Chapter 221 — When the Stars Align

Or rather, beside the vision the disc revealed.

The positions of the stars were gradually returning to their proper order. The surge of magical power would begin with them. This particular surge would not be strong—most mages and priests would not even notice it—but only the Stormborn knew clearly what it meant when magical power stirred under the pull of the stars.

"High Priest, islands two and three have sent word by gryphon. They have observed the same astral signs, and once the magical interference over the Endless Sea is excluded, the conclusion can already be confirmed," a storm priest said, stepping onto the tower and speaking respectfully behind the High Priest. "The stars are taking their places."

"I have observed the same vision here," the Storm High Priest said with a slight nod, then released his control over the stargazing disc. "We may begin drafting the letter to His Holiness the Pope. Whether the Day of Judgment is at hand will be known within these three days."

The storm priest's expression turned extraordinarily grave. He glanced at the large silver disc behind the High Priest and drew a faint breath.

This somewhat young priest finally could not restrain himself and asked: "Will 'He' return?"

"When the stars are in their proper places, the flesh of god shall awaken from its long slumber—this is the revelation we received after we departed the land," the Storm High Priest said. Ordinarily he would not answer such imprudent, immature questions, but at this peculiar moment he too wished for someone to exchange a few words with. So he went on, his tone mild: "But nothing in this world is absolute, for other ancient records show that the stars have been in their proper places more than once—and yet the world still endures. So everything remains uncertain."

The storm priest nodded in silence. In his line of sight, the distant waves were gradually beginning to churn.

The sea had, once again, lost its calm.

And deep within that restless, endless ocean, a third group was also watching the shifts among the stars.

In the deep, dark abyss of the seabed, a bright expanse of artificial light illumined the entire ocean floor. Luminous sacs drifting in the water swayed faintly with the current, and within the reach of their glow, countless graceful, slender figures could be seen gathering from every direction.

A sea-demon commander swung her long serpent tail and came to the front of the assembly. Here, fixed to the seabed, stood a temporary outpost information station, and two deepwater technicians were wholly absorbed in operating its control terminal.

One of the deepwater technicians turned and curved her tail toward the commander: "Ma'am, the drones have sent the latest monitoring report. The celestial body is entering its designated position; the energy reading of 'Ao' has already risen by three percent."

The sea-demon commander nodded: "What of the 'excavation site'?"

"The tissue activity of the great squid is observed to be rising. The 'surge' will begin very soon."

The sea-demon commander left the information station and swam to the front of her gathered kin.

Every sea demon strained to keep her face composed, gripping her own gear tightly. Every serpent tail, fish tail, and tentacle was pressed taut against the ocean floor. They gathered all their focus and waited for this moment, and not a single sea demon would slacken in the least throughout it.

They had to take what was about to happen seriously, for they knew full well what would occur when the stars came into their proper alignment.

In their records, such an event had happened sixteen times before, and every single time it had swept every last siren into its midst.

The siren commander swam to the proper position and raised her right hand high, the deepwater trident gripped tight in her grasp, and every siren's gaze followed to fix upon her; under the watch of countless eyes, the commander set the seawater trembling and sent forth a voice loud enough to carry across the whole assembly:

"Sisters, the stars are moving into their proper alignment.

"We have spent many years preparing for this day!

"Sisters, please, I beg you all to remember...

"You absolutely must mind your table manners!!!"

The siren commander swung the trident with all her strength, her voice ringing across the seabed:

"The chance to eat until your bellies are fit to burst is here—but only for these two days!!"