The wind poured in from the end of the street, howling along the stone pavement, whipping up newspapers, dust, and scattered dead leaves.
The women held fast to their hat brims, and the men pulled up the collars of their coats. “Damn it! The fire’s all been blown out! “
_”Darling! The carriage’s canvas was swelling and flapping with noise. A stumbling figure was helped out. In the dim light, they craned their necks to look around, discerning the sound of a call carried on the wind, trying to huddle together with the crowd.
But the carriage, crushed and smashed, was empty—the wounded person inside was gone.
“Let’s pray it was the Fogfolk who did it, ” one person muttered softly. They glanced around at the surroundings; no matter how comfortable these empty buildings’ houses were, a group of just three women didn’t dare to enter or use them to take shelter from the gale.
A few people labored past to pedal their bicycles through the alleyway.
One of the men stopped his bike at the mouth of the alley and called out, raising his voice:
“Hey, ladies. If you can do us a favor, I can take you to our guild’s gathering place to weather the storm until Doomsday ends. “
“We were just dodging that big fallen signboard and ended up separated from our group, ” a shadowy figure said as they approached.
“Come quick, it’s safer with more people over here. “
The three ladies, holding clothes over their heads against the wind, huddled closer. Two of them looked at the man in front of them with a hint of vigilance.
Another young man who had ridden away on a bike also turned back and came over.
The ladies noticed that although these cyclists seemed quite ordinary even in the strong wind, it was precisely this aspect that allowed them to show, with ease, their confidence in their own physical strength and sense of security.
The man riding the bike fixed his gaze on the face of the seemingly calm eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl at the center of the trio.
He then glanced at the medicine box in the maiden’s hand. Feeling inwardly somewhat pleased with his insight, he didn’t expose their recent lie and simply said:
“Hello, everyone. I’m a member of the Octagon Chamber of Commerce. We happen to need some assistance right now. Miss, would you care to join? Don’t worry, it’s completely safe and won’t take long. “
“What would we have to do? ” asked the woman on the left.
The man handed over a folded piece of paper, slightly smaller than a half-opened newspaper.
“Help us find someone. Here are his details, President Yangliner. “
The woman on the left was just about to take it, but the man quickly withdrew his hand. The girl reaching out into thin air looked at him in displeasure.
The man smiled and extended the paper again, this time to the young woman in the middle.
“For me? Why? “
“Frankly, because you seem much more attentive than them. ” The man said, holding the bike handlebar in one hand while gesturing forward with the other. Another person came over.
The girl appeared very cautious.
The man turned his head and said, “This is Talco, no one would dare to cause trouble here. What’s more, ” He lifted the iron-bracketed lid in front of his bike, revealing the brand-new telescope the girl had been eyeing covetously for days but never had the money to buy. Taking one out, he handed it over.
“Just help us find the person on this information sheet later, and that’s enough. “
The woman next to him opened her sparkling eyes wide: “This, really? Is it that kind of job? “
“That’s right. You just need to search the streets in the distance. We have our own people for the rest. If you succeed, this telescope is yours. “
“Oh my god. ” The girl on the right immediately took it and stroked it, unable to let it go.
“You’re not bad people, are you? ” The maiden in the middle, holding the medicine box, still questioned with suspicion.
The man patted the iron bike rack behind the seat, “How could we be bad, my ladies? The place around here is full of people. Right across the street is a noisy transfer waiting point. “
That was true—the faint commotion in the wind never ceased. Besides, this was just a bicycle. With that in mind, the girl spread the paper with two fingers in the wind, took a step and squinted slightly to look at it, then sat on the bicycle carefully keeping a distance with one hand holding onto the man’s waist.
The other two also headed towards the back seats of the nearby bicycles.
“Who is President Yangliner that you’re in such a rush to find him? Did he get separated? “
“He’s not separated, ” the man said, pedaling with a push, making the bike struggle to move forward. Turning his head slightly, he spoke in the wind:
“We just haven’t discovered him yet. We need to find this gentleman as soon as possible, otherwise unpredictable dangers will befall the world. “
“Unpredictable dangers? The end of the world? “
The man on the bike glanced sideways at the outline of the young woman behind him, who was earnestly awaiting an answer, and chuckled.
“Of course. Our Chamber of Commerce president said that this gentleman has the ability to restore everything to normal. “
……
Inside the house, Liya, barefoot in her white gown, heard the wooden door being pushed open. As the treetops rustled, a man strode in hurriedly, his expression fraught with urgency.
“How is it going? ” Liya and a silently standing burly man beside her both turned to look at the man in the thin leather jacket.
“Still no luck. It might be because the death of the Foundation member has narrowed the scope of information about him. Plus, we urgently launched this plan after yesterday’s failure. So… “
“What should we do? ” Liya’s voice was calm, but her face was cold as she stared at the man before her, cutting off his following words.
The man wiped his mouth. “Apologies. I’ve already taken the liberty to send our members, along with those from the Octagon Chamber of Commerce in this operation, to distribute flyers, enlisting mentally sharp commoners to join the search under the guise of looking for someone. “
Liya’s eyes darkened as she lowered them.
“That’s the only way. Even if it means leaking it early, we need more people to join. “
“Yes. ” The man said, “If that’s the case, shouldn’t we also deploy those warriors who have been tempered in the lands polluted by demon blood? “
“Won’t their appearance be subject to control? “
“In Talco, some accidents could indeed occur. However, Madam Liya, if we change the primary observation point for President Yangliner, wouldn’t it be… a bit safer? “
“There’s no time anymore. If we leave today’s Talco, it will be incredibly difficult to reverse the situation that is about to be born. “
Faced with these words, the man was somewhat bewildered, as if he couldn’t immediately understand the information contained within them.
The woman glanced at him.
“If you don’t understand, you don’t need to. Just get on with your work honestly and don’t take it upon yourself to make decisions again next time. “
“Yes. I await his coming in silence. “
The man in the fur coat turned around but was immediately called back by Liya:
“Wait. To be on the safe side, tell the members stationed in Scorched City to halt their activities. “
After a moment’s thought, still somewhat uneasy, she continued: “Better yet, have them dispose of this batch of long-focus telescopes too. “
“Is this… really a good idea? “
“Since we have Warrior of Faith joining us, the success rate is already assured. It would be best if the Golden Shell Legacy people don’t notice our actions. I suspect, even when their historical salvation is complete, some among them will still try to escape Mount Mutao’s destined fate. “
He didn’t ask why.
In response to these words, the man in the leather coat at the entrance only briefly thought of the World Ark expedition led by Talco—a group that was originally supposed to lead many people to escape. He suddenly sighed with a touch of lament for the World Ark’s ability, which could already force the chairman of the Ba Jiao to be summoned and would also attract the attention of the high angel, President Yangliner Huilu Guan, who oversaw everything, condemning all efforts to a destined return to nothingness.
He nodded slightly, then stepped out past the doorway.
……
In the rear courtyard of the merchant station.
Several telescopes were held up to the single, open eyes of the people standing within the courtyard, who gazed upward at the night sky, with its drifting wisps of clouds.
The sour strain in his neck reminded the manager to look for a chair to sit down on.
But he quickly dismissed the thought. It hadn’t even been an hour yet.
“Focus… focus… ” Gazing at the cloud layers beneath the indigo night sky outside the round lens, he murmured to himself.
……
During the afternoon, the passenger ship, already dozens of nautical miles out at sea, was forced to return to a reef island’s harbor for shelter due to the approaching strong winds.
This had left Haili Koni—who was traveling under the alias “Miao Duling ” aboard the ship—filled with immense anxiety.
At the same time, huddled in a corner of the cabin, she occasionally lifted her head to peer through the rounded glass porthole at the narrow corridor outside.
Waves rolled and crashed against the distant reefs, roaring relentlessly again and again.
If such waves were to go outside, how dangerous it would be.
At this thought, Hailikoni also felt that no one would come to pursue her anymore. Everyone in the family today should have more important things to do. Other people also have very important things to do.
Herself… what about herself? She thought somewhat uncertainly.
A stout woman turned her head and sized up the woman’s height. She was taller than average men, and her hands were slender. Observing that her facial features and bone structure were quite good, along with her slightly ugly and off-putting mouth shape, the woman smiled with a sigh and asked with concern:
“Miss, are you alone? “
“No. My family is waiting for me on the island, ” Hailikoni said.
A gleam of joy appeared in the woman’s eyes when she heard Hailikoni’s voice. This immediately made the woman realize there were still aspects of herself she needed to change.
The woman said, “Well. I thought you were traveling alone at sea. I heard that there’s a sanctuary in the archipelago. Do your people have connections there? “
Hailikoni smiled but didn’t intend to reply.
Seeing this, the fifty-something old woman smiled and whispered, “Miss, how old are you? Do you have a boyfriend? “
Hailikoni glanced at her without a word. The woman noticed people nearby looking over, and, blocking the view, she shifted to the side and said:
“My son is a dentist. For the past two years, his annual income has been this much, ” she carefully raised three fingers, “thousand, ” she whispered.
Koni immediately grabbed the woman’s hand in alert, using her gaze to signal that she should stop talking.
“He’s twenty-six now, ” the woman ignored and continued, “Two years ago, a slim girl really liked him, but my son is quite an honest man, and that girl’s personality and interests just weren’t a good match for him… “
Hailikoni let out a soft sigh, her eyes rolling slightly upward as she listened to the old woman crowded in front of her, who kept whispering on and on about her dentist son’s hobbies and interests.
……
In the dim light, strong gusts of wind swept across the undulating ground.
Four giant birds, with feathers as tough as steel, tucked in their wings and bowed their heads against the wind as they trudged forward on the ground.
Ahead of them, the Fifth Soldier, standing tall and proud, hoisted the passenger cabin onto his shoulders, pressing onward through the wind toward the distant Talco region of Hevenc Conz, nearly a thousand kilometers away.
Inside the slightly tilted cabin, Jennifer, along with the delegation members and Hailifenny, who was still pretending to be her sister, all huddled together, leaning against the middle of the aisle to maintain their balance and center of gravity.
……
The various airships were now completely deserted, with no one in sight.
The support staff and the crowd gathered nearby scrambled for cover as the wind howled, moving toward the large local buildings for shelter.
The intense gusts battered the window frame of the old lecture room like surging waves, letting out a roar that made those inside feel as if they were witnessing the shuttling cries of invisible monsters soaring overhead.
“There’s hardly anyone left here—what are we supposed to do with all the others? “
Some sounds reached the ears of a man in a black coat guarding the screen of a device. Nearby stood several representatives of the Chamber who had paid hefty sums at this auction.
These individuals were keeping a very wary eye on the refuge-seekers around them.
But fortunately, even the others here understood that while the device was precious, the true value lay in the pledge for broadcast permissions. So no one inside considered this incomplete hardware a golden goose worth a fortune, nor was it the time to discuss it.
What demanded attention was the ‘Campfire Plan’, a beacon declaring that civilization had not yet collapsed and demanding action.
Pushing open the door to the hallway, the man in the rain poncho let in the wind moaning through broken windows before shutting it behind him. He then came over.
“Old Yu, I’ve found the others; everyone’s fine. Don’t worry. “
“That’s a huge relief, ” Zhao Yu in the black coat finally set aside his greatest anxiety.
Zhou Su’an, wearing a rain poncho, approached and lowered his voice:
“I also got a piece of news. It’s terrifying—Chairman Yang of the World Ark actually suggested a few hours ago that we find our own way to Tarko, and he would arrange for our safe evacuation. “
“What… what did you say? ” The crowd around him quickly gathered, “Is this true? “
They stared at the man who was beginning to feel awkward. Zhou Su’an felt he had clearly been so quiet, and besides, the wind here was this strong.
“But it’s too far, my friends. It’s more reliable for us to figure out how to rekindle the fire from here. “
The crowd here fell into a thoughtful silence.
Before long, on the floor outside the house, a pile of charcoal and coal was carefully surrounded by iron sheets and slowly burned to embers. Others dismantled some wire mesh and wire to create cages that could hold fire. As they were sitting down, someone else delivered some kerosene and tung oil that had been found after a difficult search.
“Finally found a longer one. “
Zhang Yu was crouched down, busy in front of the charcoal, when he heard voices and turned his head to see two figures walking down the stairs together.
He watched with some confusion as one of them, while walking, handed one of the two telescopes he was holding to the person beside him. What he found a bit odd was that these were long-focus telescopes, typically sold only in districts farther away.
“What are they going to look at? ” Zhang Yu asked casually.
Two people among those crouched by the charcoal turned their heads back to answer, “Oh, a small team was searching for long-focus telescopes earlier. They said it’s to help keep an eye on possible rescue personnel passing through the sky, so some people went to find telescopes for them too. “
“I see. ” Zhang Yu turned back, continuing his task of bending an iron rod with his bare hands. After a moment’s thought, his brow furrowed, he stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the bent tree on the square outside, along with three people near the edge of the square gathering together and heading away.
“At a time like this, are planes still daring to be in the sky? “
As soon as he said this, he gave a slight start as he glanced at the crystal-inlaid dark iron wristguard on his arm.
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