Entropy Change

A piercing, bitter wind swept across the world, as a cold current from the far north drove deep southward.

The long, distant whistle of an icebreaker drifted from the harbor, its iron-black hull continuously pushing through the violent, icy sea.

The water surged within the cracks of the ice, resembling a sharp blade thrusting toward the sky.

Accompanied by the Queen of the North Wind came drift ice from the Siboya Sea, brought here by ocean currents to add a touch of clamor to the once-silent harbor.

The ship carried tourists filled with laughter and song.

Their tables were laden with roasted salmon, beef braised in red wine, and cod stewed with tofu.

The interior was warm and cozy, while outside the portholes lay a world of ice and snow.

Among these people were royalty and nobles from all over the world.

The Super-Spacetime Transfer Protocol of Skywing Spacetime allowed this ship to sail to any corner of the globe.

This remote island named Christia was, to them, merely one of the unremarkable sights of their journey, as they would soon continue toward the far north.

The steam whistle sounded a second time, and soldiers on the ice signaled with gestures.

The icebreaker slowly docked at the pier, and a man stepped off the ship.

A bear-fur coat was draped over his broad shoulders.

From a distance, the stoic-faced captain appeared as large as a bear, his gaze deep within his eye sockets sharp as a knife, perceptive and keen.

"The Queen of the North Wind," the captain uttered those few words and said no more.

The soldiers had received notification early on and did not ask many questions.

Ships from the Siboya Sea arrived every month, either docking at the harbor or delivering supplies, so this was nothing new to them.

"Follow me."

After saying this, the soldier turned and walked away.

Evidently, this soldier was also a person of few words.

The man followed with steady steps.

A strong wind blew across the sky, and the snow-covered waves beneath his feet surged and fell, the frigid air cutting like a blade.

Across the vast snowy expanse, two small black figures moved north along the frozen lake.

Before the sun could set, they reached a row of red-brick barracks situated in a valley.

It was dusk, and the soldiers on duty were drowsy, draped in deer-fleece blankets.

Seeing someone approaching from a distance, one rubbed his eyes, confirmed it was a comrade, and stood to open the barracks door.

A wave of heat rushed out to dispel the chill from his body, and the captain let out a light breath.

He pulled a small flask half-filled with white rum from his coat and took a swig, the warmth flowing from his chest to his limbs.

He then pulled out a pipe, his sharp-featured face illuminated by the flickering firelight.

The man walking toward him seemed to have been waiting for a long time.

The two exchanged no pleasantries, heading toward a side passage with mutual understanding.

The rooms on either side were filled with precision monitoring instruments, with rugged pipes distributed haphazardly.

These instruments, resembling integrated vacuum tubes, looked like products of a bygone era, yet they carried core technology beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

They could detect anomalies in every ocean current as deep as five hundred meters underwater in an instant.

The scholars and soldiers stationed in this land zone had only one job: to monitor and study this data.

As members of the White-Shed Quiet Garden, this was their duty and their mission.

This island held more than just the dust of history; it held untold secrets.

Locked away here were hundreds of miracles.

Harmless ones, high-risk ones, and those that could bring catastrophe to the entire world.

The Isabella Rose Miracle and the siren miracle could not even compare to the forbidden miracles sealed in the deepest parts of the ice here.

It was no exaggeration to say that if the miracles here leaked simultaneously, the world would not be far from destruction.

They entered a small room in the corner.

"Kuelbochi." The man took off his military greatcoat and hung it on the back of his chair, his icy seriousness softening into a relaxed smile.

"Should I call you Captain, or should I call you Diamond 3? How long has it been since we last met?"

"Six years and five months." The captain sat down slowly, placing his pipe to the side. "It has been a long time, Keope."

"Just call me Diamond 6. I've been on Christia for so long that no one has called me by my name in ages.

Thank heavens I haven't been forgotten. You know, old friend, the Prakin people aren't afraid of death; they are only afraid of being forgotten."

The man named Keope had not communicated with anyone from outside the island for a long time.

Talking to himself, he poured half a glass of Jewel Blue and topped it with brandy to seal the rim, raising the glass to the captain.

"To us, death is not terrifying. When Prakin people die, they linger like ghosts, able to embrace the people they were closest to in life.

Having one's name forgotten is what is truly terrifying; that means even the world of the dead will have no room for us."

"Hey, old friend, do you know what they call us?"

"The two ghosts of the Siboya Sea."

The man rubbed the edge of the glass with his fingers, his gaze deep as he focused on the liquid inside.

"Sometimes I wonder if we have already been forgotten by this world."

"The Queen will always remember your contribution."

"I have two queens," Keope said with a light chuckle.

"One is the Queen of Hearts, and the other is the Queen of the Kingdom of Christia.

I took an oath at my inauguration ceremony to follow her glory."

The atmosphere fell into silence.

Feeling uneasy under the man's deep gaze, Keope gave up on joking and let out a soft sigh.

"Fine, fine. My Queen will only ever be one person. Satisfied?"

After their brief catching up, the two finally got down to business.

"What is the purpose of your visit this time? It can't possibly be just to reminisce.

There's nothing fun on Christia, though the girls' figures are quite nice if you're interested."

Kuelbochi shook his head and remained silent.

He pulled a transparent hexagonal crystal from his coat, within which was sealed a mass of writhing colored matter that shimmered with iridescent light under the lamps.

"No. 479 colorless stone, corresponding to the Notorious Flesh Vessel Miracle."

"So you've already collected the No. 479 colorless stone?"

Keope took the crystal, his expression becoming solemn and grave.

"The progress is much faster than usual."

"Because of the gnawing parasite miracle, those guys have been moving much more frequently lately.

Miracle events are breaking out one after another all over the world.

The Wing department of the association is operating at overcapacity, so those guys will surely make a big move soon," Kuelbochi said.

"I thought we would have a little more time left," Keope said with a grim gaze.

"What does the Queen intend to do on her side?"

"That is the business of the Spades; it has nothing to do with us.

We only need to do our part."

Kuelbochi stood up as he spoke.

While Keope stared at the liquid in his glass with a hint of unease beneath his easygoing facade, he noticed that the tall man had not left the room.

Instead, Kuelbochi stood silently in place, half of his face hidden in the shadows.

Keope felt surprised but covered it with a slight cough, squinting his eyes as he lightly tapped on the long table.

The rhythmic tapping sounded like falling coconuts.

"Old friend, what's wrong? Do you need me to see you out?"

"The girls on Christia..."

Keope's face twitched.

He could understand that someone who drifted at sea all year would have such needs.

The weight in his heart vanished, and he stood up with a light tone, placing his hands on his old friend's shoulders and pushing him toward the door.

He began to reminisce about the past while animatedly introducing the girls of Christia.

Behind the long table, a portrait of a man was set within a gold-plated frame.

The man in the oil painting was handsome, dressed in the formal attire of a red and gold noble, wearing a royal medal of honor, with a sharp glint seemingly flashing in his deep, reserved eyes.

...

As a pillar of light appeared, the girls returned to the Cloudtop Apartment.

The sensor lights turned on automatically, and the environment was adjusted to the most comfortable temperature, as the piano on the second floor began to play a long, soothing melody.

"I'm covered in sweat, I really want to take a quick shower..." Akabane Tsubaki complained casually.

Angelina and Bai Youyou seemed to sense each other's thoughts simultaneously and exchanged a glance.

In the next instant, both of them leaned forward, their legs exerting a slight force.

In nearly the blink of an eye, the two vanished from their spots, the wind they kicked up rustling the cups and plates on the table.

One black and one white streak of electricity flashed by, racing toward the second floor!

In a flash, Angelina reached the bathroom door first and was about to kick it open and rush in when Bai Youyou followed close behind.

The latter was even faster, having already shed her clothes and wrapped herself in a bath towel as she pulled hard on the silver-haired girl's hand.

"I got here first!" Angelina was momentarily unable to break free from the girl.

"But I've already changed out of my clothes." Bai Youyou's cool red eyes were calm.

Angelina clicked her tongue and pretended to yield, but the moment the girl relaxed her guard, she stepped quickly into the bathroom and tried to pull the door shut.

Bai Youyou's reaction was incredibly swift.

As if expecting this, she extended her leg to block the bathroom door, pressing her back against Angelina's body.

She held the door handle tightly with both hands, refusing to yield an inch.

"Don't go too far!" Angelina said.

"Aren't you the one who always talks about rules and order? Shouldn't everything follow the rule of first come, first served?"

"If we're talking about first come, first served, then that should be me. I was the one who took the first step earlier!" Bai Youyou gritted her teeth.

"You're the one who didn't even bring your change of clothes. You're the one not following the rules, Angelina!"

"You're the one who doesn't know how to be flexible. How can you call this not following the rules? I could just ask Meijiu to help bring them while I'm washing."

"Can you only think about bothering others?"

With a supple grace, Bai Youyou raised her leg and used her foot to push against Angelina's face to shove her out.

Angelina was not to be outdone, using all her strength to squeeze inside while grabbing the bath towel Bai Youyou was clutching to her chest.

During their struggle, the two nearly tumbled to the floor.

Angelina was kicked out of the door and stepped forward a few paces, still wanting to argue.

"How about we wash together, My Lady? Do you need me to scrub your back?"

"I! DO! NOT!"

Bai Youyou glared fiercely at Angelina and slammed the door shut with force.

With a loud bang, Angelina stood dazed for a moment before snapping out of it.

Finally, she shrugged and turned around, finding the other three girls staring at her with speechless expressions.

"I'm next," Akabane Tsubaki said, refusing to back down.

"Last time you said you'd let me wash first this time. You're not going to go back on your word, are you?"

Angelina was too lazy to argue with a child and crossed her arms, pretending she hadn't heard anything.

Time passed until it was well past midnight.

Xu Xiaoyou slowly sat up as the flowing lights of the city passed through the giant floor-to-ceiling windows.

She left the immersion pod and shook her head.

After a quick wash, the girl stepped barefoot onto the cashmere rug.

The thin gauze lightly veiled her fair ankles, and the hazy moonlight outlined the clear lines of her waist.

Xu Xiaoyou tied her hair into a ponytail, exposing her neck, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.

She propped her hands on the sofa behind her, her calm eyes reflecting the bustling night of Asgard.

Since the Deep Blue Tide incident, she had stayed in this city in reality for over a month.

Or rather, she and Akabane Tsubaki had stayed in the Fountain of the Gods hotel for over a month, and the time they spent touring the scenery of the Northern Realm added up to less than two days.

Most of their time was spent in the Oasis.

Even with a hyperdimensional projector, returning to reality suddenly still gave her a sense of unreality, as if a lifetime had passed.

Xu Xiaoyou closed her eyes to feel the changes in her body.

The Heart of Frenzied Loyalty and the attributes gained in the Oasis were all added to her real body.

There was still some time before the next match, and she intended to return to Dragonfly Town with Akabane Tsubaki tomorrow.

Ivy and Tiger Tail Orchid seemed to have something important they wanted to discuss with her in person.

Although she had already suspected it, she still hoped to know the truth more definitely.

Xu Xiaoyou held a cup of hot water and looked at herself in the mirror.

Just as she was lost in thought, a faint itchy sensation suddenly came from beneath her eyelid.

In her moment of distraction, a blood-slit appeared on her cheek.

In the blink of an eye, an eyeball filled with the colors of desire snapped open.

It was the Gaze of Spiritual Vision. Why would the Gaze of Spiritual Vision suddenly show signs of losing control?

Xu Xiaoyou tentatively touched her cheek, and the eyeball quickly closed after being touched by her fingertip.

Her Gaze of Spiritual Vision resonated with her Heart of Desire.

Since it wasn't because of her, for this phenomenon to appear, there was only one other possibility.

Only then did Xu Xiaoyou notice the oppressive aura slowly flowing through the air, corrupt and pale.

The shadows on the wall were given life, writhing and spreading, but they retreated quickly after she cast her gaze toward them, revealing the original light.

Unknown words sounded in her ears, cold and numb.

In the darkness, the shadows changed, writhing into characters that arranged themselves into sentences.

"Life has no meaning."

"Rather than watching familiar people disappear, it is better to proactively cut all ties and never hold any expectations for tomorrow from the start."

"If this light arrives late, or never falls upon them from the beginning, what is the difference between that and it not existing at all?"

It was Angelina...

Xu Xiaoyou ran upstairs and reached the room where Angelina was located.

The feeling of unease in her heart grew stronger and stronger.

The moment she saw the other girl in the immersion pod, that unease suddenly exploded in her mind, washing her thoughts blank.

The silver-haired girl in the immersion pod lay quietly amidst a patch of white spider lilies, her skin white to the point of being transparent.

That scarlet heart was beating violently in her chest with a thumping sound.

The precision facilities inside the pod were severely damaged, and various data points were jumping and reporting errors frantically.

Screeching, writhing blood vessels were everywhere, pulsing slightly like twisted tree branches.

They densely covered her body and had grown into the immersion pod itself.

Her consciousness sea had undergone a severe offset.

This was the sign that her physical body in reality was beginning its entropy change.