Gwen's eyes darted back and forth on the page several times before he finally suppressed the urge to complain in his mind.
The Duke of Wylde from six hundred years ago was actually a die-hard fan of Gwen Cecil … This made Gwen, who was now Gwen Cecil, feel an inexplicable sense of awkwardness.
Then, he continued reading. He saw how the ancient aristocrat, who took on the role of an "explorer," described the series of preparations he had made for this adventure.
"… After making up my mind, I began to build a large ship that could handle the dangers. It was not easy. As we all know, ever since the believers of the Storm suddenly went crazy and stole or destroyed all the ships and fled to the sea, the human world had not conducted a decent 'voyage' for nearly a century. There were no navigators who could challenge the sea, and no one knew how to build a ship …
"I went to ask a dwarf friend I made in my early years. It was said that the Kingdom of Dwarves had some technology that could allow them to sail in safer seas. At least they knew how to build a ship. My friend could help me find a craftsman who could build a ship. In addition, I also knew two sea elves. They were not interested in matters on land, but they were very interested in my magic gems. In exchange for a few gems, they promised to be my navigators …
"While this grand (and possibly long) shipbuilding project was in progress, I also took some time to go to the south to visit the contemporary Duke Cecil. I held onto a glimmer of hope and wanted to see if the Cecil Family still kept the records of Duke Gawain's voyage. However, I was also prepared to return empty-handed. It was obvious that Gawain Cecil didn't want too many people to know about his adventures a hundred years ago. Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to erase those clues …
"It turned out that my guess was correct. The descendants of the Cecil family knew nothing about their great-grandfather's voyage a century ago. When Duke Cecil heard about my voyage and the information about Gwen Cecil's mysterious voyage, he showed some concern. Obviously, he thought that it was just a folklore without any evidence and that I was joking about my own safety … But we still had a pleasant conversation. The Cecil family was a respectable family, no doubt about that. After finding out that I had made up my mind, they chose to give me their blessings.
"After visiting Gwen Cecil's tomb and offering my respects and spiced wine, I returned to my own preparations for the adventure …"
Gwen quickly skipped this part and the large section of records about shipbuilding and the recruitment of sailors. His eyes swept across the neat handwritten text line by line. Modiel Velde's life experience flashed through his mind like a fast-forwarded movie. It was not until the day of Modiel's voyage that his reading speed slowed down.
This was the part he was most concerned about.
On the pages of the book, which had gone through centuries, recorded everything that Modiel Velde had experienced after entering the sea:
"… X Month X Day. After a long period of preparation and careful planning, the Adventurer finally set off on a sunny summer day. We set off from the coast of the Eastern Region. According to the advice of the sea elf navigator, we first sailed south along the coastline for a short distance before heading east. This way, we could avoid entering the storm area as much as possible. Although I was very confident in the protective magic and magic sensing system that I had designed myself, considering that I could not risk the lives of the sailors, I decided to listen to the navigator's advice as much as possible …
"X Month X Day. A day worth recording!
"Not long after we began to adjust our course to the east, we witnessed a 'disorderly turbulence' from afar. A storm cloud wall that was almost connected to the sky rose into the air, instantly raising terrifying waves on the surface of the sea. Between the storm and the waves were dense energy bolts that were as dense as a net. Every flash contained a power that frightened a powerful sorcerer like me. And the entire cloud wall was moving at a speed that seemed slow but was actually difficult to avoid. I had never seen anything like it in my life!
"Some of the sailors were frightened and began to kneel on the deck and pray to their god. But soon, the chief mate succeeded in restoring order. The chief mate was a trustworthy retired officer. I was very glad that I had brought him on board. Not long after, the sea elf who acted as the navigator announced that the road ahead was safe. The exploration ship was at a relatively safe distance, and the terrible storm was moving away from us …
"The crew calmed down, and I had the opportunity to observe the storm from such a perfect distance. I had to record all its characteristics.
"The disorderly turbulence was not a simple wave or tsunami, nor was it a simple energy storm. It was more like a complex system formed by the combination of the two. After observation, I believed that the cloud wall that connected the sky and constantly released energy bolts should be the 'pillar' and 'driving force' of the whole system. Its energy waves resonated with the air above the sea that was rich in water elements. At the same time, I also sensed that the bottom of the cloud wall was connected to the entire body of water. It seemed that the highly enriched elemental carrier like the 'ocean' played a role similar to the 'polar focus' of a magic circle, providing an outlet for the energy turbulence in the air, and thus creating such a terrible cloud wall …
"Perhaps this is the reason why there are terrible disorderly turbulences in the sea but not on land?
"Also, visible to the naked eye, there were phenomena of clouds tearing apart and light surging at the top of the cloud wall. In the sky above the area where the storm was stronger, there was also a phenomenon of light that was different from the energy flashes in the cloud wall. It looked like pieces of connected 'curtains' that would slowly change as the cloud wall moved … They seemed to be located at a very high place, and the scale was probably beyond imagination …
"In some of the magic books passed down from ancient times, the scholars of Gondor divided the atmosphere into several layers such as the static layer of magic, the turbulence layer, the limit layer of magic, and so on. When I saw the scene at the top of the cloud wall, I couldn't help but think … The disorderly turbulence in the sea was so powerful that it had exceeded the human understanding of the magic environment. So, could it be some kind of 'leakage' from a higher layer of the atmosphere? It was possible that the magic of the turbulence layer had broken through the protection of the near-earth magnetic field and created such a terrible phenomenon in the static layer … This was a phenomenon that was worth recording and studying.
"The sea is really full of secrets and dangers.
"Fortunately, the sensor device I designed worked very well. The light beam in the crystal ball was accurately pointing at the storm in the distance, which proved that it could sense the existence of disorderly turbulence from a long distance away. This helped the exploration ship to avoid the raging waves in the sea in advance …"
As Gwen read these precious words, he frowned and thought from time to time, or nodded slightly. He even took a piece of draft paper from the side and scribbled on it what came to his mind.
There was no doubt that 'Modiel's Travels' was a treasure trove. Its most precious content was not the thrilling and bizarre adventure stories, but the experiences and knowledge that Modiel Werde had recorded during his adventures!
In the chapter of "Sailing", Modir Werde's records and conjectures about disorderly turbulence were such extraordinary things. Now that the first phase of the North Harbor project had been successfully completed, Byron was working hard for the next step of ocean exploration. The knowledge left by Modir would undoubtedly be of great help to the technicians there, and the significance of this knowledge was not only that —
Modir also wrote about his conjectures about the cause of disorderly turbulence and his understanding of the atmospheric stratification structure, along with the precious first observation data. For Gwen, Kamel, and other researchers, this could even help them decipher the mystery of the entire planet!
Gwen studied the travel book carefully like a serious student, using every experience in it as a source of knowledge to understand and analyze. Modir Werde's adventure also continued to move forward in the flow of words. Like almost all adventurers, after the initial smooth sailing, he finally began to encounter real trouble.
After entering the distant sea, the mysterious ocean showed Modir and his crew the real danger —
"On the X day of the X month, a terrible storm hit us.
"The sensor device played a certain role. In a short period of time before the storm formed, it began to frantically warn and try to point out the location of the danger, but this time, the storm was brewing above our heads. Right above the exploration ship, the atmosphere was torn apart, and high-energy reactions fell from the sky. The entire sea quickly entered a state of charging. We were surrounded by growing 'cloud walls' in all directions, and the speed was astonishing.
"By the time I realized what the chaotic reaction of the sensor device meant, it was already too late. The chief officer tried to command the sailors to speed up the ship, hoping to rush out of the 'charging' area before the cloud walls closed, but a huge lightning bolt quickly struck the energy shield above our heads. In the next few hours, the 'adventurer' was like being put into a manic magic crucible. The entire sea was boiling, and it was trying to kill the poor creatures in this small ship.
"The sailors did not despair and pray to the gods this time — they no longer had the time. In any case, the chief officer tried his best to organize the crew to maintain the stability of the ship and the functioning of the magic system, while I tried my best to ensure that the shield was not penetrated by the lightning in the turbulence. Everything was like a nightmare …
"Of course, since I can leave this note, it means at least one thing: at least I am still alive.
"Yes, this is the end of the storm — I survived, alone.
"Now I am thrown on a vast ocean, with only a few tattered sampans and a few wooden barrels that are gradually filling up. The 'adventurer' disappeared, and in the last moment, I saw it being swallowed by the waves with my own eyes. Of course, my crew was not spared — the two sea elf navigators may have survived, and they could have dove to the bottom of the sea to seek refuge, but now it is obvious that I can no longer meet up with them … In the storm, who knows how far I have drifted.
"Guilt haunts me, and now I have to bear the heavy burden of dozens of dead souls. Although everyone signed a life and death contract before we set off, I did not bring them here to die …
"But it is useless to say anything now. I think I have to find a way to survive. Otherwise, who will comfort and compensate the families of the crew? The responsibility of a noble does not allow me to escape in this situation …
"I used magic to collect the floating wood and barrels, and barely managed to shape them into a crappy little boat. There are no nails, no ropes, and this simple shelter is completely connected by magic. The problem of fresh water can also be solved with ice magic. As for food … I hope the fish in the distant sea is not too hard to swallow.
"As a powerful sorcerer, it's not a problem to survive on the ocean if you don't run into the chaotic turbulence. The real problem is … how to return to the right sailing route and how to move yourself quickly and efficiently.
"After all, even a legendary champion can't fly all the way from the distant sea to the mainland by means of flying spells, and I have to rely on the power of wind and waves to propel this little boat … God knows how long it will take for me to see land.
"Perhaps before that, I will be buried in the next disorderly turbulence …
"X month, X day … Through the skills of astrology, I finally succeeded in confirming my approximate position and current course. The conclusion is surprising and unsettling … The storm has caused me to deviate greatly from the original route. I am now in the north of the original route, and I am constantly drifting towards the northwest. This means that I am getting further and further away from my original goal, and at the same time, I am not on the right direction to return to the mainland …
"In this direction, I did not meet the legendary 'sirens', nor did I meet the followers of the storm who fled far away a century ago and are hiding somewhere in the ocean.
"To be honest, now I would rather meet those dangerous followers of the dark side …
"It is very difficult to return to the right route because I found that astrology is not so useful in the ocean. The magic environment here is interfering with my observation of the stars, and I lack a more accurate 'astrolabe' as a reference. I tried my best to confirm my position, calibrate the direction, and sail in the direction to return to the mainland, but I know very well that I am completely lost.
"This vast and endless sea is going to swallow me.
"But I will still try my best.
"X month, X day … There is almost no change in my field of vision. The only good news is that I am still alive and have not been swallowed by the 'disorderly turbulence'. In such a long time, I have encountered three disorderly turbulences, but each time, I narrowly passed by a safe distance. Looking at the cloud walls and energy storms from a safe distance, I really wonder if this is a blessing or a curse …
"But no matter what, I will still record everything I observe in detail. Anyway, there is nothing else to do now.
"… X month, X day, I am still lost. There is no continent or island, but I suspect that I am still drifting towards the north, because … I am starting to feel that the surroundings are getting colder and colder.
"X month, X day, A floating iceberg appears in my field of vision. I am near the northern part of the mainland? Is it near the Holy Dragon Duchy? This is the most optimistic possibility I can think of. These days, I have been sailing towards the west, or maybe the northwest. The only thing I can count on in this direction is the cold coastline of the northern part of the mainland … I hope that I still have some good luck left …
"X month, X day, I don't know how to write down today's record. I … As an adventurer, well, even if I am a lousy adventurer, I have never thought of myself …
"Well, anyway, I see a Giant Dragon.
"A Blue Giant Dragon, flying across the sky in the distance, it is real …"
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