Endless Debt Chapter 1121 - 124: Aftermath

Ascending the bridge's incline, which was strewn with debris, Bologue crossed the safety boundary. The harsh sunlight compelled him to shield his eyes.

"I would never have imagined Oath City, Opus, experiencing such a radiant day."

Lost in admiration, Bologue tilted his head, his gaze fixed upon the azure expanse above.

Following Fuen's conjuration of a storm that purged the decay epidemic into the atmosphere, his power also propelled the accumulated poisonous fog and emissions from the Great Rift into the heavens.

The subsequent drizzle left the Great Rift, once obscured by mist, remarkably clear and luminous. A colossal, circular rift in the clouds, kilometers wide, bisected the cloudscape vertically. Lingering remnants of the Seekers of Glory's power continued to warp reality in the sky. Even after six weeks, this immense void showed no signs of closing.

"Time indeed flies; a month and a half have already passed."

Bologue refocused his attention forward, his voice a low murmur as he continued his advance.

The passage of time has been swift, marking a month and a half since the outbreak of the decay epidemic. Bologue had long since departed the Border Sanatorium, immersing himself in demanding work. Though residual nightmares occasionally surfaced, they no longer held sway over him.

The Confession Song had inflicted harrowing nightmares, yet it also granted Bologue a fleeting reunion with Adelle within a dreamscape. He was acutely aware that she was but an illusion, a construct born from his own memories.

Nevertheless, this spectral apparition offered Bologue a rare solace, as if it were mending a deep-seated regret.

With a final, personal farewell to Adelle, Bologue felt a burden lift from his heart. Despite the persistent challenges of late, his spirits were unexpectedly buoyant.

He felt entirely liberated from his past troubles, having returned to the predictable rhythm of his former life. Bologue resumed his duties just as he had before.

"It has been remarkably peaceful lately."

Naturally, amidst the daily grind, the perpetual cascade of rumors continued to dog his every step.

Palmer, trailing behind Bologue, let out a remark as he surveyed the surrounding devastation. Under the usual shroud of fog, the visibility within the Great Rift rarely exceeded ten meters, precluding any comprehensive view of its true extent.

With Fuen having dispersed the fog, even the distant, hazy outlines of the landscape had sharpened into vivid clarity.

"What utter devastation," they both lamented in unison.

Bologue and his companions had successfully thwarted the extraordinary crisis spawned by the decay epidemic, but the victory came at the cost of another, albeit lesser, calamity.

The immense forces unleashed by the Seekers of Glory had triggered a chain reaction. Upon the already precarious geological foundation of the Great Rift, the residual power manifested as violent seismic tremors.

Following the architectural collapses, the landscape was littered with rubble, a chaotic jumble of concrete walls, derelict steel frameworks, and other construction remnants, resembling a colossal, shattered jigsaw puzzle.

Some structures clung precariously to existence, their fractured facades revealing twisted rebar entwined with earth and debris, akin to the skeletal remains of fallen titans.

Amidst the debris, one could discern the once-intricate latticework of rebar that had formed the buildings' structural backbone, now fractured and devoid of any cohesive integrity. The remaining bricks and concrete fragments were unrecognizable, offering no viable material for rebuilding. The task of clearing this area promised to be immensely time-consuming.

"The reconstruction efforts will undoubtedly require a considerable duration," Palmer observed.

Thanks to the Field Operations Department's intervention, the extraordinary conflict was re-framed as a natural disaster. For an entire month, the media was dominated by extensive coverage, with various charitable initiatives and rebuilding programs gradually being implemented.

Bologue continued his ascent along the Long Bridge, eventually reaching its highest point, where he halted at the precipice of the broken span.

This collapsed bridge, known as the Crossing Abyss Bridge, was engineered to traverse the Great Rift, linking two disconnected city sectors and playing a vital role in transportation. However, as a consequence of the extraordinary confrontation, two of the three such bridges spanning the Great Rift had been reduced to ruins. The sole remaining bridge was heavily fractured, rendering it unusable for vehicular or train traffic.

Consequently, the Great Rift, living up to its formidable name, had transformed into a gaping chasm, cleaving Oath City, Opus, into two distinct halves.

"The pervasive fog concealed everything, obscuring the reality. Now, beholding it directly, the presence of such a phenomenon within the city is profoundly unsettling."

Bologue gazed downward, his voice hushed with awe.

"It is understandable; we all shared that sentiment upon first witnessing the full magnitude of the Great Rift," Palmer responded, drawing up alongside Bologue. Together, they stood at the edge of the abyss, their eyes fixed upon the ravaged earth stretching out below.