Chapter 1233 — Reaching a Consensus

"...Perhaps it is only that the anomaly has not yet spread here," Pythia said, gazing at the blue streams coursing everywhere through the boundless sea, her expression slowly turning grave. "Our allies say someone may be deliberately manipulating things behind this phenomenon. If it truly is artificial... then their actions may need a little time before they betray themselves."

"Artificial... Who could fathom the mysteries within this 'blood of the planet,' who could command the operating laws of the Deep Blue Network?" Gluguno's tone was dismissive. "Those mortals with their little cleverness? Or the gods behind them, who go mad and lose control every few days? The mysteries of the Deep Blue Network—even we Elemental Sovereigns who have lived through ages beyond reckoning, even that 'Dragon God' who was inconceivably powerful in his day, would not dare claim to understand them fully. Do you believe anyone in this world can truly affect the operation of the Deep Blue Network?"

"I do not know, but clues have indeed appeared—that is why I came to this place to find you," Pythia said earnestly. "I know you care little for the fate of the material world, but we have long lived on 'that side.'"

"...Hmph. I do not believe anyone could truly affect the Deep Blue Network from behind the scenes. That is likely something only the original Pathfinders could have accomplished—but I have no interest in wrangling with you over this matter either," Gluguno glanced at Pythia. "I have only one question... You mentioned your 'allies' just now. Do you mean those 'Cecilites' living in the north of the Loren Continent? Or that 'resurrected' Gao Yang?"

"Both," Pythia said calmly. "Gao Yang Cecil is our friend, and the Cecil Empire under his rule is the sirens' partner in cooperation—and for the present, our cooperation has been quite pleasant."

"...Gao Yang Cecil. Interesting. I once thought I would never hear that mad name again—I never imagined he could truly return as promised," Gluguno's tone seemed to carry a hint of laughter, though it was hard to tell whether that laughter held mockery or lament. Then his gaze settled back on Pythia, and the "single-eye vortex" atop his head slowly rotated. "Very well, since you are willing to go to the trouble, then go to the trouble here. For the sake of our shared water element, and for the sake of that mad name—you may establish an outpost near the fissure in the boundless sea and send a small number of sentries.

"Normal elemental creatures do not like to approach those torrents of magic, but you strange folk seem not to mind at all... If you are willing to monitor the Deep Blue Network, then go. But certain matters must be agreed upon in advance.

"Your sentries may not trouble any water elemental, may not stray too far from the outpost. The approximate location of the outpost and the number of sentries dispatched shall be designated by me, and... I will be watching them at all times."

"No problem—this is your domain, and these are all reasonable demands," Pythia agreed to the Elemental Sovereign's requirements without much hesitation. Then, as though something had occurred to her, a curious expression came over her face. "But there is one thing I would like to ask about..."

"Speak, Great Devourer."

"Your attitude seemed a little strange just now when you mentioned Gao Yang Cecil," Pythia said, looking at the elemental giant before her. "You also called it a 'mad name'... Why is that? And I have heard that Gao Yang Cecil was able to return from death because he once received the blessings of the four elements—is that true? Did you bless him?"

"Ha, Great Devourer, your curiosity is truly insatiable," Gluguno laughed, his voice rumbling through the high heavens. Then he paused briefly before speaking in a low voice. "That is correct, it is true. The four Elemental Sovereigns rarely agreed unanimously to do the same thing... and naturally that included me."

"Why?" Pythia's curiosity only swelled. "You lot hardly seem the type to take an interest in the mortal world—if I had to name one, perhaps Wendy, the Sovereign of Wind, might possibly qualify, but how did the other three come to take an interest in an ordinary mortal of that era, enough to personally bestow blessings and grant him an immortal body?"

"Why..." A low rumble came from the seawater surging within Gluguno, and he seemed to fall into brief recollection, then suddenly gave a low laugh amid those memories. "Heh... When an audacious mortal suddenly runs up to you and says he means to climb the Pathfinders' tower, to climb to its very top and 'keep an appointment'—who could restrain their curiosity? What a magnificent feat... Since the dragon race sealed themselves away, we had never again seen anything so inconceivable... Who would not want to see how such an audacious mortal would end up in the end?"

The giant's voice was low. He paused for a moment, then spoke again with a touch of emotion: "When his funeral was held back then, we even sent our avatars to take a look. Flame and Gandakrum both thought we had been fooled..."

He waved a hand, and a curtain of water rose like a waterfall at his gesture. The sea returned to its original state amid a roar, and his gaze fell upon Pythia once more. "Our new agreement is settled thus, Great Devourer—have you any other business?"

"No," Pythia shook her head. With a serious expression, she bowed slightly to the giant before her. "Thank you very much for your understanding and cooperation, glub-glub—we shall take our leave now. Later I will send my general to discuss the specific arrangements for the outpost and the sentries with you. See you again."

As she spoke, the Sovereign of the Deep Sea had already turned with the sirens in her company and was walking toward the elemental conduit still in operation. Sovereign Gluguno was taken aback for a moment before he reacted, and his wave-like roaring shout echoed across the boundless sea: "Damn it! My name is Gluguno! You creature without even an elemental core—have you no memory either?!"

Yet his shout earned only a careless wave of Pythia's hand and the sight of the sirens' backs swiftly vanishing into the elemental fissure. The sea breeze blew in once more from afar, and on the vast, boundless expanse of ocean there remained only the Sovereign of Water and the sentries of the boundless sea, staring at one another.

After a moment, a water elemental sentry bearing a crystalline spear could not help but speak: "Great Lord, do you truly believe the words of these sirens? The things they spoke of are far too fantastic..."

"At first I did not believe them, but after they produced those 'local specialties,' I began to," Gluguno said in a deep voice, a difficult-to-name emotion in his tone. "Those things... to us they are contamination to be avoided at all costs, but to them they are not. They were even willing to bring such things out as a 'gift'... which means they are in earnest. After all... they are sirens."

(End of Chapter)