Time Travel: Age of Discovery

“Ha… hum!”

High atop the lighthouse, Leonard awoke from a deep recollection, the antique telescope in his hand seeming to reflect his life. It had accompanied him throughout his life, like an old friend. His hand gripped the telescope, his skin as rough and grainy as the tower's worn walls over the years.

War raged in this corner of the country, and even though he hid in the shadows of the lighthouse, he could not escape the enemy's sight. Cold bullet wounds were left on his abdomen and thighs. Although the pain did not take his life, it deprived him of the right to move freely.

The island had turned into a dead wasteland. He witnessed it all from the lighthouse. The lights of the hospital were drowned in the raging flames. Even if he left this place, there would be no place for him to receive treatment.

Fortunately, the fresh water and a little food in the tower have kept him alive until now, but now the food is running out and he is nearing the end of his life. He knows that his time is running out, but he still has unfinished business in his heart.

"Old friend, stay with me for a long time, or this may be the last moment." He endured the pain, struggled to get up, leaned on the edge of the observation deck, and looked into the distance with a mirror.

"Take one last look at this blue sea..." After years of perseverance, who can still protect this sea?

The sea remained calm, and he gazed at the familiar expanse, smiling. However, when he turned his gaze, he saw a ship approaching. The warship came into view, and standing on the prow was a young sailor, his face tense and anxious.

"The Navy... is finally here, here to rescue..." A feeling of relief surged in his heart, however, Leonard suddenly staggered and fell to the ground, his back against the lighthouse wall, his eyes slowly closing.

In his final moments, he caught a glimpse of light, only to realize with regret that time was running out. His hand, still clinging to the telescope, finally fell to the ground with powerless force...

"You bastard!" Sora roared angrily from the Den Den Mushi. Teya remained calm. "Right now! Now! Get back here right now, Frevans! Do you hear me?"

Teya knew of Kong's anger and didn't argue. Fatigue and weakness filled his body as he simply replied, "Yes, I understand."

Sora roared in anger, dissatisfied with Thea's response, but understandably so. Thea's delay in arriving at Frevans had delayed the mission to transport the Celestial Gold, not to mention his brawling with Sakaski to force his way here. The voyage report had left Sora deeply shocked.

If his repeated attempts to contact him had not been ignored, Sora wouldn't have lost control like this.

"Listen carefully, I'm not making trouble with you. I'm ordering you to return immediately!" Teya cheered up: "Yes, I'm on my way back."

Kong relaxed a little after hearing this, and after saying a few more words, he hung up.

In fact, Kong could understand Teya's distress. The situation was urgent and could not afford any mistakes, which was why he reacted like that. He understood Teya, just like when he himself learned about the situation and angrily slammed the table.

At this moment, Teya stood at the bow, the wind rustling against his face, his eyes tingling with soreness. This was a new experience for him. Perhaps it was the influence of his state of mind that caused this feeling. He was still struggling to shake off his bad mood.

They had indeed begun their return journey, because in Frefans, they could no longer find what they needed. He still remembered the scene when he first set foot on Frefans. If the battlefields before were dilapidated, then the scene before him could only be described as tragic.

Dead bodies were scattered all over the ground, smoke filled the air, and the once white town was now in ruins.

The enemy had withdrawn, and the war might have ended. A deep silence fell over Frefans, but even so, Teja ordered his soldiers to search for survivors. Even in the face of despair, he still held onto hope.

"Ah, Lieutenant General Teya, they are suffering from 'lead poisoning', which is contagious." Some soldiers avoided this land in fear. But Teya righteously retorted that this was not an epidemic, but a man-made war!

Finally, all the soldiers launched a search and rescue operation, but after a long time, they brought back a tragic result. No one survived the disaster in Frevans.

The news was like a bolt from the blue. Smoker's timely call from Sora helped Thea regain some consciousness. Standing at the bow, reflecting on his experience, Thea felt that he had lost his way.

He had done nothing wrong, but he was confused as to whether what he was doing still had any meaning. The navy's duty was to uphold justice and protect the people, and now that he couldn't even do that, the confusion in his heart grew heavier.

Feeling almost at his lowest point, Teya suddenly thought of Sakaski, who was recuperating in the cabin. Although Sakaski acted decisively, in Teya's eyes, he had a strong belief and was persistent in his decisions.

Teya wasn't sure if his actions could influence him, but he understood that even if he couldn't shake him, he needed to talk to Sakaski about his current predicament.

The person he chose was Sakaski.

Inside the cabin, Sakaski lay in bed, wrapped in bandages, resting. Unannounced, Thea pushed open the door and entered. He ignored Thea's presence as usual, but Thea didn't mind, sitting beside Sakaski and silently watching him.

After a long silence, Teya spoke: "Do you know what happened in Frefans?" This question made Sakaski, who had deliberately avoided it, feel nervous. This was exactly what he wanted to know but was unable to say it.

Teya then said: "No one survived." A country disappeared just like that.

This silenced Sakaski, a mixture of emotions. Teya, sensing his reaction, briefly explained the situation, shared a few thoughts, and finally left in silence. He'd assumed Sakaski couldn't change, but he hadn't realized he'd already touched Sakaski's heart.