Chapter 1341: The Starting Point of the Barrier Wall
The surging power of the arcane engine drove the mechanical apparatus forward. The black-armored engineering vehicle rumbled along the hastily hardened road, heading into the distance. Once it crossed the invisible “boundary,” the swirling snowstorm outside the windows returned in full force. Findel, who had just finished his shift as a soldier and now sat in the back seat, instinctively turned his head to look back. The mysterious manor perched atop a small hill was gradually being swallowed by the snow, its outline blurring into the chaotic gray sky.
Yet that feeling of being watched didn’t fade until they were far from the manor—long after the oppressive weight of that gaze had finally lifted.
“So that’s the pressure of a legendary powerhouse…” a technical soldier traveling with them muttered quietly. “It’s my first time facing a legendary mage in person… Just like everyone said, unfathomable, truly unfathomable…”
“I was nearly scared out of my wits!” the driver ahead whispered nervously. “I actually said that lady might be ugly before… Thank goodness she didn’t hear me…”
“She probably heard you long ago. You think someone like her can’t sense things from kilometers away?” the soldier beside Findel scoffed. “Miss Mina just chose not to bother with you. She’s definitely a magnanimous person…”
“By the way… how old do you think Miss Mina actually is?” The driver hesitated a moment before blurting out, “She looks about the same age as my sister, and just like my sister, she’s very kind… But at the same time, she gives me the feeling she can see through everything—like a wise elder.”
“Who knows? Maybe everything we saw was just an illusion. I heard legendary powerhouses can live two or three hundred years easily, and before aging, they use magic to maintain their appearance. Maybe Miss Mina has already—”
“Ahem,” Findel finally interrupted, clearing his throat. “It’s impolite to talk about a lady behind her back—especially one who’s a respected scholar managing a frontline research facility alone. You two should know better.”
“Ah, yes, sir, sorry, sir,” the driver quickly nodded, then glanced curiously at Findel. “Sir, what’s on your mind? You’ve looked serious ever since earlier…”
“…Nothing,” Findel said after a brief pause, shaking his head. “Just focus on driving. We haven’t crossed this wilderness yet. Keep an eye on the roadside—I need to rest a bit.”
The two soldiers fell silent. Findel exhaled deeply, closing his eyes and leaning back in his seat to rest. He certainly couldn’t tell them that their talk about the “pressure of a legendary powerhouse” had accidentally dredged up childhood fears of being dominated by his aunt…
At the northern foothills of the Dark Mountains, inside the palace of Cecil, Gawain sat behind his large desk. Afternoon sunlight slanted through the nearby window, casting long shadows from the desk’s ornaments and adding a quiet serenity to the room. Gawain was poring over a document that had arrived just that noon. After a long period of intense focus, he finally set the paper down and let out a long breath, easing the tension in his nerves.
Amber’s voice came at just the right moment. “What’s going on? You looked pretty grim just now—did something go wrong with the wartime supplies again?”
“It’s a report from Byron. His fleet has crossed the southern coast of the Dwarven Kingdom and successfully restored communications between the Dwarven Kingdom and the central-southern coastal region of Augrey. With the temporary sky communication network Rebecca set up, most of our communication issues on the western front are finally resolved,” Gawain said in a low voice. “Now the imperial fleet is approaching the mouth of the ‘Holy River.’”
“Just arrived at the Holy River’s mouth?” Amber’s eyes widened. “Why is it so much slower than expected? Even with restoring communications and coordinating coastal nations, they should have been there a couple of days ago…”
“That’s why I looked so serious earlier,” Gawain’s voice dropped further. “Byron’s report mentioned that after the fleet passed the coast of Forgehold, the sea conditions became strange—frequent dense fog and dangerous ‘crossing waves.’ Even near the shore, the weather was harsh. Although the Winter’s Wrath and other main navy ships were specially reinforced for deep-sea conditions, the bad seas slowed them down significantly. Moreover, the sea witches and naga navigators traveling with the fleet have sensed abnormal energy fluctuations around the Loren continent. They advised Byron to proceed cautiously.”
“Abnormal energy around Loren? That sounds scary…” Amber gasped. “Could it be related to the energy waves released from the Wasteland? Is that stuff already affecting the seas?”
“…We’re not sure yet. We know too little about the Wasteland. It wasn’t until recently that Myrmeena established the first real ‘Wasteland Laboratory.’ No one can say how many unfathomable powers have been sealed in that land, soaked in deep blue magic for seven centuries,” Gawain shook his head slightly, then looked up at Amber. “Enough about that. How are things on your end?”
“…Honestly, some people’s moral bottom line never ceases to surprise me. Even in a crisis threatening the survival of our entire race, some still risk everything for huge profits,” Amber sighed. “We’ve confirmed the leads and caught a group of wartime black market dealers. No one’s pleading for them, but I doubt we can catch them all…”
“Of course not. The complexity of mortals lies in the coexistence of the noblest and the vilest individuals, forever at odds. Those who take chances always believe their ‘small gains’ won’t affect the bigger picture. That’s when your people need to step in and give them a little lesson,” Gawain said calmly. “Prepare some nice flagpoles and sturdy ropes. They’ll pay for those themselves. Make it a spectacle, but also manage public opinion carefully—we need to deter the rest without shaking the people’s trust in imperial order.”
“Don’t worry… I know the drill,” Amber nodded, though her expression still showed some reluctance. “But I just don’t get it. How do those people think? Even in a war between nations, I could understand. But this time, we’re facing a natural disaster that could wipe out civilization. Why would anyone risk it all for a few gold coins? The worst scum I’ve seen in the slums wouldn’t do something like this. Don’t they care at all about the bloodshed on the imperial front?”
“You’re wrong. They’re actually the ones who trust the imperial soldiers on the front lines the most—they trust the empire’s protection so much that they take it for granted and forget how it was earned, forget that their lives depend on it. They’re the ones digging bricks from the city walls, convinced there will always be another group of ‘fools’ to replace those bricks. But what they don’t realize is that they themselves are the next batch of bricks,” Gawain shook his head. “From the start, I knew these people would appear eventually. That’s why I had your special anti-corruption agents keep a close watch on supply flows and underground markets.”
Amber stared at Gawain for a long moment, then murmured thoughtfully, “Is this what you always mean when you say the strength of imperial order isn’t that there’s no darkness under our laws, but that our order will never accept such darkness?”
Gawain nodded slightly. Before he could say more, the arcane network terminal beside his desk suddenly emitted a low hum. A projection marked “Special Classified Line” appeared above the focusing crystal, bearing a small emblem shaped like a tower and an eye in the corner.
Amber immediately noticed the subtle emblem. She turned, locked the study door, and activated the room’s shielding system, casually remarking, “Oh, you just mentioned our Wasteland Laboratory, and here comes news already.”
“Looks like their communication system is up,” Gawain said, activating the terminal. “Our ‘Tower’ lady is quite efficient.”
Before he finished speaking, a series of flickering lights appeared above the terminal, as if a powerful interference was affecting the line’s stability. But soon the interference cleared, and Myrmeena’s clear holographic image appeared before Gawain and Amber—not the fog-shrouded “Mythic Form,” but a clear visage clad in a courtly gown: her “avatar” form.
“Can you hear me? See me? I hope I got this right… This device seems a bit different from what I usually use,” Myrmeena’s voice came from the other end. “Oh, looks like it’s working. Not too hard after all.”
“Very clear, Miss Myrmeena,” Gawain smiled and greeted her. “Looks like things have settled down on your end?”
As he spoke, he took in the scene behind her—a spacious interior filled with numerous self-operating experimental platforms and bustling arcane servitors. This was clearly the main working area of the frontline laboratory. Myrmeena stood on a separate platform. Judging by the scale of the furnishings, her avatar was still quite tall, but at least within a human-acceptable range.
At this moment, Myrmeena could be called Myrmeena.zip.
The odd thought flashed briefly through Gawain’s mind, but his expression remained composed and steady. Myrmeena, unaware of the “.zip” suffix added in Gawain’s mind, glanced back at the lab she had just arranged and cheerfully replied, “Yes, the main experimental area is almost set up. The rest are just minor issues. Fortunately, I’m the only one here, so I don’t have to worry about ordinary mortals’ daily needs. This avatar doesn’t need to eat or sleep.”
“How’s your avatar holding up?” Gawain asked. “I mean, when interacting with others—is it going smoothly?”
“If you mean the few young people who came by today to help install the network, it went quite well,” Myrmeena.zip said with a bright smile. “They were a bit surprised by my lab, but only a little. To them, I’m a ‘legendary witch who’s been in long-term seclusion and was recently recruited by Emperor Gawain to serve the empire.’ They seem to believe that identity.”
“By the way, I met that young man named Findir—apparently he’s Victoria’s nephew? He seems quite capable, more mature and steady than I expected, and he looks like he’s fully adapted to his role. You were worried before that he might be some pampered ‘noble brat,’ but I think you can put those concerns to rest—someone who’s been coddled wouldn’t be trekking through blizzard-swept frontlines like he does.”
“How are the anti-divinity barriers and safety limiters holding up?” High Lord asked. Although he had approved Mylmina setting up the frontline lab, her avatar would be operating in the mortal realm for an extended period, and since she had only recently stepped down from godhood, a certain level of caution was necessary.
“Everything’s functioning perfectly,” Mylmina.zip nodded. “I integrated the safety mechanisms directly into the lab itself, and I also set up a filtering system on my main form. There’s absolutely no risk of divine contamination leaking out here. Even those young technicians who came to help install the network earlier today showed no adverse reactions. Although, now that I think about it, they did seem a bit tense the whole time… Maybe my smile wasn’t friendly enough?”
“Well… I think you’re overthinking it,” High Lord said, glancing instinctively at Mylmina.zip across from him. “Not everyone has the exceptional tolerance that Amber and I do. For most people, feeling nervous when stepping into your ‘lab’ is perfectly normal.”
Just then, Amber, who had been zoning out nearby, suddenly snapped back and chimed in, “If you’re going to say ‘nerves,’ just say it straight… Oh, that includes me too? Well, then it’s all good.”
High Lord shot the half-elf a sidelong glance but ignored her comment. Instead, he turned back to Mylmina to confirm a few more details about the frontline lab before steering the conversation back on track. “Now, let’s talk about the wasteland. Your avatar is already inside it, so you should have a clearer picture of the land than before. Have you made any discoveries?”
“In such a short time, I wouldn’t call anything a ‘discovery’ just yet,” Mylmina.zip shook her head slightly. “But… after placing my avatar within the contaminated zone, I did witness some ‘scenes’ that aren’t visible from outside.
“Just as I suspected, the wasteland is enveloped in a vast, rapidly shifting magical field. The environment itself has become corrupted, and this corruption has blurred and distorted the boundaries between the material and immaterial worlds.
“I believe I can start planning the route for the first ‘Wasteland Barrier Wall.’ The lab I set up will serve as the initial anchor point…”
(End of chapter)