Chapter 246: 'Warm Day”

Chapter 246 “Warm Day”

Vision 001 emerged after the ancient kingdom of Crete vanished, rising from a sea of blood. It replaced the sun of the previous era, illuminating the world of the deep-sea era.

For ten thousand years, this colossal light source functioned like an eternal force, providing light and warmth and the stable order of daylight. Without Vision 001, there would be no city-state civilization today, and the entire world would be engulfed in a terrifying, never-ending darkness. The mortal beings who lost the protection of the ancient kingdom of Crete might have faded away silently in some bygone time.

Therefore, nobody could’ve imagined that Vision 001 would one day encounter a problem, just as no one thought the vast ocean might eventually evaporate.

However, it now appeared that this “eternal” sun was not truly everlasting.

Initially, the sunrise was delayed by fifteen minutes, followed by an almost undetectable gap in the rune circle. These unsettling pieces of information all pointed to one conclusion: Vision 001 had a finite lifespan! Duncan stood by the window, silently observing the bright daylight illuminating the street while his thoughts swirled like a tempest in his mind.

Of course, he wasn’t the only one who noticed the changes in the sun. There were many intelligent people in the world. Ordinary individuals might not notice the changes overhead, but the authorities and churches of various city-states must have someone monitoring the world’s largest Vision. What would they think? How would they respond? Did anyone know what happened?

Duncan also thought of the zealous sun worshipers, those heretical devotees who venerated the ancient, real sun. They murmured all day about Vision 001 being the evil “false sun” and that the sun would ultimately fall. Did they know that the sun was genuinely experiencing issues? Or, were the changes in Vision 001 somehow connected to these sun worshipers and their sun heirs?

To be honest, Duncan didn’t hold those sun worshipers in high regard. In his eyes, whether they were ordinary heretics or slightly more powerful sun heirs, they were all similar, like combustible materials. However, the fire in the city-state of Pland reminded him that he shouldn’t be complacent. Ordinary Suntists may not be a significant threat, but the Creeping Sun Wheel behind them definitely was. Coupled with the elusive Enders causing chaos and employing strange, unpredictable tactics like historical pollution and reality overlays, who could say nothing would happen?

After much contemplation, Duncan decided to reach out to Vanna when the opportunity arose. As a high-ranking member of the church, she would be well-informed about the church’s activities. He could discuss the matter of the sun with her.

In doing so, he could also demonstrate his friendly attitude and concern for the city-state’s safety.

Of course, he should remember to knock the next time.

As Duncan thought about this, he also monitored the situation at the cathedral, and suddenly, he froze.

He sensed that Tyrian had left the cathedral... heading toward the southern part of the upper city district.

After roughly determining Tyrian’s direction, Duncan’s brow furrowed slightly as he remembered another aspect of his plan.

After some thought, he glanced towards the counter.

Alice was leaning next to Shirley, holding a pencil and diligently writing something on a piece of white paper.

“Captain,” an inquisitive sailor inquired of his leader, “What are we searching for here?”

“A shop,” Tyrian casually replied, scanning the street-side buildings that strongly reflected the central city-state’s style, “A doll shop with an elven-style sign.”

“Dolls?” The sailor was taken aback, “You’re into that as well?”

Tyrian silently glanced at his subordinate, “I have my reasons.”

Another sailor nearby interjected, “Captain, why not just eliminate him first... If you don’t trust us, you can take us all out after you’re done shopping and then clean up...”

“...I somewhat regret bringing you guys along.” Tyrian shook his head, helplessly observing the subordinates he had brought.

The sailors laughed over that remark. While jesting, their eyes persistently surveyed the nearby buildings, seeking the shop that matched their captain’s description.

In settings outside of battle, this was how he and his subordinates interacted—few could likely imagine that the legendary “Iron Admiral” would be such a tranquil figure among his subordinates, but Tyrian understood the reason.

These individuals had accompanied him through life and death for half a century—no bond in the world could surpass the loyalty and trust forged over fifty years.

Suddenly, a sailor’s voice interrupted Tyrian’s thoughts from the side.

“Captain, is it that one? The one across the street, the... doll house... it has a unique name.”

Tyrian looked up and instantly spotted the familiar name amidst a cluster of old street-side shops: Rose Doll House.

The sign had been replaced, the door had been altered, and even the exterior decor had been modified, but the shop’s name persisted—nostalgic elves, even when residing in the rapidly evolving human city-state, rarely changed their shop’s name with ease.

Tyrian suddenly felt slightly disoriented as faded memories welled up within his heart. It seemed as though he could glimpse that long, long-ago afternoon when his father departed for the port on business, and he surreptitiously slipped out of the house with his younger sister. Back then, the siblings had roamed the bustling city until they accidentally discovered that shop...

And in a hasty decision, they used the coins they had taken from their father’s money box to make a purchase—his sister reveled in a full day of joy because of that, while he... couldn’t recall whether he had been punished or not.

Regardless, it was one of the scarce, uncomplicated, and heartwarming moments within Tyrian’s century-spanning frigid memories.

“That’s the one,” the formidable pirate murmured, “‘Doll House’ is the elven-style designation for a doll shop.”

With that, he advanced towards the shop that appeared to hold a unique place in his recollections.