In the captain's cabin on the forecastle of the Dawn's Voice,
Arka and the others sat around the round wooden table in the center of the cabin, seemingly discussing something.
They had been in this port city for several days, and through various sources, they had a general understanding of the area.
Arka lay before him a map, and he studied it. A large brown earth tile appeared before him, and on the round table, sand and stones converged to form an undulating sand table.
The reason he could reconstruct so much information from the map was because Arka had actually seen this type of sand table in the city and had copied it exactly.
With the sand table, he could gain a more intuitive understanding of the entire area.
After completing the sand table, Arka pointed to the lower left corner of the map. There, a small stone model of a city was located.
"This is where we're staying. The demonic zone is generally located in this area."
Alka drew a crooked boundary line in the central depression.
"Legend has it that this depression is the world's wound. It's this wound that completely weakened the world's body and its barriers, allowing demons and all manner of monsters to easily reach this place."
In other words, this island, or continent, was originally a single piece, but the wound created a gap running from the center to the edge. The ocean current filled this gap, forming a channel to the sea.
"And this boundary line is a long wall. The wall and various fortresses completely enclose this area."
Juanlu looked at the map. "You mean, this wall completely encloses the entire demonic border?"
Alka nodded. Although it sounded exaggerated, it was indeed the truth.
A wall encircling the entire area is like a wall encircling a country's border—absurd.
"Then it certainly wasn't built by humans,"Sofia said after a quick calculation. It was simply unrealistic.
"Indeed, it's said to be constructed with treasures, and the work of the Seed of Life and the Church of the Holy Mother."
If it were a joint effort of the two churches, that would make sense.
Because the various abilities of these two churches, as well as the powers of their gods, are all somewhat connected to the earth and soil.
"But that doesn't mean it's safe within the walls. In this area, anywhere outside the city isn't particularly safe.
Because many demons in this vulnerable area can reach various parts of the continent through methods like rituals or portals.
However, these demons are relatively small in number and unlikely to emerge in large numbers. Compared to the demons emerging from the world's wound, they're insignificant, and it's difficult for them to occupy a large area. Most will be annihilated upon exposure," Alka said.
He waved his hand again, and city markers appeared on the map one after another.
They could see that there were four port cities, similar to the one they were currently in, all located far from the borders of the Devil's Gap.
This was the passageway connecting them to the outside world. Most supplies would arrive here and then be transported to other locations.
After all, this place was so chaotic, you couldn't expect to grow any edible crops. Even if you did, they wouldn't survive more than two generations before being contaminated by the Abyss and various strange auras, transforming into strange and even highly poisonous things.
Road after road stretched from the city all the way to the city walls.
These were the "transfusion tubes."
"Only around these transport routes is it considered safe. The rest of the world is filled with demons.
There are also various beasts driven wild by the aura of the abyss in this area, as well as various outside life forms that have sneaked in.
These unfriendly outside life forms, brought in through unregulated means, are either inherently hostile or essentially hostile."
"What do you mean by essentially hostile?" Pororo scratched his forehead, somewhat puzzled.
Innately hostile can be thought of as simply an evil faction, but what does this essentially mean?
Alka thought for a moment and explained, "For example, there's a tribe from the outside world who feeds on the flesh and blood of intelligent creatures and are attracted to the souls of novel, intelligent creatures."
"Okay, no need to explain, I understand."
Hearing this, Pororo understood what he meant.
Simply put, it's a hostile physical structure.
The crowd listened to Alka's explanation and looked at the sand table before them. Simply put, this is a very dangerous territory, with few safe areas.
Don't underestimate the vastness of the area occupied by the Four Gods, as most of it is unsafe.
It's just much safer than the areas occupied by demons.
"So what do we do now?" Lucilia asked.
They are currently only at the fifth stage, but their target is a demon with the power of the eighth stage.
He's also a devilishly cunning demon, not as reckless as other demons. Using tricks to steal their lives would be extremely difficult.
They arrived here prepared for a long battle.
And that's exactly what they planned.
They now have only two options.
One, improve their power to the perfection of the sixth stage, or the seventh stage before sailing out.
Two, stay here until they can completely defeat this demonic group.
Choosing the first option meant accepting the possibility of constant danger, even if they had already reached a level of strength sufficient to withstand the Devouring Mouth in the outside world.
After all, it was their opponent, and they had already prepared for it. The Devouring Mouth was trapped here like most demons here, but it was able to use its special abilities and other means to create a clone to wreak havoc in the outside world.
The death of its clone would only have a minor impact on it, and the strongest clone could only reach the sixth stage.
This cunning demon knew this, and he would undoubtedly use other methods to target Alka and his companions.
Weaken the strength of the stronger and launch sneak attacks using various insidious methods. No one could guarantee constant vigilance and perfect condition.
There were countless deadly methods for the weak to defeat the strong, and Alka and his companions didn't want to constantly be on guard against this demon's sudden appearance while sailing.
Furthermore, to achieve this, they must first raise their strength to the sixth or seventh stage.
This would take nearly another ten years.
During this time, they could either cultivate on a safe island, preferably one with a church, such as the Twin Islands.
Or they could come to the World Scar and face the Devouring Mouth directly. With its comprehensive defenses and experience, they could meditate and cultivate while fighting.
They could also use the treasures found in the ruins to strengthen their strength.
This was their choice, because regardless of the first or second option, they had to arrive here.
The duration of their stay was a matter of time.
"We must first reach the Anti-Magic Wall through a safe transport channel, and reach this fortress first."
Alka said, drawing a circle in one direction of the wall.
There was a fortress there, a node in the wall.
Without waiting for anyone to ask, Arka explained, "According to reports, Grayfar, the Demon Hunter Judge, is currently in this fortress. I have a treasure I borrowed from him and need to return it."
Everyone nodded at this, having almost forgotten about the matter.
"But this time, not everyone needs to go. Let's split into two teams."
Everyone stared at Arka. Some were confused as to why, as there was nothing they needed to do that would require them to separate.
This place isn't safe; staying together would allow them to handle most problems.
Arka waved his hand gently, and an area popped up on the sand table.
"While I'm gone, you can map this area. Then, learn more about it, perhaps find out about the ruins or something."
Everyone looked at the area on the sand table. It was approximately 200 kilometers from the giant stone port where they were currently standing.
It was quite close. Well, this place is considered a wilderness. There aren't any gathering places around, and it's quite far from safe transportation routes.
But since Alka has already mentioned this and requested a map of this area, the meaning is clear.
"And this is also an opportunity. If you want my life, or if you want to harm you, now is the best time.
We can understand the extent of his capabilities in this area based on how he responds to our current situation.
After that, we'll have a better way to target him."
Alka expressed his thoughts at this point.
Everyone started chatting among themselves about this idea, but I didn't object.
"The Heart of Vastva will also be in your custody for the time being," Alka said, and a crystal sphere floated out of his body and placed on the table.
"Why?" Sofia asked, somewhat puzzled.
Alka looked at Lucelia and asked, "You should have sensed it, too. Although this area is extremely chaotic, the spatial aspect is surprisingly solid.
Long-distance teleportation is only possible through suspected or special means. Teleporting freely over long distances like in the outside world is extremely difficult and carries significant risks."
Lucelia nodded, indeed.
"Since we're dealing with the Devouring Mouth, we must also ensure certain safety measures.
Although the spatial aspect has become very solid, the presence of the Vastva Star would make it easy to open portals into the space. It's not about long-distance teleportation; I've tried it before.
This will provide you with sufficient safety in the event of danger."
Clearly, the epidemic prevention measures here are aimed at the demons, preventing them from wreaking havoc within the city walls. Hearing this, Sofia looked at Alka and said, "What about you?"
At this moment, Alka smiled, and a mirror appeared in his hand. The scenery within the mirror then changed, transforming into a dreamlike scene.
"Although the space here has become more stable, the connection to the dream world remains unchanged. I can use the mirror to connect to the dream world and teleport or evade.
It's more convenient than using Vastva, but it's the only way I can use it."
Furthermore, the space in this area is so stable that the spatial abilities associated with the Vastva Star will also be weakened. Carrying this treasure or not will not have much impact on Alka.
After listening to Alka's explanation, Sofia nodded. This is indeed a good method.
He directly took the Vastva Star.
"Then it's settled. We'll leave now. A transport convoy will be heading to the Magic Wall soon."
Arka stood up, said goodbye to everyone, and left the Voice of Dawn.
Acting decisively and swiftly.
......
Traveling through the port and the city, Arka arrived at the wall of Stone Harbor.
Here was a huge warehouse where a convoy had already stopped, loaded with a variety of supplies.
Looking at the vehicle used to transport supplies, Arka knew it was definitely a product of the Church of the Holy Machine.
It had a structure similar to a truck, but unlike a truck, it lacked a front.
Simply put, it was a single carriage, operating independently.
Like a vehicle, its four wheels were fixed to the four corners, making it look incredibly simple.
But looking at the mechanical structure and the incantations, it was clear that it would definitely work.
And it was also very sturdy.
There were a total of twelve such transport vehicles, lined up in a long line, each loaded to the brim with supplies.
And this was just the supplies bound for a specific fortress via a secure transport route. Alka had heard of such transport convoys; there were several each day, each heading in a different direction.
This was enough to show how many soldiers were defending the fortress.
Alka also clearly saw that the packaging bags of these supplies bore the marks of the Holy Mother Church and the Seed of Life.
This indicated that these supplies were jointly provided by the two churches.
This shipment was likely to consist entirely of food and medicinal herbs.
For the Holy Mother Church, a bountiful harvest was a common occurrence, while the Seed of Life Church could provide a wide variety of food and supplies.
Both churches possessed formidable logistical capabilities, as even their deities possessed such authority.
In addition to these 12 vehicles, there were also guards of at least 20 men on either side.
Arka took a look at these guards and found them quite interesting. They wore relatively light armor, presumably for ease of movement, given their long journey.
In one hand, they held a long spear, but behind their backs, Arka saw a weapon resembling a rock-shaking spear.
Arka knew them well enough; they were transport guards, specifically assigned to transport various supplies.
Their duty was to protect the transport of supplies and they would not engage in combat on the front lines, though they would go if needed.
In addition to these 20 guards and necessary personnel, there were also many others accompanying the transport team.
The front lines weren't just filled with soldiers.
Among them were mercenaries, demon hunters, and a host of others whose purpose was unclear.
Although it was a safe passage, there were still some unexpected situations. It was safer to travel together.
Alka, like the others, stood beside the vehicle, waiting for the convoy to depart.
As for the transport convoy, they were essentially very welcome to have these people along.
As for whether some outsiders might sneak in, as long as they weren't on the side of the demons, it was fine.
And no one dared to actually take these supplies. They would be facing the Church of the Four Gods. No one in their right mind would offend all four gods in the Infinite Sea.
Furthermore, there were countless powerful figures here. To cause trouble in such a place would be tantamount to offending the entire world.
"Get ready, we're leaving!"
A slightly portly middle-aged man, who seemed to be the leader of the convoy, stood in front.
The man in light armor waved his hand.
Then, twelve transport vehicles started up simultaneously and began to move towards the main gate in a straight formation.
Though the main gate was open, few people came and went. After all, no one would venture out without some strength.
As the transport vehicles started, Alka followed the people he was traveling with, following around or behind them.
The convoy's speed wasn't fast, roughly the speed of a normal adult running.
For Alka and his companions, a few quick steps would easily keep up.
If Alka had traveled alone, taking a safe route, it would have taken less time.
But he felt that following the convoy would make it easier to understand the situation.
After walking for a while, the group, who were initially relatively unfamiliar with each other, began to chat from time to time, a way to get to know each other and pass the time during the journey.
"Young man, this is your first time here, right?" a bald man dressed as a mercenary asked Alka, looking at him.
Next to the bald mercenary was his companion.
Alka nodded. "Yes, I've only just arrived."
"You've just arrived. Are you heading to the front lines? If so, you can join us. Or are you planning to join the army?"
The bald mercenary asked curiously.
After all, it's a war to protect the world and resist demons, so many people call it a holy war.
It sounds very fitting.
Since it's called a holy war, you know that people from all over the world are volunteering to fight here, and there are also mercenaries like them.
After all, so many major forces have bases here, and there are many job opportunities here.
Participating in the holy war on their own, killing demons as a mercenary, or joining the army are all ways to participate in the holy war.
"No, I just want to learn about this place and find someone."
After hearing Alka's simple explanation, the bald mercenary nodded without further questioning.
Instead, he began to speak to himself: "My brothers and I are just ordinary mercenaries, paid to kill demons here.
You know, some of the materials found on demons are very valuable. While these demons are certainly powerful, who wouldn't want to be without money?"
At this point, the mercenary smiled and said, "Meet me, my name is Putuo. I'm the captain of this mercenary team, and these are my teammates."
The team members behind him also smiled at Alka, as a greeting.
"My name is Alka, and I'm a treasure hunter, I guess."
Hearing that Alka was a treasure hunter, Putuo nodded in sudden realization.
There was no shortage of treasure hunters seeking treasure in this area either. Although they were far fewer in number than these mercenary soldiers, they could still be seen from time to time.
Furthermore, many renowned treasure-hunting teams had also departed from this area, so seeing treasure hunters here was honestly not uncommon.
"May you find enough wealth here to last you the rest of your life," Putuo said with a smile.
"You too, may the Virgin Mary bless you with safety in the war," Alka smiled, crossing his arms.
Seeing this gesture, Putuo quickly returned the greeting.
It had to be said that the gesture was quite standard, and as Alka performed it, she could sense the emanation of his faith in the Virgin Mary. It was faint, but better than nothing.
Putuo smiled and said, "I didn't expect you were a believer in the Virgin Mary Church."
It didn't quite match the treasure hunters.
They chatted casually, occasionally chatting with other people from their group, and Alka had become somewhat familiar with them.
Aside from the two demon hunters, who continued their journey in silence, the others didn't bother them.
Even the guards at the front would occasionally chat with them.
The atmosphere between them was quite pleasant.