NOVPUBChapter 74: Chapter 73 Mist Tide
Chapter 74 -73 Mist Tide
But… how could such divinities possibly exist in the world?
The very idea contains a paradox within itself.
For it has never been the case that divinities first existed, and then came their followers—all divinities are born from the prayers of thousands, and only when the faith of the Prayers reaches a certain degree, do their objects of devotion become entities. This is an eternal truth.
In other words, there would need to be thousands upon thousands of ordinary people willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of others, before such leading divinities could emerge.
Yet such purely altruistic individuals are rare to find, let alone thousands of them.
If there truly were such a group of people, the world would not have turned out to be as it is now.
Leisk closed his eyes, connecting his spirit with the surrounding fog, using the mist to extend his range of perception.
He “saw” the strange four-wheeled carriage moving further and further away, heading straight for the western beach without any guidance from spirit lamps, as if it had no fear of the fog; he “saw” the men of Gaotian Mining clashing with the three rescuers—the latter’s firearms remained deadly, knocking their opponents to the ground; he “saw” a portion of the slave workers unable to bear it any longer, moving towards Magnificent Castle despite the fact that some of them were destined never to emerge from the Misty Zone. 𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝙤𝒎
He also “saw” another small group of individuals appearing to the northeast, in the desolate outskirts far from the city. They were moving in pairs or small groups towards the site of the train derailment, acting swiftly and apparently very familiar with the terrain of the Misty Zone.
But behind them, a heavy laden train also left the mining field, speeding towards the accident site, and clearly, this was not the time for transporting ore.
Beyond what he could see, there were other things that he could imagine, such as the city guards being woken up in the middle of the night by the reports, as well as other companies closely associated with Gaotian Mining, who would certainly take action.
For a moment, this area, which was usually devoid of human presence, appeared to become the center of Magnificent Castle, as various forces were startled by the sudden train robbery and plunged into the vortex of events.
But this was not good news for the weaker party.
Whether they wished to flee back to Magnificent Castle or to find other means of survival, they faced opponents who outnumbered and overpowered them. If no one lent them a hand, perhaps less than half would be able to achieve their goals…
Thinking this, Leisk took the horn that was hanging at his waist.
This action had not been part of his plan.
But after seeing these few “robbers,” something in his heart began to shift.
—This world might not yet be beyond saving.
“Woo————————Woo————————” Leisk blew the horn, a sound audible only to him.
…
Clang——! Clang——! Clang——!
The deep and lingering sound of the bell broke the silence of the deep night in Magnificent Castle. To the newly relocated residents, it was their first time hearing such a bell, and woken from their sleep, they felt nothing but irritation and annoyance, for it disturbed their rest.
But for the old residents who had lived there for decades, fear was their sole response.
Shandela also stood frozen.
Just ten minutes ago, she received a report from her subordinates stating that there had been a train derailment in the eastern area of the smelting plant, and Gaotian Mining Company had already dispatched people to the Misty Zone for rescue. With the mindset that rescue was part of the duty of City of Defense’s guards, Shandela planned to dispatch a night patrol to check the situation, but no sooner had she assembled the men than the city sounded the alarm bell.
As Commander of the City of Defense, although it was her first time hearing the bell, she was well aware of its significance. It was for this reason that she doubted her own ears.
The tolling of the bells meant that a significant change had occurred at the boundary of the mist!
“My lord, something’s wrong!” Suddenly, a soldier ran towards her, gasping for air, and stammered, “The mist, the mist…”
Shandela stepped forward, grabbed him, and said, “Take a deep breath. Slow down and speak!”
“It’s… huff…,” after taking a deep breath, he said in panic, “My lord, the mist is closing in on Magnificent Castle!”
Her heart suddenly sank to the bottom.
The reason for the mist’s movement had always been a mystery, but it did change, just as the wind could die down or whip up towering waves. Researchers classified the mist’s observed movements into two categories: one was similar to the tides of the ocean, albeit irregular; the other would continuously expand until engulfing an entire region.
“Wake up all the troops of the City of Defense and have them stand by in the city. Go notify the port docks to prepare for a large-scale evacuation!” Shandela issued several orders in quick succession, then turned to her adjutant, Woody, “You come with me to the west watchtower! Do you hear me?”
Woody was clearly panicked as well, and it took a while before he responded, “Yes, your subordinate will go prepare the horses immediately!”
By the time the two of them raced to the base of the watchtower on horseback, the streets were already filled with a large flow of people—residents fleeing back to the city from the suburbs seeking refuge.
Upon reaching the top of the tower, Shandela witnessed a breathtaking sight. Normally, she wouldn’t be able to see the wall of mist from this distance, but now, the Misty Zone seemed right before her eyes—even in the dead of night, the thick mist stood out due to the reflection of moonlight. It was grey and white, towering into the clouds, like a heavenly abyssal cliff. Even a large city like Magnificent Castle seemed tiny and fragile before the wall of mist.
Now, the mist wall had neared the wheat fields and farms just outside the city.
Many silhouettes ran wildly through the night, terrified of being consumed by the mist. Undoubtedly, among these people were farmers, shepherds, as well as workers from smelters and machinery factories. Thankfully, Magnificent Castle was only walled on its southern and eastern sides, so at least these people didn’t have to worry about being trapped outside the city gates.
However, for every lucky one, there was someone less fortunate.
Those who lived farther from Magnificent Castle would wake up to the horror of finding themselves already in the midst of the mist.
“Have the Blue Luminance Stone pillars been checked?” Shandela shouted loudly to the watchtower guard.
Magnificent Castle had four watchtowers, with each tower’s peak bearing a massive Blue Luminance Stone, encased in reinforced concrete, appearing from the outside as a thick stone column, accessible only from stairs within the watchtower. These four Blue Luminance Stones were also the foundation that allowed Magnificent Castle to establish itself on the New Continent.
Since larger Blue Luminance Stones had better effects in driving away the mist, protecting them from any harm was one of the main responsibilities of the City of Defense forces.
“Checked, they’ve been checked! The Blue Luminance Stone at this tower remains intact, with no changes compared to before!” the guard hastily replied, afraid of being blamed by the Commander.
There was no damage to the lamps, meaning that all they could do, aside from waiting, was practically nothing.
Shandela leaned slowly against the wall, picturing the scene of the City of Defense being swallowed.
It was a small coastal city on the Old Continent that one day had been suddenly covered by the erupting mist. Despite General Fales Ben dispatching elite troops for assistance, all they could do was watch it disappear completely into the mist. From that day forth, the City of Defense was as if erased from the world.
And she was one of the witnesses.
Compared to the City of Defense, Magnificent Castle was larger and had the massive Blue Luminance Stone pillars as a barrier, but if the Misty Zone continued to expand, its complete disappearance was only a matter of time—if even the surrounding seas were covered by the mist, Magnificent Castle, cut off from its trade routes, simply could not survive on its resources alone and would inevitably become a dead city.
“My lord, what should we do?” the adjutant couldn’t help but ask.
“We can only wait,” Shandela replied somberly, “If it’s a tidal movement we’re waiting for, then Magnificent Castle can certainly continue to exist. If not…” she paused for a moment, “then we only have to organize a mass migration for the residents.”
