Chapter 549: The Beginning of a Major Project
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Once everything was in place, Hao Ren began his next course of action.
First, he contacted the Aerymian engineering team, and dispatched the Petrachelys to get the large machinery from the Aerymian elves in advance; then, he contacted Marshal Ophra through Becky to inform her that the "final phase" of the First Born saga was about to begin. He gave them time to do the necessary evacuation and public opinion control. Then, he had also contacted Igor through Vivian: the largest ever excavation team in the world would enter the other world through the spatial rift beneath Andrea Castle, it was necessary give the old man a heads-up, lest he passed out again…
Five days later, news came back that the complex engineering preparations needed to make things work were finally ready. All personnel and equipment were in place. Hence, it was time for Hao Ren to open all the necessary portals for the project: from his home to Andrea Castle, from Aerym to Andrea Castle, and from Tannagost to Holletta; a total of three space-time tunnels.
All parties were ready at the portals nearest to them.
Rollie and the Nangong siblings stayed back at home while Hao Ren brought the others as they teleported to Andrea Castle. This time, he brought Big Beardy along for one purpose: Hao Ren would inevitably have to deal with the bigwigs of Holletta, especially the Church, where he could encounter a problem later on, so it was more prudent to bring Big Beardy along.
Big Beady had agreed to go. The master had been staying in Hao Ren's home and mingling pretty well with everyone. Aside from his pig-headedness in challenging the nature, he was still very easy to talk to.
Igor led his son and daughter to welcome the witch into their castle. He had the hall specially decorated, and the entire family wore festive costumes. In order to welcome the witch, the old man almost took elite customs and rituals to the highest degree—even if it seemed superfluous.
With just a glance, Vivian already noticed that Anna and Akim were in good spirits. She smiled and greeted them before they could do so. "You guys have recovered from the influence of the vengeful spirit, haven't you?"
Akim was still a bit shy. The young boy, who had been locked up in a room since childhood was not used to talking to strangers. Anna was much more sociable. The noble lady courted Vivian politely. With a smile, she said, "Yes, My Lady. The nightmare has disappeared for a long time. We and our father are recovering very quickly."
Vivian nodded and asked, "What about those memories?"
"They are still here," said Anna, pointing at her own forehead. "But they have already separated themselves from my normal memory. It feels like watching another person's stories... Now, I won't take those weird visions seriously anymore."
"My Lady," Igor still spoke in a formal manner when he met Vivian, "as per your instruction, I have kept servants in the outskirts of the castle away from the crypt and ordered the guards outside not to be alarmed. Will it be noisy later?"
"Actually, it isn't too complicated, just a lot of people. I'm worried that things may go wrong." Vivian shook her head. Then she forced a smile. "Didn't I tell you not to call me by that honorific? Look, how nervous the kids have become!"
Igor straightened his body and explained matter-of-factly, "I've read those hidden, ancient books. The Blood Clan's lineage should be hereditary until the bloodline stops, or else the vow would go on forever. This is the rule of the dark world..."
As the old man spoke, his face was filled with a rosy glow. He seemed to have done some homework recently, having learned how vampire family members should get along with their own masters—even if their family was not considered a thoroughbred vampire family, and if the old man himself might not have understood it entirely. For the sake of prudence and his reverence of the witch, he chose to address her using the safest honorific.
Besides, he may still be young at heart. After all, grown men were always boys at heart, including this 52-year-old.
As poor as Vivian was, she had a variety of followers. In such a situation, she was absolutely steady, so she just nodded. "Well, let your people guard the entrance of the crypt. Don't let anyone enter. Mr. Landlord, we shall go now."
The dark snowfields were as icy as when they left, and the scenery had not changed. The last time they left, Hao Ren had left behind a space stabilizer, and now the stabilizer was working so that the entire space would not change over time. Hao Ren saw some sparkling lights on the edge of the snowfield. He knew that those were the watch posts set up by Igor on the edge of the other dimension. These watch posts were used to observe movements in the snowfields. These posts where the servants of the castle were brave enough to be stationed at, were the closest lines bordering the distorted otherworld. But now those posts should be empty as Igor had already dismissed the guards.
They came to the lilac-colored spatial rift. Hao Ren found the portal and other equipment he had left there during his last visit. It seemed that these things still worked very well: the volatile energy released by the spatial rift had not affected the operation of these precision devices.
The MDT flew into the air to act as a communicator. Very quickly, Hilda appeared on the holographic projection. "Aerymian excavation team is ready for teleportation."
Hao Ren said, "Okay… Oh, wait a second, let me check with Becky if he side is ready to receive."
Hilda nodded and then asked her questions seriously. "I have a question: Why excavation team, and not engineering or drilling team?"
Hao Ren almost choked himself. He smiled and beat around the bush by saying, "They mean the same thing, aren't they?"
Then he called Becky, visual of the mercenary girl appeared on the holographic projection. It was only a few days and the girl had already turned herself into a medieval woman, wearing a Holletta aristocratic costumes and with matching hairstyle and a wine cellar in the background—she was using an integrated communicator-transmitter which was placed in the underground cellar.
Becky was showing her signature bright smile. "Hey, Mr. Landlord, long time no see!"
Before Hao Ren could say anything, Becky had already ran off at the mouth. "We're ready here. The Pope and his people are waiting outside. I told them it shouldn't be disturbed when the door to the otherworld is open. You know, I can't let them spill my wine...How about your side? Is Wuyue okay? Is Lil Pea fine?"
Hao Ren patted his chest and let Lil Pea out to say hello. Meanwhile, Vivian reminded him. "Time is almost up, let's summon the goddess. You and the goddess will go and put up the platform first."
Hao Ren couldn't help but feel a bit of ball-ache. He put Lil Pea back into his pocket before he took out a note from his pocket with a grimacing face and began to read in a semi-dead tone, "The goddess of omnipotence, the wise Creator, the Merciful Guardian, the ruler of the multi-world, who holds the fourteen truths, who transforms, you are one, and you are a many, you are the beginning and end of the law, and come to the world with a thought and mould the world. Please listen to our call, descending and reshaping the truth..."
After finishing the chanting, Hao Ren shook his head and looked around and found nothing had happened.
"Have you chanted wrongly?" Y'zaks asked curiously.
"My foot! She wrote this stuff herself." Hao Ren's mouth twitched and he shouted out in his mind. "What are you doing? Why are you still not coming?"
The raucous voice of Raven 12345 sounded through everyone's mind. "That's cool. Read it again, read it again..."
Hao Ren was agitated. "Stop the crap! Come and help!"
Raven 12345's avatar descended as it came directly from the celestial world and emerged beside Hao Ren. She crossed her arms and started complaining. "You are disrespecting the goddess. As broad-minded as I am, I'm still a goddess…"
Hao Ren tossed the note to the side and said, "I can't really be serious reading the stuff you've written. Did you pretend not to hear me?"
"I heard you and it was cool."
"..."
"Chill out, it's not easy to be a goddess." Raven 12345 laughed. Although what was here was just her avatar, it was connected with the body synchronously, which meant, the words and demeanour of the avatar were exactly the same with the real Raven. "Come on, let's go and build the container."
Hao Ren let out a sigh. He nodded to Hill, who was standby on the other side of the communicator. "In the absence of other instructions, you will begin to teleport to Earth after 40 minutes. Vivian will guide you through the space crevasse and enter Tannagost transit station. Then wait for further instruction."
"Let's go, don't waste time," Raven 12345 gave Hao Ren a push. "After all, I can only stay for 30 minutes there."