Post-War Silence
At the top of the high tower on Bibo Island, moonlight covered the area like a thin veil, illuminating a battlefield full of devastation. The once noisy sounds of battle had fallen silent, with the cursers dissipating into wisps of black mist, leaving only the scorched smell and the faint afterglow of magic after its demise. The stone walls of the tower were covered in cracks, with broken stones scattered on the ground. The moonlight cast mottled shadows on these ruins, making them appear particularly desolate.
Fa and her group surrounded the fallen Gintlo leader, their panting breaths rising and falling, showing the intensity and hardship of the battle. Fa stood at the forefront, gripping her short blade tightly, with the faint glow of earth and water magic on the blade gradually dimming. She looked down at the Gintlo leader, her right eye's star pupil emitting silver light, as if it could penetrate all falsehoods and lies. Her voice was low and firm, carrying an unquestionable authority: "Tell us, what is your true purpose?"
Her teammates stood beside her, each gripping their weapons tightly, their gazes intertwined with vigilance and doubt. Arya gently drew her Storm Bow, the bowstring trembling slightly, with five-element arrows ready to fire at any moment; TISK carried his Earthshaker Warhammer, with ice and fire magic faintly flowing on the hammer's surface, his beard trembling slightly from post-battle fatigue; Kayla's Thunder Claws flashed with intertwined lightning and frost, her leopard ears perked up, showing her readiness for battle; Rex's mechanical eye scanned the Gintlo leader, with nano drones hovering around him, emitting a low hum; Salsa's soul body floated in the air, dark attribute magic swirling around her, exuding a mysterious aura; Yuyuer and Zhamisi stood a bit farther away, with Yuyuer's staff topped by a flashing blue sapphire, and Zhamisi's poisonous mist condensing at her fingertips, ready to be released.
The Gintlo leader lay on the ground, the black mist on his body slowly dissipating, revealing a face that had been transformed beyond recognition. His skin was pale as paper, covered in fine cracks, like a shattered porcelain forcibly pieced together. His eyes were sunken, with dark purple veins around the sockets, but a faint trace of consciousness flickered in his pupils, as if some humanity remained. His mouth twitched slightly, seeming to want to say something, but his body's weakness made his movements abnormally slow.
A gentle breeze blew across the battlefield, bringing a hint of coolness, but it couldn't dispel the tense atmosphere lingering in the air. Fa and her group held their breaths, waiting for the Gintlo leader's answer.
The Shocking Truth
The Gintlo leader slowly opened his eyes, the light in them weak and murky. His mouth勉强 pulled into a bitter smile, as if mocking his own fate. He gasped for breath, his voice hoarse and intermittent, as if each word was squeezed out from deep in his throat with difficulty: "The one you've defeated... is actually a clone from Dr. Zheng's experiments."
"A clone?" Fa and her group exchanged glances, repeating the word in unison, their tones filled with shock and confusion. In this world where magic and technology intertwined, they had seen dragon ruins, deep-sea behemoths, and even mechanical puppets from ancient relics, but the term "clone" completely exceeded their understanding. The strangeness brought by this word made everyone feel a chill.
Fa furrowed her brows, her short blade trembling slightly in her hand, showing the turmoil in her heart. She stepped forward half a step, the blade tip almost touching the Gintlo leader's throat, her voice low and urgent: "Clone? What do you mean?"
The Gintlo leader struggled to prop himself up, leaning against the ruined wall of the tower. His movements were slow and laborious, as if every inch of muscle was resisting collapse. He lifted his head, looking at Fa and her group, a flash of pain and resentment in his eyes: "I... am not the real Gintlo... The real him died long ago. I am a product created by Dr. Zheng using technology and magic... a replica endowed with memories and power. Invading this Bibo Island... was just part of our plan... Now, such tragedies are unfolding nonstop all over the world. You must find a way to stop me... no, stop them. I've been transformed by them into something neither human nor ghost."
His tone was filled with deep resentment, his hands clenched into fists, nails digging deep into his palms, oozing drops of dark red blood. Those blood drops fell on the stone slab, making a faint "drip" sound, particularly piercing in the quiet night sky. His words struck like a heavy hammer on Fa and her group's hearts, making their expressions instantly grave.
Fa stared at him intently, her right eye's star pupil flashing silver light, trying to discern truth from his expression and tone. She asked in a deep voice: "Why are they doing this? How did you become like this?"
The Gintlo leader nodded, gritting his teeth, as if suppressing the anger within. He took a deep breath and continued: "Their organization is called 'Doomsday Rebirth,' a group of lunatics who call themselves saviors... They believe the current world order is decayed and must be completely destroyed to 'rebirth.' Their slogan is 'Burn away the decay, nurture the new birth'... They injected me with fused cells and agents from many races—including elves, dwarves, beastmen, merfolk, reptilians, winged folk, and more... even the berserk powers of various monsters, and genes from the dragon clan that disappeared ten thousand years ago. They used advanced technology to forcibly fuse these cells, inject them into my body, and stabilize it all with dark attribute magic."
At this moment, Rex's mechanical eye suddenly emitted a blue scanning beam, covering Gintlo's entire body. "Detected multiple heterogeneous gene sequences, cell activity on the verge of collapse. Residual dark attribute magic in the body is backfiring on the host." His mechanical arm extended, shooting a micro probe into Gintlo's skin, "Gene chain analysis shows that this person's body contains at least dozens of DNA fragments from different races and animals, with traces of forced fusion."
This discovery made everyone's faces change drastically. Yuyuer's fins suddenly stood up, the blue sapphire on his staff flickering uncertainly: "Dozens? That's impossible... Under natural conditions, genes from different races can't coexist at all. Even merfolk cells? What exactly are they trying to do?" His voice carried a tremor, as if unable to accept that his own race was involved in this mad experiment.
Zhamisi's snake tail lightly scraped across the ground, leaving curved marks. "Forced fusion? These guys are truly insane, treating cells from so many races as experimental materials. Don't they know this is provoking the bottom line of the entire world?" Her tone carried a hint of anger, the poisonous mist at her fingertips unconsciously thickening.
Gintlo's voice gradually became trembling, the tears in his eyes no longer suppressible, sliding down his pale cheeks: "Forced fusion... You say it so lightly..." His voice suddenly rose, carrying a sharp edge like metal scraping, "That's living tearing and stitching! They strapped me to the experiment table, treating me like livestock... tearing my flesh apart and reassembling it, shattering my bones and healing them, twisting my consciousness and infusing it... Countless experiments made me wish for death. I screamed and begged, but they didn't care, ultimately turning me into this monster. I hate them!" At the end, his voice almost became a roar, tears dropping to the ground, forming a small puddle that reflected the moonlight, telling of his inner despair and pain.
TISK gripped his warhammer tightly, roaring in fury: "What bullshit organization! Mixing the bloodlines of so many races and monsters together is a blasphemy against life! I'll smash their lab into a pile of scrap metal!" His beard shook with anger, the ice and fire magic on his warhammer faintly pulsing, as if ready to erupt at any moment.
Rex's mechanical eye flashed blue light, calmly analyzing: "This technology combines advanced bioengineering with magic stabilization techniques, far exceeding current known tech levels. They not only have powerful resources but also a complete theoretical system. The strength of this 'Doomsday Rebirth' organization cannot be underestimated." His voice was steady, but a hint of gravity flashed in his eyes.
The Gintlo leader gave a bitter laugh, tears sliding down his damaged cheeks, leaving two clear trails: "I hate them... I hate 'Doomsday Rebirth'... They destroyed everything I had. I was once an ordinary person... but they deceived me, then slowly turned me into a monster, forcing me to carry out their plans. Every step I took was forced, every breath filled with pain."
His words silenced everyone. Fa looked down at him, a complex emotion surging in her heart. This former enemy now seemed like a pitiful person crushed by fate. His ordeal made her angry and strengthened her determination to stop the "Doomsday Rebirth" organization.
The Curse's Bondage
Fa's gaze grew more solemn: "Tell us more about 'Doomsday Rebirth.' Where is their base? Who is the leader?"
Gintlo opened his eyes, about to speak, when his face suddenly changed drastically. The veins on his neck swelled violently, turning purple-black, as if something was wriggling under the skin. "Ugh..." He opened his mouth wide but couldn't make a sound, his body beginning to twitch unnaturally.
"Not good!" Salsa's soul body suddenly floated behind Gintlo, her amber eyes staring at his back, "There's another energy awakening in his body! It seems like some kind of self-destruct device!"
Gintlo's skin began to emit black smoke, cracks opening at the suture marks, revealing flickering black light inside. He struggled to raise his hand, pointing to his heart, his eyes filled with pleading: "Here... there's a crystal... control..."
Fa reacted immediately, her short blade flashing with water magic, gently slicing open the skin on his chest. A black crystal embedded in the muscle was exposed, its surface engraved with complex runes, emitting strong dark attribute fluctuations.
"It's a magic crystal!" Arya drew her Storm Bow, the arrow condensing light elements, "There are self-explosion runes on it!"
Rex's mechanical arm extended, shooting thin wires to connect to the crystal: "Attempting to decode the rune sequence... Failed, the protection mechanism has activated!"
The black crystal suddenly burst with intense light, Gintlo's body swelling like it was being inflated. "Run!" He shouted with his last strength, a flash of relief in his eyes, "They're searching for... Star Fragments..."
Boom—!
A violent explosion occurred, black shockwaves spreading in all directions. Fa and her group retreated in time, flung by the airwave, crashing into the ruins. When the dust cleared, only a scorched pit remained, Gintlo's body turned to ashes, with only a few wisps of green smoke drifting in the moonlight.
TISK coughed as he stood up, using his warhammer to steady himself: "Bastards! They even left this trick!"
Kayla shook the dust from her head, her Thunder Claws scraping sparks on the ground: "What did he say last? Star Fragments?"
Fa stood up, brushing off the dust, her eyes flashing with firm light: "It seems 'Doomsday Rebirth' is also searching for Star Fragments. This is no coincidence."
Teammates' Reactions
Everyone gathered at the edge of the high tower, overlooking the sleeping Bibo Island. Under the moonlight, this island that had endured calamity appeared particularly peaceful, as if nothing had happened. But everyone's heart felt heavy, the miserable state of the Gintlo clone and the conspiracy of the "Doomsday Rebirth" organization pressing on them like stones.
Arya gazed at the distant sea, gently stroking her Storm Bow: "They even have winged folk cells... The Light Feather Dome we're going to, could it be in danger?" She worried that the secrets there might be spied on by this evil organization.
"We should go check it out even more." Fa's tone was firm, "No matter what their purpose is, we must get to the Star Fragments first and not let them fall into these lunatics' hands."
TISK pounded his chest: "That's right! We can't let those bastards succeed! No matter what they want to do, my warhammer won't agree!" His beard stood up, eyes burning with rage.
Rex's mechanical eye scanned the night sky, collecting data on the residual energy from the explosion: "Based on the energy characteristics of the explosion, that crystal used a high-purity dark matter core, with quite advanced technology. The resources of this 'Doomsday Rebirth' organization far exceed our expectations."
"No matter how rich their resources, they're still a bunch of damned bastards." Zhamisi's fingertips condensed green poisonous mist, swirling in her palm, "Using living people for experiments, this behavior must be stopped."
Yuyuer looked at the sea, his fish tail swaying gently: "They've collected genetic data from so many races... Could it be related to the power of the Star Fragments?"
Salsa's soul body floated in the air, moonlight passing through her body, leaving a translucent outline: "The gene fusion in Gintlo's body requires powerful energy to stabilize, the Star Fragments are very likely the energy source they're coveting."
Kayla suddenly stood up, her perked leopard ears turning toward the high tower: "Someone's coming."
Everyone immediately became alert, quickly hiding behind the ruins. Soon, three figures appeared at the high tower entrance, wearing uniform black robes, faces covered with silver masks engraved with twisted vine patterns.
"Detected high-concentration dark attribute magic." Rex's voice was very low, "Not ordinary members."
One of the masked figures raised a hand, a blue scanning light emitting from the palm: "Target confirmed destroyed. Sample 26's self-destruct program activated normally." His voice was processed, indistinguishable as male or female.
Another one continued: "Pity, this sample's gene stability was the best so far. The leader will be disappointed."
"No matter. We have many new samples, all delivered to the northern base." The third one's voice carried a metallic coldness, "According to intelligence, the next possible location for the Star Fragments is the winged folk's Light Feather Dome, we should hurry there."
"Agreed. Activate the teleportation array, report mission complete to headquarters, then head to the eastern part of Lairis Great Island."
The black-robed figures formed a circle, a purple magic array lighting up under their feet. With a flash of light, their figures gradually disappeared into the array.
After confirming they had left, everyone emerged from hiding. Fa's expression was particularly serious: "It seems our guess was right, their next target is the Light Feather Dome."
"Northern base..." Arya noted the name, "Sounds like one of their main laboratories."
"No matter where, we have to stop them." Fa's gaze was firm, sweeping over each teammate's face, "Although the Gintlo leader was an enemy, his last words reminded us that this is not just a journey to find Star Fragments."
Dawn's Hope
When the first ray of morning light pierced the eastern sea horizon, Bibo Island finally welcomed rebirth from the shadow of the curse. Golden sunlight flowed like water over the ruined streets, illuminating the tired but determined faces of Fa and her group.
At this time, the boards of the shelter were slowly pushed open, and the survivors—fewer than fifty—tremblingly emerged from underground. Their faces were filled with the joy and gratitude of surviving disaster, their gazes falling on Fa and her group, eyes shimmering with tears.
An old man leaning on a wooden staff stepped forward slowly, his back hunched like a fully drawn bow, but his eyes unusually bright. He bowed tremblingly to Fa, his voice hoarse yet full of strength: "Thank you... If not for you, we would have been dead long ago. Thank you for saving this island." The other survivors gathered around, some shaking Fa's hand, others nodding thanks to the teammates, and even a few children timidly pulling Yuyuer's fish tail, showing innocent smiles.
Fa gently helped the old man up, her right eye's star pupil emitting a gentle silver light, her tone calm and firm: "This is what we should do. You're all safe now." Her gaze swept over her teammates behind her, Arya nodding gently, TISK patting his warhammer and grinning broadly.
Yuyuer walked to Fa's side, his fish tail lightly tapping the ground, the blue sapphire on his staff flashing softly. He said in a low voice: "Fa, I suggest we stay on the island for two more days to confirm it's truly safe before leaving. After all, the 'Doomsday Rebirth' organization might have residual forces lurking." His tone carried caution, his gaze toward the still quiet distant port.
Fa nodded, pondering for a moment before saying: "Alright, let's do that. Everyone's worked hard. For these two days, we'll split up and patrol, check all suspicious places on the island, ensure no more danger." Her decision received unanimous agreement. Thus, the eight quickly divided tasks, preparing for a thorough sweep of Bibo Island.
Patrol Begins: Everyone Shows Their Skills
Fa and Arya: Perception and Purification in the East District
Fa and Arya were responsible for the east district, which included the port and nearby warehouses. Their tacit understanding needed no words; Fa held her short blade, her right eye's star pupil flashing, sensing the surrounding magic fluctuations. Her star pupil could see through illusions and even pause time in critical moments, making her the best for detecting hidden threats. Arya carried her Storm Bow, the five-element crystals emitting faint light, ready to use light magic to purify any dark attribute residues.
The two walked along the dock, Fa lightly knocking on a closed warehouse door, no response from inside. She closed her right eye, concentrating, the star pupil's power penetrating the wood, scanning the interior. Moments later, she opened her eyes, saying lowly: "There's a weak dark attribute fluctuation inside, possibly curse residues." Arya nodded, drawing her Storm Bow, a light element arrow shooting out, accompanied by a small tornado rushing into the warehouse. Light flashed, several wisps of black mist overflowing from the cracks, then dissipating.
"Clean now." Arya gently held Fa's hand, saying softly. Fa returned a smile, and the two continued forward, checking every corner.
TISK and Rex: Strength and Analysis in the West District
TISK and Rex were responsible for the west district, mostly the artisan area and abandoned forges. TISK carried his Earthshaker Warhammer, the dragon scales on the hammer's surface flashing ice blue and crimson light. He kicked open a forge door with one foot, the inside empty, only a few rusted iron blocks scattered on the ground. He snorted: "If there's any weird stuff in this place, I'll smash it flat with one hammer!"
Rex calmly followed behind, his mechanical eye scanning around, dozens of nano drones flying from his shoulder, dispersing in the air, emitting low hums. Their laser scans covered every inch of ground, searching for possible magic traces or tech devices. Suddenly, a drone issued an alert, data streaming on Rex's goggles: "Detected abnormal energy reaction underground."
TISK grinned: "Let me handle it!" He shouted, "Crack Flame Burst!" The warhammer smashed the ground, an ice and fire intertwined shockwave exploding, instantly blasting open a hidden cellar. TISK and Rex cautiously entered, finding scattered broken metal fragments and scorched circuit boards inside, clearly remnants of some high-tech device. Rex squatted down, his mechanical arm extending, gently picking up a fragment, analyzing: "These materials contain rare metals, with high tech level, similar to the crystal in Gintlo's body."
TISK nodded, his beard trembling slightly: "Looks like 'Doomsday Rebirth' did some messed-up experiments here. Gotta clean this place thoroughly." The two continued searching, collecting the found remnants to take back to the ship for further study.
Salsa and Kayla: Soul and Wildness in the South District
Salsa and Kayla were responsible for the south district, mostly residential areas and narrow alleys. Salsa's soul body left the mechanical cat shell, her translucent figure floating in the air, amber eyes staring at the ground. She could penetrate objects, responsible for checking underground hidden spaces. She slowly sank into the ground, inspecting every basement and concealed corner, searching for possible curse residues or enemy hiding spots.
Kayla followed closely, her Thunder Claws flashing with lightning and frost, leopard ears perked, alert to any movement. Her three-stage transformation ability allowed her to burst with astonishing power when needed. She kicked open a dilapidated door, growling lowly: "If there's any weird stuff left, don't blame my claws!" Salsa emerged from underground, saying lowly: "There's a cellar here with some black mist residue, I'll clean it."
Salsa summoned a shadow magic wolf, commanding it to rush into the cellar. The wolf roared and pounced on the black mist, dark attribute magic clashing intensely with the residual curse, ultimately dissipating it. Kayla grinned: "Nice job, Salsa!"
Yuyuer and Zhamisi: Water and Poison in the North District
Yuyuer and Zhamisi were responsible for the north district, near the seaside with many waterways and fishermen's huts. Yuyuer moved flexibly with his tech exoskeleton, his staff drawing seawater to form a water curtain, sweeping over every corner. He said lowly: "If anything's hiding in the water, I'll sense it."
Zhamisi's snake tail slid over the ground, gold-green scales shimmering in the sunlight. She released pale green poisonous mist, floating into the air, probing for hidden dangers. When the mist touched a hut, it suddenly made a "sizzle" sound, she frowned: "Something's here!" Yuyuer immediately summoned seawater to rush into the hut, flushing out a mass of black mist. Zhamisi moved her fingertip, intensifying the poisonous mist, quickly corroding the black mist away.
"Looks like some fish slipped the net." Zhamisi sneered, continuing the patrol with Yuyuer, ensuring the north district was thoroughly safe.
Cleanup and Reconstruction
After two days of patrol, Fa and her group confirmed that Bibo Island had no curse residues left, nor any further clues from the "Doomsday Rebirth" organization. Rex's nano drones swept the entire island, Salsa's soul body checked all underground facilities, and everyone worked together to clean the discovered tech remnants and black mist, ensuring the island residents could safely return.
On the third morning, sunlight illuminated the port again, Fa standing at the dock's edge, gazing at the calm sea. Yuyuer walked to her side, saying: "Time to prepare to leave, but we should help the elders figure out a way to notify the former townsfolk to return."
Fa nodded, turning to look at the survivors. She discussed with the island's elders how to notify the previous townsfolk to come back. An elder named Alwin, leaning on his wooden staff, slowly said: "There's a magic communication tower on the island, though damaged in battle, but after repair, it can be used to send messages to surrounding islands and the mainland, informing that Bibo Island is safe and welcoming townsfolk back."
Rex nodded, his mechanical eye scanning the tower's ruins: "I can repair it and enhance the signal transmission range to ensure the message reaches farther."
Thus, Rex and TISK teamed up. TISK used metal magic to repair the tower's structure, reshaping and welding damaged parts; Rex adjusted the internal circuits, combining nano technology with magic runes to improve signal strength and stability. Yuyuer and Zhamisi assisted nearby, using water and poison magic to clear residual debris inside the tower.
After the repair was complete, Alwin stood before the communication tower, sending a message through a magic crystal ball. His voice was old yet powerful, transmitted far via magic waves: "Dear townsfolk of Bibo Island, this is Alwin. With the help of brave travelers, the curse on the island has been lifted, and safety restored. We sincerely invite everyone to return home and rebuild our island."
The message turned into waves of magic, crossing oceans and continents, reaching the ears of every townsfolk who had left. Fa and her group stood by the tower, listening quietly, their hearts filled with hope for the future.
Farewell and Advance
After sending the message, Fa and her group bid farewell to the island residents. They boarded the Wood Water Flow Ship, preparing to head to the next destination—the winged folk's Light Feather Dome. At the ship's bow, Fa gazed at the gradually receding Bibo Island, her heart filled with myriad emotions. This experience strengthened her determination to find the Star Fragments and stop the "Doomsday Rebirth" organization. She knew the road ahead was full of unknowns and challenges, but she was not alone; she had a group of companions fighting alongside her.
Arya walked to Fa's side, gently holding her hand, saying softly: "No matter what the future holds, we'll face it together." Her Storm Bow flashed with five-element light, giving Fa infinite support.
Fa smiled and nodded, hope shining in her eyes: "Yes, we'll protect this world together."
The Wood Water Flow Ship slowly advanced on the sea, carrying Fa and her group toward an unknown future. Their adventure had just begun, with greater challenges and opportunities awaiting them.