Chapter 1380: The Observatory

On a desolate plain near the frontline base stood an ancient facility, remarkably intact despite the ravages of time. Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, the old structure loomed silently like a giant rooted in the earth. Thanks to the expanding purification fields across the wasteland, the once thick, polluted clouds that had long hung over this region were gradually dispersing. For the first time in centuries, unfiltered sunlight touched this land. The weathered buildings cast long shadows stretching deep into the barren wilderness.

Parked in the shade near the building were a fully armed command vehicle and two heavy battle tanks. Soldiers had set up several temporary observation posts around the perimeter to monitor the wasteland. Inside the command vehicle, a holographic projection displayed a clear image.

A squad led by warrior Sara was approaching the only entrance at the base of the structure. The ancient door was damaged, its crooked panels collapsed onto the dusty ground. Beyond the doorway lay a dark, cavernous void, yawning silently in the twilight as if daring the reckless to enter. Over the comms, Philip could hear the heavy breathing of the soldiers beneath their full-coverage helmets.

“We’ve reached the entrance. Heat sensors and life signs show no response,” Sara’s voice came through the comms. “No visible targets in sight. We haven’t been attacked.”

“Scan the entrance from all angles. Get every camera feed,” Philip ordered into the comm device. “Then proceed in a guarded formation. Stay alert.”

“Yes, General.” The soldier’s voice was steady. The holographic image began to rotate, revealing the weathered outer walls and crumbling debris. The view slowly shifted toward the dark doorway. A scout switched on a light, sending a bright beam into the black interior.

At that moment, the middle-aged scholar standing beside Philip suddenly spoke up. “Stop. Go back to that spot—between those rubble piles. Did the light just catch something there?”

The comm feed shifted accordingly. Amid the scattered debris lay a partially buried rectangular slab. A soldier pointed at it. “Yes, it looks like a sign… There’s something on the surface. Should we retrieve it? It seems fragile.”

Philip’s voice was low and firm. “Take it out carefully. There’s writing on it.”

“Yes, General.”

The slab was gently extracted from the ruins, dust and fragments falling away. The soldier carefully flipped it over, positioning the inscribed side in the center of the image. The markings were heavily weathered and eroded, barely legible to the untrained eye, but still recognizable as ancient Gondor script. Philip immediately turned to the scholar beside him.

“Can you make out what it says?”

“We’re working on it.” The scholar frowned deeply. Several other experts gathered around, all familiar with Gondorian relics. They studied the symbols closely, whispering among themselves. Then they pulled out an ancient map of the Gondor Empire, comparing the location of the facility. After some time, one scholar spoke thoughtfully.

“Could this be the Viplandon Observatory?”

“Viplandon Observatory?” Philip raised an eyebrow, a faint memory stirring. “That name sounds familiar…”

“It was one of the largest astronomical research facilities in ancient Gondor, located in the northern part of the old empire,” the scholar explained. “Legend says a celestial object fell in this region thousands of years ago. The observatory was also a research center for studying ‘extraterrestrial phenomena.’ Most of the characters on the sign are illegible, but the word ‘observatory’ is still discernible. We’ve confirmed on the ancient map that we’re near the old Viplandon district…”

“I remember now! His Majesty mentioned this place to me.” Philip nodded, realization dawning. He recalled that after Gondor’s fall, the northern expeditionary forces had passed near the Viplandon Observatory. The legendary Kingdom Guardian Shield—the very shield of the king’s protector—was said to have been recovered from a facility in this area. Rumor even claimed the shield was itself one of those ‘extraterrestrial artifacts’…

“To think this observatory still stands, and its main structure hasn’t collapsed…” Philip’s expression grew serious. “We need to report this immediately.”

“General, should we proceed further?” Sara’s voice came through again. “There’s a large chamber inside, but the magical energy readings are coming from deeper within. Should we look for a way forward?”

“Continue the operation,” Philip decided after a moment’s thought. “Keep a close eye on the sensor readings.”

The soldiers moved deeper into the centuries-silent facility. The feed showed them entering a roughly circular hall. All equipment inside was destroyed and dormant—clearly not the source of the mysterious energy. The lighting system was completely dead. After inspecting some remaining power lines, the tech experts concluded the observatory’s own power system was long defunct.

“We can still detect a steady energy signature somewhere inside,” one technician reported. “It’s stable and hasn’t reacted to the team’s presence. I suspect it’s not from the observatory itself, but some external source—perhaps an ancient artifact stored here that’s been running all these years…”

“To emit energy continuously for seven centuries… whatever it is, it’s astonishing,” Philip frowned. “Even Gondor’s advanced technology would struggle with that.”

“General, we’ve found a way upstairs—a side staircase off the hall,” Sara’s voice interrupted Philip’s thoughts. “We’re heading up. There’s a door ahead.”

Philip’s gaze snapped back to the hologram. Two soldiers were climbing a steep, but surprisingly sturdy, flight of stairs. At the top was a small landing with a dull metal door set into the wall. The door was closed, and a rusted plaque hung on its frame.

The plaque was in better condition than the one at the entrance. The scholar beside Philip quickly read the inscription.

“Upper Observation Deck. This door likely leads to the most important part of the observatory.”

“Try opening it,” another scholar suggested. “There shouldn’t be any traps here. It’s a research facility, not a fortress. No need for weapons near the observation deck.”

The soldiers inside received the order. One stepped forward, placed his hand on the heavy metal door, and pushed gently. Suddenly, a shimmering light appeared on the door’s surface.

The glow rippled like a dormant consciousness awakening after countless years. The soldier gasped softly. Philip and the tech experts monitoring the feed were startled—this door still held energy?

Before anyone could react, the shimmering light coalesced into a floating screen in front of the door, displaying flickering characters.

Philip looked to the scholar beside him, who immediately translated without waiting.

“Access denied—no authentication. General, this is a security system. The door is still operational and requires clearance to open.”

“This is seven hundred years old. Where are we supposed to get clearance?” another scholar muttered. “Looks like we’ll have to hack this antique… The door’s energy suggests the facility behind it might still be powered. Forcing it open could trigger a self-destruct mechanism. Secret research sites usually have automatic data destruction protocols…”

“Wait,” Philip interrupted, having been deep in thought. “Don’t provoke the door yet. Let’s report the situation first. As for clearance… there might be a way.”

…

“Philip’s First Legion has discovered the Viplandon Observatory in the highlands southeast of the Mana Scorch,” Gawain said, setting down the freshly received report on the blue velvet carpet of his study. Amber, who was helping organize documents nearby, looked up in surprise.

“No way! They hit the jackpot! Philip’s really talented at this, huh?”

Gawain gave her a sidelong glance. “I’m not sure your idea of ‘talent’ matches what I’m thinking right now. But if you’re happy, that’s what matters.”

“Eh, details don’t matter,” Amber waved it off, then her eyes lit up. “By the way, didn’t you say that shield was found in the Viplandon area?”

“That’s right. The Kingdom Guardian Shield was recovered from an underground facility in Viplandon,” Gawain nodded. “Though, to be honest, Charlie and I only found a sturdy metal plate back then. We had no idea what it was, but its size, shape, and hardness were perfect, so we welded a handle on it and used it as a shield…”

Gawain’s story was the origin of the legendary shield, famed alongside the Pioneer’s Sword. But many details remained untold.

The core of the Kingdom’s Guardian Shield—the mysterious metal plate of unknown origin and extraordinary hardness—was actually one of the fragments that fell to the surface during the infamous “meteor shower” incident in Viplandon. Those fragments were debris scattered from the Sky Station three thousand years ago when Amon crashed into it. The ancient Gondorians regarded these remnants as “things from beyond the heavens.” As Gondor’s civilization advanced, scholars established a series of research facilities, including the Viplandon Observatory, to study these fragments. Time passed, Gondor fell, and by a twist of fate, one of those Sky Station fragments ended up in the hands of Charley and Gawain, who were leading a northern migration. They forged it into a shield. It was as if an invisible thread connected three millennia of history.

Sometimes, when Gawain thought about the white star that fell three thousand years ago, the meteor shower over Viplandon, and how the pioneers had crafted the fragments into Gawain Cecil’s shield, his mind couldn’t help but wander further. Could it be that spending so many years in close contact with that fragment from the Sky Station had caused some kind of “change” in Gawain Cecil seven hundred years ago? A change that linked him to the legacy of the Voyagers in space, and indirectly connected him to his own “satellite spirit” self? The strongest knight, Gawain Cecil, died in his prime, leaving behind an immortal body. His self, suspended in space, was reborn on the surface, inhabiting the very body that once wielded the Voyager’s fragment… It all felt like a deal struck long ago.

To this day, many mysteries surrounding Gawain Cecil and the Voyager legacy have been unraveled, yet this crucial piece remains a blank spot in Gawain’s memory.

“Hey… hey, hey,” Amber’s voice suddenly came from beside him, snapping Gawain out of his reverie. “Are you okay? You just zoned out all of a sudden… spacing out again?”

“Nothing, just accidentally remembered some old things,” Gawain shook his head and replied casually. “Where were we?”

“You were saying that your shield came from opening a crate in some underground room in Viplandon. It was just a metal plate with no known use, and then you welded a handle on it to make a shield…” Amber babbled on, then glanced at the intelligence report Gawain had tossed on the table earlier. “So, what’s the situation with Philip’s team? Did they find anything at the observatory?”

“They found an ancient access control system that requires some kind of authentication to enter. The upper observation deck of the observatory is locked down by it, and the exploration soldiers can’t get in,” Gawain said gravely. “The system is still operational, which means there’s likely more inside that’s still running. Forcibly breaking the door could destroy valuable data, so Philip is waiting for further instructions.”

“Wow, a seven-hundred-year-old tomb still has a lock? That’s…” Amber was shocked, then suddenly caught on. “Wait, authentication… I remember something…”

“Yes, I need to get in touch with our neighbors now,” Gawain smiled faintly. “Augustus might have that ‘permission,’ and I’m sure they’re very interested in that observatory too.”

(End of chapter)