The Record of Unusual Creatures
chapter-1274

Chapter 1274: Communication Resumes

There was high ground in the north of White City, separated from the urban areas and protected by a circle of extra wall. The most elite guards and most potent magisters of Taros swore with their lives to guard that highland forever. A permanent ‘no-fly’ zone had been running over the plateau for three centuries. No matter if it was a dragon or a bird, nothing could fly over the high ground, where there was only one avenue extending from the Royal Palace. It could lead to the entrance of the highland, but such a secure measure was to protect one thing: the foundation of the Kingdoms of Order, the Sunscorch Tower.

The tower stood proudly on the highland. It was grander than any building in White City. Even the highest point of the Palance of the Golden Roses was only at half the height of the Sunscorch Tower. Constructed with the purest enchanted moonstone, the white wall of the tower had engravings of ancient runes, which only the sanctum scholars could interpret. The blue and gold crystals inlaid on the outer wall of the tower formed a powerful energy field and immersed the highland with magic. At the top of this sleek white tower, three large white crystals were circling the sun crystal on the apex, spreading the powerful energy of the Order from the tower internal into the sky day and night.

Unlike other sacred objects of Order, the Sunscorch Tower did not release a visible and robust light column. Apart from a circle of shimmer, this holy and powerful huge tower would not give off any extra light. The Sunscorch Tower was not to light the Barrier of Order. Its more important function was to serve as the energy redistribution center and power hub of all the towers of Order in the kingdom, including the Furnace Tower and the Spire of Flames. Inside the kingdom-level Barrier of Order, all the towers were connected. Their power formed a sea of energy in another dimension that was invisible to human eyes. The real form of the Sunscorch Tower was hidden in this sea of energy, where it shone and controlled all the powers of Order.

The scholars of Collow had constructed this knowledge through various calculus models. In fact, in the eyes of human beings, the connection between Sunscorch Tower and the others was completely invisible.

But Hao Ren could see it.

With Rudolph III, the princesses and the prince, Hao Ren came before the Sunscorch Tower. Looking up, he saw beams of silver light crisscrossing at the top of the tower as if a net covered the entire sky above the high ground. The light beams faded gradually outward and disappeared into the distance.

When Rudolph III came to the entrance of the tower, he placed his hand on the door made of Mithril and whispered the vow left of the ancestors of Collow and the Goddess of Creation. The door slowly ground open to both sides with a rumble.

Inside was a space full of light.

The crisscrossing light beams in the room were refracted by air and curved along an invisible medium, forming a complex and varied mysterious three-dimensional pattern. Suspended in the air in the center of the lights was a white crystal continuously reflected various bizarre pictures as it spun. Below the crystal was a pool, about two meters in radius, filled with crystal-clear liquid that looked condensed light.

Hao Ren took a careful look. Something was floating above the liquid. It took him a while before he realized that it was a silver flame that was extremely thin and translucent and almost invisible.

The flame was burning quietly above the liquid as if it was ready to go out.

“This is the sacred flame of the Sunscorch Tower.” Rudolph III came to the pool and quietly looked at the phantom-like silver fire. “My blood has been burning here for the last seven years. I could engulf the entire white crystal when the fire was at its peak. But now…”

Hao Ren thought for a while and decided to tell of his opinion euphemistically. “I think, the flame will go out soon.”

“Veronica will enkindle it, and the inheritance of the Kingdom of Talos will live on,” Rudolph III said, looking to his only descendant who still had the power of the caretaker. “Veronica, the moment you light it, you will take over my scepter and become the new ruler of Taros. As a queen, you should use your power cautiously, and not be as reckless as before.”

Veronica was stunned. The knight princess had never thought about it. “Father, you didn’t tell me before…”

“You should know what it means to ignite the sacred flames.” The king waved. “I brought you here not for fun, but for you to see the destiny of the kingdom. Veronica, darkness has come. The mainland, even all the Kingdoms of Order will die out in the long night. Taros is likely to be the last lighthouse in the long night. It is a difficult time, but we have no choice. Perhaps our kingdom will eventually go out one day, but you, you must be the guardian of the kingdom, at least let her spend the last century in peace.”

Veronica’s lips twitched. The strong knight prince had rarely flinched, but now she was reluctant. “Father, I… I feel that I am not going to be a good king. Ania is much smarter than me. I am only good on the battlefield but dumb at other times.”

Rudolph III quietly looked at his eldest daughter for a long time. The old king then smiled. “I know,” he said.

Veronica coughed. “Father, you can be more euphemistic.”

Rudolph III sighed. “Having thought about it for a long time, I really couldn’t find you your potential of being a king.”

Veronica was struck dumb.

“Ahem.” Hao Ren could not bear to hear the strange conversation at this time and interrupted. “Is this about the final affairs? Didn’t we agree that you will let me first take a look at the situation of the Sunscorch Tower? I am a priest at least. It wouldn’t be late to discuss the succession affairs only if I fail to find a solution.”

Loen, who had been standing silently behind the king, stepped forward. He looked at Hao Ren without any expression and nodded slightly. “The Guardian is right. The Sunscorch Tower is a Sanctum technology; perhaps the Sanctumese have a way to rejuvenate the system of the tower without using blood.”

Rudolph III took a deep breath. “If this is the case, Guardian, please.”

The king did not sound optimistic, but there was still a glimmer of hopefulness in his eyes.

Indeed, Veronica was the only one left in the Kingdom of Taros to reignite the flames, but the descendants of other kingdoms on the continent had lost all their power. If this situation carried on, the Kingdom of Taros would become the last sanctuary in the Chaos, but it was not a future that the people in the sanctuary would look forward to. The forces of Chaos would have all its strength to focus on this kingdom, and for the kingdom, any struggles were only futile effort to delay the inevitable. So however slightest the chances, Rudolph III still hoped to reactivate the Sunscorch Tower of every Kingdom of Order. It was not only for the continuation of the existence of the world but also for the sake of his kingdom.

Now when all contact with Sanctum was lost, Hao Ren had become the only hope.

Under the hopeful eyes of everyone, Hao Ren came under the huge crystal. He bent over and carefully observed the pool with a strange liquid.

The fluid was neither water nor blood.

The flames above the liquid were not normal fire either—it did not feel hot.

“May I put my hand inside?” He looked up and asked the king. “I have washed my hands.”

The king was startled by the guardian’s crude method. But after thinking for a while, there was indeed no such taboo in dealing with the Sunscorch Tower, the king nodded. “Yes, you may. But be careful, the liquid may look ordinary, but it contains a lot of energy. Most people could not have contact with it for too long.”

Hao Ren nodded. He then carefully dipped his finger into the silver-white liquid.

As soon as his finger came into contact with the liquid, he suddenly felt a power surge in his mind.

The feeling was brief, so short that it was as if an illusion. But still, Hao Ren was able to capture the slight moment of changes in his mind, and he knew it was not an illusion.

At that short moment, he felt that he had established a brief communication with the outside world.

He pulled his hand out of the liquid. The silvery white fluid on his fingertip gradually disappeared as if it was evaporating. The feeling of the previous spiritual connection was lingering.

Hao Ren’s brows knit together. This time, he was prepared. Concentrating his mind, Hao Ren dipped his finger back into the liquid again.

“The Petrachelys is calling the captain. Please answer if you hear this. I repeat. The Petrachelys is calling the captain. Please answer if you hear this…”

Nolan’s voice echoed in Hao Ren’s mind.

Hao Ren could not believe what he heard. After so long, it transpired that this Sunscorch Tower could function as a wifi adapter.