The postwar reconstruction and economic recovery plans were in full swing across the continent. Though winter was approaching and temperatures were falling, all living beings on the Loren Continent seemed to have kindled a blazing fire. From Cecil to the Elven Royal Court, from Typhon to the West Coast of the Dwarf Kingdom, bards, newspapers, magazines, and Magic Net Broadcasts were tirelessly spreading word of the latest development plans, reconstruction proposals, and economic incentive policies.
At the same time, the earth-shaking battle between the Dawn of the Mortal World and the Crawling Calamity was repeatedly dramatized and publicized. The Cecilians' astonishing Sky Fortress gradually seemed to be becoming a symbol, destined to serve as the most reassuring blade and sturdy shield on the Loren Continent during the coming cold days—but all this was merely the "visible part" accessible to the ordinary people of the Alliance Nations.
In the secret realms beyond the public's reach, even more hidden projects and astonishing plans were being carried out.
At Pact Fortress on the border between Cecil and Typhon, the former "Gate" project had entered a phase of continued observation. With the Sentinel cruiser dismantled, researchers could no longer board that vessel to continue their observation mission of the Divine Kingdoms. The previous large-scale exploration operations had accordingly contracted back into the God of War Domain. Within that divine realm, which was constantly collapsing with the passage of time, the experts of the Divine Authority Council retained only one garrison outpost, where a small research team conducted routine monitoring activities to document the gradual collapse of a divine kingdom.
Yet after the Gate project was drastically scaled down, Pact Fortress had not become quiet. New research projects unfolded here, while new technical experts and specialized equipment were sent into the large facility. Along with