The majestic mist that seemed to connect the sky and the sea appeared in Duncan's sight again - but unlike last time, this time he arrived at the border in the cover of night.
The dark and chaotic sky hung low overhead, the pale and cold world's creation illuminated the clouds at the edge of the curtain, and the entire wall of fog looked like a constantly expanding and shrinking black barrier in the night - distant, towering, and the details could not be seen clearly. But with every inadvertent glance, its squirming and changing surface would reveal some strange shapes, casting a shadow of horror in the hearts of everyone who witnessed it, and arousing many associations that pointed directly to fear.
The edge of the top of the foggy wall illuminated by the Creation of the World was like countless eyes high in the sky, looking down on this world with indifference and malice, looking down on those mortals who tried to challenge the end of the world and overestimated their own capabilities.
The fleets of mortals gather at the foot of the Veil.
After observing the lighthouse in the distance, Duncan controlled the Lost Homeland to adjust its course. They sailed towards the southeast side of the Curtain for a while and saw the lights gathered at the border - a large mobile port floating on the misty sea. The large steam core on the port was spewing white clouds into the sky, and the lights on the top of the differential engine tower were rotating, illuminating the large and small ships on the nearby sea from time to time.
More than a dozen ships of various models and sizes were docked around the floating port, and small patrol ships were roaming in the nearby waters. Their lights shone in the night, like fireflies patrolling on the dark and boundless sea.
At the end of the world, there is no need to enforce a blackout, so these lights representing human civilization have become an incredible scenery before the eternal curtain - however, compared to the boundless ocean, compared to the wall of fog that reaches the sky, these "sceneries" constructed by artificial lights are really insignificant. When viewed from a distance, the flames are so small that they seem to be swallowed up by the fluctuating fog at any time.
The world is collapsing, and the tiny creatures in the shelter bravely reach out to the collapsing walls of the shelter—the lights hovering on the sea are the tentacles of civilization, although they are not thriving, but they are here.
The news of the approach of the Lost Homeland and the Brilliant Star was quickly reported by nearby patrol ships. A welcoming whistle sounded over the mobile port that served as a border base. The loud sound echoed in the night, and then a beam of guiding light swept from the port lighthouse to the sea, guiding the two ships to dock at the edge of the port.
After the ship stopped, Duncan and his crew stepped onto the dock - there were already many people gathered here to greet them, and one of them surprised Duncan.
Pope Helena was standing among a group of priests who came to greet them.
She stepped out of the crowd and came to Duncan and Lucrecia with a smile, nodding slightly and saying, "Welcome to this 'border base' - we have been waiting for you."
"Why are you here?" Duncan looked at the Pope standing in front of him in surprise, "Shouldn't you be on your Ark at this time - how can that thing run so fast?"
"If the situation really requires it, the speed of the Cathedral Ark at full speed will not be much slower than your ship," Helena said with a smile, but soon shook her head, "But I am indeed not here now. The Cathedral of Storms is still staying in Breeze Harbor. It is only my incarnation that has come here. You are going to go deep into the border in person, and I should come here to see you off."
Duncan raised his eyebrows upon hearing this, and looked at the lady in front of him with surprise, who didn't look fake at all: "... I really can't tell."
Helena laughed and raised her hand towards Duncan - thin layers of mist rose from the edges of her arm, and her skin began to become as transparent as clear water.
"It is my Lord's authority to create illusions in water and mist," she withdrew her hand, and her body quickly returned to normal. Then she turned around and led the way while casually saying, "This is not a great divine art - most of the senior priests in the Deep Sea Church know this."
Duncan followed Helena into the depths of the border base. After hearing what she said, he thought for a moment and turned to look at Vanna who was walking behind him: "You also know this?"
Vanna paused unnaturally for a moment, then lowered her head as she walked: "Um... Actually..."
"She can't do it," Helena, who was walking in front, waved her hand, "I couldn't teach her even when I tried to teach her myself."
Vanna simply stopped raising her head: "..."
Shirley, who was walking behind, saw this and immediately took two steps forward on her short legs, looking up at Fanna: "Hey, didn't you say that your performance in divine arts is pretty good..."
Vanna was already extremely embarrassed at this point, but she noticed the captain in front of her turning his head to look at her curiously, so she had to bite the bullet and say, "... There are many types of divine arts, including combat, healing, assistance, and a lot of special branches like research, secret contracts, miracles, etc. I don't know all of them, I was more partial to one of them back then..."
Shirley reacted instantly after hearing half of it: "Oh, I see, you should be good at fighting..."
Before she finished her words, she heard Helena, who was walking in front of her, say without turning her head: "She is good at treatment."
When this answer came out, not only Shirley was stunned for a moment, but almost everyone around was stunned for a moment. Duncan couldn't help but look at the beautiful girl and warrior beside him in surprise. He looked her up and down several times, but he didn't dare to connect this strong Vanna with a priestess who is good at healing...
In the normal setting, aren't the priestesses who are good at healing the type who wear cloth armor and hold a short staff to prevent low health and can only walk behind the team to be protected by others, and die instantly if they are accidentally touched in a fight? A female warrior like Vanna who can open the skull of a demon with one hand... When did she become a nurse
However, he was puzzled by this question in his heart for a moment, but he was too embarrassed to ask it out loud - but just because he didn't ask it didn't mean that others wouldn't ask it. There has always been no shortage of heartless and outspoken people on the Lost Homeland.
"Why?" Shirley stared, "No... Why?"
She raised her hand and pointed at Vanna's nearly two-meter-tall head. After a long pause, she could only say: "... Why?"
"Because I have to be responsible for setting bones for other people on the training ground after the training is over," Helena replied calmly, "It took me half a year to learn it."
Shirley's doubts disappeared immediately, and Duncan beside her also nodded with a subtle expression: "... This makes much more sense."
Only Vanna, who was the center of the topic, still lowered her head: "..."
"But then again, you've been on board for so long, and I didn't even know you had this expertise," Duncan glanced at Vanna and said thoughtfully, "I don't think I've ever seen you heal anyone."
Vanna sighed: "... Do you think anyone on the Lost Homeland needs treatment?"
Duncan was startled when he heard this, and turned his head to look at the crew members following behind him. Then he suddenly remembered that the number of people on the Lost Homeland was not high - it was difficult to get a living person on the ship, not to mention people who would be injured and bleed normally. If you have to say, only Mr. Morris looked like a human being on the entire ship, but the old man could fight better than ordinary saints...
Vanna sighed again.
She tugged at the buckle on her shoulder that was used to secure the weapon, lifted the greatsword up, and shook her head helplessly: "I think this is good - rather than healing the wounds of those around me, I prefer to eliminate all enemies in advance, so that no one needs to get hurt."
Helena turned around and looked at Vanna, then her eyes passed over her and fell on Abnormal 077-Sailor who was walking at the end of the team.
She slowed down her pace, hesitated for a moment, and said to the mummy, "Do you remember this place?"
"I remember, but I just remember." The sailor didn't seem surprised by Helena's question. After stepping onto the mobile port, he had been observing the surroundings silently. At this time, he just nodded calmly, "Among the memory fragments I recently recovered, there are some scenes that left a deep impression on me, including this place... But no matter how deep the memory is, it feels like someone else's life... I watched them from the sidelines and it was difficult for me to experience them in myself, except... the part related to Captain Kalani."
“… I see.”
Helena said softly. She did not ask further how much the sailor remembered about the past, and how much impression he still had of this place - although for the staff on duty at this port, the first mate of the Sea Song was with them until recently, but for Anomaly 077, that was really a distant and unfamiliar life.
"Except for me and a few high-ranking priests, no one here knows what you look like now," Helena said to the sailor, "You don't have to worry about running into 'acquaintances' - if you don't want to meet them, then don't meet them."
The sailor was a little surprised, but soon lowered his head and said sincerely: "Thank you."
"Has this port always been active at the border?" Lucrecia asked curiously. "I used to be active at the border, but I didn't see it..."
"This mobile port has been deployed in the border waters for more than a decade," Helena explained, "but most of the time, it is in thick fog. In addition to being the home port for border patrols and exploration fleets, it is also a research facility. It carries a large number of equipment and laboratories for observing the spirit world and studying the marine environment. Therefore, it needs to go deep into the fog to perform tasks from time to time. When there is no special mission, it will cruise along the entire eastern border. During this period, its route and stop location are all confidential to the church, so it is normal that you have not encountered it."
"… It's amazing." Lucrecia exclaimed sincerely.
"... Yes, it's amazing. Many outstanding people came together to build this place," Helena said softly, and then her eyes fell on a certain direction in the distance, "The Sea Song departed from Pier No. 2, it's in front."
(End of this chapter)