Chapter 73
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Chapter 73: Fog Tides
But… how could such a divine being possibly exist?
The idea itself seemed paradoxical. Never in history had a divine being existed before its followers. All gods are born from faith—their forms only manifest after countless prayers. Only when the believers’ faith reaches a certain level does the object of their prayers take tangible form, a truth unchanged throughout history.
In other words, it would require thousands upon thousands of ordinary souls, each willing to sacrifice themselves for others, before a divine being embodying this belief could rise.
Yet finding even one person with such noble qualities is rare, let alone tens of thousands?
If such a group truly existed, the world wouldn’t have deteriorated into its current state.
Lesker closed his eyes, allowing his consciousness to connect with the surrounding fog and using it to extend his perception range.
He “saw” the peculiar four-wheeled vehicle moving further away, heading directly towards the western beach even without a spirit lamp’s guidance, as if completely devoid of any fear from the fog; he “saw” the Gaotian Mining Corporation forces already engaged with the three rescuers, whose firearms remained formidable, causing chaos among their opponents; he “saw” some slave laborers unable to endure the situation any longer and beginning to stagger towards Glorious Fortress, though tragically, the direction chosen by some ensured they would never escape the Foggy Zone.
He also “saw” another small group emerging from the northeast direction, venturing further away into the desolate outskirts of the city. They approached the train wreckage in pairs, moving swiftly and with apparent familiarity of the Foggy Zone’s terrain.
Behind them, however, a fully loaded train had departed the mining site, rushing towards the accident location at breakneck speed—an unusual sight for this time of night. Clearly, it wasn’t transporting ore.
In addition to these things he could see, there were Other events were beyond his direct perception, but he could easily imagine, such as the City Guard being roused by the commotion and companies closely tied to Gaotian Mining Corporation springing into action.
Suddenly, this once-desolate area near Glorious Fortress had become the center of a maelstrom. The unexpected hijacking had awakened many factions, drawing them all into the whirlwind.
But for those caught on the weaker side of this conflict, the shifting tides were no good omen.
Whether they attempted to escape back to Glorious Fortress or try to find alternative routes to survival, they faced opponents with greater numbers and superior strength. Without assistance, it seemed unlikely that even half would achieve their goal…
At this thought, Lesker reached for the bullhorn strapped to his waist—a move not originally part of his plan. But after observing these “hijackers,” something within him shifted slightly. Perhaps this world wasn’t beyond redemption yet.
With that thought in mind , he took a deep breath and blew into the horn, its sound audible only to him
“Woooooooommmmmm…”
***
Dong! Dong! Dong!
The deep and continuous tolling of bells broke the midnight silence at Glorious Fortress. For the newly relocated residents, this was their first encounter with such bell sounds, and they were startled awake with only annoyance and anger, as their sleep had been disturbed.
But for the old residents who had lived here for decades, fear was their sole emotion upon hearing it.
Shandela stood frozen on the spot. Just ten minutes earlier, she had received a report stating that a train derailment occurred near the eastern smelting factory area, and the Gaotian Mining Corporation had dispatched a rescue team to assist within the Foggy Zone. Out of consideration that rescue operations are part of the City Guard’s duties, Shandela planned to send a night patrol squad to assess the situation. But just as she gathered her team, the city’s alarm bells began to ring.
As the Commander of the City Guard, though this was the first time she heard the bell, she understood its meaning like the back of her hand—and precisely because of this, she suspected her own ears.
The ringing of the bells signified a major change in the fog boundary!
“My Lady, it’s not good!” Suddenly, a soldier gasped as he ran towards her, stuttering, “Th-the…fog…”
Shandela stepped forward, steadying him firmly. “Take a deep breath and speak slowly!”
“Yes…huff…” After catching his breath, the soldier exclaimed in panic, “Commander, the fog is rapidly approaching the Glorious Fortress!”
Her heart sank to its lowest point.
The reasons behind the mist’s movement remained a mystery, but it did indeed change, much like how wind can calm or whip up towering waves. Researchers had categorized past observations of the mist’s movements into two types: one akin to ocean tides, albeit without any regular pattern for rise and fall; the other type continuously expanded until completely swallowing a region.
“Awaken all units of the City Guard and have them standby within the city. Notify the port immediately to prepare for a large-scale evacuation!” Shandela issued multiple orders swiftly, then turned to her deputy, Wudi, “Come with me to the western watchtower! Did you hear that?”
Clearly shaken, Wudi took a moment before responding, “Yes, I’ll arrange the horses right away!”
By the time they galloped furiously to the base of the watchtower, massive crowds had already appeared on the streets – residents fleeing from the outskirts back into the city for safety.
Upon reaching the top of the tower, Shandela witnessed a sight that left her breathless. Normally, at this distance, she wouldn’t be able to see the fog wall, but now, the Fog Zone seemed almost within reach. Despite the deep night, the dense fog was strikingly visible due to reflecting moonlight, appearing as a towering, monolithic barrier stretching towards the heavens, reminiscent of an abyssal cliff. Even Glorious Fortress, a major city, looked small and fragile against the backdrop of the fog wall.
Now, the fog wall had encroached upon the wheat fields and farms just outside the city.
Numerous silhouettes sprinted frantically through the night, fearing they would be swallowed by the mist. Undoubtedly, among these people were farmers, as well as workers from the smelting factories and mechanical workshops. Fortunately, Glorious Fortress only had walls on its southern and eastern sides, ensuring that these individuals at least wouldn’t find themselves trapped outside with no escape route.
However, for every fortunate soul, there were those less lucky.
Those farther away from Glorious Fortress likely woke up in terror, already engulfed by the mist.
“Have you checked the Column of Vibrant Stone?” Shandela shouted to the watchtower guard.
Glorious Fortress boasted four watchtowers, each crowned with a massive brightsky stone. Surrounded by steel-reinforced concrete, these stones appeared externally as sturdy stone pillars. Only internal staircases within the towers led to their summits. These four brightsky stones formed the foundation upon which Glorious Fortress stood firm on the new continent.
Since larger brightsky stones have greater fog-dispersing effects, protecting them from any damage was one of the primary responsibilities of the City Guard.
“C-Checked! The brightsky stone in this tower is intact, showing no changes compared to before!” the guard hastily responded, fearful of being blamed by the Commander.
With the spirit lamps undamaged, it meant that aside from waiting, there was virtually nothing else they could do.
Shandela slowly leaned against the wall, vividly recalling the scene of Fortress being swallowed by the mist.
Fortress was a small coastal town on the old continent. One day, without warning, it was engulfed by erupting fog. Despite General Pharos Ben deploying elite forces to assist, all they could do was watch helplessly as it disappeared entirely within the mist. From that moment, Fortress seemed to vanish from the world altogether.
And she, Shandela, had been one of its witnesses.
Compared to Fortress, Glorious Fortress was larger and protected by colossal Columns of Vibrant Stone as barriers. However, if the Fog Zone continued to expand unchecked, its eventual disappearance was inevitable—because once even the surrounding seas were covered by the mist, the isolated Glorious Fortress could not sustain itself solely with its own resources. It would inevitably become a ghost town sooner or later.
“My lady, what should we do?” the deputy officer couldn’t help but ask.
“Only wait,” Shandela replied somberly. “If the tide shifts, then naturally, Glorious Fortress will endure. But if not…” She paused briefly, “then we must organize a mass migration of its residents.”