In that moment, it was as if even the world itself had lost all color.
Everything around him dimmed in that instant, sinking into an endless black and white, as though he had suddenly been dragged into another world.
And Anthony (Prometheus), who had indirectly brought all of this about, merely surveyed the changes before him at his leisure, a look of curious wonder on his face.
And so, in the next instant, a pair of eyes suddenly appeared before Anthony (Prometheus)—those faintly violet eyes were gazing earnestly at him.
Carrying a trace of gravity, and a measure of hesitation.
"Hello, Priestess."
Anthony (Prometheus) then reached out a hand, cheerfully offering Priestess a handshake. But Priestess had no intention of shaking it, feeling only a tangled mess within her heart.
Honestly, it would have been the same no matter who it was.
You've just had your home blown to pieces, you jolt upright from your deathbed in shock, only to find that the culprit who did it is standing there like nothing happened, even politely offering you a handshake.
Put yourself in that situation, and you'd be left stunned for a good while too.
Especially since Priestess had discovered an exceedingly serious problem.
She couldn't see through him.
Priestess knitted her brows, watching the Anthony (Prometheus) before her, unable to help falling into wave after wave of silence.
She couldn't see through his origins, couldn't make out his true depths—she couldn't even find any record of his existence within the Originium.
"Who are you?"
At last, Priestess took a step back, two pairs of violet eyes meeting each other. In the end, she asked just that.
"Anthony (Prometheus)—you may call me that."
"That thing just now—was that your doing?"
Her words carried a pointed implication, so Anthony (Prometheus) turned his head and looked around.
In the surroundings there was an extremely conspicuous crater and a swath of damage. Anthony (Prometheus) took a glance and suddenly felt it was somewhat familiar; after thinking for a moment, he slapped his forehead.
Oh, so this was where his blast had reached.
And so he turned his head and earnestly spoke to Priestess:
"Sorry. In order to pull my friend down, I had no choice but to resort to some rather drastic measures."
"I hope you'll understand."
"Drastic? Understand?" Priestess looked as though she'd been angered into laughter. She tilted her head and glanced at Theresa beside her.
This girl was still much the same as the last time she'd seen her, which left Priestess somewhat irritated.
And so, she coldly delivered her ultimatum: "Just what exactly have you come here to do?"
"I've come to cooperate."
Anthony (Prometheus) answered calmly and evenly.
"This is the attitude you take toward cooperation?"
Priestess pressed on with another question, but at the same time she kept steadily raising her guard against Anthony (Prometheus).
Until a single sentence from Anthony (Prometheus) drifted leisurely past her ear:
"There was no other way—I had to fish my friend out first. I'm afraid I did indeed offend you in doing so."
"It seems you're in a poor mood, so as for the cooperation regarding dealing with the Lumberjack, let's discuss that some other time."
For a moment, a look carrying a few traces of apology surfaced on Anthony (Prometheus)'s face.
Oh, so he'd come to deal with the Lumberjack...
Hold on a second—deal with the Lumberjack?
In that instant, it was as if a single string among Priestess's just-now-taut nerves had abruptly snapped.
Her expression froze; for the moment, she still couldn't process just what her brain had heard.
Her final reaction was that three-character term running through her entire mind.
Lumberjack, Lumberjack, Lumberjack, Lumberjack...
By the time she came to her senses, Priestess gave a start to find that she had once again come to stand before Anthony (Prometheus), a smile on her face, gripping his sleeve.
Every movement had been instinctive—Priestess could even distinctly feel that her actions had come faster than her thoughts.
Anthony (Prometheus)'s movement paused slightly, then he gave his sleeve a small tug, but it wouldn't budge.
So he lifted his head, looking at Priestess, and at the smile upon Priestess's face.
"I think that, at certain times, both of us ought to have a bit of patience."
"Oh, right—why don't we start by talking things over? I'm in no hurry. As for the damaged portions of the Originium, I can repair them slowly."
Priestess said with a smile, leaving Theresa hung out to one side, in a tone gentle and tender.
Anthony (Prometheus) glanced at Priestess, and then he too began to smile.
"It's all right—there's no need to trouble yourself over that."
He said with a smile, then lightly clapped his hands: "Before we talk, we should have a proper venue. Let me fix it."
And so, in that moment, the Origin Furnace roared, countless currents of refined soul energy howling within it.
Then, like a torrent, it surged out from the furnace's mouth and, in a single instant, filled that gap.
At the same time, the analytical capability of a fourth-tier Forgemaster activated in an instant, fully parsing the missing piece of information within the Originium and completing the final repair.
Amid the gradually quieting roar of the Origin Furnace, Priestess's gaze flickered. She opened up the Originium's access permissions and took in that newly added piece of information.
Then, she regarded Anthony (Prometheus) with a different sort of look.
This move of Anthony (Prometheus)'s had genuinely and solidly exceeded Priestess's expectations.
Still, it did convey to Priestess a rare piece of information: this visitor of unknown origin was not merely talking idly.
Whether it was his earlier forcible fishing of someone out of the Originium universe, or the ability he'd just shown in repairing the Originium universe, both demonstrated his extraordinariness.
Though his origins were unknown—but then again, if his origins really had been clear, Priestess would instead have found it rather hard to believe he could deal with the Lumberjack.
"Well then, let's hear it."
And so, Priestess let out a soft breath and looked toward Anthony (Prometheus):
"What is your plan?"
"And just what is it you want to obtain from me, that you'd come seeking to cooperate with me?"
Priestess spread her hands; clearly, she intended to lay all her cards on the table with Anthony (Prometheus) directly. At the same time, she meant to further confirm his trustworthiness.
"As for the latter question—it's because the trouble of the Lumberjack has indeed brought trouble upon me as well."
As Anthony (Prometheus) spoke, he turned his head and pointed at Theresa, who stood off to one side with her hands folded before her, and said:
"On one hand, it's to save my friend. I need to resurrect her, and that requires you to release her information—on that point I'll have to trouble you."
"On the other hand, I also have certain matters that can only be handled once the Lumberjack is dealt with. So, I hope I can reach a cooperation with you."
Anthony (Prometheus) spoke sincerely, and then his gaze turned toward this Originium universe.
Priestess knew that what he was about to say next was the real business. So she extended her hand and gave Anthony (Prometheus)'s a shake.
"I'll trust your sincerity for now. So then, what is the plan?"
"Oh, that's simple."
Anthony (Prometheus) looked at that Originium universe, and then calmly turned to Priestess.
"Are you interested in altering the Originium plan a little?"
"Altering it?"
Priestess was taken aback for a moment, an odd expression seeming to cross her face. But Anthony (Prometheus) merely nodded again without the slightest hesitation.
"Mm, yes. Alter it."
As he spoke, he waved a hand before him. At once, a pure-white screen appeared before them, and with another wave of his hand, a picture appeared upon it.
Priestess looked at the screen. Upon it were two planets, and a river connecting the planets.
"I call it the Wandering Terra Project." Anthony (Prometheus) said mildly, pointing his finger at the two spheres:
"This one is Terra. The one beside it is the Underworld, the place I come from."
"I come from another world—or rather, another universe. There, the threat of the Lumberjack does not exist."
"And I have a way to send Terra into that universe as well."
Having said this, Anthony (Prometheus) spread his hands open, as if to show Priestess something.
But there was nothing in Anthony (Prometheus)'s hands, and Priestess merely stared fixedly at the screen Anthony (Prometheus) had displayed.
"How will you do it?"
"Using this river in the middle. It's how I came here in the first place."
Anthony (Prometheus) pointed at the Primordial River and said: "We need to send the thing that carries the world up onto this, and then, with something like a boat, ferry Terra over to the Underworld."
"Don't you think it's rather like a world wandering adrift? That's why I call it the Wandering Terra Project."
"Who will carry it out?"
Priestess was somewhat dazed, asking almost on reflex.
"Who else could it be? Me, of course."
Anthony (Prometheus) said in an exceedingly breezy tone, yet for some reason it gave one the feeling that a trace of gravity lay buried beneath that tone.
"Then how do you intend to push an entire world off to a place like that?"
Priestess asked reflexively: "Have you calculated the energy this would require? I'm not too clear on what the Primordial River even is, but how would you get into it?"
"Can it even hold an entire world? And what's the power source? Are you going to cover the land with thrusters and then use them to push Terra across?"
Almost the very first instant, her instincts vetoed this plan. But the next moment, she heard Anthony (Prometheus)'s calm reply:
"When did I ever say we were going to use an entire world?"
"We don't need that much. You ought to trust a Forgemaster, Lady Priestess. All we need is a message in a bottle—a single message in a bottle is enough."
Anthony (Prometheus) murmured softly, his tone calm, yet mingled with a faint sigh of regret.
A message in a bottle?
Priestess was momentarily stumped by Anthony (Prometheus)'s phrasing; she found it somewhat hard to picture the full scope of the plan.
Until she recalled the meaning of a message in a bottle.
To send information across the vast ocean, ferrying it to the far shore. The core of it here was information.
Which was to say...
"You intend to send the Originium across?"
"There's no better vessel for it." Anthony (Prometheus) nodded, affirming Priestess's words.
"Just send the Originium over, by itself?"
Priestess looked toward this Originium universe and frowned, but before she could speak, Anthony (Prometheus) cut in:
"It's all right, no need to worry. Even though the Originium plan isn't finished yet, the current Originium is already enough."
"The Primordial River is special. It doesn't require that much information. And the ultimate aim isn't to decompress the Originium all over again once we arrive—it's not so troublesome as that."
He waved his hand and said softly: "The Originium is a medium—a medium for pinpointing all of Terra to the corresponding location."
"Only the information carried by the Originium is sufficient to send all of Terra to its destination. And only the Originium can withstand the scouring of the Primordial River."
There was a great deal in all this that Priestess couldn't follow, but Anthony (Prometheus) showed no intention of explaining.
He merely held that ruby of his, recalling that long-sealed memory.
There was a reason he didn't directly adopt the method of having the whole world wander.
An existence as vast as a world, once it entered the Primordial River, would fall apart and crumble if it failed to sail to its destination.
The previous Stygian Vessel had already proven this. Anthony (Prometheus)'s current Stygian Vessel had only narrowly escaped disaster thanks to the compatibility of its own earthbound spirit.
Anthony (Prometheus) didn't think the land of Terra would be any tougher than the Stygian Vessel.
So, the Originium was the only option.
"I'll carry the Originium into the Primordial River, and then bring it to the Underworld. Once I arrive at the Underworld, by drawing upon the Originium, I'll be able to teleport the entire world across."
"For that, I'll need to plant a great many teleportation devices all across the land of Terra. That part, though, is relatively simple."
As Anthony (Prometheus) spoke, a miniature matrix surfaced in his hand.
It was a matrix composed of what were called Phase Teleportation Engines, and its coverage target was—the entire world!
"This way, by using a small amount of information to outline the full picture of the world, the teleportation's positioning function can be activated."
He said somberly: "And thereby, the entire world will be teleported to the Underworld."
For a moment, Priestess was unable to utter a word, and once she'd gathered herself, she asked one final question:
"And so—how long will it take?"
"For all of you, it will be no more than the matter of an instant."
Anthony (Prometheus) gave a self-mocking smile, then withdrew all his creations and spread both hands open toward Priestess.
"So then—what is your decision?"
Priestess looked at Anthony (Prometheus)'s open hands and fell into a long stretch of hesitation.
It was only after a long while that she let out a deep sigh, and then reached out to place her hand upon Anthony (Prometheus)'s palm.
"It seems I don't have a second option either." Priestess said: "I'll trust you, for now."
"I need the Originium's access permissions. Nothing more. I'll plant the matrix myself."
And so, without the slightest pause, Anthony (Prometheus) spoke up: "Also, while you're at it, set my friend down."
"Tch. With the permissions, you could do that sort of thing yourself."
Priestess clicked her tongue in displeasure, saying so, but in the end she stopped pinning Theresa in place after all.
In that moment, Theresa felt the pull that had long lingered upon her vanish. She lifted her head, only to find everything around her rapidly taking on color.
Priestess had disappeared. All that remained was the words echoing beside Anthony (Prometheus)'s ear.
"Remember to keep your promise."
Anthony (Prometheus) fell silent, and then gave a short laugh.
"So next, do we just need to return to your Underworld?"
Theresa looked at Anthony (Prometheus), and then asked just that. Anthony (Prometheus) was silent for an instant, then revealed a helpless smile.
"That's easy enough to say, but actually carrying it out is somewhat more difficult..."
"Can't the teleportation just be used directly?"
"If it could teleport normally, I wouldn't have needed to go to such great lengths."
Anthony (Prometheus) shook his head, giving this answer.
He had in fact concealed one thing from Priestess. And that was the Originium's true purpose.
"The Originium actually can't withstand the scouring of the Primordial River. It would probably disintegrate the very moment it entered."
And so Anthony (Prometheus) spoke with the utmost sincerity. For a moment, Theresa was startled, instinctively looking up.
"It's fine, she's not here."
Anthony (Prometheus) said brightly, and only then did Theresa finally lower her head and look at Anthony (Prometheus).
After a long silence, she asked softly:
"So then, what exactly is the truth of the plan?"
"In terms of the outcome, it's actually much the same."
Anthony (Prometheus) shrugged and calmly said: "It's just that achieving that outcome is many times harder than originally planned, and then some."
"The Originium itself serves no purpose; what's useful is the information inside it. But to teleport all of Terra across, not a single bit of that information can be missing."
"Even I can't achieve that, and I believe that when Priestess decompresses the Originium, she likewise can't manage a lossless decompression."
"Any method of teleportation will cause a loss of information—only one method won't."
Anthony (Prometheus)'s tone was icy and yet calm: "The Primordial River."
It was the convergence of countless pieces of information.
From the very beginning, Anthony (Prometheus) had learned of this from the chat group.
And now, this foreshadowing, buried for who knows how long, had finally been dug up.
Precisely because it was itself a convergence of countless pieces of information, it had a natural affinity for information.
Therefore, the instant the Originium entered, its outer shell would very likely be scoured to pieces. But the information would be preserved by the Primordial River—indeed, without any loss at all.
And what Anthony (Prometheus) had to do was drift along carrying this exceedingly fragile information, all the way back to the Underworld.
"This time I'll be drifting manually. By the nature of the Primordial River, the flow of time is not uniform."
Anthony (Prometheus) said: "Master the method, and under your timeline, completing the teleportation will be no more than the matter of an instant."
Amid the silence, Theresa said nothing.
"This is the true essence of a message in a bottle. I'll go plant the information matrix first. Afterward, you'd best enter the Originium I bring in—that way I should be able to resurrect you ahead of schedule."
Anthony (Prometheus) left these words behind, then turned and departed.
Theresa couldn't shake the feeling that Anthony (Prometheus) was still concealing something, but she didn't ask, only watching his retreating figure vanish on the spot.
In the next moment, like phantoms, Phase Teleportation Engines rose up one after another in every corner.
And so, this was the very last of it.
The Terra Drift Project was about to begin.
____
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