Chapter 1254: Reunion in the Homeland

Amber moved with incredible speed.

It was a velocity so swift that even legendary warriors with keen dynamic vision struggled to track it—a flash that seemed to blur the boundary between shadow and reality. Both Gawain and Victoria only caught the rush of wind past their ears before the so-called disgrace of the Alliance transformed into a sleek black streak. In the next instant, Victoria felt something heavy latch onto her thigh, accompanied by a voice shouting, “Keep observing!!”

Gawain’s head nearly exploded. Even after all these years of witnessing Amber’s bizarre antics, this moment was clearly pushing his limits. He stepped forward, grabbed her by the belt, and yanked her up forcibly. “Enough with the embarrassment—Modir, what’s going on?”

Victoria finally snapped out of her shock. Usually composed and unflappable, the Duchess of the North now stared wide-eyed, as if experiencing a fright unlike any before. She was momentarily at a loss, only stepping back after Gawain had hauled Amber away. In a way, Amber’s clumsy slide-kneel had worked—no one, not even legendary warriors, expected such a move, and it had completely thrown off the Duchess’s train of thought.

“I… I’m fine,” Modir blinked, as if awakening abruptly from a brief but immersive dream. A trace of confusion lingered in his eyes as they swept over the figures in the cabin before settling on Gawain. “I think I just… saw something. No, not saw—felt something.”

“Felt what?” Gawain quickly set Amber down, his expression grave.

Amber wobbled slightly as she landed, first glancing at Modir, then at the serious faces of Gawain and Victoria. Judging that the great adventurer was truly unharmed, she let out a quiet sigh of relief and slipped toward the corner, lowering her profile while straining to listen. Meanwhile, Modir seemed oblivious to all this. He gently shook his head, as if trying to clear some lingering fog, and spoke slowly, “In that direction… the thing I’m searching for lies that way. I remember now—I’ve been there! I saw a breach, a hole no one knows about. It’s bad—there’s a hole… and another place, another ‘entrance’… they’re connected.”

Modir’s gaze grew increasingly unfocused, his words disjointed. Just as Gawain and Victoria were about to intervene, the old mage suddenly stopped, shook his head vigorously, and his eyes cleared.

“Are you alright?” Victoria asked instinctively, seeing the elder regain his composure. “Just now…”

“I’m fine. No need to worry,” Modir nodded, then fell into thought, as if piecing together the fragments of what had just happened. After a few moments, he spoke again, “I felt several layers of consciousness rising to the ‘surface’ simultaneously. They were all me—memories from different times and states… My mind was filled with voices and visions I’d never encountered before. By the goddess of magic, I’ve never heard of anything like this.”

“Memories from different times and states occupying your mind at once?” Victoria’s face showed astonishment. As a mage, she immediately recognized the unusual nature of this phenomenon. “You mean your memories are returning?”

“Not yet, but it’s a start. I think Miss Amber’s treatment had some effect… It feels like some lost pieces are coming back,” Modir rubbed his forehead, his voice low and slow. “What did I just say?”

He looked at Gawain, finally noticing the latter’s unusually serious expression.

Gawain didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he glanced toward the direction Modir had been staring at moments ago. After a brief pause, he broke the silence in a low voice, “You said the thing you’re looking for is in that direction, and you mentioned a place where there’s a ‘hole.’”

“The thing I’m looking for…” Modir repeated softly, clearly struggling to recall his own words. Following Gawain’s gaze, he looked toward that side, but all he could see was a wall of the cabin with a small window inset. “That direction is… where?”

“The Tower of the Reverse Tide,” Gawain said quietly.

“Looks like things are finally pointing that way,” Amber muttered, twitching her sharp ears as she glanced between Gawain and the now-recovered Modir. “Seems like we’ll have to set out early.”

…

Under the starlit polar night, a protective shield enveloped the city, blocking the biting winds from the wasteland beyond. Though this crude barrier couldn’t compare to the once warm and temperate ecological dome, on this cold, devastated land, even a simple shelter from wind and rain was a precious comfort. Inside the shield, the glow of magic crystal lamps banished the darkness, and the square at the edge of the residential district buzzed with activity.

A dozen or so hatchling dragons tumbled and played beneath the bright lamplight. Some practiced flying, others ran and wrestled on the ground, while a few sent out bursts of light and flame from their fledgling breaths, painting the night sky with playful sparks. These innocent younglings had no concept of “former glory” or the profound significance of this city rising anew from ruins. To them, everything was simply normal, and they poured their boundless energy into the carefree joys of childhood—while also learning the skills necessary to survive in this harsh land.

Their guardians stood watch at the square’s edge, eyes fixed on the playful brood.

“They’re adapting well here,” Melita said, withdrawing her gaze from the square to her friend beside her. “I was worried they’d be scared by the unfamiliar environment and so many of their kind.”

“Those two might be more adaptable than any of us,” Noretta smiled. “After all, they were born and raised in this era, and they have the most unique ‘foster mother’ guiding them.”

Melita nodded gently. Footsteps approached, and a somewhat familiar voice called out, “Hello… Have we met before?”

Surprised, Melita turned to see a short figure with long red hair standing not far behind her. A young red dragon, she realized. At first, Melita couldn’t place the face, but soon the memory surfaced—it was the mechanic who had helped remove her failed implant when she first arrived at the refuge camp.

“Hello, I remember you—you’re the mechanic who helped me remove the faulty implant,” Melita smiled warmly. “Sorry, I didn’t recognize you right away.”

“I wasn’t sure either,” the young mechanic laughed. “It’s been a long time. It’s good to see a familiar face safe and sound. What brings you here?”

“I’m mostly on missions in the Loren Continent now. I’m back to report,” Melita replied casually. “And I brought the hatchlings home to get familiar with their birthplace—they were hatched on Loren.”

“Loren Continent… You actually went that far?” The red dragon’s eyes widened in surprise, then she noticed the two unfamiliar little ones in the square. “You adopted hatchlings? Two of them?”

“Yes, with a friend,” Melita said, gesturing to Noretta, who smiled beside her. “What about you? Are you watching over your hatchlings here? Still working as a mechanic?”

“…I’m no longer a mechanic,” the young red dragon said softly, then looked toward the square. “I didn’t claim my own egg, but I do care for the hatchlings here—all the little ones playing in this square.”

“You’re not a mechanic anymore?” Melita sounded surprised. “Why? Didn’t you say it was your grandfather’s legacy…?”

“My organs survived the backlash from the enhancers, but my nervous system didn’t fully recover,” the young red dragon shook her head regretfully. Under the combined light of stars and crystal lamps, Melita saw her fingertips tremble slightly. “Most mechanical maintenance now has to be done by hand, but my hands can’t manage the fine work anymore, neither in human nor dragon form. Fortunately, things are better than before, so losing one mechanic doesn’t impact the city much.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“What do you have to apologize for?” The young red dragon smiled. “Actually, this works out. I take care of the hatchlings whose parents are away on missions. Playing with these little ones is fun, and I still get to tinker with my favorite mechanical devices—helping out in the salvage department. Just can’t be a professional mechanic anymore.”

Melita, Noretta, and the young red dragon stood together at the square’s edge, watching the seemingly tireless hatchlings pour their energy into play. The two newcomers had already been accepted by the brood, wrestling over a battered, large metal ring. The ring clanged and rolled on the ground, its surface worn and scratched, with faint letters occasionally visible—words like “Arena” and “Champion.”

“That’s the most popular toy here,” the young red dragon said. “I don’t know where the little ones dug it up—it looks like something from the old Extreme Arena. I wasn’t interested in the arena back then.”

Noretta watched the playful hatchlings and whispered, “They really are carefree.”

“Of course. What worries could they have? The world is still beautiful to them,” the young red dragon laughed softly, her voice gentle as she gazed at the scene. “Karador calls these hatchlings the ‘Post-Tal’ronde Generation’—born after the wars in Tal’ronde ended. Compared to us survivors of the wasteland, they see the world through a completely different lens—Omega implants, enhancers, massive cities and factories—all of that is untouchable history to them. What they know is this land, scarred by war, and the vast ‘Alliance’ beyond…”

“They were born on this scorched land, and they will grow up here as well. Their lives have no implants or enhancers, and they’ve never known what the Omega System is. They don’t dwell on past glories or convenient technologies, nor do they carry extra fears or burdens about the future—unlike us. Even the strongest among us feel a pang of sadness when we gaze toward the Red and Black Zones, and when we see the things in the recycling yards, memories inevitably surface. But these hatchlings… have you noticed their eyes? They’re filled only with curiosity and hope for what’s to come.

“Chairman Andal once said that what we need now are eyes that look forward with expectation—because those eyes themselves are the future.

“That’s why I like being with these hatchlings. They make me feel that my existence has meaning. I’m caring for a future worth looking forward to. Compared to that, any damage to my nervous system is just a trivial matter.”

“A generation without burdens, huh…” Melita murmured softly. “When Noretta and I were digging through the ruins of the hatching factory, we never thought about things like that.”

Just then, two figures swooped down from the direction of the plaza, accompanied by cheerful “Gao!” calls. Melita and Noretta instinctively reached out with strength far beyond that of ordinary humans, catching two hatchlings mid-air. They gently set the little creatures down and stroked the smooth scales near their heads. The hatchlings purred contentedly, rubbing their heads against Melita’s and Noretta’s thighs, eyes half-closed in bliss.

“Finally tired of playing?” Noretta laughed. “Looks like you’ve made a lot of new friends.”

“Gao!!” The hatchlings chirped happily, flapping their wings and necks vigorously. At the same time, some of the scales around their necks and backs began to glow with a bright blue light. As the hatchlings moved, the shimmering light intertwined with the starry sky above.

“What is that…” a young red dragon nearby stared in astonishment at the strange phenomenon unfolding on the hatchlings. She clearly had never seen anything like it. “What’s happening to them?”

“It’s the effect of deep blue magic,” Melita said casually as she continued to stroke the little one’s head. “Apparently, a small number of dragon eggs have been influenced by the Deep Blue Nexus, and they’re born with this unique magical mark. Didn’t you see anything like this here? I’ve heard that a few hatchlings born in Talrond also show similar signs.”

“Marks left by deep blue magic?” The young red dragon’s eyes widened in surprise, then she fell into thought. “I think I’ve heard of it, but never seen it firsthand. None of the hatchlings I’ve cared for had anything like this…”

Suddenly, the two hatchlings rubbing against Melita and Noretta stretched their necks and stared intently at a point in the night sky. The magical glow on their backs flared, growing several times brighter than before, even radiating a faint warmth. Melita and Noretta hadn’t yet processed what was happening when the hatchlings let out anxious cries, one after the other: “Gao!! Gao!!”

(End of chapter)