Chapter 392

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Chapter 392: The Gray Tide

There are three types of natural disasters in the world.

One of them is the Scarlet Curse, a red moonlight that appears in December. It is the lingering curse of the Chaotic Witch, who was slain by the Supreme Will. Though she is dead, her presence remains, singing a wordless song on the moon.

Another disaster is the Otherworldly God, a malevolent being whose followers wreak havoc across the globe, causing widespread destruction and countless casualties. This disaster is both man-made and natural, and no one has been able to fully eradicate it.

The third disaster is the Gray Tide, a special climate phenomenon that ravages the global oceans during winter. It blocks the seas, preventing ships from passing through. In the Gray Tide, all instruments malfunction, and it becomes incredibly difficult to return to the mainland.

While the Scarlet Curse and the malevolent god have clear origins, the Gray Tide is a recurring event that happens every year without fail.

So, what is the source of the Gray Tide?

Undoubtedly, it originates from the ancient gods and the ancient wars that occurred long ago.

Similar to the tale in the Elden Ring, where the Scarlet Curse ravages the Galed region due to the war between the Shattered Star General and the Valkyrie Marlenia, god-like battles often lead to endless consequences. These gods, even in their immortality, bear unbearable pain. The Shattered Star General goes mad, feasting on corpses on the battlefield, while Valkyrie Marlenia loses her fighting spirit and retreats into seclusion, filled with resentment.

The Gray Tide comes from the remnants of this ancient war, but unlike the Scarlet Curse, it is not the result of a single god’s actions. It is the collective aftermath of the entire war.

After the conflict, the remnants of ancient gods, old gods, and outer gods were cast into the deepest part of the spiritual world ocean by the victors. These gods, even those of lesser power, are still beings worthy of mortal reverence. Together, their thoughts created a disturbance in the spiritual world ocean, triggering massive waves from the depths below, which eventually crossed the void and reached the real world.

This is the origin of the Gray Tide.

However, the actual situation is more complex than this.

According to the historical records of the Golden Family, it is clear that history was altered, and the ones responsible for this alteration were from the Sacred Religion.

One key cause of the Gray Tide is directly linked to the Supreme Will. The battle between the Supreme Will and the Chaotic Witch was not a decisive victory for either side. Both sides suffered immense losses. The Supreme Will’s forces lost eight hundred, while the Chaotic Witch’s forces lost a thousand. The Supreme Will’s domain, the Supreme Heaven, was on the verge of collapse. Fragments of Heaven fell to the human world, and the Sacred Religion was created to recover these fragments. To this day, they have been able to summon angel legions and command gods, thanks to a pact they made with the Supreme Will.

The exact number of fragments of Heaven lost is unknown, but one-sixth of the Heavenly murals in the Cathedral of the Sacred Religion remain incomplete.

It is said that the Sacred Religion has spent thousands, perhaps millions of years, attempting to restore Heaven. However, it is possible they do not wish to fully restore it in order to maintain their covenant with the gods.

The Gray Tide was born from this battle. The blood of the Chaotic Witch did not fall into the sea, but countless fragments of Heaven sank into the deepest part of the spiritual world ocean, giving birth to the vast and endless Gray Tide.

The Sacred Religion, in an effort to maintain its image and protect its interests, has deliberately concealed and erased much of this history. They have used wars, under the guise of “recovering Heaven’s fragments,” to grow stronger. Whether they actually found the fragments or whether they planted them remains a mystery.

Bai Wei dared to confront the Scarlet Curse of the Chaotic Witch head-on, but the Gray Tide, which engulfs the oceans worldwide, is beyond his control.

If the Gray Tide were to cover entire continents, it would be an unimaginable disaster. However, if it only obstructs maritime traffic for a time, it may be bearable.

In the past, humanity rarely exploited the sea’s resources. Even today, aside from global shipping and fishing, few venture into the deeper parts of the ocean. The vastness of the ocean is no trivial matter. Banning fishing in the winter for ecological conservation helps with fish breeding and migration.

Yet, the Gray Tide is known as a “tide” because it ebbs and flows. Its patterns are complex, spanning days and cycles of years. Sometimes, it lasts for decades, and on rare occasions, over a century. There are periods of high tide, where entire regions are submerged. The most severe incident in history drowned half of Europa’s territory. The scale of disaster caused by this is far greater than the Scarlet Curse, a thousand times over.

While such extreme situations are rare, they remain a possibility.

As the Sacred Religion continues its efforts to recover the fragments of Heaven, the Gray Tide has become more stable. In the last five hundred years, the Gray Tide has caused far fewer disasters than a typhoon.

However, the strange phenomena that occur when the Gray Tide rises remain unpredictable. During Bai Wei’s reign as emperor, he never had the desire to challenge two natural disasters at once. He was not arrogant enough to take on both the Scarlet Curse and the Gray Tide simultaneously.

Bai Wei’s Golden Power has been suppressed, likely due to the rising Gray Tide.

At its beginner level, Bai Wei’s Golden Power is still three levels away from its full potential. The suppression he feels is normal.

Being suppressed doesn’t mean the power is gone entirely. The fact that Bai Wei can maintain his will in this situation is a testament to the strength of his Golden Power.

But remaining here is not an option. Not knowing what is happening in the depths of the Gray Tide is far too dangerous. Bai Wei must venture into the heart of the Gray Tide to uncover the truth.

He suppresses his Golden Power and watches as the faint gray mist swirls in the air, like rolling waves. The Gray Tide has reached tens of meters in height. It’s no longer just a localized phenomenon; perhaps half of Hokkaido is already covered in it.

Those caught in the Gray Tide may not even realize it.

Allowing the Gray Tide to engulf him, Bai Wei’s figure grows fainter, eventually disappearing completely into the mist.

Meanwhile, in Europa:

“The Gray Tide is coming,” Sasha said, picking up the phone. “Announce to the city that everyone should stay at home. All shops are closed for today.”

Bloodman had witnessed the Gray Tide rise and fall several times. He knew how devastating it could be. Yet, each time, the Gray Tide behaved differently, and no one could predict what would happen unless they were there.

Sometimes, the Gray Tide would pass with no casualties. But on other occasions, entire populations vanished, and kingdoms were destroyed. This day was known as the Day of Disappearance.

Despite Sasha’s quick response, it was likely too late. Her request was more of a reminder. To defend against the Gray Tide, she relied not on her own strength, but on the Golden Tree.

The enormous Golden Tree shone with a soft light, like an oasis in the desert. It created a safe space, warding off the Gray Tide that surged outside.

Bloodman sighed in relief… for now.

However, his expression was mixed. The Golden Tree had protected Gaodeng City countless times, but he felt conflicted. The dazzling gold had once taken everything from him, and though time had passed, his hatred had been replaced with something more complicated.

Shaking his head, Bloodman pushed those thoughts aside. Just then, the phone rang again with a new notification.

Sasha answered the call. “Hello? What did you say?”

The voice on the other end informed her that today was the day the new students of Tulip Academy had gone on a field trip. The first-grade students were not in Gaodeng City and were not protected by the Golden Tree.

“Alena…” Sasha muttered, her face filled with concern.

Without a second thought, the blood within her condensed into wings, and with a powerful flap, she soared into the depths of the Gray Tide, her wings creating a trail of red shadows as she ventured further.

Elsewhere, the first-grade students of Tulip Academy were visiting the remains of the great war that had occurred five hundred years ago. A patriotic journey, meant to instill respect and honor for the past.

Michelle, holding her milk tea, followed along with the group. Tulip Academy housed the brightest students, and the first-grade class was divided into seven groups, each with over seventy students. During the visit, the students walked separately in their groups.

Michelle stood out among them, and as she walked, she unknowingly drifted into another group. Alena was on her left, and the student council representative from the third-year class, who led the group, was on her right. Judy had regrettably stayed behind.

As the two girls listened absentmindedly to the guide, the weather suddenly darkened.

“Why did the weather change so quickly? Isn’t this a seaside city?” Alena complained, reaching for her foldable umbrella.

Michelle stopped her. “I don’t think it’s just the weather…”

The Gray Tide was approaching, its presence overwhelming. It surged towards them, like a massive dust storm.

“Gray Tide?!” Alena gasped, horrified.

“It’s too late,” Michelle said, gritting her teeth as she activated the Golden Engraving on her back. She tried to stop the Gray Tide, but as it crashed forward, the golden light was swallowed by the oncoming storm.

The Gray Tide swept through the area, and everyone in its path vanished. In the blink of an eye, their bodies faded away as if erased by an unseen hand.

Only those indoors, or the mages of the Holy Domain, were spared.

The Gray Tide, at its average historical level, had claimed millions of lives this time.

At the Sacred Church, the Cardinal in a red robe declared, “The prophecy has been fulfilled. Go.”

The blindfolded saintess stepped forward, her figure glowing like a beam of light. She disappeared into the tattered dome above, embarking on a path unknown.