Chapter 1366: The Second Invitation

Although Tyr naturally and intuitively concluded that the Antavian expeditionary force led by Vanessa had ended up in the southwestern seas of the Loren continent because they had “swum the wrong way,” Gawain wasn’t so quick to jump to that conclusion. After all, while Tyr was indeed an oddity among the sea fae, their entire race was still a highly advanced civilization worthy of respect. The idea that thousands of elite soldiers, under the command of a deep-sea warlord, would collectively swim halfway around the planet in the wrong direction? That was something only Tyr could believe—because she actually had the experience.

Gawain rubbed his temples. Though fully awake now, the lingering fatigue from lack of sleep still weighed on him. “I don’t think they’d make such a huge mistake… Did Cassandra mention any other details?”

“Other details… well, yes,” Tyr said after a moment’s thought, sounding uncertain. “She said General Vanessa’s forces encountered a strange underwater phenomenon, around the same time the Wintertide was caught in that storm…”

The deep-sea mermaid recounted everything Cassandra had told her, including the speculations from Byron, Vanessa, and others. The more Gawain listened, the grimmer his expression became. When Tyr finished, he was lost in deep thought.

Clearly, the Antavian expedition’s appearance in the southwestern sea wasn’t due to some comical navigational error. Their disorientation was definitely linked to that strange phenomenon. And judging by the results, the phenomenon they encountered was identical to what the Wintertide experienced—an impossibly rapid movement over an absurd distance in a very short time, accompanied by intense energy turbulence and violent weather changes. The Wintertide had been “transported” from the Ordo estuary to near the equator, while the sea fae expedition had moved even farther.

Both groups ended up near the orbital elevator—a massive energy focal point in the seas around Loren. The timing of these events also coincided with abnormal atmospheric discharges observed across the continent. The conclusion was obvious: this had to be the work of the End of All Things and the Sentinels.

But what exactly was behind these phenomena? A large-scale spatial teleportation? A doomsday weapon capable of tearing through space-time? Or a deadly portal to the elemental realms? A flood of theories raced through Gawain’s mind as he tapped his fingers on the table, pondering. After a moment, he looked up at Tyr. “Anything else?”

“Cassandra said they’re heading full speed to the southern front,” Tyr replied seriously. “Once they enter the Ordo Holy River, they’ll support the northwest border of the Gaoling Kingdom. She hopes you can contact the southern allied forces to prepare. Also, General Vanessa’s sea fae expedition was originally supposed to land on Loren’s northeast coast, but now that they know the northern and eastern fronts are stable, they’ve changed plans to join the southern battle directly. You’ll need to coordinate with the southern forces.”

Tyr’s tone grew earnest. “Our sea fae have never fought alongside land-dwelling races before. Our battlefield… might not be suitable for others.”

Gawain recalled the last time the sea fae launched a large-scale operation on Loren—the stormy night when they hunted the “False God’s Vessel.” He quickly understood Tyr’s meaning. “I get it. Before the Wintertide and the Abyssal Purifier arrive at the southern front, I’ll coordinate with the Gaoling-Silver Alliance. You should remind your people to get familiar with the land environment first.”

Tyr nodded, then suddenly laughed as if struck by a thought. “Is this another turning point in history? Once the dust settles… the sea fae and the Alliance will truly fight side by side.”

“So you’re considering joining our Alliance?” Gawain smiled, looking at the usually carefree deep-sea mermaid who was now unusually serious. “We welcome all intelligent races living on this planet as friends—whether born naturally here or stranded from the stars. As mortals, we should stand together in the face of survival.”

The sea fae, a reclusive race living in the distant ocean depths, had long kept their distance from all land races. But recently, they had appeared more frequently in the eyes of the people of Loren. Official propaganda featured them, upper-level technological exchanges included them, and even in some port cities like Cecil and Typhon, sea fae scholars and travelers had taken up short-term residence. This growing interaction and friendly relations had led many to mistakenly believe the sea fae were already part of the Alliance. In reality, distant Antavia remained outside the Alliance’s circle.

This seemingly carefree race had surprisingly cautious attitudes toward forging close ties with land races. Though Gawain had once invited them to join, Queen Petia had politely declined. But now, with the prospect of fighting side by side and the upcoming “Sky Station Joint Repair Project” that would surely involve the sea fae, Gawain was ready to extend the invitation again.

Tyr considered the offer seriously. Despite her usual flippancy, she was the official liaison between Antavia and Cecil—effectively Antavia’s resident ambassador in Cecil. So this invitation was no mere formality.

“We have established close diplomatic ties with land races before,” she broke the silence. “Though I wasn’t personally involved, I know that over the long years, Antavia formed alliances and friendships with more than one civilization. But all those alliances ended tragically. We gained nothing but memorials. Our deep-sea museums hold countless ‘relics of the fallen,’ rivaling the ancient treasures of Tal’Rond’s vaults. These experiences have made us cautious about invitations from land nations.”

“But I will convey your invitation to our queen and recommend she consider it seriously, because…”

Tyr paused, searching for the right words. Then she smiled and said frankly, “At least from my perspective, this is the moment this planet is closest to dawn.”

“…Closest to dawn?” Gawain murmured. “But many see this as our most dangerous hour. The wasteland’s shadow looms over us all, and the path ahead is uncertain. Your judgment surprises me.”

“Before dawn, the sky is always darkest,” Tyr smiled. “There’s tension in the cities now, but most people firmly believe you will lead the Alliance to victory—just as you led Cecil to rise on this land. To me, those cultists in the wasteland and that mad Sentinel are just stumbling blocks. Maybe they think they’re doing something world-shaking, but honestly… we sea fae have seen far bigger things. We don’t need theirs.”

“It’s rare to hear you say something so profound,” Gawain said with a surprised glance, shaking his head with a smile. “Then again, it’s rare to see you stay awake this long.”

“That’s true. In fact, I’m starting to get sleepy now,” Tyr yawned, visibly relaxing as her whole body began to wilt before his eyes. “Ah, one last thing—General Vanessa asked Cassandra to tell you that they’re already contacting Her Majesty Petia to select some technicians… yawn… she said you probably know what it’s about… yawn… but what exactly is it?”

The deep-sea mermaid’s words grew more dreamlike by the end, her upper body swaying like a garden eel in front of Gawain. He couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head. “I’ll explain everything once you’re fully awake. For now, get some rest—you’ve done well staying up this long.”

“All right then, yawn—” Tyr yawned again, shaking her head and waving at Gawain. “I’m going to sleep now…”

No sooner had she finished than her upper body lurched backward, then forward, and with a sudden “thud,” she collapsed onto the floor as if dead on the spot. When Gawain peeked over, she was already fast asleep.

“Wow… that’s some way to fall asleep…” Even after seeing Tyr’s dramatic “collapse into sleep” multiple times, Gawain couldn’t help but whisper in amazement. Then he began to worry about how to get this huge tangled “snake ball” out of the room. After much thought, he gave up—after all, as the Empire’s leader, pushing a passed-out snake-mermaid out at five in the morning would be awkward. Asking for help would be even harder to explain, and Amber might write three special editions about it on the spot…

Since she wasn’t making much noise, he decided to just leave her there as a sort of living decoration by the desk.

With that settled, Gawain stood, stretched quietly, and carefully stepped over Tyr’s sprawling tail to the large floor-to-ceiling window. He gazed out at the dark horizon.

Winter had ended, but the northern lands still endured long nights. The persistent darkness still cloaked the earth. The sun lingered just beyond the horizon, but a faint, hazy light was already spreading across the sky. Under this ambiguous twilight, the city’s streetlights, controlled by timers and light sensors, were gradually dimming from east to west. The entire city waited silently for dawn.

“The moment closest to dawn… an ancient race’s judgment,” Gawain murmured to himself, glancing back at Tyr, who seemed utterly dead to the world. A strange smile crossed his face. “Even if she’s the clumsiest fish in her race…”

At this point, going back to sleep seemed pointless. It was better to get to work.

Antavia had sent an expeditionary force—a professional army organized by a high civilization, well-trained and battle-hardened. The former Stormborn of the Naga could attest that when the sea fae got serious, their power was nothing like their usual gentle image. This unexpected force was about to join the battlefield. Without a doubt, a turning point was coming.

The Alliance armies would push back the wasteland on all fronts, and the Barrier Wall would begin full-speed construction. The Sentinels and those dark priests would surely not stand idly by and watch it happen.

Gawain exhaled softly, his mind drifting to the “anomalies” encountered by the Winter’s Wake and the Antavian expeditionary force. After a moment, he turned and activated the arcane network terminal beside his desk, then extended his consciousness into the immersive interface connected to it.

In a vast space blanketed with countless tiny white flowers, Gawain appeared seated at a white round table adorned with intricate openwork patterns. Opposite him, a woman’s figure gradually materialized from the air—a lady dressed in an elaborate black court gown, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders, her eyes a mysterious shade of violet. The image flickered briefly, as if passing through a complex relay system to enter this network layer, before finally stabilizing.

“You’re online this early?” Mylmina looked at Gawain with a hint of surprise. “Don’t tell me you stayed up all night playing cards like Old Deer?”

Gawain was about to reply but his expression suddenly twisted. “…Actually, I have serious business to attend to. You just ruined the mood.”

Mylmina’s face flushed slightly. “Ah, sorry. I was just running some tests on samples collected from the front lines and got a bit distracted. So—what’s going on over there? You look pretty grim.”

“We’ve located the Winter’s Wake, which had lost contact, and just made contact with an expeditionary force sent from Antavia. They were ordered to support the Alliance.”

“Found them? And the ‘Sea Witches’ sent an expeditionary force?” Mylmina’s surprise deepened. “That’s good news. So why do you look so…”

“Although we made contact, I learned they encountered some disturbing anomalies,” Gawain said gravely. “I suspect these anomalies are connected to the ‘atmospheric overcharge’ event that erupted over the Wasteland a few days ago and spread across the entire continent of Loren. I fear the Sentinels are behind it. I need your advice.”

Mylmina’s expression turned serious immediately. “…Tell me everything.”

Without holding back, Gawain laid out all the intelligence he had just received, leaving no detail out.

“…Sounds like some kind of spatial teleportation with an incredible range and scale,” Mylmina said after hearing everything, her judgment mirroring Gawain’s. “But it seems the process is still unstable. The Winter’s Wake and the Sea Witch expeditionary force were more like unintended casualties caught up in an experimental trial…”

Gawain asked in a low voice, “From these clues, can you tell what the Sentinels are trying to achieve?”

Mylmina was silent for a moment, lost in thought as she rapidly compiled and analyzed a large amount of recent observational data on the Wasteland. Then, breaking the silence, she said suddenly, “Do you remember a particular feature of the Deep Blue Network—the ‘netway’ system that runs through every realm on our planet?”

(End of chapter)