Sanctuary Paradise

Chapter 818 World Fortress
Before Xin Lailai could finish speaking, a cold notification tone suddenly sounded from the loudspeaker, followed by a violent tremor in the cabin used as a space elevator, and the silver-white hatch, more than half a meter thick, swung open to both sides with a hum.

[Notification: The Pioneer has been detected to have arrived at the designated waiting area for this expedition, Andusia Fortress. Current location status has been updated.]

[Note: The Pioneer has been detected to have arrived at the designated waiting area. The Expedition Supply Shop is now activated. The current available supply amount is 318 points.]

The amusement park's notification sounded in Xin Lailai's mind, while Chris, who was standing beside her, quickly got into work mode, politely adjusting her skirt and bowing slightly to Xin Lailai as she spoke:

"Lord Blacksword, we have arrived. This is your waiting area for this expedition, the Tier 3 World Fortress—Andusia."

Humlong——! !

As soon as she finished speaking, a tremendous rumbling sound erupted right beside Xin Lailai's ears. A maglev transport vehicle, several thousand meters long, sped past on the track not far in front of her, briefly obscuring her view before revealing a futuristic technological landscape at the edge of her vision, composed of tens of thousands of silver-white metal platforms and various spaceships.

This is... the interior of the World Fortress.

'It feels like I've stepped into a futuristic city...'

"Ah, yes."

Within the soul space, Ling Yuzi, who shared Xin Lailai's vision, murmured, while Xin Lailai, her eyes darting about the scene before her, subconsciously echoed in her mind.

They're not even on the same technological level...

Looking at the scene before her, Xin Lailai subconsciously compared it to some so-called high-tech areas she had seen in the void. Her eyes flickered slightly, and she came to the conclusion in her mind that the two were completely incomparable.

Perhaps in terms of size and status, those large cities in the void do have many things to boast about in terms of construction, but in the end, they are nothing more than using all kinds of top-notch materials and world regions to build a bunch of modern buildings that can only be used on the ground.

It may seem advanced compared to those ancient indigenous civilizations, but compared to the world fortresses before us, its appearance is like the difference between using plasma beam technology to create an advanced version of a spear and a proper planet-destroying cannon.

"Like other world fortresses, Andusia Fortress was a technological creation made by the engineers of Apocalypse Paradise based on the needs of Watchtower Paradise. Perhaps there are differences in strength due to materials and world layers, but in terms of technology, each world fortress is a creation at the pinnacle of current astral technology. That's how my predecessors introduced it to me."

The blindfolded nun's voice came, explaining things to Xin Lailai. Under Xin Lailai's gaze, she stepped off the spaceship and approached one of the small shuttles on the left side of the docking platform, saying:

"Lord Blacksword, Andusia Fortress is quite different from the worlds you've experienced before. Because of the great distances between different areas, it's best to use these specially designed shuttles to move around here. Otherwise, it might take us a very long time to get to headquarters."

"Including the expedition that will be held in 10 days, because there are significant differences between interstellar warfare and ground warfare, I personally suggest that you, Lord Black Sword, take some time to get used to it during your standby period. This also applies to your companions who will be arriving soon."

"Yes, thank you for the reminder, Lady Chris. I will keep that in mind."

Knowing that what the other party said was all true, Xin Lailai nodded slightly. After stepping into the small shuttle with the other party, she curiously looked around at the scenery amidst the sound of the glass-like transparent canopy closing and the engine of the shuttle.

[Note: Shuttle navigation is about to begin. The current channel is 01-12-03. The total distance is 1.67 kilometers. Estimated completion time: 17 seconds]

The next second, a mechanical notification sounded, and a strong sense of weightlessness erupted. The scene before her eyes suddenly entered a space tunnel specially opened up for movement within the inner world fortress, and she was rapidly traversing through it while Xin Lailai held her breath slightly.

[Note: Voyage has ended. You have arrived at your designated destination: Area A-001]

Om-! !

A dozen seconds later, accompanied by a strong spatial fluctuation and a sudden braking sensation, the scene in front of Xin Lailai suddenly broke out of the space tunnel and turned into another silver-white platform that was somewhat similar to but not quite the same as when she landed. At the end of her line of sight, a huge warship that looked so massive that it seemed to blot out the sky was docked there, giving people an invisible sense of oppression.

"Lord Blacksword, this is the Blackthorn warship that is currently being used as the headquarters. It is currently under the command of the Blackthorn Legion of the First Legion, and the position of warship commander is handled by Guardian A3756."

A3756?

The blindfolded nun, who stepped off the shuttle, introduced the situation. When Xin Lailai heard the name mentioned, she paused slightly, a strange unease creeping into her mind. The nun beside her, seemingly noticing her reaction, then offered further explanation:
"Jia 3756 is the code name of the Guardian who serves as the commander of the Blackthorn Legion. This is also a characteristic of the code names of the commanders of the subordinate legions under the First Legion. Unlike other legions, the commanders of the First Legion are all Ascended from a specific derivative world, and their code names are uniformly counted from the first one, 'Paradise Class A War Criminal No. 1'."

"Although the first-class guardians are the weakest among the guardians in terms of strength, they are recognized as the best in the entire legion in terms of strategy. Many of the strategies related to the derivative worlds they left behind are still circulating in Paradise. Perhaps Lord Black Sword has heard of this name somewhere."

First Legion, unified code name...

Specific derivative worlds, Class A war criminals in the amusement park...

Wait, could it be that...

"Lady Chris, I'd like to ask, the specific derivative world you just mentioned... could it be referring to the Hellsing world?"

"Eh, Lord Black Sword already knows? That's right, the individual commanders of the First Legion are indeed from the Hellsing world."

"By the way, regarding this matter, Lord A3756 specifically instructed me to tell you, Lord Black Sword, that he hopes you can go to the command room to meet him after you complete the registration. Does Lord Black Sword know Lord A3756?"

The blindfolded nun said with some surprise. As a nun from the Holy Light Paradise, she had heard a lot about the identities of both sides. In her understanding, the guardian of the Blackthorn Legion that she was following this time was the most mysterious of all the guardians of the First Legion. Now, Xin Lailai from the Holy Light Paradise seemed to know him, which naturally surprised her.

"If my guess is correct, then perhaps we can indeed be considered acquainted?"

Xin Lailai spoke, her gaze flickering slightly as she looked at the massive warship before her, as if deep in thought. At the same time, she addressed the blindfolded nun before her:

"Thank you for your clarification, Lady Chris. I have no further questions for now. I'll leave the rest to you, Lady Chris, to take me to the Central District for registration."

"It is my honor to answer your question. Please follow me, Lord Blacksword. The defense system inside the Blackthorn warship is different from the outside. Even if you are a pioneer, please do not stray too far from my side, otherwise you may be treated as an intrusion target."

"Well, I'm done."

The blindfolded nun spoke gently. Xin Lailai nodded slightly and followed. [Identity confirmed: Sister Chris Roanna, ID 03716; Unregistered Pioneer, ID 83112; Authentication successful…]

As the two moved forward, a cold notification sound began to ring in Xin Lailai's ears. After following Chris through a huge warship that was far more complex than a space teleportation station for more than twenty minutes, she finally stopped in front of a heavy iron-gray box door bearing the emblem of Watchful Paradise, led by Chris.

"We've arrived, Lord Blacksword. This is the control center of Andusia Fortress. Once you complete the registration here, you will be able to freely enter and exit all Level 3 and Level 2 security zones of Andusia Fortress, as well as most of the Level 1 security zones, during this expedition. You will also no longer be affected by the spatial suppression devices and perception shielding spells within the fortress."

"Of course, the perception shielding spell will still be effective in areas involving personal privacy. This is for the sake of internal stability during the expedition. Please forgive me, Lord Black Sword."

"Yes, thank you for your guidance along the way, Lady Chris... Hmm?!"

As the blindfolded nun explained, Xin Lailai nodded slightly, habitually offering her polite thanks. Suddenly, the blindfolded nun beside her vanished into wisps of flame, causing her to pause mid-sentence. And then—

Humlong——! !

A heavy hum exploded in Xin Lailai's ears, and the enormous box door before her slowly lifted, revealing a space filled with a pure white light that gave her a strange sense of peace, and a blindfolded nun in a shroud standing behind the door, along with that familiar, gentle voice:
"Please allow me to introduce myself again, Lord Blacksword. I am Sister Chris Roanna, who is accompanying you and the other members on this expedition. I will provide you with healing and buffs, as well as protection against the Abyss's corruption during this expedition."

"Welcome, Lord Blacksword. May the blessing of the Flame protect you forever."

A gentle voice, inexplicably calming, fell. Inside the enormous room supported by translucent pure white crystal pillars, a blindfolded nun in a habit bowed. The inclusive and loving aura emanating from her caused Xin Lailai to momentarily lose her composure, involuntarily superimposing her image with everything in her mind related to 'love,' 'gentleness,' 'holiness,' and so on.

Sacred, no… ‘warm’ would be a better word to describe what’s happening before us than sacred.

Like a flame that never goes out in the darkness, it is not dazzling or intense, but it inexplicably makes people feel at ease and warm, making people want to get closer and protect it.

Most importantly, his instincts as a technician told him that the feeling emanating from the other person was not because they had learned any special skills or abilities, but rather a pure quality that came from the other person's heart and was cultivated from their daily words and actions.

If he had to find a word in his mind to describe the other person, Xin Lailai could only think of one:
'saint'

As rumored, every nun of the Holy Light is of such high moral character that even the God of Justice would be ashamed of her own conduct...

Looking at Sister Chris in her true form, Xin Lailai's eyes revealed a hint of emotion. He didn't need much confirmation; just one glance was enough for him to know that Chris was even more reliable than they were.

In contrast...

Is the level of protection also at its absolute maximum?

In the room bathed in warm white light, Xin Lailai glanced at the seemingly ordinary square white walls around her out of the corner of her eye, her gaze shifting slightly.

Although the perception shielding spell prevented him from clearly investigating the specific situation of the room, he was certain that if anyone dared to act recklessly here, even with his strength, he would only meet his demise on the spot.

A world fortress... Without a doubt, the word "world" in this fortress refers not only to its size, but also to the terrifying power that a normal world should possess, which, barring any unforeseen circumstances, would only be greater inside this fortress.

"Lord Black Sword, please place your hand here. After that, simply select 'agree' on your branding interface, and Andusia will automatically complete the registration process for you."

[Prompt: Fortress personnel authentication process detected. Do you wish to grant partial access to your information and register?]

"confirm."

[Note: Confirmation complete, registration in progress...]

[Registration complete. Pioneer Blacksword (Performer/Set Designer) is now officially registered with this fortress. Welcome to Andusia Fortress, Lord Blacksword (Performer/Set Designer)!]

"That should do it, right?"

"Yes, Lord Blacksword, you can now travel freely in most parts of the fortress, including spatial teleportation. If you want to go to the command center, you only need to operate normally on the teleportation interface. The relevant coordinates should have already been entered."

"Of course, if you need me to continue accompanying you, I would be happy to continue providing guidance."

"No, there's no need to trouble you this time, Lady Chris. I can go by myself. If I'm not mistaken, that guardian probably prefers me to go alone as well."

"In that case, I wish Lord Black Sword and Lord Jia 3756 a pleasant conversation. If you have any questions, you can notify me through the Branding interface. As long as you are within the fortress's influence range, I can descend to Lord Black Sword's side in my avatar at any time to provide you with guidance."

The blindfolded nun bowed slightly and explained respectfully, while Xin Lailai nodded slightly, not disturbing her any further. She opened the teleportation interface, found the Blackthorn warship command room the other party had mentioned, and skillfully pressed the teleportation button, stepping into the spatial portal. The scene before her immediately changed from a room filled with soft white light to a black iron-colored ship door that didn't look too conspicuous.

[Identity confirmed, Pioneer Black Sword, ID 83112, authentication successful]

Om-! !

A sky-blue scanning beam swept across Xin Lailai's body, and the next second, the ship's door in front of her hummed and slid open inward, revealing the scene behind it:

A giant 3D projection, resembling the Milky Way, quietly rotated beneath the dome. Screens wider than those in a movie theater surrounded a massive control panel with so many buttons and indicator lights that it was dizzying, displaying the real-time situation inside the fortress in this command room, which was only the size of a football field.

Below the screen, a row of seats with a somewhat familiar design extends along the steps, like the audience seats in the ancient Roman Colosseum, overlooking the scene below.

In the very center seat sat a slightly overweight man in a white suit, with a perfectly proportioned, slanted fringe and a chilling half-smile. He held a wine glass in one hand and adjusted his round-framed glasses, which reflected the screen and projector with a layered gleam, with the other. Smiling at Xin Lailai, who was seated near the entrance, he began:

"We meet again, Lord Black Sword? Or perhaps... The Actor Sir?"

……

(End of this chapter)