Chapter 1333: The Truth Within the Shadow

To be honest, before Mylmina spoke, Highlord hadn’t really considered this line of thought—despite the “Unified Wave Hypothesis” being a joint conclusion between him and Mylmina. As a reasonably grounded human (at least on the surface), he instinctively doubted that phenomena rooted in microscopic high-energy fields could manifest such enormous effects in the tangible, physical world.

But… this is a world of magic, where many things defy common sense.

“Magic energy…” Mylmina began, seemingly unaware of the varied expressions on those nearby, “I’ve been studying the fundamental wave nature of all things lately, trying to pinpoint the exact boundary between the physical wave domain and the ethereal wave domain, as well as to verify and harness the true essence of universal fluctuations. I haven’t made much progress yet, but I’m nearly certain of one thing: ‘magic energy’ is the only known substance in this world that simultaneously possesses characteristics of both wave domains and constantly exists in a critical, borderline state.

“Magic energy normally exhibits wave-like properties and has no physical form, yet it can be shaped by energy-manipulating spells into ‘solid’ constructs that interact with the material world. It can also influence the state of other matter, altering elemental properties… I believe this is because, in our ‘everything is wave’ universe, the wavelength and frequency of magic energy fall within a delicate range, allowing it to overlap both the physical and non-physical realms.

“Take the massive explosion of the Deep Blue Well seven centuries ago, for example. The surge of deep blue magic energy from the planet’s core instantly swept across and saturated the entire Gondor Wasteland. This event could very well be considered a colossal ‘spellcasting’ process—just as ordinary spells affect matter, the deep blue magic back then might have altered the very ‘properties’ of the Gondor Empire in the real world…”

Mylmina spoke earnestly, laying out her hypothesis. Highlord and Veronica listened quietly from the start, their minds racing to keep pace with the “Mystery Sovereign.” Amber, however, had long since given up trying to follow.

When Mylmina finally fell silent, Highlord lifted his head from deep thought, furrowing his brow. “So you’re saying that the reason aberrations ‘spontaneously generate’ isn’t because they’re born from the magic-tainted wasteland environment, but rather that their appearance is a kind of ‘manifestation’? That before they ‘manifest,’ they already exist—just unable to interact with or be observed in the real world…”

Mylmina nodded. “That’s my theory—though I have no proof.”

“But there’s a problem,” Veronica interjected. “Those aberrations that leave the wasteland and venture deep into civilized lands—after they ‘waste-landify’ their surroundings, new aberrations start appearing in the area. Are all these ‘spontaneously appearing’ aberrations also just ‘manifestations’? Does every group of aberrations that leaves the wasteland have countless ‘invisible’ companions waiting nearby, only revealing themselves once the local ‘pollution’ reaches a certain threshold?”

Highlord quickly grasped Veronica’s question—and shared the same doubt. “Right, those ‘polluted zones’ created outside the Grant Wall by aberrations can be seen as isolated, sealed-off areas. They’re not connected to the Gondor Wasteland itself, yet aberrations keep ‘popping up.’ There has to be a source or a ‘pathway’—whether it’s the spreading ‘pollution aura’ or the monsters emerging from it. According to your theory, they shouldn’t just be appearing out of thin air, right?”

“That’s exactly the misconception we might have had all along,” Mylmina said, lowering her head slightly, her tone serious as she addressed Highlord and Veronica. “Those ‘polluted zones’ corrupted by aberration clusters seem isolated from the Gondor Wasteland’s core, but perhaps… just like the deep blue ley lines running through the entire planet, the wasteland and these ‘independent pollution zones’ are connected on some ‘layer’ beyond our direct perception. They… are linked on a higher dimensional plane.”

Mylmina’s words struck like lightning, illuminating the thoughts of everyone present—except Amber. Highlord’s eyes widened instantly. He glanced at Veronica, and for once, the usually composed “Saint Princess” wore a similar look of astonishment. After a moment, Veronica quietly inhaled and murmured gravely, “Aberrations are an extension of the wasteland… we’ve always said that, but I never imagined it could be an extension in the literal, physical sense…”

“Yes, in the literal sense—the Gondor Wasteland is a whole. Every aberration group we fight, every polluted zone we cleanse, is a ‘branch’ extending from the wasteland’s core. That ancient land has mutated under the influence of deep blue magic into a kind of… chaotic ‘field.’ Everything happening within it likely defies our classical understanding of reality.”

Highlord remained silent for a moment, his mind racing through the implications for the real-world situation. After some thought, he finally broke the silence in a low voice: “If what you say is true, then the nations of Loren will never truly defeat the wasteland legions on the battlefields outside the wasteland. Even those aberrations killed ‘outside’ might not be truly destroyed—they could simply be temporarily banished from the physical world, only to return to the wasteland through higher-dimensional connections…”

“Ah, I get that!” Amber suddenly snapped out of her daze, eyes wide. “So no matter how many aberrations we kill out there, it’s just a band-aid solution?”

“You could say that,” Mylmina nodded solemnly. “Our real enemy isn’t the aberrations we can see and touch, running around in the physical world. Our true enemy is the Gondor Wasteland itself—it has become a ‘breeding ground.’ As long as this breeding ground remains, who knows what else might ‘manifest’ from within.”

“So do we have to purify the entire Gondor Wasteland?” Amber’s eyes grew even wider. “That would take forever… The ancient Gondor Empire was huge. Even building a purification device on the border is a huge effort, and each time we only cleanse an area the size of a legion’s garrison…”

“That might not be necessary—if my theory and calculations are correct, we don’t need to purify the entire wasteland,” Mylmina interrupted, shaking her head. She raised a finger and lightly tapped the air. Instantly, a shimmering magical projection appeared, showing a simplified overhead map of the Loren continent. The Gondor Wasteland hovered at the center as a swirling mass of purple-black shadow, like a boiling cauldron. “We only need to carve it up, creating several ‘barrier zones’ within the wasteland. That should disrupt the balance of this ‘chaotic field’ and halt its operation…”

Highlord stared intently at the projection, his mind racing. He watched as Mylmina’s finger traced several lines across the wasteland, connecting east, west, south, and north. Once these lines closed into loops, the purple-black shadow began to dissipate, symbolizing the pollution’s retreat and the chaotic field’s shutdown.

“Building a few such ‘barrier zones’ is somewhat feasible… but only if we manage to break into the wasteland and fight our way through it,” Highlord said gravely. “That aligns with our original goal of reclaiming the wasteland, but the current situation is far from what we planned. Aside from Cecil and Typhon holding the line and establishing limited forward bases inside the Grant Wall, the other fronts are struggling—not to mention pushing back the wasteland, even reclaiming lost ground is difficult…”

“I can’t help with that part—I’m just a… researcher, and one who normally can’t even show her face,” Mylmina sighed. “How to implement my research is up to you all.”

“We will solve this problem eventually,” Highlord nodded. “But there’s one thing I want to confirm—can our current ‘purification devices’ really ‘cut’ through the wasteland? You said the wasteland is a whole on some higher dimension. Can our devices really sever that unity?”

“I believe… yes.” Mylmina thought carefully before choosing her words. She tapped the air again, and the projection shifted to reveal a delicately crafted, elven-style tower.

The tower’s surface glittered with crystals and runes, familiar to everyone present—it was the very “purification device” currently used by Cecil and Typhon. This technology originated from the Silver Empire. Years ago, when the nations of Loren cooperated to repair the Grant Wall, the Silver Elves unconditionally shared the blueprints for this device with every human kingdom. It had been used to stem the pollution leaking through breaches in the Grant Wall, and its effectiveness was proven in practice.

“This is a purifier created by the Silver Elves,” Mylmina explained. “I’ve studied its principles and analyzed frontline data. This purifier doesn’t simply generate a magical barrier to block pollution, nor does it crudely neutralize soil or water. At its core… it’s a ‘filtering and stabilizing’ device for magic energy.

“When activated, it emits a wide-area force field that continuously and smoothly ‘fine-tunes’ the magical environment within. It fundamentally eliminates and blocks the ‘aftershocks’ generated by the Deep Blue Well explosion, calming chaotic magical fluctuations into a normal magic environment… In other words, it addresses the root cause.”

The purifier’s projection slowly rotated in midair. Veronica’s gaze lingered on it for several seconds before she spoke thoughtfully in a low voice: “…Its operating mechanism surpasses the Silver Elves’ understanding of deep blue magic contamination. This isn’t something elves of this era could have created.”

“Obviously, like the Star Sanctum and the Sentinel Towers, this is something they dug up from some ancient tomb,” Amber said offhandedly. “They’ve got tons of stuff like this lying around—old relics from their ancestors. Nobody really understands how they work, but once they test them and figure out what they do, they just start using them…”

Though blunt, Amber’s words were true. But hearing her, Highlord suddenly realized a question he’d never considered before.

“The Silver Elves’ ancestral legacy… how did their ancestors come to possess something specifically designed to purify deep blue magic contamination?”

“…Maybe their ancestors faced this kind of contamination at some point?” Amber pondered for a moment. “I remember you once said that the silver elves’ forebears fled from a continent far to the west across the ocean…”

“That was ancient history, long before human civilization,” Veronica said softly. “Even the dragons know nothing about what happened on that distant land. But that’s not what matters. What’s important is that the elves’ ancient technology really works… If we could establish such a barrier in the Gondor wastelands, it could let the blight naturally recede…”

“That’s just a theoretical model based on current data,” Myrmina’s voice cut in from the side, reminding both Gawain and Veronica. “That assumes all my hypotheses and calculations are flawless. And even if the barrier is built, it only stops the chaotic energy from reverberating through the wasteland, ending the life cycle of the mutations. The poisoned soil and water won’t heal on their own—that still requires conventional purification methods. Plus, the wasteland isn’t just home to mutants anymore; there are all kinds of biochemical abominations bred by those dark priests. Those creatures exist in the real world—they won’t vanish just because the chaotic field disappears.”

“No matter what, our goal remains the same, just like at the start of this war,” Gawain said calmly. “We have to break through that wasteland and end its threat. Now, we just have to deal with a few extra dangers along the way.”

“That’s the right mindset,” Myrmina said with a smile. Then, after a brief pause, she hesitated slightly before speaking again. “Since we’re on the subject… there’s something I want to ask your opinion about.”

“You? Asking for my opinion?” Gawain looked up at the towering woman in front of him, surprised. “What is it?”

“…What we study in the lab is limited. No matter how perfect the simulation parameters or indirect data are, they can’t compare to the real wasteland environment,” Myrmina explained. “I want to do some… ‘field research’ in the wasteland itself. Set up a lab right on the front lines.”

This really caught Gawain off guard. He had to double-check. “You’re serious?”

“I’ve thought it through carefully,” Myrmina said earnestly. “Old Stag has already tested it. As long as I don’t directly contact mortals or interfere with their actions, there’s no risk of ‘reconnecting.’ Besides, I’ve worked with Kamail’s tech team before—I know where the boundaries lie. I can operate through an avatar, maintain a disguise, and control daily interactions with personnel. It should be fine.”

(End of chapter)