At dawn, a Skyward Legionnaire, escorted by two others, stepped onto the deck of a warship.
The legionnaire trembled and knelt, clasping his fists, but could not speak a word for a long time.
General Skyler stood before him, expressionless, eyes wide as he demanded, "Where is Richard Mulkey?"
"General... Richard Mulkey was detained by Elder Stillwater. He said—you must go see him in person." The legionnaire's head drooped lower as he spoke, his body shuddering uncontrollably, as if he had just been terrified by something.
General Skyler's face instantly turned purple.
A nearby Heavenly General barked, "Speak clearly! What exactly happened?"
"We... we followed orders and tried to infiltrate Stillwater Valley, but the valley was filled with illusion arrays—up, down, left, right, front, and back were all reversed. Even Richard Mulkey was helpless; we couldn't get in at all. We couldn't even retreat. Then Elder Stillwater appeared..."
"He appeared in person?" Skyler's brow furrowed slightly.
The legionnaire swallowed, looking dazed. "No... he didn't. It was only his projection and voice; we never saw his true body. Then he said we had trespassed into Stillwater Valley and detained the rest of our group, including Richard Mulkey. He let me return alone to deliver a message, telling..." The legionnaire glanced up at Skyler, frowned, and swallowed hard. "He told General Skyler to meet him today. If the deadline passes, Marshal Silver will have to come for his men himself."
"What insolence!" Skyler's fists crackled as he clenched them, gritting his teeth, standing stunned, his face growing even more purple.
From the eastern horizon, sunlight began to peek through, slanting across the deck, yet none of the assembled soldiers and generals dared utter a sound.
After a moment, a commander bowed and said, "General Skyler, Elder Stillwater is a reclusive immortal, rarely involved in worldly affairs. Our previous assessment of his strength now seems utterly mistaken. I think... we should report this to Marshal Silver and let him decide."
......
In the early morning, two sparrows landed on the tree branch outside the window, chirping noisily.
Monkey, who had risen early, sat on his bed watching them from afar. Occasionally he blinked, gradually growing lost in thought.
The dawn in Stillwater Valley, apart from the absence of sunlight and the sense of perpetual gloom, was otherwise pleasant. Occasionally, birds from outside the valley would fly in, though most didn't stay long, as food here was scarce.
The door rattled and clanged.
"Monkey Bro, are you awake yet?"
"Come in."