Chapter 13 Relay

The click of the switch echoed in the secret room, and the metal reeds hummed rhythmically as they connected and disconnected. Invisible signals were sent to the roof and transmitted by an antenna disguised as a weathervane. News from the Deep Sea Embers fleet was fed into the secret room, translated into the clicking of relays and a series of regular holes on a paper tape.

Nemo sat at the table wearing headphones, tapping his fingers on the tabletop with slight irritation as he listened to the sounds in the headphones. A young woman in a waitress uniform stood next to him, picking up the paper tape just ejected from the puncher and deciphering the holes on it.

After a while, Nemo yanked off his headphones, leaned back in his chair, and sighed deeply while pinching his brow.

"Captain Tirian has already engaged the strange fleet appearing in the fog. The situation on the Frost Navy's side is temporarily unclear, but it seems not good," the young woman holding the paper tape said in a low voice, her tone somewhat nervous. "But the city hasn't heard a word…"

"The thick fog blocks civilian channels of information. Even if the residents of the coastal area hear the gunfire, they won't know what's happening. And the city-state authorities must now maintain order in the urban area—widespread panic won't help the navy," Nemo said, pinching his brow. "What's the situation on the streets outside? And in the bar?"

"The constabulary has imposed a city-wide curfew. The streets are very quiet now, but gunshots seemed to come from very far away just now. Two steam walkers passed the Oak Street intersection, hurrying north," the young woman replied. "The situation in the bar is okay for now. We have enough fuel for lighting, but…"

"But?"

"There are a dozen or so customers trapped here by the fog. The streets are already blocked, and the shelters are full. They have nowhere to go. Over time, panic is bound to build up among these people."

"...We can't just throw them out onto the streets. The tavern is their temporary shelter now. And if we really kick people out, it will definitely attract the constabulary and the church," Nemo shook his head. "I'll go up and check the situation."

As soon as the Deep Sea Embers informant finished speaking, a muddled murmur suddenly came from the corner of the room: "Charge again, charge again… they've broken in… reinforcements have arrived…"

Nemo frowned instantly and got up to look at the source of the sound.

There was a bed there, and a disheveled old man was lying on it in a daze. The old man's back was hunched, and he was holding a large wrench he had gotten from somewhere. He looked uneasy.

"Old Ghost, Old Ghost," Nemo walked over and patted the old man's shoulder. "Are you having a nightmare?"

The old man holding the wrench opened his eyes in a daze, and only spoke after a few seconds of sluggishness: "Who are you?"

"I'm Nemo," Nemo Wilkins said with a somewhat complicated expression. "What did you dream about?"

"Nemo… oh, oh, Nemo, I remember, you're a newbie in the Queen's Guard… hello, I'm the pipeline engineer from the Second Waterway… dream? I didn't dream, I took a nap, just a nap… what time is it? Shouldn't I go inspect the power pipelines?"

"It's already afternoon," Nemo shook his head. "Don't think about the power pipelines anymore. We've temporarily withdrawn from that place. It's not safe anywhere now. We have to stay here at the base and wait for instructions. That's General Tirian's order."

"General Tirian…" Old Ghost's eyes flickered for a moment, then suddenly seemed to clear up. He immediately got up from the bed. "Yes! Engineer Wilson received the order! Stand by at the base!"

Nemo's expression was somewhat complicated, but he still slowly straightened his body and returned the military salute to the old man. Then he turned around and nodded to the young woman in the shop assistant's uniform: "You stay here and take care of Old Ghost. I'll go upstairs and confirm the situation."

After giving his instructions, he left the secret room and returned to the tavern on the ground floor through a secret passage.

Inside the Golden Flute Tavern, a repressed and tense atmosphere filled the hall. The customers trapped in the bar by the thick fog, the shop assistants and servers on duty, almost everyone was paying attention to the situation outside the display window—and as far as the eye could see, there was only thick fog and the shadowy streets within it.

All the gas lamps in the city had been lit in advance, and the artificial lights barely dispelled the dimness brought by the strange fog. However, they were not enough to make this chaotic world clear again. Those dim yellow light clusters floated in the mist like duckweed, looking like rows of eyes floating above the streets.

Nemo came out of the kitchen door and went to the counter.

"How is it?" he asked the shop assistant behind the counter in a low voice.

"Everyone is very nervous. All traffic and communication with the surrounding blocks has been cut off. No one knows what the situation is like in other places," the shop assistant said in a low voice. "But luckily, no one has run out because of the pressure—no one wants to run into that fog at this time."

Nemo nodded lightly: "If there really are such fools, don't stop them, let them go—but once they step out of this door, even if they only stay in the fog for a second, you must never let them come back. From now on, no entry allowed. Everything that comes out of the fog is assumed to be evil."

The young shop assistant swallowed nervously and nodded vigorously: "Yes, boss."

Just then, a strange buzzing sound suddenly came from the street, interrupting the conversation between Nemo and his subordinate.

It sounded like the sound of some equipment starting up, mixed with the sound of heavy machinery moving on the street.

People in the bar were in an uproar for a while. Some people nervously came to the window, watching the movements on the street. Some people saw some moving red lights in the fog, and whispered in surprise: "Steam walker… more walkers have appeared!"

Nemo also walked to the window, and as he was halfway there, he heard the strange buzzing sound suddenly become sharp. Then, a slightly distorted loudspeaker sound came from outside the window—it was the broadcasting device carried on the steam walker speaking.

"Buzz… Attention, citizens… the Governor and Church officials are restoring order in the city-state…

"Frost is being affected by unknown anomalies. We are… Special reminder, please residents stay at home or in safe shelter facilities. At the same time, for safety reasons, stay as far away as possible from all objects that can produce mirrors, including but not limited to mirrors, water surfaces, and smooth metal…

"Again, please stay away from all objects that can produce mirrors around you, everything.

"In addition, if you find that the people around you are behaving strangely, please immediately hide in a safe, independent space, and if conditions permit, ask the person in charge of the shelter facility or the nearest guardian or constable for help. Do not rashly attack anyone you feel is suspicious. Please prioritize ensuring your own safety and isolation.

"If you feel that your own condition is abnormal, please also immediately hide in a safe, independent space, and avoid talking to others as much as possible…

"The above is a reminder from Governor Winston and extraordinary domain expert advisors.

"Attention, citizens…"

The broadcast gradually faded away, merging into the thick fog along with the steam walker's red warning lights.

Nemo raised his head and saw pairs of eyes around him, all deeply tense.

But he quickly reacted.

"Go get the cloth!" he shouted to the shop assistants and servers. "Cover all the glass counters and mirrors!"

Everyone also reacted. Although the tension remained, the residents of the city-state clearly had basic common sense and psychological qualities to save themselves in the event of an extraordinary disaster. The shop assistants quickly retrieved the dust covers used after closing, and the customers who stayed in the bar stepped forward to help, covering everything that could produce mirrors within sight at a rapid pace.

And similar situations were playing out in every corner of the Frost City-State.

The terror of the fog was shrouding this city-state.

In the midst of the fog, Agatha had returned to the Great Cathedral.

She met Bishop Ivan, who had just finished his work, in the lounge next to the Great Sanctuary.

The bishop walked out of the "spirit coffin" where he usually rested, and put on the robes of the archbishop outside the bandages all over his body. In Agatha's memory, she had not seen Bishop Ivan dressed like this for many years.

"Even my corpse has to get up and work," Bishop Ivan, dressed in robes, sat in a chair and spread his hands to Agatha, who had just entered the room. "I haven't been out of the coffin for too long, I feel like I'm falling apart."

"If you still have a body that can 'fall apart'," Agatha said casually, "How is the situation now?"

"Everyone is asking how the situation is—it couldn't be worse," Bishop Ivan's hoarse and deep voice came from under the bandages. "The counterfeits are attacking the city, and the monsters that were lurking before are also starting to emerge. Just now, several cemeteries were attacked. Those temporary places for storing the dead seem to have been used by the enemy as 'channels' to enter the real world. The city hall also sent news that gunshots were heard on several streets in the lower city, and at sea, our fleet has already engaged in a fierce battle with the things that emerged from the sea.

"The full-scale attack has begun, but what's worse than the enemy's full-scale attack is that we still don't know the full picture of this disaster or conspiracy. Those heretics hiding in the dark… how did they do all this, and where are they hiding?"

As Bishop Ivan spoke, he slowly raised his head and looked into Agatha's eyes.

"What did you find underground? From your eyes, I guess you must have seen something."

"I didn't find the heretics' lair, but I found… a more disturbing clue."

Agatha took a light breath, paused for a moment, and then slowly said—

"Our Boiling Gold Mine seems to have been exhausted decades ago, or even longer."