Under the remote control of the magician, the Explorer had been operating in the 'divine kingdom' on the other side of the portal for two hours. It had sent back a large number of real-time images, which would undoubtedly become crucial information for humans to understand the divine kingdom. But as a magical device, the Explorer's ability was ultimately limited.
After the Explorer passed through the 'square' of the divine kingdom and the first arch that led to the palace complex, the magician found that the transmission of the magic puppet was unstable. The images in front of them began to flicker frequently, and after a few seconds, the magic puppet even sent back an emergency signal that the magic power supply was about to be cut off.
To prevent the loss of this precious magical device, Windsor Mappel immediately ordered the recall of the Explorer. The holographic images in front of them then turned back to the direction of the portal. The Explorer spread out its long metal limbs and began to fly back the way it came. Kamel looked at the shaking holographic images and asked in a low voice, "Is it beyond the control range?"
"It shouldn't be …" Windsor Mappel frowned and said, "We have considered the possibility that the interior of the divine kingdom may be very spacious, so we have specially modified the signal transmission structure of the magic puppet. Plus, the magician is a high-ranking powerhouse. In theory, even if the magic puppet moves out at the same speed for another two hours, the signal transmission will not be affected …"
As she spoke, the legendary magician Typhon's eyes did not leave the holographic images beside the portal. The Explorer had begun to run forward at the highest speed. The holographic images flashed past the wide stone bricks and the exquisite stone pillars in the square. But even as the distance between the magic puppet and the portal shortened, the poor signal transmission did not improve at all. The shaking and interference of the holographic images became more and more serious as time went by. The 'magic power supply is about to be cut off' message from the magic puppet kept appearing in the middle of the image. This made Windsor's expression more and more serious.
"There's a problem with its energy supply … It looks like it's running out of mana, but the marionette has the ability to draw mana from its surroundings to sustain itself for a long time …" she muttered to herself. Then, she suddenly raised her head and shouted, "Can it still speed up the evacuation?!"
"We evacuated as fast as we could, Master Windsor." This high-ranked mage in a dark purple robe had cold sweat all over his forehead. The intermittent signal from the marionette made it extremely difficult to control it, and the pressure of losing the explorer made him even more nervous. The cost of the marionette itself was actually less important to the scholars of Typhon. What they were really worried about was the progress of the research. The explorer's current condition was obviously abnormal, but only when it returned safely would the technicians at the scene be able to confirm the cause of the anomaly. If the marionette ran out of energy before it reached the portal and lost contact, it would undoubtedly cause a great impact on the subsequent exploration and research.
Windsor did not say anything to urge them. She just stared at the holographic projection with Kamel. In the dimmer and blurrier image, she saw the mirror-like portal appearing in front of the explorer. The marionette's metal limbs were moving quickly, and the distance between it and the portal was constantly shrinking. However, as it closed in on the last hundred meters, the metal limbs that were raised high suddenly showed signs of uncoordinated movements. One of the limbs could not even be raised in time, causing the explorer to stumble and almost fall.
The most basic power system also showed signs of energy exhaustion, and the last reserve of magic in the marionette's body was about to run out. However, the ability to draw magic from the surrounding environment to maintain its operation seemed to be non-existent …
In the last fifteen meters, everyone's eyes were focused on the dimmed holographic projection. The manipulators could no longer sense the signal transmission of the marionette. The master manipulator among them tried one last time. He raised his hands to Windsor Mappel and said, "Master Windsor, the signal has been cut off. We can only leave it to fate …"
Before his voice trailed off, the holographic projection completely dimmed, and the last connection between the marionette and the mortal world was cut off.
The hall fell silent, and then a few sighs were heard. Kamel stared at the mirror-like portal. Windsor Mappel beside him sighed and shook her head. "We have lost the explorer …"
However, as soon as her voice trailed off, the sound of mechanical limbs rubbing against each other suddenly came into the hall. Layers of ripples suddenly appeared on the mirror-like portal. Then, a magical device made of brass stumbled out of the portal and rushed to the base of the portal amid a series of noises and tumbles.
At the last moment, the marionette successfully used the remaining energy to rush back. It rolled on the ground amid a series of noises. At the same time, a series of dim runes on its shell were completely extinguished.
Windsor Mappel immediately reacted. She quickly rushed to the explorer and ordered, "Maintenance team! Come here now! "
A few technicians in Typhon's mage robes immediately rushed to the Explorer. Kamel followed closely behind Windsor Mappel. They stared at the marionette, which had completely stopped working. All the runes on its brass shell were extinguished, and the crystals embedded in each key energy node were showing a grayish-white color due to excessive wear and tear. A wave of heat was emitted from the marionette. Seeing this scene, even those who did not understand Typhon's marionette technology could tell at a glance that this intricate magical device had been operating for too long in an environment where there was no supply of magic at all. Now, many of the magic circuits had been severely damaged.
An engineering mage bent down and began to examine the shell of the Explorer, trying to find traces of external injuries to determine the cause of its failure. At this moment, a low humming sound came from the round brass body. The completely extinguished runes flickered a few times and lit up one after another. The marionette had begun to recharge itself.
"… Master Windsor," the engineering mage looked up and looked at Windsor Mappel in confusion. "Its charging structure is not damaged …"
Windsor Mappel looked at the scene with her brows knitted. After a moment of silence, she made a decision. "Open the shell and remove the second to fourth shields. Check the core magic circuit."
"Yes, Master Windsor!" The engineering mage immediately obeyed. Then, a few assistant mages stepped forward and quickly removed the round brass shell of the Explorer. As the heavy shell and several silver shields were removed, the extremely complex and intricate mechanical and magical structure of the magical device finally appeared before everyone's eyes. At first glance, Kamel saw a few crystals that were being recharged, and a few runic structures around the crystals were obviously damaged.
Typhon's mages gathered together and quickly checked the various parts of the Explorer's body. Windsor Mappel watched their progress from the side. The mages' inspection did not last long. Soon, a thin female mage stood up and reported to Windsor Mappel with a serious face. "Master, the core magic circuit of the magic puppet shows signs of an inward puncture. The alchemical solution in the second to fourth shields has completely evaporated."
"… An inward puncture, alchemical solution evaporated …" Windsor Mappel's face darkened. She quickly made a judgment. "This means that it tried to draw magic from the surrounding environment, but the charging circuit was not replenished … In addition, the magic core was overexerting, and the central control circle was constantly squeezing the remaining magic from the circuit, causing a series of system errors …"
Carmel quickly understood what had happened to the explorer. A strange light suddenly flashed in the eyes of this ancient arcanist. After a moment of thought, he solemnly broke the silence. "In other words, there is no mana in the divine kingdom, or it can't be extracted. That's why the explorer quickly used up all the energy stored in her body …"
"… This is one of the possibilities." Windsor Mappel frowned and nodded. Her voice was full of confusion. "But I have never heard of such a thing … Magic is something that is everywhere and can almost penetrate all barriers. Even in the anti-magic crystal mine, there will be a relatively thin magic environment. Is there a place in this world where magic does not exist at all?"
"There may not be such a place in this world, but we are facing a 'divine realm' — a realm that mortals have never understood!" Kamel immediately said, his voice seemed to have some inexplicable excitement. "Madam Windsor, let's put aside the shackles of past knowledge. We are dealing with a whole new realm!"
Windsor finally felt the emotional change of the ancient Gondor beside her. She could not help but ask in surprise, "Master Kamel … You seem to be very excited?"
"Yes, Madam Windsor, we may be facing a possibility … a possibility to break the game!" Kamel said excitedly. But soon, he forced himself to calm down. "The characteristics of the divine realm are consistent with an environment that I have once imagined. Madam Windsor, we should further investigate the space on the other side of the door."
Windsor turned her head and glanced at the circular 'mirror' in the center of the portal device. She agreed with Kamel, but the accident that had just happened to the explorer made her overly cautious. "… Perhaps we should make more preparations. The problem that the explorer encountered may only be one of the dangerous factors in the divine realm. And even if there are no dangerous factors, the magic exhausted environment alone will pose great difficulties to our personnel and equipment."
Kamel floated up a little. His eyes were fixed on the scene on the other side of the mirror. A strong impulse was surging in his arcane body. The long-cherished wish of the disobedient for a thousand years and the scholar's thirst for knowledge of the origin of magic were mixed together in this impulse. This impulse was enough to test the rationality of any scholar, but he remained calm.
He had waited for a thousand years.
"You are right, Madam Windsor." Kamel lowered his head and said to Legendary Mage Typhon beside him. "We need to let the explorer in a few more times. At least, we need to confirm whether it is affected by the environment of magic exhaustion. Then, we will send some equipment to the other side to see if the equipment can operate normally and how long it can operate in the environment of magic exhaustion. After collecting enough data, we will let the personnel in."
Windsor Mabel nodded solemnly. She retracted her gaze and looked at the Explorer's Golem that had been disassembled and was waiting for repair. After a long time, the Typhon mage said in a low voice, "Now, we have finally taken the first step."
…
The dark blue sea kept receding in their field of vision. The ice floating on the sea and the foam rising and falling with the waves reflected the brilliant starlight, presenting a mysterious and beautiful scene that couldn't be seen on land. The cold wind in the sky was blocked by the dragon's shield, and only a faint whistling sound could be heard. Gawain stood on Melita's back and looked at the end of the sea. He could already see the towering silhouette standing on the sea against the dark sky in the distance.
It was a tall tower, like a giant pillar that supported the world, standing on a circular island made of steel. The passage of time did not diminish the majesty of this wonder, and the dim sky under the polar night could not hide the breathtaking aura of this ancient heritage. Just by standing there, it was enough to make most of the mortal races on the planet feel endless awe and admiration, and even equate it with the legendary "miracle".
It was beyond the level of technology that most of the civilizations on the planet could understand. No race could imagine a man-made structure of such scale and almost eternal service life. It was no wonder that the Tidetide Empire, which was led here by the Giant Dragon, regarded this thing as the legacy of the gods, because in a sense … even the legacy of the gods could not be compared to the level of civilization behind this tower.
Melita carried Gwen and Amber, while the white Giant Dragon Noretta flew not far from her with Victoria and Modir on her back. In the sky behind them, there was a group of 30 adult Giant Dragons. This huge group flew in the night sky, their giant wings flapping the air, and the whistling wind passing between their massive bodies, bringing about a palpitating sound in the night sky. They silently flew past the starlight of the polar night, past the broken barrier and the ruins of the shield generator on the West Coast, and flew towards the Tidetide Tower in the distance.
If it were the Loren Continent before the formation of the Alliance, such a group could completely destroy a small kingdom or any city-state in a short time, and could even cause serious damage to a more powerful country like the Ogre Tribal Kingdom. But here, in front of the Tidetide Tower, the powerful Giant Dragon had to hold back and adopt the most cautious attitude as they gradually approached the target. They began to slow down when they were still a distance away from the tower.
Since the chaos of the Tidetide, this was the first time they took the initiative to approach the tower. Although the 'chain' built in the depths of their souls had been cut off, some kind of instinct built up over millions of years could still make the most powerful Giant Dragon nervous.
Gwen withdrew his gaze from the distance and looked at the other two figures besides himself and Amber on Melita's back: two Young Dragons were jumping around near Melita's shoulder blades, full of novelty as they experienced the journey of flying with the dragons. They looked very happy.
These two little ones should be the most special members of this group, but they were obviously unaware of it.
(End of Chapter)
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