Standing before the machine assigned to him, Yang Zicang followed the instructions of the “Equipment Maintainer, ” Sigurd, and sequentially entered the unfamiliar symbols representing syllables and various command buttons on the machine into the crystal screen in front of him.
“I’ve just input the coordinates for the Grand Duchy. What about you two? “
At another console about ten meters away, Vanderloo turned to ask Yang Zicang, who was silently staring ahead. The young lady beside him, wearing a skirt, also twisted around to look at him, her bright eyes blinking.
“I, I’m looking up the area of our Heimviz Center. “
Captain Horne replied, then added hesitantly,
“And my hometown. “
As he was speaking, within the large crystal screen before him—as wide as a small wall—the orange molten magma began to condense into countless small, shimmering orbs of varying brightness under the guidance of the magnetic field transformed by geomagnetic forces, as described by the Equipment Maintainer.
They arranged themselves orderly within the crystal, revealing faces that were slightly blurry but still recognizable.
After a few glances, the Captain painfully spotted a couple of faces he hadn’t seen for several years.
What was displayed in front of Yang Zicang were faces he had never seen before.
“Isn’t there anyone you want to see? ” the equipment maintainer, Sigurd, who stood upright beside him, asked in a gentle voice.
“I… I haven’t been in this world for long. “
Yang Zicang lowered his head, and as he gave his calm reply, all the device’s buttons, lever sizes, and even the gap widths and dimensions came into view.
“Yes, our esteemed President has been in our country for less than two months, ” the Grand Scribe said, his tone tinged with emotion and gratitude.
“You like this console. “
“Ah, cough, um… yeah. “
Yang Zicang rubbed his chin with his hand.
The little girl turned around, opened her mouth to inhale, “Qi… ” Before she could finish, Vanderloo clamped his hand tightly over her mouth, and she struggled as he dragged her aside.
“About thirty minutes ago, I tried to reduce the extraction behavior of the Life Stairs aimed at exterminating life on land. “
Sigurd spoke:
“This is the first time I’ve done something like this. Whether it’s your request or the related application of this device’s capabilities—it’s been a unique experience for me. “
Kevin stepped forward and asked, “Didn’t the previous survey team put forward any relevant requests? “
“No, they didn’t. ” Sigurd slowly shook his head.
Kevin looked around the ancient control room, seemingly untouched by the passage of countless years.
“To endure for such a long age… truly terrifying technology. “
The equipment maintainer also looked at it, “I too am curious how long it will last in the future. But that’s not a concern for us right now. “
Sigurd looked at Kevin, “Did you see anyone you know? “
Yang Zicang, who was casually glancing at the crystal screen frame near Vanderloo, his pupils shifted slightly.
“Haha, I’m just a stranger drifting here too. I have no emotional ties like family or friends binding me. “
Clang!
A noise came from outside the door.
The few people inside the room turned their heads in shock, looking outside, and saw Phoenix-Perching Tree striding in triumphantly. Behind it followed King Crystal, and a black-crab-shaped metal mechanical guard holding a steel ring.
Following behind the guard was Pagge, who walked in breathing heavily.
“You’re all back again so soon. “
“Yeah. This work is really… well, a bit unpleasant, ” said Pagge, glancing at the young girl, without elaborating on what they had been doing.
He just walked over and placed five or six exquisite, spring-like spiral steel cables on the table, “All set up. “
“Can it really be done just like this? ” asked King Crystal, looking at him as if witnessing a miracle.
“Don’t worry. This is enough. “
Vanderloo, whose face was turned slightly to the side, his Adam’s apple moving, looked at those small items. Though he couldn’t understand it, he certainly knew what those things were for.
Yet, this did not bring joy to his heart.
Instead, what was on his mind was a question that, if spoken, might make one feel a complete loss of honor. Of course, it certainly couldn’t be said within earshot of the child.
“As long as we confirm that the land is safe, and that those we send onto it won’t fall into despair, all these lives will reappear peacefully once more. All of you, please rest assured. “
“Thank you, Equipment Maintainer, sir. ” The Lieutenant immediately responded.
Only Yang Zicang, Kevin, and a few others exchanged glances, remaining silent.
Vanderloo stepped closer and tugged Yang Zicang’s sleeve. The young man looked over with confusion. The slightly chubby Finance Minister’s son spoke in a low voice:
“Hero, could I trouble you to explain to this gentleman in the Mistfolk Language that the few from earlier should not be resurrected for now? “
Yang Zicang cast a sharp, perceptive glance at him.
The concealed hexagonal icon on his chest slowly rotated.
Meeting Yang Zicang’s intense gaze, Vanderloo said, “I think our journey might just be… because Shadowvine Castle can’t accommodate so many valuable people. “
Yang Zicang hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at Sigurd, who was putting his equipment away.
“Alright, ” he said.
“I’ll check for you if anyone from the village is around here, ” Vanderloo said, brightening. “I’m not much good at anything, and my memory isn’t great either, but I’ve got a decent eye for people when it comes to it. “
The broad-shouldered figure turned and rushed over to the operation console.
Yang Zicang, meanwhile, walked up to Sigurd and whispered a few words.
“Delay shaping their bodies? ” Sigurd asked in a low, slightly questioning tone.
Yang Zicang fell silent for a moment. He squinted and turned back to look at Vanderloo, who was busy inputting data into the ground with excitement, and beside him, the young girl staring with curiosity at this creation the likes of which she had neither seen nor even imagined was possible.
“Let me think it over some more, ” Yang Zicang said as he scratched his head and walked back.
Then he felt something brush against his pants leg. Looking down, he saw the equipment maintainer staring at him.
“This is the tire wheel I brought back for you, ” Sigurd said, walking over. “Sigh, by the time we got there, the vines had already nearly torn up the front of the vehicle for dismantling. “
Kim Clyster also came over, staring at the small object on the ground.
“Having this is really convenient, ” Kim Clyster said. “I wonder if we can ride it on our way back? “
“That’s not a problem either, ” Sigurd said.
Seeing his accommodating attitude, Yang Zicang then spoke up:
“Equipment Maintainer, I wonder if I could have the honor of my friends witnessing these ｛beings｝ emerge on the day of their revival? Perhaps we could prepare some clothes, food, and daily necessities for them. “
“They will come in batches. If conditions permit, hmm…let’s do this. “
The equipment maintainer looked at the tire wheel raised by the equipment maintainer guard and continued:
“After it carries you all up, it will stay with you. When the time comes, the equipment maintainer will notify you. But you will have to teach it some simple written words. “
“Wow, that’s great! ” the first to cheer was Princess Desige zu Hone.
She trotted over, crouched down, and stared at the dark, metallic thing that was full of various gaps yet exuded a neat and orderly industrial beauty.
The mechanical worker, about the size of a large dining table from its front end, stared back at her with eyes the size of two small fingernails flickering orange.
But Sigurd continued:
“Because there are other humans on land. Therefore, we will need to choose a place afterward to build a new city-state for these people to gradually return to. Hence, this matter requires everyone’s confidentiality. It will also oversee you. “
Sigurd pointed at the thing on the ground.
The few present were all startled, looking over at him.
Suddenly, Vanderloo from the side let out a surprised shout, turned his head as if to call out, then closed his mouth and hurried over. “Mr. White Violet Hero, look who I’ve found in the Life Stairs. “
Yang Zicang looked back at Vanderloo in surprise, then, under the gaze of the others, turned to look at the screen more than ten meters away, which displayed the likenesses of over thirty people.
“The fourth one in the second row. “
Yang Zicang felt a stir inside him and took a step forward.
A few people curiously followed him.
As they gathered, Yang Zicang saw, on the screen, a very familiar face depicted without any expression.
“Lianna’s father. ” Yang Zicang murmured in shock, “Uncle Ebiser? “
……
On the rippling water surface, the people in the boat were murmuring among themselves.
Hailikoni tried to make herself inconspicuous in a corner.
On a windy day like this, one would normally disembark and go ashore. But nowadays there were very few ships still sailing the seas, and this cabin wasn’t something you could board just by buying a ticket; they had all paid a considerable fare to secure their spots.
Therefore, including herself, most of them did not go ashore but waited inside the cabin for the wind and waves to calm down so the voyage could continue.
However, the abnormal gathering of thunderclouds over the land made everyone in their hearts extremely uneasy.
“What’s happening in Talco? “
People craned their necks and asked questions near the windows and doors.
Hailikoni stepped forward and, from beside someone’s elbow, peered out the window towards the land. Amidst the dark, turbulent waves on the windy small dock, two people wearing patrol uniforms had just finished inspecting a large passenger ship and were walking this way.
Upon seeing the patrol, Hailikoni immediately turned around and lowered her head.
She wondered if news of her having taken the “handkerchief ” had already reached the ears of the General or those in the Special Defense Office.
Another, much fainter bolt of lightning gathered from the sea towards the land.
The two men came to the dock, jumped onto the ship, shouted a few words, and then a boatman came over to stuff some unknown items into their hands. After that, they peered into the cabin from the doorway, roughly counted the number of people, waved their arms, and turned back towards the wooden dock.
Arcs of thunder and lightning converged over Talco.
The gathered radiance surged forth as a more turbulent wave of light. The thick, pitch-black walls on the ground, painted with patterns by people, finally brightened under the impact of this spreading energy from high above.
A faint, hazy mist began to drift out slowly, spreading gradually towards the surrounding walls, streets, and houses.
Whoosh~~
A large bird soared across the sky.
A person clad in light armor sitting atop it drew a bow and loosed an arrow, shooting at a soldier below near the building who was attacking assailants with a gun.
……
In the howling wind of energy.
Lin Site, bundled in a long cloak and headscarf, traveled amidst the graceful, elongated spiral of starlight towards distant clouds converging on this area.
After several attempts, the Boy finally managed to raise a faint, hair-thin, and nearly invisible starlane upright towards the sky, one that had only just been born over a vast expanse of land.
Rending open the cloud layer.
From within the churning stream, he rose to a high vantage point.
Thunder striking this spot was immediately split in two.
Under the hanging black-tengu cabinet in Talk.
“Stop these birds. “
A person under the canopy hundreds of meters away saw a rider approaching atop a bird.
Within the expanded barrier field of the Kindom Court, a special director’s office operator asked, “Who are these people? Have we confirmed it? “
“They probably infiltrated through the seawater tributaries. “
Scattered crowds nearby were being funneled inside, and over a thousand people had already been evacuated—filmmakers with broken equipment, startled actors, and key personnel alike.
They watched in worry as long-planned enemy figures charged in from the darkness on giant birds, harassing the Fogfolk flying up as well as those fighting the attackers on the ground.
On a distant street.
Lorentz ran desperately, pushing through a hazy street before his pace gradually slowed to a stop.
“This… no, this isn’t right!“
He immediately rushed madly toward the opposite thinning mist, and at last, amid an increasingly oppressive, thunderous heartbeat, he charged through.
Bam! He collided with a person coming right at him.
The two tumbled to the ground. Only then did Lorentz feel once again the strange glow and the whispering rush of the wind.
“What do you think you’re doing? Ouch.” The man propped himself up by the shoulder and looked over, then noticed that Lorentz’s ears weren’t pointed.
Lorentz too saw the man’s normal ears and instantly exclaimed with delight:
“Excellent, a Fogfolk. Quick, spread the word fast, make sure everyone knows that President Yangliner is not alive. “
“Not alive? ” Handley grimaced, squinting. “What do you mean by that? “
“I’m the one who confiscated the telescope. ” Lorenz excitedly slapped his own chest. “My grandparents verbally passed down some ancient laws of physics to me. “
He ran forward and excitedly said to Handley, “The observer effect, collapse! Do you understand the collapse of consciousness? “
“Observation collapse? ” Handley, sitting on the street, was dazed for a moment, then an immense, tingling sensation abruptly shot up from his spine and surged through his entire body.
He felt an unprecedented, strange terror, which in an instant flooded his mind, plundering and destroying all cognition. He looked up, his gaze fixed on the distant point of light gathering at the horizon.
“No, it can’t be… Could it be? “
He struggled for a moment as Lorenz helped him by the shoulder to stand, desperately spreading the halo on his chest.
But in this mist already drifting with the wind, these filaments radiating from the air, amid the impact of the energy storm, only covered a small area of the block.
“A position? That shouldn’t be. “
Handley looked left and right, surveying this block, then trembling at the corners of his eyes, he said:
“Brother, do you feel it? These buildings have double images. “
“What! ” Lorenz heard this and looked carefully.
Indeed, the streets and buildings in the mist seemed to have another overlapping, shadowy phantom upon them.
It was as if someone was using the energy of this light to manifest a similar city, shrouded in hazy mist, over the very streets and buildings of Tarco.
……
Amidst the clamor of battle.
Within the royal court’s barrier, the crown prince, standing among the crowd, watched the figures of fully armored metal warriors charging from the darkness in the distance, emanating a formidable illusory aura. Among the assailants of average strength, each one of them could single-handedly hold off many of his own side.
Bullets striking the armor merely sparked off and were deflected.
Pfft!
A Demon-Blood Warrior was cleaved in two with a single swing of a steel sword. Gasps and faint sobs of “ah” arose from the crowd within the royal court’s barrier. Then a Fogfolk leaped down from the sky and immediately engaged in battle with them.
“These goddamn bastards have finally started coming down to reinforce.“
A bird flapped its wings and swayed as it hurried over from the darkness.
“Never mind the ones in those shields for now; Blue Tica, send someone quickly to complete the final collection work.“
“I’ll go right away!“
Another warrior clad in a form-fitting suit of steel armor, under the cover of the other’s sword swings, leaped onto the large bird, which was vibrating with smoke and slowing down in its circling path, grabbing hold of the saddle.
The bird shot straight into the sky.
Amid the crowd’s exclamations.
Suddenly, a spinning black vortex materialized before the soaring giant bird and its warrior.
The warrior’s eyes merely faltered for a moment, thenBOOM!The man, who had leaped dozens of meters into the air, and the bird alike were torn into pieces and blood-red stains, sucked into the vortex.
Leave a Reply