"Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh..."
Kallen stood beside the Black Sea, watching the black seawater wash up before him, retreat, then wash up again, tirelessly.
There was clearly no wind here, nor any pulling force, yet it remained in motion, as though a massive heart lay hidden within it, gradually reviving.
An Eagle-Falcon Knight Squad lowered its altitude as it patrolled past. Seeing Kallen bend down to scoop up seawater with his bare hands, the captain at its head immediately called out a warning:
"Sir, please don't touch it directly with your hands."
Kallen withdrew his hand, smiled and nodded at him, then took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and tossed it up.
The captain caught it.
"Thank you, sir. Here, everyone, share these around. The gentleman's treating us to cigarettes, haha."
Kallen had served as an army commander on the front lines. Although he had never commanded a Knight Order, he was quite popular among their ranks, and they were happy to consider him one of their own.
After the Eagle-Falcon squad left, Kallen bent down again, swished both hands through the seawater several times, then scooped up a handful and held it before him for a closer look.
The seawater had no smell, yet it possessed an inherent quality that made the soul uncomfortable, a revulsion surpassing even the most extreme stench.
Tests had also detected low concentrations of residual pollution in it. The clerics working near the nearby altar and the patrolling knights had all activated the purification formations on their clerical robes and armor in advance to prevent it from silently invading them.
Of course, this pollution was nothing to Kallen.
In the center of the Black Sea, two enormous wooden stumps still stood, unmoving amid the ocean's waves.
Dali Wenluo and Alfred stood behind Kallen.