"The situation has changed."

This is a phrase often mentioned within the Order Bureau after the Decline Plague event.

When Oubos recovered from the aftermath of the disaster, the Order Bureau did not relax but became even more vigilant, wary of changes from the other side of the Narrow Countries, the Kagader Empire.

But amidst the heightened alertness, the Kagader Empire maintained an eerie calm. For a while, the King’s Secret Swords seemed to have vanished, withdrawing from the Narrow Countries and regrouping within their borders.

The Order Bureau speculated that they were wary of the returning Xilin and the King’s Shield Guard that was about to be rebuilt under Xilin’s leadership.

An imminent civil war within the Kagader Empire that had been delayed for years.

The civil war did not break out.

For a long time after the Decline Plague event ended, not only did the Kagader Empire remain silent, but so did Xilin. His return was like a flash in the pan, disappearing after the Great Rift with no trace.

Yet the news of Xilin’s return swept across the continent like a storm, known by all Extraordinary Influences. Clearly, it was the eve before a turmoil was about to erupt, yet the entire Extraordinary World fell into an extremely eerie peace and tranquility.

Until a series of internal conflicts erupted within the Rhine Alliance, stemming from the Night Race’s turmoil.

On the train corridor, people came and went, with loud noises rising and falling. People dragged their suitcases, squeezed forward, and their friendly words were already tinged with a bit of anxiety.

The atmosphere inside the carriage was enveloped in fatigue. People’s faces were full of weariness, and those waiting for hard seats were already sitting in the aisle. Behind them, others were vying for a bit of space, hoping to get closer to the window for some fresh air. The grayish light inside the carriage shone on the anxious passengers waiting to depart, with some occasionally seeking help, while most were focused on their destination or breathing calmly, making the air inside the carriage oppressive. In this crowded space, every step seemed to stir everyone’s emotions.

Bologue walked through the crowded aisle to the next carriage, where the space suddenly opened up. This was a dedicated carriage for Field Staff, separating them from the civilians.

However, within the exclusive carriage, the injured Field Staff were surrounded by the same low spirits as the civilians.

Some rubbed their sore shoulders, sitting helplessly on the leaning board with dim eyes, while others sat alone, contemplating and reflecting on the current state of life, past choices, and future uncertainties. Every face was marked with a mood of annoyance, calculating the time to reach their destination, only wishing to arrive quickly to escape all these troubles.

After the Decline Plague event ended, the Night Race surfaced. The Order Bureau was prepared for these detestable enemies when they encountered them at the Wind Source Highlands. Yet no one expected them to appear at this time, and in a highly scattered manner, spreading a bloody plague in villages and towns far from cities.

The train was transferring a large number of civilians whose villages and towns were polluted by the blood of the Night Race. The raging fire burned through countless houses. The train would take them to the next city for resettlement, while also returning Bologue to the Order Bureau to report on the mission.

"I can hardly remember when I last returned to the Order Bureau... About three years ago?" Yoni sighed, looking at the scenery outside the window across from Bologue.

When the Night Race became active, Bologue was dispatched because of his nature as a Debtor. As a Negative Power User, he was fully capable of handling things independently, considered an emergency force, accompanying the train to each place where he was needed.

Since leaving the Order Bureau a month ago, Bologue had been tirelessly traveling, measuring the lands of the Rhine Alliance. Guided by the umbilical cord, he hunted Night Race members who were also Debtors and occasionally took on other tasks, such as rescuing Yoni.

"I have learned about your duties, like a group of explorers going to remote places, searching for Ethereal Vortex Points, recording them while also mitigating those that are extremely threatening and could evolve into Extraordinary Disasters," Bologue said.

"That’s right." Yoni nodded, taking a big bite of a sandwich.

He hadn’t eaten human civilization’s food for a long time. In the deep mountains and forests, his only companions were various insects.

"Then you must be an experienced veteran. This isn’t your first time guiding an Ethereal Vortex Point. Why did something like this happen this time?" Bologue frowned.

A few days ago, Bologue was supposed to arrive at the next town, but midway, he suddenly received direct instructions from the Decision Room. A member of the eighth group had gone missing deep in the dense forest. Due to the importance of his function, Bologue needed to prioritize searching for him.

Bologue ventured several kilometers deep into the jungle before finding the unconscious Yoni. At that time, this guy’s body was a bloody mess as if he had been hit by a blast at close range.

"Hmm..."

Yoni paused his eating to ponder and took out a crumpled notebook from his inside pocket, then procured a pair of cracked glasses from somewhere and put them on.

"Do you understand how to guide an Ethereal Vortex Point?" Yoni asked.

Bologue shook his head in denial.

"Simply put, when a large amount of ether accumulates in a particular area, it’s like a calm water surface suddenly showing a vortex; the excess ether will gradually crush reality, causing the material foundation of the entire area to begin to collapse. Meanwhile, this vortex will attract more ether, causing it to grow larger and larger until it completely tears reality apart, and this is the process of an Ethereal Vortex Point forming and evolving into an Extraordinary Disaster."

Yoni said this while tearing a page from his notes, laying it flat on the table, and pressing the pen tip into the paper bit by bit until it pierced through.

"Reality has been punctured."

Yoni looked up at Bologue, "To avoid this situation, we need to find the location of the Ethereal Vortex Point, guide it, and disperse this massive, gradually accumulating ether back to the world."

He took a deep breath, his breath heavy, "In my experience, as long as we handle it in time, guiding an Ethereal Vortex Point usually doesn’t lead to any disasters..."

"But this time you almost died in it," Bologue said.

"Yes."

Yoni nodded, hesitated for a moment, and cautiously said, "I feel like this world has become unfamiliar."

He lowered his head and browsed through his notes, which contained a series of numbers. He became somewhat hesitant and spoke intermittently, "I’ve been doing this job for many years, but in recent years..."

"In recent years, the Ethereal Vortex Points have become increasingly volatile and terrifying."

Bologue guessed what Yoni wanted to say and directly spoke, "It should be related to the overall rise in ether concentration. The ether concentration of this world is getting higher and higher; no matter how much you guide it, it will only grow stronger until the Ethereal Vortex Point engulfs the entire world, and the concentration becomes consistent."

Yoni was startled for a moment, not expecting Bologue to mention the rise in ether concentration, "How do you know?"

Years ago, Yoni began to suspect the rise in ether concentration, and he conducted a lot of research and data collection, but now Bologue casually mentioned this information, making him quite surprised.

"Yoni, how long has it been since you returned to the Order Bureau?" Bologue asked.

"It’s been many years, why?"

Bologue covered his forehead, "I know the eighth group is full of adventurers, and unless resources are completely exhausted, they never appear on the radar of the Order Bureau. But I still suggest you come back when you can, there will be quite a few new discoveries."

Yoni’s expression completely froze, then he followed Bologue’s words.

"That’s right, as the ether concentration continues to climb, Ethereal Vortex Points will only become more numerous."

He picked up the pen and made a series of black dots on the paper.

"The so-called guidance is merely to redistribute the excess ether back into the world. But as the concentration rises, no matter how much you guide, it is futile. These increasingly heavy Ethereal Vortex Points will pierce reality, completely tearing the Material Realm apart."

Bologue remained calm; he knew more than Yoni did. At that time, it would be the complete overlap of the Ethereal Realm and the Material Realm. No one could say for sure whether that would be the beginning of a New World or the start of doomsday.

Quickly, Bologue noticed another issue, and he couldn’t help but ask, "Yoni, is your exploration team just you?"

Yoni’s eyes dimmed for a moment; he ran his hand through his messy beard and said in a low voice, "According to the eighth group’s regulations, we usually operate in groups of five."

Bologue knew what had happened.

Yoni tried to say the sentence without emotion, "When the Ethereal Vortex Point exploded, the furious ether distorted reality and also swept the others away."

The train roared forward, and Bologue turned to look at the scenery outside the window. He initially thought that after the blight event, a full-scale war between two giant beasts would ensue. But what actually happened was a surge of strange and covert changes.

Bologue suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion. For a while now, he felt like a complete killing machine, rushing between various hellish landscapes.

He was somewhat tired, and he began to miss his friends.