Chapter 620: The Arrival of the Dusky Era
The Ivar World.
The peace of the past was shattered in a single day. Across the vast world, pure white beacon columns rose one after another. From the Perpetual Dark Isle in the far west to the easternmost town of Tang Valley in the Golden Broom Dynasty, from the Ice Crystal Palace in the Northern Continent to the volcanic islands south of the equator, countless people had to temporarily step away from their lives and work to gaze at those light columns piercing through the layers of atmosphere and ascending into the clouds.
Since the Chaos Disaster of the Third Era, the Sequences 9 and the sages of various races in the world had established an agreement: if a disaster were to occur again, these beacon columns would spread like signal fires across every corner of the world, summoning and awakening every warrior to collectively resist this overwhelming calamity.
Today, such beacon columns reappeared, announcing the end of the era of peace and the resumption of conflict and battle.
“Set sail, hoist the sails!”
As the flagship raised its banners and sails, a series of ships followed suit behind, setting out on a vast expanse of sea. The sails filled by the southern wind stretched endlessly, and they would fulfill the vows made a thousand years ago, bringing the treasures of the seven seas as promised.
In the heart of the Sighing Mountains, the Dark Poison Gorge.
Once a mere canyon, it had become an endless abyss, expanding to nearly ten kilometers in diameter. Countless twisted entities were pouring out from within.
Suddenly, a brilliant light rose from the darkness, followed by a second, third, and fourth…
Nearly twenty light columns rose from the earth, resembling stars, flickering and illuminating the murky and dark world. Those Extraordinary Beings standing atop the peaks calling upon power and light were the sages who swore to protect the ember of civilization.
With their concerted efforts, shining streaks of light pierced through numerous obstacles, linking together and beginning to construct a grand and intricate seal array.
Clancia, Dark Abyss County.
On the fortress guarding the edge of the vortex, a white-robed priest gazed at the gradually expanding chasm before him. Countless shadows and white flames clashed below, engaging in fierce battles.
“Lord Juia,” a powerful knight clad in full armor approached from behind.
“Our personnel defending the dark abyss have been slain in half, and the vortex continues to expand while more phantoms appear,” he bowed deeply.
“I understand, but I will not leave,” the priest turned around, revealing long red hair like dawn, and her beautiful face displayed a rare calmness.
“I will remain here until a turning point arrives.”
Afterward, the newly appointed priest clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and devoutly prayed, a sun-like symbol gradually appearing on his forehead.
He seemed to lose weight and slowly floated upward, rising into the air like a faint star in the chaotic night.
Then, a pair of new wings emerged from his back, extending and spreading slowly, followed by a second pair. The white wings bore patterns similar to his hair, shimmering with radiant light.
His strength and aura also escalated, advancing from Angel Sequence 7 to Sequence 8, and finally reaching Sequence 9, stabilizing gradually.
Looking up at the angel with flaming wings in the sky, the Holy Paladin murmured:
“The Angel Descent Ceremony.”
With the angel’s arrival, a sword of unextinguished flame appeared in the air and was grasped in his hand. The sword swung, and scarlet flames swept forward, rushing toward the endless vortex.
—
Kallanriel Holy Mountain, Church Headquarters.
Beacon columns rose from the central church, and thousands of bells echoed between the mountains and valleys. The once tranquil and peaceful Holy Land was now bustling with activity, filled with the running of members of the Twelve Palaces and the urgent gathering of knights.
At the headquarters of the Holy Lance Knights, Grand Master Odysseus stood on horseback, leading the crowd.
In this critical moment, the results of their daily rigorous training were evident. Knights carrying holy lances and wearing immaculate armor gathered in the square, closely arranged. The sacred patterns etched on their armor reflected a faint holy glow under the sunlight.
“Holy Lances, advance!”
At the command, nearly eighty thousand Holy Lance Knights followed behind the Grand Master, heading south toward the continent.
As they set out, rows of priests lining the roads bestowed their final blessings.
“May light and wind forever protect you.” As tens of thousands of prayers rose, a faint halo enveloped these warriors, making them stronger, swifter, and more dazzling. Armor, cloaks, and silhouettes flowed like golden wind.
—
City of the Clock Tower, Mozwah.
The underground chasm, originally sealed, suddenly cracked open, breaking through the ground barrier. At its edges, numerous twisted shadows surged out like a geyser.
Angels in the sky continued to suppress and fight, but among the several chaos vortices revealed so far, this one was the newest, largest, and most challenging.
Hundreds of thousands of phantoms wandered through the land and cities, devouring and eroding every living thing they encountered. Wherever they went, vegetation withered, and life went mad, struggling and twisting in death.
More worrying still, Mozwah bordered the sea. Many phantoms entered the water, drifting toward unknown distant places, and no one knew how much poison and contamination they might bring to the world.
Soldiers in the city were awakened by the urgent bell sounds. Under the officers’ frantic instructions, they quickly evacuated the residents, while a group of elite knights remained behind to cover the retreat and clear the phantoms obstructing their path.
“Knight Order of the Cataclysm, step forward!”
When this decisive order was issued, knights clad in crimson-gold armor stepped out of formation, picking up their weapons and standing at the forefront of the abyss with their companions.
“This is the most brutal war, perhaps without end. So, let us abandon hope and march forward together.”
“This is our honor and our mission, because we fight for the people.”
“Advance, Clancia!”
With heartfelt shouts, steadfast warriors still guarded the front lines of the abyss, like the most solid dam, holding back the constantly surging black tide.
—
Beyond the Starry River
Lolan Hill and Keti flew swiftly through the sky, constantly evading the endless waves of phantoms behind them. Fortunately, as one of the primal forces of wind and atmosphere, Lolan’s flying speed was unmatched, allowing her to find some semblance of survival amidst the engulfing black tide.
Lolan felt the thin and dry air, which seemed to wilt all life under its touch.
“Keti, look over there,” she suddenly saw a familiar pair of figures in the distance.
Two witches, one black and one white, lay entwined on the cold metal ground. They no longer breathed or showed any signs of life. It seemed only minutes had passed, yet it felt like hundreds of days, their bodies dried and on the verge of crumbling.
A massive fireball exploded in the air, briefly separating the black tide. Lolan and Keti landed in front of the two witches.
At this moment, neither could sense any divine power. They appeared to be nothing more than ordinary corpses.
What had they done with their remaining divine power? Even their souls did not remain. Due to the urgency, phantoms continued to layer over, preventing Lolan from staying long. She could only take the seemingly broken crimson-gold pocket watch and, with Keti, rise again to fly toward the opening in the sky.
Amidst the pursuit of countless phantoms, Lolan led Keti through the labyrinth of metal and machinery, heading towards the vortex they came from.
Long flights in the thin air began to tire even Lolan. There was insufficient oxygen, and the atmosphere seemed to contain a weak toxic substance, but she managed to withstand it due to her constitution.
Even so, this silver-haired girl was only at Sequence 6, far from reaching Sequence 9. She could not transform herself into flowing wind like Keti. Near the entrance of the vortex, her consciousness finally faltered, and the incessant interference from millions of phantoms made her drowsier.
“Lolan,” Keti looked worriedly at the girl ahead, an orange flame shield enveloping them both, offering some relief.
“Thank you, Keti,” Lolan shook her head to stay alert. She couldn’t rest now; she still had to take the foolish Keti home.
When the black vortex engulfed them again, a heavy burden seemed to weigh on them, something they hadn’t felt before.
The temporal tunnel flowed easily downstream but faced layers of resistance upstream.
“Guh,” Lolan felt as if she were sinking into heavy mud.
As their speed slowed, the chaotic phantoms didn’t miss this opportunity. Like sharks smelling blood, they converged, though slowly, they gradually closed in on the two witches under the pressure of their companions.
To move forward and avoid the phantoms behind, they struggled through the turbulent temporal tunnel. Flashes of light momentarily blocked the approaching distorted figures, but the phantoms pressed on relentlessly.
As they traveled, even the flames on Keti’s body dimmed, flickering like a candle in the wind.
Looking ahead, the darkness remained unlit. Lolan’s heart sank, knowing that she and Keti couldn’t last much longer.
Just as she grew exhausted and despair began to rise, a few strands of red flame brushed her face, bringing warmth and a tingling sensation. Keti’s crimson eyes gazed at Lolan, filled with countless unsaid words, yet no sound escaped.
A crimson flame flower bloomed amidst the black tide, sweeping away countless distorted phantoms. Then, a tiny figure was flung from the darkness, charging toward the door beyond the layers of darkness.
Lolan’s grip loosened as the fiery girl beside her vanished, leaving only remnants of warmth. A surge of sorrow overwhelmed her heart.
Anxiety and grief filled her, then suddenly, everything brightened. She reappeared beneath Mozwah.
The scorched rocks and ground left by Keti still retained some dark red light and heat, but the fiery girl was nowhere to be seen.
Her pale fingers pressed into the damp and dirty ground, rough stones rubbing against her palm. Lolan gasped for breath, inhaling the rare air. Despite the phantoms closing in, she lacked the energy to raise her shield, her mind still haunted by the previous scene.
This silver-haired girl looked up, seeing phantoms wandering through the sky above, the exit of the abyss like a narrow well, with only a faint light shining through, ready to go out at any moment.
[This beautiful yet cruel world.]
Warm tears rolled down her cheeks, carrying dust into the muddy soil below. When she reached the depths of sorrow, Lolan found herself entering a previously unknown tranquility, calm enough to face and sacrifice everything.
A small light screen temporarily separated the outside phantoms. This silver-haired girl knelt on the dark, polluted ground, clasping her hands in a devout prayer she had never made before.
A virtual spherical image appeared before her, a pale gold orb like the sun, surrounded by feathers like lotus petals. Each wing had circuit-like patterns, a perfect blend of technology and nature, symbolizing harmony.
She held tightly in her hand the fragment from the Angel Statue, the fragment of the Solar Crown.
If all recorded in the Dusk Era were true, then the Solar Crown that once suppressed the entire Ejika Sea might be her last hope.
Even if she couldn’t awaken the full power of the Solar Crown, even if it was just a remnant of its power, it would be enough to change everything, alter the fate of the planet, and save her friend lost in the chaos.
Prayer began.
Rainbow starlight-dripping potions fell into her palm, her past accumulation, and the only starlight power she could still connect with in her weakened state.
She exerted all her strength to explore possible paths, and a stream of information flowed over the virtual sun before her, analyzing the fragment in her hand.
Complex, endless information flashed through her mind, tiny sparks of magic light emerging within the virtual sun, testing each idea.
If the original four souls on the throne constructed the network and elemental components of the Solar Crown, could she recreate the miracle of the past?
If there weren’t four distinct original souls, could she, as a changing pure wind, split herself into several parts, simulating the existence of the other three?
If the path to divinity could be repaired, could she reconnect the dormant Solar Crown?
Many ideas and thoughts raced through her mind, and she began to try them fearlessly.
—
The once clear skies gradually darkened, with phantoms obscuring the sunlight, casting shadows everywhere. Countless people fled in terror across the land, seeking uncorrupted regions.
Dead bodies floated in the sea, countless white bellies of fish flipping in the waves, emitting a foul stench of decay.
Forests in the mountains dulled and withered under the spread of phantoms, with twisted patterns appearing on fallen leaves, sprinkling over the gray-black dead world below.
Mad beasts with bloodshot eyes tore at everything in sight, even their own children or parents, their mutilated bodies unable to rest, emitting strange odors from their distorted limbs.
Like a beautiful colored scroll being smeared with sewage and rubbed with a rag, everything orderly became chaotic, and the entire planet entered the increasing entropy of the dusky era.
(End of Chapter)
