Yanan Calendar 3585, October 12, early morning.
Quinte Island.
"Thank you, Lord Zehtti," Colin expressed his gratitude to Zehtti.
"Mm," Zehtti nodded faintly and turned to leave.
Zzzz!
A bright light streaked across the night sky, and Colin watched her figure gradually fade away, leaving no trace behind.
He withdrew his gaze and instinctively looked southward.
The pitch-black night sky was a heavy curtain, which completely concealed everything and revealed nothing.
After standing still for a moment, Colin turned and headed back towards Sisoa City behind him.
October 12, noon.
Quinte Island, Sisoa Port.
A giant three-tiered steel steamship named "Grey Whale" was moored there.
Its destination was the distant Siya Continent.
Above the grayish-white deck, the sea breeze blew gently.
Colin stood in front of the second-floor railing, gazing far south and gathering his disheveled hair.
Perhaps for Zehtti, it would only take two or three hours to reach Quinte Island from the Southern Seven Islands.
But the news of the war would take much longer to arrive here...
However, he could no longer wait.
Whoo!
The steam whistle roared, and thin smoke drifted from the round, grayish-white chimney of the "Grey Whale."
The vigorous power of the steam engine was fully released through the interaction of pistons and gears!
The body of the "Grey Whale" vibrated slightly, and this colossal figure at the port began to move slowly.
The sea breeze on the deck grew stronger because of this.
The hair he had previously gathered flared up again.
Colin did no longer care. He took a gentle breath and turned towards his own cabin.
Bang.
With the cabin door closed, he slightly raised his hand.
Click.
The silver sphere with golden patterns shattered into tens of irregular pieces like an eggshell, uniformly distributed around his whole body following some rule.
Standing with his feet slightly apart, he began to practice the Yi Guang Breathing Method, strengthening the foundation of his body.
With Zehtti's gifted silver sphere and the Ancient Tree Heart's assistance, Colin's aura visibly grew stronger at an observable pace.
Yanan Calendar 3585, October 13, early morning.
Zeroth Rank Upper Magic, "Invisible Shadow," successfully broke its limit, becoming First Rank Lower Magic. It enhanced the speed of light refraction and could now conceal slowly moving objects.
The progress of the Yi Guang Breathing Method reached 48/100, and his Wizard rank reached First Rank Intermediate Wizard 3/100, while his Strong Life Talent also improved to 86/100... The progress was remarkable.
Yet... the news from the front lines had yet to arrive.
Or rather, it had yet to reach this ship sailing on the vast ocean—the "Grey Whale."
October 14, evening.
As the sun set in the west,
the somber sky seemed aflame, with fiery embers falling into the sea, forming reddish rippling islets.
In the third-floor dining room of the "Grey Whale," accessible only to Official Wizards, musicians reluctantly quit playing as a message arrived like a tsunami, overturning the once calm atmosphere.
The uproar it prompted among the Wizards completely drowned out their performance... the noisy sounds even seemed to lift off the steel ceiling of the dining room!
"The war in the Southern Seven Islands suffers a setback, the Elf Clan has been proven to have already fallen and betrayed the Divine… How could this be?"
An old wizard wearing a tall hat tremulously muttered while holding a silver dinner knife.
"Don't be disheartened! In my view, this is actually a good thing, like cutting away rotten flesh from a wound in advance.
At least Councilman Nois was aware of this news during the war, eradicated enough enemies, and preserved sufficient living forces!"
A young wizard in a white shirt and of a tall stature raised his voice, clenching his fist, his bulging arm muscles rising like mountains.
"Enough living forces?" A thin wizard in a black robe sneered from a distance, his gloomy face looking out of the window, "In the Southern Seven Islands, at most, only wizards from three islands survived!"
"You?!"
This news already made the Wizards present restless, and the young wizard was known for his fiery temper.
Thus, under the black-robed wizard's mockery, he suddenly stood up, glaring at him by the window, ready to lash out at any moment.
The sharp noise of wooden chairs and tables scraping against the floor suddenly quieted the noisy dining room, as all eyes turned towards them.
"It is already the best scenario."
The middle-aged wizard sitting between the two was shocked and quickly tried to smooth things over.
"Everyone knows how strong the Elf Clan's war treants are. If they rebel, it's already a tough situation,
but the scene was not just this; the giant dragons that disappeared along with the elves also reappeared!"
"Under such circumstances, being able to preserve half of the wizards is already no small feat.
After all, Nois City Lord also didn't unexpectedly learn that the Elf Clan were traitors until well into the war..."
The middle-aged wizard had clearly read over the information received multiple times and was familiar with the battlefield conditions, analyzing the situation logically.
The Wizards listened and nodded slightly.
The young wizard snorted, his temper somewhat cooled, followed the steps provided by the middle-aged wizard and sat down, heavily drinking from the glass in his hand.
The thin wizard in the black robe also timely withdrew his gaze, quietly looking out the window.
The conflict ended, but the Wizards in the dining hall had already lost the mood for conversation.
The clinking of cutlery against porcelain plates occasionally sounded, further emphasizing the somber atmosphere.
The failure to take the Southern Seven Islands was not the focus; the focus was on the losses of the wizards' side...
Ding.
At that moment, the musician in front of the restaurant pressed the black and white piano keys, and the clear and pleasant sound of the piano immediately filled the room, while the violinist beside him timely placed the bow on the string.
The ensemble began to play again.
The light, cheerful music dispelled some of the somber atmosphere.
"Who was the Wizard that brought the news of the Elf Clan's betrayal and conveyed it to the Nois Councilman?"
A Wizard suddenly asked, curious.
Breaking the silent atmosphere of the restaurant, he revived the discussion.
The Wizards' conversation had been merely suppressed by the somber atmosphere, not enjoyed to the fullest.
Now, with this new start, it erupted again.
Immediately, the restaurant buzzed with overlapping voices.
"Who knows, but I'd bet that both the Elf Clan and the Divine despise him to the bone right now!" a Wizard stated assertively, placing his cup on the wooden table.
"He is considered a hero," another Wizard commented lightly.
"Indeed, he played a critical role, otherwise the casualties in the war of the Southern Seven Islands would have been far worse," his companion nodded in agreement.
"It's just a shame... If only this message could have been delivered to the Nois Councilman a bit sooner."
"...Perhaps he encountered some difficulties."
"Maybe so..."
In the corner of the restaurant by the window, Colin sat alone at a square wooden table, silently enjoying the juicy steak before him.
He did not join the conversation or show any emotion.
He turned to look outside, where only a sliver of sunset remained.
The waves, resembling molten rock, had cooled, leaving ashes that stained the vast sea like ink, giving it a deep and mysterious look.
'Half a month...'
According to the speed of the Grey Whale, after tonight, it would take half a month to reach the port of Siya Continent.
...
October 16, afternoon.
Parra Tri-Island was declared overrun.
Giants, Elves, along with existing Divine Believers, demolished Parra Tri-Island's frail defense and pushed the battlefront further.
Fortunately, no Supreme Council Member perished in this battle, preserving the high-end forces intact.
Meanwhile, Colin's accumulated Blood Energy from his Knight training finally began to increase again, reaching 1.9 times the standard of a Great Knight.
His Strong Life Talent reached 92/100, Yi Guang Breathing Method progressed to 56/100, and his Wizard Rank climbed to First Rank Intermediate Wizard 12/100... The progress was rocketing.
...
October 21, early morning.
The white mist above the sea had not yet cleared, yet at the entrance of the dining room on the third level of the Grey Whale, near the recently added blackboard, Wizards already crowded.
"Mabapo Island has fallen, Councilmen Ernest Benson and Sarah Longfellow perished.
The Wizard side voluntarily abandoned a large amount of islands upfront, contracting their defense line to the back of Soah Islands."
A Wizard murmured as he read the notice board.
'The position of Soah Islands is beyond Gubier Island, nearing Quinte Islands... Have we retreated this far?'
Colin withdrew his gaze and silently went back to his room.
His Strong Life Talent reached 99/100 but seemed to have stalled, with no advancement for a whole day.
Yi Guang Breathing Method was at 67/100, with his Blood Energy nearing twice the level of a Great Knight.
As for his Wizard Rank, it also reached First Rank Intermediate Wizard 28/100... The progress was slower, but still impressive.
...
October 25, early morning.
A partial victory was reported.
Although the Wizards had willingly conceded numerous islands, they had set countless ambushes within them.
The ambush at Gokaga Islands was massively successful, dealing a heavy blow to the Divine side.
Simultaneously, Colin managed to break the limit on the Deep Red Marking Technique.
The Breakthrough of the Deep Red Marking Technique enhanced its detection capabilities and allowed control over the red mark's visibility or its color changes.
Yet, his Strong Life Talent remained at 99/100, confirmed to have stagnated.
Yi Guang Breathing Method reached 78/100, with Blood Energy nearing twice the level of a Great Knight.
As for his Wizard Rank, it had reached First Rank Intermediate Wizard 39/100... Slightly slower, but still fast.
...
October 28, late at night.
Living on the top floor of the Grey Whale, the Second Rank Wizard and captain—Bensham, received exhilarating news.
Regardless of the late hour, he waved his hand lightly.
Ding-ding-ding—!
The bell, signaling an update on the contents of the notice board outside the restaurant, immediately rang at the door of every First Rank Wizard who had opted for this service.
Colin abruptly opened his eyes, emerging from meditation.
Before long, mingling with the flow of Wizards, he arrived in front of the dining room notice board.
"Yanan Calendar 3585, the evening of October 27th, Divine side launched a night raid on Soah Islands."
"The Wizards on the island fought ferociously and ultimately repelled them!"
As usual, there was always a Wizard who volunteered to read aloud from the notice board.
Except this time the tone was different from before, less heavy and morose, and a bit more joyful.
"A rare piece of good news!" a nearby Wizard exclaimed excitedly.
"If we can hold them off once, we can do it a second time!" another Wizard added.
Soon, the Wizards around the notice board engaged in enthusiastic conversation.
In a way, this was one reason Wizards always came here to keep updated about the war.
'The frontlines have finally seen a turning point.'
Colin exhaled deeply, his heart settling a bit as he gazed at the pitch-black night sky.
Then, something crossed his mind, and he abruptly turned northward.
His line of sight crossed the vast sea, and he could faintly make out a continuous line of black rising.
'Siya Continent!'
In almost an instant, Colin recognized the true identity of the rising black line.
A surge of complex feelings welled up within him.
He silently watched the black line for a while, then quietly turned and returned to his room.
"In half a day, we will reach Siya Continent."