Sword of Dawnbreaker

Chapter 590 - 589: Distant Communication

The roar of construction machinery echoed on the site, with workers busy among numerous machines, building materials, and scaffolding. Under the power of mechanics, a large open area has been leveled and reinforced with elemental spells for the foundation. A roughly octagonal base framework is gradually taking shape, within which Elven Mage Bannar was instructing workers on how to connect those prefab rune triggers to the alloy-made skeleton.

The rune trigger technology from the Cecil Clan was a surprise to this mage. By utilizing the precision and power of machines, the repetitive parts of the complex rune array could be mass-produced and prepared in a short time. Coupled with the connection framework called "rune skeleton," the speed at which the Cecil Clan builds magic circles is astonishing. The most time-consuming and labor-intensive processes in various magic facilities are instead the most time-saving and effortless parts in the Cecil Clan’s construction procedures.

Most importantly, the "rune trigger" itself is a highly versatile technology, and the elves’ runes can still be used.

Being selected into the "Cecil Stationed Group" is indeed a fortunate affair. It seems the engineering here will be completed earlier than anywhere else.

Beside the construction site of the sub-tower, on a platform raised above the ground, Sonia stood shoulder to shoulder with Gawain.

The Elven Messenger appeared quite worried: "You said those Followers of Oblivion are exploiting the breaches in the great walls to send signals into the wasteland?"

"That’s just our conjecture," Gawain nodded, saying, "We have intelligence indicating that the Oblivion Association has mastered a communication technology called ’Shadow Bridge’. This technology is very likely based on the breaches in the great walls. They’ve been stealing your signal to establish contact with somewhere - and as a dark sect limited to the northern continent, it’s not likely their signals are sent southward, hence it’s most likely sent into the wasteland."

"...If this is true, even the always gentle Queen Belsetia might be enraged," Sonia frowned, her tone filled with disbelief, "But those evil cult followers sending signals to the wasteland... who are they communicating with? Is it possible there are still living people on the Gondor wasteland?!"

As she spoke, she couldn’t help but look at the sentinel towers opposite the Pinnacle Base, gazing at the purple-black soil on the southern side of the sentinel towers, her vision full of incredulity.

On that entirely corrupted and twisted land, where life is extinct, only desolate ruins and barren earth remain, is there truly something responding to those fallen Druids? What on earth are they plotting on this wasteland?

For a moment, she even felt an impulse to cross the great walls to investigate the truth in that land of death.

But she forcibly suppressed this irrational thought, changed to a serious tone, and said, "Regardless of whether they are sending signals into the wasteland, their ’Shadow Bridge’ must have been abandoned with the stoppage of the great walls’ transmission mechanism. The urgent task now is to restore communication with the southern continent."

"On that note, our Magic Web Communication Terminal has been delivered. The Mage Technicians are debugging it based on the transmission keys you provided," Gawain said, "If Kamel’s modifications and designs work, we’ll be able to successfully send messages to the Silver Empire by sunset today."

Sonia looked at Gawain in astonishment: "That fast?!"

Gawain smiled slightly: "We have the best Arcane Masters, and the technology used by Cecil has always been ahead of traditional magical devices in terms of flexibility and developability."

He didn’t even mention that this communication device had been researched long before he set off - at that time, Sonia hadn’t realized the big issue facing the sentinel towers, yet he was already pinned on finding solutions through the great walls...

Fortunately, Sonia didn’t mind these details - to this high-ranked order messenger, getting in touch with her motherland as soon as possible was obviously more important.

Just as Gawain said, this temporary emergency communication system was finally debugged before the great sun sank below the horizon.

This Magic Web Communication Device was set up in the central command post of Pinnacle Base. To accommodate it, the technical personnel specially vacated an empty room for it.

When Sonia and Gawain arrived here, the Mage Technicians had already completed all installation and debugging work. The large room’s center placed the brand-new communication device from Cecil Castle, it was a mid-sized device, with a triangular base about half a meter high, a large projection crystal placed atop the base. Mysterious magical symbols flashed slightly on the metal components surrounding the crystal, and in the device’s vicinity, at the room’s four corners, four tall, half-meter square black rectangular pillars calmly sat on the ground.

Those four pillars were specially designed by Kamel, serving the function of "translating" the Magic Web Communication Device’s signals into those capable of being transmitted by the great walls. The device was completed days ago, but until recently, when the elves provided the communication keys for the great walls, it was really put to use.

"No matter how many times I see them, your magical technology is always so impressive," Sonia came to the center of the room by the Mage device, curiously watching those symbols blinking around the crystal, "Can it really replace the transmission matrix of the sentinel towers, sending signals southward?"

"Theoretically, it is feasible," Gawain nodded slightly, "Additionally, the devices in this room are not all of it - to connect the signal into the energy flow of the great walls, we’ve set up a high-power Magic Obelisk beside the sentinel towers’ base. The obelisk is now powered up, and we can start at any time."

...

Far in the southern continent, vast and endless over the Silver Forest’s sky, the Sacred Stars Temple cruises at low speed along its predetermined trajectory.

This flying sanctum gleams everywhere with a silver-white and pale golden metallic luster, shaped like a floating sanctuary. Its base enveloped in countless light flows and symbols slowly moved over the Silver Empire’s northern border, tracing a delicate arc, its upper level chambers facing the direction of the great walls, and sixteen sets of antenna arrays installed on the temple’s top quietly moved in the air, listening to every weak signal originating from the wasteland.

Inside the sanctum, in a silver-white metal hall, several alloy pillars with floating mysterious symbols were arranged neatly, with a dozen listening seats distributed around these pillars. Wind Speakers wearing unified attire focused intently on the holographic images in front of them.

Wind Speakers are the senior level of Wind Listeners, the latter’s responsibility is handling routine communication requests from the great walls, while the former’s job is monitoring all channels of the great walls, as well as processing abnormal signals transmitted by the great walls. Since the communication system of the great walls failed due to overload, Wind Listeners have had nothing to do for a long time, yet Wind Speakers still stand guard at their posts.

Though they also receive no communication signals, they must keep a tight watch here - once the self-repair of the sentinel towers finishes, communication restores, they must report to the Queen forthwith.

Then summon the Wind Speakers back to work (no error).

Today’s monitoring channels remain calm, with only meaningless white noise in all the signals returned by the antennas.

A male elf with short golden hair sighed slightly: "It seems the sentinel towers won’t be restored anytime soon... I wonder how the messenger teams going north are doing."

The long-haired male elf beside him turned his head: "The latest message indicates that the human nations have already started preparing to repair the great barrier; by now, they should have begun."

"Hopefully, they can quickly get the most basic sub-tower facilities up and running, so that the sentinel towers can self-repair a bit faster," the short-haired elf said, "It’s hard to endure these days with the northern communication cut off."

"I heard your daughter is in the north?" A female elf nearby overheard the conversation and couldn’t help but interject.

It was already nearing the shift handover time, and even the elves would feel somewhat relaxed.

"Yes, she fell in love with a human and didn’t come back," the short-haired elf said helplessly, "I can’t persuade her; let her be."

"How do I remember it was two hundred years ago?" the female elf said with curiosity, "Wasn’t it said that she would come back after that human died of old age?"

The short-haired elf sighed: "Ah... it’s now her third human husband... or maybe the fourth? I don’t bother to keep track anymore."

"Look on the bright side, my friend," an elf at a slightly distant listening post also joined the casual conversation near shift change, "At least it’s better than the Frostleaf family’s situation. It is said that Sonia, the High-ranked Order Messenger, specifically applied to go to Anzu for this reason..."

The elves on the scene exchanged glances and smiled in understanding.

Someone sighed: "Even becoming a High-Ranked Ranger couldn’t escape a mother’s influence..."

The people of another race in the northern continent could hardly imagine that the mysterious and elegant elves would discuss such mundane topics like humans.

But the time for the "Wind Listeners" to chat was suddenly interrupted by a sudden sound of wind chimes ringing.

The ringing came from one of the listening posts, and at first, the Wind Listeners there thought it was a false alarm from the system—similar false alarms had happened three times in the past month, but soon, more listening posts reported the chimes, and the holographic projections displayed the detection of an unknown communication signal!

The Wind Listeners, who were ready for handover, were briefly taken aback, then all the elves forgot about the shift change and quickly returned to their posts.

"Tracking the signal..."

"Confirmed from the great walls, the last relay from Sentinel Tower No. 37! It’s an internal signal— but it doesn’t carry the sentinel towers’ cryptographic mark, it’s an unknown signal!"

"Tracking source... originated from Sentinel Tower No. 6! Northern continent!!"

"Signal strength is too weak—Lorraine, turn on the gain antennas, all gain antennas pointed at Sentinel Tower No. 37! Hurry, hurry; we’re receiving a signal from the north!"

Throughout the Sacred Stars Temple, the silver-white armor coverings, perfectly integrated between the spire towers and palace roofs, silently slid aside, and antenna devices with elegant curves rose from their hidden locations. They turned nimbly in the air, quickly pointing toward the Gondor wasteland.

Minutes later, a high-ranked elf, dressed in a light golden robe and wearing a floral crown, hurriedly made her way towards the core of the Sacred Stars Temple, Queen Belsetia’s chamber.

Belsetia was preparing to rest, assisted by an attendant, but she had already sensed the abnormal operation of the antenna array at the Sacred Stars Temple. Just as she was about to inquire, her confidant minister appeared before her, and she immediately stood up: "What has happened?"

"Your Majesty, the communication link of the great walls suddenly restored— the signal comes from the north. High-ranked Order Messenger Sonia and Human Duke Gawain Cecil wish to speak with you."

"Sonia and Duke Cecil..." Belsetia’s eyebrows involuntarily raised slightly, but she quickly inquired, "Wasn’t the communication function of the sentinel towers said to require at least until next spring to self-repair?"

"The signal wasn’t sent by the sentinel towers; it’s some kind of human communication technology," the regent lowered his head, "High-ranked Order Messenger Sonia indicated that an emergency situation occurred, and she had to agree to the humans establishing an emergency channel."

"... I understand," knowing Sonia’s principles, Belsetia didn’t dwell on the issue, she waved to dismiss the attendants and stepped forward, "Lead the way, transfer the communication to the main control room."

"Yes."