Chapter 799: Project Initiation

Chapter Title: The Weight of the World!

Closing the logbook.

Nigel Tomeguard began patrolling the makeshift camp set up near the wreckage of the Discovery. Surrounded by untamed forests, he had to maintain strict vigilance, lest monsters crept close and threatened the crew's survival.

Just then, he suddenly heard movement overhead—a whistling sound.

Then, a loud boom rang out from the distant forest.

"What's happening?!" Nigel and the others went on alert immediately.

Unfortunately, it was nighttime, and they dared not leave the camp to search the wild forest. After a while, when no further sounds were heard, Nigel relaxed slightly and set aside the idea of investigation. He joined the knights in sharing a simple lunch—still better than the salted meat and pickled vegetables during the voyage.

Sadly, there was no cheer of a campfire. Not only were they wary of the forest, but they were also gnawed by unease about the unknown world.

They had no idea what had happened—one moment they were on the vast ocean, the next they found themselves in an endless forest, with no idea how far they had traveled.

Nor did they know whether they had appeared on an island near the maelstrom or in some other corner of the world.

"Let us hold a moment of silence for our fallen comrades." After arranging the crude tableware, Nigel signaled everyone to observe a moment of silence. Of the Discovery's hundred crew members, sixteen were missing, fifty-two had perished, and only thirty-two survived—among them, seven were severely injured and might not make it.

The moment of silence had just ended.

Another *whoosh* sounded overhead, followed by a deafening crash in the distant forest, as if a massive rock had fallen from the sky. Though weaker than a meteorite, the ground still trembled slightly.

"What is this?"

Nigel could no longer ignore these disturbances.

At that moment, the mage Granny Truth, who was repairing the magic platform, suddenly exclaimed, "I understand—it's His Highness!"

"His Highness?"

"Of course, His Highness! He must have discovered the maelstrom and is studying it!" Granny was ecstatic. "The great Lady Acheronides will surely unravel the maelstrom's secrets and come to rescue us! We must stay here, repair the magic platform, and coordinate with His Highness and Lady Acheronides!"

Then, he announced loudly, "No sleep tonight! We must repair the magic platform overnight and contact His Highness as soon as possible!"

The second mage nodded deeply. "I support Granny's proposal!"

The knights naturally had no objections—after all, the repairs were the mages' task, while they only needed to assist. As if confirming Granny's speculation, every dozen minutes or so, a rock or some other object would whistle overhead.

The source seemed to be that towering waterfall mountain.

...

The surviving crew in the unknown forest eagerly awaited the Archmage's breakthrough.

And indeed, the ship Flame frequently transported rocks, trees, and monsters from nearby islands, tossing them into the maelstrom to study their changes during passage.

Liszt, riding Leo, circled above the maelstrom, using the *Dragon Eye Trajectory* to observe the details of its magic power composition. All the gathered information was then relayed to Acheronides—a tedious work, as even after dozens of experiments, they’d found no answers.

"Brother, I can't tell if this magic array is man-made, but its workings are too profound. Many parts are beyond my understanding."

"Don't rush. Be patient. We can make this our long-term magic experiment site." Liszt guessed that the Discovery's crew were probably lost, so after his initial excitement subsided, he wasn't in a hurry to explore what lay beyond the portal.

The maelstrom would keep its secrets—for now. There was no need to hurry.

He immediately issued orders to the Discovery and the Opportunity to continue searching for other islands in the surrounding new archipelago, while dispatching the other two expedition fleets to scout the islands. There was no need for them to investigate and explore the Great Whirlpool here—only Acheronides could manipulate the currents to withstand it; the rest were defenseless.

Late into the night,

Acheronides, lacking experimental materials, decided to return to Thorn Keep.

Liszt suggested, "Why not recruit a team of magicians? We can set up a magic laboratory on an island not far from the Great Whirlpool, dedicated to unraveling its secrets. I suspect it will take at least a year or more to fully decipher the mysteries of the teleportation magic array."

"Mm." Acheronides nodded.

Thus, the Flame cut through the night, returning by the next morning to the newly built dock at the estuary of the canal bathed in sunlight.

Liszt personally coordinated with the magicians of the Magic Guild.

"Cris, draft a roster of Great Magicians—those who meet the trustworthiness threshold, can be assigned long-term, and will follow orders."

Cris, now a competent administrator, promptly provided a list: "The Magic Guild counts eighteen Great Magicians among its ranks, seven of whom meet Your Highness's standards. They are Kenli, Lars, Cyril, Dulaka..."

"Then deploy Kenli, Lars, Cyril, and Dulaka initially, along with a group of trusted magicians to assist, to accompany the Archmage overseas for a field research project on magic."

Kenli was the member of the Magic Elephant family from Steel Ridge, while Lars and the other two were once Liszt's captives—all now fully integrated into the Magic Guild, settled in and reluctant to depart. Kenli had even been elected as the guild's Vice President, with Cris serving as the Executive Vice President.

"Your Highness, may I know what this magic research project entails?" Cris asked curiously.

There was no need to hide it from Cris. Liszt replied directly, "Our expedition fleet discovered a massive whirlpool at sea—you’ve likely heard. That Great Whirlpool has been confirmed by Acheronides as the legendary teleportation magic array from ancient times!"

"Teleportation magic array?" Cris's jaw dropped, taking a moment to recover. "Your Highness, I request to personally participate in the research of the Great Whirlpool!"

"Not for now. The Magic Guild cannot do without your management, especially in coordinating the experimental resources required for magic research." Liszt's unspoken implication was clear—Cris excelled in soul-related studies but was otherwise average.

After all, she was only a newly promoted Great Magician, gradually shifting toward administrative work and growing unfamiliar with magical research.

"Very well. I hope Your Highness will keep me updated on the progress of the Great Whirlpool research."

"Of course. Only by understanding the progress can you better allocate resources."

By noon, Cris had gathered Kenli and the other three.

Upon hearing they could study the legendary ancient magic array, the four Great Magicians immediately handed off their ongoing experiments to assistants and eagerly prepared the necessary materials under Acheronides' guidance, gearing up for a deep dive into the Great Whirlpool.