Chapter 610: A Shifting Tide

Solderin, who had been sent north to investigate, had just relayed his report. Thanks to a series of covert relay devices set up along the riverbanks, the Steel Rangers’ vanguard maintained constant magical network communication with the southern territories. With this convenient long-range link, High Lord Gawain was able to learn immediately about the “crystal cluster creatures” the senior rangers had encountered.

To be honest, he wished he’d never received that report.

“…We encountered those creatures in the Doran Hills northeast of Pompey’s domain… They look like humans fused with flesh and crystal, but are larger and stronger than any human. They seem to possess formidable physical strength and some spellcasting ability, though their exact combat capabilities remain unclear. So far, we know that incendiary weapons are highly effective against them.

“Based on the traces left behind, these creatures appear to have wandered down from the far north… We found a village that had been attacked, but none of the villagers showed signs of infection. The source of contamination is likely not nearby…

“…The local lord and his troops answered the royal summons and went to the front lines, but it’s been a long time since any news came back…”

In the holographic projection, Solderin reported the northern situation with meticulous seriousness. Behind him was a makeshift camp nestled beneath a wind-sheltered rock outcrop. Steel Ranger soldiers stood watch nearby, alert and tense. Due to the limited number of relay nodes, the communication feed was somewhat distorted and glitchy, but Gawain could clearly see the worry etched on the senior ranger’s face.

Large swaths of territory had lost contact. Local lords were missing. Strange flesh-and-crystal monsters roamed out from the darkened zones… Every one of these signs pointed to the worst possible scenario.

When the report ended, the senior ranger asked, “Shall we continue forward?”

“Advance to the outskirts of the Greatwood Pass,” Gawain ordered gravely, “but if you encounter too many of those ‘crystal cluster infected,’ fall back immediately. Keep an eye out for relay devices and small-scale magical networks along the way… Do you have enough magical network units and relay devices?”

“We have enough relays. As for the magical network units… we can install some of the relays in the local lord’s mill and manor. The central and eastern plains have good magical network coverage, so energy supply won’t be an issue.”

Gawain nodded, then asked a few more detailed questions before ending the transmission.

He lifted his gaze to the assembled group in the room.

Heddy, Byron, Philip, Amber, Rebecca—all were present. Alongside them were technical experts like Kamail and Pittman, summoned for this briefing.

“It’s now certain: the large-scale devastation of the Apocalypse of All Things has begun, and the situation is likely worse than we imagined,” Gawain said solemnly, his eyes fixed on the detailed map of Ansu hanging on the wall. The eastern region of the Holy Spirit Plains was circled in a bold red ring. “The biggest problem is that we don’t know how far the loss of control has spread, how many ‘crystal cluster infections’ there are, or the status of the royal forces and the Eastern Territories.”

As he spoke, Gawain’s mind wasn’t just on the hand-drawn map. He also recalled the satellite imagery.

But even with satellite assistance, what he could see was limited.

Since last week, a thick fog had blanketed the entire Greatwood Pass area. Though the fog had somewhat lifted, cloud cover still obscured the satellite’s view. The images were riddled with interference and distortion, as if a powerful energy field enveloped the entire eastern Holy Spirit Plains. The only time he’d seen anything like this was when surveying the ruins of Gondor.

Of course, it wasn’t a total blackout. In areas where distortion was less severe and cloud cover lighter, he could make out signs of recent battles—scattered battlefields in disarray. But the resolution was too poor to determine whether these were attacks by the monsters or clashes between the kingdom’s forces and the Eastern Territories.

“Heddy, what’s the latest from White Sand Mining?” Gawain asked.

“The social order in the Eastern Territories is still holding, but there’s a growing sense of unease,” Heddy replied. “Marquis Belk Loren hasn’t returned since heading to Solinfort. Many of the remaining Eastern lords are holding frequent meetings, visiting each other, and sending messengers. It seems they’ve also lost contact with the front lines. Holm, who oversees the White Sand region, believes the situation could deteriorate further. Even without external attacks, the Eastern lords could descend into internal strife once control slips, threatening the safety of the mines.”

She grimaced slightly. “The local nobles near the White Sand Hills have never been fond of our mining methods, either.”

“The White Sand Hills…” Gawain mused briefly, then looked at Rebecca. “Has the ‘Iron Throne’ been retrofitted?”

Rebecca’s eyes lit up with excitement. “The armor plating is fully welded, the railgun and incinerator systems are installed! It’s currently undergoing control and balance tests at the factory. But if you think it’s necessary, we can send it straight to Grant. The rest of the testing can be done there…”

After a moment’s thought, Gawain nodded. “Send it to Grant. Keep it on standby.”

He then turned to Byron.

“Where are the Pioneer, Aurora, and Morning Star now?”

“They’ve arrived at Rockport.”

“Good. You’re to depart immediately. Regardless of whether Solderin sends new intelligence in three days, set sail without delay. Cross Rock Fortress, head north along the Dorgon River into the Holy Spirit Plains, and be ready to support the Ranger vanguard at any time. Also, I’ve already ordered Sir Wald to prepare a fleet of mechanical ships for refugee evacuation. They’re still docked at the port and now under your command. If things go south, you’ll need to use those ships.”

Even Byron, usually a laid-back veteran knight, wore a serious expression at that order.

If intelligence agents were mere spies, and the Steel Rangers just a scouting squad, then once those three arcane warships passed Rock Fortress and entered the Dorgon River, everything would change.

Since the end of the Southern Unification War, Rock Fortress had flown the banner of the Duchy of Cecil, sealing its gates. Nobles from the Holy Spirit Plains and beyond had long speculated about the mysterious power brewing behind those iron walls. They sent spies and tried every means to pry open the gates, but Cecil’s tightly controlled society thwarted all attempts.

Now, the gates were finally about to open.

The nobles who had been watching the southern territories with bated breath would soon see what lay beyond.

“Yes, sir,” Byron acknowledged solemnly. After a brief moment, he couldn’t help but chuckle. “I bet the plains nobles along the Dorgon River will panic—if they’re still alive, that is. More likely, they don’t even recognize our advanced warships…”

“This is a serious matter,” Philip cut in sternly, then looked to Gawain. “What about the army combat brigades?”

“They’re on standby for now.”

Intelligence was still too sparse. Gawain wasn’t ready to commit ground forces into the eastern plains, uncertain how severe the contamination or “curse” was, how the strange “crystal clusters” spread, or the status of the kingdom and Eastern armies. Sending troops blindly into a potentially deadly zone would be reckless.

On the other hand, the arcane warships of this era were nearly invincible, with exceptional survivability. Sailing on the river, they could largely avoid the “plague” threat from the land. Even if they encountered danger, they could retreat swiftly.

Balancing these factors, Gawain decided to send the warships up the Dorgon River first—to scout the Holy Spirit Plains, establish reliable naval artillery support along the river, and prepare the way for ground forces. Once Solderin gathered more intelligence, he would consider deploying tanks and infantry into the possibly heavily contaminated zones.

—The standoff between the kingdom and the Eastern Territories was centered near the Greatwood Pass on the eastern edge of the plains. Though technically eastern, it was close to the central region, and the Dorgon River ran nearby. Naval artillery along the river could provide effective support to ground troops on the eastern bank.

The meeting ended. Most attendees left, but Kamail and Pittman were asked to stay behind.

“Regarding those ‘crystal cluster infected’ Solderin mentioned, what are your thoughts?” Gawain’s gaze swept between the two masters—though one seemed somewhat dubious—before settling on Kamail. “It sounds a lot like the ‘Divine Blight’ from back then, but with some differences?”

“Exactly. It’s not quite the same as the Divine Blight I remember,” Kamail nodded, humming thoughtfully. “Back when we created the Divine Blight, even the most severely crystallized carriers only had crystals forming around major joints, accompanied by swelling and distortion. But according to Solderin, these ‘infected’ have crystal coverage over half their bodies—almost a new lifeform made of crystal and organic matter fused together…”

He paused, then added, “It’s a strange feeling. Our research aimed to reduce the carriers’ ‘alienation,’ to keep them more human despite carrying the Blight factor. But what Solderin saw seems to be the opposite—it’s pushing them to become… something non-human.”

“Perhaps that’s what they call the ‘Great Evolution’—abandoning the human form to embrace a new mutated shape,” Gawain shook his head, then turned to Pittman. “From your knowledge, how might this ‘infection’ spread? And what preventive measures would be most effective?”

“The ‘plague magic’ used by the Cult of Universal Decay may look strange, but at its core, it’s still just a plague. And plagues spread through a few basic channels—water, food, air, and contamination via cursed corpses. Airborne transmission is the most efficient, but it usually only carries weaker plagues and can be easily dispelled by ritual magic. Next come water and food, which the Cult favors the most. However, boiling water and thoroughly cooking food can effectively neutralize these. As for the last method… cursed corpses carry the strongest contamination. Flesh and blood are excellent materials for spellcasting, so our various incinerators are absolutely necessary: all corpses must be burned, regardless of friend or foe, noble or commoner. Burning them to ash as quickly as possible is always the safest approach. And before burning, close or direct contact should be minimized—if contact is unavoidable, strict isolation measures must be in place, along with detection spells to ensure safety.”

Gawain stroked his chin. “Sounds like nothing too unusual…”

“For us, for the people of the southern territories, maybe not. But on the Holy Spirit Plains, any one of these transmission routes is deadly enough,” Pittman said, dropping his usual irreverent tone. He twirled his beard thoughtfully and murmured, “Boiling a pot of water takes enough firewood to trade for half a loaf of bread. And it’s because of that half loaf… a waterborne plague can kill tens of thousands.”

The room fell silent.

“As for those ‘crystal cluster infections,’ we still have too little information. I can’t make an accurate analysis yet,” Kamail broke the silence after a moment. “If we get more samples, I should be able to make some progress.”

“Solderin will send a squad to retrieve those crystal fragments—once we confirm they don’t carry active magical properties or risk spreading contamination,” Gawain nodded. “I’ll assign you a dedicated lab to study them. Until this incident is resolved, that will be our top priority.”

…

After Kamail and Pittman left, the room grew completely quiet.

Gawain sat back in his armchair, quietly pondering the next steps and how things might unfold.

Time passed in this stillness until a faint noise at the door suddenly snapped him out of his thoughts.

He looked up to see the door crack open just a sliver, and a figure he’d almost forgotten about poked half their body inside.

Tyr.

Gawain hadn’t seen him since last autumn, when he left the territory to oversee engineering near the wastelands. It had been a long time.

Even when he was around, Gawain rarely saw Tyr—since the weather turned cold last year, the sea caterpillar had gone into full hibernation, sleeping twenty hours a day in the pool. Occasionally, he’d crawl out just to sunbathe on the balcony, flipping over like he’d forgotten where he came from or where he was going… So why was he here now?

Gawain watched as Tyr shuffled in, looking around the room with a blank expression. “Hey, wasn’t there a meeting?”

Gawain: “…”

“It’s already over,” Gawain said, doing his best to keep a straight face but still looking oddly at the salty little monster. “How did you even know about the meeting?”

“Rebecca told me, but I nodded off,” Tyr wagged the tip of his tail, looking helpless. “By the time I woke up, you guys were done.”

Only then did Gawain vaguely recall Rebecca mentioning she’d informed Tyr, since the sea slug was technically a military tech advisor of sorts. But at the time, Gawain hadn’t believed the fish would actually show up…

To be honest, even though Tyr hadn’t helped at all, watching the confused sea caterpillar shuffle around the room lifted Gawain’s spirits in a strange way.

Maybe that’s the power of the Deep Sea Harmonizer.

He shook his head slightly, pushing thoughts of “Deep Sea Harmonizer” out of his mind, then stood up, ready to leave. “I’m heading out. If you don’t have anything else, you can go back to sleep.”

“Ah—finally awake for a bit,” Tyr stretched lazily, his body extending three or four meters. Then he raised his upper half, eyes curious as he looked toward a certain direction. “By the way… what’s going on up north?”

Gawain stopped in his tracks.

Tyr was staring toward the northeast—the front line where the kingdom’s army faced off against the Eastern forces.

No one had given Tyr any detailed updates about that area. Even if they had, with his personality, he probably wouldn’t remember.

Why was he suddenly focused on that direction?

Gawain’s gut told him the fish had sensed something.

“The battlefield up there is worsening. We’re trying to get a clearer picture,” Gawain said. “Has anyone told you about it?”

“No, but I think I smell… a little bit of food coming from that way,” Tyr blinked, then stretched even higher, peering northward. “Kind of like giant squid…”

Gawain’s eyes narrowed slightly. His intuition was right. Sea creatures who’d long dealt with the Storm God’s divine corpse had sensory abilities beyond human understanding. And the interference his satellite view experienced over the Greatwood Pass indicated a special energy field there. Tyr’s sudden attention to the north meant she’d detected that energy field!

He pressed, “Food? Are you sure it’s food?”

“Sort of,” Tyr wrinkled her nose—though she didn’t rely on it to sense the ‘smell’—and said uncertainly, “But it feels a bit mixed up…”

Gawain: “…”

(End of chapter)