Chapter 1 A Change in the Air

A sharp flash of light cleaved through the air, and a "Terrorfiend," a mass of flesh that writhed and pulsed, constantly emitting eerie whispers and murmurs, was cut in two. It rapidly dissolved into rising smoke and slowly squirming remnants.

But more ominous energy gathered in the cavern. Mind-corrupting murmurs and overlapping howls echoed from the depths of the black gate.

More and more abyssal demons sensed the fissure leading to the real world, invading through the gate. Their intrusion triggered a chain reaction across the entire Holy Land Island, changing its "environment."

Lucrezia casually flicked the black residue from her scythe. She looked up at the writhing, pulsating "Black Gate" with a grave expression. "I sense the 'atmosphere' on the island is changing."

"Vanna just sent word that Abyssal Demons are appearing in the valley," Maurice said quickly, holding aloft a complex brass contraption engraved with intricate holy runes. He watched the Black Gate warily. "They're emerging from the mist, some already materializing."

Lucrezia frowned. "We eliminated every demon coming through the Black Gate… Are there other 'entrances' on the island?"

"It's the abyssal 'aura'," Maurice shook his head. "This island is on the border. It wasn't stably anchored to the real dimension to begin with. Now, the Black Gate is gradually 'pulling' the entire Holy Land Island into the other side. The aura leaking from the gate is altering the 'depth' of the area… The deeper you go, the more Abyssal Demons will spontaneously appear."

Lucrezia's face darkened. She glanced at the pile of eerie green flames still burning quietly before the Black Gate, and calmly raised her scythe. "It's not a problem. There's a fleet and a large group of professional church soldiers outside. These demons won't be difficult to deal with. Just watch from the side, and I'll handle what comes out of the gate. Father should be back soon."

Maurice remained noncommittal. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw new outlines forming on the surface of the writhing Black Gate.

More demons were entering the real world. At first, misshapen creatures with missing limbs emerged from the gate, easily dealt with. But then, fully formed Abyssal Demons emerged, fitting Maurice's definition of "complete."

Vicious, powerful, and uncontrollably furious, any one of them could wreak havoc in a city-state.

Worse, these chaotic, dim-witted demons were almost immune to spells based on "wisdom" and "knowledge."

But it wasn't a problem.

Maurice casually pressed the "mechanical device" against his shoulder. The intricate brass mechanism instantly seeped into his body like a phantom. Gears whirred, pistons pumped, and valves hissed from within him.

With a whispered prayer to Rahm, the God of Wisdom, the old scholar's stooped, aged frame seemed briefly infused with the vitality of steel and oil. His back straightened, his vertebrae clicking like metal parts snapping into place. A metallic texture spread across his skin, gleaming with the unique luster of brass. His eyeballs dissolved. Two exquisitely cut rubies rolled out from the differential engine brain and were pushed into his eye sockets by mechanical arms.

Maurice flexed his arms. Hissing steam and wisps of white vapor escaped from his joints. He looked up at the figure emerging from the Black Gate—a giant, floating skull covered in grotesque bone spurs. He strode forward.

He passed Lucrezia and punched the horrifying skull demon. With a furious hiss of escaping steam and the crisp sound of shattering bone, the demon was knocked back into the abyssal depths less than half a second after entering the real world.

Lucrezia looked up, somewhat blankly, at the normally refined and gentle scholar. "…?"

"When I was younger, I often sought knowledge in dangerous secret realms and anomaly zones—places far from the civilized world. I often encountered crude enemies lacking sufficient wisdom," Maurice turned his brass-plated face in her direction, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. Exquisite brass gears and glittering reeds rotated and vibrated within the seams of his jaw. "That's when I understood a principle: the mentally deficient are immune to the blessings of wisdom."

He turned and punched an Abyssal Hound emerging from the Black Gate, smashing its head directly into its chest cavity!

"The knowledge blessed by Rahm can't leave a trace on their smooth brains," Maurice shook his wrist, resetting the steam pressure tubes in his joints. "But the steam-powered iron fist blessed by Rahm can."

Lucrezia continued to stare blankly. "…"

She'd thought this refined old gentleman was the most normal person on the *Forsaken*. It seemed none of her father's crew were normal!

…

Amber hadn't realized what was happening when the Abyssal Demon suddenly materialized from the thick fog and was instantly flattened.

She didn't even know how Vanna had crossed the valley so quickly.

Vanna casually walked over after squashing the demon, carrying her greatsword in one hand. She stopped in front of Amber. "The demons are gaining physicality. This 'Holy Land Island' is sinking towards the Abyssal depths. Notify the warships near the coastline to be on alert for large entities appearing in the surrounding waters. Sink anything that dares to approach, regardless of its appearance."

Amber blinked, snapping out of her brief shock, and hastily nodded. "Okay… okay!"

Vanna frowned. Years as an Inquisitor made her instinctively scold the girl. "Focus, sister. We're in demon territory."

"Yes!" Amber unconsciously straightened her back and replied loudly.

Vanna waved her hand, saying nothing more, but her expression remained serious as she surveyed the surroundings, observing the thick fog slowly flowing through the valley.

For the past half hour, bizarre shadows had been flickering within the mist, shifting and changing, outlining unsettling demonic shapes.

On the nearby cliff faces, jagged, bone-like rock clusters were also vibrating slightly, as if gradually becoming active.

And just seconds ago, a demon had coalesced from the shadows in the mist, "born" directly into the "real world."

All signs indicated that the "Holy Land Island" was rapidly deviating from the real dimension and "sinking" towards the abyssal side. This change was clearly related to the captain's actions.

She wasn't uneasy, because she trusted the captain—but the others present clearly lacked a sufficient understanding of the *Forsaken* fleet.

"Is everything alright back on the *Forsaken*?" Amber leaned in, whispering with a worried expression.

Vanna frowned, looking puzzled. "…What are you talking about?"

"I know that ship is strange and powerful, but Captain Duncan's gone, isn't he?" Amber quickly added. "If any demons get close… should the *Tidewatcher* help keep an eye on it?"

Vanna understood Amber's concern, but her expression became even more subtle. After a moment of silence, she shook her head. "It's alright. Someone is staying on the ship."

Amber blinked, seeming about to say something more, but a sudden burst of light from the coastline interrupted her.

The marines and priests stationed in the valley were instantly startled and looked towards the light. For a moment, they thought it was a fierce sunrise.

A dazzling fireball was slowly rising into the sky. In its scorching, terrifying light, countless tiny objects seemed to be burning, turning into wisps of smoke.

After a long, dazed silence, Amber finally broke it hesitantly. "…What is that?"

"That's 'Nina's Jump Scare'," Vanna pursed her lips, squinting at the fireball. Her tone was quite calm. "She's jumping really high this time… Looks like the Abyssal Demons appearing in the surrounding waters are in for a 'treat' today…"

…

In the sudden surge of dark chaos, Duncan, Shirley, and Gou'zi felt as if they were traveling through an infinitely long tunnel—time seemed to pass in an instant, yet their senses created the illusion of an endless "journey."

At the end of the "tunnel," as the darkness began to fade, countless bizarre phantasms rushed toward them. Distorted starlight flooded their vision like a waterfall. Shirley and Gou'zi were stunned by the magnificent and eerie scenery, but Duncan vaguely had a strange thought—

The warp jump was over.

The moment that thought surfaced, he felt solid ground beneath his feet again. The gloom of the deepest Abyssal Sea, and the vast, mountain-like "Ancient God," which inspired awe, gradually came into view as his vision cleared.

He had arrived before the Abyssal Lord.

He could only see a small part of this "Ancient God."

A range of undulating "mountains" stretched across his vision. The "mountains" were essentially a dark tentacle—covered in dark blue light, with irregularly placed lights embedded between the dark blue streams, blinking slowly as if breathing.

This enormous tentacle stretched into the darkness, where it branched out and connected to many broken floating islands. It wrapped around and pierced deep into those floating lands. At the other end of the tentacle was a structure resembling a magnificent tower, the convergence point of many similar tentacles—the entire structure looked like some strangely shaped "starfish," and its central "body" was raised high, covered in countless lights, like millions of eyes, slowly blinking in the darkness, watching the intruders who had come to this place.

Duncan raised his head, quietly gazing at the ancient god lurking in the darkness, and after a long time, he softly spoke, "I've come to find you."

A ripple spread across the surface of that dark "mountain," echoing with a deep murmur. In the murmur, Duncan heard a voice—

"We finally meet, 'Fire Thief,' and… long time no see, Lh-03."