful Hyrnn Skith."

He stood up, dusting off his jumpsuit, though he still kept a three-foot distance from the triangle. "If it’s not a bomb, it’s probably a tracker. Which, honestly, is almost as bad. How did you even get that thing? Are the Xylas hunting you? Why do you keep messing around with the wrong creatures. You are too dangerous to have for a friend." First it was Noxians and now Xylas. What kind of circles was this earthling moving around in?

"It’s not a tracker," Sunshine argued, though she didn’t sound entirely sure. Ignoring his words about their friendship.

Nine scratched his head. "If you say so. So, how did you get it. It is not every day that you find items from the Xylos Domain laying around, not even on black markets."

"These huge bird like creatures called Watchers threw them on my world. We assumed that they are weapons." She looked up at him, her eyes searching his. "You recognized the name Xylos. What do you know about that planet?"

Nine froze. His playful energy vanished, replaced by a stiff, professional coldness. "I can’t tell you that, Sunshine. Not if you are fighting some kind of war. I’m a Repairman and we have a code. Involving myself in the business of worlds outside my own is a violation. I’ve got a wife and a dream to buy a very nice hive, Sunshine. I can’t lose my license."

Sunshine huffed, leaning back against the music box and crossing her arms. She looked at the floor, looking genuinely disappointed. "Fine. I get it. I thought we were friends after everything we have been through, but I guess a code is more important."

Nine looked at her. Then he looked at the pulsing orange triangle. He let out a long, heavy sigh_ the kind of sigh that said he knew he was about to make a very bad life choice.

"Of course we’re friends," he muttered, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Stop making me feel like a monster. Fine. I’ll tell you what I know, which_ luckily for my license_ isn’t much."

He sat back down, leaning in close so his voice wouldn’t echo. "Xylos isn’t just a planet, Sunshine. It’s a factory. A high-level, dark-tech forge....."

Their conversation was suddenly interpreted by a sound that made Sunshine’s teeth ache_ a high-pitched, royal squeal of pure joy.

Princess Lita stood in the doorway, her robes flowing behind her like water. She looked at the dancing mermen and the shimmering silver horses, and her face lit up like a supernova. "It works! It actually works!" she cried, clapping her hands. She hurried over, ignoring her stiff-backed guards. She looked at Sunshine and Nine with wide, shimmering eyes. "You two are miracle workers! Name your price! Ask for whatever your heart’s desire! Gold? Galaxy coins? A lifetime supply of the finest sea-silk?"

Nine’s antennas stood straight up in the air. He looked like he was about to faint from greed. He tentatively raised one of his middle legs. "Does that... uh... does that apply to me too? Because I prefer galaxy coins, gold--"

But the Princess never got to answer.

The floor beneath them didn’t just shake; it groaned. A deep, metallic thrum vibrated through the soles of their boots, followed by the terrifying sound of shifting continental plates. Then, the music box’s melody was replaced by the harsh, violent blare of warning bells. Red lights began to pulse against the museum walls, turning the beautiful room into a scene from a nightmare.

High above, the massive glass dome that held back the crushing weight of the ocean began to shiver.

[Warning! That device seems to be a beacon, and it is summoning something buried deep under the sea.] 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Sunshine looked up and felt her stomach drop. "What?"

[I advise that you get out of there.] The system advised.

Sunshine looked at the terrified princess, she couldn’t just leave her. She looked outside, the water outside wasn’t just sitting there anymore_ it was churning.

"Oh, my sea gods!" the Princess gasped, her face turning pale as salt. "No... it’s too soon! Those creatures are supposed to sleep for another thousand years! How is this possible that they are coming above already?"