Chapter 43: Calamity Demon
This was a precursor to a submarine volcanic eruption!
The moment he confirmed this fact, Neilson felt a sense of absurdity.
What was going on? How could there be a submarine volcano here? When Sapphire Port was first established, several archmages had jointly probed the environment for hundreds of miles around. They had determined that there was no danger here, unless a once-in-a-century great typhoon raised massive waves that could threaten the port.
If there really was a volcanic crater here, those archmages from back then couldn't have missed it. Although the effectiveness of magic had weakened over time, Neilson knew that detection magic of this kind wasn't affected by elemental density. If they said it wasn't there, then it wasn't there.
That left only one possibility—this submarine volcano had only recently appeared.
Could it be... He glanced sideways at the enormous volcanic dragon beside him, but soon, Neilson had no more time to ponder other matters.
Because a shocking scene unfolded.
From the forests and the city, countless animals surged out in droves. Horses grew frantic, birds screeched as they took flight, and even rats that usually dwelled deep in the crevices of buildings poured out alongside their kin, racing toward the outskirts of the city.
In the distance, there were also many clever people within Sapphire Port who recognized this as a precursor to a volcanic eruption. Many drove mana-powered vehicles, towing their luggage, and fled swiftly alongside the animals toward the horizon. Looking down from above, the dense crowd of figures streaming out of the city resembled a rapidly spreading black tide.
This armored convoy had originally been hesitating between advancing or retreating. Now, they could only prepare to turn around. If they were caught up in the human tide, they might not be able to escape at all.
But just as the convoy began to turn, and the old elven professor looked back toward the distance with some anxiety, a dull rumbling sound rose from deep within the earth.
Boom————
A low, violent tremor forced everyone to halt in their tracks, steadying their footing and bodies. At the same time, a fear rooted in the deepest recesses of their instincts surged forth from within each person.
In the distant sea, the already churning black waters instantly turned a golden red, as if a sun had appeared beneath the surface. Without giving anyone time to react, it erupted violently. A roar far louder than thunder tore through the atmosphere. Wave after wave of scorching lava shot up from the molten core beneath the earth. Blocked by the thick seawater, the lava and volcanic ash did not disperse on a large scale. Instead, only a vast fog spread across the entire sea area in an instant, along with... unimaginably massive waves.
A white line appeared on the horizon. This white line was like a city wall, towering and immense, carrying with it an aura that could destroy the world. Dozens, even hundreds of meters high, the sky-rending waves spread outward in a ring, centered on the volcanic eruption point.
The sound of the sea, like the sky collapsing and the earth splitting, shook the world. The faces of all the elves on the coast twisted in terror. Many who hadn't fled far had already given up on escape. They stood frozen in place, looking at this scene with despair—or perhaps resignation—that could previously have been dismissed as an accident. But after the eruption of Sigma Volcano, the stone demon legion that appeared in Babel Province and the falling star that followed the submarine volcanic eruption could serve as solid proof of this.
These monsters, like magical puppets, bloodless and tearless, were undoubtedly and inextricably linked to the natural disasters! Perhaps the sudden appearance of the submarine volcano was their doing!
"Professor! Get back in the vehicle!"
A soldier emerged from another armored vehicle, speaking to Neilson with some urgency: "We just received an emergency communication. According to the institute's predictions, the landing point of the stone demons from the sky is directly ahead on our path! The army near the capital of Babel Province is preparing to set out. We need to make our preparations too!"
"Preparations for what?"
The old man hadn't quite reacted in time.
"To hold back those damned monsters, of course!"
The soldier replied, a fierce expression spreading across his face: "And then kill them all!"
(To be continued.)