Journey of Flight Through the Mountains
To rescue Elios, who was imprisoned by the Doomsday Rebirth organization, and to uncover the conspiracy of this Doomsday Rebirth organization, they must find O'Hara—a mysterious doctor who had once been in contact with Celestia.
Fa and her group split into two teams riding giant eagles, escorted by avian soldiers and guardians, descending rapidly from the high altitude of the Light Feather Dome, traversing the frigid, wind-swept mountain ranges. The giant eagles' wings sliced through the thin clouds, the cold wind like blades cutting across everyone's taut faces. Celestia spread her four wings, gliding like a specter at the front of the group, shuttling at high speed. Wind and thunder power flowed at her wingtips, her sharp gaze scanning the gradually clarifying coastline and the dense outlines of fishing villages below—Teardrop Bay.
Yuyuer manipulated the crystal ball, a faint blue light flashing, sending a message of safety and an apology for the temporary inability to reunite, through the shadow falcon summoned by salsa, toward the distant Wing Shadow Port. The figures of Uncle Karim, Jack, Lirian, and Gold flashed in everyone's minds, quickly replaced by the urgency of the task at hand.
After a day and a half of rapid flight, the unique salty sea breeze of Teardrop Bay hit them in the face. The avian guardians and elite soldiers landed on a remote coastal cliff, the giant eagles folding their wings. "May everything go smoothly for you." The leading guardian saluted Fa solemnly with a hand over his chest.
Fa leaped down from the giant eagle's back, bowing deeply to the guardians and soldiers: "Thank you for your escort; we will remember this kindness." Her gaze was sincere, the star pupil in her right eye flickering with ethereal light, making the avian soldiers feel an invisible sense of trust. The giant eagles flapped their wings, and the avian soldiers and eagles quickly disappeared into the clouds, leaving behind a silent valley.
Fa turned around, looking at Celestia in the group, her tone calm yet with a hint of concern: "Celestia, your identity cannot be exposed. Yuyuer, can you teach her illusion magic?"
Yuyuer nodded, stepping forward, lightly waving the dragon bone staff in his hand, the crystal ball emitting a soft glow. "Celestia, your wings are too conspicuous. With your strong talents in wind and mental systems, learning illusion should not be difficult." He began to explain in a low voice: "The core of illusion is to distort perception, making the target see not the reality, but what you want them to see. Infuse your mental power into the wind, gently wrapping your appearance like a stream, then use dark magic to conceal your avian aura..."
Celestia was exceptionally intelligent; after hearing just a few sentences, she closed her eyes and began to try. The wind magic in her body flowed like a gentle breeze, her mental power turning into invisible threads, and dark energy lightly covering her four wings. Moments later, her four wings gradually faded, her form becoming indistinguishable from an ordinary human, even her appearance changed, transforming into a delicate woman with a gentle temperament, showing no trace of her avian heritage.
"It's done." Yuyuer nodded in satisfaction, the crystal ball's light retracting.
Fa looked at Celestia's new appearance and smiled faintly: "Very good, now we can enter Teardrop Bay with peace of mind."
Stealth in Teardrop Bay and the Capture
Teardrop Bay was permeated with the stench of decaying seaweed and fish catches. Crooked wooden houses crowded the narrow streets, with dried fishing nets hanging under the eaves. Fa and her group blended into the coming and going sailors, fishermen, and merchants, discreetly and efficiently inquiring about the woman who claimed to be a doctor.
A clue emerged on the evening of the second day. An old fisherman squatting by the dilapidated dock, smoking a cheap pipe, glanced with his murky eyes at the "scarred" arm deliberately exposed by Celestia (disguised version), mumbling: "Looking for O'Hara? She's at the end of Herring Alley, the one with the green curtains. That woman... specializes in difficult cases."
Herring Alley was damp and dark, the ground sticky. The wooden house at the end was more dilapidated than its neighbors, with a faded gray-green curtain half-covering it. From inside came suppressed coughing and a woman's impatient response.
"Next!" A hoarse female voice rang out, and a man clutching his stomach, with a waxy yellow face, hunched over as he exited the house.
A rare opportunity. Arya quickly stepped forward, her face showing just the right amount of anxiety, supporting the waxy-faced patient who had just come out: "Uncle, the O'Hara doctor inside... how's her skill? My brother has had a high fever for days!" She cleverly blocked the doorway.
The interior was dimly lit, faintly smelling of cheap disinfectant mixed with herbs.
At this moment, from outside the door, one could see inside a slightly plump woman with her hair casually tied up, revealing a short, thick neck, wearing a white coat stained with unidentified spots, her back to the door, head down rummaging through bottles and jars on a crude wooden shelf.
"What's the noise outside? Line up!" O'Hara scolded without turning her head.
Now!
"Doctor! Help!" Kayla suddenly pushed open the half-closed wooden door, her burly body charging in like an out-of-control battering ram, her massive thunder claw carrying a deliberately suppressed yet still terrifying whoosh, grabbing straight at O'Hara's nape! TISK followed closely, his lava hammer "thudding" against the doorframe, blocking the only exit, with ice-fire patterns flashing, exuding immense intimidation. Rex's armor silently slid open, dozens of frost-covered drones buzzing out, instantly filling every corner of the room, cold scanning beams locking onto O'Hara. Celestia's figure appeared like a ghost by the only window, tiny arcs jumping at her fingertips, sealing the last escape route.
O'Hara turned in utter horror, only to see a giant claw covered in steel and lightning enlarging before her eyes! She didn't even have time to scream before Kayla's iron-like hand clamped tightly around her neck, lifting her off the ground like a chick! Her legs kicked futilely, her throat emitting "kh-kh" choking sounds, her face instantly turning liver-red.
"O'Hara doctor?" Fa's voice was as cold as the eternal storm's ice, she walked up to the clamped, white-eyed O'Hara, her star pupil's ethereal light locking onto her terrified pupils, "Tell me, where is Elios? Where did those people you took to the 'Holy North Nest' end up?"
"Uh... ho..." O'Hara's eyeballs bulged, desperately shaking her head, her hands futilely prying at Kayla's unmoving fingers, the fear of death making her whole body tremble.
"Not willing to talk?" zhamisi hissed forward with her snake tongue, her venomous fang curved blade flickering with eerie green light, lightly pressing against O'Hara's cheek, where veins bulged from asphyxiation. The cold blade's touch made O'Hara shudder violently. "The 'Soul-Devouring Leech' poison on this blade won't kill you immediately, but it will make your blood feel like it's being gnawed by billions of leeches... itchy and painful, lasting three days and nights, finally melting into a puddle of pus in ultimate agony and hallucinations." Her voice carried the characteristic hiss of snakes, the cruel description making O'Hara's struggles freeze instantly, her eyes filled only with boundless fear.
"I'll talk... let... let go..." O'Hara squeezed out broken syllables from deep in her throat, tears and snot smearing her face.
Kayla slightly loosened her grip, allowing her to barely breathe and speak, but her hand remained on her neck, ready to crush her throat bone at any time.
O'Hara coughed violently, greedily gasping for air, trembling as she said: "I... I'm just the lowest-level 'guide' in the organization! I only handle... in places like Teardrop Bay... scouting 'targets'! Those with disabilities, serious illnesses, or desperate people... and fools like that avian, carrying comatose relatives desperately seeking hope!" She fearfully glanced at Celestia (disguise removed, revealing her true form), the cold killing intent in Celestia's eyes making her shiver.
"I trick or 'guide' them onto designated ships... hand them over to the pickup people... and get paid!" O'Hara cried out, trying to evoke sympathy, "I really don't know where they're taken! An island? What island? I've never been there! The contacts are different every time; after handing over the people, I take the money and leave! I swear! I only know... people like me... just operating around Teardrop Bay's waters, there are dozens! Across the whole continent... who knows how many!"
"Thousands of 'guides'?" Lin Ya's emerald eyebrows furrowed tightly, her gentle voice carrying chill, "You're weaving a hunting net covering the entire continent."
"One last chance," Fa's voice held no warmth, her star pupil's ethereal light intensifying, "Look into my eyes and say it again."
O'Hara was forced to meet Fa's star pupil, that profound ethereal blue seeming to devour the soul. She shuddered, babbling: "It's true! I... I only handle finding targets, approaching, drugging... and the places and codes for getting paid! The rest... I really don't know! The organization... they won't let us know too much! Please... spare me! I'm just a greedy bastard, I don't know anything!"
"You think we'll believe that?" TISK roared, his lava hammer pounding the ground heavily, ice-fire patterns exploding, the threat unspoken.
"She might be telling the truth, or she might not." Yuyuer analyzed calmly, the crystal ball in his hand emitting blue light, "Let me, zhamisi, and salsa confirm."
The three joined forces to cast magic. Yuyuer's illusion infiltrated O'Hara's consciousness, zhamisi's water poison turned into fine toxic mist, invading her nerves, and salsa transformed her soul body into invisible tendrils, directly piercing into O'Hara's soul depths. The three forces intertwined, completely exposing O'Hara's consciousness to them.
In her memories, they saw the truth—O'Hara was indeed just the lowest-level 'guide' in the Doomsday Rebirth organization, her task was to find 'targets' with special physiques or races in Teardrop Bay and hand them over to different contacts. Once, when she probed: "These... special samples... where are they sent?" the bird-masked contact turned sharply, cold, emotionless light shooting from the empty eye sockets of the mask, a hoarse voice exploding in her mind: "Don't ask what you shouldn't. Want to live long? Do your job, act like you're blind and deaf!"
Another memory was that O'Hara had a habit of keeping notes after each task, including races, prices, numbers, etc.
The only key piece of information was during a sudden hurricane at sea, a chicken-masked contact had to stay, got drunk by O'Hara, and let slip the key clue of being taken to an island called "Dark Tide Island."
The intense fear impact cut this memory short.
After salsa's soul body withdrew, her mechanical cat shell shook violently, the electronic eyes' light dimming slightly. She immediately projected the key scenes she read—the massive "fishing net" plan interface and the scene of O'Hara being warned—for everyone to see.
"She lied," salsa's voice carried a hint of fatigue and disgust, "She is a weak point in this disgusting big net, self-degraded for money and cowardly as a rat. But she has a diary hidden in the house, and I also found the key clue of 'Dark Tide Island' from her memory, but she knows nothing about the internal structure of Doomsday Rebirth or Elios's whereabouts."
A cold sense of despair instantly spread.
O'Hara's Confession and Ledger
O'Hara's eyes gradually regained some clarity under the shock of her soul being probed, she heard salsa's tone, and the growing killing intent in her companions' eyes. The instinct for survival made her suddenly realize that those blurry memory fragments were no longer enough to save herself. Her body trembled, lips quivering, babbling a few words: "Wait... I... I have something else... something to prove! I-I don't want to die... please, I really didn't lie to you!"
She struggled to point to a dilapidated wooden chest in the corner of the room, her tone carrying a last shred of hope: "There... there is my ledger... I recorded everything! Contacts, times, quantities, races... and... and the money I received... I recorded it all! That's my life-saving charm... once you see it, you'll know I'm telling the truth!"
Kayla's giant claw still clamped her neck, but a slight loosening allowed her to say these words. Rex's drones immediately scanned over, quickly locating the wooden chest. TISK stepped forward and kicked open the chest with one foot, revealing a thick notebook wrapped in coarse hemp cloth inside.
Yuyuer stepped forward, carefully picking up the notebook and flipping it open. The pages were yellowed, densely filled with neat yet nauseating handwriting. Each page was like a death sentence for innocent lives.
Yuyuer's face grew increasingly grave; he handed the notebook to Fa. Fa took it, her gaze scanning the shocking data, eyebrows tightly furrowed. She passed the notebook sequentially to each person in the team.
First were the avians, clearly recording two entries: one read "Avian, young male, severely injured, comatose, top-grade, price 5,000 gold coins," the other "Avian, young female, mentally weak, physically intact, easy to lure, price 8,000 gold coins." These two records were undoubtedly Elios and Celestia. Celestia's eyes stared fixedly at those two lines, especially her own name listed, an indescribable mix of anger and sorrow intertwining like a venomous snake gnawing at her heart. She recalled her experience of being deceived, the humiliation of being treated as "merchandise" with a marked price, making her fingertips unconsciously release faint arcs, the air filled with a dangerous aura.
Next were the beastmen, up to 54. The records showed these beastmen were mostly those who lost limbs in battle, tormented by illness, or desperate after their homes were destroyed. O'Hara exploited their predicaments, promising treatment or shelter, ultimately sending them on a path of no return. Kayla looked at these numbers, her eyes nearly spewing fire. As a beastman warrior, she knew well the simplicity and trust of her kin; now so viciously exploited, a bloodthirsty impulse almost uncontainable. Her thunder claw clenched tightly, knuckles whitening.
Humans numbered a staggering 125. These victims came from various sources: patients injured or gravely ill, civilians displaced by war, or poor souls driven to desperation by gambling debts or usury. They were lured in various ways, from treatment to jobs, from shelter to new lives, all becoming part of O'Hara's sinful transactions. Fa saw these numbers, gently closing her eyes, her face filled with pity and anger, feeling deep powerlessness and nausea at this moment.
Elves numbered 12. The records noted these elves were mostly lured seeking treatment for withering syndrome or promised to find lost ancient elven magic. Elves were always mysterious and scarce in number, each carrying the history and hope of their race. Arya's face turned pale, her eyebrows tightly knitted, the pride and purity of the elven race so trampled, making her feel enraged.
Reptilians numbered 8, mostly individuals injured during fishing seasons and stranded in Teardrop Bay, or promised rare deep-sea ores. zhamisi's snake tongue kept flicking, her scarlet eyes staring fixedly at the numbers, her curved blade restlessly twirling in her hand. Though reptilians were cold in nature, they had a strong protective instinct toward kin; O'Hara's actions undoubtedly crossed her bottom line.
Dwarves numbered 34. These dwarves were mostly injured in mining accidents or trapped while seeking rare veins. O'Hara claimed to provide top-tier gene activation technology or lead them to richer mining grounds. TISK looked at this number, his burly body trembling slightly, letting out a low, beast-like roar. Dwarves were renowned for their resilience and craftsmanship, yet this woman exploited their simplicity and greed for wealth; it was a blasphemy against dwarven honor. His lava hammer erupted with even more frenzied flames.
Finally, soul bodies, only 6. The records showed these soul bodies were mostly on the verge of dissipation due to failed experiments or told they could find a "restoration to physical form" special method. salsa's mechanical cat tail drooped stiffly, the electronic eyes' light instantly becoming cold and dim. The existence of soul bodies was already filled with pain and struggle; these innocent souls should have found peace, yet were sold like experimental subjects. Her internal programs chaotic due to these cold numbers, her disgust for O'Hara reaching its peak.
After everyone had seen the ledger, the room fell into a deathly silence. The air was thick with condensed fury, sorrow, and despair. This small ledger recorded not just money, but the vanishing of hundreds of innocent lives, the shattering of countless families, a mere tip of the iceberg of this evil organization's crimes.
O'Hara looked at everyone's faces, sunk to the extreme, her heart ashen. She knew this ledger, once her life-saving charm, had now become her death warrant.
The cold sense of despair instantly spread. This sentence seemed so pale and powerless in the face of the ledger's numbers. It was not just despair, but anger, deep sorrow, the silent accusation of every deceived and sold life.
O'Hara's Judgment
O'Hara slumped to the ground, as if her bones had been removed, her eyes vacant, saliva mixed with tears flowing from the corners of her mouth; evidently, the soul probing and the exposed sins in the ledger had caused her severe shock.
The fury in Celestia's eyes did not extinguish with the truth; instead, it burned colder: "So, for money?... You personally sent so many people into that hell!" Her voice squeezed out like from an ice crevice.
O'Hara's body shuddered, seeming to want to explain, but unable to form complete syllables.
Fa stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over O'Hara's face, twisted by fear and sin, then to her companions. Kayla's eyes held unmasked killing intent; TISK spat in disgust; Rex's electronic eyes flickered with cold analytical light; Yuyuer and Lin Ya showed reluctance, but their eyes were equally firm; zhamisi's snake tongue lightly flicked, her curved blade twirling in her hand; Arya sighed softly, turning her head away; salsa's mechanical cat tail remained motionless. Celestia stared fixedly at O'Hara, awaiting the final verdict.
"She may just be a small role," Fa's voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable judgment tone, "But her every 'introduction' pushed many innocents into the Doomsday Rebirth's demonic lair. Her greed and cowardice are one of the threads weaving this net of sin. If she lives, more people will disappear because of her." Her gaze finally landed on Celestia, "She's yours, Celestia. Use the way you think... is appropriate."
This was trust in Celestia, a test of her transformed mindset, and the ultimate judgment on O'Hara's crimes.
Celestia took a deep breath, the frenzy in her eyes gradually settling into a deep, cold dead silence. She did not use violent wind and thunder, nor the newly comprehended Spear of Delusion-Breaking. She simply extended her right index finger, a faint, almost transparent wind vortex silently swirling at the fingertip, condensing extreme sharpness and speed.
O'Hara seemed to sense something, desperately widening her eyes, her throat emitting "ho-ho" pleading sounds.
Celestia's fingertip lightly touched O'Hara's forehead.
Puff.
A barely audible light sound, like a bubble bursting.
O'Hara's terror in her eyes instantly froze, her body jerking violently, then all vitality rapidly ebbed like a receding tide. Her pupils dilated, becoming vacant and lifeless, only a tiny, almost invisible red dot at her forehead, without a drop of blood. The most subtle application of the wind's essence—shattering her brainstem, ending it quickly, precisely, and coldly, without extra pain, without dramatic sound, like crushing an ant.
Though O'Hara was dead, the ledger and the "Dark Tide Island" clue became the next breakthrough.