Deep Sea Embers - Chapter 760

[Chapter 742 The Long Night Begins]

Rapid footsteps broke the calm inside the church. A middle-aged priest wearing a dark blue robe with gold patterns passed through the long corridor like a gust of wind. Under the silent gaze of many sages on the murals on both sides , he came to the door of the prayer room – but before knocking on the door, a gentle female voice came from the door: “Come in.” The

middle-aged priest opened the door and saw the woman standing in front of the statue of the Storm Goddess. Figure – Helena was wearing a simple priest’s robe, with a string of beads made of aquamarine around her wrist. It seemed that she was still praying devoutly until the last second. She didn’t even hear the sound of the door being pushed behind her. He turned back, but still quietly stared at the goddess statue covered with gauze, and at the same time said softly: “What’s the situation outside now?” “

The dusk is still going on, and the sun still stays at its original position, maintaining ‘normal’ “The brightness and shape of the ark,” the middle-aged priest immediately lowered his head and reported, “The order in the city-state is still good, because the current situation is unknown, and most of the citizens have returned home to wait for further instructions. There are no abnormalities anywhere on the Ark ship. Four teams of technical priests have already arrived. Stand by near the steam boiler.”

Helena nodded slightly, seeming to be thinking about something quietly. After a moment, she suddenly asked: “What about the other Arks?”

“We just had a contact a few minutes ago. Everything is normal on the Ark. Academy Ark said that their observation equipment received a series of repeated signals from the direction of the sun. The content of the signals was different from the previous signals. After being converted into sound, there was a sharp and short noise…”

Helena said “Yeah” With a sound, she stopped speaking, and just continued to stare at the icon of the goddess quietly. For a moment, she seemed to have forgotten the middle-aged priest who was still waiting for instructions. It was not until a few minutes later that she spoke softly as if talking to herself: “The long dusk…”

Taran Ayre frowned, looking at the information that the apprentice had just sent to him. The long paper tape automatically recorded by the machine contained a large number of curves and seemingly… Irregular holes, and what these data, which are like heavenly books, show is the current state of the “Vision 001-Sun” that has illuminated and protected this world for a long time.

After a long time, the elf scholar finally put down the paper tape in his hand, rubbed his temples tiredly, and did not speak for a long time.

A calm voice came from the side: “Tell me about the current situation, Taran.”

Taran El raised his head and saw Ted Leal standing next to the bookshelf. Under the burqa, you can see the close-fitting soft armor and armor buckles. He seemed to be standing there calmly, but his eyes were sharp like a soldier about to embark on the battlefield.

“…The sun is flashing. Although it cannot be distinguished by the naked eye, it is indeed flashing. And it is not a regular ‘signal’, but more like a… electric lamp that is in poor condition,” Taran Ayre took a sip. He pursed his dry lips and pushed aside the information in front of him, “In addition, the latest tracking records show that it is not completely stationary on the sea level, but is still moving, but… very, very slowly, so slow that it cannot be detected by the naked eye. To what extent.”

Ted Leal was silent for two or three seconds: “…How slow?”

“If the current speed remains unchanged, it will fall below the sea level in about seventy-two hours,” Taran Ai Er said, reaching for the water glass on the side, but almost knocking it over – he hurriedly held the cup and took two sips of the cold tea, and his face became a little better, “But the worst thing is not to accept The dusk will last for seventy-two hours, but what will happen after dusk, Ted, you know what I mean.” “

…Longer than dusk is the night,” Ted Leal’s expression suddenly became solemn. , of course he understood what his friend meant, “If it runs at this speed, how long will the next night last?”

Taran Ayre did not answer. He just put down the tea cup and stared at the things in front of him. The paper was as if he wanted to see the future of the world from those papers, and to dig out the secret of an enemy from the paper. After a long time, he showed a wry smile and opened his hands to Ted.

“…I will arrange for the knowledge guards to be prepared,” Ted Leal looked at his friends in front of him quietly for a moment and nodded lightly, “We have a plan to continue the mission after accidentally falling into a long period of darkness. The ‘luminous falling object’ next to Wind Harbor will also provide basic shelter in the night, so the situation won’t be too bad.” “

Yes, the situation in Light Wind Harbor won’t be too bad – the same cannot be said for other city-states,” there was a moment of silence. After that, Taran Ayre sighed softly, “Unlike the previous situation where the city-states directly ‘jumped time’ when the sun went out, this time we are facing the sun slowing down, and all city-states are experiencing this world. Super vision… I don’t know how they will face the long night ahead.” “

Every city-state has a survival plan in extreme situations, but how far it can be achieved is another matter… We can only wish and hope. The four gods protect them.”

Ted said in a low voice, then shook his head, picked up the thick book in his hand that recorded many miracles, and seemed to be planning to open a passage to leave here, but he suddenly hesitated again , put the book away again, sighed and turned towards the door.

Taran looked at the back of the Keeper of Truth quietly, as if watching a warrior preparing to embark on the battlefield. He did not look back until the figure of the other party disappeared on the other side of the door, and his eyes swept over those who had just been pushed by him. Information on the side.

At the end of one page of information, a line of records left by the observer was written in a slightly trembling handwriting –

“…according to current calculations…the end of sunset…seventy-two hours…”

Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, a golden The setting sun still fills the rooftops of the city-state with magnificent splendor.

Then, he heard the ethereal ringing of bells.

The sound of the bell is rapid and repeated regularly, as if calling everyone who hears it, calling people to come and listen to the announcement before night falls——

Deep in the Prader Cathedral, Archbishop Valentine, who was discussing with Archon Dante Wayne on how to deal with this solar anomaly, suddenly stopped and listened to the sudden sound of the bell.

Consul Dante, who was sitting opposite Valentine, immediately raised his head: “Your Excellency, Bishop? What happened?”

Valentine waved his hand gently, and after a slight hesitation, he replied: “It’s the Xun Bell.”

“The Xun Bell.” ?” Dante’s face suddenly changed slightly. Although he was not a clergy member of the church, he knew many things related to the church because of Vanna’s relationship. He naturally knew what the “Xun Bell” was, “Then…” However,

Va Lundin shook his head: “No, let’s continue, Mr. Consul.”

“…Don’t you want to respond to the call of the ‘Xun Bell’?”

“Don’t respond,” Valentine said slowly, as if recalling a moment. Many things came up, but in the end he shook his head, “This is an order.”

Don’t respond to the bell, don’t respond to the Tomb of the Unknown King, don’t respond to the call of the tombkeeper –

the bell is still repeating, in In every city-state, every church, every ship, and in the mind of every cleric who believes in the four gods, rapid and repetitive bells ring again and again.

The priests stopped what they were doing at the moment the bell rang. However, after a short pause, everyone returned to their intense and busy work – continuing to receive and comfort believers who came to seek help, and continuing to maintain their health. Sacred vessels, maintaining the church, and continuing to prepare blessings for the warriors for what may be a very long night ahead.

The sound of the bell was like the wind in the ears and the waves in the distance, echoing in a distant place, but no priest responded to its call…

And in another distant dimension, in the ancient assembly hall shrouded in darkness and chaos, finally A group of ascetics stationed here were quietly watching the center of the square.

Huge and towering stone pillars surrounded the assembly venue. Chaotic streams of light flashed through the dark sky. A simple and pale pyramid mausoleum rose from the center of the square. In the center of the desolate and desolate assembly venue, there was a figure wrapped in bandages, as if The gravekeeper, always between life and death, came out and stood in the empty assembly hall.

However, what is different from the past thousands of years is that there are no saints standing here anymore. The tombkeepers hold pens and papers in their hands, but no one comes to listen to the news in the tomb.

The ascetics stood far away from the center of the square, at a safe distance. Their bodies were covered with rune tattoos symbolizing the blessings of the four gods. Their eyes and ears had been sealed by spells. They perceived through the miracles given by the gods. The situation of the tomb, in order to avoid directly seeing the tombkeeper’s figure and hearing his voice directly.

The tombkeeper in front of the mausoleum took a few steps outside. A huge shadow grew from behind him. Indescribable limbs and twisted things spread along his footsteps like undulating mud. He came to the penancers. In front of the reader, he reached out and handed over the parchment, on which trembling eyeballs kept appearing. He opened his rotten and deformed mouth and called out to the ascetic vigilantes –

his voice was like ten thousand blasphemous and polluted curses. , every tremor carries the power to pierce the heart and destroy reason.

The ascetic vigilantes just stood quietly outside the scope of the mausoleum, like sculptures, silently “watching” the guards of the mausoleum.

No responses can be made, no communication can be made, but neither can one leave the position.

The invisible and weird creeping shadow slowly calmed down. After a long confrontation, the tomb guard lowered his head and stared at the parchment in his hand with cloudy eyes. He was silent for a long time, and finally turned around slowly and walked towards the direction of the mausoleum.

Overlapping low murmurs came from the tomb, and the whispers of the tombkeeper and the voices coming from the tomb gradually overlapped.

He was muttering softly, repeating over and over again –

“Dusk has arrived…”

(End of Chapter)