The tornado of nanites finally collapsed, solidifying Erevos into its towering, armored form. Karl felt the familiar hum of the Trinity Core resonate through his body, syncing perfectly with every servo and nanite in the massive frame.
The USB port, where the tiny orb rested, now sat completely encased in a hardened gear-covered casing. The new protective structure moved like the pistons and gears of a steam engine, each rotation pumping residual heat outward. Steam hissed from tiny vents, forming a thin, shifting veil around the mech's shoulders and back.
From the casing, a new button overlapped the old USB port — polished metal with intricate cogs that interlocked perfectly with the original. Its function was unclear even to Karl; it seemed almost… alive, pulsing faintly in sync with the orb.
Agnes' voice rang out, teasing, electric in his mind:
"Aaah~ Karl… rev me faster! Feel that Vythra surge~ Let's see just how much energy you can push through me~"
Karl smirked faintly despite the weight of the armor surrounding him. The orb pulsed diagonally inside the USB port, nudging him to match its rhythm, and he felt a faint warmth — a gentle warning of the energy contained within. He could sense the smoke pumps from the spinning gears starting to work, venting heat and forming a protective haze, but he and Agnes had no idea how far this could go yet.
"Aaah… Karl~ don't stop now! Harder! Faster! Let's make every cog sing~" Agnes encouraged, her tone playful but commanding, perfectly matching the rhythm of his revving.
The steam hissed and the gears spun faster as Karl pressed the ignition dial, the Drive Regulator encased in its new mechanical armor. The overlapping button of the USB port glowed faintly, as though waiting for the moment they would discover its true function — a mystery neither of them could yet grasp.
Steam, gears, and nanites intertwined into a living machine, fully formed yet only partially understood. Karl could feel the power lurking beneath, ready to surge — but for now, it waited. Only the pulse of Vythra, the hiss of steam, and Agnes' teasing coaxed him onward.
Karl's finger hovered over the new button, then pressed it with precise force. Immediately, the gear casing whirred, tiny cogs locking into place with a satisfying click. Steam hissed from the vents along the Drive Regulator as the rotational energy surged through the nanites, the Vythra thrumming in his limbs like a living heartbeat.
"Mmm~ that's it, Karl… feel it~ feel every rotation, every torque pulsing through you~ vrrrmmm~" Agnes purred, her voice teasing, warm in his mind. "Faster… yes, push it, let me sing through you~ kick me harder, Karl~ mm~ your legs, your core, all of it~"
The gears inside the casing spun faster, metallic teeth churning with power. Steam vented in rhythmic bursts, hissing sharply as it coiled around Erevos' towering form, creating a thin, protective haze.
Karl exhaled sharply, teeth gritting. "Alright… alright… let's see what this baby can really do." He flexed his fingers, feeling the orb pulsate diagonally inside the USB port, every vibration translating into raw mechanical power.
"Yes… yes… that's perfect," Karl muttered, eyes narrowing at the spinning gears. "Steam's holding… rotation's stable… come on, focus…"
With a sudden surge, eight solid, navy-blue gear-shaped projections shot outward from the Drive Regulator, spinning in perfect synchronization. They hovered just in front of Erevos, looming like rotating sentinels, each gear shimmering with kinetic energy and faint traces of cerulean light pulsing along their edges.
"Ohhh~ yes, Karl~ look at them spin~ vrrrmmm~ every pulse, every torque… feel it bloom inside you~" Agnes teased, her tone playful but commanding. "That's it… let it flow… let me guide you… mm~ keep it rising~"
Karl ran a mental scan, synchronizing his nanites with the orb and projections. "Okay… perfect alignment… eight constructs spinning at 720 RPM… torque is stable… no friction detected… good." He glanced at the mist curling around the gears. "And the steam pump's working… that should block line of sight."
Karl felt the resonance of the orb in the USB port, the rotational force vibrating through his arms and legs. Each pulse sent a shiver up his spine as the projected gears hovered in perfect formation, steam rising between them like a mechanical fog, partially obscuring the empty streets.
He flexed his arms, feeling the energy pulse up from his legs to the core, letting it flow into Erevos' joints. "Ha… okay, let's see how much energy you can take…" He twisted slightly, making the gears spin faster, their edges catching light with cerulean shimmer.
"Ohhh~ yes, Karl~ just like that~" Agnes purred, guiding him.
"Perfect, Karl~ vrrrmmm~ yes, just like that~ keep revving… feel the torque, let it bloom… ohhh~ I can feel it through you~ every rotation, every push, mm~ your Drive is alive again~" Agnes purred, her teasing tone constant, guiding him.
Karl gritted his teeth, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Feels… good. Feels strong… I can feel it feeding back, syncing perfectly with the nanites… damn, this is better than I imagined."
Steam hissed louder, venting rhythmically as the eight gear projections rotated faster, hovering steadily before Erevos. Karl tightened his fists on the ignition dial. "Alright… now we're cooking. Let's see what Gearstorm Nova can really do when I move."
"Keep revving, Karl~ let the torque flow into me~" Agnes purred, teasing but precise.
The eight gear projections rotated faster, spinning on invisible axes, as the steam from the Drive Regulator hissed and puffed, forming a low, rolling mist around Erevos. Karl's nanites synchronized perfectly with the orb, every motion precise—Gearstorm Nova was fully awakened, though its full potential remained a mystery.
"Mmm~ yes, Karl~ that's it… let the gears spin~ vrrrmmm~ every pulse, every torque flowing through me… through you… through Erevos~ keep going, baby~ yes~" Agnes cooed, playful, teasing, and confident in her guidance, letting him feel the power but not overwhelm him.
Karl exhaled sharply, watching the eight hovering gears, each spinning in perfect alignment before them, the steam screen curling around them, obscuring any potential threats. He flexed his fingers on the dial again, ready to push the energy further—but for now, the projections loomed, a tangible promise of Gearstorm Nova's destructive potential, waiting to be unleashed.
Karl nodded, mentally noting every pulse, every rotation, every hiss of steam. "Yeah… yeah… I've got control… fully stabilized… now, let's get moving…"
The eight gear projections loomed before Erevos, steam curling around them like a protective curtain, spinning in perfect synchronization. Karl's eyes glimmered with Admiral Blue light, cerulean patterns tracing along his armor as Gearstorm Nova had been awakened, its destructive potential waiting silently—but fully ready.