Raising Legends in Roger’s Shadow

Chapter 314 314: The Beginning of the Journey

Reid felt an unprecedented tearing of time and space, as if eons had passed in an instant, yet at the same time, it felt like no time had passed at all.

When the swirling blood mist finally stabilized and his feet touched solid ground, the air that filled his lungs was completely different from the era a hundred years after the Blank Century.

There was none of the salty sea breeze that pirates of his time were familiar with. Instead, there was a strange scent a mix of energetic particles and metal.

He shook his head as the hazy scene before him quickly sharpened into focus.

The Blood Mist King from a hundred years after the Blank Century, having weathered countless storms, suddenly felt his pupils constrict.

He stood on an impossibly vast white plaza, his feet pressing into a warm, solid synthetic material rather than dirt or stone. Looking up, the sky was not simply dotted with blue and clouds. Countless streamlined flying vehicles, glowing softly, followed invisible flight paths, moving with a serene grace. Their designs were futuristic, incomparable to the wind-powered single-masted wooden ships that sailed the seas a hundred years later, or in countless eras beyond that.

In the era a hundred years before the Blank Century, strength surpassed even the world a hundred years after that a reality that could only exist in a world as absurd as the one of the Pirate King.

Even more shocking were the people walking through the streets. What Reid perceived as the vast plaza was merely their pedestrian walkway.

Giants wearing fitted, functional clothing passed by, laughing and chatting. Their physiques seemed more robust than those of later generations. Some even had wings sprouting from their backs broad and powerful, their feathers glimmering faintly. They were larger, stronger, and more natural than the wings of the Sky Island inhabitants he had seen. They landed lightly, folding their wings with effortless ease.

Many small, elderly figures worked diligently, a sight Reid had seen many times before.

Everything here exuded vitality, advancement, and power. By every measure, this was a great kingdom.

Reid's attire a pirate garb seemingly plucked from a hundred years beyond the void of the future, with a tattered cloak, worn boots, and weathered clothing made him feel like a rustic outsider. In this future world, he drew curious glances, though nothing more. The locals seemed accustomed to strangers, only mildly curious about his appearance.

Reid quickly quelled the storm within him. His blood mist instinctively shrank to the bare minimum, leaving only a thin layer to sense the environment. His eyes scanned rapidly, piecing together information from snippets of language and ancient symbols etched on distant buildings. He understood where he had arrived.

He feared this might be the legendary and prosperous land

"Piruka…" he murmured, whispering the name. A hundred years after the Blank Century, this name existed only in fragmented historical records and forbidden tales.

The ancient city of Piruka. Not a ruin, but a site at the peak of unimaginable technological and cultural brilliance.

Everything was so beautiful that Reid could hardly believe it. History had taught him that when the gap between two forces was so immense this was no mere gap, but overwhelming superiority equality was impossible. Such energy consumption, such self-sufficiency… could this be a suppressed challenge? Intriguing.

His thoughts shifted, and the thin mist around him flowed subtly, mimicking the material and sheen of the passersby's garments, quickly concealing his own worn clothes. While not a perfect replication of their futuristic details, it made him far less conspicuous.

He followed the flow of people, observing this seemingly perfect world more closely. Soon, his steps brought him to the edge of the true central plaza.

An unexpected surprise awaited him.

Contrasting sharply with the surrounding high-tech splendor, a group of people knelt in the plaza's center. They were gaunt and ragged, completely out of place among such advancement. Their eyes were hollow, their movements mechanical, repeating the gestures of bowing and praying as if their very souls had been drained.

Reid watched silently, brow slightly furrowed, unsurprised. Bad habits, after all, are timeless. He noticed someone nearby, dressed neatly and likely a local, observing them with a practiced indifference.

Reid said nothing, only pointing toward the kneeling group, sending a questioning look. Though he had learned ancient scripts through historical research, here the language was nearly incomprehensible.

The man glanced at Reid, assuming him to be a newcomer from the "Moon," and spoke with a superior, advisory tone. "Oh, them? Don't worry, your reaction is normal. You came to Piruka seeking eternal purity, right? You'll get used to it. Who would want to become like them? At first, I couldn't tolerate the rough air of the Blue Sea either. It took days before I could speak, but someone has to pay the price for us to enjoy this eternal energy and clean air, right?"

"Price?" Reid finally asked, mimicking the man's tone.

"Yes," the man shrugged. "These ascetics? They pray for us. They beseech the gods of Piruka to bless food so it won't run out. That is their honor."

Reid's eyes swept over the kneeling people again. He keenly sensed that none of them were here by choice. Beneath their numb gazes lay a deep, thoroughly subdued despair.

Suddenly, his pupils contracted sharply!

Amid the frail figures, he saw an unmistakably familiar face. Young, yet the shape of the eyes and the color of the hair he could not be mistaken.

It was Witt! His first mate, who had traveled through the Blank Century to find him!

Yet at this moment, her feet were bound by special chains emitting suppressive energy, reminiscent of sea stone.

She knelt at the very front of the group. Frailer than the others, her face pale, drained of color. Those around her treated her with extraordinary "reverence," calling her the "Goddess."

The person beside Reid followed his gaze and, understanding instantly, nodded with a trace of mockery. "Oh, you're looking at the 'Goddess,' huh? Such a pity. Beautiful, with such a promising name. She could have had a bright future, yet she chose to reject technology, learn the ways of the Blue Sea Ants, and even wield devilish power.

He clicked his tongue. "No matter. The Goddess will reach adulthood in a few months. Then she will become the perfect offering, dying to atone for all of us."

Reid stared unwaveringly at Witt, locking eyes.

There was no fear in those eyes, no anger, not even pain.