Chapter 1017 — The Approaching God
Blade of Dawn · Page 1 of 4
Beyond the arched window set with crystal glass, snowflakes whipped up by the wind drifted past; ice crystals struck the panes with a faint, rustling sound. The thick walls and the circulating magical currents held back the chill outside the castle, keeping the room at a warm temperature.
A bright fireplace burned not far away; the glow of the flames fell upon several brass ornaments, casting hazy, wavering shadows. The warm firelight made the dust-stained high-ranking ranger relax inside—this cold winter did not seem quite so cold after all.
"Tell me about the situation at Winterhold," Gao Yang said as he walked into the room, casually unfastening his cloak and hanging it on a hook nearby. "How many of our people are still operating out there?"
"The main squads of the Steel Rangers have already withdrawn to our controlled territory. At present, three scout squads and two mobile teams are still carrying out missions in the area from Winterhold to the Frostwood," Su Jilin said with a nod. "In addition, because of the shifting situation in several major towns, divine corruption is spreading beyond the military. The Military Intelligence operatives hidden in the urban districts have withdrawn from the danger zones in batches; only a few well-protected contact stations are still operating at a minimal level."
"Mm…" Gao Yi nodded slightly. "Evacuating ahead of time was the right call. The situation is about to change drastically—the stalemate is coming to an end, and the moment of decision is next."
"I was somewhat surprised when I first received the evacuation order—the situation changed faster than I had imagined," Su Jilin said. "It seems the God of War is deteriorating quickly. Over at Aldenan, they can no longer afford to wait… That also fits certain phenomena I observed before I withdrew."
"Phenomena?" Gao Shao became serious. "What phenomena?"
Su Jilin took a moment to organize his words, then began reporting what he had scouted while operating in the Winterhold region: "By the time I withdrew, very obvious signs of divine calamity had already begun to appear on Typhon's lands. Ordinary people were starting to hear and see certain 'information' related to the god, and strange sounds were frequently coming from the sealed churches of the God of War. In addition, there were sightings of an enormous apparition in the sky over Winterhold; in the clearer reports, the apparition was described as a giant of iron-gray, clad all over in heavy armor."
"…The classic image of the God of War in most religious texts," Gao Che said in a low voice. "An armored giant, marching through storm and cloud, looking down upon the earth…"
He then asked: "Did these phenomena appear after that aerial battle?"
Su Jilin thought for a moment. "If you mean those ordinary auditory and visual hallucinations, they occurred occasionally even before the aerial battle—the locals believe they are magical phenomena produced when large numbers of battle mages gather together. If you mean the giant… yes, that did appear after the aerial battle a few days ago."
Gao Yi exhaled. The intelligence Su Jilin had brought further confirmed his conjecture about the "Descent of the God of War."
He had barely formed that thought when Su Jilin, standing across from him, suddenly spoke again: "If my analysis is right… all these phenomena indicate that the God of War's activity is growing stronger, and that He is already very 'close' to our world. Given that you yourself have come all the way here… could it be that the God of War will descend?"