Seventy-two hours later, the long sunset began to draw to a close, and at the end of the boundless sea, only a line of gold and some rune rings remained on the surface of the glorious sun, and in the refraction of the clouds, the sunset became more and more magnificent, but it also became more and more dim.

The world doesn't have time to appreciate the beauty of the sunset – the glorious glow of the glow of the sun means that night is approaching for most people, and now the world is slowly moving into what may be the longest night ever.

In the city-state of Moko, two steam walkers with the emblem of the School of Truth were strolling through the streets, armed knowledge guards accompanying them, checking the streets and urging the citizens to get home as soon as possible, and in the dimming skylight, the shadows of the warriors and spider-robots were stretched out and shakily melted into the shadows between the street and the buildings beside the road.

In Cold Harbour, the last redeployment has ended, the subway station is temporarily closed at all stations, and the guards have closed all doors to the underground facilities and guarded the entrances and exits - at sunset, sacred steam and incense will be poured into the pipes until the city-state's underground is completely purified, after which the subway will reopen, but will operate cautiously in strict accordance with the new timetable and safety rules.

After all, night could last one to two months, and the city-state could not have been completely shut down for such a long time, and during the seventy-two hours of "preparation period" at dusk, the city-state's administrators and scholars had developed a new set of "schedules" and security systems for the long nights, in order to maintain the basic functions of the city as much as possible during the nightfall.

The new timetable and security regime have not been tested in any practical way, and there is not even time for more detailed discussions, as the city-states will test the viability of their "nightfall scheme" in the long darkness before the sun rises again.

In faraway Renza, the sound of gunfire disturbed the city's tranquility and almost pierced the nerves of the people, as the Sunculters seized the opportunity to lure the highly nervous citizens into preaching that the true sun god would be reborn in the night, and the devotees were tempted to set fire to the lower city and try to occupy the churches on the edge of the city-state.

The chaos was quickly suppressed, and the "firekeepers" of the Church of the Fire Bearers brought the situation under control as soon as possible, but tensions in the city-state had risen......

……

The mechanical spider walked through the mottled streets of the city-state with its long arthropods, and the slightly distorted sound of the radio device mounted on the head of the walker echoed through the streets:

"A message to all citizens...... Thirty minutes until sunset, please return home as soon as possible...... The new curfew will last for 12 hours, followed by a temporary timetable for city operations......

“…… Steam, electricity, and gas will be supplied as usual, and workers in relevant positions can pass through the sentry with permits...... Nighttime shelters will remain open until sunrise......

"Citizens have an obligation to assist in monitoring the functioning of urban infrastructure...... If you notice that the street lights are off or the steam supply is not working, please report it to the nearest church or police station immediately......

“…… If you notice an unusual shadow in your home, or hear a strange noise coming from underground, immediately seek help from the knowledge guards on the street......

"Please stay calm and relaxed, citizens are experiencing a special anomaly, the city-state has enough power to protect everyone, please follow the new timetable and safety rules to maintain your life and maintain your physical and mental health......"

The sound of the radio faded away, gradually turning into a faint and distorted sound of wind in the ears, and outside the window of the harbor inn, the gas lamps were lit, and the lone light dispelled the malicious darkness and illuminated the empty streets, except for the occasional patrol of the guards walking through the intersection, where no pedestrians were visible.

It's hard to imagine that just a few days ago it was a bustling and crowded place.

Lawrence withdrew his gaze from the window, exhaled softly, and lowered his head to swipe down lines of text on the diary—

"On the xth day of the xxth month, we were still docked at the port of Faellon, the city-state that was ready for the coming night, and now the sun was soon to disappear over the sea......

"My crew wasn't afraid, they had a ...... The excitement of not being afraid of heaven and earth, and the blessing of the Lost Place, gave them confidence and thought that they were strong enough to deal with everything—and that was not a bad thing.

"Faellen is not too wealthy, but things are fine here, and everyone is trying to reassure those around them as much as possible, and to stock up on things for the night...... Before dinner, the innkeeper said he had gotten enough fuel and stockpiled his warehouse with emergency food and medicine to support even if the curfew was extended......

"The city-state's proximity to the south-western border, it seems that it has become accustomed to this 'restless' situation, no one knows what will happen next, and the people here try not to discuss the worst possible possibilities, but to devote all their energies to the present life, which is a valuable quality that makes Faellen more stressed than the wealthy city-states of the Central Sea......

"But I'm a little worried about something else—the seals on the ship, the seals in the city-state.

"And the ships that are still sailing in the distant seas, and who have not been able to reach the port in time even with all their might—the sun is about to set, and perhaps many captains and sailors are still on the endless sea, and it will take at least seven days to reach the nearest city-state from the middle of the southwest route, and the situation is even worse on the remote routes...... No one knows what will happen to this sea during the continuous night......"

A cool stream of air blew past his ears, and Lawrence stopped his pen and sighed softly.

He looked up at the window facing the harbor area, and across the docks, he could see two more large cargo ships on the distant sea, honking their horns as they approached the shoreline—several small speedboats with ecclesiastical insignia rushed out of the dock like sharp arrows to meet the two large ships that had requested to dock, ready to carry out the necessary boarding inspections and port blessings.

In the corner of the window, a hazy figure emerged from the glass surface and waved his hand to Lawrence, who was looking into the distance.

"Two more ships have docked, and they are big ships," Lawrence whispered, "and all the docks of Faelren are almost full. ”

"In the last seventy-two hours, four times as many ships have docked at Faellon, and more than half of them have come to 'take refuge,'" said the hazy figure in the window, with a hint of an ethereal tremor, "they are already lucky, and those who have not yet made it back do not know what to do." ”

“…… There are chapels and chaplains on ships on ocean voyages, but these measures are used to cope with normal nights," Lawrence sighed and shook his head, "Twenty-four hours after sunset, this is the deadline given by the Port Authority to allow normal docking, after which ships returning are not allowed to approach the city-state directly—they are no longer safe to stay in the night for too long. ”

“…… The White Oak was treated like that," Martha said, "and I remember you saying it was after your first encounter with the Lost Homeland. ”

Lawrence shrugged his shoulders and didn't speak.

Martha was silent for a while, then spoke again: "...... If the sun continues to operate in this way, people will adapt sooner or later, and the chaos will only be temporary, like the city-states that survived the Dark Ages, who found a new way to survive after the collapse of the Old Kingdom—as long as they survived, life always found a way out. ”

Lawrence knew that this was not Martha's words—she was a great female explorer and captain, but not a philosopher.

But he still felt a hint of relief and warmth in these words.

"You're right, Martha," he nodded slightly, "there's always a way out......"

High in the sky, the pale creation of the world has gradually emerged behind the clouds, the thinner and thinner sunlight is gradually fading from the sea, and a layer of chaotic mist has appeared nearby at some point, undulating with the sea.

The towering bow of the Lost Ground broke through the waves and sailed into the distance in the evening mist, and on the towering mast, the translucent spirit sails swelled without the wind, and the Bright Star followed by the latter, whose half-virtual and half-real hull undulated in the waves, as if it were about to crash into another dimension at any moment.

The latest news came from the Breeze Harbor that the last civilian cargo ship capable of returning to port before sunset had docked at the docks - the city-state's navy was setting up posts and buoys in the nearby seas, and was moving a mobile port with a high-powered steam core and church facilities to the sea between the city-state and the "glowing geometry", after which ships returning closer to the city-state would have to dock at that temporary port and undergo strict inspection and quarantine before being allowed to approach the city-state.

Duncan stood on the bow deck and listened to Morris relay the situation on the other side of the breeze, and nodded slightly: "Lawrence is currently in the city-state of Faellon, and he said that there is a twenty-four-hour window for ships returning after dark, and after the window is over, those who return must also stop at the temporary dock near the city-state for inspection and quarantine. ”

"Each city-state has a different plan of response based on its own situation and experience, but no one knows which one will be the most effective," Vana said, "but in any case, it shouldn't be a big problem for everyone to survive the first night—most city-states will be able to make it to sunrise even with their stockpiles." Truly worrying ...... It is from now on. ”

Duncan didn't speak, just thought quietly.

After a long while, he suddenly spoke: "What about the sightings of the 'Final Survey Team'?" ”

"As you might expect—there have been sporadic sightings elsewhere in the world," Vanna nodded, "Your Majesty Helena and I confirmed this, and she mentioned that since a few days ago, there have been at least five 'sightings of apparitions from another time and space' in the Church of the Deep's sphere of influence, and three of them have been compared and confirmed, and three of them are most likely the final survey team on an observation mission at the end of time. ”

Duncan pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly.

And in the corner of his eye, the last rays of sunset finally faded into the sea.

It's dark.

(End of chapter)