In the Lenburg base, Gawain saw the group of royal soldiers that Solderin had rescued.
The leader of these soldiers was a northerner of medium build, with short brown hair and a high nose bridge. He had changed out of his broken armor and put on comfortable clothes provided by the base. Although there was still a trace of fatigue on his face, his mental state had improved a lot.
When Gwen walked into the slightly shabby barracks, Mr. Knight, who had escaped death, immediately stood up. He led a few confused soldiers beside him and bowed slightly nervously. "My Lord, I'm Barna Mitchell from the Captical. My soldiers and I are very grateful for your generous protection … "
"Please take a seat, Mr. Gwen. I have some questions for you." Gwen gestured for the Knight to sit down before he casually sat on a chair beside him. "First of all, let me introduce myself. You should have guessed that I'm Gwen? Cecil. "
This was the legendary Knight, who would only appear in legends and historians' books a few years ago. Now, he had returned from the kingdom of the dead and was once again the ruler of the south.
The Captical nobles had a variety of descriptions and speculations about the ruler of the south. Most chose to stay away from him, a few saw him as a threat, and a few had the malice of conspiracy theorists. But almost everyone agreed that this legendary pioneer was incompatible with this era. He had the pride of the Gondor people, the rudeness of the pioneers, the barbarity of the first generation of nobles, and the unreasonableness of those who came back from the dead. This was Barna Mitchell from the Captical? Barna Mitchell was Gwen Barna Mitchell in his own social circle? All the impressions that Cecil had built up.
Mitchell briefly sized up the legendary duke in front of him with the most polite gaze. Just as he was about to break the rules, he looked down and made a gesture of waiting for orders.
The pioneer hero in front of him did not wear strange clothes that did not conform to the era, nor did he exude an unsettling aura. He was just as recorded in the most orthodox history books: tall, majestic, and armored as if he was always on the battlefield. His gaze was sharp but not cold.
"Are you used to living here?"
The first question was somewhat unexpected. He was stunned for a moment before he quickly answered, "Yes, thank you for providing a comfortable environment …"
There was clean hot water, clean rooms, clothes, food, and precious medicine. Most importantly, there was safety. It was impossible for a person who had just escaped death to complain about such an environment.
"Very good." Gwen nodded slightly. "I want to know the specific situation of the 'Crystal Cluster Infection', and the route of the northern army's final breakout …"
…
A temporary camp set up on the outskirts of Pompeii.
Barbed wire and gun turrets crisscrossed each other. Fully armed soldiers guarded the surroundings at sentry posts. Inside and outside the camp, magic monitoring and alarm devices were buzzing. Although the camp itself was not big, the amazing level of protection made it look like a fortress armed to the teeth.
There was only one reason for such strict defense: this was the place to study the Abomination's corruption.
In a spacious and bright laboratory deep in the camp, Kamel was suspended a dozen centimeters above the ground. On the platform in front of him, a cage composed of a shield generator and a solid steel fence was firmly inlaid on a base made of reinforced concrete. Inside the cage was the mission core of the laboratory.
A crystal cluster giant that had completely mutated and lost human cognition.
The three-meter-tall giant humanoid creature stood quietly behind the solid barrier composed of energy shields and solid fences. It was not as violent as the monsters that most people knew. In fact, it was the opposite: its eyes were calm and rational, even with a kind of detachment. It stared at the grand mage outside the barrier without saying a word.
"I heard from Pitman that you refused to talk to the 'weak old humans,'" Kamel floated closer and said in a buzzing voice. "So I'm here. I'm curious. In your cognition, my form is considered old."
The crystal cluster giant did not respond.
"It seems that you still refuse to talk. Do you think anyone will come to save you? This place is far from the frontline. You are far from your deformed compatriots … "Kamel continued." I know you are rational. You can still think. It's just that your worldview has changed. In your cognition, perhaps the crystal cluster infection is a normal life form, and the uninfected humans are actually some kind of disease … But I'm curious. After such a transformation, do you still remember your thoughts and emotions when you were a human? "
After another round of silence, the giant finally opened his mouth. His voice was low and trembling. "When the new era comes, you will realize the flaw of a body of flesh and blood. Extinction will come naturally, and we are helping … you."
The giant hesitated when he said the last word because he was not sure if he should include the glowing spirit floating in front of him in the category of "you."
No matter how it looked at it, Kamel did not seem to have any human organs that could mutate.
Kamael did not care about the sensational part of the other party's words. He merely stared at the mutant with his two shining orbs of arcane light and said in a low voice, "The new era you're talking about is the Demon Tide, right?"
The crystal cluster giant waited in silence.
"As far as I know, individuals like you who have special powers and complete consciousness are the commanders of the 'crystal cluster giants'. And the remnant of Druil's dark magic in you means that you should be a priest of the Church of All Things's Demise, or a martyr."
"…"
"Which class did you belong to in the Church of All Things's Demise? The hierarch? Or a lower level priest of Withering? Or a Forest Herder? "
"…"
"Where did you get the information about the Mana Tide?" "Why are you so sure that you can survive the Mana Tide in this form?" "Have you heard of the term 'abomination'? Do you know what it means? "" This transformation technology, where did you get it? "
Kamel's questions came one after another, but the crystal cluster giant did not say a word. Finally, after a more unbearable silence, Kamel suddenly said, "Did you know that the Kingdom of Gondor also walked this path back then? I was a member of this plan. I witnessed its failure with my own eyes, and this self-proclaimed evolved form of yours is just a failed plan that we eliminated early on … "
He thought that his words would more or less stir the prisoner in front of him, but the crystal cluster giant just looked at him calmly.
After a while, it said, "I've heard that a Gondor fortress was excavated in the south …
"I'm not surprised by your existence at all.
"But you've got one thing wrong, ancient archmage. Your failure was not because of technical factors, nor was it because of the problem with this path.
"Your failure was because your disobedience was not thorough enough …"
After saying that, the crystal cluster giant took two steps back and returned to the center of the cage. It sat down and did not accept any more conversation.
Kamel's efforts were fruitless, and he finally left the laboratory helplessly.
Outside the laboratory, the gray-robed Pitman and a few other researchers had been waiting for a long time.
"It said a few words to me, but it didn't reveal any useful information," Kamel said to Pitman with a sigh. "Just as you've guessed, this kind of 'commander-level' crystal cluster giant is mostly transformed from the loyal martyrs of the All Things Finality. They use this method to maintain control of the Crystal Cluster Army, and it's almost impossible to pry open the mouths of these fanatics."
"As the Crystal Cluster Army expands, they will sooner or later choose a new commander from the transformed Extraordinaries. This kind of commander should be able to open their mouths, so we don't have to worry," Pitman said. He then seemed to notice that Kamel's mood was a little strange. "What else did it say to you? You don't look too good … "
Kamel was surprised. "You can see my face?"
"I can't see your face, but the color is quite obvious. It's quite green now …"
"… It's not a big deal. It's just that I'm a little concerned about what that guy said at the end." Kamal shook his head. "The All Things Will Die Out has indeed obtained a part of the legacy of the 'disobedience' plan. In the process of carrying out this plan, they created Abominations. But that crystal giant said that what they did was even more 'disobedience' … I don't understand what that means."
"How could it be more 'disobedient'?" Pitman raised his eyebrows. Even though he was once a member of the Universal Finality Society, it was clear that he did not understand the Universal Finality Society's Abomination Plan. "Back then, you guys dug up the grave of the God of Nature, cut off his flesh, and even refined the God's blood and flesh into medicine to inject vaccines into the entire nation. Is there anyone more disobedient than you? Even if they really created a false god, in my opinion, it's not as disobedient as you guys … "
"So I don't understand," Kamel said, and then shook his head. "What about you? What's the result of your experiment? "
"After isolating the infected from the 'commander', all the experimental subjects showed obvious signs of weakness and stagnation, and what's left of their ability to think was quickly disappearing. It seems that the lower level infected have to rely on the 'commander' to maintain their mental activity …" Pitman spread out his hands and sighed. "In short, it's hopeless. The mutation from the body to the mind is irreversible. However, those who have not mutated and are merely carriers of the infection may still be able to be saved. The infected who were recently sent over are now in a very stable condition. The conventional treatment of the plague and the curse will work on them. I'm looking for the most effective purification plan, as well as the key cause that caused them to mutate from 'carriers' to 'mutants'. "
…
In the city of Cecil, a spring rain washed away the rows upon rows of roofs and crisscrossing streets. In the gradually darkening sky, the city was still bustling as if it was daytime.
A graceful snake tail climbed up the tallest magic network broadcast tower in the city and wrapped around the amplification antenna at the top of the broadcast tower. Tyr's body was attached to the magic mechanism made of steel. She leaned out and swept her gaze across the city in the distance. Her gaze swept across the factory that was already lit up and working day and night.
The flames of war were spreading in the far north. Although the land of Cecil was still safe, the impact of the war had still seeped into every aspect of people's lives. People began to discuss the war in taverns and cafes. News and opinion articles from the north began to appear frequently in the newspapers. The factories had entered the so-called 'wartime state' and were operating with unprecedented efficiency.
Countless war machines were queuing up to leave the workshops. The gears and bearings had not yet cooled down before they rumbled to the frontline. The technicians, doctors, and sergeants who had just graduated from various colleges were full of vigor as they walked towards their respective posts and lives. Since they did not face the war directly, the business operations in the duchy were not affected at all. Instead, they became more prosperous than before. The city that was driven by the power of the arcanotech industry was so vibrant and so lovely that even the lazy Tyre could not help but be attracted by it, and some fanciful thoughts about the siren's hometown.
Tyre did not know what the siren's hometown looked like. She was a new generation born after the Antaverne was forced to land in this world. After the 'crash', the siren empire had declined and could no longer regain its former glory. However, on the teaching machines, in the fragmented data stored in the memory chips, and when the ancient sirens recounted their distant and vague memories, Tyre had heard descriptions of their hometown more than once.
It was a vibrant world. The ocean covered the entire planet. In the depths of the deep and gentle sea, the siren's world was prosperous. Machines ran day and night, and artificial intelligence-controlled cities shone on the seabed. Undersea trains galloped between trenches and ridges, and aircraft leaped out of the water from the deep sea. Satellite clusters and orbital facilities circled the planet, overlooking the beautiful water world …
The sirens might not be able to go back.
But Tyre's eyes swept across Cecil. These land creatures had a hometown, and they were building this place with enthusiasm.
Perhaps one day, they would build this place to be as beautiful as the 'beautiful water world'.
The lost siren took a soft breath, opened her mouth, and sang in a low voice.
An invisible force soaked in the ethereal song, shaking the surrounding magic power, the amplification antenna of the broadcast tower, and Cecil's magic net. Then, through the numerous relay towers between Cecil, the Dark Forest, and the Wall of Grandeur, it shook the sentry tower and the Wall of Grandeur.
The song rode on the ripples of space, crossing the endless storms and the ocean.
In the eastern part of the endless sea, the siren's city, Antaverne, was bathed in starlight. The Listener on night duty looked at the unfamiliar frequency that suddenly jumped out of his communicator in surprise.
A moment later, a maid of the deep swam into the bedroom of Queen Petia, swaying her fishtail.
"Your Majesty! The missing Tidal Master has been found. She swam in the wrong direction when she returned and is now in the Western Continent!
"She found a human ally there!
"She asked if you want to eat biscuits?"
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