Wasteland Echoer.

Chapter 657 The Divine Border Mountain
Since the Battle of Belogersk, the "Final Battle of Atlas," ended seven days ago, the sky over the entire Far Northeast region has been shrouded in a layer of gloomy black clouds. Neither rain nor the clouds have cleared, as if a god of the night, watching over the world and bringing pain and sorrow, is looking down on humanity and expressing his anger.

Torii Town, as a whole, doesn't quite fit the style of the Crusad Federation. Unlike New Wind Town in the west, which is full of Western-style manor houses and lofts, it doesn't have the modern sci-fi style of the old empires. Instead, it's more in line with the style of the Khitanris.

To be precise, it is closer to the hometown of Hoshino Shota and Kafuu Iwa, Japan. It retains some of the gray and white concrete style left over from the industrial period, especially after the "Western Area Reform". It mainly continues the style of steel and wood structure, and is a small two-story detached building.

Of course, the three of them had just stayed in an "unused room" in the mayor's courtyard at "Town Center No. 01". It used to be a storage warehouse. Since the three of them arrived last night, Hefeng Yiwa made temporary arrangements.

This afternoon, she will likely discuss with the local "Torii Township Strategic Group Military Personnel Service Committee" about opening "Town Heart No. 02," a private house owned by a former naval officer, to them for residence.

Since most of the men and a small number of strong adult women in the town had been recruited into their respective camps by Nebrius and Shaneva, the road leading to the hill with Dak and his two companions was unusually deserted. Almost no courtyards were open to the public, and even the town center, which was used for business and trade, and the town square where celebrations were held, were unusually quiet.

Apart from a few elderly men in worn-out military uniforms with badges of "Ice Lotus" or "Sun Ashes" pinned to their chests sweeping the streets, there was hardly anyone else in sight, not even children.

The central part of the street was a dilapidated, peeling concrete section, while the sides were repaved with slightly newer bluestone and red bricks, creating a strange, patchwork-like aesthetic. Both sides of the street were lined with tall trees that bore no green leaves, only intricately curled branches and extremely inward-curling flowers. Quicklime was sprinkled on the ground for disinfection.

After all, towns of this size are not eligible for material support from the Federal Council and cannot obtain any "Federal Agent 0" through official channels. They can only purchase agents by creating food and low-level industrial materials and going to Hoptov in the south or the official trading post in the chaotic Far East Central District further south. Therefore, they can only use this physical method to prevent the spread of the "Heartless Virus" under normal circumstances.

Sometimes, if you're lucky, Federation soldiers or mid-ranking officers who stay here will leave behind some soon-to-expire medicine, but it's always just a drop in the ocean.

After walking and admiring the exotic scenery of Torii Town for about half an hour, Dak and his party finally arrived near a steep staircase leading up the mountain. Upon closer inspection, Dak discovered that the words "God's Edge Mountain" were written in scarlet paint in the language of the Flamefire Empire on a nearby boulder.

"God's Edge Mountain?" Hoshino Shota read out a few characters in standard Flame Empire pronunciation, not in the Japanese dialect. He stepped forward, touched the boulder, and after confirming it was just an ordinary rock, asked Hefeng Yiwa, who was standing in front of him:
"According to our investigations over the years, this mountain range is merely a small eastern branch of the Transnabua Mountains. You actually named it after a 'deity'? I want to know, what kind of 'miracle' is hidden here that even the Federal Council is unaware of?"

“Of course it exists.” He Fengyi turned around, her facial expression twitching slightly, as if surprised or astonished, but more so as a deliberate concealment and anticipation. She coughed twice and replied in standard, unadulterated Kruskian:
“Indeed, ‘God’s Edge Mountain’ should have been a branch of the Vanabuya mountain range, but the officers probably don’t know that before 460 AD, the extension of this mountain range was a lake.”

“A lake? Right, I think I remember now.” Dak picked up where Hefengyeva left off, recalling:
"When Wolfya was in Ice City, he showed me a document called 'Record of Topographical Changes in the Far Northeast Region.' It recorded that due to the impact of a meteorite, the 'Hev Branch' in the southeast corner of the Outer Naboa Mountains was severed, causing the entire mountain to continue to tilt southeast, filling 'Hev 02 Lake' and creating a new mountain range."

"It is said that both Viking and Vasily received reports from Nebsk requesting that these newly formed terrains be renamed. However, due to the war and other affairs, neither of these two administrators issued the order to name them before their deaths."

“According to the ‘Regulations on Basic Local Affairs’ passed by the Federal Council 35 years ago, when a local request does not involve matters such as the military or material management is reported to the Federal Council, if there is no negative response or official permission within one year, the locality can make its own decision without reporting it to the higher authorities. Therefore, the naming of ‘Mountain of the Gods’ is entirely in accordance with the regulations of the Crusad Federation,” explained He Feng Eva.

"As for who named it, I think it must be 'The Decision Maker'."

"The Decision Maker???" Dark and Adaloni exclaimed in unison.

Just over a week ago, the 51st-ranked god "The Chosen One" was killed by him and Adaloni in the underground palace of the Khitan Lis emperor "Shang Lingdi" at the former Military Base No. 02.

If, according to the robot "Iochina" who guarded the underground palace at the time, the "Chosen One" fell into the underground palace and fell into slumber after the Crusd Empire went to war with the Eventre, how could he have named the hill in Torii Town?
However, as they pondered, Dark and Adaloni realized that their expressions just now were indeed somewhat exaggerated and inappropriate. They quickly regained their composure, and Dark preemptively asked:

"It's difficult for gods to leave the divine realms created for them by the Creator in the universe. Since the beginning of the Steam Age in the Third Era, due to the gradual depletion of magical energy in nature, it has become difficult for them to exist normally on the continent. As far as we know, the 'Chosen One' does not possess the creation-like power of the 'Seven First-Rank Gods.' So how did he come to Torii Town and name you?"

“Oh, I suppose the three officers are on a special mission. Don’t worry, there are things I shouldn’t know, I absolutely won’t ask; and what I should know, I will certainly tell you. Actually, none of us have ever seen any deity. Although every household here worships the Lord of the Night, no one has actually witnessed His manifestation,” He Feng Yiwa further explained.

"He made contact with Mayor Angelica Rurik through a dream, and only after persistent requests did he finally name the newly born mountain. Mayor Angelica originally belonged to the 145th Legion of the Water Province. He was a high-ranking ability user, and his ancestors were from the royal family of the old empire and members of the court mage corps."

"Therefore, their blood naturally flows with an affinity for magical energy. I don't know if Angelica is a high-level professional or not, but he is a hot-tempered and impulsive person. That's why he was transferred here to serve as mayor because he made a mistake."

“I’m very curious, in what kind of dream did Angelica encounter the ‘Chosen One’? If he can accurately remember everything in the dream, especially the dreams related to gods, then he must be a high-ranking professional,” Dark explained.

“Most mid-level professionals or ordinary superhumans, even many lost souls, even if they dream of gods and creators by chance, will immediately forget them upon waking, as if they had never communicated with them. This is the ‘reason’ of the creator, and even more so, the arrogance of the gods towards humanity.”

“I remember, he remembered the dream very clearly. He met the ‘Chosen One’ in a mountainous area similar to the south of his hometown. The scenery there was quite beautiful, but after walking along a path to the top, he came to a towering circular altar with a lush tree in the middle, where the ‘Chosen One’ was standing,” He Fengyiwa described.

“A gray dream.” Darke blurted out almost without thinking:
"Slumbering gods and high-ranking professionals unconsciously enter it to exchange information with other high-ranking professionals. It's less a dream and more a multi-person chat room where consciousness can freely access it. It seems that with the increase in high-ranking professionals, it can indeed be used." "Grey Dream, indeed an interesting name." He Feng, still discreetly avoiding what she shouldn't hear, continued:

“Indeed, Angelica said that every time she met the ‘Chosen One’ through a dream, she would initially see a white dreamscape all around her. Only when her consciousness was about to dissipate would it completely dissipate, and only then would the altar, the trees, and the Chosen One appear.”

"In the dream, the 'Chosen One' told Angelica that there was indeed a deity at the bottom of the old lake, burying something important belonging to Him. It's just a pity that due to changes in the terrain, the lake filled in, the deity collapsed, but the treasure is still inside the newly formed mountain. If one year, a young man brings a dragon boy here, that will be the moment when the treasure sees the light of day again."

"They all seem like prophets," Dark thought to himself.
“Every time the content of the prophecy is made to be either obscure and difficult to understand or has a lot of commonality, it is very likely to come true, thus gaining people’s praise and worship. In fact, according to the law of development, as long as the information about the existence of gods and treasures is widely known, it is only a matter of time before they are found.”

“In that case, why don’t the three officers join me on a hike up ‘Mount Shenqi’ and visit the temple at the summit to pray for yourselves?” He Feng Yiwa suggested.

“Of course we would love to stroll around in this beautiful place, but didn’t you just say the temples are not yet open for business?” Adaloni asked the crucial question.

Unexpectedly, He Feng Eva took out a large bunch of keys of different styles and sizes from her waist, shook them, and they made a clear, melodious sound. She then laughed:

"When Angelica left, he entrusted me with the keys to all the important institutions. Even if no one is around, it is not against the rules to open them for the three officers to visit. By the way, more than a decade ago, Commander Angelica built the road to the top of the mountain almost like the one in my dream. We can also experience his journey in the dream."

Indeed, as he walked along the path to the top of "God's Edge Mountain," Dak noticed that, apart from the many decorations related to the Crusad festival and the occasional torii gates unique to the culture of Japan, the brick road and the scenery on both sides were exactly the same as those leading to the top of "Grey Dream."

For the three high-ranking individuals with unique and extraordinary magical power, the journey from the foot of the mountain to the summit did not consume any physical strength. In just twenty minutes, the four of them, led by He Feng Yiwa, reached the top of the mountain.

Pushing open the unsecured iron gate, the three entered a temple at the top, filled with the distinctive style of the Khitan Risdao religion. Clearly, Mayor Angelica did not have the resources to completely replicate the scene from "The Gray Dream."

After crossing the towering threshold and passing the frozen giant incense burner, an endless gray mist began to rise from the top of the entire "Mount of Gods," much like what one sees in a gray dream. The deities originally enshrined in the cloth coverings of the surrounding temples also made a slight rustling sound.

If you listen carefully, you can hear faint breathing, slight friction, and even the sound of a child holding their breath and sobbing.

Reaching the center of the temple's outer courtyard, Dak stopped and asked Hefeng Yiwa:

"There's something strange about this place. Are you sure nothing extraordinary has happened here before?"

"Of course not," He Feng Yiwa denied, saying:
"This place has always been a place where the residents of Torii Town pray for blessings from the gods. It is full of good fortune and spiritual energy. How could there be anything strange here? It is just that it is temporarily closed due to winter and the occasional appearance of wild animals and 'heartless people' in the mountains. It will be reopened in the spring."

He Feng Yiwa answered confidently, walked straight forward to the old mahogany gate, and inserted the key into the temple's lock.

With a "bang," the door to the main hall of the temple was opened, and the next second after He Feng, Eva, and Dak entered, screams of children rose and fell from inside!

"What's going on!" He Feng Yiwa looked at the children sleeping on the floor in the main hall, as well as some of the women accompanying them, smoothed her frightened chest, and questioned them.

One of the women, seeing that it was Hefeng Yiwa, comforted the children slightly before stepping forward and saying to her:

“The day before yesterday, a monster covered in tentacles came to the town. It roamed the streets at night and paid special attention to children. We were afraid that the children would be hurt, so we had to let them hide here for a few days.”

"Nonsense, it's all just hearsay!" He Feng Yiwa rebuked.

However, the next second, the children's screams came again, this time from the back door, leading to the "Spirit-Suppressing Tree".

The four people quickly stepped forward, passed through the crowd, and arrived at the door. Under the dim light of the electrical appliances, they saw a shadow that was indeed expanding outside the house.

The shadow's outline resembled a human, but behind it, there seemed to be several tentacles that were slightly expanding and writhing wildly!