Chapter 85 — The Great Wall

Although the true Gondor Wasteland lay farther still, the aura of that polluted land already showed in the sky on the other side of the Dark Mountains. Past a certain dividing line, the sky on that side took on a dim, chaotic state like an eternal dusk. Great masses of foul, heavy clouds hung down from the horizon with an oppressive weight that seemed about to swallow the earth, and beneath that strange sky the land itself took on a grotesque, otherworldly distortion.

Starting from the southern foot of the Dark Mountains, a boundless dark forest covered all the mountains and half of the belt-like plain. Even at this distance, Gao Yang could see that in the twisted woodland known as the Black Forest, many mutated giant trees—towering into the sky—were swaying slowly, extending poisonous tendril-like branches toward the heavens. Farther off, the belt-like plain seethed with dense, misty vapor, in which phantoms of bygone cities, fortresses, and palaces kept appearing. Beyond those phantoms, a barrier like an aurora could be seen.

That aurora-like barrier was the only thing in sight that could set the heart at ease and delight the eye. At this distance it looked like a hazy ribbon of faint light, but in truth it was immense and magnificent. That layer of "faint light" joined heaven and earth; it seemed a fragile curtain of light, yet it was heavier and more solid than mountains. And at the base of that curtain of light, one could see tower after tower arranged in orderly rows.

The curtain of light was sustained by the mighty energy released by the towers.

That curtain of light was the Great Wall, and the towers beneath it were the Watchtowers. This system sealed off the entire Gondor Wasteland and spared all the living things of the continent from destruction.

Everyone knew that this barrier had been built by the elves' Silver Empire, but in truth it was so far beyond imagination that the technology and resources required to build it exceeded what any single intelligent race could bear—even the mighty elven Silver Empire could not have undertaken it alone. So in fact, back then, the elves had only taken the lead in bearing half the resource burden and providing all the technology, while every power on the continent—including the dwarven kingdoms and the Gondor remnant—jointly bore the other half of the material task before the barrier was finally raised.

Truly, that was an age to stir the heart.

But also an age when terror shrouded the land and no one could sleep soundly.

Amber's head bobbed about below Gao Yang's shoulder. Nervously she looked at the polluted land south of the mountain, and with wonder at the barrier farther still.

Even with the Great Wall blocking the way, the aura of the magic tide still polluted a considerable stretch of land outside the barrier—but compared with what lay inside it, even the Black Forest was already a veritable paradise.

Gao Yang drew his gaze away from the curtain of light and let out a soft breath. "The barrier still stands."

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