Chapter 1 Light Breeze Harbor

Light Breeze Harbor, one of the cities of the Principalities closest to the edge of civilization, has been an important stronghold for the Academy of Truth and the Explorers' Association since its establishment!

Millennia ago, an exploration fleet led by elven scholars was led astray by a storm near the border and discovered this large island, which was not recorded in any data, while searching for a route!

According to records, the fleet was chased by the storm for seven days. On the morning of the eighth day, when everyone was exhausted, land suddenly appeared in the sunlight between the gaps in the storm. The explorers were overjoyed and tried their last bit of strength to bring the ship closer to the coast. Just as they approached the strange island, the power of the storm suddenly weakened, and by the time the fleet members could see the lush vegetation on the island, the storm had completely dissipated.

Only a light breeze remained near the sea—so the explorers named the large island "Light Breeze," and later made it the name of the new colony!

Many cities were discovered by explorers wandering at sea, and these discoveries were accompanied by more or less thrilling stories or legendary colors. The legends were true and false, and it was difficult to distinguish the truth from the false. However, the discovery and construction of Light Breeze Harbor have always been considered "detailed and reliable"—the reason is simple: because it was a city established by elves!

The captain of the exploration ship who discovered the island is still the chief executive of the city—and also serves as the president of the Explorers' Association!

Sara Meir stood on the terrace of the official residence, looking at the streets in the distance bathed in "sunlight," watching the city that he and his colleagues had built up bit by bit and gradually prospered. Patrolling steam walkers marched in formation through the streets, the bicycle bells rang crisply, the citizens were preparing to start their day's work, and on the "high tower" not far away, the elven-style dome was slowly opening under the drive of mechanical devices.

The heavy light-filtering lens assembly rose from the top of the tower, slowly adjusting its angle, tracking the sun that was gradually rising into the sky!

The elven chief executive narrowed his eyes slightly, wrinkles piling up at the corners of his eyes. Even with the longevity of elves, Sara Meir was no longer young. Wrinkles began to creep up his forehead three hundred years ago, and his iconic golden hair was now tinged with white. He had changed from an energetic exploration ship captain to a calm but weakening old man.

But one thing has never changed—he is still full of curiosity about the world!

"Your father was a respectable explorer. Even by the elves' strict standards, he can be described as 'extraordinary.' Such an explorer's warning to the civilized world is certainly worth taking seriously, but I hope you can understand—our doubts are also normal!"

Sara Meir turned to the black-haired lady sitting gracefully at the tea table on the terrace and said.

"Of course I understand, but my mission is just to deliver the message. How to deal with it is your business," Lucretia said indifferently, "Father also thought of your possible reactions, and his attitude is the same—give the warning and leave the rest alone!"

"I will take care of the Explorers' Association. In any case, the news from Captain Duncan is important information and should alert the captains on the route," Chief Executive Sara said, then frowned, "But I'm really curious, can a spherical submersible really dive into the deep sea and see the 'original blueprint' of our world?"

"The risk is high, but the Frost People have succeeded," Lucretia nodded. "Of course, the pioneers half a century ago paid a heavy price for this—the minds of mortals are ultimately too fragile to completely avoid the influence of those 'truths' in the deep sea. My father is somewhat special! I don't recommend you imitate him!"

"If I were seven or eight hundred years younger, I'm afraid I would have already started planning my own dive. If I could witness those scenes with my own eyes, I would..." Sara was silent for a few seconds, shaking his head with some regret, "And be more confident in persuading the others in the Association!"

Lucretia smiled, "It doesn't matter, more people will receive the warning soon—Father has arranged to issue warnings to the Four Gods Church and various Principalities, which should be enough to show the seriousness of the matter!"

Sara Meir nodded, then hesitated for a moment and couldn't help but ask: "I'm still very curious! Ms. Lucretia, has your father really fully recovered his humanity? I have lived for two thousand years and have never heard of anyone who can return from the subspace, or even recover their humanity after returning. How did he do it?"

"Who knows?" Lucretia shook her head. "If you're really curious, you can ask him directly when the time comes, anyway, he's coming in person soon!"

Sara Meir's calm face twitched visibly!

"Madam, you don't have to emphasize this news again!"

The elven chief executive said strangely, "This is not good for the heart—please be kind to the elderly!"

Lucretia laughed, looking quite happy—she felt she had experienced Tirion's joy, so she stood up contentedly and waved to Chief Executive Sara!

The next second, the figure of the "Sea Witch" suddenly turned into scattered colorful pieces of paper, spinning and swept into the air by a gust of wind, disappearing on the terrace!

"This witch really comes and goes freely..." Sara Meir couldn't help but mutter, turning around and preparing to return to the room—next he had to consider contacting the Explorers' Associations of other Principalities, and how to convey that terrible "warning"!

However, at the moment of turning around, the chief executive of the Principality suddenly stopped!

As if a gust of fear suddenly swept across the border of consciousness, an unspeakable sense of terror and despair surged into his heart. Sara Meir felt that this "emotion" was injected directly into his mind, instantly grabbing his mind, making his blood run cold and his muscles tense. He struggled to raise his head and looked in a direction that seemed deeply imprinted in his mind, conveying a strong sense of traction. He looked towards the center of the Principality, towards those towering buildings.

However, he did not see his familiar Principality, nor did he see any other familiar scenery, only a dazzling blaze of fire and a giant tree, so huge that it was indescribable, and its boundaries were indistinguishable. The giant tree, like a huge mountain range, was burning fiercely at the end of his vision.

The giant tree was like the World Tree "Silantis" that once existed in ancient elven legends, but it was far more magnificent and amazing than what poets and scholars had depicted with their imaginations. It seemed to cover the entire mountain range and plain, and sheltered a kingdom in its shade. It was larger than any Principality or island that Sara Meir had ever seen, and the land beneath the giant tree was even more vast than he could imagine.

However, all of this was shrouded in doomsday-like flames!

The crimson flames were devouring everything, turning the giant tree and the forest around it into ashes, and huge flashes of light, as if energy was being released, were constantly shooting out from the edge of the flames, igniting the air and tearing apart the sky!

Along those bizarre giant flashes of light, Sara Meir struggled to raise his gaze, and he finally found the source of the all-consuming flames!

It was the sky—the entire sky was glowing with a terrifyingly hot light, bulging and glowing like a steam core reactor about to melt down out of control, and in the middle of that constantly bulging light, a dark red ominous color could be seen gradually seeping in!

Then, the dark red began to spread rapidly, until it devoured all the scorching light of the sky, shrouding the entire world in a terrifying, dark red dusk.

The scorching heat of the sky receded, but everything on the earth had been burned to ashes in the flames. The forest had turned into scorched earth, and the miracle-like giant tree was also collapsing in the embers, making a earth-shattering roar!

The dark red sky became increasingly dim, and gradually filled with some kind of black stripes. Time seemed to have passed for a long time, or perhaps only for a moment. Sara Meir saw night fall, and a strange night sky, pitch-black mixed with dark red, covered the world that had turned into scorched earth.

In this extremely brief "silence," he seemed to hear someone speaking in his ear!

They were several strange voices!

"I remember them, remember what they look like!"

"Memory can be useful, we have a plan!"

"A shelter, or a cage to eke out a living—the future is not optimistic!"

"But at least there is a future!"

Sara Meir looked around in horror, trying to find the source of the voice, but only saw the world burned to ashes, everything annihilated, and then the dark red ominous night sky began to shatter, and chaotic light and shadows "poured" in from the cracks in the sky. The ashes and wreckage on the earth were instantly assimilated and decomposed by the light and shadows. Everything was disappearing rapidly, and an intense, unknown idea roared in his mind. It was as if hundreds of millions of thoughts were sounding at the same time, resonating, tearing apart the doomsday!

Sara Meir's body swayed!

Something was receding like a tide, and the intense emotions and terrifying impressions remaining in his mind were quickly dissolving like snowflakes in the sun. A second ago, he still felt as if he had seen something, and even strongly remembered something, but the next second he felt as if he had just been stunned, with a moment of恍惚 (huanghu)—trance!

Those things disappeared, like a dream dissipating in the morning!

Sara Meir stood there, frowning subconsciously, and looked back at the direction where the "Sea Witch" had disappeared earlier!

"This 'witch' really comes and goes freely!"

Sara Meir couldn't help but mutter, turning around and returning to the room!