Chapter 808 — A Visit to Sandbox One
Blade of Dawn · Page 2 of 4
Illusory Pivot City, once so exquisite and wondrous, wrought by the utmost reach of human imagination, was reduced within a few breaths to the most primordial dream of chaos. And in that boundless darkness lit only by fog and the light of chaos, only the "Golden Council Hall"—now shrunk to a single chamber—still stood upon the earth.
In the hall, its light already dim, the writhing cluster of starlight grew quiet, floating silently in the air, as though pondering, as though remembering...
...
In the underground palace of the Sleepers in the real world, priests robed in black or white returned to reality one after another, maintaining their most basic connection to the mental network and contributing their surplus computational power even as they hurried to and fro through the palace.
"Dream control begins! Dream control begins!"
Some priests were shouting orders; some were inspecting every ward and seal throughout the palace; some set out for the surface to carry out dream surveillance over the entire Orlandell region.
Even in the deepest level of the underground palace, the clamor within could be heard. Wendy the "Spirit Song," held in the containment zone on that lowest level but now downgraded in containment level because her contamination symptoms had eased, sensed the shift in atmosphere out in the corridor. She could not help raising her head and going to stand behind the iron door graven with intricate runes. "Guard, sir," she asked, "might I ask what is happening outside?"
"Dream control, Pontiff Wendy," the guard's muffled voice came from beyond, as though he wore a thick helmet. "Please wait calmly. Do not enter a dream."
"...I truly wish I could be of help."
"Staying awake tonight, my lady—that is the greatest help you can give us all."
"You are quite right, Guard, sir."
Wendy said softly, and retreated to the side of her bed, sitting down quietly upon it.
On the wall opposite her, a coating of glittering crystal dust depicted a set of complex symbols—symbols formed of many curving lines and circles, like the emblem of some deep-sea creature, carrying a profound and mysterious significance.
Looking at those symbols, Wendy's mind quickly grew clear and rational, and the tense, oppressive feeling of moments before largely dissipated.
She was just a little hungry, that was all—she wanted to dig up a giant squid...
...
Gao Yang felt as though he were walking down a slope that stretched endlessly downward, deep into boundless yellow sand and mist. How long he walked, he did not know, but suddenly the uncanny, hard-to-distinguish atmosphere of real and illusion around him was swept clean away. The mist parted, and the view before him opened wide.
A city standing amid the yellow sands appeared before him, Selina, and the others.
The city had earthen-yellow outer walls, and its towering ramparts rose in clear, distinct tiers. Its arrow towers and watchtowers looked imposing beneath the azure sky, yet neither on the walls nor before the gates could any guard be seen.
And as he beheld this desert city, a strange stench of decay drifted into Gao Yang's nostrils.
"This is the first city one sees upon entering Sandbox One—the city-state of Nim Sanzhuo. It is also the cradle of civilization in the sandbox world," Selina said in a low voice. "This desert was once grassland—at least, that is how it was set at the sandbox's beginning. But later, as history unfolded and the climate shifted, the desert encroached upon it. Still, it remained a vital thoroughfare, its commerce flourishing."
"It is an empty city now," Yuri added. "The exploration team that went in last time reported that within the city and in the villages and towns around it, there was not a single soul. Moreover, it was while they were spending the night inside the city that they were attacked. We must be especially wary of that."
"There is a stench here," Magnum muttered, frowning. "As though something has rotted away."