Chapter 1451: Doomsday

At the World’s End, it was truly a perilous journey, amid extreme cold and encircling erosion, the ragged Morning Glow Advance struggled to crush the ice layers, breaking through the frigid seawater, and advancing on the path back home.

Recalling all they had been through, each survivor’s heart echoed with a lingering fear; at that time, on the ship, they could do nothing, like a group of prey trapped in a snare, waiting for death to arrive.

The relentless battles had worn away the ship’s armor, affecting the main structure as well, like a dangerous building; no one knew when this great ship would disintegrate, teetering on the brink.

To emerge from the Ice Sea, all energy was supplied to the power chamber, and most of the compartments were attacked by Demons and sealed off, with only a few people left huddled in a cold room, utilizing the scant resources to prolong their survival time.

They huddled together, trembling, enduring the cold and erosion, along with the howling sounds from the depths of the ship in the dark night.

Luckily in the end, they made it—Morning Glow Advance returned to the harbor, and these unfortunate people were able to reenter the civilized world.

“That was truly a terrible experience.”

Bola whispered, looking at this familiar old friend.

Due to severe injuries, his memories of the return journey were scant; according to Blue Jade, Bola spent most of the time in a coma, even when awake, his eyes were blank and numb, only during bandage changes did he gasp painfully.

“What did you all go through?”

Red Falcon was somewhat curious, though he later heard these survivors talking about the Silent Sea experience, he never truly went through it himself, there’s always a thick barrier between illusion and reality.

“You wouldn’t want to experience it, Red Falcon.”

Bola said earnestly.

He wasn’t joking, most survivors, after being saved and examined at Black Mountain Hospital, were diagnosed with varying degrees of mental illness, and some experienced irreversible impacts on their minds due to prolonged exposure to erosion.

As for the deceased, they were countless, many bodies sank coldly into the Demons-infested ocean, with only cold gray nameplates brought back to mark the person’s existence.

The atmosphere was somewhat oppressive, Red Falcon didn’t ask further, though he had a carefree nature; being a member of Purification Mechanism and an Upper-Rank Knight who had been in life-and-death situations, he knew some matters could be jested about, while others couldn’t be even mentioned.

Humans can’t precisely remember every event—rather than can’t remember, it’s more of a self-optimization of the brain, erasing those terrible, boring, sad, and so on into dust.

Thinking of this, Red Falcon couldn’t help feeling a pang of sorrow for Heracles, who seemed unable to forget anything—the good became extraordinarily vivid in his eyes, as did the nightmares.

[The Well of Ascension is restless, erosion intensity throughout the area is steadily increasing, much like the Silent Sea.]

Suddenly a voice rang in the people’s minds, without warning, Watson began to speak.

The others didn’t react much, but the sudden voice left everyone feeling somewhat uneasy and resistant.

Just think, among you is a Ghost who can easily invade your mind, able not only to ramble incessantly within your brain but also to strip away your memories, exposing all your secrets to the light.

Nobody would like that.

[The population within Seven Hills has been evacuated, yet they haven’t been moved very far, but rather hover outside Seven Hills and around Florence.]

Watson went on talking, the carriage fell into silence, yet the voice continued in their minds.

[Florence is the most densely populated city within the Holy Evangelical Pope Kingdom; once erosion spreads into Florence, the entire city will fall into crisis. Back during the Night of the Holy Arrival, erosion was contained within the Static Holy Temple, averting major harm; but this time, if erosion extends into Florence, we might face the most severe Demon event in history. The whole city will plunge into Hell.]

With Watson’s narration, each vision of raging flames flashed before them, with the magnificent city crumbling bit by bit in fiery red like scorched wood.

“We set out already late, so when we arrive in Florence, it may have already reached the worst possible state.”

Now Merlin explained.

“Though the Morning Glow Advance can still operate, it’s only capable of transporting the Sailing Dawn; we don’t have the capacity to carve out a landing site, relying instead on the Sailing Dawn to ascend, overfly burning Florence, heading straight for Seven Hills.”

“Then parachuting down from above Saint Nalos Cathedral, like Aerial Cavalry?”

Lorenzo asked, this unit derived from War Airship extension, even hearing it now felt quite surreal.

“Mm, we’ll split into two forces.” Merlin continued speaking.

“Split into two forces?” Lorenzo queried.

“If Florence has already fallen, then erosion intensity within Seven Hills will probably be terrifyingly high; Lorenzo, not everyone is capable of confronting all this—such reckless parachuting is merely a death wish.”