Chapter 891 — Playing Dead
Blade of Dawn · Page 4 of 4
After entering the military exclusion zone of the Dark Mountains, descending to the lowest level of the Fortress of Defiance, passing through the rifts of the Shadow Realm and those vast hollows, and crossing the ancient Gondor portal, Gao Yang once again came to the deepest reaches of this ancient installation.
The Fortress of Defiance, situated in the Umbra Realm.
This Gondor installation, built within the interstices of dimensions, had not fallen entirely dormant. Though Cecil's technicians had cleared out every piece of equipment and material that could be moved, the energy system and the anti-god shielding system fused with the fortress itself still ran on in silence.
Ancient lights illuminated the deep, long corridors and halls; the isolation walls and energy barriers covered in dense, close-packed runes protected this place as ever. Gao Yang, Amber, Hetty, Karmel, and Virodai came to the end of the outermost corridor, where Karmel opened the alloy wall panel. A faintly shimmering energy barrier sealed the corridor from what lay beyond, and through that near-transparent screen, the scene outside the fortress was laid out in full.
Upon a shattered land composed of countless floating boulders, ancient binding devices and a great mass of metal wreckage together held fast that hill-sized body. A pure white radiance shrouded the corpse of the God of Nature—Amon the Giant Deer—and as the light drifted slowly, it gave off an endless aura of sanctity.
Looking at the giant deer bound within the fortress's "garden" area, Virodai could not help but let a trace of emotion show on his face, and he said softly, "Back then I only ever saw Him in reports..."
"After all, your main duty then was holding the Gondor imperial capital," Gao Yang glanced at Virodai. "Karmel was the one directly in charge here."
"Every time I return to this place, my heart is hard to settle," Karmel buzzed, and looked at Gao Yang. "So—can you tell us your thoughts now?"
"...The primary material of the Shield of the Kingdom's Guardian came from the supply depot of the Vipulandon Observatory." Gao Yang spoke without haste, seemingly raising an unrelated topic, while Virodai at his side quickly recalled something; the former leader of the Defiers frowned slightly. "I remember that was one of the Gondor Empire's research facilities in those years, located in the north..."
"Yes, used to study the meteorite fragments excavated there—the meteor shower that fell in the Vipulandon region in ancient times," Gao Yang nodded. "Virodai, you and Karmel should be no strangers to this matter—when did the Vipulandon meteor shower occur?"
Virodai gave the answer at once. "Roughly three thousand years ago..."
"Yes, the Vipulandon meteor shower happened three thousand years ago," Gao Yang nodded and said without haste. "And the fall of the White Star was also three thousand years ago."
Virodai's eyes widened slightly.
"Fall back to a safe position," Gao Yang looked at Karmel. "Open the barrier. I want to examine the corpse of Amon the Giant Deer."