Pillar of Yita

On the vast desert, a deep scar appeared.

Like a giant wound, it extended in four directions across the earth, appearing suddenly in everyone’s line of vision.

The Half-Person leapt up from the deck, stepped onto the ship’s rail, and gazed far in that direction, turning back to say to everyone: ”That’s it.”

There lies the Phantom Sea—

In the brown canyon, patches of dark green dotted the landscape, representing the lush forests under the night sky, like deep green gemstones embedded in the valley. Above that lay a shifting layer of color, like a disintegrating veil, giving the impression that it was both there and not of this world.

Miss Fairy watched the scene, her eyes flickering as she softly said, ”Mr. Knight, the shadow of refraction.”

The wind that blew across their faces carried the faint scent of sand.

Facing the wind on the deck, Fang Hong turned his head slightly and asked softly, ”What is that?”

”Have you heard of mirages, Mr. Knight?”

Fang Hong nodded briefly: ”That’s a phenomenon of light refraction in vapor, common in desert areas.”

”It’s somewhat similar. The canyon we see before us isn’t actually here; it’s just an Ether projection, refracted from another world. Miss Gita’s spell operates on a similar principle, but such a vast scope is likely beyond human capability.”

”So it’s a phantom?”

Tata nodded lightly, sitting on Fang Hong’s shoulder and speaking in a whisper: ”But for those within it, everything is real, just like the Natural Historian’s spells. And this might even be a higher level. Do you remember the ’Star Flower’ wine you drank with the Grand Princess? It was brought out from there.”

”The things that can be taken from the Phantom Realm are actually Ether mimics, transformed to possess the properties of those objects. Such strength is already very close to...”

Close to Creation.

A thought suddenly surfaced in Fang Hong’s mind.

That’s the power of the Emerald Star—thus the canyon and forest are projections of that Emerald Star fragment. He looked at the shifting colors and asked, ”Can we safely pass through?”

Alphonse thought for a moment: ”It should be possible?”

Should be?

Facing Fang Hong’s gaze, the Half-Person quickly waved his hand: ”I mean, approximately.”

Approximately?

”You know, Captain Ade,” Alphonse laughed heartily, ”in such situations, there’s always some trouble. After all, we’re intruders, and that’s precisely why Princess asked me to come with you. Rest assured, I’m quite confident; I’ve been here many times before.”

”Many times?”

”Uh... Including this time, maybe twice?”

”So, what should we do now?”

”Watch me,” the Half-Person snapped his fingers, shouting to the back: ”Miss Gita, Luo Yu, lower the altitude, we’ll land in that forest over there.”

The small boat, amidst a disconcerting wobble, began to descend in a drunken manner.

It swayed left and right through the dreamlike colors, as if passing through an nonexistent wall of light, but as the Half-Person had said, nothing happened.

Fang Hong breathed a slight sigh of relief, looking at the young boy nearby. At his indication, Pasha nimbly climbed up the mast, beginning to furl the silver sails—

However, within minutes, a scream like that of a pig being slaughtered rang out from the ship: ”Damn it, they’re here!”

”They?”

”Bird-Women, wait, I think I got the landing spot wrong!”

Fang Hong rushed to the ship’s edge and looked down. From the forest below came a clamor, then a cluster of small black dots rose shrieking from the canyon. Those creatures with human heads and two wings were converging into a dark cloud, swooping toward them.

He turned back quickly: ”But you said it was safe, Mr. Alphonse.”

”What? The wind’s too strong, I can’t hear you.”

”Someone,” Fang Hong gritted his teeth: ”Throw this man and the Papala People overboard!”

And Parker, watching the scene, was shocked upon hearing this: ”Wait, why me?”

But Luo Hao had already picked him up.

...

Four Magicians stepped forward from the crowd.

Almost all were believers of Androma, Arcanists of the Eye of Revelation, wearing purple-gray robes indicating their ranks just below the Hall Defenders in the sect.

At this moment, Barbaltan turned to nod lightly at these individuals, and the four Arcanists placed their right hands on their chests, nodding back to the King of Sand above the sand sea. Under the King’s gaze, they each moved to their positions, forming an oval shape that surrounded the giant Emerald Star—

This was the first step.

Barbaltan looked towards Ebene behind the four Magicians, who also nodded to indicate readiness.

The King of Sand took a gentle breath.

”...But Affia, why are we searching for the Third World? Isn’t that the work of Explorers, Adventurers, desperadoes, and madmen?”

”Adventurers, like your brother, may act for the ideals in their hearts.”

”But frankly, Affia, those Adventurers, and desperadoes are quite similar, being mad isn’t far off either. How are they different from gamblers panning for gold in the Argo Wasteland, who do nothing productive but dream of getting rich overnight...”