Ch.374The Eye of the Ocean. Blue Hole (1)

It is the established theory in academia that all life on Earth, including humanity, was born in the sea.

Even though a million years have passed since the age of stars, the value humanity places on the “sea” has always been special.

Some will call it a god, others a goddess; some will speak of mercy, others of cruelty.

Some people find new connections there, while others bid farewell to those who were once bound together.

That’s how nature is. It just exists, doing nothing, while humans invade at will, take resources, and then revere it as “Mother Nature” or something similar.

Then when someone gets mauled by a predator, falls ill from eating poisonous plants, or experiences disasters like landslides or floods, humans ultimately pour out all kinds of criticism, claiming they are beings that don’t belong to nature.

In the end, humans still haven’t corrected their bad habit of changing the value of things according to their own perception.

But what can be done? Since something might as well not exist if it isn’t perceived, all things in the world have had to endure the gloomy gaze of humans.

“Oh. It really is blue.”

“The name Blue Hole wasn’t given for nothing.”

And at the final attraction of the tenth continent, above the most beautiful sea’s Blue Hole, Viktor marveled while trying to gauge the unknowable depth of the Blue Hole.

It was wide enough to fit dozens of ordinary cities. In terms of height, it could probably contain hundreds, if not thousands.

Yet there was nothing dangerous about it. This was a testament to how insanely advanced the Empire had been.

If one were to try removing all threats inside this Blue Hole with current extinction-era technology, it would surely require half the continent pooling their resources together.

Nevertheless, how amazing must the Empire’s technology have been to keep that Blue Hole safe, even without any maintenance for 1,200 years?

And simultaneously, how mad must the Age of Eclipse have been to regress such an overwhelming civilization back to the medieval era? Viktor felt firsthand how frightening the mere thought could be.

“Now I’ll finally get to see my wife in a bikini.”

Uttering such vulgar words with a serious face created cognitive dissonance. The subordinates around him suppressed their laughter with religious devotion as they prepared for landing.

Since they had announced their arrival in advance, Blue Hole had cleared away an entire mountain to create a dedicated landing pad for the Sky Warden. The Sky Warden carefully adjusted its position and laid its massive hull on the enormous landing pad.

-Welcome to the arrival of the Sun. All 230 million citizens of Blue Hole unanimously pledge our loyalty to the Empire of the Sun.-

As the audio played this remote loyalty pledge, Viktor nodded slightly and began preparing to disembark.

*

“Your Majesty Viktor.”

After tidying his attire and heading outside with his party members, the representative of the welcoming committee knelt respectfully in greeting.

When he gestured for the man to rise, a soldier standing beside the representative tapped him, helping him to his feet, and Viktor approached him.

“What is your name?”

“Berenikov Alexander, Your Majesty.”

“Very well, Berenikov. Since you have pledged your loyalty, you are now my subject. And may I consider this city to have come under my rule?”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

Berenikov said this while bowing his head again.

“Your submission pleases me. I’ve heard that this land and the sea attached to it are the most beautiful places on this continent. Is that truly so?”

“I cannot compare as I haven’t visited other beautiful attractions, but I understand that Your Radiance hasn’t seen any seas among the attractions you’ve visited. Since you’ve sufficiently experienced the beauty of land thus far, I hope you will now experience the beauty of the sea.”

“Oh? Are you saying you’ve been tracking my movements like an assassin?”

When Viktor asked this with amusement, the representative hastily bowed his head again and offered an explanation.

“I did so out of admiration for you. Please don’t be too displeased.”

“How could I be? I was merely jesting.”

Viktor laughed heartily and patted the man’s shoulder. The representative, with an expression that was hard to tell whether he was laughing or crying, took a basket from a nearby girl and pulled out refreshments and drinks for five people.

It was a gesture of hospitality tradition—the drinks glowed blue while the snacks glowed red, the opposite color.

“What is this?”

“Ah, these are Blue Hole Cocktails and Red Rose Cookies. They’re specialties of Blue Hole.”

“Hmm.”

Viktor wasn’t particularly fond of snacking, but he didn’t dislike it either. Besides, refusing could be quite troublesome. So he accepted the cocktail and cookie, tasting the cookie first before drinking the cocktail.

“Oh… Indeed. The taste is exquisite. Worthy of being called a specialty.”

Despite its appearance, the cookie wasn’t spicy but had a sweet and savory taste.

The Red Rose Cookie, made by exquisitely mixing sugar and salt, then adding diluted rose extract for fragrance, left a wonderfully subtle ginger aftertaste.

The Blue Hole Cocktail that accompanied it seemed designed more for women’s tastes than men’s—it was sweet and generally low in alcohol content, but it seemed perfect for sipping while watching a sunset or sunrise.

“Your praise is too generous. We merely tried our best to provide you with the finest experience.”

“Do not lower yourself excessively. Excessive humility is not courtesy. What you have achieved may seem trivial, but hasn’t it pleased the master of this fervor? For that alone, your efforts deserve praise.”

Viktor acknowledged their hard work with those words.

Isn’t delicious alcohol and food a great achievement that harms no one and can increase the happiness of society as a whole?

“Now I will enter the Blue Hole with my wife to witness its wonders with my own eyes. Will you open the way for me?”

“Of course, Your Majesty. Please follow me. I shall guide you personally.”

With a smile, Viktor followed the welcoming party.

The Iron Walker party rode in specially made carriages for about two hours, arriving at the Blue Hole that filled the distant coastline. Under strict protection, they changed into swimwear and began diving into the sea.

*

Beautiful.

The underwater world, glowing in teal below the surface, began to captivate Viktor’s eyes to an extent that lesser words could not express.

Even his wife, so beautiful, seemed like merely a piece of chocolate writing on top of a cake in comparison.

Kuaaaa…

Viktor carefully combined light and heat to create a bubble that enveloped himself and his wife.

Seeing Simon’s eyes widen as he descended by creating soap bubbles with magic like the dwarves, it was clearly a high-level technique, but it was quite easy for him, being fervor itself.

“You look even more beautiful when wet.”

“Just words?”

“Of course not.”

Viktor kissed his wife deeply and gradually descended by adjusting the density of the bubble.

Yet it didn’t get dark at all.

Since Viktor was deliberately suppressing his luminescence, he wasn’t the one providing light.

The light came from ancient machines—machines designed and installed by ancient humans to drive away darkness.

“They’re still working… Truly a marvel.”

Naturally, deep-sea pressure isn’t something easily withstood. The lifespan of these machines, which have endured for 1,200 years under tremendous pressure that could crush even military submarines with the slightest mistake—how much longer would they last?

Thinking that once the Empire was established, he should send someone to investigate the lifespan of these machines, Viktor held his wife tightly and headed deeper.

Continuously downward, past fish swirling around them, to depths where even deep-sea creatures couldn’t stare at them blankly.

And finally, they reached a sandy beach not unlike other shores.

Among the grave of rocks that had weathered and eroded into fine sand, Viktor lay down with his wife and looked up at the Blue Hole.

This massive cavity, brightly illuminated despite the absence of sunlight, and the countless lives thriving within it…

Viktor was lost in contemplation as he watched schools of sardines passing overhead.

This might have been the ultimate sight he had wanted in Parsifal.