The cold starlight had crossed an endless distance and arrived here from the depths of the universe. The clear light shone on the tattered hull of the Tarlonde, as if plating the ancient spacecraft with a layer of silver light.
At the tail of the huge spacecraft, a huge gap had appeared in the severely damaged reactor compartment. The damage control system had been activated to cut off the corresponding energy channel. Part of the extinguished nuclear core was exposed to space. Some of the escaping liquid boiled and turned into steam in space, refracting the light of the giant sun from the other side of the horizon, showing a rainbow-like color.
The faint light in the engine flickered a few times before finally extinguishing completely. This spacecraft built 1.87 million years ago used technology that was completely different from today's era. Not only did it have an anti-gravity mechanism, but it also relied on the working fluid engine to provide extra thrust during the liftoff phase. This was a skill learned from the founders. Now, the products built with these technologies were 'dying' one by one.
"Our main engine has extinguished, but the attitude control engine group still has a little power. I will try to slow down the spacecraft and maintain it in a high orbit. Although we will drift away soon, before that, we can enjoy the scenery here," Balogel said, patting the control seat in front of him. "Sigh, this thing is completely broken. I can't read the readings of reactor No. 3, but it's not in a good condition."
"You also said that the main engine can last 30 minutes under your control." Helagol glanced at the chief mechanic. "It's not even 20 minutes yet."
"That's just rhetoric, a way to boost morale," Balogel said nonchalantly. "It's not easy for the engine to complete the final climb in that situation, not to mention that this big guy has been in the sea for more than a million years."
"We all know that it hasn't aged at all in more than a million years," Helagol said casually. Then he noticed that Andal had not spoken, as if he was seriously thinking about something. He could not help but be curious. "Andal, what are you thinking about?"
"Count my heartbeat," Andal said slowly. "I haven't paid attention to my heartbeat for many years … The blood pump and the circulator have been working together to maintain the operation of this body. I almost forgot that there is a primitive heart in my body … and it is still beating today."
"I thought your heart had long been removed." Helagol raised his eyebrows in surprise. "As a black dragon with a short lifespan, your original heart hasn't died yet?"
"I also find it incredible — very incredible," Andal said slowly after a moment of silence. Then he suddenly frowned. "Do you smell anything?"
"Did you just find out? It's coming from the gas storage chamber. "Balogel stood up from the chair and floated slowly in the weightless hall." Our filtration system has stopped, and some exhaust gas has entered the life support pipe. Don't worry, this gas won't kill us for the time being. The vitality of dragons is still very strong. "
"Ah, that's really 'good news.'" Andal shook his head. "How long can we survive?"
"It's hard to say. It depends on how many leaks there are in the hull of the spacecraft, and whether our reactor will explode in advance." Balogel shrugged. "The control panel is broken, and I have no way to control the spacecraft's situation. But from a more optimistic point of view, didn't we just survive for a few more minutes? This is the first time the Dragons have stepped into the stars with their own strength. Every second we stay here should be recorded in history. "
The hall was quiet for a moment. Helagol slowly floated to the side of the polymer dome. He looked at the scene outside the spacecraft, and the vast starry sky attracted his attention. He suddenly felt a little regretful. The stars looked so far away. Although he had left the earth and was so far away from home, the distance between him and the stars did not seem to shrink at all. The Tarlonde was like a paper boat made by children, full of ambitious dreams and great voyage plans. But in fact, it was just thrown into a small ditch at the door. It had just floated out a few meters before it was full of water and would sink at any time.
But even so, this was the first step for a mortal. Just like a baby trying to walk for the first time, maybe it would only stagger a little, maybe it would fall the next second. But in any case, he was here now, immersed in the stars.
There seemed to be no regrets.
A light suddenly appeared at the edge of his vision. Helagol looked up, a little surprised. He looked at the corner of the dome and saw the edge of the planet was slowly moving there. The spacecraft had lost its power, and it was slowly rolling under the effect of inertia. And in the process of rolling, it ushered in a magnificent sunrise.
The giant sun rose, and behind the planet, an amazing corona was slowly rising. The magnificent wood grain of the planet squeezed into Helagol's vision little by little. It was more spectacular and more shocking than what he saw on the surface.
The entire control hall was immersed in the brilliant sunlight. Even if the light-shielding plating was still working, the magnificent light still stung the eyes of the three humanoid Giant Dragon. Andal and Balogel came to Helagol's side at the same time. They gathered in front of the polymer dome and stared at the never-before-seen sunrise. For a long time, they did not speak again.
It was not cramped here at all.
…
Lolun Continent, Winterwolf Fortress Command Post.
"No response from the Mithril Ring? It can't contact the Mithril Vault? " Amber looked at Gwen with a little surprise. After confirming the situation, she could not help but mutter, "This shouldn't be … The Mithril Ring has malfunctioned twice in such a short time … The Giant Dragon is so skilled, it shouldn't be that they can't even fix a communication system …"
"For thousands of years, the Mithril Vault has never had such a situation," Gwen looked more serious. "'Never Make a Mistake' is the label of the Giant Dragon …"
"Maybe it's just that the malfunction hasn't been fixed yet," Amber thought for a while and said with uncertainty. As one of the people who had visited Tarlonde with Gwen, she knew the real situation of the Giant Dragon Kingdom better than others. The Mithril Vault, which was full of mystery in the eyes of the world, was not too mysterious in her eyes. "After all, all of their things have a long history and have developed very rapidly. Maybe that thing called 'Omega' has a problem …"
Gwen listened to Amber's optimistic judgment, but the expression on his face did not relax at all. He looked down at the silent Mithril Ring in his hand, and could not help but think of the last meeting with the Dragon God, Enya.
Unable to contact the Mithril Vault, unable to contact Melita Pânia … If it were at any other time, it might have only puzzled Gwen for a while, but it was not a big deal. However, after the last trip to Tarlonde and the outbreak of the War God's Calamity, Gwen could not help but think about it. He had a faint sense of uneasiness in his heart. Although this uneasiness was baseless … once it emerged, it lingered.
These things happened so coincidentally, and the turmoil of the gods affected the whole world. Enya and the Dragons seemed to have always been paying attention to the changes of the gods in the human world. Now, the War God had fallen, and Tarlonde had almost cut off contact with the Loren Continent at the same time … What happened in the distant Giant Dragon Kingdom?
While thinking, Gwen calmed himself down. He focused, and an invisible connection was established in his mind. A scene of overlooking the earth from space came into his mind. The situation of the Loren Continent and the surrounding sea came into his view. He cautiously moved the synchronous satellite's vision, trying to "look" to the north of the Loren Continent as much as possible, hoping to see something.
However, the view of the malfunctioning satellite was limited. After crossing the peninsula of the Holy Dragon Dukedom, he could not see anything.
Gwen was a little disappointed. He was about to withdraw from the satellite's vision, but before the connection was cut off, he suddenly noticed some blurry flashes at the northern edge of the image in his mind.
The flash appeared for a very short time, and then there were several smaller flashes in the same direction. At first, Gwen thought it was the reflection of sunlight on the planet's cloud layer, but he soon realized that it was not a natural phenomenon. Soon, the flashes stopped, and the surveillance image from the satellite calmed down. However, there were some fine lines at the upper edge of the image that seemed to be disturbed by energy, and they did not dissipate for a while.
A few minutes later, Gwen withdrew from the satellite's view.
He still could not see the scene outside the scope of his vision, but now he was almost sure that something big must have happened to Tarlonde!
Hu Po had already noticed Gawain's absent-mindedness, but she was not surprised by it. When she realized that Gawain was' daydreaming 'again, she very consciously took on the role of a guard. Just like that, she kept watch by his side for a long time. Only then did she notice the subtle changes in his breathing and movements, so she immediately went up to him and asked, "Hey, did you notice something?"
Gawain had a lot of secrets, and his occasional "absent-mindedness" was one of them. Hu Po was very curious about it, but she had never asked for the reason. She only knew one thing. Whenever Gawain was absent-minded like this, he seemed to be able to get some "enlightenment" from some mysterious channel... and he was occasionally willing to share the content of this enlightenment.
"Something must have happened to Tarlonde. I have a … feeling." Gwen could not explain his satellite's view to anyone, so he vaguely said, "But it doesn't seem to affect us …"
As he spoke, he raised his head, and the busy frontline command post entered his vision.
Officers and civil servants were scrambling to deal with the reports from the war zone. All communication systems and dispatching units were operating at full power. Outside the castle, medical units had just arrived from the rear. Wounded soldiers and corpses from the frontline were passing through the wide roads on both sides of the castle. Tarlund was too far away, but the mess left behind by the calamity was right in front of them.
Gawain heard footsteps approaching. Gawain looked in the direction of the sound and saw the blond Sordling walking towards him. The high-grade ranger bowed to Gawain with a solemn expression. "I've just received a new message from Wintercastle. The Tiphons wish to formally negotiate an armistice with us."
"We're finally back to the negotiation table." Gwen sighed softly. "So, did Typhon mention where and when they want to hold the negotiations?"
"As for the time, they only mentioned that they want to do it as soon as possible. As for the location …" Sordling hesitated for a moment before continuing. "They want to hold it in the Treaty Fort."
"Ah, the symbol of peace between the two countries … Although it's a bit ironic to mention it now," Gwen said with a complicated expression when he heard the name of the fort. Then he smiled. "But according to the actual control of both sides, Winter Wolf Fort is now in the hands of Cecil. So, the Treaty Fort, which was originally in the buffer zone between Winter Wolf Fort and Longwind Stronghold, is now under the full control of Cecil. Does Typhon not mind?"
Sordling nodded. "They don't mind. And they specifically emphasized that they are willing to negotiate in Cecil's territory to show their sincerity."
Gwen raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Because they 'started the war' first … Well, although they don't mind negotiating in Cecil's territory, we still have to be kind. Bringing the envoys of the neighboring countries to their own territory for 'peace negotiations' is a hegemonic act. No matter what the final outcome is, from a historical perspective, the fairness and effectiveness of this agreement may be questioned by future generations. We need to choose a more suitable place — a neutral zone, or at least a place where there is no territorial dispute between the two sides. This way, it will be more comprehensive. Do you two have any suggestions? "
Gwen's eyes fell on Amber and Sordling. He did not ask them on a whim, but because it was appropriate: Sordling was the commander of the Steel Rangers, and also a high-ranking ranger who had been active in the old Ansu and Typhon for seven hundred years. He had witnessed the ups and downs of this land and experienced many changes in the two countries. Although he was an alien, he was more familiar with this land than many humans. He was also a thoughtful and experienced person, so he was the most suitable adviser at this moment. As for Amber …
After all, she was the head of the intelligence department. She was still reliable … probably.
The elves and half-elves fell into deep thought at the same time. The armistice agreement between the two human empires was a big deal, especially when the truth behind this' war 'was a divine catastrophe. This matter had extraordinary symbolic significance and historical value, so this matter must be taken seriously.
They began to quickly organize their memories, hoping to find a suitable place. While thinking, Amber first made a suggestion. "How about building a camp in the middle of the battlefield? A contract signed on the battlefield should be more important. "
"I've thought about this, but in addition to the symbolic significance, we also have to consider the practical situation. The Winterfort Line has been destroyed, and the whole area is now very dangerous. The magic waste and the wreckage left behind by the God of War on the battlefield will take a long time to clean up. This environment is not suitable for negotiation. And this time the main battlefield is closer to Typhon, which is also a problem. "
"Then why don't we just leave the land?" Amber thought for a while. "The Winter has not returned yet. We can stay on the ship. Cecil and Typhon have no territorial issues on the sea …"
Gwen was a little surprised by the half-elven's idea, but he shook his head after thinking for a while. "A warship is a floating territory on the sea. Letting the Typhon come to our warship to negotiate is essentially no different from Cecil's territory. And the warship still has a lot of technical confidentiality requirements, so it's not suitable for the Typhon to come in contact with it."
Amber's two suggestions were rejected. She puffed up her cheeks and continued to think hard. But before she spoke again, Solderlin seemed to have an idea.
"I have a suggestion." The high-ranking ranger looked at Gwen. "Do you remember? There's an elven sentry post at the border of the wasteland … "
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