Chapter 716: Famine, Plague, War, Death, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Arrive!
The Lord of Thunder furrowed his brows, staring intently at his disciple. Garrett, however, paid no mind to his teacher’s severe expression or the suspicion in his eyes, and spilled everything like beans from a bamboo tube:
"I know what Lady Endorf saw! A volcano, it must be a volcano! Comparing it to what I sensed during my advancement, only a volcano could be like this!"
The Lord of Thunder nodded slightly. The blood of the goddess dyeing the sky red could be understood as the earth splitting open and crimson lava spewing into the sky.
Endless weeping usually occurs after a major volcanic eruption, with torrential rains mixed with thunder and lightning around the volcano.
However...
"A volcanic eruption thousands of miles away, what does it have to do with us? The great magic array expanded to its limit, even using the power of eight legendary mages to see that eruption. Even an earthquake wouldn’t affect us!"
"It will affect us, teacher!" Garrett said urgently.
"Lady Endorf said the entire sky was covered in red, never retreating. This means the volcanic ash reached the high atmosphere, following the atmospheric circulation, covering the sky, blocking the sunlight."
Ignoring the potential consequences of being detected by his teacher, Garrett waved his hand. [Silent Phantom] sketched out a large sphere. Mountains towered, clouds rolled, atmospheric currents and oceanic warm and cold currents surged on the sphere’s surface.
A mushroom cloud erupted high, spewing countless ashes, spreading, spreading, blanketing the entire northern hemisphere, covering the continent and the Kent Kingdom."Teacher, if the volcanic eruption is powerful enough, if enough ash is spewed, if even our sky is covered, then famine will indeed come next year!"
Before crossing over, in 1815, the Tambora volcano in Indonesia erupted. It was one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history, spewing ash into the stratosphere. Even in faraway London, the sunsets were colored by volcanic ash.
The following year, in 1816, the entire northern hemisphere experienced abnormal climate, with severe cold. Snow fell in June, frost formed in August.
Asia, Europe, and even North America suffered severe impacts on agricultural production, leading to widespread famine. That year was known as the "Year Without a Summer."
Connecting the volcanic eruption, the year-round red sky, and the prophecy that even disturbed legendary mages from thousands of miles away, Garrett immediately thought of the return of the "Year Without a Summer."
"Famine, great famine, in the worst case, it could cover several continents..." Garrett’s tone grew increasingly urgent.
"Not only will crops fail to grow, but even grass will struggle to grow. People will lack food, livestock will starve in large numbers! And the unusual summer cold will be followed by plagues. Refugees fleeing famine will exacerbate the spread of plagues. And..."
He took quick steps, staring at the top of the map, the Black Gate Peninsula, and the vast wastelands further east:
"Our allies, the dwarves, and barbarians, have even less ability to withstand famine and will suffer greater losses! Teacher..."
Famine and plague combined, those suffering from these disasters, desperate to survive, could very well spark wars.
And even without wars, the first two would likely lead to the final outcome—death.
In Garrett’s ears, it was as if a mournful trumpet sounded, and he saw four warhorses galloping from the horizon. White horse, red horse, black horse, green horse—
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse arrive!
The Lord of Thunder’s expression grew unprecedentedly grave. He stared intently at the sphere Garrett summoned, observing the snow-capped peaks at both ends, the towering mountains, and the cycles of monsoons and ocean currents... Ɍ₳ƝȎΒЕs̈
As he watched, his monocle crackled with electric light, countless numbers and symbols flashing rapidly. Clearly, he was using the powerful computational abilities of a legendary mage for a quick, rough estimate.
Garrett stood by silently, searching his mind for books he had read. If his teacher asked, "How do you know the earth is a sphere?" or "How do you know these wind directions?" what would he answer?
Who among the ancestors of the council, the mages before the council was formed, or other philosophers mentioned these? Who had theorized, calculated?
He couldn’t possibly say it was revealed by the God of Nature!
Fortunately, the Lord of Thunder didn’t dig deeper. He carefully observed the sphere, calculated for a long time, then suddenly turned his head. With a wave of his hand, [Silent Phantom] dispersed, disappearing without a trace.
"Do not tell anyone about these matters," he commanded sternly through the electric light flowing in his monocle, staring at Garrett.
"Do not show that sphere to anyone. I will discuss this with the other legendaries and ask Lady Endorf to verify it again. Remember, whether it’s true or false, this has nothing to do with you!"
"Yes!"
Garrett solemnly accepted the order. He knew his teacher was looking out for him: if the "Year Without a Summer" were verified and preparations made in advance, it could change the entire world’s structure!
He was only a seventh-level mage, one who hadn’t even fully learned fourth-tier spells. He didn’t have shoulders broad enough to bear such a burden.
His teacher taking over and minimizing his presence was undoubtedly to protect him.
"Teacher, rest assured, I won’t say a word outside, I’ll act as if I never mentioned it!" Garrett swore solemnly.
"I’ll diligently study magic these days, focusing on medical research, and won’t meddle in other matters!"
The Lord of Thunder nodded slightly and walked out. Garrett followed closely behind, reaching the door. "Bang!" The door slammed shut in his face.
"You stay here and study! Don’t run around!"
Garrett: "..."
Seriously, teacher, why do you always lock me up whenever something happens!
However, it was impossible for Garrett to open the research room of a legendary mage on his own. He found a seemingly safe corner, hugged a book of spells, and dejectedly started studying.
Meanwhile, the Lord of Thunder went straight to the top of the Tower of Heaven to find Lady Endorf. Soon, the legendary mages were gathered once again.
"...That’s how it is." The Lord of Thunder took responsibility in front of the legendary mages.
"Based on the information I reviewed and my calculations over the past few days, the previous prophecy likely points in this direction. I suggest we make another prophecy to verify this development’s possibility."
Several meaningful glances swept over him. But no one dug deeper. They all contributed, helping Lady Endorf make another prophecy.
This time, with a clear hint, Lady Endorf accurately pinpointed the direction of the volcanic eruption and even predicted the approximate distance.
Moreover, in the river of time, she struggled to leap up and did catch a glimpse of the red sunset on Igor Peak.
"The situation is likely real." When the elderly woman opened her eyes again, trembling, her black veil soaked with sweat.
"This may be the council’s greatest crisis, but it could also become the greatest opportunity. Let’s discuss how to verify it in detail and how to respond to this disaster!"
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