Chapter 434 - Silent West
Crawford Kingdom, Western Frontier.
Some several miles away from the Great Wall, an airship was seen sailing through the skies, 600ft above ground.
The Elven Supreme Elder Haldir and Princess Faelyn could be seen standing on the ship's deck, gazing in the distance. The strong winds brushed against their face and made their silky golden hair flutter wildly.
"We'll be passing the Great Wall shortly, Marquis Haldir." A crewmate reported.
"I got it, thanks." The Elven Supreme Elder nodded and said, "I can see it from here."
The towering mountain range and massive black walls could be seen ahead, while the sizeable military city was just at the foot of it.
While the airship flew 600ft high into the skies, it still could not be compared to the high mountain range surrounding the Human Domain, which threatens to pierce the heavens.
"You look a little reluctant to leave, Faelyn." The Elven Supreme Elder said, noticing Princess Faelyn���s distant and lost look.
Princess Faelyn smiled wryly and nodded.
"There were many interesting things to be found within the Human Domain that we would not normally find back in the tribe. Also, the air around the World Tree is very pleasant to breathe in. If we did not need to leave, I would not want to leave that place." Faelyn said.
"True. That place is simply thriving with life. It is suitable for the cultivation of plants and crops—but also Wood Cultivation." The Elven Supreme Elder nodded in agreement.
Shortly after, he added, "It should have taken you another 3 months to breakthrough to 9-Star Ranked Awakener, but managed to achieve it after staying there for a few days. When we get back to the tribe, you should go into seclude training in the heart of the Elder Tree and focus on achieving your Transcendence."
"Yes, Supreme Elder. I will follow your advice." Princess Faelyn said with a little curtsy.
"Alas, I don't know how much time we have left until the next coming of the Cataclysm. I can sense this ill-feeling growing inside me by the day, but I do not know when it will erupt." Supreme Elder Haldir sighed with a worrisome look.
"Maybe you are just overthinking it, Supreme Elder. Maybe things are not as bad as you are imagining. It's been over 500 years since the Cataclysm happened, but no one knows exactly why it even happened." Faelyn said with a slightly wrinkled expression.
During their stay in the Grassland Region by the World Tree, they learned a bit of history about the Nova Empire that once existed over 10 thousand years ago.
"That is exactly why it concerns me even more! You should know that my hunches have never been wrong. Wood-type Transcendents share a closer affinity to the world than any other elements. We can sense when something is wrong with the world. This foreboding feeling I sense doesn't just stem from nothing."
The Supreme Elder furrowed his brows as he explained.
Wood Transcendents had a strong affinity with plants. They do not just have control over them; the plants can also transmit what they are feeling back to them.
"It's too weird that a single solar flare from the sun was enough to wipe out an entire civilization in their most prosperous era. There must be more details that have been omitted from history. It was said that the sun also emitted a strong solar flare during the Cataclysm over 500 years ago. However, this only brought great changes to the world, not destroy it like during the Nova Era."
Listening to this point, Princess Faelyn could not help but agree with a nod. The Supreme Elder had made an excellent point.
Suddenly, Princess Faelyn picked up a stale scent in the air, causing her expression to wrinkle slightly with discomfort.
"Do you smell that, Supreme Elder? She asked.
Supreme Elder Haldir nodded, "I do!"
As the airship steadily flew closer to the Great Wall, the Supreme Elder and Princess Faelyn both frowned. The crewmate aboard the airship also felt off about the area.
"Something is wrong! This place wasn't like this when we last came here!" Princess Faelyn as she gazed down at the military city below.
The whole place was devoid of soldiers—or any people for that matter. Buildings were damaged, and military vehicles were parked messily on the roads, some of which were crashed into buildings.
Boxes of military supplies, rations, and miscellaneous equipment and weaponry were spilled over, littering the streets. Bloodstains were seen, but not a single body was found.
Nothing was tidy nor orderly. Everything was a mess.
On the outer perimeters of the city, barbed wires and barricades formed a defensive line. However, rather than preventing people from entering the city, it was closer to stopping them from getting out.
"What on earth happened here? It looks like a battlefield! Where are all the people?" Princess Faelyn exclaimed with shock.
The closer they were, the clearer the scenic view below them.
Countless bullet shells were scattered, littering the streets in thousands. Buildings and crates were punctured full of holes, tires were flat, and the bloodstained were smudged like the bodies were dragged, disappearing into the darkness of building entrances.
The Supreme Elder furrowed his brows and pulled over a crewmate to ask, "Do you know what is going on here?"
"I-I don't know, Marquis Haldir… It's the first time I've seen the Wester Frontier in such a terrible state…" The crewmate said slowly with a look of sheer shock.
"Was the Great Wall breached by a beast invasion?"
"No, that would make no sense. The Great Wall still looks fine, and there are no corpses or carcasses of beasts to be seen anywhere."
"That's true… but what else could have happened then? Everything is a mess… like a great battle had been fought inside the city…"
"I wouldn't say great, but definitely chaotic and desperate."
A few crewmates began to discuss among themselves as their gaze over the airship's edge and observed the situation below.
"Right now, the captain is in the communication room, trying to contact the Great Wall. Regardless of what has happened here, we will have an answer soon."
"What if no one from the Great Wall responds?"
"This…"
The crewmate was stumped for answers.
The place below was like a ghost town.
There were ten thousands of people living here, but now there was not a single person in sight. He was not confident whether the situation on the Great Wall would be the same.
"If no one on the Great Wall responds, then…" The crewmember shortly turned towards Marquis Haldir for an answer.
Ideally, a sense of responsibility compelled him to suggest that they immediately return to the Capital to report the Western Frontier's situation. It was too eerie that no news of the Western Frontier's situation had made it out of this place.
However, they were also tasked to deliver Marquis Haldir and Princess Faelyn back to the Elven Tribe.
"We will investigate and figure out the situation here before deciding what to do further." The Supreme Elder said.
"Understood, Marquis."
Shortly after, the airship captain walked out of the communication room with a shake of his head and said, "No one is responding to the call.
The Supreme Elder frowned.
The skies gradually darkened as the sun began setting on the western horizon, causing the towering Great Wall to cast a looming shadow over the military city below and plunge it into darkness.
The red sky gave the Supreme Elder an ominous feeling as the nearby grassland and plants on the surface vaguely transmitted their unease to Haldir.
"Begin preparing for our descent on the Great Wall, captain." The Supreme Elder said, seeing that they were gradually approaching the black metal wall.
As they grew closer to the Great Wall, the foot of the wall on the Wildlands' side began to unravel.
Piles upon piles of charred-black bodies were soon revealed. They stacked like mountains and formed a staircase that nearly reached the top of the wall.
"What in the world…"
Everyone on the deck of the airship gradually widened their eyes with shock and severity. Things seemed to have gotten serious.
"So, there was a beast invasion? But why wasn't any news sent back to the Capital?! Where's the General Marquis!? What exactly happened! Where are all the soldiers?!" A crewmate spoke with a blaming tone, feeling that the General Marquis had failed to live up to his expectations.
"Look carefully! Those charred-black bodies aren't the carcasses of beasts! They are the corpses of humans!" Supreme Elder Haldir stated after he confirmed the origins of the scorched bodies.
"What?!"
The crew exclaimed in disbelief while Princess Faelyn softly gasped in horror.
For the bodies to piles like mountains—to the point that it would nearly reach the top of the Great Wall, it would take at least several hundred thousands of human bodies!
However, the Western Frontier did not have this kind of population guarding the Great Wall against the beast invasions from the west!
"There must be countless beast carcasses littered underneath!" A crewmate concluded.
Suddenly, a shadowy figure shot from the Great Wall towards their airship! However, due to miscalculation, the shadowy figure drew an arc over the deck and shooting past the airship.
"Raoooo—!!!"
The creature cried as it was passing, before making its plunge into the darkness of the military city below!
"What the f*ck was that?!" A crewmate exclaimed with shock. The shadowy creature flew past too quickly for him to discern what it was.
At the same time, Princess Faelyn turned to the Supreme Elder unconfidently for confirmation, "Did you see what that was, Supreme Elder? It looked like a…"
"Un, it was a Wingrat."
The Supreme Elder nodded.