The ground was covered in devastation.
The remains of buildings, thoroughly eroded by the Black Tide, were scattered everywhere, leaving only twisted and eerie outlines that resembled the decaying skeletons of dead behemoths.
Even more heart-palpitating were those unnaturally formed, pitch-black craters. They were like torn wounds on the earth, bottomless, their edges flickering with an ominous, faint glow. They looked like entrances to the nests of giant creatures, faintly emitting an unsettling aura.
The roads had long since completely disintegrated under the repeated wash of countless waves of the Black Tide. The shattered surfaces were littered with potholes and obstacles, with broken metal and crystallized rocks piled up haphazardly. This forced the squad to abandon their vehicles and choose to trek forward with difficulty on foot.
Every step had to be taken with extreme caution for fear of triggering hidden dangers.
The group encountered several waves of Tacet Discord attacks along the way. However, under the coordinated efforts of the elite squad and the powerful suppression of Augusta and Rover, they resolved them all without any real danger.
Bu Ling operated a miniature drone equipped with monitoring devices, constantly adjusting its direction. "Boss, the signal is getting stronger! It's just to the east, behind that massive pass entrance!"
While crossing a particularly dense forest of dark purple crystal clusters, the veteran scout in charge of pathfinding suddenly stopped in his tracks. Pointing to the opposite side of a massive canyon in the distance, a look of mingled awe and terror appeared on his face.
"Lord Governor, look over there..."
Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing.
In a relatively open basin on the opposite side of the canyon stood a colossal, nearly indescribable construct.
Its entire body displayed a dark golden metallic luster, and its structure was exceptionally complex. It looked as if countless massive gears, rails, and energy conduits were interlocked in a way that defied logic, piercing straight into the clouds.
Its base seemed to be buried deep into the earth. Countless thick, broken, or half-melted pipes extended around it, spreading in all directions like the roots of a giant tree.
But at this moment, the surface of this magnificent construct was covered in thick, writhing Black Tide sediment. Countless dark purple energy veins spread across its surface like blood vessels, emitting an ominous, pulsing glow.
It just stood there quietly, exuding a terrifying aura that was both holy and evil, ancient and dead.
"That is... the Earth-Piercing Wedge..." an older gladiator said with a dry voice.
"The Earth-Piercing Wedge?" Rover repeated. He could feel an unimaginably massive energy contained within that construct, but its core seemed to have fallen silent and was being frantically eroded by the power of the Black Tide.
Augusta stared at the giant construct, a complex light flashing in her eyes as she explained: "According to ancient legends, that is one of the legacies left behind by the Sentinel Imperator in a much older era."
"It possesses incredible power, able to nail into the earth like a wedge to forcibly stabilize or even absorb the Black Tide frequencies within a certain range."
She paused, her tone carrying deep regret: "It was supposed to be one of the ultimate bulwarks against the Black Tide. But during the last—or perhaps the one before the last—large-scale Black Tide outbreak, it was completely submerged and polluted by overloaded energy and the swarming Black Tide. Its core ceased functioning."
"Losing its suppression is why the Black Tide in this area became so rampant... If it could be reactivated, even partially, it would greatly weaken the Divine King and buy us a massive advantage."
Her gaze fell upon the writhing Black Tide sediments and dark purple energy veins, and she shook her head: "But look at its current state... To reactivate it, unless the Sentinel descends in person..."
"There is no need for the Sentinel to descend in person."
At that moment, Rover spoke slowly, interrupting Augusta.
His gaze locked tightly onto the silent, diamond-shaped megastructure. A trace of complex emotion, unreadable to anyone else, flowed through his golden eyes, as if traversing through eons of time.
He did not confess that he was the Sentinel's Arbiter, possessing the highest authority. He merely said in a calm yet unquestionable tone:
"Perhaps, I have a way to reactivate it."
Augusta and the surrounding squad members whipped their heads to look at him, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
"Rover? What did you say? How... how is that possible? That belongs to the Sentinel..." Augusta's voice carried bewilderment.
Rover looked at Augusta, his eyes profound and resolute: "Trust me, Augusta."
"I cannot explain all the reasons to you right now, but I do know some... methods that might resonate with the Sentinel's creations. After clearing the surface pollution and coming into contact with its core... I am fairly certain I can make it operate again."
He couldn't reveal too much, but he needed to give her confidence; he needed to make her believe this wasn't a dead end.
"Right now we have to locate the Divine King, but after that..." He pointed to the Earth-Piercing Wedge. "If we can successfully weaken the Divine King and lure it out there, that place... will be our final battlefield for the decisive battle against it."
"And I will be there to give it a massive 'surprise'."
Augusta took a deep look at Rover.
Her heart was full of questions regarding him. This foreign aid she had invited was not only incredibly powerful himself, but also seemed to possess countless worldly authorities and mysterious power.
Along the way, Rover had already proven his inconceivability through his actions and strength. There were simply too many mysteries surrounding him.
But at this moment, the certainty in his eyes made her choose absolute trust.
"Alright." Augusta nodded heavily, temporarily suppressing her questions. "I trust you. Let's find the Divine King first!"
The squad continued toward the direction Bu Ling indicated, going deeper into the core area of the Town of Murmurs.
The murmuring sounds around them grew louder, like countless vengeful spirits whispering in their ears, interfering with their sanity.
The frequency and intensity of Tacet Discord appearances also greatly increased, making the battles even more difficult.
Finally, after arduously crossing a dried-up riverbed littered with massive skeletons and crystallized trees, Bu Ling's voice rang out with extreme excitement:
"Found it! The strongest point of the signal source! It's right ahead in that giant tree hollow! Careful, the energy reaction inside is extremely terrifying!"
Before the group was an incredibly massive entrance to a tree hollow in a towering ancient tree, resembling the gaping maw of some giant creature. It was profound and dark, emitting heart-palpitating energy fluctuations and a dense, almost tangible Black Tide aura.
The Divine King's nest appeared to be right before their eyes.
Augusta took a deep breath, tightened her grip on her sword, and looked at Rover: "Ready?"
Light flowed within Rover's golden eyes. He extended his perception forward at full power, and then gave a light nod.
"Prepare to collect the frequency..."
"The final hunt is about to begin."
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