Chapter 1144: Chapter 1143: An Unexpected Way to End

In the Hatching Room, an inevitable silence fell once again. Gawain sat solemnly in his chair, lost in deep thought. The faint hum of the ventilation system seemed to come from a great distance, and the cool breeze dispelled the summer afternoon heat, yet it couldn’t dispel the pressure and shadows from the truth of the world. This thinking continued for an unknown period until he heard Enya’s voice coming from beside him:

"Precisely because the natural laws of the world have been so harsh from the very beginning, seeking protection from the gods became the path all mortals must ultimately choose... However, even the protection of the gods is merely a part of these harsh rules—this is where the fragility of life in the face of nature’s might lies. They can only choose to face a bleak future, or a bottle of intoxicating poison.

"I have witnessed many brilliant civilizations, who persistently pursued truth or bravely faced their gods. There were many great individuals who made wise decisions, allowing their entire race to flourish to the point of reaching the heavens, even coming to knock on Talronde’s door, and those most outstanding, ultimately learned the truth.

"Unfortunately, I saw them tremble before the truth, with some bowing their heads and returning to the embrace of the gods, clipping their own wings, hoping to dwell long on this planet... No race dared to risk losing divine protection to knock on the door of the universe, not a single one."

Gawain stared at the magic symbols flowing across Enya’s eggshell: "Now the dominant force on the Loren Continent is us; those once-glorious civilizations in history have left almost no traces. This demonstrates that their hopes were unfulfilled—the All Divine System is a time bomb continually expanding, eventually swallowing them like a chaotic wave."

"But at least they lived longer than other races," Enya said softly.

"Yet the dragons of Talronde refused to accept such ’tranquility’, choosing the hardest path," Gawain said, "They took the initiative to shatter the protection you offered, choosing to believe that the strength and wisdom of mortals themselves could contend with this cold universe—the weakness of earthly creatures may be a fact, but now there is finally a race daring to raise its head."

Enya paused, then suddenly chuckled lightly: "Having personally witnessed the Voyager’s Zenith Fleet piercing the sky, the glow of Transition Engines illuminating the night sky, massive Expedition Fleets sailing into space, and the shadows cast by the immigrant mothership covering half a continent, who would be willing to forever live with their heads down as a speck of dust in the universe? Perhaps since the day the Voyagers arrived on this planet, the fate of the Dragonkin has been altered... Although they didn’t take us away, they indeed showed us a path... a path to live among the stars.

"Dragons are a race that doesn’t concede defeat, as their former god, I know this well—since the day the Voyagers left, the Dragonkin never lowered their heads again."

Gawain sighed inwardly: Regardless of where the Voyagers are now, or whether their long grand expedition has reached its target, their journey through this Star Space has changed so many things. The most precious ’legacy’ they left may not be those advanced satellites and space stations, nor the ’unleashing’ of indigenous civilizations during the Ancient Era, but a possibility—a possibility to advance in the apparent pathless darkness.

"I want to know, what is the principle behind your Divine Power protecting Talronde during the chaotic wave?" he suddenly asked, "Even though we don’t plan to choose the path of ’divine protection’, I believe one thing: since gods are also part of the world’s natural laws, then the ’miracles’ and ’protection’ related to them must have rules to follow. As long as these rules can be recognized and analyzed, then we must have a way to grasp them safely."

"This is indeed something you would say," Enya’s tone seemed to carry a hint of amusement, but it soon turned into a sigh, "Unfortunately, I don’t know the answer to this question."

"You don’t know?" Gawain immediately widened his eyes, "You’ve protected the Dragonkin with your power for over a million years, yet you don’t know how you did it?"

"I know many things, but this is the one field I cannot probe into—because a god cannot analyze the trend of thoughts itself," Enya said regretfully, "I also tried to ascertain the principle by which I could protect the Dragonkin’s ’cognitive system’ during the chaotic wave, with the hope that if I were to perish one day, this technical knowledge could let them create a new defense system, but during several chaotic waves, I realized that this process surpassed my... ’observation’. I don’t know how to explain this to you, because I have a different ’perspective’ and ’self-boundary’ from mortals. If you must have an example... it’s like how a person cannot see what’s behind them without a tool."

Gawain listened intently to Enya’s explanation, then furrowed his brows in thought for a moment before breaking the silence: "Actually, we do have a clue... A god cannot analyze the trend of thoughts itself, which indicates that the key factor in protecting the Observer during the chaotic wave is precisely ’thought trend’?"

"I think that hypothesis is plausible," Enya agreed, "That’s also my line of thought—it’s just a shame I can’t verify it myself."

"Then that’s precisely the direction we’re currently researching," Gawain exhaled the stale air from his chest, his brows slightly relaxing, "Controllable thought trend, cognitive protection based on thought trend, shield technology for divine nature, mental calibration... Perhaps, we’re on the right path?"

The voice from within the golden egg didn’t answer immediately, but the movements of the magic symbols on the pale golden eggshell became slightly more lively. After a few seconds, Enya slowly said in a tone mixed with comfort and caution: "Perhaps... after so many years, this harsh world has finally decided to show a bit of kindness to life’s creatures."

"Compared to the world’s exhibited kindness, I’d rather believe that any chance of survival has to be fought for by mortals themselves," Gawain chuckled, shaking his head, "But I still hope you are right, and I remain optimistic and full of expectation for the future."

Enya smiled gently and then asked, "Is there anything else you wish to know?"

Gawain thought carefully, ensuring he hadn’t missed anything in his inquiries and also reviewing the information he’d obtained. After organizing his thoughts, he believed he had gained enough for the day. Yet just as he was about to stand and express his thanks, a question he’d never considered before suddenly surfaced in his mind, halting his movements.

"I have a question," he sat up straight, his brows furrowing once more, "Regarding the Sacred Dragon Kingdom... Talronde relied on the Great Shield and your protection to survive each chaotic wave, but what about the Sacred Dragon Kingdom? It was out of your sight and beyond the protection of the Great Shield of Talronde. How did they..."

Enya’s voice went silent for a moment before it finally came to Gawain in a low tone: "How many do you think there have been, of the current ’Sacred Dragon Kingdom’?"

Gawain: "..."

"Gawain, my friend, seeking a path to survival in this world has never been a gentle fairy tale, nor a knightly game where merely a hero’s call can bring about light," the deep, gentle voice came from the golden egg, "Although I know you’re well aware of this, there are many times when we still must constantly remind ourselves."

Gawain didn’t say anything, just unconsciously tapped the armrest of his chair slowly, his expression becoming somewhat somber and solemn. Enya’s voice rang out again after a moment, reaching his ears: "We’ve talked about many things today, and at the very end, I have a little suggestion."

Gawain lifted his eyes, looking in Enya’s direction: "A suggestion?"

"Although this planet is just a speck of dust in the universe, even on this speck, there are still many areas unexplored by the mortals of today. You’ve now made great progress in the Far Sailing Domain, and have the assistance of sea demons who count as allies... So, if you have the extra capacity, you should explore those distant and unfamiliar continents. In the cycle of past civilizations, there were intelligent beings who rose on other continents. Though they have perished, perhaps they’ve left behind valuable traces of civilization. Some continents may still hold legacies left by the Voyagers, which might hide precious secrets.

"In the Age of Mythology, both the Dragonkin and I were bound by the ’Mutual Shackle,’ preventing us from exploring things too far from Talronde or things deeply connected with the Voyagers... But now, the shackles are gone."

Gawain did not expect such specific and well-directed advice from the other party, and his expression became earnest. He nodded very seriously: "Thank you very much for your suggestion—rest assured, I understand the value of oceanic exploration. In fact, exploring other continents and far-sea regions has long been part of my future plans, and this will be one of the alliance’s objectives for the next stage."

"Very well," Enya’s voice carried a sense of relief, with her tone showing a hint of laughter, "Then, are there any other questions?"

Gawain thought carefully before slowly shaking his head: "Not for the time being—I’ve already gathered enough information today, enough for me and the scholars to digest for a while. Of course, if I think of anything else later, I’ll definitely come to consult with you."

"You’re always welcome, provided it’s something I can answer," Enya chuckled lightly. Seeing Gawain had already risen, she suddenly said, "Don’t rush to leave just yet. After discussing so many things, would you like to drink a little something?"

Gawain was taken aback, and then his face instinctively broke into a delighted smile. He looked at the long table behind Enya with an expectant tone: "Did you succeed?"

"Not sure yet, since the ’reflection’ of a divine miracle is no longer possible to replicate. I’ve only tried to concoct a ’mortal beverage’ with secular materials based on your description," Enya said as invisible magic power began to flow. A cylindrical container and a porcelain cup floated over from behind her. As the container floated, it emitted a slight sound, evidently filled with liquid, possibly with some ice, "It probably still tastes far from what you remember, but I hope it’s at least palatable enough to relieve your fatigue and stress."

"I can’t help but look forward to it," Gawain said, unable to suppress his smile. He watched as the container was guided by invisible forces, pouring a deep amber liquid into the porcelain cup, and the sound of bubbles popping could be heard from within, "By the way, has anyone else tasted it yet?"

"No, after all, it was specially made for you," Enya said while handing the cup to Gawain, "I myself tried a small bit, but my sense of taste seems not quite the same as a normal person’s... It’s even questionable whether I have a sense of taste at all."

Speaking, Gawain had already taken the cup, glancing at the wobbly deep amber liquid inside. Enya’s words made him hesitate briefly, but after confirming there wasn’t any peculiar smell coming from the liquid, he raised the cup and took a big gulp.

An indescribable, intensely choking—Gawain felt it was almost "unspeakable"—flavor rushed up instantly, mixed with a bone-chilling cold and a massive release of compressed gas. It’s hard to describe how many layers of intense stimulation pounded his senses, and even the willpower of a legendary powerhouse only held for less than two seconds against this force.

"Puh—"

To be fair, spraying water all over a lady at close range isn’t very polite, especially when the lady, strictly speaking, is a goddess (though in her current form she’s an egg)—but Gawain just couldn’t hold back.

The deep amber liquid flowed down Enya’s eggshell, and the atmosphere in the Hatching Room became somewhat awkward. Gawain held the rest of the cup of "unspeakable mixed special drink," his facial expression stiff at the sight in front of him, finally squeezing out a sentence after a long time: "Uh, sorry... I didn’t mean to..."

"Seems like my first attempt wasn’t successful," Enya’s voice came from within the eggshell, still very calm and earnest, "I need to adjust the proportions of various materials... Do you have any suggestions? Based on the taste you just experienced."

"...I feel like I’ve already lost the memory of just now," Gawain’s mouth twitched, "In any case, my only suggestion is that you definitely shouldn’t let others try this stuff; they might not have a legendary hero’s physique."

"Alright, I completely understand, seems the level of failure was quite severe—further improvements are necessary," Enya’s voice was still earnest, "Apologies, are you okay?"

"I’m fine, at least I didn’t swallow it," Gawain said, somewhat ruefully. He felt he should comfort Enya over the "experiment" failure, but swallowed the words back down—this goddess’s voice didn’t carry any sense of defeat, rather it seemed filled with a certain determination, making him think that not comforting her might actually be a good thing—and she clearly needed a towel more than comfort now, "I might as well wipe it up for you first..."

"Let Betty take care of wiping it off later, it’s about time she helped clean my eggshell anyway," Enya seemed to take it in stride, "Compared to my situation, do you need to change clothes?"

Gawain looked down at his chest, only now realizing there was a wet patch on his clothes. He sighed with a smile, "Alright, didn’t expect this deep discussion to end this way... It truly did relieve quite a bit of my stress in a sense. Well, I’ll be on my way then."

"Take care. Sorry I can’t see you off, but please look forward to my next creation—I just came up with an improvement plan and this time I’m quite confident."

Gawain: "..."

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