A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 653 Terminator

The voyage to the ends of the earth will not be stopped by the ravings of an old charlatan.

This is perhaps something worth paying attention to. A ship has been stuck in a cycle for more than ten years. Someone noticed this strange phenomenon before, but for some reason no one followed it up until today when it was discovered by the New Marlin.

But that's where it ends. Who knows why that poor evangelist shouted that it was all a lie? Most likely, he went mad after learning the truth. Other church members, in order to appear more rational, even forgave the old priest's blasphemous behavior, looking at him with pity, as if they were looking at a mental patient.

The New Marlin continued to extend goodwill. Given that the Temple ships had not received any supplies, the captain hosted a small banquet to treat these poor but lucky charlatans to something nice.

"You mean the entire pilgrim fleet on the expedition was wiped out?" The bishop had more to digest than food, and he was more rational than the priest, so he didn't go mad.

"Yes, it's a pity," the captain of the New Marin explained. "The non-believers who came after us, and our forerunners, the Maxim, have reached the coordinates of 'the end of the world,' but they found no active church ships along the way, remaining a solitary traveler. All they passed were unsettling wrecks and chaotic nebulae similar to those you encountered."

"The closer we get to our target, the more similar celestial structures we encounter. Some say they are formed from fragmented planes returning to the astral plane, others say they are pre-existing structures, and still others believe..."

"What do you think?"

"These words shouldn't have been leaked. According to the message Master Rorschach conveyed sixteen years ago, it was the collapse caused by the corruption of the evil god's power, just the tip of the iceberg of chaos and the end. In other words, the pollution and destruction are not just radiating from the main plane to the outer planes, but are pressing in from both directions. It's truly despairing, isn't it?"

"Anyway, congratulations on getting out of trouble."

The bishop needed time to process this information. He didn't understand why the unbeliever before him could speak so calmly and easily, while he himself seemed to have lost most of his oratory skills after the ordeal, and finally responded dryly:

"Thank you, thank you. I also want to know, what will happen to me and my other brothers and sisters? What will be the fate of the Temple ship?"

"Sir, this isn't something I and the ship can decide," the captain said, shaking his head with a wry smile.

"Above me is the Royal Heritage Foundation, which is entirely at the mercy of the Alliance, the Magic Guild, and the Space Guild. Furthermore, the Valuwa Empire and the Intersea Alliance—any well-known power can dictate our actions. All I can do is report the facts to you lords."

"Of course, the Church of Order still exists. But as you know, the Prime Material Plane has fallen, and the City of Eternity is no exception. In addition, the expeditionary fleet is reduced to just your lucky ship—well, I mean, only you were discovered. In short, the Church's power is far less than before!"

Seeing the bishop's distressed expression, the chatty captain kindly comforted him: "It's alright, this is a rare case, I think the Magic Guild and those mages will treat you all well."

"As for the Temple ship, if you wish, you can sell it to wealthy patrons. They're into collecting all sorts of things these days, and then rent a starship to exhibit it around. This ship is practically a natural museum—it's magnificent, and it has so much artistic, historical, and cultural value."

What an offensive remark! To the bishop and other clergy, the captain's eloquent speech sounded like ridicule, but at this moment they could only protest silently and quietly eat more delicious food.

However, towards the end of the banquet, the captain received a message from afar. The bishop observed a complex mix of emotions flashing across his face, with surprise as the dominant tone, mixed with embarrassment, confusion, and a hint of a smile.

Finally, the captain did laugh. He shook his head and handed the text message report directly to the bishop: "Those bigwigs almost unanimously agree that we should accept you as new crew members, provided that my ship can afford it."

"So are you willing to travel with us? On the condition that you obey our arrangements." The captain did not say what he really thought: In the eyes of those people, the remnants of the empire and the church charlatans were all people who could be packed up and sent away.

The bishop spoke almost without hesitation: "Although we have different faiths, we share the same goal."

"At least for now," the captain agreed, then lowered his voice and asked, "I have a question, and I hope it won't offend you."

You've offended me many times already, my savior. The bishop concealed his true feelings and forced a smile: "Please speak."

"I don't know how to put it more precisely and clearly. This is a theological question: if we go to the new world, will the God you believe in go with us?"

The bishop was taken aback, then replied in common parlance: "The Lord is always in our hearts, therefore He is omnipresent and omniscient."

"Okay, okay, I know, but the Lord of Order is somewhere in the world right now, isn't he? And will He come along from the other side?"

"...I cannot fathom the Lord; this is an unforgivable sin."

"It's exhausting talking to you guys!" The captain shook his head and drank the wine in his glass.

An additional batch of passengers does not place a heavy burden on the permanent resident ship, as it carries ample supplies that can be replenished immediately.

At this moment, "the end of the world" is not some desolate corner of the earth, but rather the focus of attention from all civilizations and various forces. They are entrenched near the coordinates, as if preparing for a grand gathering. After waiting for its own teleportation array to finish charging, the New Marlin also underwent a journey to this place.

The Maxim and similar tunneling ships underwent a long voyage, paving the way for subsequent spaceships that relied on teleportation magic for jumps.

For a long time, human activities in the astral plane have been limited to the scope of the planes they cover or influence. The Church's pilgrimage expedition fleet was the first attempt at a long-distance route, and it was undoubtedly a failure. The second wave, represented by the new starship Maxim, was a success.

Now the mages have a deeper understanding of the structure of the world. They realize that each plane corresponds to a massive celestial body in the material world, including the now-fallen main world. Each of these celestial bodies has its own unique characteristics. In this world where magic and power exist, they will condense into special fields. These fields will also rub against and intersect, forming special "shells" that isolate them from each other in the symbolic realm.

Sub-planes that are separated from large planes have their own independent "shells" and can no longer be directly accessed from the original plane. Secret realms and sealed spaces are of this type, but there are exceptions.

Small enough, ordinary enough, and lifeless celestial bodies lack the magic of condensation and anomalies to form a shell in the symbolic realm, and they also lack the tension to connect with other major planes, thus they float in the astral plane.

Such a planet floats at the coordinates of "the end of the world". It has no air and almost no gravity, and it is quietly scattered in the dimness of the stars.

In the moment of the resurrection of Mother Earth, the Mother of All Things, it is still a buoy. The star field outside it has turned into a chaotic and disorderly "sea", swallowing everything that plunges into it, decomposing and digesting it into the most fragmented matter and aimlessly dissipating energy.

On its desolate, cratered surface, Rorschach stood. He waited until all the magic towers and starships of all factions had gathered, then spoke, his voice carrying to everyone's ears:

"This is both the end and the beginning, so how about calling it 'Terminus Star'?" He paused for a moment, his field of vision filled with various starships. No one responded to him, only the silent, smooth bows of the ships.

Rorschach clicked his tongue.

(End of this chapter)