Echoes of the New World

In the Outer City’s Sixteenth District, at the Hunter Association Branch, Raymond stood in the Vice President’s office. He propped one hand on his desk, clutching the communication device to his ear, his expression shifting dramatically until it was as dark as the bottom of a pot.

“What did you say? A sea beast tide discovered near the coast? What level? What exactly are the patrol hunters in the alert zone doing?”

“And what about the city defense forces the government funds? Hunting high-tier sea beasts is our job, but resisting a beast tide is theirs. What’s their response?”

The voice on the other end answered his barrage of questions truthfully.

“In that case, issue an emergency summons immediately! Order all active hunters to sea to assist the forces in clearing out the sea beasts! And quickly, recall all C-rank hunters and above, whether they’re about to go on leave or are already on leave!”

“The lives of tens of millions of citizens in this district rest on our shoulders. Move fast, and there must be absolutely no mistakes, understood?!”

“If you understand, then act immediately. That is all.”

“Beep, beep…”

****

Ming Yu carried a bag of clothes in her left hand, while her right gently guided little Nightingale. Distracted, she made her way back to the apartment, stopping unconsciously before her front door.

The doctor’s words still echoed in her ears.

“This child’s condition is very complex. Her eyes show no damage; the organ structure is perfectly intact…”

“I suspect the problem lies with the visual cortex in her cerebrum… which makes things troublesome.”

“I’m very sorry, but my capabilities are limited. It’s likely that no one in all of Pharos, no equipment, and no technology exists to treat this condition.”

“Perhaps, only one place can bring about her recovery.”

“That place known as the ‘New World’…”

“…”

‘The New World…’

Ming Yu searched her memory for everything related to that term. Her thoughts rewound, finally settling on a history lesson from her student days.

****

In the second-to-last seat by the window, a youth with dark hair and black eyes, approximately thirteen or fourteen years old, propped his cheek with one hand, gazing absently at the view outside.

At the classroom podium, Sister Teresa set down her history textbook and adjusted her spectacles. Her gaze swept across the room, quickly landing on a particularly inattentive student.

“Ming Yu, are you listening?”

She tapped the blackboard twice, her displeased gaze sweeping over the youth’s face.

Following Teresa’s gaze, the other children turned, their eyes converging on the daydreaming youth by the window.

A low murmur of discussion immediately spread.

“Ming Yu got called out by Teacher Teresa again.”

“He’s always making the teachers angry.”

“How embarrassing…”

“…”

“Ahem, quiet.”

Teresa cleared her throat twice, and the murmurs quickly subsided. Her attention returned to Ming Yu.

Noticing Ming Yu’s indifferent and detached expression, Teresa felt even more displeased. She flipped forward a few pages in her book and questioned in a low voice:

“Ming Yu, what was the content of our last lesson?”

The moment her words fell, everyone’s gaze fixed on the youth’s face.

The classroom suddenly became exceptionally quiet, so much so that a pin drop would have been audible.

Ming Yu withdrew his gaze, looking towards Teacher Teresa at the podium, and slowly rose from his seat.

“The history of Aquamarine.”

Hearing this, Teresa’s expression stiffened slightly.

The students below first froze, then burst into laughter.

“Pfft, haha, what was our last history lesson about? The history of Aquamarine!”

“Hehe, Ming Yu’s going to make Teacher Teresa angry again…”

“…”

Teresa slapped the desk and, exasperated, pressed on:

“Which period of history? What were the historical facts?”

No sooner had she finished asking than the students below began to chatter amongst themselves.

The murmurs reached her ears, yet Ming Yu’s expression remained unchanged, his eyes still calm and unruffled. He possessed a composure utterly unlike a child of his age.

Facing Teresa’s persistent questioning, he gave a clear response:

“In 2436 AD, the Aquamarine United Nations suffered defeat in the interstellar war. The Aquamarine United Government declared unconditional surrender, forfeiting all star systems beyond the Sol System…”

“Aquamarine itself was struck by a planet-destroying weapon from the Siren Civilization. A cataclysmic deluge poured down, causing the planet’s ocean coverage to surge from 71% to 99%. Billions perished, with barely one in ten surviving, and the embers of civilization nearly flickered out…”

“The elites from all walks of life followed the United Government, ascending to the Sky City, which was dubbed the ‘New World’. They carried with them all the fruits of civilization: crafts, technology, art, and more…”

“The remaining, abandoned populace stayed behind in the ‘Old World’. They constructed sea fortresses and, to this day, continue to barely cling to existence…”

“That should be all, I believe.”

He spoke calmly, his gaze quickly shifting from Teacher Teresa’s face back to the world outside the window.

In the central plaza of the church school, a stone sculpture embodying the features of a female deity stood majestically. It was the statue of Itina, the Eternal Lord, worshipped by the Eternal Church.

When he had finished speaking, the entire classroom fell into a deathly silence.

“A very good answer. You may sit.”

Teresa relaxed her furrowed brow, her tone softening considerably.

Before Ming Yu could even sit back down, the students below had already erupted in commotion.

“So impressive…”

“Tch…”

Admiration and jeers rose in a cacophony, yet there was no doubt that most of the children were slightly taken aback by Ming Yu’s answer.

It wasn’t just the students; even Teresa felt a touch of surprise at Ming Yu’s response.

‘So this student was listening in class after all…’

****

The classroom content, inadvertently committed to memory, was now, over a decade later, once again unearthed from the depths of her recollections.

Ming Yu exhaled softly, her eyes distant, a wave of powerlessness washing over her heart.

According to the doctor, only by journeying to Sky City would there be a chance to cure little Nightingale’s illness and help her regain her sight.

But how was she to do it?

How could a remnant of the Old World possibly set foot on the lands of the New World?

After entering her home, Ming Yu removed her mask and led the sightless Nightingale to the sofa to rest. Then, as she sorted through the newly bought clothes, she pondered solutions to her predicament.

‘Ah, for now, I can only take things one step at a time.’

‘And regarding little Nightingale’s schooling, I’ll need to find an opportunity to ask her what she thinks.’

Ming Yu felt a pang of helplessness, yet her hands continued their work without pause.

From the pile of clothes, she selected a simple, elegantly colored dress, holding it up against Nightingale’s frame for a long while. Holding the carefully chosen garment, Ming Yu approached Nightingale and sat down beside her.

“Little Nightingale, try on your new clothes. It’s the white you like.”

“Mm…”

Just as Nightingale took the dress, the smart earphone Ming Yu had left on the table suddenly came to life, its edges flashing with light and emitting a distinct, vibrating hum.

“You try it on and see how it feels. I’m going to take a call.”

Ming Yu offered a brief explanation, then picked up the earphone, clipped it behind her ear, and quickly entered the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

From within the earphone, a grave and anxious growl emanated.

[Attention all units! A B-rank sea beast tide is approaching Outer City Districts Fifteen, Sixteen, and Seventeen. All C-rank hunters and above, proceed immediately to the port to assist the city defense forces in repelling the beast tide! Over.]

[Repeat, attention all units…]

Ming Yu paused, startled, then instinctively turned to leave. But in the next second, she halted. She lowered her head, examining her fair palm and wrist, imagining the sight of this very hand gripping a long blade.

‘Under what identity should she rejoin the team?’