The Wound of the Ocean Ridge

After passing through all the defenses, they continued downward. There was no one else beyond that point.

For one thing, they did not want any human error to alter the already-fragile fissure. For another, the environment grew extremely dangerous farther down, no longer suitable for living creatures.

As Chen Miemie slowly descended, the rocks beneath him became increasingly shattered, like pottery crushed beneath the feet of some enormous beast. The water temperature began to rise, and the smell of sulfur spread through the seawater, searing the respiratory systems of any visitors.

This was a deep, winding fissure stretching for dozens of kilometers, its width varying from place to place. It was as though Mother Ocean had dragged her fingernail across the seafloor, leaving behind an eternal scar.

The fissure’s entrance resembled the slightly parted jaws of an abyssal beast.

The rock walls slanted inward, their surfaces covered with yellow sulfur deposits and white silica sinter. The texture of the stone was twisted and folded, silently recording tens of thousands of years of accumulated geological violence.

Simply standing at the entrance to the fissure was enough to evoke an oppressive, apocalyptic scene.

Chen Miemie continued swimming inward.

Once he entered the fissure, the entire world became one of absolute darkness. Chen Miemie radiated a gentle moonlight, illuminating the surroundings.

At the deepest point, the floor and walls of the fissure were covered with hydrothermal vents. They came in two kinds.

One kind was the black chimney: a towering, columnar structure that spewed high-temperature fluid rich in sulfides. Its color ranged from dark gray to copper-red, and its surface was covered with lumpy protrusions. As the fluid burst forth, it formed black smoke in the darkness.

The other kind was the white chimney. Shorter than the black chimneys, it expelled white fluid rich in calcium and silica. Its surface was smooth as porcelain, and the white smoke it released slowly rose through the darkness like the hem of a ghost’s dress.

Beneath Chen Miemie, the seafloor was not flat. It was a series of lava lakes. Scalding magma surged from cracks in the earth’s crust and instantly cooled upon contact with seawater, forming black, glasslike shells. Yet beneath those shells, the magma continued to flow.

Between the lava lakes lay sulfur pools. Liquid sulfur seeped from cracks in the rock, forming yellow ponds whose surfaces were as smooth as mirrors, reflecting the red glow of the black chimneys.

Occasionally, the sulfur pools released bubbles of sulfur vapor. When they burst, they made a muffled popping sound, and the air filled with the stench of rotten eggs.

This was a forbidden zone for life. The stench of sulfur, the bitter tang of metallic ions, and the “cooked” flavor of heated seawater filled the place with an aura of destruction.

After remaining in the fissure for a while, Chen Miemie sensed a faint, rhythmic vibration.

It was not an earthquake, but the pulse of a magma chamber. Deep beneath the crust, magma surged periodically under pressure, causing the entire fissure to throb like a heart once every few minutes.

Chen Miemie was neither a geological expert nor a structural engineer, but both he and the strange beings within him were able to reach the same conclusion:

This fissure could not be fixed by any so-called “repairs.” It marked the end of the ridge’s cycle, just as a human life eventually reaches its natural conclusion. It was beyond the power of mortals to defy.

Over the course of countless millennia, some plains had been compressed and pushed upward into mountains. Naturally, some mountains had also collapsed and been scattered into low hills. This was the law of nature. Even if Chen Miemie transformed into the Eternal Moon and used supreme power to suppress the fissure by force, it was impossible to say whether he would succeed. But the moment the Eternal Moon night ended, the entire thing would collapse with a thunderous roar.

“There’s no need to keep looking. There really is nothing we can do.” Chen Miemie headed back toward the fissure’s entrance.

As he moved, a strange feeling arose in his heart.

By the time he returned to the place guarded by Seahorse, the steel knight had already stood up again and resumed her position at the original post.

“Seahorse, I’m puzzled. The reaction from Foamwave Harbor doesn’t make sense.”

“What doesn’t make sense?”

“Knowing that the fissure cannot be repaired, why aren’t they urgently evacuating the city and relocating its supplies? Instead, they’re diverting their strength into launching a war to ‘prevent interference from the demon race.’ How did such a decision come into existence, and how was it approved?”

Through the knight’s visor, Seahorse looked at Chen Miemie.

“Chen Miemie, you only went down there once, yet you immediately grasped the key issue.

“Unfortunately, I’m not part of the city’s true inner circle. I don’t know the answer either, and I’m just as puzzled.

“Only two people know the truth for certain. No—perhaps only one.

“This decision was formulated and issued by Bajiao, the governor of Tide Hall. The city lord, Mute, signed it.

“Mute may not handle specific affairs, so Bajiao is the true force driving this operation.”

Chen Miemie shook his head.

“Seahorse, even if you aren’t one of the city’s core decision-makers, you’re still part of the highest-ranking inner circle. This concerns the survival of the city and a war between races. How can you blindly carry out an order without first finding out why it was issued?”

“Exactly. That’s why our witch faction didn’t take part in the war. Not only did the Seahorse Knights stay out of it, but neither did the Blacktide Chamber of Commerce or the Shipyard. Basically, anyone who wasn’t directly affiliated with the Tidal Palace refused to participate. The city’s major forces never united, leaving Bajiao short of manpower. That’s why he issued the Call-Up Order.”

The strange feeling in Chen Miemie’s heart grew even stronger.

“Why didn’t Bajiao explain himself to you? He would rather leave such a large amount of military strength unused than reveal the reason? You witches might not be trusted, but the Blacktide Chamber of Commerce and the Shipyard are two of the city’s top three native powers.”

Seahorse shrugged.

“We analyzed the situation internally. He wasn’t unaware that he was wasting military strength. Rather, he deliberately chose not to have us participate. But I can’t guess why.

“Bajiao has governed Foamwave Harbor for two hundred years. His authority has long since become deeply entrenched. Once his decision passes through the proper procedures, it becomes the will of the city.”

Since he could get no answer from Seahorse, Chen Miemie soon departed.

Not long after he left, Tongqu, the Tidal Palace’s chief intelligence officer, hurried over and appeared before Seahorse.

Tongqu wore a cold, expressionless face.

“Seahorse, according to the monitoring array, someone entered the fissure below from your position. Did you go down there without authorization, or did you allow someone else to go down?”

The statue-like Seahorse twisted her armored neck.

“Yes. I went down.”

Tongqu did not ask why.

“You acted without authorization and created a risk. Under the Guarding Regulations, and by the temporary authority granted to me by the Tidal Palace, I am removing you from the guarding roster. Do you object?”

Seahorse gave no reply and walked straight outside.

The two of them understood each other without saying so. They both knew that the monitoring array could reveal not only whether someone had gone below, but also whether that person was Seahorse, the designated guardian.

The Tidal Palace.

Bajiao’s office.

It was deep into the night, yet the governor had not left work. There had been too much to deal with lately. He rested only a few hours each day, spending the rest of his time either handling urgent documents in this office or directing the fleet from the front lines.

After knocking, a night-shift intelligence officer hurried inside and handed him a report.

Bajiao opened it and glanced over the contents.

“So Chen Miemie has already gone down there. Well, he couldn’t be stopped. As long as he didn’t damage anything, that’s fine.

“The future of this city is becoming more and more like a little boat caught among the waves—its destination uncertain, with countless variables ahead.”