Chapter 1116: The Deeper Mystery

A creature Enya had never seen before appeared at the doorway. Its smooth metallic shell gleamed, and on its surface was a smiling face that somehow lifted the spirits just by looking at it. It hovered a short distance above the ground by some kind of anti-gravity mechanism. Inside, it was filled with energy—but clearly not magical energy. This strange being floated in politely and said:

“Hello, I’m here to install some equipment.”

Enya was momentarily stunned—but she kept her emotions well hidden beneath her glossy eggshell. She stared at the floating metal orb, then noticed many other objects drifting in behind it. These were parts of a magical device waiting to be assembled: neatly packed rune boards, crystals fixed in metal frames, alloy bases with plug-in connectors, and various other scattered components. None of these parts had their own anti-gravity or repulsion systems; they were clearly being controlled and levitated by the metal orb.

The device parts quickly piled up neatly in the room. The clear, shining golden orb then floated over to Enya. It seemed curious about the pale golden dragon egg, though its emotions were also concealed beneath its hard shell. It bobbed up and down happily and introduced itself:

“I’m the chief craftsman here, commissioned to design and personally install a custom magic network terminal. You can call me Saint Nicholas, Egg Boss—though you can just call me Egg Boss or Mr. Nicholas.”

“Uh… hello,” came a hesitant voice from inside the golden egg. “You can call me Enya.”

“Pleased to meet you, Ms. Enya,” the metal orb bobbed again. Some of the piled-up device parts floated up nearby. “Well then, I’ll get started—there might be a bit of noise, please forgive me.”

Enya watched in a daze as this self-proclaimed “Egg Boss” began working. The strange device parts started assembling at a dizzying speed into the shape of a complex machine. Throughout the process, she sensed extremely high-frequency, precise magnetic oscillations and subtle energy fluctuations imperceptible to most mortals—clearly emitted by this extraordinary being. As one of the oldest gods in the world, Enya was well-traveled and knowledgeable, yet a thought still popped into her mind: No wonder this region is ruled by otherworldly wanderers… why are there so many bizarre creatures here?

But she quickly realized that as an egg who could talk, drink tea, and read the news, she herself wasn’t exactly normal either—and felt better about it.

Nicholas, the Egg Boss, worked swiftly, assembling the parts he had designed and calibrated himself. The task was a joy to him, but what intrigued him more was the “resident” of the room—the pale golden egg standing nearby, seemingly watching intently. Having lingered in this world for so many years, this was the first time he’d encountered such an interesting creature. He couldn’t help but strike up a conversation:

“I heard there’s a new guest here… but I didn’t expect such a strange one. Ah, forgive me, madam—are you not hatched yet?”

“Sort of,” Enya replied casually, while observing Egg Boss’s shell. “What about you? Haven’t you hatched either?”

“Me? This is how I look,” Egg Boss bobbed up and down, mimicking a human shrug. “At first, some thought this outer layer was an eggshell, but it’s actually my skin… well, skin.”

“How curious,” Enya murmured thoughtfully. Some ancient, obscure memories surfaced—stories from dragons who had traveled abroad. After a few seconds of silence, she suddenly asked, “You’re not from this world, are you?”

Egg Boss paused, then instinctively gave his usual explanation: “Well, yes. I’m a mage from the ancient Gondor Empire. Due to an experimental accident, I had to temporarily transform into this…”

“You fell into the mountain range to the south?” Enya interrupted before he could finish. “I remember humans call that range the Dark Mountains. That was probably over a thousand years ago, maybe even longer.”

Egg Boss stopped his work (though he had no hands) in surprise and turned around. “How do you know that?!”

“I know many things,” Enya said calmly. “Though I was far north at the time, dragons who travel often report interesting events from around the world. You don’t need to be nervous—I’m not the type to freak out over a foreign visitor. Many incredible things have happened in this world; your existence isn’t that unusual to me.”

Egg Boss floated closer to the golden egg. “Then what else do you know? Do you know how I got here?!”

“That seems important to you, but I’m sorry…” Enya hesitated, then spoke frankly. “I didn’t witness your arrival firsthand, so I can’t say much. But my dragon sources say you appeared suddenly at the top of the atmospheric turbulence layer and fell to the ground. There was no trace of you in the steady-state limit layer, so I suspect you passed through some kind of spacetime rift—not normal space travel.”

“Passed through a spacetime rift…” Egg Boss muttered. “So my way home isn’t through normal space, but some kind of spatial anomaly… at least, not a regular route.”

“I can’t be sure,” Enya said. “Spacetime structure is one of the most complex mysteries. Over millions of years, even smooth, stable spacetime can develop cracks and gaps that even gods can’t comprehend. My only experience is this: the deeper the foundation of the world, the more unpredictable, counterintuitive, and irrational everything becomes.”

“Unpredictable, counterintuitive, irrational?” Egg Boss repeated, curiosity piqued. “Why do you say that?”

Enya hesitated, then after a moment’s thought broke the silence: “There’s some knowledge I’m not sure I should share, so I’ll give you examples that don’t go beyond your understanding as a warning: In the material world, thought and matter are clearly distinct. In the Shadow Realm, matter and projection often overlap and misalign. In the Umbral Realm, the world seen by observers is already an illusion; most things exist beyond the perception of intelligent beings. And in the deepest place, called the ‘Deep Sea’… I can’t say much, but I’ll tell you this: there are no entities there. The concept of a physical universe has completely broken down.”

“No entities? The concept of a physical universe broken down?” Egg Boss struggled to grasp her words. “What does that mean?”

“I can’t explain further,” Enya said without hesitation. “First, knowledge that’s too advanced can be harmful to you. Second, my interpretation might be wrong—gods have limits too. I’m just giving you a reference. If you’re looking for a way home, maybe that path lies deeper in the world, where spacetime rules are weaker and more prone to flaws—the ‘world’s foundation.’ In the stable, continuous spacetime of the material world, hope is slim.”

“A deeper layer of the world… deeper layer…” Egg Boss murmured. At first, he seemed a bit downcast, but then suddenly brightened. “Ah, I understand now. Thank you so much, I understand!”

Enya still felt a bit regretful. “I don’t think I helped much.”

“You’ve helped me tremendously, Ms. Enya!” Egg Boss’s tone lifted, and the whole orb seemed energized. “For over a thousand years, I thought I came from space—at least, that my path to this planet was through space. I never considered spacetime structure. You’ve opened a whole new way of thinking for me. This is the first step I’ve taken in over a millennium!”

“But taking that first step won’t be easy,” Enya couldn’t help but warn. “Even if you know the world’s foundation might hide spacetime secrets, how do you plan to find a way out there? It’s beyond your current understanding and far beyond your technology. As far as I know, you’ve only just stepped into the Umbral Realm, nowhere near the ‘foundation.’”

Egg Boss’s voice showed no discouragement. “I like something Gawain said: technology always advances. What can’t be done now might be possible later. I think he’s right. I’ve waited over a thousand years in this world. The ancient Gondor Empire was advanced but never reached the stars. Now I have Cecil, who’s curious about the stars and studying the world’s foundation—and this time, I can openly join their work. I can live many more years. I believe I’ll see the day when this world’s technology reaches the deepest cosmic mysteries… and then I’ll find my way home.”

Enya listened quietly to this strange metallic being’s passionate dream. When he finished, she couldn’t help but say, “You’re very optimistic. But what if… you never get to see that day?”

Egg Boss suddenly grew quiet. After a few seconds, he laughed and swayed his body from side to side. “Then I’ll become a rock in this world, quietly waiting for the day I crumble. Fortunately, this planet is a decent place to live and to rest in death. So until that day comes, I’ll enjoy every moment—especially these days spent tinkering with metal.”

Nearby, the half-assembled device parts floated up again. Under Nicholas Egg Boss’s skillful control, the perfectly fitting structures continued to come together. A custom magic network terminal and several auxiliary devices gradually took shape in midair.

Enya thought quietly, lost in her own reflections. Then she smiled softly. “I really do like this world.”

“Yeah, me too,” Egg Boss replied casually while working. “So you should get out sometimes, like me. I understand the joy of staying in your room—I spend most of my time in the workshop—but going out to feel the sun has its benefits.”

Enya suddenly fell silent.

Egg Boss noticed the golden egg’s quietness and hesitated before asking, “Could it be… you can’t float?”

“…I seem to have forgotten that function,” Enya mused. “But I can study it. Well, now I have something to work on.”

“Looks like you really can’t float right now,” Egg Boss said, relieved to have an answer. “Don’t worry, I get it—being sick is always tough.”

“?”

Enya felt a question mark hovering over her shell, but before she could ask, the iron orb had already immersed itself in the next stage of work. She only heard his cheerful voice: “Don’t worry, once this equipment is installed, it’ll work. Staying inside might feel stifling, but the wonderful world of the network will banish all your boredom…”

“This is the current state of the Silver Elves,” Belsethia said calmly as she stood before Amon, recounting what the forest and valley folk had endured since the departure of the god of nature. “To this day, although the Silver Empire remains a theocratic state in name, it is secular forces that truly drive its governance. The royal family’s divine status is mostly symbolic now. We still honor the gods, but our lives have, whether consciously or not, drifted away from true faith.”

“Yet in a few isolated regions, there are still elves who cling to the old faith, led by druidic purists. At their highest ranks are a handful of ancient priests who have survived for over three thousand years…”

“I’m curious about something,” Amon suddenly asked softly after Belsethia finished. “Can those druidic purists still wield magic?”

“…Yes.”

“And those ancient priests who have lived for three millennia—can they use magic as well?”

“…They channel their power through ancient relics and sacred artifacts passed down through the ages.”

“And both groups refuse to acknowledge the current divine authority of the elven royal court, hoping instead for the restoration of the old druidic order.”

“Yes.”

Amon sighed quietly.

“Those ancient priests who have survived for three thousand years were once my devoted followers. I abandoned them abruptly back then… The fault lies with me. As for those druids preaching the revival of the old faith—they believe neither in you nor in me.”

Belsethia lifted her gaze to meet the eyes of the god of nature. Her heart had gradually steadied; even looking into those sacred eyes no longer stirred intense emotion. “So, what do you intend to do?”

“Let those ancient priests come to me. I have forsaken them for three thousand years… it’s time to see them again.”

Belsethia’s eyes widened in disbelief. “But if you do that, won’t all your efforts until now be undone? And once those priests reconnect with a god…”

She suddenly stopped, as if realizing something. She glanced aside and saw Gawain standing quietly, his expression unreadable, as if he had anticipated everything.

Gathering herself, Belsethia looked back at the deity once worshiped by the elves. “And what about the remaining druidic purists?”

“Give them a choice,” Amon said softly. “Either follow you, or follow me.”

(End of chapter)