High Above

Today is bound to be a sleepless night.

The sudden battle of the Ascendants in the afternoon, and the first large-scale thunderstorm in early summer that followed, caused everyone from Viscount Grant to the most ordinary port residents to have lingering fears.

Continuous thunder and lightning flooded half of the night with strong light. Even though all the residents knew that the storm would not come again so early, the sensitive nerves of the people in the southern region still prevented them from sleeping peacefully.

So did Elder Purdue.

Harrison Port, Elder's Hall, in the office on the second floor, the old man stared at the night rain and cloud outside the window, Elan breathed gently in his arms, and was already fast asleep.

Bai Zhimin's young boy's head was pressing Pude's beard. He didn't move away, but turned his head sideways, counting the thunder that illuminated the dark curtain covering the world one after another.

As the light flickered, he gradually fell into a sense of loss.

Pud Ciehalolvo, once a member of the Ciehalolvo family, the child of one of the thirteen elders.

His childhood was spent in the care of a powerful family, and the teenager was alienated by his peers because he had no father. The dwarf hybrid itself was not discriminated against by the family, but only because of the simplest reason - he had a big beard when he was a child, and his short stature did not continue to grow taller when everyone was growing.

Those who are different are abnormal. The alienation and teasing among children is as simple as that. If it is not for the strict rules of the Bai people, bullying is also a normal thing.

He is different from others.

Pude knew this and accepted it. Although he did not inherit the blood of the mountain people in the true sense, he had the advantage of the other party's tenacity and composure, or in other words, rough nerves.

Pudd was well aware of his out-of-fit, and he didn't care about such little things.

My parents ignited the spark of love because of a thrilling adventure, but they were separated because of the long distance between the empire and Ganterigum. My mother did not remarry but devoted herself to the study of relics. My father also seemed to disappear during an underground adventure. It probably fell into the embrace of the earth.

The seats of elders are not inherited by blood, and the number of elders is not fixed, but is evaluated according to the achievements of family members in various walks of life.

He is just an ordinary white man, keen on adventures, coupled with his family's vague estrangement from him, he simply went out with the family's exploration team to explore various large or small areas on the land-he never tires of it, This is probably the best place for the fusion of parental blood.

There is nothing wrong with it. The competition and struggle within the family has nothing to do with me, and there is no need to worry about power politics. If I can continue to explore in this way until I am buried in the earth like my father, it may be a good ending.

Until that day comes.

Lightning flashed by the dark window, and fragments of the past seemed to flash before the old man's eyes.

At that time, it was also such a dark rainy night, the imperial capital was thundering and lightning, and the stargazing tower connected to the sky merged the lightning into its top, releasing a spiritual energy field that calmed the wind and rain.

He was returning from a distant exploration, and no one came to greet him. This is nothing more than a normal thing——Mother is obsessed with the ruins of pre-epoch civilizations at the bottom of several large mazes, and she is sorting out data every day except for sleep , analyze data, and even meals need the help of attendants to bring them into the mouth.

But this time, he unexpectedly heard his mother's excited call when he opened the door. It was unprecedented, and the surging joy from the heart, and the congratulations and cheers from the communicator made Pude somewhat understand that the family should It is the secret key of a large group of ruins that has been broken again. It is possible to go deep into the core of the maze and search for the truth and heritage in it.

The Cehalolvo family was born because of this. They are experts in mazes and seekers of relics. Behind them are the School of Gnosis, the Royal Alchemy Association and the Star Observation Tower, and the imperial military is also secretly providing convenience.

Even the supreme 'pioneer' Inaiga, who led the empire to prosperity, was very concerned about their research progress and generously gave a lot of resources and funds.

Bearing so many expectations and finally succeeding, it is natural that there should be such cheers.

"Your Majesty will definitely like it!"

And at this moment, Pude heard his mother's selfless words: "Eternal life—this is the beginning of eternal life!"

eternal life……

Blinking his eyes, the aging Bai Zhimin elder came back from his trance. He withdrew his eyes from the night rain, and gently stroked the back of Bai Zhimin's young boy in his arms.

The old man was very gentle, as if he was afraid that his rough hands would wake him up... Haha, when he was young, he didn't understand why his mother and everyone were so excited about this word, but now he is old and he understands a little bit.

"eternal life……"

He whispered to himself, chewing on this vocabulary: "What is... what kind of eternal life?"

"It was clearly said that it would be dedicated to His Majesty as a birthday gift, but His Majesty who was furious reprimanded it as extremely evil. It was a mistake among mistakes and an unforgivable sin."

"And why did the family and mother plead guilty willingly and were exiled without any resistance?"

Although it was impossible for anyone to resist His Majesty's majesty at that time, it was even more impossible to resist, but a confession from the heart... This is another matter.

Pude closed his eyes wearily: "That benevolent majesty, why did he have to execute almost all the ascendants of our family, and the elders are not spared, even ordinary people..."

"What mistakes did we make...?"

All these memories are like echoes, repeated in his ears again and again, and the words of his mother in the communication afterward echo with the thunder.

【This is the mystery of eternal life! 】

【We... can't be greedy, can't monopolize it, this is a congratulatory gift that should be dedicated to His Majesty! 】

【If it is someone like His Majesty, if it is a holy king like Your Majesty who can live forever...】

echo.

Echoes of the past echoed in my ears.

Until the rainstorm gradually diminished, the thunder gradually subsided.

Pudd is just Pudd now.

Elder Purdue of Port Harrison.

Exiles without surnames, who are not allowed to seek the past, who have lost all glory.

"Ian, if you are really that one's disciple...if you are a real prophet."

The old man closed his eyes and said to himself wearily: "Can you find the answer?"

The stars and the moon are gradually dimming.

Dawn quietly rises.

Pudd, who closed his eyes and dozed off, was awakened by a sudden knock on the door.

Even Elan in his arms woke up because of this, raised his hand and rubbed his eyes.

Although he didn't react at the first time, Pude's heart suddenly started beating violently. He could hear the owner of that footstep, and he knew who it was.

He did come back...smooth on his feet, seemingly unhurt, and he came back safe and sound.

"Come in." Suppressing his excitement, Elder Pude said.

So it was convenient to open the door and come in.