CHAPTER 1040: SECTION 661: JOURNEY TO CENTRAL SOUTH (1)_2

"Come on, couldn’t you make the naming any less like Japan’s old army and navy? Clearly one race, yet you insist on having two different names."

They caught sight of Meng Quyi and happily cheered. Soon, more Domestic Fairies appeared in the courtyard. They bowed respectfully to Meng Quyi, then to Malin.

When they heard Malin conversing with them in their own tongue, these small creatures grew even more delighted and started preparing food.

Malin watched the lively little beings at work, then glanced at Meng Quyi... Hmm, judging from the skin resemblance, they do look a bit alike. Mr. Meng, your tastes are really... eclectic.

With that thought, Malin had his meal here, and when he left with Meng Quyi, Malin—out of curiosity about how his actions might interfere with the future—gave the Domestic Fairies a seed from the World Tree.

They followed Malin’s instructions and planted the seed in the courtyard.

"What is that thing?"

"The seed of the World Tree."

Faced with Meng Quyi’s questioning gaze, Malin answered truthfully.

The young lady made a small sound of acknowledgment, nodding slightly, then turned with the intention to leave. She abruptly froze mid-step and mechanically turned her head back: "You mean like the World Tree in Carterburg?"

"Yes." Malin nodded.

"Then my courtyard is doomed, isn’t it?!" She widened her eyes in alarm.

"Correct." Malin nodded again. Not just your courtyard—your entire district will be crushed to ruins by the World Tree.

But what surprised Malin was that this young woman ultimately consented to his actions.

As she put it, losing the courtyard and house to the World Tree wasn’t too big of an issue, but knowing its power might ensure that the city could survive the oncoming Tide of the Dead from Chaos’s assault.

Meng Quyi cheered up again. With renewed excitement, she led Malin to observe the political ecosystem of the Thanan.

Upon hearing this, Malin perked up instantly—word had it that the current Thainan realm was ruled in an era of Sages and their disciples. He was curious to see what these Sages and disciples looked like.

......

Speaking of Sage rule, the first thing Malin thought of was the grand plazas of Ancient Greece, where the Sage and his disciples waged fierce debates at the center, their voices amplified by massive speakers blaring with an array of electronic sounds. Thankfully, it wasn’t Ah San; otherwise, halfway through the disputes, the entire plaza might erupt into communal dancing to accompany a select few performers.

Meng Quyi led Malin, of course, to a large plaza, where a debate was soon to take place. Unfortunately, their luck had run dry: the Sage governing this region, along with his procession, had departed a week prior, their disciples going along as well.

Currently engaging in debate was another disciple of the Sage alongside a local official. The two were arguing about the civilian livelihood plans for the second half of the year. The disciple declared that with mounting astrological and divinatory evidence of an imminent Tide of the Dead, they must forsake expansion outside city limits and focus on rallying all residents within the city, constructing a vertical defense system with layered city walls.

"The entire world will fall into flames of war! We must protect ourselves!" This disciple seemed barely twelve, thirteen, or fourteen years old, while the opposing official was a man in his thirties. The official shook his head, dismissing the claim as another alarmist prophecy: "Ten years ago, our Diviners and Astromancers predicted apocalyptic destruction, yet here we are, untouched. Right now, we must adhere to the fifteen-year plan set forth years ago. We have five years to fully develop this region—besides, the century-old Tide of the Dead is still far away, leaving us ample time to prepare."

His argument carried weight, but what he didn’t realize was that the Western Human World had already reached a consensus on this matter. Malin eyed the young disciple and ultimately chose to ascend the stage.

Before stepping up, however, Malin sought Meng Quyi’s approval. Once the young lady affirmed, he stepped down into the plaza center.

The guards noticed Malin, but his appearance—distinct from the Thanan—with unique foreign attire made them hesitate.

More impactful was the fact that the disciple stepped forward to greet Malin: "I pay my respects to you, Legendary Figure of foreign lands."

See? Even the Sage’s disciple greeted him respectfully and called him a Legendary Figure. I’m just a guard—I’d better not court trouble, right?

So, in the end, the guards cleared the way. Malin passed them and approached the young disciple, speaking in his father’s native tongue: "Handshake or hug?"

"A handshake," replied the disciple with a gentle smile, extending his hand.

Malin shook his hand, then turned to the official: "I deeply apologize for interrupting your debate, but in our Western Human World, the argument about Chaos’s impending invasion has already settled. The Tide of the Dead is confirmed to arrive within the next five years at the latest... it might even usher in the final war."

Using fluent Thanan language, word-perfect, leaving no room for misinterpretation, Malin’s statement incited an uproar among the gathered citizens.

Most citizens rose to their feet, staring at Malin, silently awaiting a convincing rebuttal from the official.

"The final war! Impossible! Those Diviners and Astromancers have talked about this before, yet Chaos hasn’t invaded!" The official countered with grounded facts.

"It’s because sacrifices were made! That prevented the invasion, granting us mere decades! Those sacrifices gifted us humanity’s reprieve!" The young disciple quickly retorted.

The citizens gasped collectively. Malin wasn’t privy to the details but thought this sounded plausible—after all, the elder had once told him that the world should have perished more than a decade ago.

Yet the anticipated flames of annihilation never came. Humanity was granted yet another fleeting breath of life.

Thus, Malin shook his head: "Sir, I don’t know your name, but I must inform you—with the assurance of my status as a Legendary—Chaos’s invasion is not far off. The Legendaries of our Western Human World have confirmed it will be the final battle."

The Legendary title served as the ultimate persuasion tactic. Among the crowd were some Transcendents, who, after verifying Malin’s identity, left the citizens unusually calm—even across regions, a Legendary title carried unequivocal authority.

The official furrowed his brow: "Truthfully, you are indeed a Legendary Figure, but I am still stating the facts. Our Astromancers and Diviners don’t agree—or, for example, the Astromancers of Cloud Tower claim the invasion won’t happen in the next few years, and certain other divination organizations also hold this belief."

"But in my land, our Northern and Eastern kingdoms are already waging war against Chaos Legions—armies that suddenly materialized into existence," Malin explained, addressing the citizens: "Citizens! Look at me! Do you believe it’s wise to wait until disaster is upon us to act or to take precautions in advance?"

"I think this Legendary Speaker is right! We shouldn’t wait until calamity strikes to regret our choices!" shouted a booming voice from among the citizens.

Then more voices echoed the first, agreeing passionately.

Malin smiled and bowed to the citizens before approaching the official: "Sir, this is what the citizens have decided. I trust that under their guidance and oversight, you officials should also start taking action. Chaos is no distant visitor."

Faced with Malin’s extended hand, the middle-aged man forced a smile and shook his head: "Perhaps one day I’ll deeply regret today’s hesitation, but the citizens aren’t wrong—acting only once disaster looms is too late."

Saying that, he reached out for Malin’s hand in acknowledgment.

Just as their hands met, Malin heard the ringing of distant bells.

Soon, bells echoed closer.

The official’s expression shifted drastically.

"It’s an attack."

He spoke grimly.

"Five urgent ringing signals—Chaos!"

His face turned pale.