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This force seemed to have been there from the start but only grew more noticeable after Duncan considered going to Frost.

Despite the persistent presence of the opposing force, he slowly moved his feet to the edge of the wreckage and gazed down at the tranquil sea surface.

Speaking softly, “I assumed you had vanished—typically, the soul departs swiftly once the heart ceases to beat.”

He then fell quiet, sensing that weak yet tenacious force. Finally, after a moment of silence, the lips of this body twitched slightly, “Leave…”

Knowing what must be done, Duncan closed his eyes gently.

On the oil-stained sea surface, this body’s reflection was suddenly enveloped by a layer of dark green flames. The disfigured face from the fire and explosion in the reflection trembled within the flames, morphing into Duncan Abnomar’s grave and profound visage.

“Hello,” the reflection of Duncan in the water looked at the body standing at the edge of the Seagull’s wreckage, speaking calmly, “I believe this method will make it easier for us to converse.”

The disfigured body stood upright, with Belazov’s last sliver of consciousness gazing at the reflection in the water and the dark green flames. His lips moved again, producing a monotone, resolute sound, “…Leave.”

In the reflection, Duncan contemplated, “…You’re not telling me to leave your body; you want me to stay away from Frost?”

Belazov’s body remained silent. The theoretically dead body still stood erect, refusing to obey the order to return to Frost.

“…You’re the first to resist—or at least, the first whose resistance was strong enough for me to perceive,” Duncan said calmly, “But you should understand that this feeble resistance is futile. You’re merely hastening the consumption of your soul, and at most, this would only delay me by a few moments.”

Belazov remained silent, standing as if he were already deceased—but within his half-opened eyes, a faint glimmer of lingering light persisted.

“…I retract my previous statement; your resistance does have meaning,” Duncan sighed after a moment of silence, “Rest assured, I am not an enemy of Frost—I am here to aid your city-state and your people.”

He then fell silent for a few seconds, gazing at the still-standing body. Finally, after brief reflection, he whispered, “Reinforcements have arrived.”

Belazov’s body swayed slightly then. Perhaps Duncan’s words had truly taken effect, or perhaps the obstinate, lingering soul had finally vanished entirely. The sturdy body looked up at the distant city lights one last time before falling backward.

The weak resistance had vanished as Duncan sat up and adjusted the charred strips of cloth on his body.

A swirling flame suddenly materialized beside him, accompanied by the sound of wings flapping from the vortex created by the flames. Then a large skeletal bird burst forth from the vortex, circling above the nearby sea surface.

Almost simultaneously, the voice of the goat head entered Duncan’s mind: “There was no real need to ‘negotiate’ with him—that was merely a frail mortal soul.”

“Weak, yet worthy of respect,” Duncan said as he extended his hand to the side. Ai immediately flew to his side, and the blazing green flames transformed into a doorway, rising beside him. “I’m heading to Frost, which will be my main focus. You’ll be responsible for the Vanished. Also, tell Alice to prepare some bandages and a coat, and be ready for my command at any moment.”

The spiritual flames erupted, and Duncan’s body fused with the fire. In the next instant, they transformed into the ascending flames beside Ai. Then, a meteor-like streak of light shot into the sky from the sea, flying directly towards Frost.

…

Simultaneously, in the warm southern seas, the elven-governed technological city-state of “Wind Harbor” was situated.

It was still the middle of the night, and the majority of the city lay enveloped in darkness. However, on the eastern edge of Wind Harbor, a hazy and warm glow illuminated all the buildings and streets. Elegant pointed towers and houses with high ridges, characteristic of elven architecture, seemed to bask in a rosy radiance. The hanging vines between the houses and the trees growing in narrow spaces appeared lush in the light.

This dreamlike scene could easily evoke memories of ancient times described in elven texts, filled with tales of forests and fantasies.

This unusual scene was not a natural part of the cityscape. The warm glow enveloping the eastern district emanated from the sea near Wind Harbor.

A mountainous, endlessly shining geometric structure floated serenely near the elven city-state. Although its largest boundary was still over ten nautical miles away from the city, the marvelous glow it emitted was sufficient to affect nearly half the city.

At the edge of the colossal geometric structure was a temporary research facility established by the city-state authorities—a massive floating-like port floated on the calm sea, with its edge’s power device spewing steam and smoke into the sky. Complex mechanical work towers loaded and unloaded cargo ships docked at the port, and small speedboats constantly shuttled between the floating base and the glowing geometric structure, working tirelessly.

These small speedboats entered the glowing geometric structure to transport personnel, supplies, or exchange vital information with research vessels near the “core stone sphere.”

All these intricate, bustling, and efficient processes were calculated and coordinated by the enormous steam-powered differential engine at the center of the floating base.

At that moment, a “magic battleship” with a completely different style from the local vessels was docked next to the elven-built floating base.

It was the ship of the “Sea Witch” Lucretia, the Bright Star.

The clockwork doll, Luni, walked briskly onto the upper deck of the Bright Star, where her mistress stood on the deck, gazing at the beautiful and elaborate tower at the center of the sea base.

“Mistress,” Luni approached Lucretia from behind and bowed slightly, “Scholar Taran El’s research team has returned from the vicinity of the ‘core stone sphere’ and is currently resting at the base. When do you plan to meet with him?”

“In the afternoon,” Lucretia replied without turning her head. “Let the elven scholar rest for a while. Ever since we towed this glowing object to Wind Harbor, he hasn’t had much rest. I’m genuinely concerned he might collapse on my ship.”

Clockwork doll Luni considered for a moment: “We can meet him at the sea base without having him board the ship.”

Lucretia: “…Luni.”

“Yes?”

“Your sense of humor has improved.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

The corner of Lucretia’s mouth twitched, and she looked once more at the central tower of the base. The pressure release pipes on both sides of the tower were currently spewing out mist, indicating that the differential machine’s power device was automatically balancing the overall load. It seemed that Master Taran El had indeed brought back a wealth of valuable information this time.

“The elves truly possess remarkable mathematical and mechanical abilities. Bringing that object to Wind Harbor was the right decision,” Lucretia sighed softly. “Only here could such a large-scale research team be organized at any time, and such high-level facilities be provided.”

“Mok could also do it,” Luni said. “After all, it is the headquarters of the Academy of Truth. The number of scholars and research conditions there are even better than here.”

“It’s too far away and too close to the central seas. I don’t intend to let the Bright Star tow a massive ‘extraterrestrial object’ through the main shipping routes. It would disturb the inland city-states that haven’t experienced much turbulence,” Lucretia shook her head. “Not to mention that the Church of the Four Gods is speculating that it’s a fragment that fell off from Vision 001. Objects of this caliber… It’s better to study them on the outskirts of civilization.”

Luni thought for a moment and bowed slightly: “Your judgment is well-reasoned.”

Lucretia had no reaction to the clockwork maid’s compliment, silently contemplating other matters. However, suddenly, it seemed as if she sensed something, and her expression changed slightly.

“I need to step away for a moment. My brother is looking for me.”

With that, the “Sea Witch” transformed into a flurry of colorful confetti, swirling across the deck like a whirlwind, and spiraling through an open window in the distance, returning to the captain’s quarters.

In the center of the captain’s quarters, the intricate lens and crystal ball device on the table began to emit a faint glow and a continuous, slight vibrating sound.

Lucretia’s figure emerged from the colorful confetti. She walked over to the crystal device, raised her hand, and activated the image within the crystal ball.

The face of the “Iron Admiral” Tyrian appeared inside, and the background behind him seemed to be different from the familiar room she usually saw.

“Brother?” Lucretia furrowed her brow, not immediately noticing the background behind him. “Why are you suddenly looking for me?”

Tyrian smiled enigmatically, “Can you guess where I am?”