Chapter 99

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Chapter 99: Block

It may not necessarily be an Abyssal Creation.

——even as the mechanical bird brought back a picture of Little Devil and news of the Dragon Riders’ great victory arrived through the commercial channels, some high-ranking officials still said this.

They added this so-called great victory to the list of Tasmanian’s major events this month, leading many conspiracy theorists to believe the battle was too convenient, almost deliberate. However, the outcomes were positive like previous events, making the downsides seem insignificant. Even those who thought "Tasmanian’s monstrous Governor is unreasonable" had to admit that Lady Natasha was a skilled ruler.

So, despite no concrete evidence, some suspected that Tasmanian created something like Little Devil themselves and orchestrated this event. Remember, there’s a dungeon there.

That’s why, when the Tasmanian diplomat solemnly pointed out "the abyss is approaching" at the negotiation table, the negotiators from the Empire just paused briefly and nodded in a formal way. Like they did with any conditions they didn’t want to answer immediately, they politely said a bunch of words, indicating that they would soon bring this matter to the higher-ups, the ruler and the parliament would discuss it.

Almost half of the Empire’s top officials remained skeptical about the truth of the abyss’s arrival, they didn’t necessarily think Tasmanian had ill intentions, some just believed that Tasha wanted to use this as an excuse to speed up the negotiations or to pressure for more benefits. But before they could discuss the specific purpose of the dungeon side, an unexpected guest arrived.

"Simon, I can’t believe you’ve become a traitor!" the ruler said sorrowfully to his deputy guard, "When did they bribe you?"

"In fact, I have been obeying the Lord Governor from the beginning. I will be leaving here tomorrow, after many years of care," Deputy Simon smiled, "I have taken your weapons in advance, and there won’t be any guards coming here for the time being. Please don’t worry, the Lord Governor has no ill intentions towards you, it’s just a pity that your diplomatic system has been somewhat slow in conveying information. The situation is urgent, leading to this last resort."

"What news?" the ruler said, feigning calm.

"The abyss is approaching," Simon said solemnly.

"What?!" the ruler exclaimed.

This exclamation echoed from several important individuals’ private residences, not because they hadn’t heard this news before, but because they had heard it too many times. They looked at the messenger from Tasmanian in astonishment, unable to comprehend how these perfect spies had been uncovered for this reason.

Afterward, they realized that "the abyss is approaching" was not an excuse.

Tasha’s people did not just talk, they brought evidence. Angry Demon could find Victor, and Victor could find where Angry Demon first appeared, which Tasha had been told about earlier. Drones and Druid birds flew to that location under Tasha’s command, while nearby spies quickly gathered evidence that former general Shirel did not die in battle, but survived after awakening the Abyss bloodline, eventually summoning the demon.

Even though the unique Abyssal Factor Detector had been taken by Tasha and dismantled by Craftsman Dwarves, the Empire still had a smaller magic device to detect Abyss traces within a certain range. Whether a certain area had ever summoned a demon or housed those awakened with Abyss bloodline could easily be determined if investigated specifically.

The spies had enough physical and testimonial evidence to convict, and soon after, wizards and magic technicians at the Empire’s research institute found evidence of the Abyss Passage in that area.

This meant two things:

First, someone within the Empire, not Tasmanian, had somehow reconnected to the Abyss; second, when the Abyss Passage officially opened, a vast army from the Abyss would descend here, in the Empire rather than Tasmanian.

At this point, whether the Little Devil was real or not no longer mattered.

The Empire became quite passive; when they were enjoying the show in Tasmanian, they never imagined the mastermind was from within their own ranks – the actual big demon that deceived Shirel was lying in Tasha’s pond, but since nobody knew, it was as good as non-existent. Tasha kindly stated that the Tasmarin side would not disclose the reason for the opening of Abyss Passage, to show our sincerity. The focus now was on finding a solution, not seeking retribution.

Shirel’s father, Old Ogden, faced a great calamity. This retired senior official had never given up his ambition; after his son’s fake death, he inherited his political resources and had long been networking with the hardliners who were dissatisfied with the current peace situation. This incident of "hiding his son with awakened Abyss bloodline and tolerating him summoning demons" when exposed at the higher levels, shattered the image of "human supremacy radical" that the old politician had built, even without any other penalties, his political career was completely ruined.

His inconsistent words and actions not only alienated the Human Supremacy supporters he had, but also implicated his closely associated hardliners, who suffered significant setbacks. Other high-ranking officials questioned whether individuals closely associated with traitorous and deceptive people like Ogden could be trusted, while the hardliners themselves started blaming each other, causing a great deal of internal strife.

The opposition was overwhelmed, with a crisis looming overhead. The empire’s upper echelons quickly realized there was no time to waste. Time was running out for the beings on the ground. If they were not prepared, everyone would be in trouble. Urgent cooperation between the Empire and Tasmanian was crucial. Negotiations and cooperation were progressing at an unprecedented speed in such a situation.

The Empire’s public opinion gradually shifted within a few weeks. Tasha’s "preventive measures" successfully piloted in Tasmanian and began to be promoted nationwide in the Empire. The leased Little Devil appeared in other parts of the Empire, where the military and civilians engaged in several military exercises. The Empire, with its larger land area and population compared to Tasmanian, needed to exert more effort. Fortunately, the atmosphere had been somewhat warmed up by previous publications. The news of the approaching abyss did cause some commotion, but not as severe as under Tasha’s rule.

Finally, after lengthy negotiations, the "Population Mobility Act" was passed.

Once the application was approved, those with visas could pass through the Night Curtain. The army built high walls and trenches many years ago, and now, in the middle of the high wall, a customs checkpoint was established. It was wider and more prominent than the trade passage. Of course, the trade port originated from a "non-existent passage," so even after widening, it remained in a remote and inconspicuous location. The current customs checkpoint was right in the middle of the high wall, with signs visible hundreds of meters away. People waiting to pass through formed long lines on both sides.

Long queues formed on both sides.

For the upper echelons of Tasmanian and the Aryan Empire, the passage of the Population Mobility Act was just the beginning of many actions. Years later, when people mentioned the thawing of bilateral relations, the existence of this act would hold a significant place, considered as a prologue of sorts, with a potentially greater symbolic meaning compared to other acts. But at this moment, for the common people on both sides, the passage of this act meant too much.

Further cooperation included the construction of a railway connecting the entire Empire, with the Empire responsible for laying the tracks and the dungeon providing the magic train’s energy. It would take some time from finalizing the specifics to implementation, but people were already eager. People converged from all directions, on horseback or by foot.

The people surging towards the high wall were nervous yet hopeful, filled with a mix of joy and apprehension, resembling fleeing or embarking on a pilgrimage. And this was the result after weeks of calm. The first group allowed to pass had relatives on the other side, significantly reducing the number of applicants passing through but still exceeding expectations.

"Why are there so many?" murmured an Empire staff member. "We never expected this many traitors a few months ago."

He was just joking, and now everyone can see clearly that they are no longer enemies who fight to the death.

Over the years, some people escaped here while others escaped there. Night Curtain divided the world for more than a decade, causing separations from family and friends. Those who stayed on one side kept silent, distancing themselves from those who left, never mentioning the lost parts. What’s the point of bringing it up? It would only make life harder. It’s only in the quiet of the night that longing wraps around their hearts. They gaze from afar at unreachable places, missing those they can’t see or talk about.

Over a decade later, the ice began to loosen.

As the ban was lifted and barriers were broken, missing a loved one no longer meant betrayal. These silent people emerged like mushrooms after the rain, having kept secrets in their hearts for over a decade. They were like a shaken soda bottle, and once they found an outlet, the bottled-up longing could burst out. Let’s go! Let’s move! Some immediately set off, while others hesitated, but regardless, they all now stood here.

Flame Witch Abigail rushed into her father’s arms, surprised to find him with a soft beer belly. "Dad! You shouldn’t be drinking so much when I’m not here!" she scolded, playfully patting his belly, "Others might think you’re going to have a little brother for me."

Shopkeeper Wood wasn’t angered by the nonsense, he had been smiling broadly since his daughter pounced on him, touching here and patting there, like a gardener seeing a tree grown tall after a long absence.

The once strong and tall shopkeeper now showed signs of aging, with gray hair, wrinkles, and some extra weight. His spring had been taken away by his daughter’s departure. Countless nights, Wood tossed and turned, wondering if his little girl, who had never ventured far, was doing well. And now, look! Abbie had grown so much, her wings fully spread, flowers in full bloom, and his little girl had turned into a lovely young woman. Wood had heard about her progress from his brother, who used to be a wizard, years ago, but hearing and seeing it for himself were incomparable. "Good, good!" the old father nodded absentmindedly, not sure what he was saying, watching his daughter laugh foolishly, hoping this chattering nightingale would sing forever.

Parents and children submitted applications simultaneously, and husbands and wives received visas to the opposite side at the same time. The registration and verification on the application forms ensured they wouldn’t miss each other, but the staff underestimated the power of reunions. Knowing you will meet someone and actually meeting them are not the same. Cheers and tears rang out, causing a congestion near the customs, with people huddling together, unable to separate, as if they wanted to stick together forever.

"Don’t crowd! Don’t block the passage!" the staff maintaining order shouted through the loudspeaker once again, "Take your loved ones home! There’s plenty of time!"