Chapter 84 Observation Signals

The observation signal from Lucretia disappeared, and correspondingly, all data regarding Pland were completely imported in the instant before the reset.

Zhou Ming calmly sensed the changes occurring within this sanctuary—sensed the gradual collapse and dissolution of the border, the piecemeal disintegration of the Endless Sea, and the return of city-states among the stars to nothingness. He heard many voices, and countless thoughts of confusion, fear, despair, or hope. Tens of thousands of minds spoke to him at once, then fell silent in the same instant, and then the process repeated...

His own mind seemed to transcend this process—the Inverse Singularity was slowly awakening, and he focused nearly all of his attention on maintaining the stability and control of this process until, after who knows how long, he finally had the capacity to attend to his surroundings.

He still had his eyes closed, but he "saw" Alice. The doll-like girl was still sitting not far away, watching intently, seemingly unconcerned with anything happening outside the Vanishing Sail.

He also "saw" the Vanishing Sail. He saw the ship floating on the sea of clouds, like a fiercely burning, pure phantom. Most of the ship had disappeared into that fiery conflagration, with only the cockpit beneath his feet and part of the stern deck remaining. Beyond these structures were "light mists" like stellar ejecta, trailing magnificent wakes.

And the hum of the goat head still came intermittently. That astonishing ancient god's spine floated deep within the light mist, still undergoing its final burning.

Zhou Ming heard footsteps.

The "Door of the Vanishers" standing on the stern deck suddenly opened, and Rey Nora emerged from it. The "Frost Queen" quietly gazed at the distant sea of clouds, watching the world gradually disappear into starlight. After a long while, she turned towards the cockpit—she ascended the starlight-filled stairs, coming to Zhou Ming's side as he steered.

"I thought you had already left," Zhou Ming said with a smile. "The Vanishing Sail's restraints are gone. Your 'drifting house' should be able to leave this place at any time."

"I could leave, but where would I go at this point? The whole world is gradually disappearing; I'd probably be swallowed by that starlight soon after leaving."

Rey Nora said with a smile, then shook her head, "I thought about it and decided to stay here. This is the best seat for watching the end of the world. Such a sight... I might never see it again."

Zhou Ming said nothing more, just nodded gently, continuing to grip the helm, sailing with the ship towards that distant sunlight in the darkness.

The sunlight slowly dimmed, then brightened again. In the freely spreading light, he seemed to see that magnificent corona, and the ancient "god" beneath the corona.

And in his mind, voices from afar would occasionally come—those were the "observation nodes" he had left on the gradually collapsing and disappearing Endless Sea.

"...This is Frost. Starlight is gradually spreading from the direction of the Permafrost Sea," Tirian said to him. "The distant sea surface has disappeared, and there is a clear fault line in the clouds... It's magnificent. We are prepared here."

Then came the voice of Agatha (Shadow): "Many survivors have gathered in the cathedral. I am with another 'Agatha,' and we are accompanying the children here... They don't know what's happening. I told the children that this is a necessary process to welcome the 'dawn,' and everything will be fine soon."

"Faehron has also observed the starlight appearing over the western sea. It is approaching us rapidly. There is some unrest in the city, but it's not too bad—it's only a matter of time anyway," the sailor's voice sounded carefree. "I am with Captain Lawrence, and we are guarding the city walls, along with the others on the White Oak. We just decided that when the starlight comes, we'll all close our eyes together, and open them after counting to three..."

"This is Pland. Nothing is happening here yet, we can just see the stars at the end of the sky," this was Maurice's voice. "I am with my family. We can see the trajectory you left in the sky... It's magnificent, impressive."

Zhou Ming silently listened to these voices from afar, and at the same time sensed the various changes occurring in the sanctuary through those "beacons" left in the Endless Sea. After a long time, he nodded gently, "Thank you for holding on."

Everyone's response came from the mental connection—and then, Tirian and Agatha's signals disappeared.

Immediately afterwards, it was the sailor and Lawrence and the others.

Hours later, more than half of the city-states of the Endless Sea had dissolved into that constantly rising and closing curtain of stars. This sanctuary, established by the ancient kings and operating for ten thousand years after the end of the world, was now gradually shrinking to only a third of its original size.

And it was continuing to shrink rapidly.

Pland, the last lights illuminated the city-state's night sky. From the depths of the clouds came the chaotic roars of those chaotic and blind things, and vast, formless shadows writhed and grew between the city's roofs and towers, baring their fangs and claws towards the approaching starlight curtain in a final carnival.

Vanna and Heidi stood together on the high wall of the upper district sanctuary. As the starlight rose from all directions like a ring-shaped giant curtain, Heidi couldn't help but exclaim softly, "So beautiful..."

Vanna turned her head with a smile. "I told you, the commotion the captain makes is always magnificent—you didn't believe me."

Heidi spread her hands helplessly. "My 'Miss Knight,' don't forget that I've always stayed in the city-state. I haven't seen as much of the world as you have outside."

"...Isn't the thought world of a mentally ill person enough for you to see the world?"

"...It's the end of the world, can we not talk about work?" Heidi twitched her lips. "Speaking of which, I really hope that the psychiatrists in that 'new world' won't need to use guns to fight against the delusions of mentally ill people anymore..."

The two long-time friends began to discuss the new world on the high wall. Maurice stood not far behind them with a complex expression. After a long while, he lowered his voice and muttered to his wife beside him, "Do you think... our daughter and Vanna usually get a little too..."

"...Impossible, right?"

"I used to think it was impossible too, but the captain said, 'that's possible'..."

Hours later, the curtain of starlight finally spread to the sea near Pland.

Shelly subconsciously grabbed Nina's hand next to her, looking nervously at the stars that almost covered the entire sky. Under the shining starlight, the constant roars and strange murmurs in the city seemed to fade away quickly, and the whole world was becoming... exceptionally quiet.

A Gou's voice came from the shadows under her feet: "Pland is located in the center of the entire Endless Sea... The starlight closes outside the coastline of the city-state. Now this world has only this city left."

"I used to dislike this city very much," Shelly couldn't help but mutter in a low voice, "Those always flooded and smelly alleys, and the houses that never warmed up, and the rumbling factories, but now... I'm a little reluctant."

Nina didn't speak, she just patted Shelly's hand gently, then bent down and straightened "Uncle Duncan's" collar, pushing him towards the window again.

She knew that Uncle Duncan could no longer use his own eyes to observe the world, but she knew that Uncle Duncan still had the last, weakest connection with this avatar. What she was doing might bring some... comfort to Uncle Duncan, who was heading towards the end of the world.

"Uncle Duncan, the lights on the edge of the city have disappeared. I just saw the highest roof of the Crossroads District melting into the starlight. It looks like it will be our turn soon."

Nina raised her head, looking at the magnificent firelight slowly passing across the sky behind the clouds—part of that flame had now entered the back of the World Scar, and only the magnificent wake was still releasing a heart-stirring light, reflected in her eyes.

Soon, she heard the response coming from the bottom of her heart: "Yes, I'm almost there."

"Um... Is it dark there?"

"In places without sunlight, it is very dark. The back of the World Scar is pitch black, not releasing the pale light as seen on the Endless Sea side, but it will be very bright when the sun shines—the Black Sun is ahead, I can see it."

"Um, then be careful all the way, Shelly and I are waiting for you."

"Okay."

The voice in her mind disappeared. Nina squinted slightly, watching the magnificent flame in the sky gradually obscured by the World Scar, and in the corner of her eye, another block silently dissolved into the starry sky.

The starlight was closing over Pland. This world now had only the last few buildings left.

Shelly grabbed her hand again. This usually carefree guy was actually surprisingly timid.

Nina smiled and grabbed Shelly's hand, slowly squinting her eyes at the starlight filling the sky, muttering softly to herself—

"You go forward... Don't worry, just go forward..."

She turned her head, watching Shelly's eyes in the gradually spreading starlight.

"Shelly, you can blink now."

Then, the starlight finally closed completely over Pland. The last physical area in the Endless Sea was silently swallowed by the depths of the starlight. All the sounds of this world, all the matter, all the history that had ever existed, all the great, mediocre, noble, and sinful things that had been born and destroyed... all vanished into this silent stillness.

Thus, the world was destroyed.