Chapter 1247 - 1246: Captured Bug

Chapter 1247: Chapter 1246: Captured Bug

No matter what, the amusing behaviors of the young dragons at least brought some unexpected fun to this ocean-crossing journey. However, the little one’s fearless attitude indeed made Gawain uneasy—since Melita took off, the little one hadn’t relaxed for a moment. Either running around on her mother’s back or extending her head out of the barrier from high places, shouting indiscriminately into the strong wind, she even attempted to climb to the tip of Melita’s tail, but Gawain quickly stopped her...

Now, Gawain and Amber seriously doubt the "young dragon will obediently lie on the mother’s back during the journey" description that Melita mentioned before take-off might have been theory knowledge from some mediocre scholar—it’s so far from reality!

"How could it be theoretical knowledge!" Upon hearing Gawain’s doubts, Melita immediately rebutted seriously, "I specifically consulted... Lady Enya, doesn’t she understand matters related to young dragons?"

Gawain hadn’t thought much of it at first, but upon hearing this, he sensed something amiss. After pondering a bit, he recalled that the retired Dragon God seemed to be a theoretical expert. According to reliable information from a former God of Nature unwilling to be named and a nervous network administrator unwilling to reveal identity, Enya used to inquire about hatching Dragonkin infants everywhere when she helped incubate eggs, nearly resorting to Pittman...

With this in mind, he looked at the young dragon joyfully playing beside him with a subtle gaze, inwardly saying that this little fellow growing healthily till today is thanks to the dragons’ robust innate conditions. Taking the two little ones on a trip back to Talronde with Melita and Nuoletta seems necessary, at least these novice mothers will have the chance to consult the ancient dragons there for some proper child-rearing experience...

"Hey, why did you stop talking?" Melita’s voice suddenly came from the front, interrupting Gawain’s random thoughts, "Are you worried about Nuoletta over there? You don’t need to worry about that. Although I hate to admit it, her flying skills are much stronger than mine..."

"Ah, cough cough, I’m not really worried about that," Gawain coughed awkwardly, cautiously offering advice, "I’m just thinking that you shouldn’t always follow Enya when caring for the young dragons. Her experience... her perspective back then wasn’t quite the same as a mortal’s."

"You’re probably right," Melita casually said, then suddenly changed the topic, "By the way, after arriving at Talronde, do you want to head directly to the Western Coast? Or rest in New Argondale for a day or two first? It’s up to you, we can arrange anytime—though the living conditions definitely can’t compare to when you came last time..."

"Let’s stop at Agondale first, I want to personally meet the Great Adventurer," Gawain said casually, "Also give Byron some time, he and his ’Winter’ aren’t as fast as you flying."

"Alright," Melita responded casually, then murmured with a hint of sentiment, "Sigh... without real-time communication means with Talronde, many things have become troublesome. Now we rely on the most primitive method to transmit cross-sea letters. Even letting the fastest flying White Dragon serve as a messenger, Agondale’s message takes a whole day to reach Northport... On the contrary, the previously backward Loren now has increasingly convenient real-time communication. Northport’s messages can instantly reach Cecil, even to the southernmost Sacred Stars Temple on the continent..."

"We are working on solving this problem," Gawain nodded as he heard this, "The communication experts from Cecil, and your technical personnel from Talronde, are considering a cross-ocean communication plan to replace the now-destroyed Omega network. Currently, we have two ideas. One is setting up transfer nodes at sea, using permanent islands and floating automatic relay towers to achieve—though this requires very high construction costs and subsequent maintenance fees, and part of the sea facilities also require long-term personnel stationed, which is another significant investment;

"The second plan is to set up ultra-high power node towers at Coastal Shire and Northport and use atmospheric structure to transmit signals. According to the material provided by your technical personnel in Talronde, the stable layer of the atmosphere can reflect modulated arcane oscillation signals, similar technology used in the former Omega global communication network, but there’s an issue with this plan—since Omega left, with Loren’s and Talronde’s current level of technology, we likely can’t ensure the reliability of this plan."

Speaking of such cutting-edge technology issues, Gawain seemed very keen, yet Amber was listening drowsily beside him. Once Gawain finally finished speaking, this half-elf immediately yawned and muttered: "Talking for so long, it’s just that neither plan is very practical, right..."

"Strictly speaking, both plans have the possibility of realization, but we’ll need to make some trade-offs in terms of cost and reliability." Gawain said with a serious expression, "Considering Talronde’s importance as an alliance member nation, no matter what, we must establish this cross-sea communication system."

"Establish cross-sea communication with Talronde..." Amber murmured, with a sense of emotion in her tone, "It’s truly unexpected that we’re already doing such things, everything is developing so fast."

Gawain said nothing, only suddenly recalling the news he received from Enya before leaving.

About the "anomaly" detected by Goddess of Magic, Milmina, about the possibility that the memories of gods might also be interfered by some external force, the three Gods of Yore have developed new doubts and concerns about the "sentinel," and these concerns are now weighing on Gawain’s heart.

Amber is right; everything is developing extremely fast—however, comparing it to the challenges mortals are about to face, even such a development speed may not necessarily be fast enough.

...

Cecil Castle, in a research facility located deep within the defied Fortress in the Dark Mountain Range, a large laboratory is brightly lit.

Veronica, holding a platinum scepter, stands before the central platform of the laboratory, calmly observing the crystal vessel placed on the platform. The vessel contains a half-box of gray-white sand grains, which, under the bright lights shining from above, diffuse a gray-white texture outward, spreading across the platform, making the blue-colored base of the experimental platform also seem to fade to the same tone.

A technician’s voice comes from nearby: "The third weight test is complete, the weight changes of the sample after being affected by the Weight-Reduction Runes are consistent with the expected curve, the speed at which magical power dissipates around the sample after the field is closed is consistent with the expected curve. The sample is stable in a magic-pervasive environment, exhibiting neither anti-magic properties nor force field repulsion, nor divine characteristics."

"Preparations for the next stage of testing are ready, Platform 2 has been cleared, we need a pure sample for magic permeation tests here..."

"Contact from the 16th Divine Analysis Laboratory, their tests have concluded, and the result report will be sent over in thirty minutes..."

Listening to the orderly reports and exchanges from the technicians around her, Veronica maintains a tranquil and gentle expression that never changes. She gazes long at the sample in front of her and, after a while, as if speaking to herself, softly mutters: "Besides these visual effects, is it really just ordinary sand... some sort of constant illusion?"

"Veronica, Chief of Intelligence," a researcher in a white short robe walks over, respectfully lowering his head and says, "What’s the arrangement following this round of testing?"

"After we finish here, we can rest for a bit." Veronica looks back at the technician with a faint smile—elsewhere, she has many different titles, people call her Princess Veronica, call her Saint Princess, call her Side of the Holy Light, but within these research facilities affiliated with the theocracy Authority Council, within the technical department deciphering divine mysteries, she is called ’Chief of Intelligence.’

She likes this different ’internal title,’ as it occasionally reminds her of things related to the ’defied Plan,’ even though she shut down the emotional logic that evokes strong sensations long ago; she doesn’t resist this feedback mechanism that triggers memories—it makes her feel like she’s still ’alive.’

"Now we just wait for news," she nodded slightly and continued, "Wait for news from the ’Advanced Consultant Department’ and see if there will be any discoveries over there."

"Advanced Consultant..." The assistant researcher’s face instantly took on a solemn expression, clearly indicating that existence referenced by the term "Advanced Consultant" deserved such seriousness.

At the same time, deep in the heart of the defied Fortress, within the defied Court located in the shadow realm, the Holy Giant Stag, whose size had greatly reduced and wounds had healed, stood alongside Milmina, shrouded in a curtain of magic power. In front of them was a high platform constructed of unknown material, and at its center, a large amount of gray-white dust piled up in the center of a highly complex array that faintly emitted a pale blue glow.

Gray-white halos constantly surged around the dust, as if desperately trying to spread its certain "characteristic" to the surrounding array to give it the same gray-white texture. However, the intense aura filling the array successfully prevented this expansion of the surrounding gray-white field. Though the dust’s contaminating power was inexorable in the material world, on this altar-like platform, it was compressed around the dust pile, extending at most only a few millimeters.

"Sure enough, this sand cannot ’pollute’ the runes you set," Amon observed for a while, then turned to the Goddess of Magic at his side and said, casting his gaze on her—he saw a badge made of magic power hanging on her chest, just like those worn by mortals working in the defied Fortress. Letters formed by magic power shimmered on it—"Advanced Consultant Milmina," "Do you have to wear such a badge on you?"

"Of course, it’s about ceremony. Do you understand what ceremony means?" Milmina immediately retorted, "Our current role is as an advanced consultant for the theocracy Authority Council, and this is the first time we are personally leading a research project as advanced consultants. In the past, we were the ones being studied; this time, we are conducting the research. Don’t you think this deserves some seriousness?"

Amon casually responded, "I don’t think the seriousness has anything to do with whether you wear such a badge on you..."

"You just don’t want me to pin a badge on you," Milmina immediately glanced at the white giant stag, "Advanced Consultant Amon, doesn’t that sound impressive? It’s great to wear it, yet you insist it looks like a collar..."

"Enough, I don’t want to discuss this anymore," Amon couldn’t help interrupting before she finished speaking, while glancing at the high platform—which was neither built by humans nor originally part of the defied Court, but rather conjured by Milmina using the authority of her field of magic. Working together with the array on it, these ’Shadow Sand Dust’ were completely isolated, "It looks like this thing is operating stably. When do we begin the next step?"

"Hmm, it looks about ready..." Milmina became slightly serious, observing the dust at the center of the array (this huge pile of sand was Amber’s handiwork, considering the two ’advanced consultants’ overseeing the project have such massive bodies), while sensing the information being transmitted by the runes she had personally set, she said in a deep voice, "In a moment, we both close our eyes, and you try to block all our additional senses as much as possible, but let’s not leave the vicinity of the platform. After a minute, release the block, and we’ll both open our eyes together."

Amon was still a bit skeptical, "Will this process really work?"

"This is a suggestion from Lady Enya’s side," Milmina said offhandedly, "She seemed to have observed something from the dust, but conditions on her side weren’t suitable, so she passed this process on to me. This defied Fortress is a natural ’blocking zone,’ so the phenomena we observe should be closer to the ’truth’."

"Alright, I trust Lady Enya’s judgment," Amon nodded, "Shall we start now?"

Milmina’s gaze fell one last time on the pile of sand at the center of the platform, and then she withdrew her gaze, closed her eyes, and nodded gently, "Let’s begin."

In the defied Court shrouded by endless dark chaos, beside the high platform piled with shadow dust, the two gods closed their eyes together. Simultaneously, as they closed their eyes, the grains of sand at the center of the array suddenly dimmed, showing signs of "withdrawal."

The next moment, Amon activated his power, beginning to gradually shield both his and Milmina’s external senses.

As their senses were blocked, the dust on the platform rapidly lost its brightness, becoming transparent, as if it had lost all color and texture, as if it had even retreated from existence, disappearing bit by bit in the center of the array...

And at the moment the dust completely disappeared, the runes set by Milmina flashed with bright light!

But at this moment, both Amon and Milmina were oblivious to it until time silently passed, the effect of the sensory block was lifted, and Milmina’s voice broke the silence, "Open your eyes."

Amon opened his eyes, those crystal-like eyes saw the scene on the platform.

He saw the runes on the platform flickering rapidly, the complex array which gave a dizzying feeling at a glance pulsing like an unstable magic crystal lamp, with chaotic light and shadow leaping and flickering above it. Amid this chaos, the original sand pile was nowhere to see, yet many objects resembling gray-white sand grains continually appeared and vanished—this scene looked as if the pile of gray-white sand had been banished from the world and was desperately attempting to return.

Amon was stunned, "What... what is happening?"

"In the absence of external observation, the shadow dust vanished, and once the observer returned, they attempted to reappear—however, the array I set forcibly constrains the ’state’ within a certain range upon losing my observation," Milmina said slowly and solemnly, watching the chaotic flickering light and shadow, "What you’re seeing is the ’paradox’ being confined, which, according to those Node Scholars, creates a ’breach,’ an error derivative where it clashes with the reality of the world."

(A friendly book recommendation, titled "Conquest Manual for Another World," a new work by a newcomer, but with an interesting setting, here’s the synopsis:

A sudden accident transported a tour bus carrying twenty-eight people into a certain xianxia world.

Time passed quietly, and a hundred years sped by in this other world.

Just as the descendants of this group of travelers faced crisis once again, a sudden light gate reconnected the two worlds....

In short, it’s a story of a group of rabbits promoting four modernizations in another world and in turn feeding back to planet Earth.....)