Through the darkness, all the details of the chain finally manifested, and it only further shocked Arthur. To begin with, the entire thing was clearly made out of tal, really thick and strong tal.
The fra of this tal was rusty, cracked, and very dirty, indicating the effect of the passage of ti on it. However, even then, the large tal pillar lodged into the ground looked as sturdy as ever, akin to a mountain of steel not moved by even the harshest catalysts.
At the top of the pillar, almost 500 ters above ground, the pillar curves and stretches into the distance to form the first ring of the pillar sowhere above the hole. The rest of the chain itself cannot be seen from Arthur's position.
"We're here…" Arthur muttered as he eyed the structure. "What a monstrous creation… How do you even build sothing like this? And who built it?"
One thing the boy was certain of the mont he laid eyes on the chain was that it was simply impossible to build such a thing in the real world. That tal would simply be so ridiculously heavy that no machinery could truly lift it and make it stand like that, let alone lodge it into sandy soil.
That idea alone made him shudder as that ant whoever or whatever created this chain was so powerful that even modern technology cannot compensate for it.
"*Gulp*... Well, it surely doesn't exist anymore, so there is no need to worry." Arthur exhaled before he looked at the man next to him.
"I can see the chain, Germa. How are we going to climb that thing?" He asked.
"There are a set of ladders carved into the body of the chain. We will use that to climb up to the top and then move across," Germa explained carefully.
"Hmm? A set of ladders? Did whoever build this thing want people to climb it?"
"I don't know. We never figured out who built it to begin with." The man shook his head. "All we know is that it existed here, way before any person arrived here."
'If what he's saying is true, then that ans intelligent creatures existed in this place way before Yonathan and his people arrived here.'
That idea alone was quite interesting as this world didn't show any actual indication that it was inhabited before. It simply looked like an empty space of despair and death. Nothing about it felt alive or even felt like it harbored life before.
'They either erased their traces extrely well or they simply… didn't live here.'
The theories Arthur's mind ca up with were nurous, and he felt like if he kept thinking about it he would find himself inside a very deep rabbit hole that he had no ti for.
So, he imdiately cut off those ideas and focused on the task at hand. He turned to the group and ordered them to group up around the chain.
"We will go by priority. The small children and their parents are to go first. Make sure to tie them around your backs and be careful on the way up. The elderly will also be carried on their backs. Then, the non-combatants will go after that, and finally, the combatants. I will be the last one to start climbing." He declared loudly.
Arthur's priority at that mont was for the weakest individuals to be the ones to climb first to make sure they don't end up in huge trouble in case of ergency.
"Take your ti to get prepared. The climb won't be particularly easy, so be ready." Arthur said as he turned around to walk closer to the chain to examine it. When he got close enough, he saw the set of ladders Germa was talking about.
The "stairs" were basically a bunch of rectangular holes carved into the pillar one after the other to form a ladder. The way they were carved was surprisingly precise, almost impossible with hand tools.
"This tal is way stronger than normal tal too… How the hell…?" Arthur muttered. 'The more I discover about this thing the more confused it gets . I don't even feel at ease climbing it.'
anwhile, the chain itself was still making loud noises as it seemingly swung left and right. The sounds made Arthur question if they could really move across it safely. But, if there was one thing to assure him, it was that the chain itself was quite wide, so as long as he stayed away from the edge, there was simply no way he could fall.
'Did I just jinx myself right there? Oh well, I know sothing will go wrong one way or another soon enough.' He shrugged. He was certain things wouldn't go according to plan, so he had to stay alert and awake.
A few minutes later, Germa called for him as the entire group was prepared to start the climb. So, he quickly filtered the group for the necessary people and then put them in a line.
"Be careful going up, and tell us if anything goes wrong. We will be here to help in case of an ergency. And don't look do-"
"Hm?"
"It's nothing, ehem, anyway. Let's begin." Sighing audibly, Arthur stood to the side and watched as the process started. Slowly, one by one, people started climbing the chain carefully.
Luckily, nobody was that terrified as they couldn't see how high it was or the fall if they slipped. So, even the small kids were quiet and calm.
However, that only made it swift but not any less dangerous. There were simply so many things that could go wrong at any given mont, and until Arthur saw that every single person had reached the top, he couldn't relax.
Quickly, the first few dozen people completely disappeared, and the rest waited for their turn. Then, the first hundred people started climbing; after that, two hundred, then three hundred. It all took no more than 15 minutes, which delighted Arthur.
Even better than that, they didn't hear any screams or shouts from the top, which ant everyone was climbing safely.
"Get ready to go too, Germa."
"Are you certain you will be last, sir?" The man asked Arthur.
"Yeah, I can climb the fastest, so even if sothing bad happens I will be able to manage." He said.
"Understood."
"Hey, Germa…" Arthur went silent for a few monts before he spoke again.
"Yes, sir?"
"Thank you for your help so far. We could not have made it here without your help. I really appreciate it." He said.
"..." Germa's mouth parted open slightly, clearly in shock at what he heard. "It's… I did nothing, sir. It has been your leadership that brought us here."
"And that leadership would've not been conveyed to the group had you not been the one talking to them. It is very valuable."
"Uh, thank you for your complints, sir. I will try my best so we can get out of here."
"Good, keep up the good work."
Tapping the man's shoulder, Arthur smiled faintly. 'He's a good man. He could definitely be quite useful if he joins Horizon. I should tell Isla about hi-'
At that mont, Arthur's ears were pierced by a loud shriek.
"EEEEEEEEEER!"
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