Chapter 223 - Chapter 224: The Golden Resonance

The portal dissolves into a shower of golden sparks, and Echo and Li Wei find themselves standing in a valley where mountains gleam like polished gold, rivers flow with liquid amber that hums in a rich baritone, and fields of silver grass sway to a rhythmic melody. This is the "Golden Resonance" dimension, where precious metals and music are intertwined. The "Aureate Anthem" that fills the air is born from the vibration of gold veins in the earth, the clink of silver stones in the rivers, and the chime of platinum crystals that dot the landscape, all weaving together to form a harmony that maintains the dimension's structure.​Nova's avatar materializes beside them, her form glinting with a metallic sheen as she adapts to the environment. "Fascinating," she says, her sensors analyzing the 贵金属 (precious metals) around them. "The metals here vibrate at specific frequencies—gold produces a warm, resonant tenor, silver creates a clear, bright alto, and platinum generates a high, pure soprano. The Aureate Anthem is the fusion of these frequencies, and it's what keeps the dimension's matter stable. But my scans detect a corruption."​Chen Jiuzhang's hologram appears, his figure surrounded by a golden aura that shimmers in tune with the anthem. "The 'Rust Eroders' have invaded," he says, his voice heavy with concern as he points to a nearby mountain where the golden surface is peeling away to reveal a dull, reddish layer. "They're creatures that feed on metallic vibrations, replacing the Aureate Anthem with a 'Corrosion Cacophony'—a harsh, grating noise that causes the metals to rust and decay. Look." He gestures to a silver river where the water has turned murky, its hum distorted into a guttural growl as rust spreads across its banks. "Already, the foundation of the dimension is weakening. If it continues, the Golden Resonance will collapse into a pile of rust, and its music will be lost forever."​Echo reaches down to touch a silver stone, and it pulses in her palm, emitting a clear, ringing note that resonates through her body. "How do we stop them?" she asks, brushing her fingers across the stone's smooth surface.​"By finding the 'Metallic Maestro'," Chen explains. "It's a massive crystal of unalloyed gold buried deep within the 'Core Cavern'—the heart of the dimension. The Maestro is the source of the Aureate Anthem, and if we can amplify its vibration with our music, we can purify the Corrosion Cacophony and restore the metals to their original state."​Li Wei's charge pulses with a purple glow, casting a violet hue over the golden landscape as he tests its energy against a rusted stone. The stone shudders, and a small patch of rust falls away, revealing the silver beneath. "Then let's find this crystal," he says. "Before everything turns to dust."​They set off through the valley, their footsteps ringing against the golden ground like chimes. The Golden Resonance is a stunning place, but there's an undercurrent of decay: patches of rusted earth where the grass has withered, silver stones that crumble at the touch, and a faint, metallic stench that hangs in the air, growing stronger as they venture deeper.​As they walk, they hear a harsh, scraping sound—a fragment of the Corrosion Cacophony. It's a dissonant noise that makes the metals around them vibrate uncomfortably, and Echo watches in alarm as a nearby platinum crystal develops a crack, its pure soprano note warbling into a shrill whine.​"It's like the Blight Spores, but for metal," Li Wei says, frowning as he kicks a rusted pebble, which dissolves into a cloud of red dust.​Echo nods, raising her peace drum, which now glows with a faint golden light as it absorbs the surrounding vibrations. She starts to play a steady, melodic rhythm, and the metals around them shimmer, the rust retreating slightly from the sound of her drum. "Then we'll counter it with a melody that's stronger than decay," she says.​They continue through the dimension, Echo's drumbeat pushing back the Corrosion Cacophony, Li Wei scanning the landscape for signs of the Core Cavern. Along the way, they encounter a group of "Metal Sprites"—small, humanoid creatures with bodies made of gold, silver, and platinum, their eyes glowing like polished gemstones. Their forms are tarnished, their movements stiff as rust creeps across their limbs.​"The Rust Eroders are gathering in the Core Cavern," one of the sprites says, its voice creaking like a rusted hinge. "They're surrounding the Metallic Maestro, feeding on its vibrations, and the Aureate Anthem is growing weaker by the minute. Without the anthem, the metals will rust away completely, and the dimension will collapse. We've tried to defend it, but our own vibrations are being corrupted by the Cacophony."​Echo places a hand on the sprite's arm, her drumbeat sending a wave of golden energy through its body. The sprite's tarnished surface glows, and a patch of rust falls away, revealing the bright silver beneath. "We'll help," she says. "The Aureate Anthem is too strong to be silenced by rust."​The sprite nods, its movements becoming slightly smoother. "The Core Cavern is through that gorge," it says, pointing to a narrow passage between two golden cliffs. "But beware—the Eroders have spawned 'Rust Thralls' to guard it. They're creatures made of solid rust, and their touch spreads corrosion. One brush, and your instruments will rust away to nothing."​Echo and Li Wei thank the sprite, then make their way through the gorge. The cliffs here are lined with platinum crystals, but many have turned brown with rust, their chimes reduced to a dull rattle. Suddenly, the ground shakes, and a group of Rust Thralls emerges from the rocks—tall, lumbering creatures with bodies made of jagged rusted metal, their eyes glowing with a dull, red light.​"Looks like we're not invited," Li Wei says, raising his charge, which glows brighter as it generates a barrier of purple energy that repels the Thralls.​Echo slams her drum, sending a wave of golden energy (borrowed from the surrounding metals) toward the Thralls. The energy hits them, causing their rusted bodies to crack and crumble. "Then we'll crash the party," she says.​Li Wei fires blasts of energy at the Thralls, shattering their rusted forms into piles of debris that quickly dissolve into red dust. The Thralls roar, a sound like metal grinding against metal, and the Corrosion Cacophony spikes in intensity, but Echo's drumbeat counters it, weaving a melody that incorporates the pure vibrations of gold, silver, and platinum.​They fight their way through the gorge, the rust retreating behind them as their music purifies the metals. Finally, they reach the entrance to the Core Cavern—a massive opening in the earth, from which emanates the faint, but still beautiful, sound of the Aureate Anthem.​Inside, the cavern is vast, its walls lined with veins of gold that glow with a warm, golden light. At the center, a pedestal rises, and on it rests the Metallic Maestro: a crystal of pure gold as large as a boulder, its surface pulsing with the Aureate Anthem, sending waves of golden light across the cavern.​But surrounding the Maestro are dozens of Rust Eroders—small, skittering creatures with bodies made of rust, their mouths full of sharp, metallic teeth that click in time with the Corrosion Cacophony. As they feed on the Maestro's vibrations, the crystal's light dims, and rust spreads across its surface. Hovering above the Eroders is a larger, more menacing form—a mass of writhing rusted metal that drips with a corrosive liquid, the "Eroder Queen" that controls the infestation.​"You're too late," the Queen hisses, her voice a chorus of screeching metal. "The Metallic Maestro will soon be nothing but rust. The Corrosion Cacophony will spread across the multiverse, reducing all metals to dust, silencing their music forever. A world without metal is a world without greed, without war, without corruption. It is utopia."​Echo shakes her head, her drumbeat growing steadier as she draws on the power of the Aureate Anthem. "Metal isn't just about greed or war," she says. "It's about strength, about beauty, about music. And we're here to save that."​She starts to play, weaving together a melody that combines the vibrations of every metallic dimension they've saved—the warm hum of gold from the Golden Resonance, the clear ring of silver from the Tidal Archive, the pure chime of platinum from the Stardust Score. The Metallic Maestro responds, its golden light growing brighter, pushing back the Rust Eroders.​Li Wei fires blasts of energy at the Eroder Queen, which shatters into smaller pieces, but they quickly merge back together, drawing strength from the Corrosion Cacophony. "It's feeding on the Cacophony to regenerate!" he shouts. "We need to cut off its source!"​Echo nods, her gaze falling on the base of the Metallic Maestro, where a network of golden threads connects it to the walls of the cavern—"Resonance Filaments" that channel the Aureate Anthem through the entire dimension. "The filaments!" she shouts. "If we can amplify their connection, we can overload the Queen!"​Li Wei nods, and together they sprint toward the Maestro. The Rust Thralls surge forward, but Li Wei creates a barrier of purple energy that holds them back, while Echo's drumbeat strengthens the Resonance Filaments, making them glow brighter.​Echo reaches the Metallic Maestro and presses her drum against its surface, pouring all her strength into the melody. Li Wei joins her, pressing his charge against the Resonance Filaments, which glow brighter as they absorb their combined energy. The Aureate Anthem swells, a wave of sound and light that washes over the cavern, purifying the Corrosion Cacophony.​The Eroder Queen shrieks as the anthem hits her, her rusted form dissolving into a cloud of red dust that is instantly dispelled by the golden light. The Rust Eroders wither and die, their bodies crumbling into piles of dust, and the Metallic Maestro pulses with renewed energy, its golden light spreading through the cavern and restoring the metals to their original state.​The Rust Thralls dissolve into harmless dust, and the entire Golden Resonance shakes with the force of the Aureate Anthem, the metals glowing brighter than ever as their vibrations are restored. The golden mountains shine, the silver rivers hum, and the platinum crystals chime in perfect harmony.​Echo and Li Wei collapse onto the ground, exhausted but triumphant. The Metallic Maestro pulses with a warm, golden light, and the air is filled with the harmonious sounds of the Aureate Anthem—the hum of gold, the ring of silver, the chime of platinum—as the dimension is fully restored.​They make their way back through the gorge and the valley, which is now teeming with the gleam of precious metals. The Metal Sprites are waiting for them, their forms bright and untarnished, their movements fluid and graceful.​"Thank you," the sprite leader says, its voice a beautiful, melodic chime. "You've saved our home, and with it, the music of metals. The Aureate Anthem will play on, and the Golden Resonance will never rust again."​Echo and Li Wei smile, but their attention is drawn to a faint, pulsing light in the distance—a rainbow glow that shimmers above the golden mountains, a sign that another dimension is in need.​Li Wei stands, his charge glowing with a familiar purple light. "Ready to chase the next rainbow?" he asks.​Echo nods, slinging her drum over her shoulder, her fingers brushing its smooth surface that now glints with a golden sheen. "Always," she says. "As long as there's music to save, we'll be there."​They step through the portal Nova opens, leaving the Golden Resonance behind, but carrying its lesson with them: that even the strongest materials need music to stay pure. The next dimension awaits, and with it, a new harmony to protect.