Amidst the rubble, dozens of Primal Constructs arranged themselves according to the precise vertex positions of a polyhedron, connected to one another by faint streams of blue energy. Every three units constituted a triangular plane, forming a semi-transparent, shimmering shield.
Multiple triangular shields spliced together to form a barrier, protecting Seth and Suleiman in the center, helping them survive the cavern collapse triggered by the earlier devastating explosion.
When the tremors of the ground finally subsided, the rain of falling rocks gradually ceased, and the underground world returned to a deathly silence, Seth deactivated the energy shield. The Primal Constructs silently adjusted their formation, re-entering a semi-invisible state.
Seth and Suleiman walked together toward the interior of the severely damaged experimental base. Along the way, the Primal Constructs used high-energy lasers to slice through the rubble and twisted metal wreckage blocking the passages, clearing a path that was barely passable.
The interior of the base was a mess, clearly having undergone a hasty evacuation or destruction. The corridors and rooms were scattered with the wreckage of Khaenri'ahn war machines, as well as the corpses of some humans who hadn't managed to escape in time and were claimed by falling rocks or shockwaves. The air was filled with the smell of dust, scorching heat, and a faint scent of blood.
Seth's head suddenly tilted to one side, as if listening to some invisible sound.
Suleiman looked at him. "Did you find Columbina and Coppelia?"
Seth's gaze returned to the front, his voice steady. "No traces found."
A complex emotion flashed across Suleiman's face, appearing like relief yet carried a heavy weight. "With this level of destruction, the experiment certainly cannot continue. Let's go. We'll return to the surface and then organize manpower to come down and clean up the aftermath."
Seth did not reply, nor did he turn to leave. He simply raised his hand and made a forward gesture. The surrounding Primal Constructs immediately responded, pushing deeper into the base with increased speed.
Suleiman did not hold command rights over these autonomous mechanisms and could not conveniently act alone, so he could only follow Seth's footsteps with doubt in his heart.
The two arrived at an underground room where the space was relatively intact and hadn't completely collapsed. This place appeared to have been a monitoring or data node, with rows of complex instruments equipped with large display screens still remaining.
However, at this moment, most of these instruments had been smashed with deep dents and cracks by falling boulders. The screens were pitch black, the casings twisted; they were clearly scrapped.
Seth walked straight toward one of the relatively intact large instruments and stopped. His gaze moved over its crack-riddled casing and the exposed pipeline interfaces.
Suleiman thought he had developed an interest in this Khaenri'ahn technology and wanted to take it back for research, so he spoke up to remind him, "We don't understand the internal structure and energy circuits of these machines. Rashly touching them might carry unknown risks. It's better not to mess with them."
Just then, a Primal Construct in an invisible state revealed its form beside Seth. It extended a pyramid-shaped metal arm, presenting it before Seth. Several metal prisms at the tip of the cone opened silently like petals, revealing the internal wiring.
Seth reached out and picked up the end of a cable from the extended arm. His movements were clean and efficient; he didn't even spend much time identifying it before precisely inserting the interface of that cable into a peculiarly shaped slot on the casing of the Khaenri'ahn machine before him.
With a click, the interface fit perfectly.
Suleiman stared at Seth's profile. The other party remained expressionless throughout, his eyes focused on the Khaenri'ahn machine, which began to vibrate slightly as the edges of the screen flickered with chaotic static. It was impossible to tell what information he had obtained from this forced connection, or what he had triggered.
That set of movements just now... was far too practiced. This thought grazed Suleiman's mind. It seemed that during the years he had left the desert, many changes he had no way of knowing about had occurred in his once-familiar homeland and among his old acquaintances.
He said nothing more, merely standing quietly to the side, watching Seth's focused silhouette, and let out a long, silent sigh in his heart.
Inside the giant hollow surging with pitch-black water.
Columbina had already utilized her teleportation Authority to "cut" more massive rocks from the surrounding rock layers, sealing all cracks and gaps leading from the hollow to the outside world until they were airtight.
The monsters and black water inside couldn't get out, and the living creatures outside couldn't get in. Inside the hollow, apart from the strange entities that already existed, no new monsters were generated.
Having done this, she began to deal with the heart-palpitating pitch-black lake below.
She hovered above the lake surface, causing the surging black water below to lose its gravity bit by bit. Cluster after cluster of perfectly round, pitch-black "water spheres," about half a meter in diameter, peeled away from the lake surface and slowly floated into the air.
Soon, hundreds and thousands of these suspended pitch-black water spheres filled the upper space of the hollow like inverted black raindrops. They drifted slowly, obscuring the already dim light and making it even more gloomy.
Although Columbina's perception still could not penetrate this pitch-black water to "see" clearly what was wrapped inside, this method was indeed effective. The water level of the lake below was descending at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Her goal was clear: drain the lake water and see the lakebed clearly.
She had the Moon Spirits store Amos's Bow, which they had been carrying, and the Eternal Moon Essence she held into the bronze storage mirror, so she could move lightly. Subsequently, she led the four Moon Spirits to search carefully along the rugged lakebed that was gradually exposed as the water level dropped, checking every rock crevice, every pothole, and every living thing stranded by the receding water.
Finally, deep within a narrow rock fissure, they found a curled-up figure.
It was a young girl without a stitch of clothing, her skin so pale it was nearly transparent, covered in viscous, not-yet-fully-dried pitch-black liquid. The surface of her skin wriggled minutely, sucking every last drop of the pitch-black water into her body.
Columbina felt both shock and joy. Among all the mutated living things that had emerged from the black water, only this one possessed the silhouette of a human girl.
She drew closer, carefully scrutinizing that face.
She was familiar with the contours of these features; they belonged to Coppelia.
But the girl's hair was no longer the warm, soft brown in her memory, but had turned into a lifeless pure white, plastered wetly against her cheeks and shoulders. Through that layer of pale skin, Columbina could "feel" that the interior of this body no longer held any traces of mechanical structure... Many faintly beating organs filled the thoracic and abdominal cavities. It appeared to be no different from the bodily structure of an ordinary human girl.
These differences made Columbina feel a strong sense of unfamiliarity and unease.
"Let's confirm it first," she whispered to herself, as if bolstering her own courage.
She manipulated her power, causing the comatose "Coppelia's" body to float up gently, leaving the damp rock fissure and lying flat on a relatively clean and flat rock nearby.
Subsequently, she landed beside the rock and extended her slightly cool right hand, moving to touch the back of the other's neck.
"Ah!"
A searing pain instantly exploded from Columbina's palm! She jerked her right hand back, her fingers curling up involuntarily.
"Coppelia" on the rock simultaneously let out a short, pained scream. Her body arched violently, bending at the waist as she sat up. Her right hand clamped deathly tight over the spot on the back of her neck that Columbina had just touched; faint wisps of black gas seemed to escape from between her fingers.
Seeing the other party sit up suddenly, Columbina's heart tightened. She immediately floated back two meters with the Moon Spirits, widening the distance. She raised her painful right hand to check; several scorched, pitch-black marks remained on her palm, the edges still wriggling slightly—this was the source of the pain.
The four Moon Spirits gathered around anxiously, their braids swaying uneasily, seemingly wanting to help but not knowing how.
It's Abyss erosion... Is it the residual Abyss power in her body? Columbina immediately mobilized the Lunar Force within her. A cluster of pure, bright moonlight rose in her palm, wrapping around those charred scars.
Amidst a soft sizzle, the black marks melted away like snow meeting sunlight, and the wounds healed accordingly.
She soothed the restless Moon Spirits and looked once again at the figure on the rock.
"Coppelia" sat on the rock with her legs bent, her hands clutching her chest and abdomen tightly. She had turned her head and was looking at Columbina, two meters away.
Her brows were furrowed tight, her teeth clenched, and fine cold sweat seeped from her temples. Her entire face was slightly distorted from enduring some immense pain, and her lips held not a trace of color.
"Coppelia" trembled, her voice dry and hoarse. "Colum... bina?"
Hearing this familiar voice, laced with pain yet still trying hard to call out to her, an impulse surged in Columbina's heart to rush over and respond immediately. But reason made her restrain it. The person before her might be a "disguise"; verification was still needed.
She stood her ground, weighed her words, and asked, "The first time we 'ate cooked food together,' what things did we eat?"
"Coppelia" froze for a moment. Then, she struggled to squeeze out an extremely forced smile on her face, answering haltingly, "Fish meat... and... mushrooms... the ones with yellow caps..."
Columbina's spirit lifted, and she unconsciously floated a little closer before asking, "We searched everywhere in Fontaine for those special animals—what was that for?"
"Coppelia" seemed unable to maintain that difficult smile; she lowered her head. "Moon Spirits... Creat... creating Moon Spirits..."
Columbina floated forward another stretch. She was now only about a meter away from "Coppelia."
She took a deep breath and asked the third question. "That day, before Greater Lord Rukkhadevata took me into the dreamscape, where did you say you wanted to take me?"
"Coppelia" curled her body even tighter, wrapping her arms around herself as if that could alleviate the pain. Her voice became blurred. "Nod... Krai... I wanted to take you... there..."
"Coppelia!" Columbina cried out, unable to suppress her agitation any longer.
She immediately floated to the side of the rock, almost opening her arms to embrace her, but her movement froze at the last moment, her arms suspended in mid-air.
The Moon Spirits also swarmed up happily, their braids swaying jubilantly, wanting to hug Coppelia. But seeing Columbina stop, they also braked immediately, hanging to the side at a loss.
Columbina slowly retracted her arms, looking at the ominous black gas faintly flowing beneath Coppelia's pale skin, her voice carrying a trace of a sob. "I... I don't dare touch you..."
Coppelia raised her head at this moment. The pained look on her face seemed to have eased somewhat, but her brows remained locked. She looked at Columbina and comforted her, "Wait for me a moment... it will be fine..."
Though she said this, her body sitting on the rock suddenly trembled violently! She bit her lower lip fiercely, suppressing the groan of pain that was about to rush out, arching her body like a shrimp.
Columbina was startled into taking a half-step forward. "Don't! You don't have to—"
"It's okay," Coppelia interrupted her, the voice squeezed out from between clenched teeth.
She took a deep breath, a breath that seemed to use up all her strength. Then, she began to straighten her back bit by bit, extremely slowly, and raised her head.
A smile was squeezed out onto her face again. Towards Columbina, she steadily extended her hand.
Columbina looked at that pale palm reaching toward her. She hesitated for a moment, then carefully extended her own right hand as well.
She didn't grasp it immediately. Instead, she extended her index finger and lightly touched the tip of the other's index finger.
Ice-cold. Cool. Nothing happened. No searing pain.
Columbina's body, which had been tense all this time, thoroughly relaxed in that instant. A sour sensation rushed up her nose. She hesitated no longer, extending her five fingers to firmly clasp Coppelia's equally ice-cold fingers, holding them very tight.
The four Moon Spirits also crowded around, using their soft braids to gently touch Coppelia's arms and shoulders, clustering around her with incomparable jubilation to celebrate her return.
The joyful atmosphere lasted for quite a while before Coppelia raised her hand and touched her own neck. The skin under her fingertips was intact and smooth, without any wounds or scars. Her breathing was unobstructed, as if that sword strike which had torn open her throat had never happened.
Only... there is a violent power churning within, wanting to burst out, bringing a distending pain as if my body could be torn apart at any moment.
This body shaped by Abyss power... perhaps it could already self-heal. After absorbing more Abyss power, the self-healing ability became even more formidable, forcibly dragging me back... Coppelia let out a long breath. She reached out and gently stroked the cool, round head of a Moon Spirit that had nuzzled close. "Alright... let's leave here first."
Then, forcing herself to endure the distending pain in her body, she explained the general direction and location of their next destination to Columbina.
"If you don't know the way," she added, looking at Columbina, "just ask me."
Columbina listened to the end. She then raised her head, looking at the hundreds and thousands of suspended pitch-black water spheres in mid-air. "What about this Abyss power? If we leave it here, will something even more terrible happen?"
Coppelia also raised her head, gazing at that heart-palpitating black "starry sky." "Suleiman and the others... should still be underground. Go tell them the situation here. Afterwards... the Scarlet King will come to handle it."
Columbina took the bronze storage mirror from the Moon Spirit. "You go into the mirror to rest first. I'll handle the rest."
Coppelia glanced at Columbina and nodded slowly. "Okay. Also, by the way... help me find some clothes..."
Columbina nodded in agreement, her hand holding the mirror raising slightly, preparing to activate it.
But her movement suddenly paused. She remembered that the Moon God's remnant core was still inside the bronze mirror. That thing contained pure Lunar Force, which was completely mutually exclusive with the Abyss power filling Coppelia's body right now. If they touched...
She immediately turned to the Moon Spirits. "You guys go in first and take the moon inside to a place further away. Don't let it hurt Coppelia."
Coppelia added a sentence. "That is the Essence of the Eternal Moon..." She paused, looking at Columbina and the Moon Spirits. "Also... thank you."
The Moon Spirits drilled into the bronze mirror one by one. After a while, estimating that they had properly secured the Moon Essence, Columbina raised the bronze mirror again. The mirror surface flashed with a faint light, sending Coppelia inside.
She put away the bronze mirror, her figure vanishing from the spot as she teleported away.
The next second, losing the support of the spatial power, the thousands of pitch-black water spheres instantly lost their buoyancy. Like a rain of black meteorites, they smashed down collectively from mid-air!
Plop! Plop! Splash—!
The water spheres plunged continuously into the black water lake below which hadn't been fully drained, or smashed onto the exposed, damp lakebed, making dull or crisp sounds of rupture. Viscous pitch-black liquid splattered everywhere, rejoining the main lake and stirring up a chaotic black surf. The entire hollow echoed with the crashing of liquids and the sound of flowing water.
Columbina first shuttled rapidly through the complex underground passages, her perception spreading out. She found several Khaenri'ahn personnel who were injured, unconscious, or trying to dig tunnels to escape. She did not approach them; instead, from a distance of a dozen meters, she teleported the dark robes they were wearing into her hands. She checked the robes first, confirming there were no issues, then sent them into the bronze mirror.
Finally, she teleported to the room where Suleiman and Seth were.
Suleiman's eyes lit up when he saw the suddenly appearing Columbina, and he immediately stepped forward to meet her. His gaze quickly swept to Columbina's side, and a look of concern appeared on his face. "Where is Coppelia? She..."
"She is very safe," Columbina answered directly. Subsequently, she quickly stated the condition of the giant underground hollow, the Abyssal black water, and Coppelia's instructions regarding the follow-up handling.
Just as her voice fell, Seth spoke up from the side, his voice devoid of ripples. "I will handle it."
Columbina looked at Suleiman. "It's over. Let me send you back."
A complex look flitted across Suleiman's face, but he quickly nodded. "Alright."
But Seth spoke again. "I don't need it."
Suleiman glanced at this old acquaintance. His lips moved, but ultimately, it just turned into an inaudible sigh.
He said to Columbina, "Then... send me directly back to the Akademiya."
In a quiet temporary holding room at the Akademiya.
Suleiman, having changed back into his signature green scholar's robes, found Kelvin and the still-listless Khaenri'ahn researcher who were under house arrest there.
"The experimental base underground has been completely destroyed," Suleiman said straightforwardly, his voice low. "Many people died. Those who survived have likely scattered and fled."
Kelvin leaned back in the chair against the wall. Upon hearing this, there was no expression on his face—neither surprise nor grief—as if he had long expected this outcome. He simply gazed at the lush tree crowns of the Akademiya outside the window and did not reply.
Suleiman took two steps closer, looking at his friend's profile. "Don't go back to Khaenri'ah. Stay here, with me, and settle down in the rainforest."
Only then did Kelvin slowly turn his head to look at Suleiman. He shook his head, his voice very calm. "No need."
"Why?" Suleiman pressed, his eyes holding confusion and a trace of pain. "You... still cannot let go of your disgust for the gods? Even here, you can continue your research; Greater Lord Rukkhadevata does not interfere..."
"I've gotten used to it," Kelvin interrupted him, his gaze cast once again toward the vibrant greenery outside the window, blessed by the deity. "Used to a world not shrouded by the sight of a god. I don't want to come back anymore."
There was no intense hatred in his tone, only detachment. Suleiman looked at him, and ultimately said nothing more.
After teleporting Suleiman back to the Akademiya, Columbina did not stop for a moment.
Clutching the bronze storage mirror, she activated spatial teleportation continuously. Her figure flickered, vanished, and reappeared time and again.
She traveled west, crossing the rainforest's boundless sea of green trees, leaving the humid and warm breath behind. Then she traversed the vast, scorching desert, where the eye met only continuous golden sand dunes and the blinding blazing sun, the hot wind dry and searing.
When the scenery before her eyes stabilized once more, she was already in a brand-new nation.
The landscape here was starkly different.
Giant canyons crisscrossed the land; red rock walls stood steep and towering, piercing the clouds. In the distance lay open plains covered with low, drought-resistant vegetation. The colors of the blazing rocks intertwined with the tenacious green vegetation, forming a vibrant and barbaric tapestry.
But this was not the final destination in Coppelia's description.
Columbina did not linger much, nor did she carefully admire the rugged beauty of this strange nation. She merely identified her bearings briefly, then found the right direction and continued forward along the northwestern edge of this nation.
Another series of continuous teleportations.
When she stopped again, the land beneath her feet had turned into a mountainous island that was generally high in the north and low in the south.
She hovered in mid-air. The scene before her eyes made her hold her breath.
The view before her was based on a palette of cold blue-violet moonlight, interwoven with silver-white, gray-blue, and frost-white, embellished with moon-yellow floating pillars and the pale blue glow of frost flowers.
This was an island of illusionary dreams condensed directly from moonlight and frost.
Columbina's gaze swept quickly, soon locking onto an area from the air.
There grew a sea of strange flowers emitting a soft silver-white radiance.
She slowly lowered her altitude, descending toward that sea of flowers.
As her feet gently stepped into the soft and slightly cool flower clusters, soft moonlight bloomed around her body. The Lunar Force within her surged naturally, creating some profound resonance with the land beneath her feet.
The silver-white sea of flowers seemed to be injected with life and color. An ethereal azure blue replaced the silver-white, rippling outward layer by layer with her position as the center. The light flowed, beautiful beyond the mortal realm.
She had not come to the wrong place.
This was—
Ilha Hiisi.
[End of Volume 4]
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