Chapter 358 - 355: Battle of Paradise Island

Chapter 358: Chapter 355: Battle of Paradise Island

Because of his formidable construction abilities, Si Yang was nominated as the chief architect of Paradise Island, responsible for overseeing the entire island’s construction.

This was the first time he was in charge of such a large project, and he felt the heavy weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders.

Fortunately, most of the work didn’t require him to get his hands dirty. He only needed to design the island’s structure and functional zones, and there would be others to execute the plans.

He poured his life’s knowledge into Paradise Island, integrating his very "spirit" into the project.

Si Yang knew he would most likely never have the chance to be in charge of such a large project again, so he cherished this opportunity immensely.

From the island’s overall structure down to the specific function of every small area, Si Yang designed everything with meticulous care.

He designed countermeasures for the Hell Beasts’ various abilities, equipped the island with powerful defenses, and constructed the cage to be incredibly sturdy.

This was all knowledge Si Yang had learned from other races.

But with the addition of his "spirit," it became something unique, something that belonged only to him—Paradise Island.

...

The Hell Beasts were almost upon them. A report had arrived from the front line.

Everyone was anxious.

As the chief architect, Si Yang gazed at his proudest creation, the "cage" into which he had poured his heart and soul, yet he still felt a sense of unease.

He worried he might have overlooked something, which could cause the sealing to fail. Even as the Hell Beasts drew near, he was still meticulously inspecting every detail of Paradise Island.

Not long after, one night, a dense, dark horde of Hell Beasts swarmed over the horizon, blotting out the sky and sun like an all-devouring storm cloud. Even the sky and sea turned pitch-black.

"How terrifying."

Si Yang quickly took cover within the fortifications. He wasn’t responsible for combat. Sealing the Hell Beasts was a job for specialized warriors, and Si Yang had already explained to them how to operate Paradise Island.

The battle did not last long. Through the efforts of the various races, the Hell Beasts were quickly sealed within Paradise Island.

When Si Yang emerged again, he saw a beautiful sunrise. The light of victory beamed from the horizon, casting its rays upon Paradise Island and bathing all the races who had fought in a pure white glow.

Victory.

Si Yang didn’t even see what the Hell Beasts actually looked like before the terrifying creatures were sealed within Paradise Island.

However, the war was not completely won.

Paradise Island still needed people to stand guard and monitor the Hell Beasts for any further activity.

As Paradise Island’s chief architect, Si Yang naturally volunteered to stay. He didn’t just want to monitor the Hell Beasts; he also wanted to maintain his life’s work.

Of course, there was another very important reason: he wanted to personally experience a piece of history—the history of a building.

Si Yang had studied the history of many buildings, but he had never experienced one firsthand. He wanted to stay on Paradise Island, to see how the island would change, to see what this "cage" would ultimately become.

This was his selfish reason.

In the end, many races each left behind a Guardian, and they stayed on the island with Si Yang.

These were the first residents of Paradise Island.

Si Yang and these remaining Guardians became good friends. They were comrades-in-arms, and also family.

The races cast aside their old divisions and began to live together in harmony.

Their daily work was to ensure all the island’s functions were operating correctly and to check for any unusual activity from the Hell Beasts.

Thanks to Si Yang’s superb architectural skills, Paradise Island never malfunctioned; it operated flawlessly.

Until one day, a close friend found Si Yang, an apologetic look on their face.

"What’s wrong?" Si Yang immediately sensed something was amiss with his friend.

"I have to go back. My people are waiting for me," the friend said, embarrassed.

Si Yang wanted to question his friend right then and there, but he swallowed the words just as they reached his lips.

"Will you come back?"

"I’ll come back if I get the chance."

Hearing this answer, Si Yang instantly understood that his friend would not be coming back.

"Remember to hand over your duties properly. Be careful on your way back. The seas have been a little restless lately..."

"Okay."

There had never been a rule about when the island’s Guardians could leave. In truth, they could have left long ago; the subject had simply never come up.

And just like that, his friend left.

Following that, the Guardians on the island also left, one after another.

Some Guardians, when they left, said their clan would send a new Guardian to take their place, but as time went on, the island’s residents grew fewer and fewer.

Those new Guardians didn’t understand the significance of this pure white island. They hadn’t experienced the days and nights of its construction, nor had they been through that battle. They only felt that they had come to a barren land.

Before long, these new Guardians also left Paradise Island, and Si Yang never tried to stop them.

Watching the distant departing ships, Si Yang recalled a past experience of his own.

When he was traveling the Infinite Sea, he had once visited a desolate, empty island. There were many signs that people had once lived there, but the island had only a single inhabitant.

It was an old man who couldn’t even speak clearly.

When the old man saw Si Yang land on the island, he enthusiastically pulled him along, wandering around the island to tour the dilapidated houses.

The old man could recite the history of every single house: when it was built, who built it, where they came from, who had lived there, what major events had happened in their family, and where their descendants had gone.

This seemingly meaningless "history" constituted the old man’s entire life.

Back then, Si Yang had only felt a fleeting sense of wistfulness, but he felt no empathy for the old man. The histories the old man recounted were like dust motes, drifting past his ears without leaving a single trace.

But now, recalling this experience, Si Yang finally understood how the old man had felt.

"Those... they weren’t buildings. They were his life."

Si Yang caressed the smooth white tiles of Paradise Island, his thoughts drifting far away...

Gradually, people stopped coming to Paradise Island.

The Guardians became fewer and fewer, until only Si Yang was left.

Si Yang didn’t complain. As the last Guardian, he just inspected the island methodically every day, keeping busy, year after year, day after day.

A long, long time passed like this, so long that Si Yang himself forgot how much time had gone by.

Paradise Island was the culmination of his life’s work; he had poured his very spirit into it. Naturally, he didn’t want the island to fall into disrepair.

Out of a sense of responsibility, he also worried that his design might have oversights. If the Hell Beasts escaped and there were no Guardians on the island, the consequences could be irreversible.

But it was as if everyone had forgotten about the island. No one ever came again.

Si Yang often sat at the edge of the island, gazing out at the endless sea from dawn till dusk.

The sun rose and set, the tide ebbed and flowed...

Until a young man set foot on the island.