[Vol. 6] Chapter 164: The Embers of Starlight
The black-haired girl in a white robe gently pushed open the decayed doors of the once-majestic tower and stepped into the silent, desolate interior.
“Just as I thought, there’s nothing left here,” she murmured.
Her eyes scanned the ruined surroundings, and she let out a faint sigh, though she wasn’t surprised.
Considering the state of the tower itself, it was clear that centuries, perhaps even a millennium had passed since the ruin’s destruction. Without any preservation asures, it was unlikely for anything to remain intact after all this ti.
Still, the remnants scattered throughout the room were oddly well-arranged. It seed as though the Abyss Beasts had never entered the tower to wreak havoc. The reason for this was unclear.
Violet refrained from attempting to climb the upper floors, not wanting to place additional strain on the already crumbling staircase. Instead, she wandered around the ground-floor hall. Her gaze quickly settled on a large desk prominently positioned in the center of the space.
If her guess was correct, this desk must have functioned like a counter for the Adventurers’ Guild. It was likely where important docunts and records had been stored. Perhaps, with so luck, she could find traces of useful information here.
Though she was unfamiliar with the culture of this world, the objects on the desk resembled books, confirming her assumptions.
Remarkably, the desk itself had survived the centuries, likely due to its sturdy materials. Surrounding it, however, lay scattered skeletal remains, reduced to brittle bones. These had likely belonged to the native inhabitants, who had hidden here to escape the slaughter of the Abyss Beasts.
Judging from the skeletal structure, they seed very similar to humans.
Violet approached the desk and picked up a notebook lying next to one of the skeletons. However, the pages crumbled instantly under her touch, breaking apart with a brittle snap and scattering into unrecognizable fragnts on the desk.
“………………”
She shook her head helplessly. Unwilling to risk further damage to the other books, she scanned the area once more. Her eyes landed on a small, rectangular wooden box nestled within the ribcage of one of the skeletons.
The wooden box was one of the few items in the tower that still emitted faint energy fluctuations. Judging by the posture of the skeleton clutching it tightly, it must have been sothing they held onto even in their final monts.
This item likely held great significance to the individual and perhaps to the ruins themselves. In the words of those treasure hunters venturing into the [Endless Wasteland Sea], this could be considered a true “opportunity.”
Murmuring a soft apology in her heart, Violet carefully picked up the wooden box and placed it on the desk.
The lid was not locked. With a light touch, it popped open, revealing its contents.
“A crystal? And this… a journal?”
Though intrigued, Violet imdiately recognized that the energy fluctuations she had sensed earlier were emanating from the crystal. Perhaps because it had been stored in this specially crafted wooden box, the crystal’s energy had not dissipated much. In fact, the sensation beca even clearer now that the box was open.
It seed this was sothing deliberately preserved by the last survivors of the tower.
Rather than rush to study the mysterious crystal, Violet cautiously picked up the dium-sized journal beneath it and opened to the first page.
“Hmm… I can’t read this.”
The text was written in an unfamiliar script, unique to the lost civilization of this ruin. Deciphering it seed nearly impossible now that the civilization had long perished.
But that didn’t deter Violet. She had a tool that could help.
Reaching into her backpack, she pulled out a pair of thick-frad glasses. A rare item recomnded to her by a scholar NPC.
These glasses were theoretically capable of translating any structured written language, making them an exceptionally rare tool. Even Violet only owned this one pair. She had previously lend them to Lilya when the latter was learning the Illusory World skill, but the queen had quickly returned them after finishing her studies, restoring them to Violet’s possession.
Sure enough, after putting on the glasses, the once-indecipherable text in the notebook transford into a language Violet could understand.
…………………………………..
Destruction Calendar, Year 112, July 21
There’s no other choice left. We’ve decided to retreat to the [Tower of Babel]. All the remaining survivors from around the world are gathering here, seeking shelter within this miraculous creation. How ironic… The great tower, originally built by the [Harlent Empire] for war and destruction, has now beco the world’s final refuge.
Sigh… It’s pointless to complain now. The [Harlent Empire] has already fallen. They probably never imagined that the dinsional rift they ambitiously opened to invade another world would unleash such terrifying [Beast of Destruction].
Such arrogance… The [Tower of Babel], the [God-Making Project]. Perhaps their actions violated the gods’ divine laws, and that’s why destruction descended upon our world.
No more complaints. Starting today, I plan to docunt every significant event that occurs. If we can’t find a way to fight the [Beast of Destruction], our world’s remaining ti is limited. But even if we are dood, at the very least, I want to leave behind the final traces of our civilization to pave the way for whoever cos after us.
…………………………………..
Violet finished reading the first page without a word and quietly turned to the next.
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Destruction Calendar, Year 112, July 28
The evacuation is nearly complete. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, at least half of the people didn’t make it here alive.
The area outside the tower has been completely overrun by the endlessly multiplying [Beast of Destruction]. They grow stronger and more nurous with every life they consu. Their resistance to our weapons is increasing rapidly. The adaptability and vitality of these creatures are utterly terrifying.
They are impossible to communicate with. Despite their highly advanced combat instincts and teamwork, they lack human reason. What kind of world could give birth to such unnatural beings? Were they created solely for the purpose of destroying everything?
Violet paused briefly, her expression thoughtful, before continuing to read.
Within the [Tower of Babel], 300,000 people remain. They are all that remains of our world. At this critical mont of life and death, everyone has set aside old grudges tied to race, ideology, and culture to work together for the survival of our world.
To improve coordination and unity, I plan to organize everyone under a formal structure. As for the na…
Let’s call it [Starlight]. I hope that we can ignite the earth once more instead of fading into total extinction.
…………………………………..
Following this entry, there were about a dozen more logs, most of which shared a similar the. They described the efforts of the Starlight organization to study and combat the [Beast of Destruction] and detailed major events during this struggle.
However, the content was anything but optimistic. Many entries recounted bad news. Key personnel killed during missions, dwindling resources, or research efforts hitting insurmountable roadblocks.
It beca clear from the tone and scope of the entries that the author held a high position within Starlight, likely overseeing operations or even serving as its leader. Violet quickly gained a relatively comprehensive understanding of the situation through the notes.
The pressure on the author and Starlight was imnse. The increasingly anxious tone in later entries was a testant to how dire their situation had beco. The organization appeared to be deteriorating under the weight of their challenges.
This wasn’t surprising to Violet, who was all too familiar with creatures like the Abyss Beasts. To be honest, during the Abyss Tide back then, even with the military power of those surrounding countries, it would have been difficult to contend with the Abyss Beast horde for a long ti, and they would have only been delaying the inevitable.
From the journal entries, it was evident that the inhabitants of this world had suffered crushing defeats against the [Beast of Destruction], or Abyss Beasts. Their national systems were obliterated, forcing survivors to retreat into the [Tower of Babel], a structure inexplicably immune to attacks, for temporary safety.
Although this refuge granted them a brief reprieve, the space within the tower was finite, and large-scale farming or animal husbandry was impossible. They were clearly surviving on stockpiled resources, likely rationed to the brink.
The tower had beco the last island of life in a dying world.
In other words, even if the [Beast of Destruction] couldn’t breach the tower, it was only a matter of ti before the survivors exhausted their supplies. If they failed to find a way to combat the Beasts by then, their complete extinction was inevitable.
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