Had any followers of the Seven Gods Church been present, they would have recognized this pale figure.
It was none other than Modis, the Master of the Netherworld, one of the Seven Great Gods.
In this realm, he was a name synonymous with death, shadow, and Reincarnation.
However, Modis’s current state seemed rather strange.
His body trembled unceasingly.
A closer look would reveal countless threads descending from the darkness above His body.
They sank into His form.
At a glance, he resembled a puppet manipulated by strings.
Suddenly, a voice rang out.
"So, it has begun? Regardless, this time, the victor is destined to be me..."
If Su Ta and Han Yun had been there,
they would have recognized the owner of this voice as none other than,
the Deceit Puppet Master.
What was even more shocking,
was that his power seemed entirely unaffected.
Furthermore, he was, at this very moment, brazenly attempting to forcibly control a god.
...
「Cold Rain City.」
It was located near the central region of the Celestial Dragon Federation.
It was over three thousand kilometers from Night Crow Harbor.
The city earned its name from the thin layer of gloomy clouds that perennially shrouded the sky above.
Seen from above, Cold Rain City was a behemoth of steel and steam.
Its scale rivaled, if not surpassed, that of Night Crow Harbor.
Surrounded by mountains rich with iron and coal, the city was exceptionally developed.
The entire city was divided into neat geometric blocks by a web of intersecting railway tracks. Glowing conductive rails lined every main thoroughfare.
Smokestacks from hundreds of factories scattered throughout the city continuously belched white steam, forming a roiling blanket of fog that hung low in the sky.
At this moment, by an arched window in the Silver Lily Restaurant, a well-dressed young gentleman was leaning back in a carved oak chair.
His long, slender fingers held a crystal goblet, and the deep red wine within gleamed like a jewel in the candlelight.
His other hand held open a copy of the *Federation Chronicles*.
The faint scent of ink still clung to its pages, a clear sign it had just been printed.
It was one of this world’s newspapers, published by the Celestial Dragon Federation.
However, due to the transportation limitations of the era, even though the paper was distributed daily, the news within was typically delayed by several days.
Hu Qi’s gaze rested on one of the pages.
A headline was printed there in the common tongue.
[THE CROWS NO LONGER CIRCLE: NIGHT CROW HARBOR, ONE OF THE MOST PROSPEROUS PORTS, VANISHES OVERNIGHT]
Then, below was the main article.
"Glory to the Seven Gods!"
"A short time ago, misfortune befell the free port city of Night Crow Harbor.
It was struck by the most terrifying tsunami in nearly two hundred years.
This unprecedented tsunami engulfed the entire harbor, leaving countless dead and injured.
The following is the tearful account from one of the survivors, Marin.
"That damned wave... it was like a black curtain falling from the sky! It swallowed my wedding ring and my husband, leaving me a widow!"
Another survivor, the old captain Grayson: "I’ve lived for sixty years and never seen a tsunami like it. By the Seven Gods! Thank the Federation and the Church for their aid!"
...
"May the departed rest in peace, and may the living be vigilant."
—Thomas Blackpen, Staff Reporter
Seven days had now passed since the destruction of Night Crow Harbor and his killing of Su Ta.
’The Mutation at Night Crow Harbor had, of course, been noticed by the general public.’
’Although they were caught in the fallout from a Sequence Four’s abilities, it seems a few rare survivors still managed to make it out alive, unaffected by the pale light that turned others into beasts.’
’That, Hu Qi found rather surprising.’
’He had seen the power of that Sequence Four with his own eyes.’
’Even from such a great distance, he hadn’t been completely immune.’
’How could the residents of Night Crow Harbor, who were right in the middle of it, possibly be unharmed?’
’All things considered...’
’I’m more inclined to believe these so-called survivors weren’t from Night Crow Harbor at all.’
’Or that they were entirely fabricated.’
’Due to the limitations of technology and transportation, the content of the newspapers is entirely dependent on what the news agencies want to say.’
’And for a news agency to survive, it naturally has to obey the Celestial Dragon Federation.’
’To ensure their stance was correct while simultaneously boosting credibility, it was standard industry practice to "appropriately embellish" and "artistically process" the content of their reports.’
’After all, it would be hard to justify a tsunami that left not a single survivor.’