In this world, supreme deities reside within the foundations of existence, watching over the flow of life with a gaze that transcends time and space. Devout followers, connected to these gods through a hidden bond, can sometimes glimpse the future or changes happening in unseen corners of the world. This ability to see is not bound by time or space and carries the risk of being tainted by the unknown. Yet for those with strong will, this power is their greatest support in safeguarding the fragile flames of civilization amidst the vast ocean.
The devoted judge, Vanna, had seen a similar vision for several days now. In a half-dream state, she witnessed the endless ocean turning dark, followed by a thunderous roar from the depths of the sea. The ocean split apart, revealing a terrifying trench that reached the seabed, and a massive ship engulfed in flames rose from the depths, slowly floating like an airship. Behind it, an invisible giant cloaked in starlight followed, taking steps toward the city of Prand.
In Vanna's life, such a terrifying "omen" had only appeared twice before. The first time was in her childhood when she awoke from a nightmare filled with blood, only to lose her parents to a cult's attack, leaving her with a scar that would last a lifetime.
The second time was four years ago when she dreamed of a dark sun rising from underground, leading to the eradication of the Sun God cult's main stronghold in the city. Even now, the remnants of that cult still lurked in the vast, ancient tunnel system beneath Prand, entangled with the church's guardians in meaningless conflicts.
Now, she was witnessing this third omen: a ship returning from the deep sea, bringing an indescribable giant into the world. She lied to the priest before her, saying the omen was unclear, when in fact it was so vivid it had kept her awake for days.
The priest looked into Vanna's calm gray eyes and hesitated before speaking, "But you prayed to the gods, and it seems you haven't received any bad news?"
"…The goddess doesn't always warn us of dangers. Sometimes, trials are tests," Vanna replied calmly. "Let’s not dwell on that. Any news from the Explorer's Association?"
The priest nodded immediately. "The contact from the association just reported that the relic at their headquarters sensed the ship appearing in the southwestern sea. However, the ship's telegraph system seems to be malfunctioning, and we can't establish contact. We can only confirm that the ship is approaching Prand's coast at a normal speed and direction."
"…It vanished from the relic's perception, then reappeared far off its intended course, and now we can't contact it. It's heading straight for the city… and it was on a mission to escort an abnormal item," Vanna's brows furrowed as her instincts, honed from years of dealing with strange occurrences, kicked in. "I remember that ship is called the White Oak, right?"
"Yes, the White Oak. The captain is Lawrence Creed, a member of the Explorer's Association and an experienced captain. Due to the special cargo, the ship had reported to the church before departing from the city of Lensa," the priest recalled. "By the way, the accompanying priest on that ship is a registered cleric of the Deep Sea Church."
"Fellow church members… I hope the situation isn't too dire," Vanna said seriously. "In any case, something is off with that ship. The entire route from Lensa to Prand is under the Explorer's Association's control, yet that ship vanished from the relic's perception… I suspect the White Oak may have briefly left the real world, or even… gone to places it shouldn't have."
"Notify the guardians at the port to keep a close eye on the White Oak as soon as it docks. No one or nothing can leave the ship until all inspections are complete—has there been any response from the security forces?"
"Rest assured, your uncle… the Governor has ordered the officers to secure the area around the port and raised the alert level. From now until the alert is lifted, all ships entering or leaving Prand will temporarily dock at the west side backup port."
"That's good—my uncle is always cautious," Vanna's tense expression relaxed a bit. "As long as he doesn't let those ordinary officers get involved in this matter."
The priest looked into Vanna's pale gray eyes, carefully choosing his words before asking, "Do you think… that ship has been 'tainted'?"
"We can't be sure yet, but ships that have briefly left the real world rarely return completely normal. It's possible that some items on board have unknowingly become 'abnormal,' or there could be hidden mental issues among the crew, or even extra sailors and a replaced captain… It's always wise to be on high alert for ships that have shown strange phenomena."
"Ah… I hope that ship and its crew are all safe," the priest said, placing a hand over his chest and invoking the name of the Storm Goddess. "May the Storm Goddess protect those brave enough to challenge the sea."
"May they be safe," Vanna echoed, lowering her eyelids in a quiet blessing before reminding the priest, "But if they are unfortunately not 'safe,' we must be prepared."
"Yes, I understand."
Vanna nodded, but just as she was about to refocus on the city outside the window, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from the stairs.
In the next moment, a young guardian in a black and silver uniform, with a crest of waves and daggers on his chest, rushed up the stairs.
"Judge!" the young guardian panted, urgency in his voice. "We've found a cult worshipping the Sun God in the sewers and captured a group of cultists!"
Vanna's expression turned serious in an instant. "Those cultists who worship the Dark Sun? Wait, you said you found a sacrificial site… not a hiding place? They dare to hold a ritual again?!"
"Yes, it's a site for the sacrificial ceremony. We found evidence of past rituals," the guardian replied quickly. "And we discovered many victims in a nearby cave—most of whom had their hearts sacrificed. However… something seems off at the ritual site."
Seeing the mix of absurdity and confusion on the guardian's face, Vanna grabbed the heavy sword blessed by the Storm Goddess and strapped it to her back as she hurried toward the stairs. "Lead the way; I will go to the site myself."
"Yes!"
The sound of the heavy sword clashing against metal armor echoed as Vanna rushed down the long staircase of the bell tower. She arrived at the small square in front of the bell tower, where several guardians were already gathered, and two steam walkers stood at the edge of the square, their spider-like mechanical bodies making clicking sounds.
Vanna didn’t hesitate; she signaled the guardians to move out and headed straight for one of the walkers—a massive machine the size of two carriages, resembling a mechanical spider lying flat on the ground. Its steel legs were fitted with wheels for smooth movement on flat surfaces and steel hooks for special environments. The upper shell of the walker had shooting cabins equipped with rotating gun turrets.
Purely technological creations struggle to deal with "abnormal" or "anomalous" events, but overwhelming firepower can eliminate the heretical cultists controlling the anomalies from the shadows—though this machine wouldn't be very effective in the sewers, it would be great for blocking doors.
The holy 8mm bullets could quickly send a large group of fleeing heretics into the subspace to serve their master.
The gray-haired, gray-eyed judge leaped onto the walker's shell, standing firmly in the night with her sword on her back. Two guardians climbed into the shooting cabins on either side of the walker. With a series of hissing sounds from the cylinders and pressure pipes, white steam burst from the joints of the walker, and the massive mechanical spider rose, leaping onto the nearest main road and swiftly heading toward the closest sewer entrance.
(End of chapter)