Published: March 12, 2025
Aks was not a fool; he understood what his father meant, though he was somewhat puzzled as to why things were like this in the Ark Continent.
Seeing Aks's expression, his father secretly nodded in approval, feeling that Aks had matured significantly during this recent period, which was what he had always wanted to see.
Just then, a voice suddenly came from outside, saying, “Report, clan leader, the scouts have returned.”
Aks's father was taken aback and then filled with joy as he immediately said, “Let him in.” Someone outside responded, and soon a person pushed the door open and walked in.
This was a middle-aged man, appearing to be in his thirties, but looking very spirited, dressed in tight combat attire, which was essential for those who operated mechas.
The man approached Aks's father and bowed slightly, saying, “Greetings, clan leader.”
Aks's father nodded and asked, “Lev, what’s the situation over there?” He couldn’t possibly know every mecha user in their family, but Lev was an exception; he was a divine-level mecha pilot, and among the family’s divine-level pilots, he was among the strongest. He operated a mecha that even had cloaking abilities, which was why Aks's father had sent Lev to investigate what was happening in the Ark Continent. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t be Lev's turn to act.
Lev said in a deep voice, “That place is probably the Ark Continent. However, strangely, there isn't a single person in the coastal city. It doesn’t seem like a war occurred there, and it looks like those people moved away on their own. They took all their belongings, and judging by the thickness of the dust on the ground, they must have left for more than three months.”
Aks's father was startled, but Aks's expression changed dramatically as he looked at Lev and asked, “Really more than three months? Does that mean that when I met Zhao Hai, the Ark Continent had already become like this? Lev, did you only check that one city, or is the situation the same everywhere in the Ark Continent?”
Lev replied, “I looked at two cities and some villages; it’s all the same. The people moved away on their own, and all usable things have disappeared. It’s clear they weren’t in a hurry; everything was neatly packed.”
Aks's face turned grim. He glanced at his father, who also looked at him and then smiled slightly, comforting him, “Alright, Aks, don’t take this to heart. It seems that Zhao Hai tricked you. When you encountered him, he might have been in the process of moving. But no matter where they’ve moved to, the Ark Continent is still here. We just need to gain control of the Ark Continent. Lev, go and have a good rest.”
Lev acknowledged and bowed to the two before turning to leave. Once Lev was gone, Aks's father furrowed his brows and said, “It seems things are not simple. If everyone in the Ark Continent moved away, then why did they move? Where could they have gone? Could the appearance of the spatial rift be related to the departure of the people from the Ark Continent? It seems we need to investigate these matters thoroughly.”
Aks sat quietly, his expression serious. He was genuinely angry, believing he had outsmarted Zhao Hai, but the reality proved he had been tricked by Zhao Hai instead.
Thinking about this made Aks grit his teeth; he felt played, which left him very displeased, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Aks's father looked at him and smiled slightly, saying, “Alright, Aks, don’t be angry. You’ll encounter many such things in the future; don’t take it too hard. Now go back to your ship and take good care of it.”
Aks sighed in relief, nodded, bowed to his father, and turned to leave. Watching Aks's back, his father smiled faintly but said nothing. In his view, this was simply a lesson that young people had to learn.
Unbeknownst to Aks's father, Zhao Hai was currently watching the two from the spatial realm. It wasn’t until Aks had exited the room that Zhao Hai sighed and said, “What a pity; I originally thought there would be some exciting content, but I didn’t expect Aks's father to be so composed. It seems this O’Neill family is indeed remarkable.”