Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Almost at the moment the hundred-strong tour group arrived in the Hollettan ecosystem, the drone cluster detected a divine-power burst in deep space. The timing of the burst appeared just right, so perfect that Hao Ren could not help but wonder if it was true. It was not possible for the thousands of monitoring stations in deep space to make a mistake at the same time. With multiple stations carrying out the monitoring of a divine power burst, the detection was undoubtedly real.
“The source of the burst is very close to the monitoring stations. Some drones have gone to check out the source. But the feedback from remote sensing signals indicates that there’s nothing worth investigating. It is only an ordinary star,” the drone cluster reported. “We have been receiving various signals from the dark universe since a while ago. Most of the signals are indistinguishable, but they all have a certain degree of resemblance with the divine power burst.”
“That should have been the reverberation following the fall of the goddess of creation.” Hao Ren had thought of it earlier. “We have been exploring this form of reverberation for a long time, and now we can finally excite it and observe its existence in the background of the universe.”
“What is your next instruction?”
“Keep monitoring. I want field investigation by the drones for every burst with intensity exceeding Category D. Even if there is nothing there, you must build a beacon. I need you to chart a map, labeling all the areas where the reaction takes place.”
The patrol frigate Petrachelys was gradually approaching. On a hillock, the welcoming delegation representing the Kingdom of Holletta had lined up neatly, watching as the incredible steel chariot descended from the sky. It was an extraordinary visit. The kingdom’s ruler and religious leaders had spent a lot of time exploring how to arrange the event. They even complained about why the foreigner who saved the world always came up with such a crazy idea. But those who complained still decided on a moderate program itinerary in response to Hao Ren’s proposal.
They decided not to publicize the event, because they could not make the public understand how complicated and profound the historical background of the ‘diasporas’ who traveled across space and time. But the necessary etiquette and ceremony were a must. At the very least, next to the landing field, all the most powerful marshal and diplomatic ministers were in the welcoming delegation.
The spacecraft finally landed silently on the ground as if the large metal body was weightless like a ghost. The side hatch popped open. For the first time, the earthly aliens stepped on this foreign planet for the first time.
Well, not all of them though. A few had been here many times.
Ophra saw a large group of strange people walking down the spacecraft. They wore fancy costumes that were absolutely not of Holletta, weird ornaments, and out-of-this-world hairstyles. Like colonial crew who lost their ways and ended up in a new world, they were ‘hurried’ down the light ramp. She remembered the famous explorer Dechenek had once described the image of such a sight in his book The New World: They came down in rows from the ship, pushed by those from behind, they embarked on this strange land and began to look around in confusion. Though most of them were respected figures, they dazzled in the scenery of the New World.”
It was just like these people here.
The earthlings had noticed the welcoming delegation on the high ground. They seemed to be surprised and talked with each other in a low voice. Ophra saw that the oddly-dressed people, who came down from the spacecraft, were apparently divided into many small groups. These groups kept a subtle distance from each other, and people only talked with those in the same group. Some of them seemed like people of position. They looked a little with status. Although they first appeared at sea stepping into the new world, Ophra could still sense a different aura in them.
“Are those our people living in exile in another world?” The female marshal thought to herself as the first impression of those people formed in the female marshal’s mind.
Hao Ren was the first to come out of the spaceship. A few dozens Aerymian Royal Guards and his team were maintaining the order of the tour group. Hao Ren came before Ophra and the welcoming delegation, putting up a smile on his face. “They’re finally here. So how do you feel seeing your people for the first time?”
“It’s a little different from what I have imagined,” Ophra replied and smiled. She then turned to the ‘tour group,’ of which the atmosphere was a bit strange. “Welcome to Holletta, everyone. You’re now in your motherland.”
“It is the homeworld of some of you.” Hao Ren added.
Zeon Lucas and a few Blood Clans looked at each other. They looked down at the land beneath their feet and felt surreal.
At this moment, an old but strong man suddenly emerged from behind Ophra and came before the earthly aliens, his eyes glinted in beastly light, and he sniffled. “The descendants of Ebben Family. Where are the descendants of the Ebben Family? Are you two descendants of the Ebben Family?” the old man asked.
From among the otherworldlings from Earth, two men stepped forward bewilderedly. One of them was tall and well-built, the other one was slightly thinner, but both of them exuded an undisguisable wild scent. An indescribable impulse was pulsating in their blood veins, revealing the scent of werewolf’s bloodline.
Casar Ebben and Ewen Ebben, the two outstanding successors of the Ebben Family on Earth, arrived in a strange world after crossing space and time. In this unfamiliar world, they were surprised to see an old man having the same scent as they were.
It was an old werewolf.
“As I’ve said before, I would let you see the bloodline of the Ebben Family,” Hao Ren said in a calm voice and nodded to the old werewolf.
The old werewolf, who had been fighting under Marshal Ophra for years and following the warriors of the kingdom during the mercenary times, trembled as if he had never thought of his wishes would materialize. The old man was rooted to the spot for a moment before he suddenly looked at Hao Ren, and then lowered his head.
“This world already owes it to you. Now, I owe you my life.”
“He is…” Casar Ebben seemed to have not figured about what was going on.
“This is your compatriot in the Plane of Dreams. He is the only remaining Ebben werewolf on this planet Holletta,” Hao Ren said slowly. He knew he was loud enough to make everyone at the scene hear him. “He has been searching for the surviving descendants of the Ebben Family in this world, and he finally meets you here today.”
“Ebben werewolf…” Casar Ebben muttered to himself. The earlier surreal feeling suddenly fell apart as a sense of family connection had cleared up all his doubts and vanity. He saw it now—a werewolf who had the same bloodline as his, standing in front of him. In a foreign world separated by space and time, in the land he had never set foot on before, there was another Ebben werewolf.
The one before him was proof.
“Thank God! The family bloodline is not lost. The Ebben Family has declined in this world, but it lives on in another,” the old werewolf Elson Ebben sighed. “Young man, how is Ebben Family doing in your world? Are were thriving there? Are the new generations brave and upright like their ancestors?”
Casar Ebben had wanted to tell him about the demise of the Mythological Era and the decline of his family for the last several hundred years but just replied with a nod at last. There was at least one thing that was news of comfort to the old werewolf: the Ebben Family had survived. Compared with other werewolf families that had disappeared, the Ebben Family had been lucky.
At first, the otherworldlings from Earth had different thoughts and concerns, but the reunion of the Ebben Family seemed to have evoked their resonance. Their estrangement and distrust of this unfamiliar world eased up significantly. The blood clan began to whisper about the possibility of finding their ancestors; the werewolves were envious of the Ebben Family; the runic dwarves were discussing if they could find the lost skill of enchantment in this world, and the sirens were taking out their mobile phones and DSLRs, snapping photos.
Hao Ren saw the group of sirens at the rear of the tour group. The sirens were beautiful and youthful, carrying their bags and hanging their cameras around their necks. The exception was their lower body, which was serpentine. They all looked like a bunch of college girls jumping down from a tour bus. They had been taking pictures when they first boarded the spaceship and were still doing it now. Very soon, these sirens would cramp around Ophra and the Royal Knights for photos. They would visit the ancient Royal City, go shopping for handicrafts and local specialties, and scout for street food. After doing all that, they would eagerly wait to return to the spacecraft, where there was wifi connection, to post on their Weibo. All otherworldlings invariably had a goal in mind when they sent out their representatives to this world, but the sirens were different. Theirs was a sightseeing plan through and through.
What a group of happy deep-sea fish.
