Chapter 2: First… First Encounter Kill?
North Calendar Year 537, Late Winter.
A full year had passed since the “Saint Noyes Incident.”
Just as the Imperial High Command had predicted, shortly after the great retreat, the demon legions from the Abyssal Demon Realm successfully captured Saint Noyes.
It was the seventy-second border fortress, and the last, lost by the Human Empire in the centuries-long war against the Abyss.
Human territory shrank once again, now less than a tenth of its former size.
However, just as the demon legions were about to overrun Saint Noyes, an unusually powerful surge of psychic energy erupted at the heart of the battle, its intensity strong enough to disable all nearby psychic devices.
Simultaneously, at the very same spot, a strange, brilliant “sun” rose slowly over the ravaged battlefield of Saint Noyes.
In an instant, the “Nightmare” legion, one of the most formidable and undefeated demon armies that had ravaged the continent of Solor for years, was annihilated, their lives snuffed out by some silent force.
The battlefield was eerily desolate, devoid of any trace or clue.
The Abyssal Demon Realm investigated this unexpected turn of events thoroughly, but no information was ever released. The incident became a taboo subject, never to be mentioned again.
However, the Abyssal Demon Realm understood that their age-old war against humanity could no longer continue.
No one could guarantee that the “sun” of Saint Noyes wouldn’t rise again, and the potential cost was too great for the Abyssal Demon Realm to bear.
Thus, the war, lasting over four hundred years, officially ended with the North Empire signing a peace treaty proposed by the Abyssal Demon Realm.
Humanity no longer lived in constant fear of demon attacks and could finally redirect their scarce resources towards rebuilding.
The North Empire, having caught its breath, finally had the opportunity to focus on the development of its cities.
—And Vikarn Port, in “Shrieking Bay,” was one of the empire’s key development targets.
Before the war, it had been a vital transportation hub, facilitating trade with non-human factions. Abandoned for centuries during the war, it was now being revitalized.
“I haven’t been back in years. How did Vikarn Port become so lively?”
Xu Bai gasped softly, marveling at the bustling Vikarn Port, before quickly pulling her hood tighter, her small figure moving through the crowd.
Vikarn Port was where Xu Bai had grown up, but she hadn’t returned since joining the vanguard forces and heading to the battlefield.
Seeing Vikarn Port now, both familiar and foreign, bearing traces of its past despite the changes, brought a flood of warm memories to Xu Bai’s mind.
Memories of herself, and of Sister Neily…
A year had passed.
A year since Xu Bai had resolved to defend Saint Noyes to the death.
The memory of the blood and the stench of decay still lingered.
“Rayne, Victoria, Lockner, Qin Su, and… Sister Neily.”
Of the once spirited Sharp Assault squad, only Xu Bai remained. Even Sister Neily, her companion for over a decade, had vanished in that terrifying white light.
Moreover, in the past year, Xu Bai had transformed from a “he” to a “she.”
The crowd grew denser, forcing Xu Bai to lower her head as she walked. She glanced down at a small puddle left by last night’s rain, her reflection shimmering within it.
She slowed her pace, staring absently at her reflection.
First, she saw a pair of unsettling, vertically slitted golden eyes, then the delicate features she still found breathtaking, framed by shimmering silver hair. Her small, petite frame was concealed by a black hood and cloak.
No one would guess that this adorable, silver-haired little girl had been an ordinary, quiet young man just a year ago.
Xu Bai’s memories of the siege, its duration and end unknown, were fragmented. All that remained were images of her comrades falling, and Sister Neily’s final embrace.
Then, a blank space. When her memories resumed, she was like this.
If not for the familiar, damaged armor and slightly loose clothing, Xu Bai would have thought she had possessed someone else’s body.
For the past year, Xu Bai had been searching for a way to return to her original form.
But so far, she hadn’t found a single clue, not even a race with similar silver hair and vertical pupils.
Because of her appearance, Xu Bai always wore a black robe, hood, and veil, concealing herself completely, afraid of being discovered.
The transformation into a little girl was embarrassing, of course, but more importantly, Xu Bai knew that her current appearance wasn’t human.
Her ethereal beauty, even Princess Lilia, renowned as the empire’s most beautiful woman, couldn’t compare.
When beauty reached a certain uncanny level, it evoked fear rather than admiration.
Fortunately, Xu Bai had saved some money from her time as a knight, enough to last a few years.
The only clue seemed to be Sister Neily, who had mentioned her role as a “key” before her demise.
So, after searching fruitlessly in foreign lands, Xu Bai decided to return to the North Empire, to Vikarn Port, the place she and Neily had grown up, to find answers.
She was reluctant to return to this land of sorrow, but she had no other choice.
However…
“When did Vikarn Port become so prosperous?”
Xu Bai looked up, observing the bustling crowd, a dazed expression on her face.
Vikarn Port used to be a deserted, neglected port. Even during festivals, it had never been this lively.
It was even more prosperous than the North Empire’s capital in Xu Bai’s memory. After all, the last time she had been in human territory, the war was still ongoing.
“Well, it has nothing to do with me.”
Xu Bai shook her head. She had more important matters to attend to.
Besides herself, who else in Vikarn Port had been close to Sister Neily?
Frowning, Xu Bai wandered aimlessly, lost in thought.
“Move… Move aside!”
Suddenly, the crowd stirred, and a series of cheerful yet urgent shouts rang out.
A figure darted through the gaps in the crowd, rushing straight towards Xu Bai, who was still deep in thought. Unable to react in time, she collided head-on with the oncoming person.
“Oof!”
The impact sent Xu Bai stumbling, but she managed to regain her balance and avoid falling.
However, her carefully concealed hood was dislodged, and her striking silver hair cascaded down, fully exposed to the public.
Leave a Reply