Silent Crown

by Feng Yue

  It did not need weapons, for it itself was already the most terrible weapon of all.

  It didn’t even need to move. Just by sitting on top of the sea it was able to boil all the water in the area, killing all of its enemies.

  The other fleets did not hesitate to launch their own defenses, and various elements emerged from them. Music theory distorted the Physical World, causing everything around it to mutate.

  The world outside the cabin had turned into hell.

  Everywhere was covered in strange blood, and breathing in would fill your lungs with steam. Iron sand floated in the wind. When the iron sand fell into someone’s flesh, it would accumulate quickly, until the whole creature was transformed into a deformed shape. Even the air pressure began to change, fluctuating between high and low, causing vacuums from which burst forth hurricanes and a roaring sound…

  No one could worry about anyone else. First they had to arm themselves to the teeth and transform the environment around them, even if it meant that the ocean they were in would truly become hell.

  This was war.

  This was nothing new to any of them.

  If this hell, then all the soldiers were creatures that had long existed there.

  On the bridge, Sylvaine eyed the changes in the fleets in the distance coldly, but did not rush to immediately set up his defenses.

  Starting and running the giant aether furnaces was a difficult process. In the face of such a tremendous amount of aether flowing around, even if they continuously replaced the coolant the aether furnaces lifespan would be quickly reduced.

  The good steel should be used on the blade.

  If there was anything to be envied about the Royal Navy, it was that after battling with catastrophes and sea monsters the sailors were used to such strange sights, and would not fly into a panic so easily.

  When the faint warning finally reached the observation deck, Sylvaine tore his gaze away and waved his hand. “Play the melody of the Emperor’s coronation! Wherever we are is the glorious land of the Anglo Kingdom!”

  The glorious, mighty melody began to play.

  A golden glow began to spread out from the Fire of Nirvana surrounding the fleet, as a real Firebird appeared. Under the control of dozens of musicians it swept out, and everywhere it passed everything was shredded to dust by its majestic will.

  When the melody started, the waters of Avalon suddenly became as smooth as a mirror.

  A toll sounded from the huge clock tower, and a stream of light reflected off the sea fortress and flew silently out, quickly merging with the Royal Navy’s Firebird. The sign of the golden retriever appeared from within, blessing the elements.

  After all this, Sylvaine saw that the situation outside had grown even more unstable. After a moment of silence, he issued another order.

  The situation was already chaotic, they might as well mess it up even more. The more chaotic the better!

  Since everyone else was already messing around, the Anglo Kingdom must show their own temperament.

  Soon, a musician who was completely covered by the Firebird slowly rose into the air. He carefully lifted the Holy Grail that he carried.

  Clear spring water spilled out from the Cup of Integrity in all directions.

  The sweet spring watered scattered in all directions and evaporated in the air. But it did not become steam, instead turning into thick, sticky clouds that covered everything all around. In a flash, the once hellish seascape turned into a fairyland.

  But the thick clouds were neither perfume nor rain, but a deadly weapon.

  When the commanders of the other fleets saw the white mist suffusing the air around the Firebird, and the figure holding the Holy Grail above the Royal Navy, their faces went pale.

  But soon, an enormous stirring from the Ultimate caught everyone’s attention.

  A horrifying illusion appeared from the turbulent flow of aether, covering the whole sky.

  The thunder transformed into a one-eyed spirit, and lightning erupted from the spear in his hand. It burst through layer after layer of chaos, forcibly opening up a gap.

  Dozens of musicians cried out, and a bolt of lightning fell upon the Asgardian sea fortress.

  The Second Emperor took his subordinates and was the first to withdraw from the Ultimate!

  Many of the keen-eyed musicians could not believe what they were seeing.

  In that moment, as the musicians called out to the Second Emperor who was calling forth yet more lightning, a huge hole opened in his chest! His bones were torn, and a dark arrow pierced through his heart. No one could tell who it had come from.

  Then there was another roar.

  A huge Eudemon unfurled its wings. On its back it carried a wounded musician away from the Ultimate. The Eudemon looked like a cross between a bird and a deer, and it was gaunt and haggard. When it came out the Ultimate it looked like it could barely stand.

  This was the second thing to emerge from the Ultimate, followed by a third and a fourth, until finally stars came whistling out of the Ultimate and flew out in all directions.

  It seemed like they had encountered something awful and were running for their lives.

  In the end the two Scepters and sixteen Masters seized the opportunity to use all their rare treasures to escape from the Ultimate.

  However, there was no sign of Ye Qingxuan.

  Sylvaine’s face was ashen.

  “What happened?” He looked at the revelation musician. “No news from His Highness?”

  The revelation musician shook his head in a panic, and his face looked pained. “Your Excellency, Asgard sent us a notice, asking everyone to leave the area quickly. In three minutes they will begin shelling the Ultimate, until there is not even an inch of land left in it…”

  “They wouldn’t dare!” Sylvaine roared. “What about His Highness? Warn them that this is murder! This is blatant murder of the Prince of Avalon! Have them immediately cease all actions, or the Anglo Kingdom will make them pay!”

  There was no response from the Asgardians.

  Amidst the turmoil, a loud sound emitted from the sea fortress that shook the seas. A forest of organ pipes rose from the steel fortress. They pointed straight at the sky and spewed hot steam.

  Countless buildings rose and fell like piano keys. Millions of gears and hubs began to revolve, all at the same rhythm.

  The terrifying steel fortress had become an instrument. And at the very center of it the huge main road began to withdraw to each side, and from the darkness, huge, awe-inspiring main guns slowly emerged.

  This was a threat that was terrible enough to destroy a city, a forbidden weapon that had been banned and locked away at international conferences.

  The Dora Organ!

  The shadow of a Scepter rose up over the fortress. Under the impetus of hundreds of overloaded aether engines a terrifying light began to brew under the guns. The slowly targeted the Ultimate, with clear intent to kill.

  The final countdown had begun.

  “Those d*mn…” Sylvaine’s face twisted as he gritted his teeth. “Tell the fleet to engage all aether engines, overload them - from this moment forward, the Anglo Kingdom officially declares…”

  At the moment, gasps of surprise sounded from the bridge.

  “Your Excellency, we’ve received a message from the Mountain of Nomadism!” The revelation musician shouted ecstatically. “His Highness has sent us orders from inside the Ultimate!”

  He paused, and his voice caught in his throat. His expression went blank, as if he had heard something unbelievable.

  “His Highness has ordered us to not worry about the Asgardians, and to…withdraw…ten nautical miles?”

  673 Bridge

  “Retreat ten nautical miles?” Sylvaine exclaimed, “Are you kidding? Abandon the Ultimate completely? What about His Royal Highness and Madam Mabel?”

  The musician of the school of revelation held the aether ball with both hands, and after confirming it once more, the look on hi
s face became more complicated. “Sir, it is the Prince’s order.”

  In the rumble, the aether waves rising one after another became more and more terrifying. Having no time to hesitate, Sylvaine gritted his teeth and gave a wave of his hand. “Execute the order immediately!

  “Activate the highest level of propulsion, everyone, get ready for impact prevention! “

  Crisp sounds rang out constantly, and everyone in the bridge used a lock to connect their belts to the chairs welded to the floor.

  After a few seconds, the navigator took a deep breath and pushed the valve stem to the very top.

  Boom!

  Terrifying flares emerged from the Firebird above the fleet. The ocean water rolled and boiled. On the huge fleet, light converged, forming a huge ring.

  In the ring, the sea water almost floated upwards from weightlessness, and a massive amount of water vapor rose, forming a mist and gushed in every direction.

  The next moment, a huge power burst forth from the Firebird.

  The sharp sound of steel twisting rang out one after another. The harsh sound stung everyone’s ears, and the sudden thrust made their vision darken. Had they not fasten the lock, they would probably be thrown off their seats.

  In the short span of a few seconds, the fleet had accelerated to an incredible extent.

  It seemed as if invisible ropes were towing hundreds of ships, making the ships travel backwards rapidly. Large ships shook violently, and fine gaps had cracked open on smaller warships with thin armor.

  The method of emergency retreat in wartime was so violent. By applying the ability originally developed with the intention of evading large-scale taboo movements of the enemy, the fleet had reached its maximum speed after just a few seconds, and was even accelerating further still.

  But it still couldn’t be compared to the impact sweeping towards them.

  At the very moment when the fleet accelerated, a blood-colored ray of light rose from the bottom of the sea, dyeing everything between the sea and the sky red. Then, above the Ultimate, the madly expanding torrent of aether abruptly erupted and swept towards all directions.

  The first to bear the brunt was the Asgardian’s Stronghold on Sea.

  When a catastrophe was about to be born, the most terrifying anomaly that would emerge was such torrents consisting purely of aether. In the realm of aether, the Originator had cast a new projection, setting off a mighty impact, and in the aftermath, the raging sea of aether was venting out on the physical world.

  There was no music and no melody, only a horrifying roar and the impact that followed closely.

  The pure torrent of aether caused only pure destruction.

  Against the silver waves sweeping towards it, layers of shields suddenly appeared on the stronghold. The shields scraped against the torrent, like walls wailing forlornly under a tsunami, and horrifying gaps constantly cracked open.

  Countless buildings rose and fell, like piano keys being pressed, playing a melody. Like thousands of strings, thousands of roads echoed the same rhythm, tersely withstanding the sweeping aftermath.

  In the middle of the city, the Second Prince sat on a huge iron chair, with cables inserted all over his body. His right eye, which was his only remaining eye, was closed, as if he was meditating with his eyes shut.

  But thunderclouds hovered in the empty left eye.

  Fierce light burst forth, and he was so majestic that one could not look at him directly.

  The divinity of Odin, the man-made catastrophe, operated in the body, and also controlled the Stronghold on Sea, unifying the power of hundreds of giant aether furnaces.

  The phantom of the giant of light emerged from the fortress. It reached out, resisting the impact of the torrent of aether.

  But other people were not so lucky.

  The fleets of the various nations that did not retreat in time all wailed mournfully, crushed by the torrent of aether, and the hulls quickly shattered. Then, the overloaded aether furnaces were detonated. Before they were torn to shreds by the torrent, they were shattered in the explosion.

  Next, the musicians lurking in the deep sea were melted by the aether at the first instant, and not even their bones were left.

  In the rumble, as the heavens and the earth quaked, the sound of warships shattering seemed like crisp bell-like peals of accompaniment, resonating with the cruel melody of war.

  The impact of the torrent pushed the entire Royal Fleet tens of nautical miles outwards. The violent quaking had just ended when Sylvaine climbed up from the chair and stared at the Ultimate that had been shrouded in destruction from the porthole. His face was ghastly pale.

  It was so terrifying even at the periphery, what on earth had happened in the core?

  Could anyone… still survive?

  “We’re finished.”

  He leaned back on the chair helplessly, felt a bleak coldness in his heart, and couldn’t help but want to cry. “His Royal Highness… His Royal Highness… has been killed in action in the Ultimate!”

  “Bullshit!” A furious voice sounded from the channel of communication with the Mountain of Nomadism. The voice was so hoarse, yet so familiar. “I am still well and alive, Sylvaine, what the heck are you crying for!”

  Selvin looked up, stunned, but in an instant, the emptiness in his heart was filled with ecstasy. After processing what had happened, he itched to dance madly in the bridge.

  Amid the piercing background noise, the hoarse and fuzzy voice roared, “If you… don’t want me to die… Switch on the test machine… Resonance valve… Immediately! Do you hear me!”

  Subconsciously, Sylvaine fished out the key that Master Newton had handed him before his departure, and inserted the heavy key into the keyhole at the command post of the bridge.

  He twisted it.

  It rotated by just one inch, but he almost used up all his strength.

  It was as if sleeping monster had been awakened.

  The Sovereign shook violently.

  Countless gears rotated rapidly. At the bow, the hull and the deck flipped, revealing the huge instruments of harmonious melody beneath and an alchemy array that was so complex that it was astonishing.

  The test machine that the team led by the Royal Institute of Research finally completed after working on it in a rush for six days and nights activated slowly. In the low rumble, the instruments of harmonious melody shook wildly, emitting a terrifying amount of heat.

  The alchemy array operated. The four layers of outflowing, forming, creating, and circulating were completely linked, and the main axis was connected.

  The performance began.

  Terminal 001, the test machine of the Net of Aether, was started.

  The next moment, notes collided, intervals pieced together, music theory evolved, and movements formed.

  In the end, the music theory named the Heaven Ladder flowed out of it, sending its own coordinates to the chaotic sea of aether.

  The next moment, in the Ultimate covered by layers of turbulence, the music theory that was exactly the same was awakened.

  In the blink of an eye, a resonance began across innumerable sources of noise and obstacles.

  A moment of silence ensued.

  The next moment, the staff of fate tapped.

  In the low sound, using itself as a pivot, it shook the frenzied sea of aether. Under the pressure of the Symphony of Predestination, a crack in the torrent blocking off the inside and the outside was pried open.

  Then, electricity broke through the air.

  As if traces of the lighthouse had been found amid an eternal darkness, in the turbulent flow, a sharp ray of electricity abruptly galloped out, moving straight forward.

  It rose from the Ultimate, crossed the boiling ocean and the aether turbulence, penetrating all obstacles.

  Invisible strands of music theory interwove into a bridge, riveting the two together.

  The Heaven Ladder was complete!

  It was a bridge.

  It was a path t
hat provided direct access from the chaotic Ultimate to the outside world.

  As if the ocean and the aether had been parted to two sides, at the huge gap, an illusory bridge stretched forward and connected itself to the Sovereign.

  Wherever the Heaven Ladder passed, all chaos was forcibly suppressed. The impact dissipated, the aether slumbered, and the turbulent surface of the sea returned to calmness. The calm sea reflected a slowly rising indigo moon.

  674 Please Forgive I

  In the very next instant, beams of light shot out from the hole of the Ultimate, along the crack that have been produced by the Heaven Ladder. The musicians that have been trapped in the Ultimate were still alive. It seemed that they have remained unharmed, although some of them did look like they have been scared out of their wits… along with the conspicuous-looking church badge pinned on their chest.

  Despite so many people converting to church so suddenly, the church fleet did not seem pleased. This was because the church badge actually contained the symbols of flame and the holy emblem, signifying the Religious Court of Inquiry.

  To think that the Religious Court of Inquiry has managed to recruit so many people under such circumstances?!

  The Archbishop, who has been observing the scene, was stunned for a long time even as he gritted his teeth in anger. He could not believe that Ye Qingxuan was capable of finding a way out of such terrible circumstances, and also recruiting people to his cause at the same time.

  “Indeed, that Chief Inquisitor cannot be underestimated…” He muttered coolly. He turned around to look at the red-robed clergyman behind him, “My Lord, Chopin, are we going to sit by while the situation turns for the worse for us?”

  “From the very beginning, it has never turned out well for us at all. That’s so sad. There’s no hope after all. No hope, whatsoever.” The man, whom others call ‘Chopin’, shrunk into a dark corner and muttered under his breath, “When Schubert lost control, that should have been a very clear warning. But the Sacred City lacked the courage to make a decisive move. This would never have happened if they had sent me earlier, don’t you think? I’m much more suitable than Schubert, why didn’t they let me go instead?”