Chapter 539

Chapter 539: Sailing Toward sunlight

After listening to Taran Ael’s long explanation, Duncan thought for a long time.

There was no doubt that these ancient Elven legends were special in this world, even unique—simply because they were complete.

After the Great Annihilation, in the Deep Sea era, the Old World collapsed and overturned. The New Civilization broke and was rebuilt. Contact between city-states was cut off for a long time. On top of that came the many shocks of the Age of Darkness. All this caused the historical records of almost every city-state on the Boundless Sea to become fragmented. Almost no race kept any complete inheritance.

The faith in the Four Gods, which only appeared after the beginning of the Deep Sea era, developed rapidly under these conditions of broken traditions and a blank space in myths.

Yet among the Elves, the old myths were preserved and passed down. Even today, when the faith of the Four Gods covered the whole world and the old system of belief was condemned as heresy, these things still remained.

Because of their small population, the city-states occupied by the Elves made up only a small part of the Boundless Sea and were very scattered. Even so, in these few scattered Elven city-states, their culture, customs, and mythical system still showed a high degree of consistency.

And had they managed this only by relying on “long life”?

“Such a complete myth system… maybe it really reveals some of the truth about the time before the Great Annihilation,” Duncan murmured to himself.

“Many scholars have always believed so,” Taran Ael said. “The Elves are the only race that still keeps a complete ancient system of faith. Many of our old books have suffered from corruption, but the myths that we pass down by word of mouth… largely keep their original form.” He spread his hands helplessly. “Even so, we can only study them as ‘stories’. We cannot directly treat them as historical records from before the Great Annihilation.”

Duncan frowned. Some words that Morris had told him long ago rose in his mind without warning: “…because of the huge contradictions between history and the Mortal Realm.”

“Yes. Every scholar who tries to trace the Great Annihilation will face the cruel blow of ‘contradiction’,” Taran Ael sighed. “We feel this most deeply. The more complete the Elves’ myth system is, the less it can explain the world as it is now. The largest contradiction lies in this… in the process of Saslokar’s creation of the world, there is no place for humans or Senkin.”

Duncan said nothing. He only thought with a grave expression.

Taran Ael went on: “Not only in the creation myths of Saslokar. In some of our other, less complete legends, whenever they describe the world, they never mention the species ‘humans’ or ‘Senkin’ at all. You should understand—this is very abnormal.”

Duncan slowly nodded. But for some reason, the image that rose in his mind was not Elven myths.

It was the Moon.

He lifted his head and looked out the window. Pale golden sunlight spread across the sea. In the distant rising and falling waves, he could faintly see a glowing border like a cliff stretching across the water.

That was the fallen relic that Lucretia had brought back from the “border”. That was where the mysterious stone sphere lay.

“Are you going to take a look at that thing?” Lucretia was the first to notice Duncan’s gaze, and she spoke at once. “There is a temporary research facility built by Lightwind Harbor over there. I have already spoken with the people there. They can clear out all unrelated personnel from the core area.”

Duncan hesitated for a moment, then nodded lightly: “Go make the arrangements. That is why I came.”

“Alright, I will contact the research facility and have them pull the people back.”

Lucretia answered and then left the room.

Soon after she left, Duncan noticed the Radiant Star slowly turning its bow and beginning to sail toward the huge glowing orb in the distance.

For a time, only Duncan and the Elven Grand Scholar remained in the room. After a brief quiet, Taran Ael visibly grew nervous and uneasy again.

Thankfully, this time his uneasiness did not last long—before the awkward air could thicken, Duncan took the initiative to break the silence: “I heard that when the Sun went out, you tried to observe the surface of Vision 001?”

“Yes,” Taran Ael said. He laid his hands on the table in some nervousness and toyed with his thumbs. “And Lady Lucretia has always believed that my sleep is related to observing the Sun, though I do not quite agree…”

“What did you see?” Duncan asked.

“…I recorded what I saw at the time. The sheet is now with Lady Lucretia, but many key details on it have been smeared out—I did the smearing myself, but I don’t remember doing it. If you are interested, later…”

Before Taran Ael could finish, the door to the reception room opened. Lucretia, who had left not long ago, returned. “That sheet is with me.”

As she spoke, she walked back to the table. While taking a crumpled sheet of drafting paper from inside her coat, she said to Duncan: “I have left the ship in Rabby’s hands for now—it is another of my crew members. This is the sketch Master Ael drew at the time. You can take a look.”

Duncan’s expression grew serious at once as he took the paper from her. He spread it flat on the table and let his eyes move over the rough drawing.

At first glance, it was just a mass of meaningless, messy lines. Aside from the circular outline at the edge, which showed that this was indeed a drawing of Vision 001, the heavy smearing inside the circle had almost completely destroyed its original structure.

But after he studied it carefully for a while, he began to faintly feel a trace of familiarity behind those tangled strokes.

It was as if something he had once seen before—something that had left a deep impression—was hidden under those smears.

Duncan frowned, staring at it for a long time. Then he raised his head and looked at Taran Ael: “You really cannot remember anything?”

“Not at all,” Taran Ael said awkwardly. “My mind erased that part of my memory on its own. I think… it must have been very dangerous information.”

“This sheet itself does not carry any corruption, but rushing to restore its ‘true version’ could still bring danger,” Lucretia added at the side. “I originally planned to give it to the scholars at Lightwind Harbor. But after realizing the risk, I felt it would be better to hand it to you.”

“Good,” Duncan let out a small breath, and a slight smile appeared on his face. “You have started to rebuild your trust in me?”

Lucretia suddenly looked a bit nervous: “…I only felt… you were more suitable… Of course I trust you. My brother said that you now…”

“No need to say any more, Lucy,” Duncan said, shaking his head with a smile. Then he carefully put the sheet away. “I will take it back first. Later I will find a way to uncover its secret. If there is any progress, I will let you know at once.”

Lucretia seemed to let out a sigh of relief and even looked a little happy.

Duncan did not say anything else. After putting away the sketch, he went to the window and quietly watched the rolling sea outside, and the patch of “sunlight” that was slowly drawing closer at the edge of the porthole.

…

After a voyage that was not very long, the Radiant Star gradually approached the glowing fallen relic floating on the sea near Lightwind Harbor.

Now, the ship was sailing past the temporary harbor beside it.

Duncan stood on the foredeck and watched as the vast golden radiance loomed ahead like a sky-high cliff, growing larger and larger in his field of view.

This was his first time seeing with his own eyes this “fallen relic” that had only existed in Tyrian’s description—and he was seeing it at such close range. The pressure from the approaching giant and the strange feeling from the unreal curtain of light mixed together, and even he felt a brief moment of breathlessness.

He could easily imagine just how much of a shock Lucretia had brought to the Elves here when she first dragged this thing back near Lightwind Harbor.

But by now, the Elves had clearly grown used to this “neighbor”.

“This harbor is the ‘research facility’ you mentioned before?” Duncan raised his arm, pointed at the temporary floating harbor on the nearby sea, and asked Lucretia, who stood beside him.

“Yes,” Lucretia nodded. “Because we were worried that some things inside the fallen relic might be dangerous, we put all the research work out on the sea. Master Taran Ael is one of the main people in charge of this harbor. Also, there is a small permanent station set up in the central area of the fallen relic, but everyone there has already been called back now.”

“That is understandable—after all, not everyone can handle being so close to a ‘subspace shadow’,” Duncan said with a laugh. “Mr. Taran Ael has already done very well.”

Lucretia hurried to explain: “It was not all because of that. The way you look now… I mean, after you have drawn back your flames, you really do not look much different from an ordinary person. Most people would not recognize this face of yours… I was mainly worried that unrelated people would disturb you…”

“It’s alright. Don’t be so nervous all the time,” Duncan said, waving his hand with a smile. “It is normal for some people to be afraid. I am used to it.”

Lucretia quickly nodded, then lifted her gaze to look at the huge wall of light that was now very close. “We are about to enter the glowing orb. We will have to sail carefully from here. I have to go steer the ship myself.”

“Mm, go ahead.”

Lucretia nodded. Then, with a bang, she turned into countless fluttering, colorful pieces of paper that spiraled toward the bridge.

Duncan stared in surprise. It was his first time seeing this strange power of Lucretia’s. As the paper pieces flew in front of him, he reached out on impulse and caught one, then held it up to his eyes to examine it curiously.

The next second, he heard a startled cry from the air. All the flying paper pieces suddenly rushed back together with a bang and reformed into Lucretia’s shape.

The witch landed on the deck in a sorry state.

And she slid quite a distance.