Chapter 1 A Beginning

A kind of... weak but wondrous power was resisting the commands he was issuing to this body.

It was even trying to expel him from the body.

This power seemed to have been there from the start, but only when he had the thought of going to Frost did this resistance become more apparent.

Duncan stopped in surprise. Although the resistance was always present, he slowly moved his feet to the edge of the wreckage and looked down at the now calm sea.

He spoke softly, "I thought you had disappeared—usually, after the heart stops beating, the soul leaves quickly."

Then he fell silent, feeling the faint but persistent power. After a moment of silence, the lips of the body twitched twice, "Leave..."

Duncan closed his eyes slightly.

On the oil-slicked sea, the reflection of the body was suddenly shrouded in a layer of eerie green flames. In the reflection, the face, disfigured by fire and explosion, flickered in the flames and transformed into Duncan's...

...Abermath's dignified and deep face.

"Hello," the Duncan reflected in the seawater said, watching the body standing at the edge of the Seagull wreck, greeting it calmly, "I think this way we can talk more easily."

The disfigured body stood upright, Belozov's remaining consciousness staring fixedly at the face reflected in the seawater, at the eerie green light, his lips twitching twice, again emitting a monotonous and persistent voice: "...Leave."

After uttering this sentence, the "Sea Witch" transformed into a flurry of colorful confetti, swirling across the deck like a whirlwind, and flew into an open window nearby, returning to the captain's cabin.

A mountain-like geometric structure emitting endless golden light was quietly floating near this elven city-state. Although its maximum boundary was still more than a dozen nautical miles from the city, the wondrous radiance it released was still enough to affect half of the city-state.

And at the edge of this massive geometric structure were the temporary research facilities established by the city-state authorities—huge floating raft-style ports floating on the turbulent sea. Power devices at the edge of the raft facilities spewed steam and smoke into the sky, and structurally complex mechanical work towers were loading and unloading cargo ships docked in the port. Small, fast boats constantly shuttled between the raft base and the glowing geometric structure, busily moving back and forth.

"The elves truly deserve their reputation for outstanding mathematical and mechanical talent. It was right to drag that thing to Gentlewind Port," Lucrezia couldn't help but sigh softly, "Only here can such a large-scale research team be organized at any time, and can such a level of supporting facilities be provided."

Lucrezia received no reaction to the praise of the clockwork maid, but quietly pondered other things, but suddenly, she seemed to sense something, and her expression changed slightly.

Duncan sat up, slightly straightened the scorched strips of cloth on his body, and then looked at his hands.

The clockwork doll Luni walked with light steps to the upper deck of the Brilliant Star. Her mistress was standing on the deck, looking out at the tall and precise tower building in the center of the marine base.

On the table in the center of the captain's cabin, the set of lenses and crystal ball devices with complex structures lit up slightly and continued to emit slight vibrations.

"Brother?" Lucrezia frowned. At first, she did not notice the scene behind the other party. "Why did you suddenly contact me?"

"Present."

Tirean smiled mysteriously, "Guess where I am?"

The doll Luni thought for a moment: "They can meet you at the marine base, just don't let him board the ship."

"Powerful, but worthy of respect,"

As Duncan spoke, he reached out to the side, and Ai immediately flew to his side. The blazing eerie green flames turned into a door, rising beside him, "He is going to Frost, and his main focus next will be there. You will be at the helm of the Lost Home. By the way, tell Alice to prepare some bandages and a set of coats, and wait for my orders at any time."

"Too far, and too close to the central waters—I don't intend to have the Brilliant Star drag a huge 'extraterrestrial object' through the main shipping lanes, that would stimulate those outer city-states that haven't experienced much wind and waves," Lucrezia shook her head, "Not to mention the Four Gods Church is still guessing that this is a fragment that fell off from Anomaly 001, something of this level... it's best to put it on the edge of civilization for research."

The spiritual flames suddenly spread, Duncan's body merged with the flames, and in the next second, it transformed into the flames rising beside Ai, and then a meteor-like flame rose from the sea and flew straight towards Frost in the night sky.

Belozov was still standing here in silence, as if he had not died—but in his half-open eyes, there was still a trace of light.

"Sense of humor has improved."

"Moke can too," Luni said, "This is, after all, the headquarters of the Academy of Truth. The number of scholars and research conditions are even stronger than there."

That strong resistance disappeared.

And all these busy and efficient processes are planned, calculated, and coordinated by the giant steam-powered difference engine at the center of the raft base.

"···He was the first to resist—at least, the first to resist with enough force that I could detect it," Duncan said calmly, "But you should realize that such resistance is meaningless, you are just rapidly consuming your soul, and this will only delay me for a few seconds at most."

This is the ship of the "Sea Witch" Lucrezia, the Brilliant Star.

Belozov's body was silent, this body, which in theory had not completely died, was still standing here straight, disagreeing with the order to return to Frost.

"I'll leave for a moment, my brother is looking for me."

And at almost the same time, the voice of the Goat Head also entered Duncan's mind: "Actually, you don't need to 'negotiate' with him—he's just a weak mortal soul."

Those small fast boats would go deep into the interior of the luminous geometric structure to transport supplies and personnel to the research ships located near the "core stone sphere" or exchange important information.

Such a normal scene was of course not a natural landscape in this city-state—the cool radiance covering the eastern district came from the sea near Gentlewind Port.

At this moment, a "magic warship" with a style completely different from the local ships was docked next to the floating raft base built by the elves.

A rotating and spreading flame suddenly appeared beside him, and the sound of flapping wings came from the vortex door formed by the flames. The huge skeletal bird rushed out of the vortex and hovered over the sea.

Then he was silent for a few seconds, watching this quietly standing body, and after a short thought, he spoke softly, "Reinforcements have arrived."

At the same time, in the hot southern sea, the technology city-state "Gentlewind Port" ruled by the elves.

Luni thought for a moment and bowed slightly: "Your judgment, well considered."

This scene of interwoven reality and dreams might even make people unable to help but think of the ancient times recorded in the ancient elven books, those landscapes intertwined in forest dreams and fantasy stories.

Lucrezia's figure condensed from the colorful confetti. She stepped to the crystal device and raised her hand to activate the image in the crystal ball.

Belozov's body shook slightly twice. Perhaps Duncan's words really had an effect, or perhaps this remaining stubborn soul had finally dissipated. This burly body looked up at the city lights for the last time, and then fell straight back.

The face of "Iron Vice Admiral" Tirean appeared in the crystal ball, and the background behind him... seemed to be a familiar room.

"Mistress," Luni came behind Lucrezia and bowed slightly to pay her respects, "Scholar Talan-El's research team has returned from near the 'core stone sphere' and is currently resting in the base. When are you planning to meet him?"

Lucrezia's mouth twitched, and then she looked at the tower in the center of the base—the pressure relief pipes on both sides of the top of the tower were now spewing bursts of water mist, which meant that the differential engine's power device was automatically balancing the overall load. It seemed that this Master "Talan-El" had indeed brought back a lot of useful information this time.

"...I take back what I just said, your resistance is meaningful," After a moment of silence, Duncan sighed, "Leave in peace, I am not an enemy of Frost—I am here to help your city-state and compatriots."

"This afternoon," Lucrezia did not turn her head, "Let this elven scholar rest more—I haven't seen him rest much since dragging this luminous body to Gentlewind Port, I'm really worried he'll die suddenly on my ship."

In the reflection of the sea, Duncan thoughtfully said, "......You don't want me to leave your body, you want me to stay away from Frost?"

At this moment, it was still late at night, and most areas of the city-state were still shrouded in endless darkness. However, in the eastern edge district of Gentlewind Port, a hazy and cool radiance still illuminated all the buildings and streets—those elegant spire towers and houses with high ridges full of elven style seemed to be bathed in the glow, and the vines hanging between the houses and the trees growing in the spacious blocks also appeared lush and green in the radiance.