Chapter 98: Storm: Eternal Ruins (Part 1) [VIP]
The rain in Maga City started yesterday evening and continued to fall all night long. It stopped briefly at dawn, and immediately dark clouds pressed down over Lake Lilia. Lightning flashed like silver beasts, repeatedly tearing through the dark sky, and the rain fell as sharp as long arrows!
Near noon, the servants, led by Kelly, entered the room and found that their sick master had woken up and was sitting on the bed watching the storm outside the window. His delicate face looked more like a puppet than ever before.
"Your Highness likes rain?"
"Um."
Yaris gestured to open the window.
Kelly immediately stopped him: "It's windy and rainy outside, you'll catch a cold."
"Yeah?"
Yaris muttered to himself, "Plants grow healthier when exposed to the heavenly rain, but I could fall ill even if I were exposed to a little more sun or a little more wind...even though Kairusha always teases me, saying my lack of exercise is the cause of my poor health."
"Your Highness, people are different. Your Highness Kairusha's body is much stronger than that of an ordinary person, even on the grassland."
Kelly smiled bitterly and tried to comfort Yaris, moving the wheelchair to the bedside: "Your Highness—"
Yaris shook his head: "I want to continue walking on my own two legs for the time being."
"But--"
"Dr. Moss said that premature reliance on a wheelchair will make the body weaker and weaker. Even if I will eventually become weaker and more helpless than a baby in a cradle, I hope that day will come later."
Kelly was silent.
Without saying a word, he led the servants to complete the tasks that had to be done after getting up, such as washing the master's face, hands, combing the hair, etc.
After finishing his first meal of soft egg custard and the potion carefully prepared by the doctor, Yaris walked out of the bedroom with the help of his servants and headed for the treatment room. When he passed the corridor with transparent crystal walls, he stopped unconsciously and looked at Rosa Marie who was swaying in the wind and rain.
"These flowers..."
"Which flower did your Highness take a fancy to?"
“I want to touch the rain.”
"The rain will chill your body."
"It's okay. I haven't seen such a vibrant landscape in a long time."
Muttering, Yaris walked resolutely towards the exit of the corridor, and the servants hurriedly raised the waterproof tarpaulin to keep out the rain.
The rain quickly soaked his shoes, but he didn't care. He stretched out his white, slender fingers and gently stroked the petals that were particularly wet and heavy after being soaked by the rain. He seemed to be extremely excited about everything that was covered with raindrops.
"Such a hazy beauty... Rosa Marie, wet by the rain... A life that blossoms brilliantly no matter what trials it endures... Especially the crimson Rosa Marie, a flame burning against the storm... Just like, just like my dear brother..."
Yaris rubbed the petals and muttered to himself, "Compared to the noble and rare pale gold Rosamaria, crimson is indeed more vibrant and can arouse the deepest passions in people's hearts... I used to think this crimson was too strong and dazzling... I don't allow it to appear in my study and bedroom..."
"...Would you like a bunch of crimson rosamaria cut and sent to your room?"
"Let them stay on the branches. Life is most beautiful when it is still alive."
Yaris slowly released his hand.
"Let's go back."
"yes."
…
…
In the afternoon, the raging rainstorm not only did not stop, but became more and more violent.
After finishing physical therapy, Yaris sat in front of the window, looking at the sky outside which was as deep and ominous as black ink, and gradually frowned.
"Do you also feel that this rain is unusual?"
"Maja hasn't had such heavy rain in years. The city may be experiencing drainage problems..."
Kelly said cautiously.
Yaris shook his head: "The City Hall will find a way to solve these problems... I am concerned about other things, things hidden in the dark..."
"Your Highness saw something unusual?"
"Well, not only did I see unusual things, I also heard their laughter... They were laughing at me, laughing at the fact that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't change my fate, and my soul was always trapped in a dying body! I heard their wild laughter, and they were very proud. They thought they had everything under control! But that's not the case! I'm about to set sail for freedom! I'm about to get the freedom I desire most!"
"Your Highness!"
Kelly was so scared that he cried out: "Do you need a doctor? If you continue like this, you will have a high fever again tomorrow..."
"Do you think I'm cold and talking nonsense? No! No! No! My heart is burning, burning like the crimson Rosamaria in the garden... They can't hold me prisoner anymore! Never again! Never!"
"Your Highness..."
The attendants were terrified and at a loss, their eyes filled with horror. They couldn't believe that the prince who was always rational, elegant and gentle in their memories actually had such a crazy and fierce side.
(Could it be that His Highness, unable to bear the anxiety of his body being paralyzed at any moment, is showing signs of going mad?)
(It may be a bit rude to think so, but the great
"Don't look at me like that... I'm not crazy, I'm just wide awake. I... Ah! You're here!"
Yaris suddenly stopped and looked around, as if muttering to himself, or as if talking to someone.
"...You might as well stop now and end this confrontation... But I know you won't stop. You are gambling, and I will
"Your Highness!"
Kelly was terrified. "What's wrong with you? I've never seen you like this before... You, you... I can't describe how I feel right now. You look, you look..."
"Don't worry, I just finally made up my mind."
Yaris smiled slightly.
It was a smile that made Kelly feel creepy.
"Your Highness, since you are not in a good mood, please stop looking at the stormy sky. I always think that your mood has become so bad because of this storm..."
"My mood hasn't changed. I just finally decided not to run away anymore. I've found myself again. I want to face my soul."
Yaris turned his head and looked into the darkness of the room with his black eyes that shone with starlight: "I hope to see Kairusha immediately--"
"Ahem! Your request..."
"Can't you do it?"
“…”
The "Dark Night Mentor" suddenly felt an inexplicable fear, as if there was a distance called dimension between him and Yaris, and some terrible thoughts clearly emerged in his mind.
Yaris… He, he’s not human! No, that’s not right! His body is still human, but the soul inside this weak body…
(——Yes! That’s it! This terrifying yet irresistible feeling, both distant and fascinating… Perhaps, the Yaris who appeared before me at this moment is the real Yaris… He… He is—)
"The knowledge he brought back from the Desert of Death is what I and the world need."
Yaris emphasized.
"-Yes, Princess, everything is as you wish."
As if controlled by some higher-dimensional consciousness, the "Dark Night Mentor" saluted respectfully, then waved his wand, opened the magic space, and brought Kairusha, who had been hidden in the deepest part of the Talia Mountains, to the Little Palace of the God of Love in Maga.
…
"here it is……"
Kairusha looked around in a trance until he saw Yaris's face, and then he gradually regained his sense of reality.
"I……"
"This is the Little Love Palace."
Yaris looked at the terminally ill Kairusha quietly and said, "I want to know what happened to you in the depths of the Death Desert."
"you……"
"I originally wanted to wait until you were better before officially meeting you. I wanted to sit with Lucien in the flower-filled courtyard, drink tea and eat cakes while I listened to your stories of the Death Desert. But... as you can see, my health is getting worse, Edmund's persecution of Lucien is getting more severe, and the oppression suffered by the people is also increasing... We must mobilize the army as soon as possible... Before we officially take action, I want to know what you brought back from the deepest part of the Death Desert?"
"I don't really want to tell you the truth."
Kairusha looked at Yaris sadly: "You look like a butterfly that may die at any time. I don't even dare to reach out and touch you... You are so thin that you will be crushed into powder with just a touch of my fingers..."
"But I want to know your story. I want to know the story between you and the 'Sage of Death' before the rebellion officially begins. I don't want to leave this world with regrets."
"you--"
"Tell me! Tell me now!"
"All right!"
Kairusha sighed helplessly.
The servants left the room without a word.
The "Dark Night Mentor" also disappeared into the darkness, although both Yaris and Kairusha knew that he would not give up eavesdropping.
"...Before I begin my story, I must tell you that everything I experienced was real, even though I still can't believe that so many of the miracles and bizarre things I saw actually existed in our world."
"No matter what you say, I will believe you."
Yaris looked at Kairusha weakly.
Kairusha pursed his lips and began a long and absurd story.
…
"This is a story full of incredible and incomprehensible things..."
In the silent room, a soft and hoarse voice that had been through a lot echoed.
Yaris, who couldn't even sit on the sofa for a long time due to physical reasons, leaned on the bed, sideways, and listened attentively. Beads of painful sweat appeared on his smooth forehead, but his pale cheeks flushed with excitement.
"—To withstand the harsh environment of the Death Desert, my hundreds of followers were personally selected from among the loyal and hardworking elite. We also hired over a dozen experienced guides with gold. However, in the face of the horrific calamity known as 'radiation contamination,' human tenacity proved pathetic and insignificant. Just three days into the desert, over half of the team had been killed or wounded. Even I, who never fell ill, began to doubt the point of this journey due to my persistent high fever..."
"On the tenth day of a high fever, a strange man in white robes, calling himself the 'Sage of Death', walked into my tent..."
"'Death Sage'? What does he look like? Male or female? Old or young? Tall or short? Fat or thin?"
Yaris looked up at Kairusha, his eyes sparkling with a strong desire for knowledge.
The "Dark Night Mentor" in the shadows also pricked up his ears - he was curious about everything about the "Death Sage".
Kairusha shook his head helplessly.
"...I can't accurately describe his appearance, as he was completely covered in a white robe. His feet dangled in the air when he walked, making a sound like mechanical friction that couldn't be identified, and his hands were covered in thick gloves made of a strange material I'd never seen before. I didn't even dare to judge his body shape based on the rounded outline of the windblown robe."
"He said he had no intention of saving me, or even meeting me, until he overheard my conversation with my followers. After learning that I had been commissioned by you to explore the ruins of the Eternal Empire in the deepest reaches of the Death Desert in order to uncover the origins of the Holy Family and the High Priest, he decided to satisfy my curiosity and allowed me to follow him into the depths of the Eternal Empire's ruins."
"My subordinates all agreed that the 'Sage of Death' was a dangerous man and that this was a dangerous journey. But I wanted to trust him, and I had no choice but to trust him. I said goodbye to my subordinates and boarded the vehicle he called the 'Sand Ship', crossing the desolate land and heading to the deepest part of the Great Desert of Death."
At this point, Kairusha explained to Yaris, "The Death Sage's 'Sand Ship' looks like a ship, but it's not a ship. It's pure white, made of a metal I've never seen before. It's covered in a transparent barrier, like crystal. Sand, radiation, and heat can't penetrate it, but wind can enter, keeping me cool."
"The 'Sand Ship' clearly uses technology left behind by the Eternal Empire."
"Um."
Kairusha nodded. "I once naively believed that the Eternal Empire was just a philosopher's fantasy of ancient times, but this experience has completely overturned my understanding. Yaris, you are right. Our planet once mastered extremely advanced science and technology, and even began exploring the universe, attempting to find the palace of the gods. And in the vast universe, more than one starship from other civilizations indeed flew through our skies and visited our civilization... What a beautiful, advanced, and proud era it was..."
"I have no interest in your feelings. I just want to know what you saw in the underground ruins of the Eternal Empire!"
The "Dark Night Mentor" in the shadows urged impatiently.
Yaris looked up and gave him a cold look.
The "Dark Night Mentor" shrank his neck.
Kairusha cleared his throat and continued.
"After crossing the scorching desert on a 'sand boat,' we arrived at the Salt Pillar Forest. This was the strangest ruin I'd ever seen. Almost all the buildings had collapsed and turned into gray sand and black stone after thousands of years of weathering. Yet, the white salt pillars still stood there firmly and stubbornly, completely unaffected by the weathering, stretching vastly and endlessly."
"...The 'Sage of Death' said that the Salt Pillar Forest is a wonder created by the catastrophe that destroyed the Eternal Empire six thousand years ago. The millions of salt pillars standing on the ruins are the crystallization of the resentment of the billions of Eternal Empire victims who tragically died in that catastrophe. The resentment cannot be dispelled, and the salt pillars cannot disappear."
"He piloted the 'Sand Boat' high into the sky, allowing me to gaze down upon the ruins from above and feel the shock that struck my soul—countless pillars of salt formed a massive, dense circle on the ground, like believers praying around a sacred relic in a temple. The center of the circle was the source of the catastrophe that destroyed the Eternal Empire!"
"What's the source?"
"A massive structure, its above-ground portion completely destroyed, while its underground portion still maintains some functionality through controlled nuclear fusion. It's the experimental headquarters for the Gods Project, where the Eternal Empire has pooled all of Ella's resources to research human mechanical ascension and genetic modification... This is what the 'Sage of Death' told me."
Kairusha smiled bitterly and said, "At that moment, I was very sad. I felt ashamed that I couldn't understand the words of the 'Sage of Death' at all. If only you were the one brought into the ruins of the Eternal Empire by the 'Sage of Death'... You would definitely be able to understand his words and comprehend everything you saw..."
"My health is very poor. I will die of illness due to the harsh environment on the first day of entering the Death Desert."
Yaris whispered, "Kerusha, continue your story... I hope you can describe your experiences in as much detail as possible. I long for everything you brought out from the ruins of the Eternal Empire just as a starving person longs for bread..."
"I will try my best... Although this experience is full of wonders and strangeness that I cannot understand, I will try my best to describe everything I saw..."
Kairusha crossed his legs, a posture that made him, a man from the grassland, feel more comfortable.
Everyone in the room was silent, waiting with bated breath.
…
After a long time, Kairusha finally sorted out his thoughts and continued to tell the story.
"After circling the Salt Pillar Forest three times, the 'Death Sage' piloted the 'Sand Boat' and brought me to the center of the circle. If that mysterious ancient building, which appeared pitch black with only the bottomless underground area visible, constructed with strange metal materials I had never seen before, could be called the center of the circle..."
"He said that due to resentment, radiation, and various other reasons I couldn't understand, a strange magnetic field lingered throughout the Salt Pillar Forest. One must follow a specific route in a 'Sand Boat' to safely traverse this magnetic field and enter the ruins of the Gods' Mansion from above. The Gods' Mansion was the name given to the building by the Eternal Empire's researchers. They firmly believed that if their research was successful, they would be on par with the gods."
"From the outside, the entrance to the underground part of the Mansion of the Gods looked like a pitch-black, unfathomable hole leading to Hell. But when the 'Sand Boat' landed in the center of Hell's entrance, the darkness below turned into a flowing liquid, allowing the 'Sand Boat' to slowly sink into the deeper depths of this waterless ocean."
"As I passed through this area of black liquid, I felt intense pain, as if a hundred horses were repeatedly trampling my chest. The sage said that without the protection of the 'Sand Boat,' my body would have been crushed into bloody foam the moment it came into contact with the gravity and air pressure barrier. I cannot understand these words, so I can only repeat them verbatim."
"Artificial magnetic storms, gravity and air pressure barriers... the Eternal Empire's technology truly exceeds our imagination."
Yaris commented indifferently.
Kairusha nodded silently.
"After crossing the pressure barrier on the 'Sand Boat,' we arrived at a wide, dark passage. The sage led me off the 'Sand Boat' and, with a simple push, the entire passage suddenly became brighter than daytime, radiating a dazzling white light. The passage was long, and behind a crystal-like transparent material stood huge display shelves filled with a variety of specimens, though most of them had completely lost their original form."
"It would have been fascinating to see these specimens if we could have seen them while they were still lifelike or even alive."
Yaris showed a look of fascination.
"The sage told me the same thing. He said that although these artificial life forms are not adapted to the planet's natural environment and the mainstream aesthetics of mankind, they are very active. In a short period of time, they follow the law of the jungle to survive and complete the reproduction of their genes."
“…”
Yaris suddenly fell silent, as if touched by what Kairusha relayed.
Kairusha continued.
"...We continued down the passage, several times riding small, transparent, enclosed boxes called elevators. Both sides were filled with all sorts of completely incomprehensible objects. Finally, guided by the sage, I journeyed deep into the ruins, stepped onto a shield-sized silver disk, and like a god in a story, I dangled through a strange corridor."
"Strange corridor? How strange?"
"The disc automatically stopped at each node, and a red or blue light formed a fishing net that swept across my body, as if inspecting or eliminating something... Then, I was led into a small, closed room, where a strong-smelling mist sprayed out from all sides, then quickly evaporated... Before entering the central area, I underwent this scanning and cleaning process seven times. The sage said this was a necessary procedure for entering the central area, called 'sterile and dust-free disinfection.' The purpose was to create a film covering my entire body, ensuring that dust, bacteria, and other things carried by my body and clothes would not contaminate the central area."
"After completing the 'sterile and dust-free disinfection', the sage led me into the central area."
"The gate has three layers, each one made of very thick metal plates, with ancient runes engraved in gold on the surface. The sage said that the three layers of the gate are actually three layers of protective barriers to prevent accidents during the experiment."
"After the three-layer metal door opened, a massive semicircular dome emerged. The various conduits that filled almost the entire metal wall began to glow as if resurrected. Five-colored light emanated from the conduits toward the center, illuminating the central area before returning along the conduits to the metal walls..."
"I stood by the gate, gazing in disbelief at this magnificent building, spacious enough to accommodate at least a thousand people at once. It was so majestic and inspiring, so beautiful and incredible... In the heyday of the Eternal Empire, thousands of top elites walked here every day, passionate about conquering the stars and the sea, tirelessly pursuing the truth... Now, they have all turned to dust, and it has become a heartbreaking tomb. The empty rooms only leave endless emptiness and sadness..."
Kairusha touched his heart sadly.
"I'm not a romantic person, but at that moment, I felt the sadness of time and space frozen in time. Especially when I saw that this space was still pristine after six thousand years of silence. Every corner was gleaming clean, without a speck of dust... It was as if, until the moment I entered, this place was still being used as usual by the Eternal Empire's scientific researchers..."
"The sage led me, stunned and stunned, through the countless glowing tubes that filled the space and towards the center of the space."
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