Chapter 54.1

The Château de Roseaud initially appeared to be a desolate and abandoned place. Visitors who dared to come here had only negative things to say about the place, stating that it was mostly ruins with the exception of the iconic damaged tower. It seemed better to be famous than to visit such a place.

Despite this, there were still a few persistent individuals who continued to visit the Château de Roseaud every year, only to return disappointed with the same assessment.

Over time, the reputation of the Chateau Roseaux grew even more negative.

However, it was known that this place was once a thriving city-state that was suddenly destroyed. How could there be just a few scattered stones left?

Decades ago, a group of travelers arrived at the Old Rose Castle with the intention of proving this idea wrong. They dug into the flowing gravel in disbelief and reached a depth of about two or three meters, only to be shocked by the discovery of a mass grave.

The remains of the old city dwellers, who had been buried underground for hundreds of years, were piled up densely, their empty eye sockets silently staring at the travelers as if in a wordless cry. The group did not expect to uncover so many bones, all gathered together. They were horrified by the sight and hastily left the castle, wandering in the desert for more than half a month before returning to town, embarrassed by their experience.

The dug-up remains of the old city dwellers were once again buried in eternal darkness after being covered by sandstorms.

From then on, people who were drawn to see the ruins of the castle no longer dared to dig into the sand. They feared that if they did not uncover the relics of the old country, they would be buried alive by the mountain of bones and corpses. It was a chilling prospect.

But on this particular night, there was someone who was willing to take the risk.

That person was none other than His Excellency Kevin Fassbender, also known as the God of Light, Phae.

With his divine powers gradually returning and his godhead intact, Kevin tirelessly worked to dig up the entire ground ruins of the Old Rose Castle, eventually uncovering the underground palace nearly ten meters below the surface.

The underground palace of the old castle was vast and practically empty, save for a few massive carved pillars that supported the ceiling. It appeared as though everything had been emptied from the palace, even the carvings on the pillars were worn and faded, making it difficult to discern their original patterns.

Kevin brought all the unconscious individuals who were scattered around the ruins into the underground palace. The ground was also littered with the bodies of those who had perished, a truly spectacular sight.

As he moved the people, Kevin reserved a small space for himself in every corner. He stood in one particular spot, touching the stone wall and igniting a flame on the wall lamp that had been silent for a hundred years.

He walked around the four walls of the underground palace and the giant pillars, using his fingers to ignite all the wall lamps, casting a warm yellow glow throughout the entire space.

In the area near Mirage, the temperature difference between day and night was extreme. While it was hot and dry during the day, the nights could bring bone-chilling cold. If the unconscious individuals were left outside overnight, they would likely not survive until morning.

By lighting more than a dozen wall torches, the underground palace was filled with warmth, and the flames also illuminated the scene within.

The people lying on the ground were not in complete disarray. It seemed that Kevin had a bit of obsessive-compulsiveness. Even after moving thousands of people into the underground palace, he had the energy to divide them into three groups.

The individuals from the Golden Lion Kingdom were positioned along the walls, practically encircling the entire underground palace. The wandering soldiers from the city-state and those of unknown origin were grouped together and placed against the west wall, since their numbers were smaller.

And then there was the last group...

The last group consisted of the frontier guards from the Northern Emerald Country. They had likely been sent to confront Mi Ao's garrison. However, because they were closer to the desert, they had also been brought here by the phoenix.

Kevin had clustered them together in the center of the underground palace, surrounded by soldiers from the Golden Lion Kingdom.

As he performed these menial tasks, his mind was elsewhere. While arranging the unconscious individuals affected by his godhead, he couldn't help but think about Melo's whereabouts.

Previously, by the broken wall of the tower, he had heard that the godhead was a trick played by Melo, indicating that Melo was still alive. However, many years had passed since the age of the gods, and any trace of Melo had long disappeared, making it impossible to find him.

The black wind from the previous sound transmission had also left no clues, leaving them unable to determine Melo whereabouts.

Kevin stood by the broken wall of the tower, pondering the words he had heard. The godhead was a trick played by Melo, and Melo was still alive. But too many years had passed since the age of the gods, and Melo's traces had disappeared for too many years.

The black wind from the previous sound transmission had not left any clues, so it was impossible to follow the clues to catch Melo's current hiding place.

Where could he have stayed for so many years? Kevin held a small fire like a lantern on his fingertips, staring into the flames as he tried to think. But after a moment, he frowned and shook his head. He had no idea where Melo could be.

He stood there for a long time, lost in thought. Finally, he sighed and turned away. He would have to find a way to find Melo. The fate of the world might depend on it.

Kevin was lost in thought when he felt a slight stir at his ankle. He looked down and saw that the huge Sirius, who had been curled up at his feet, had opened his eyes.

"Woke up? So fast?" Kevin asked in surprise.

Sirius' massive wings were half-spread, obscuring his body, and his breathing was barely perceptible.