A...... A weak but wonderful force resisting its own commands to this body.

He is even trying to expel himself from his body.

This force seemed to have been there from the beginning, and it was only when I had the idea of going to the frost that this resistance became more apparent.

Duncan paused in amazement, and despite the persistence of the resistance, he slowly moved to the edge of the wreckage, looking down at the calm sea.

He whispered, "I thought you were gone—normally, souls leave soon after the heart stops beating. ”

Then he quieted down, feeling the faint but stubborn force, and after a moment of silence, the body's lips squirmed twice: "Get out of ......"

Duncan closed his eyes slightly.

Floating on the oily sea, the reflection of the body was suddenly enveloped in a layer of dark green flames, and the face in the reflection that had been unrecognizable by the fire and explosion shook in the flames, turning into the majestic and low face of Duncan Abnomar.

"Hello," Duncan greeted calmly, looking at the figure standing at the edge of the wreckage of the Petrel, reflecting in the water, "I guess it will be easier for us to talk." ”

The unrecognizable body stood straight, and what little consciousness Belazov had left stared at his face reflected in the sea, staring at the faint green firelight, his lips squirmed twice, and he once again uttered a monotonous and persistent voice: "...... Leave. ”

In the reflection of the sea, Duncan thoughtfully said: "...... You're not letting me out of my body, you're trying to keep me away from the frost? ”

Belazov's body was silent, the theoretically completely dead body still standing upright, refusing the command to return to Frost.

“…… You're the first to resist—at least, the first to be strong enough for me to perceive," Duncan said calmly, "but you should realize that this slight resistance doesn't make much sense, you're just consuming your soul quickly, and that's delaying me for a few seconds at most." ”

Belazov still stood there in silence, as if he had died—but there was still a glimmer of light in his half-open, half-closed eyes.

“…… I take back what I just said, your resistance makes sense," Duncan sighed after a moment of silence, "Leave in peace, I am not an enemy of the frost—I am here to help your city-state and your fellow citizens." ”

Then he was silent for a few seconds, staring at the quiet body, and after a brief thought, he whispered, "Reinforcements are coming." ”

Belazov's body shook slightly, perhaps Duncan's words really had an effect, or maybe it was just that the remaining stubborn soul finally dissipated, and the burly body looked up at the lights of the city-state in the distance for the last time, and then fell straight on its back.

Duncan sat up, straightened the burnt strips of cloth slightly, and looked at his hands.

The faint force of resistance is gone.

A swirling and diffusing flame suddenly appeared beside him, and a sound of flapping wings came from the vortex door formed by the flames, and the huge bone bird rushed out of the vortex and swirled on the surface of the nearby sea.

At about the same time, the goat's voice also came to Duncan's head: "Actually, you don't need to 'negotiate' with him—it's just a weak mortal soul. ”

"Weak, but respectable," Duncan said, holding out his hand to the side, and Aye flew to his side, the blazing green flame turning into a door and rising beside him, "I'm going to Frost, and I'm going to focus on that side as well, and you're at the helm of the Lost Country." By the way, tell Alice to prepare some bandages and a set of coats, ready for my orders. ”

The spirit flames spread violently, Duncan's body merged with the flames, and in the next second, it turned into the fire rising beside Ae, and then a meteor-like flame rose from the sea and flew straight in the direction of the frost in the night sky.

……

At the same time, in the warm southern seas, the techno-city-state "Lightwind Harbor" ruled by elves.

It was still late at night, and much of the city-state was still shrouded in endless night, but in the eastern edge of Breeze, a hazy and warm glow still shone on all the buildings and streets—the elegant, elven-like spires of towers and towering houses with ridges bathed in the glow, as did the hanging vines between the houses and the trees growing between the narrow plots.

This scene of reality and fantasy can even be reminded of the ancient times recorded in the ancient texts of the elves, the scenery that is intertwined between forest dreams and fantasy stories.

Such an unusual sight is certainly not the natural scenery of the city-state—the warm glow that hangs over the eastern blocks, coming from the sea near Breezehaven.

A geometric structure like a hill glowing with endless golden light was floating silently near the elven city-state, and even though its largest boundary was still a dozen nautical miles away from the city, it still emitted a wonderful glow that was enough to affect half of the city-state.

At the edge of this massive geometry are makeshift research facilities set up by the city-state authorities—huge floating raft harbors floating on the calm sea, power units at the edge of the floating rafts spewing steam and smoke into the sky, complex mechanical towers loading and unloading cargo ships docked in the harbor, and small clippers constantly passing between the raft base and the glowing geometry.

The small clippers would go deep into the glowing geometry to deliver supplies and personnel to the research ships located near the "Core Stone Sphere", or to exchange important information.

All of these complex, busy, and efficient processes are calculated and coordinated by a giant steam-powered differential machine at the center of the raft base.

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

It was Lucretia, the "Witch of the Seas", the Bright Star.

The clockwork doll Lunee walked briskly to the upper deck of the Bright Star, where her mistress was standing and looking out at the beautiful and sophisticated tower in the center of the sea base.

"Mistress," Luni said as she came behind Lucrecia and bowed slightly, "The research team led by Tallan El Scholar has returned from the vicinity of the 'Core Stone Ball' and is currently repairing in the base, when are you going to meet him?" ”

"Afternoon," Lucrecia didn't look back, "let the elven scholar rest more—I haven't seen him rest much since I dragged this luminary to Breeze, and I'm afraid he'll die suddenly on my ship." ”

Luni thought for a moment, "We can meet him at the sea base, just don't let him get on the ship." ”

Lucrecia: "...... Luni. ”

"Yes."

"The sense of humor has improved."

"Thank you for the compliment."

The corners of Lucretia's mouth twitched, and then she glanced at the tower in the center of the base - the pressure relief pipes on both sides of the top of the tower were spewing out bursts of water mist at the moment, it was the power unit of the difference machine that was automatically balancing the overall load, and it seemed that the "Taran Eyre" master had indeed brought back a lot of useful information this time.

"The elves are a race with great mathematical and mechanical talents, and it seems right to drag that thing to Lighthaven," Lucrecia sighed softly, "This is the only place where a research team of this size can be organized at any time, and it can be equipped with facilities of this level." ”

"Moko can actually do that," said Luni, "after all, it's the headquarters of the Truth Academy, and the number of scholars and research conditions are even better than here. ”

"It's too far away, and too close to the Central Sea—I'm not going to let the Bright Star drag a giant 'extraterrestrial' through the main shipping lane, which would irritate the inner city-states that haven't experienced much of the storm," Lucretia shook her head, "not to mention that the Church of the Four Gods is still speculating that it's a fragment from Vision 001, something of this calibre...... It is better to study it at the frontier of civilizations. ”

Luni thought for a moment and bent down slightly: "Your judgment is well thought-provoking. ”

Lucrecia didn't react to the doll maid's compliment, just quietly thinking about something else, but suddenly, she seemed to sense something, and her expression changed slightly.

"I'll leave first, my brother will look for me."

With that, the "sea witch" had already turned into a flying cloud of colorful shredded paper, swept across the deck like a whirlwind, and flew into an open window in the distance, and returned to the captain's quarters.

On the table in the center of the captain's room, the set of lenses and crystal balls with complex structures had lit up slightly, and they continued to make a slight vibration sound.

Lucrecia's figure coalesced from the colored shredded paper, and she stepped over to the crystal device, raising her hand to activate the image in the crystal orb.

The face of "Vice-Admiral of Steel" Tirion then appeared inside the crystal ball, and the background behind him ...... It doesn't seem to be a familiar room.

"Brother?" Lucrecia frowned, not paying attention to the scene behind the other party at first, "Why did you suddenly find me?" ”

Tirien smiled mysteriously, "Guess where I am?" ”

(End of chapter)