Chapter 81: Turmoil in the Secret Realm |
“Yes, my lord!”
Alvaro’s voice responded respectfully within the mental sea. In the next second, his consciousness receded like a tide, returning to his physical body.
“Miss Caitlin, Alvaro has received an urgent order from my lord and must leave immediately.”
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure began to fade, like a shadow melting into moonlight, quickly disappearing from the training ground.
Caitlin raised an eyebrow. Why was there trouble again? And so urgent?
She knew that Kyle’s consciousness had already awakened, but her affinity with Isos wasn’t high enough—she still couldn’t meet Isos’s standard of “family,” so she had no way to contact Kyle.
She would have to find a chance to build favor with Dean and Isos. That way, no matter how far apart they were, they could meet anytime!
Caitlin’s thoughts gradually wandered, and the tension brought by Alvaro quickly faded from her mind~
***
Kyle’s consciousness floated within the mental sea, facing the large number of blurry images emerging before him. His “brow” furrowed deeply, as doubt and unease surged within his heart.
What was the Crescent Empire trying to do?
Since soft methods didn’t work, were they resorting to force? Forcibly breaking open the secret realm space?
Weren’t they afraid that the spatial barrier would completely collapse, causing the secret realm and the real world to directly overlap and collide?
Just thinking about that scenario made Kyle feel terrified—it would be no less than a comet crashing into the planet!
At that point, the duchies around the secret realm would probably be finished.
If the secret realm were larger, it wasn’t impossible that the entire empire—or even the continent—would be affected.
There were really too many lunatics in this world!
Damn it!
If my assets get destroyed, just wait for my retaliation!
***
Sarkhad Blackthorn, Claudi Haines, and Gann Cole once again gathered atop the central tower of Coral Thorn City.
The air was filled with oppressive silence. The gentle moonlight now seemed painfully glaring in their eyes.
“That guy Bartos is still drifting at sea?” Sarkhad broke the silence first, a trace of impatience hidden in his tone.
Claudi Haines irritably twisted the gemstone atop his cane.
“He must still be. Otherwise, with such a massive spatial fluctuation, there’s no way he wouldn’t react.”
He sighed, his voice filled with helplessness.
“I’ve got a feeling that all the bad luck we’ve had recently has been stirred up by that secret realm.”
Gann Cole rubbed his swollen temples, his voice weary:
“So what do we do now? Kyle… that one isn’t here, and the empire hasn’t sent any notice. We can’t just sit and wait for death, can we?”
He seemed to have aged several years all at once. Why was his retirement life becoming more and more eventful?
He just wanted to quietly bask in the sun, drink a little wine, and occasionally take his bird out for a stroll.
Why was that so hard?!
“Waiting for death is still better than going to die!” Sarkhad said in a deep voice.
“Who dares to wander near the secret realm? What if you get caught in a spatial rift, or swallowed by the secret realm and can’t get out?”
“We have to do something, right? The auction has already been affected—many Grandmaster and Intent-level clients have started withdrawing.”
“There’s nothing I can do. I’ve already arranged for the main members of my family to retreat to the sea. With such terrifying spatial fluctuations, who knows what’s happening.”
***
Within Coral Thorn City, almost all professionals at Grandmaster level and above sensed the anomaly in space immediately—the web-like tearing sensation sent chills through their hearts.
But low-level professionals and civilians below Grandmaster felt nothing at all. They still reveled in taverns and wandered the streets.
The entire city seemed split into two worlds—one filled with laughter and joy, the other facing an imminent threat.
“Old Bear! Stop packing! We might lose our lives—why care about this junk?!”
After sending his clansmen onto the ships, Mick rushed over in a hurry to find Baruk·Blackrock, who was still busy “moving house,” and immediately grew furious.
“These things aren’t worth much! If nothing happens, won’t you have to move them back again? Aren’t you tired? And if something does happen, can this junk block spatial rifts for you?!”
“But… but…”
Baruk looked at the pile of bedding, pots, and utensils, full of reluctance.
“No ‘buts’!”
Mick had no patience for nonsense. He raised his hand and summoned a thick vine, which lashed around Baruk’s waist with a snap, then yanked hard.
“Let’s go! If you keep dawdling, we’ll both be stuck here!”
Baruk didn’t resist. He was simply dragged along in a daze.
Seeing this, the other Bearmen who were still packing also dropped their belongings, taking only dry rations and personal weapons as they followed the two out quickly.
As more and more high-level professionals evacuated with their families and clans, orderly footsteps and the rumbling of carriage wheels gradually spread through the streets and alleys.
Hearing the summons of their priests, the merfolk vendors abandoned their stalls under the puzzled gazes of customers and surged toward the ocean like a tide.
The circus, which had been putting on wonderful performances, hung up a sign of closure, refunded the audience’s tickets, and in the blink of an eye, the brightly lit, lively circus fell into darkness.
Low-level professionals and civilians finally sensed something was wrong. Whispered conversations spread rapidly.
The once-bustling districts were gradually enveloped by an atmosphere of panic. More and more people stopped in their tracks, looking toward the harbor with unease in their eyes.
***
The moment O’Brien sensed the spatial fluctuation, he informed everyone at the Artisans’ Association banquet.
He told them to immediately organize members to evacuate to sturdy shelters or high ground within the city!
Then he grabbed Dean in one hand and disappeared into the night without looking back.
Leaving behind a group of stunned high-ranking members of the Artisans’ Association.
It was Mario who reacted first, hurriedly issuing orders to arrange the evacuation of association members.
“Zack!”
O’Brien’s figure suddenly appeared in front of Zack, who was still miserably doing accounts, startling him so much that a large blot of ink splattered from his pen.
Before he could lament over the ledger, O’Brien’s urgent voice rang out again:
“Immediately take all the children and essential supplies to the harbor. Find Old Owen and get on his ship! Hurry!”
Years of adventuring had given Zack an instinctive response to danger.
He didn’t ask questions and immediately shouted, “Everyone! Emergency assembly! Bring dry rations and warm clothing—gather in the front yard!”
The caregivers and older children didn’t understand what was happening, but they quickly sprang into action.
Zack then hurriedly notified the members of the adventurer team to help with the evacuation.
Amid the chaos, they finally managed to get everyone onto Old Owen’s ship.
“Remember!”
Standing by the railing, O’Brien swept his gaze across Zack, Old Owen, and Dean, who still looked somewhat at a loss.
“Before I come back for you, stay far away from Coral Thorn City! The farther, the better!”
After saying that, he gave Dean a deep look before dashing off toward the Greenfield Trade Route.