The night in Trullinczentyr was deep, the spires of the Twin Towers vanishing into the darkness.
Lacey had returned to his study, closing the final report on the reconstruction of the industrial belt in Northern Ursus. Empress Vina pushed the door open and entered, holding a steaming cup of black tea. She placed the cup by Lacey's hand but did not leave immediately. Instead, she stood quietly behind him, her gaze falling upon the map before him.
The vast northern territories of Ursus and Sami were circled with a red marker. Several arrows pointed toward the endless ice fields even further north—a blank space representing the unknown.
"Is it about Ursus again?" Vina asked softly.
She had already delegated full administrative authority of Victoria to the Duke of Windermere, choosing to remain in Trullinczentyr to accompany Lacey. Yet, she found that victory in the war had not brought this man a moment of peace. He was busier than ever, frequently holding secret meetings with Gertrude and sitting alone in his study until late at night.
"Just some finishing touches." Lacey turned around, wearing his usual gentle smile, trying to reassure her. "The integration of the northern industrial system takes time, and there are still some hidden old noble factions that need clearing out."
Vina was not persuaded by his words. She walked around the desk and stood before him, her hands resting lightly on his shoulders. "Lacey, you have established unprecedented achievements. Why can you not rest, even for a little while?" Her fingertips could feel the stiffness in his shoulder muscles. "You are always looking at the map of the North recently. Those red markers... they aren't military deployments, are they? I asked General Taylor, and he knows nothing about them."
Lacey's smile froze for a moment. He took Vina's hands; they were somewhat cold. He wrapped her hands in his palms, trying to transfer some warmth.
"Vina, there are some things I must handle personally. It concerns the long-term stability of the Empire."
"Then tell me."
Vina gazed into his eyes. Deep within those pupils that had once made her feel so secure, there now hid a heaviness she could not understand. "Whatever it is, we will face it together. I am your Empress, and I am your wife."
Lacey fell silent. He could not speak. The characteristic of the Demons—Cognition is Power. This meant that any form of informing her would be increasing the enemy's strength. He could not share this burden, one heavy enough to crush an entire civilization, with anyone—especially not the person he cherished most. Once Vina knew, fear and cognition would become a bridge for the Demons to invade her mind. He could only choose to evade.
Lacey stood up, pulling Vina to the piano in the corner of the study. He sat down, lifted the cover, and his slender fingers danced lightly over the black and white keys.
A short, sorrowful melody flowed forth. It was a piece he had written in his youth, filled with confusion and longing for the future. The sound was gentle, yet it carried a lingering melancholy that could not be dispelled. Vina listened quietly. She knew that Lacey was using music to tell her that there were words he could not say.
She asked no more, simply leaning silently against his back, feeling his body temperature and the momentary tranquility brought by the music. When the song ended, the study fell into silence once again.
"It is late. Go and rest," Lacey said, closing the piano cover.
Vina nodded, took a deep look at him, turned, and left the study.
When Vina's footsteps completely vanished at the end of the corridor, the warmth on Lacey's face faded rapidly. He returned to his desk and took out several pre-written letters from a locked drawer.
The first was for Gertrude. The letter detailed the activation process for the highest emergency protocols, and how to use the harshest means to maintain the Empire's stability after he lost contact. He granted her the power of arbitrary decision-making and left a charge: "Gertrude, the you of the past hungered for power. Now, I temporarily hand the authority to you. Do not disappoint me, and do not disappoint the people. Become the iron fist of the Empire until I return, or... until the new era requires a new leader."
The second was for Jian. The content was brief: "Jian, Vina's safety is entrusted to you. Protect her as you protect Leithanien."
The third was for Serafina. On the stationery, his handwriting became much softer. "Serafina, I entrust the soul of the Empire—those budding hopes, those children reading aloud in the schools—to you. Please continue to use your gentleness and wisdom to water this land. Thank you for your company all this way; you are the kindest Liberi I have ever met."
And letters for Taylor, Meklen, Leinia, Herlinmarte... He had set the trajectory for the massive machine of the Empire for the next several years, ensuring that even if it lost him—the core gear—the machine would still run smoothly.
He knew deeply that he had to proceed alone. The warnings of Flemont and the Witch King's notes still rang in his ears. To oppose the concept of "Nothingness," one could not rely on armies, nor on a torrent of steel, but only on a sufficiently powerful, sufficiently cohesive concept of "Existence."
And he, Lacey, the sole candidate carrying the unprecedentedly grand concept of the "Terra Community," had to personally become the anchor wedged into the Barrens. Any entourage, no matter how powerful, would have their cognition become coordinates for the Demons, ultimately leading to the failure of the entire plan.
Having done all this, Lacey stood up and walked to the window. Outside was the sleeping Trullinczentyr, the heart of the Empire he had built with his own hands. He took off the Emperor's uniform that symbolized supreme power and changed into a set of plain, durable traveler's clothes.
The person in the mirror was no longer the Emperor of the Third Holy Leithanien Empire, but just an ordinary person about to go on a long journey—Lacey. He brought no weapons, nor any guards. The glory and power, the wealth and majesty of the Empire, were all left behind in this palace.
The first rays of morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, shining on Vina's face. She slowly opened her eyes; the bed beside her was cold. A strong sense of unease gripped her heart. She rose immediately and looked around; Lacey had not returned to the bedroom last night.
On the dressing table, an envelope stood quietly, bearing handwriting she knew all too well—To Vina. Her fingertips trembled slightly as she opened the letter. The content was not long; it did not explain where he had gone, nor did it mention who the enemy was, but every line revealed a sense of finality and heavy mission.
"Vina, when you read this letter, I will have already embarked on my journey. Do not worry about me, and do not look for my trail. I am going to face an ancient shadow shrouding Terra, a threat that only I can end. I temporarily entrust the glory and burden of the Empire to you. Trust the path I have paved for you, and trust those companions to whom I have entrusted the future. Our ideals, everything we have built together, rely on your protection. Wait for me. I will return with victory."
Tears finally slid down uncontrollably, dripping onto the paper and blurring the ink. Vina covered her mouth, stopping herself from crying out loud. She finally understood what a heavy destiny Lacey was shouldering alone.
The grief surged like a tide, but it lasted only for a moment. Vina wiped her tears, and an unprecedented strength rose from the bottom of her heart. Her husband was fighting a lone battle; she could not wallow in weakness. She carefully folded the letter and put it away close to her body. The woman in the mirror had red-rimmed eyes, but her gaze had become incomparably firm.
Half an hour later, an emergency Imperial Cabinet meeting was convened in the Council Hall. Vina, dressed in solemn Empress ceremonial attire, sat at the head seat.
"Everyone, I hereby announce that His Imperial Majesty the Emperor departed early this morning to the Northern Border of Ursus to execute a top-secret mission concerning the foundation of the Empire. During the mission, I shall act with the Emperor's authority and handle all Imperial affairs."
As soon as her words fell, a suppressed commotion rang out in the conference room. But before anyone could raise questions, Minister of Intelligence Gertrude stood up. She was expressionless, holding a stack of documents in her hand.
"I hereby confirm Her Majesty the Empress's directive. This is the 'Temporary Transfer of Supreme Power Act' personally signed by His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, notarized by the Ministry of Justice. The Act stipulates that during the period His Imperial Majesty executes the secret plan, Empress Vina possesses the supreme ruling power of the Empire. All Cabinet members must unconditionally obey the Empress's orders."
Gertrude's voice instantly suppressed all discussion. Immediately after, Minister of War Taylor, Minister of Finance Leinia, Minister of Economy Meklen... all core Cabinet members stood up in turn, indicating they had long received the Emperor's orders and swearing allegiance to Empress Vina's temporary rule.
A transfer of power that could have triggered violent upheaval in any empire proceeded without a ripple under Lacey's arrangement. The nobles and officials present realized only then that the young Emperor had already calculated everything to the extreme. His authority had penetrated every corner of the Empire; no one could shake it.
Vina looked at the orderly scene before her, her heart weaving together longing and admiration for Lacey.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away on the Sami Icefield, Lacey was trudging with difficulty. The bone-chilling wind scraped his face like a knife, and heaven and earth were left with nothing but a vast expanse of pure white. The intense temperature difference and thin air would be fatal to anyone accustomed to a privileged life. But Lacey's body, under the blessing of [United We Stand], had long surpassed the limits of a mortal.
The beliefs of hundreds of millions gathered upon him, allowing him to withstand this harsh natural environment. Here, he was not an Emperor, but a lonely traveler. This pure sense of solitude, conversely, made his mind more focused.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, a blizzard descended without warning. Visibility instantly dropped to less than a meter. Within the wind and snow, several blurred figures appeared quietly, as if walking out of the white void itself. They were draped in heavy white fur, their faces painted with ancient totems, holding staves made of ice crystals and beast bones.
They were the Snow Priests of Sami, the oldest guardians of this icefield. Leading them was an old woman. Her face was covered in the gullies of age, but those eyes were as clear as the water beneath a glacier. She showed no hostility, simply observing Lacey quietly.
"Traveler who gathers the wishes of the myriad, the whispers of the earth have long announced your arrival."
Lacey was somewhat surprised, but quickly relieved. "I need to go to the settlement of the Cyclopes," Lacey stated his purpose directly.
The old woman nodded, seeming not the least bit surprised. "The 'One Who Sees Through Falsehood' is waiting for you. Please, follow us."
The Snow Priests turned, guiding a path for Lacey through the blizzard. They passed through what seemed to be an illusionary ice wall and entered an underground cavern. Warm air rushed over him; the inner walls of the cavern grew moss that emitted a faint light, illuminating the place as bright as day. This was the hidden sanctuary of the Sami Snow Priests.
Passing through a long tunnel, they arrived at a more open cave. Dozens of Sarkaz people, with the pattern of a closed eye in the center of their foreheads, sat cross-legged. They were the descendants of the most mysterious Sarkaz clan in legend—the Cyclops Royal Court.
A figure stood up from among them and walked toward Lacey. It was a woman, slightly taller than an average person. The eye pattern on her forehead was clearer than the others, as if it would open at any moment.
"I am Phanoptes, the current Lord of the Cyclops Royal Court," she introduced herself first. "We have been waiting for you for a long time, King who carries the concept of Terra."
"You know why I have come," Lacey said.
"Yes," Phanoptes was straightforward. "That old fellow Flemont could only tell you the surface, but we are the warriors who have truly fought them for hundreds of years."
She signaled Lacey to sit and began to recount the deepest secrets that had been thoroughly sealed away from the world of Terra.
"The Demons originate from Subspace, a dimension of 'Nothingness.' Their goal is to dissolve 'Existence.' They want to completely erase the reality of Terra, from physics to concepts, returning it to nothingness. The Star Gate is their channel of invasion, but the Star Gate itself is not the key. Destroying a Star Gate will only cause them to permeate through the fissures of time, causing even more undetectable erosion. It is like trying to plug a breach in a dam; the result is only pressure venting from more invisible places."
"We, the Cyclops clan, can only barely resist the erosion of the Demons. But our power is ultimately limited; we can only protect ourselves. The Emperor's Blade of Ursus is a similar case, using the national concept of 'Ursus' as a barrier, but these are all too fragile."
Phanoptes looked at Lacey. Her gaze seemed to penetrate his body, seeing the golden light behind him gathered from billions of wills. "But you, Your Majesty Lacey, you have achieved a great deed that even the Witch King never completed. You did not gather the concept into yourself, but turned yourself into a carrier of the concept. The Terra Community you established is not a tower of one person, but a grand concept forged jointly by the hopes, ideals, culture, and history of countless people. Its stability far exceeds our imagination. Only you can construct a Terra that never falls within the Barrens, becoming the ultimate barrier against 'Nothingness.'"
Having said this, Phanoptes extended a finger and tapped it lightly against the center of Lacey's brow. In an instant, an endless torrent of information flooded Lacey's mind.
He saw how, in twisted reality, the Cyclopes used firm cognition to anchor a rock so it would not be dissolved. He felt how the memetic pollution of the Demons seeped in through cracks in the will, turning fear into reality. He learned how to condense his own concept into a weapon to sever the tentacles the enemy extended toward reality.
When he opened his eyes again, his gaze had changed.
"Thank you."
Lacey stood up and nodded to Phanoptes and all the Cyclopes.
"Go, King." Phanoptes's voice carried respect. "Go and complete your mission. We will be here, guarding the final door to the real world for you."
After leaving the Cyclops settlement, Lacey continued north. The deeper he went, the more bizarre the surrounding environment became. The sky took on a sickly purple-gray hue, and the ice and snow beneath his feet were no longer pure white but shimmered with faint spots of light. A low hum came from all directions, constantly teasing the edges of his sanity. This was the fringe zone where reality and the Barrens intersected.
Soon, he encountered the first wave of enemies. They "grew" out of the twisted snow, resembling flowing puddles of shadow. They maintained vague humanoid shapes, with limbs long, thin, and jointed backward, but the most terrifying part was their faces. There were no features, only a constantly rotating void vortex, with a black dot in the center that swallowed all light, like an eye staring into the abyss.
Collapsals. Beings whose concepts had been dissolved after being polluted by the Demons.
They discovered Lacey, the intruder. In an instant, countless malicious mental whispers flooded Lacey's mind.
*"Loneliness... Abandoned... Your kingdom has forgotten you..."
"Fear... Death... You will be completely erased, leaving no trace..."
"Meaningless... Everything you do will return to nothingness..."
These were attacks directed straight at the soul, attempting to plant the seeds of fear in Lacey's heart. For any being with a crack in their mind, this would be irresistible erosion. Once fear was generated, the Demons could instantly complete the assimilation.
However, these whispers crashed against Lacey's consciousness like hitting an invisible wall.
Loneliness? Behind him lay the expectations of billions.
Fear? He had long since disregarded life and death.
Meaningless? Everything he guarded was the greatest meaning of this battle.
A layer of faint golden halo emerged around his body, shutting out all mental pollution.
[United We Stand!]
The Collapsals shrieked. They could not understand why the creature before them remained unmoved by their attacks. One Collapsal lunged, its sharp claws slashing toward Lacey's neck. But the moment it touched that layer of golden halo, its body instantly dissolved, leaving not even a speck of ash.
This scene threw the other Collapsals into chaos. They instinctively felt fear—fear of this "existence" they could not understand, could not pollute. Lacey did not stop. He walked straight through the horde of monsters. Any Collapsal that came within three meters of him turned into nothingness without exception. Wherever he passed, the erosion was temporarily forced back, and even the twisted ice and snow resumed their normal forms.
After some time, he finally reached the deepest part of the icefield. An indescribable rift appeared between heaven and earth. It was an irregular door-shaped fissure, as if the sky had been torn open. Through the rift, one could see the chaotic, disordered, anti-logical Subspace behind it.
The Star Gate.
And at the core of the Star Gate, an indescribable existence was slowly pulsating. It was a massive sphere resembling a starry sky, with countless waving dark tentacles extending from its edges. In the center of the sphere was a structure of pure black hole, looking like an eye.
An infinite echoing... Cresong.
Merely gazing at it, Lacey felt his existence being diluted. His memories, his emotions, all his characteristics as the individual "Lacey" were being pulled and dissolved by an invisible force. This was the essential ability of the Demons: the erasure of reality's concepts.
But Lacey did not retreat. He closed his eyes, no longer using vision to observe the other party, but using his entire existence to perceive. He activated [United We Stand].
In an instant, golden light shot up from his body to the sky, turning into a massive curtain that shrouded a radius of several kilometers. Within this light, countless illusions emerged:
Ursus farmers joyfully sowing seeds on their own land;
Victorian children reciting poetry in the Leithanien language at public schools;
Siracusan artisans reviving family glory supported by Imperial orders;
Kazimierz knights fighting to protect civilians on the border...
The will of the entire Terra Community, everyone's love and hate, hopes and dreams, technological progress, cultural blending—all gathered upon Lacey in this moment.
"In the name of Terra!"
Lacey let out a roar. He condensed this massive concept representing civilization and order, formed by the will of billions of living beings, into an invisible shockwave and slammed it ruthlessly against the Demon body within the Star Gate.
BOOM—!*
Cresong's massive starry sphere trembled violently. Its power of nothingness, capable of dissolving everything, faced direct resistance for the first time before the majestic torrent of Terra's civilization, and was even suppressed.
The Demon's body emitted a fluctuation representing pain and anger, and its colossal form began to shrink uncontrollably deeper into the Star Gate. But Lacey knew that as long as the Star Gate remained, as long as the threat of Subspace existed, the Demons would one day return. He could not leave such a hidden danger for Terra.
He made the choice he had decided on long ago.
In this instant, he actively stripped away all his personal emotions and memories. The longing for his parents, the concern for his friends, the hatred for his enemies, all regrets, all joys... He left these things belonging to the person "Lacey" entirely behind in Terra, within that golden curtain, as the last line of defense guarding the real world.
He abandoned his humanity, transforming himself thoroughly into a pure incarnation of the "Terra Community" concept. At the moment the Demon Cresong was about to fully retreat into Subspace, Lacey hesitated not at all, leaping into the Star Gate connecting the two dimensions.
He would chase it inside. In the "Barrens," he would build a lighthouse that never fell for Terra. Using his own existence, he would nail these monsters from another dimension into their lair forever.
The Star Gate snapped shut behind him, and the torn sky returned to its original state. On the icefield, only the golden halo transformed from Lacey's memories and emotions remained, shining quietly in the wind and snow, like an eternal promise.
The Emperor of Terra had vanished.
But the hope of Terra would live forever.
________________________________________
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