Chapter 1270: Change of Plans

The Tower of the Reverse Tide still stood unyielding, just as it had for the past million years. Yet the Reverse Tide God, once trapped within this towering spire, had long since vanished without a trace. Behind an invisible veil, a rift slicing through the planet had opened a gateway to other realms. Based on the clues gathered so far, this rift might have existed for centuries.

This raised a crucial question: Where had the Reverse Tide God gone? And what was it truly “planning” to do?

In the grand hall on the tower’s first floor, Gawain was cross-referencing data streaming through his mind with visitor access logs, checking the status of the tower’s various facilities. Behind him, dozens of dragonborn and human investigators dispatched from the Wintership scoured the vast interior, gathering information and searching every corner. Outside, on the steel island surrounding the tower, several teams were also combing through clues. This ancient relic, silent for countless ages, had suddenly come alive with activity.

In the past, Tal’Rond would never have allowed such chaos. But now the tower’s true nature was exposed—it was safe. Ironically, extremely safe.

Ordinary people entering the tower no longer risked knowledge contamination. And as long as the dragons didn’t help unlock the Voyager database, human investigators wouldn’t accidentally learn those dangerous, advanced technologies from interstellar civilizations—technologies far beyond the current era.

“Logically, the Reverse Tide God wouldn’t just lie low after escaping,” Gawain said, standing beside a supply conveyor rail, casually tapping the control panel as data charts scrolled across the screen. He spoke to the holographic projection floating nearby. “It’s an ancient god that lost control and has a strong tendency for autonomous action. Causing trouble is its instinct—its divine duty, even. Yet we haven’t found any signs of Reverse Tide worshippers in the mortal realms.”

The hologram flickered, revealing the figures of Heragor and Andal. The latter’s aged face was grave. “With our current capabilities, we still can’t trace where those rifts lead. Even if we could, it wouldn’t mean much. The Reverse Tide won’t just wait obediently at the rift’s exit. Centuries are enough time for it to roam every corner of this world.”

At that moment, Heragor’s voice cut through the room. “Actually… I just thought of something.”

“Go ahead,” Gawain nodded immediately. “Any lead or insight is valuable right now.”

“Adventurer Modir,” Heragor’s gaze shifted to the man standing beside Gawain. The great adventurer was curiously examining an ancient touchscreen, clearly fascinated by its workings. Hearing his name, he snapped to attention. “Ah? You called me?”

“Yes,” Heragor nodded slightly. “Do you remember what you saw the last time you accidentally wandered into that gray-white wasteland? Lady Night battling an indescribable entity emerging from the ruins of a city. That thing radiated a terrifying divine pressure, but it didn’t match any traits of a ‘true god.’ Your mind was nearly shattered by the encounter.”

The reminder sparked recognition—not only in Modir but also in Gawain, who narrowed his eyes. He guessed Heragor’s implication. “You suspect that indescribable entity fighting Lady Night was…”

Heragor nodded solemnly. “Yes. I lack concrete proof, but I strongly suspect it.”

“…Lack proof, huh?” Gawain’s voice was low and serious. “But your suspicion isn’t baseless. There are clues pointing in that direction.” He quickly pieced together the fragments swirling in his mind. “Modir was once contaminated by the Reverse Tide within this tower, and now he’s inexplicably linked to Lady Night. The Reverse Tide escaped long ago, but its power hasn’t manifested openly. Meanwhile, Lady Night’s divine realm is completely cut off from the mortal world. The ‘indescribable entity’ in her realm has a godlike, terrifying aspect but lacks the radiant, majestic form of a ‘true god’—more like a malformed aberration. That fits the theoretical nature of the Reverse Tide…”

Amber blinked, glancing between Gawain and the two dragon leaders in the hologram. Finally, she found her chance to speak. “Yeah, I remember we guessed before that if the Reverse Tide was going to cause trouble, it’d probably target Lady Night first—she’s isolated, weakened, without followers to back her up, and her realm hides in the blind spot of the gods’ vision. It’s like a lost old lady wandering dark alleys at midnight, with a sack over her head… Only, none of us expected the Reverse Tide had actually escaped. Nobody’s been thinking along those lines.”

As she spoke, Modir and the two dragon leaders shot her strange looks, while Gawain couldn’t help but pat the shadowy assault goose on the shoulder. “You at least suspected you were Lady Night’s chosen once, treated her as your main deity—even if you later realized you might have been wrong. So maybe show a little respect when you talk about her now…”

Amber blinked innocently. “I’m not making things up. I’m just saying how I feel… Honestly, I really admire Lady Night. To survive so long under the Voyagers’ watchful eyes—I’m impressed.”

If anyone else said that, it might sound sarcastic or teasing. But coming from Amber, with her cowardly yet tenacious nature, it felt genuine. She truly respected a goddess who had managed to hide from the Voyagers for nearly two million years.

Gawain didn’t voice these thoughts aloud—he knew Amber would just smile cheekily anyway. Instead, he shook his head and refocused on the matter of the Reverse Tide and Lady Night.

“Even if we had proof linking the Reverse Tide to Lady Night, it probably wouldn’t change much,” he said gravely. “No one knows where Lady Night’s realm actually is, or how to maintain stable contact with a goddess who’s been detached from the mortal world for nearly two million years. Our current encounters with the Shadow Divine Realm have been purely coincidental.”

His gaze swept over Amber, then rested on Modir. One grinned foolishly at him, the other shrugged helplessly.

“There’s only one piece of good news,” Andal finally broke his silence. “If that thing in Lady Night’s realm really is the Reverse Tide… according to Modir’s description, it hasn’t gained the upper hand in their fight. It’s still blocked outside the Shadow Throne. Lady Night is… stronger than we thought. But if this drags on, who knows what might happen.”

“And I’m worried about something else,” Gawain added after nodding to Andal. “The Sentinel… the greatest shadow still lurks beyond all our clues.”

The hall fell quiet. Then Amber’s comm device at her waist suddenly buzzed. After connecting, Byron’s figure appeared before Gawain. The burly, graying man looked serious—this was no trivial message.

“Your Majesty, a messenger from the North Port just arrived at our relay station in Argondor,” Byron said solemnly. “An urgent communique from the Divine Authority Council regarding the ‘Gate’ project—Master Kamail and his exploration team have successfully landed in the War God’s Divine Realm, and they’ve discovered something beyond our expectations.”

“Beyond expectations?” Gawain’s eyes sharpened. “What did they find?”

“A rift cutting through the boundary of the divine realm,” Byron explained, “and on the other side, a Deep Blue Pathway. There’s also an unknown entity patrolling between the realms—nothing that resembles a god or any divine relic.” His face tightened, the usual casual expression gone. “Senior Advisor ‘Tower’ Lady believes this entity has been operating in the deep sea since ancient times. It possesses a ‘veil’ that affects divine perception, causing the gods to overlook it.”

A rift slicing through the divine realm’s border… an unknown entity patrolling the deep sea… and a veil that blinds the gods?

Byron’s news made Gawain’s eyes widen. Amber and the two dragon leaders on the comm also looked unsettled. Only Modir remained unfazed—he didn’t understand a word, and even hearing keywords like “divine realm” and “rift” didn’t help him piece it together.

“What’s the situation with Kamail’s team now?” Gawain quickly composed himself, his expression serious. “Any other clues in the War God’s realm?”

“I’ve dispatched a messenger riding a Dragon Knight to the tower with a full report,” Byron replied swiftly. “As of the messenger’s departure from North Port, Master Kamail’s team remains in the War God’s realm, investigating the unknown entity. ‘Tower’ Lady is analyzing the rift, but there’s no progress yet.”

Byron frowned, regret evident. “If anything happens, they’ll send word immediately. But even with the Dragonborn’s Steel Wings, it takes at least a day to deliver messages from the Loren Continent…”

With the Omega system damaged, communication between Loren and Tal’Rond was difficult—an unavoidable reality.

Gawain ended the call and exchanged a look with Amber. No words were needed; she already understood.

“Looks like we need to leave here early,” Amber said, pouting. “This is the Reverse Tide Tower, and over there is big news from the divine realm. Neither fits into the ‘standard contingency plan.’ It’s time for you to step in personally.”

“Yeah,” Gawain sighed, scanning the spacious hall and the rift now visible above them all. “We’ve confirmed the tower’s situation. The Reverse Tide isn’t here, and the tower no longer contaminates mortals. It’s just a regular ancient ruin now. I don’t need to handle things here anymore. But the War God’s realm…”

He narrowed his eyes, recalling Byron’s report—the unknown entity patrolling the divine realm, one that even the goddess of magic, Mylmina, found shocking and terrifying.

It was clearly neither a god nor a divine relic. Its ‘veil’ seemed designed specifically to secretly monitor the gods and their realms.

He thought of the satellites and space stations hanging high above in orbit, and the celestial ring station floating over the equator—something theoretically visible even from the surface of the planet. All of these had a kind of veil, designed to shield mortal eyes, ensuring that this world could be monitored without interfering with the progress of civilization.

He recalled the “propaganda posters” he’d seen earlier in the elevator, and the slogans mentioning the “Celestial” and the “Sentinels.”

The toothache surged again.

“I have a feeling,” he finally said, his face dark and serious, “I have to go there myself. Whatever Kamail and the others found… it’s beyond their ability to handle. Only I can deal with it in person.”

“You decide,” Amber said immediately, her tone so natural it seemed unthinking. “I trust your judgment.”

Gawain nodded, then turned his gaze to Modir, who was listening intently nearby, deep in thought.

The old mage caught his eye and lifted his head. “Do you have any plans for me?”

“That depends on you,” Gawain said calmly. “You can stay here and wait for the results of our further investigations. Victoria will leave with me—she has work she must complete—but Amber’s ‘treatment’ on you is enough to keep your condition from worsening. Meanwhile, the dragons will ensure your safety. This tower is harmless now; its ‘pull’ on you is probably just your missing memories stirring. This is the safest option.

“On the other hand, I can bring you back to the continent of Loren. You have exceptional talents, and you might hold important clues. I could involve you in some operations, but you might encounter dangerous ‘elements.’ Your condition could change unpredictably during this, and Amber’s treatment might not cover every possibility. But it could help us uncover secrets faster—this is the riskier choice.”

When Gawain finished, he left the decision to the seasoned adventurer before him.

But for Modir, it seemed no further thought or hesitation was needed.

“I’ll go with you,” the old mage said with a sincere smile, his answer exactly as Gawain had expected. “I’m always ready for the next adventure—especially one alongside Gawain Cecil.”

“Then it’s settled,” Gawain exhaled softly, a faint smile crossing his face as he glanced at Amber. “Looks like Hetty’s dark circles are going to get worse again—my return home is delayed once more.”

“Actually, when you’re not home, she has fewer dark circles…”

“…You might have a point there.”

(End of chapter)