Mudblood

Tula Xiaye.

One of the six elemental temples that defend the Tower of All-Seeing, the Water Elemental Temple - Admiralty Building.

This building also showcases the glory and wealth of the Arcane Council. Standing at 196 meters tall with 31 floors, it is the headquarters of the Council 'Council naval forces. The building is understated and dignified, and looking up from below, it exudes an awe-inspiring majesty, just like the sea, where calm waters harbor destructive power.

Constructing such a massive building would be extremely expensive, but it's not impossible.

In fact, similar reinforced concrete building structures have been discovered long ago, originating from elves. The pointed-eared elves found that the soil structure with intertwined plant roots was extremely sturdy, so when building earthen and stone structures, they manipulated plants to take root in them, reinforcing and locking them in place, and with the help of magic, it became extremely practical.

Using this technique, they built towers and palaces, magnificent structures that inspired awe in the surrounding barbarians, especially the White Tower, one of the symbols of elven Civilization.

Later, the Council and the Empire also discovered a similar secret. Their druidic skills were far inferior to those of the elves, so they opted for the more cumbersome artificial means, using iron and steel for the load-bearing components, and also reinforced them with magic. The effect was no less than that of the elves.

However, this was not progress of the times or a breakthrough of Civilization, but rather a flash of inspiration from an individual, which quickly turned into a monopoly like divine and monarchical power. Due to a lack of knowledge in smelting technology, architecture, and other aspects, such discoveries and innovations did not bring about a new era in architectural history, but were instead firmly controlled by interest groups.

Monarchs and nobles built taller castles and more magnificent palaces, making the ignorant masses more docile and awe-inspiring. They also built high city walls and formidable fortresses. Very little of this technology actually benefited the people. Only someone who was full and had nothing better to do would allow the common people to live in high-rise buildings. They could just make a house out of wood, thatch, and mud. Why make such a fuss?

Later, this technology even became mystified, which may be related to the technological direction and Civilization form of the other world. The architects who mastered this technology were also accomplished in the field of earth magic. No one studied elasticity theory or did any mechanical calculations. The spellcasters focused on the development of runes to maintain the stability of buildings and the research on enchanting, or the casting methods of elemental composite materials. Their goal was very clear: to promote magicization, magicization, and more magicization.

The more mysterious elements these skyscrapers and magnificent palaces possess, the more benefits these spellcasters who master the core architectural techniques will reap. This is called technological content, and this is called technological monopoly.

The Temple of the Six Sisters and the Tower of All-Seeing of Tula Xiaye are magnificent natural wonders that rose from the ground under this guiding ideology. In this way, the Arcane Council proclaims the antiquity and profound heritage of history, in order to defend the value of knowledge and the exalted status of spellcasters.

In the central core of the sixteenth floor of the Admiralty Building, there is a "perfect node" in the sense of phase geometry. The structure is stable, the protection is tight, and the elemental concentration is extremely stable. There are a total of 144 teleportation arrays distributed here, of which 64 are already in operation.

These are the Navy's most valuable and important assets, not only because of their high cost and consumption, but also because of their significance—they are gates of survival, ensuring that the most valuable personnel of the Arcane Council can survive in the most dangerous situations.

Phase Technician Tuolan is on duty here tonight. It's a leisurely job; his daily task is to check the stability of the arcane nodes of each teleportation array and the balance of spatial forces. In at least the five years he's been on the job, he hasn't encountered a single teleportation incident.

After all, this is the Navy Department. To date, no naval force has been able to force the Council Fleet to initiate escape procedures. Even if it were possible, the proud navy would never be willing to desert in the face of battle.

But sometimes they would simply surrender.

Thinking of this, Tuolan laughed out loud. He took out a canary candy, unwrapped it, and put it in his mouth. More than ten days passed, and people heard about the embarrassing incident of the Azure Fleet. They surrendered directly to the Cathayan Kang De in the Distant Harbor. Although the Admiralty issued a gag order, everyone knew about it.

"Tuolan!"

The wall-mounted transmitter roared to life, the sound waves resonating and traveling along the metal conduit to this location. It was his superior's voice. "Order from the Tower of All-Seeing: Recheck Teleportation Array 016."

Tuolan was startled, then shrugged. "Okay, okay."

Which ship does teleportation array 016 correspond to? He placed the candy wrapper and then passed through a series of phase-traversing arrays. Warpstone floated on these arrays, which resembled small altars, creating ripples of elemental tides. The scenery was breathtaking.

Even after seeing such a dreamlike scene for thousands of years, he must have grown tired of it. He walked towards teleportation array 016 and checked the arcane circuit once again. This was the third time he had checked this phase seat tonight. The Tower of All-Seeing seemed to pay close attention to this teleportation array, or rather, the ship it represented.

"Everything is normal, the Warpstone is stable, the local elements are balanced, the arcane circuits are clear..." Tuolan guided the inspection with his mental power, "There are no problems."

"Thank you for your hard work. I will repay the Tower of All-Seeing."

Tuolan raised his hand in a gesture of understanding, but didn't reply. He turned and paced to reach for another candy, muttering to himself, "Check, check, check, what a load of crap. I have a feeling the old men of the Tower of All-Seeing are hoping something will happen to this teleportation array, damn it..."

Before the words were finished, a strange roar rose from behind, and a blue arc of light suddenly erupted!

Tuolan turned around in disbelief, only to see the Phase Seat shining brightly, the suspended Warpstone humming and rotating like planets. A black light surged from the core area, then expanded into an incredibly dark sphere. Then, one of the Warpstone free of its orbit and plunged into the black sphere. The sound of shattering glass followed, and a figure fell from the void!

Tuolan's mouth dropped open.

Having worked there for five years, he had never witnessed a successful teleportation, but the illusionary demonstrations and the employee handbook had depicted this scene countless times. He shouted, "Phase jump detected!"

The spellcaster raised his staff and pointed it into the air, instantly activating the alarm on the command center.

A dazzling and urgent warning was issued to numerous departments in the Navy Headquarters, including the duty office, the Secretary's office, the theater of operations, and the disaster investigation team. In an instant, all the main doors were shut down, leaving only three emergency doors that could only be used for entry but not exit. Intense and rapid footsteps echoed from the upper and lower floors, as military police, law enforcement officers, and war agencies rushed to the scene!

After doing all this, Tuolan pointed his staff at the Phase Teleportation.

Sweat beaded on his forehead. This was the first time someone had rolled down below the teleportation array not far away. Tuolan pointed his staff, and runes around the teleportation array flickered, with layers of illusory light walls rising up.

"Soldier!"

He shouted, "I am Phase Technician Tuolan, the shift leader of the Blink Zone. According to the Navy's Emergency Manual, I will activate the isolation measures. Five layers of isolation barriers and sixteen types of disinfection and purification spells will sever your connection with the outside world and eliminate any possible foreign substances."

"The arriving Life Services security team and Military Police review team have confirmed your harmlessness and loyalty. On behalf of the Tower of All-Seeing, I demand that you obey all orders and refrain from any hostile actions. If you have any doubts or complaints, you may file a complaint with the Naval Justice Department afterwards!"

He shouted out the standard terminology from the manual in one breath, and then let out a long breath. Barriers rose up one after another, but to his surprise, the person who was teleported out just curled up on the ground and didn't say a word.

Tuolan frowned, raised his hand, and pointed his staff. "Identity Determination!"

A Magic Power, like a rainbow of light, pierced through the barrier, struck the target, and reflected a flash of azure light. The Magic Power feedback confirmed that the target was a member of the Navy: "Soldier!"

He shouted loudly, but there was no response.

Tuolan gritted his teeth, swung his short staff again, and with a flick of his Mage Hand, gently touched the other person's shoulder—and then, the person lying on the ground with his back to him finally got up and turned around.

The phase technician was horrified and retreated.

He saw a smiling face, a face that smiled brightly, but the eyes were bulging and blood and tears were dried on the face, making the bright smile extremely creepy. The man bit his finger and let out a strange, chuckling laugh. His mouth was stretched wide, revealing his gums, and his eyes were empty, like... a puppet.

Ten minutes later.

"Daku'er-Clark, navigator of the Sea Traveler, graduated from the Lawrence Academy with a major in Maritime Law within the Department of Hydrology, and minored in Astrology and Leyline Studies..."

The report was impatiently interrupted. The core members of the Starry Sky Council stood behind the thick, radiant barrier, gazing at the person on the healing platform. Councilor Aokexindun said, "I don't care how many degrees he has; I want to know how he got into this state, what happened!"

"A severe psychological shock, Congressman."

The life support inspector reported to the high-ranking officials, "Based on the injured person's position, the preliminary assessment is that while navigating a special type of ship, their spiritual power used for environmental exploration collided with an unknown, powerful entity. Due to the overwhelming disparity in power, their spiritual defenses and soul structure were instantly destroyed..."

Congressman Aokexindun turned and asked, "Would Kang De know this?"

Congressman Fermat coldly retorted, "Mr. Aokexindun, as a core member of Congress, you cannot allow your prejudiced and arrogant biases to lead you to suspect and slander another powerful figure with considerable influence and international standing!"

The other side retorted sarcastically, "Our loyal warriors have fallen to such a state, there's still no news of the other crew members, and our state-of-the-art warships, built at great expense, are in danger of destruction, and you're still speaking up for Kang De?"

He snapped, "What? Do you think the Sea Traveler shouldn't go to the Broken Isles? Do you think we should just let Kang De dictate things?"

The Grand Speaker sighed.

The two lawmakers, who were on the verge of exchanging barbs, immediately fell silent.

The highest leader of the Arcane Council stared at the crew members on the other side of the Radiant Barrier, who were being examined by three fully armed medical officers in an absolutely sealed chamber.

The Grand Speaker asked, "In the blink of an eye, over at the Phase Teleportation..."

"No second crew member has been reported back yet. We've sent three emergency communications, but there's been no response." The Minister of the Navy arrived in person. "Speaker, what do you think..."

The Grand Speaker sighed again and looked at the inspector, "Can it be cured?"

"Hope is slim, Your Excellency," the other party said, bowing his head. "His soul defenses are completely shattered, and his will is scattered and fragmented. To heal him, we must patiently mend the branches of his soul and nurture them with soul stones. Only then will there be a chance for him to regain his original memories and personality. This often takes several years, and success is not guaranteed."

The Grand Speaker sighed, "It's been too long..."

"Your Mightiness?"

The leader of the Council turned and said, "Your Excellency, we hereby award the Starry Sky Medal of Honor and the Hero's Proof Mage Daku'er-Clark. His widow and children will enjoy all the honors and benefits he enjoyed during his lifetime. His family will receive two full scholarships to the Lawrence Academy each year, with priority given to his direct descendants. This process will last for three years, and the Ministry of the Navy will personally oversee all the aftermath. The Tower of All-Seeing thanks him for his dedication and sacrifice—thanks to him for providing Council with valuable intelligence leads in the final moments of his life."

He walked outside. "Bury him in the Sages' Cemetery."

The councilors exchanged bewildered glances, then silently departed. The inspector from the Life Department stood frozen for a moment, then called over his deputy, "Prepare the Soul Bombardment and Memory Search spells."

"IMHO."

Congressman Fermat quickened his pace, falling a step behind the Grand Speaker, and whispered, "The Haizan Shield only lasts five minutes, and it's been at least twelve minutes now. The Phase Teleportation is still completely silent, and our emergency communication messages haven't been answered—Grand Speaker, the fate of the Sea Traveler and its remaining crew seems sealed. Mr. Dakur's testimony is of little significance now."

"Sir, what are you trying to say?"

"Your Excellency Speaker, we must prepare for the worst."

Congressman Fermat whispered, "The Sea Traveler has almost no chance of survival, yet the Azure Fleet continues its advance into the Broken Sea. Should we reconsider Kang De's warning?"

Kang De said that there are terrible monsters in the deep sea that crave flesh and blood, and that they should not be given a chance to awaken.

Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"We still don't know what exactly attacked the Sea Traveler!"

Aokexindun's objections resurfaced.

"We cannot give up and retreat until we obtain further clues and intelligence! If it really was Kang De's doing, then we've fallen into his trap!"

By now, he was almost opposing for the sake of opposing. It wasn't that he was against Kang De indiscriminately, nor that he wanted to go against Senator Fermat, but rather because—if they retreated now, the heavy losses of the Sea Traveler would become a terrible price to pay for a wrong decision.

This leads to an interesting question.

Who should be held responsible?

Grand Speaker? Of course not, are you kidding me?

The answer is simple.

Those who jumped the guns back then, now it's time to hold them accountable.

To avoid becoming a scapegoat, Congressman Aokexindun, who had been advocating for action, had to continue his stance, at least maintaining an adversarial relationship with Kang De, or even escalating into conflict.

Only conflict can protect him and force the Council to continue relying on his power and influence in order to find a way to counter Kang De's Forbidden Spell.

He even entertained darker thoughts.

How to avoid taking the blame for something?

It's simple, just make the burden so big that you can't carry it yourself.

The Grand Speaker pondered for a moment and said, "I have ordered the Azure Fleet to slow down and expand its patrol and reconnaissance range. We must wait... I need more intelligence."

They waited at the Admiralty building, gazing at the brightly lit city from the terrace on the twenty-first floor. A cool breeze was blowing, and the sky was already faintly lit. The sun would soon rise, and the night was about to end. The members of parliament remained silent, a growing unease slowly rising in their hearts.

Even Congressman Aokexindun did not continue lobbying.

About fifteen minutes later, the sound of flapping wings came from afar. The alchemical eagle swooped in, dropping a golden cylinder. The Grand Speaker caught it, glanced at it, and said, "A message from O'Malley. He has been ordered to lead a team to Distant Harbor to participate in the anatomical research..."

As magic flowed in, the cylinder shattered, bursting into light. The characters formed by lightning flashed by, but were captured and read by the Grand Speaker's powerful mental strength. In an instant, the leaders of the Arcane Council showed astonishment, even blinking involuntarily, thinking they had misread it.

He murmured, "How big?"

The councilors dared not peek in, exchanging glances and urging each other to ask questions. But just then, the terrace door was pushed open forcefully, and the inspector rushed in, pale-faced. "Your Excellency the Speaker!"

The Grand Speaker suddenly turned around. "What do you see?"

"High platforms, palaces, underwater cities, and... the immense spirit of the unknown creature that shattered his soul and broke his defenses, and the surging tide after the spiritual contact, along with a voice. That spiritual power was so strong that even after Dakur recounted the final scene, the overwhelming spiritual pressure still shook my mind, which had been fortified with layers of defense."

"What was that sound? What did it say?"

The inspector whispered, "--Mudblood."

His Excellency the Speaker finally turned completely pale.

The wind howled coldly on the terrace. The Grand Speaker stood frozen, while the councilors grew increasingly uneasy, none daring to break the silence. However, a short while later, another uninvited guest appeared abruptly. The Minister of the Navy, who had gone to the communications platform to continue contacting the submarines after the Sea Traveler encountered danger, staggered over and went straight to the Grand Speaker, handing him a highly confidential document. "Your Excellency!"

The Grand Speaker looked down, and after a moment, his expression froze like a sculpture.

After a moment, he raised his head, his face filled with bewilderment and disbelief. After a deathly silence, he spoke in a hoarse voice, "Send a message... to Kang De."

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PS1: Update... Oh crap, time for bed.