Chapter 1479: The Rescue

A dragonrider fighter jet lifted off from the upper deck of the Froststar, its low hum resonating through the air. The antigravity craft traced a faintly glowing magical trail high above, heading toward the distant Violet Coastline.

The aerial footage captured by the dragonrider was transmitted via the arcane network terminal directly to the Froststar’s command center, where Modir and Victoria watched the images unfold with crystal clarity.

Now, they could see the barren coastline more distinctly, along with the vast stretches of untamed wilderness leading inland toward Violet.

“The main urban area of Prandel, the southwestern port district, and the northern crossroads have all vanished…” The voice of the aerial scout came through, tinged with shock and confusion. “The forest boundary shows a natural, continuous transition zone—no signs of artificial interference. Terrain features match historical records, confirming this is indeed the original site of Prandel City…”

Maggie leaned forward, hands braced on the comm console, her tone grave. “No man-made structures at all?”

“None whatsoever,” the scout replied. “No traces of terraforming or human alteration. It’s as if no one has ever lived here.”

“Have you found any sign of the two missing agents?” Victoria asked, standing beside Maggie. “They should have left some kind of distress signal on the beach.”

“Not yet. The shoreline is complicated. I need to get closer.”

“Approach and hover over the beach. Wait for the landing team’s support,” Victoria nodded, then glanced at another comm terminal. “Where is the landing team now?”

The voice of the landing squad leader came through the arcane network: “We’ve reached the vicinity of the coastline and are searching for a safe landing route. The reefs are dense, and the currents are unusually chaotic. The original port guides and surface markers have all disappeared.”

Victoria exhaled softly. “Proceed cautiously. Once ashore, immediately set up communication relays and find a secure landing zone. Conduct a thorough search of the entire coastline… Support forces will arrive shortly.”

The comm cut off. Victoria sighed and turned to Modir. “The entire coastal area has reverted to wilderness. That city is truly gone, as if it never existed… I just hope those two agents haven’t run into any powerful beasts or worse. This place is no longer the ‘civilized kingdom’ we remember.”

“They should be fine,” Modir stroked his beard thoughtfully, then lifted his gaze through a command center window toward Violet Island in the distance. “What worries me more is the rest of Violet… Prandel’s disappearance—what about the other cities that lost contact earlier? The City of a Thousand Towers, Palansanto, Coldsea… If this phenomenon is spreading outward from the island’s center, Prandel might just be the last to vanish.”

“You mean the entire Violet Kingdom has disappeared?” Victoria’s expression was unreadable, her emotions carefully guarded. After a moment, she shook her head. “Before today, if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, and if it weren’t you saying it… I wouldn’t believe such a thing could happen. An entire kingdom just wiped from the world… The rational part of me, as a mage, still struggles to accept it.”

“I’m the opposite,” Modir chuckled. “As a mage, I believe anything can happen in this world. When a phenomenon occurs that we can’t understand, it’s not because the world is broken—it’s because our knowledge is still incomplete. As an adventurer, I’ve seen more strange things than I can count.”

Victoria pondered this quietly. Maggie glanced at a new message on the arcane network terminal and spoke to Victoria: “The Frostwind and Ice Cavalry have departed from the North Port. Per your orders, they’re carrying large supplies and high-powered communication stations, accompanied by experienced Steel Rangers. They’ll land at Rattle and Payne ports on Violet’s southwest coast to begin their investigation.”

“Good,” Victoria nodded. “Remind them—regardless of conditions at Rattle and Payne, they must return to the ships before sunset. No one is to spend the first night ashore, and no one should venture recklessly inland.”

“Understood.”

Violet Kingdom wasn’t just Prandel. On this vast island, several cities along the southern coast had established trade relations with North Port in recent years. Now, like Prandel, they had all gone silent. Though there was no concrete proof yet, everyone suspected the same phenomenon might have struck those places as well.

If the other two teams at Rattle and Payne encountered the same anomaly… Modir’s fears might be confirmed.

The command center fell silent. Victoria, Modir, and Maggie each lost themselves in thought until the arcane terminal suddenly buzzed. The landing team commander’s voice, tinged with excitement, broke the silence: “High Chancellor! We’ve landed and found the two missing agents—they’re safe and sound!”

Victoria and Maggie exchanged a quick glance. Maggie immediately nodded. “I’ll lead a team over to assess the situation.”

Modir hesitated briefly, then rose. “I’ll come along. I fought alongside those two young agents before. Our parting was rushed—I have some things I want to confirm with them.”

Victoria’s calm demeanor shifted slightly, concern flickering in her eyes. “Are you sure it’s safe? You saw the Shadow Dwellers in the mists over Prandel. I suspect Violet Kingdom may have some secret connection to the Lady of Night. Last night, you only visited Prandel in a dream. Going ashore now… it could be dangerous.”

“Precisely because of that dream-walking experience, I feel compelled to go in person,” Modir smiled faintly, unfazed. “When the anomaly occurred, even while I was asleep in my chambers in Winterhold, my mind was ‘drawn’ into the thick fog over Prandel… Some force is guiding me here. I can’t avoid it.

“I believe everything happens for a reason. This phenomenon has almost fooled the entire world, yet I became one of its witnesses. It feels like a signal—a message from the Lady of Night—and I don’t sense hostility in it. Besides…”

He paused, shrugged. “Besides, even if none of that mattered, my curiosity drives me forward. I’ve wandered this world aimlessly for centuries, trapped in fog with no progress. Now, the way out seems right before me… I have to solve this mystery, even if it’s my last adventure.”

Victoria’s usually composed expression softened, a subtle change betraying her thoughts. She studied her ancestor carefully, sensing something unusual beneath his carefree exterior.

Since this morning, since he emerged from that dream, something had shifted in him. The easygoing acceptance of recent days had given way to a new resolve—a drive toward the unknown.

It seemed the legendary adventurer had ended his brief respite and was ready for the next journey.

“…I understand,” Victoria said slowly after a moment’s hesitation. “I’ll remain here to oversee operations. You and Maggie be careful. Once you’ve retrieved the two agents, avoid venturing deeper into the island. Return before sunset.”

Modir waved off her concerns and turned to leave with Maggie.

On the Froststar’s deck, the black-haired maid transformed into a fully armored dragonborn. As her massive wings unfurled, the steel wings adorning Maggie’s back gleamed with metallic luster under the sunlight. The mechanical joints clicked and whirred, and the magical units hummed from low to high pitch as they charged.

Standing at the deck’s edge, Modir couldn’t help but marvel: “No matter how many times I see this… it really is an incredible age.”

“Before this era arrived, no one could have imagined the world would become like this,” Maggie said, bowing her head slightly. Her sharp teeth glinted coldly beneath her iron jawplate. “Please, climb onto my back. My flight speed is much faster than a mage’s levitation.”

“Then I won’t refuse.” Modir chuckled and climbed up along Maggie’s lowered wing to settle on her broad back. The armored black dragon sprang into the air from the deck.

Behind them, two dragonrider fighters and two landing craft were launched from the Froststar’s side.

This was the plan from the start: after the vanguard successfully landed and relayed basic environmental data, this follow-up force would bring heavy equipment and supplies to support them. Besides rescuing the missing agents, their other mission was to establish a temporary forward camp at the “ruins” of Prandel—now reverted to wilderness—to serve as a base for further exploration.

For safety, everyone would withdraw to the ships at nightfall, at least for the first night.

Thus, the second exploration team departed the floating steel giant, heading toward the once ancient city now reclaimed by wild nature.

The airflow above was blocked by the protective barrier around the dragon. Looking out over the sea and sky from Maggie’s back, Modir felt exhilarated. Gripping the steel wing components near her neck, he spoke happily, “You know, I actually rode a dragon centuries ago. Though I don’t remember it, there are records…”

“Being held in a dragon’s claws doesn’t count as ‘riding,’ Mr. Modir,” Maggie’s deep voice cut in.

Modir blinked. “Ah? You know about that?”

“I know Melita Pernia. When I was in Cecil City, I often met her.”

“…Fair enough,” Modir shrugged, then muttered, “By today’s standards, does that count as a ‘social death’ moment for me?”

Maggie considered replying that it only counts if the person has a thick skin, but then remembered this unreliable old man on her back was Victoria’s ancestor. She swallowed the words back.

Modir paid no mind, his attention already fixed on the coastline ahead.

For a Dragonborn, the distance of a mere four seas was nothing more than a few beats of their wings. Now, they hovered above the wild, untamed shores of Violet Isle. Modir quickly spotted the first rescue team signaling from the beach, flanked by two agents from the Intelligence Bureau.

Neither Wasp nor Night Owl had expected help to arrive so swiftly—they had no idea that Modir had “returned” to Winterhold as soon as the thick fog lifted. Nor did they imagine that a steel warship would sail directly from North Harbor to their aid that very day. In their worst-case scenario, communication with Violet Isle would be cut off, and it might take days, even ten, for a ship to come from North Harbor. After all, this secretive, hidden land was notorious for sudden travel bans, and signal interference around the island was common.

They had steeled themselves to survive ten days alone in this primitive wilderness—isolated, cut off from all communication, and without any supplies.

Yet, before the first day was even over, the reinforcements arrived…

The sight of the fully armed Iron Rangers standing nearby finally eased the tension that had gripped Wasp since yesterday. She turned her gaze toward the sea, where a massive ship floated steadily. Dragons, warplanes, and speedboats launched from the vessel, heading toward the shore. At the front of the group, a black dragon beat its wings powerfully, the first to approach and land smoothly on the rocky beach about a hundred meters away.

A somewhat familiar figure leapt down from the dragon’s back and gently floated to the ground using levitation.

It was an elderly mage, wearing a black soft hat and a dark starry robe. A magical orb and spellbook hung at his waist. He radiated a calm yet mysteriously powerful aura.

Wasp and Night Owl were momentarily stunned. Before they could fully react, the old mage cast a flight spell and appeared right before the two Intelligence agents. Modir looked at the young men who had fought—and fled—alongside him in the “dreamscape” and chuckled warmly, “What, you don’t recognize me already?”

“Modir? Is it really you?!” Wasp snapped back to reality, her eyes wide with disbelief. She blurted out, “Sorry, I didn’t recognize you with your clothes on…”

Modir: “…”

“Your outer clothes! I mean, your outer clothes!” Wasp’s face flushed crimson as she waved her hands nervously and embarrassedly. “I mean, you changed out of your pajamas…”

“Maybe you better not say any more… I know what you’re trying to say.” The old mage sighed, utterly resigned.

Even a seasoned adventurer like Modir couldn’t help but think to himself—thank goodness I don’t have the habit of sleeping in the nude…

(End of chapter)