第二十章：Hook（One）

    Theirongatesstronglyresistedforeigninvasion.Thecitywallsaretowering，firmandsteep，andthebottomisdeep.Thecreekflowsaroundthecastle，andtheguardtowersappearintheair.

    Asmostpeoplesay，theTwilightempireisdying.Thisonce-grandempireisnowlikeaveteranoldmanwhoisabouttostepintothegraveandhalfsteppedintothecoffin.Ithasbeenmuchless.Butevenso，theTwilightempireisstillthemasterofthelandonthesurface，andallmustobeythelawsoftheempire.Itwasalsointhissituationthatahalf-elfnamedNavierkilledJackTroy，thecity‘sowner.Jack‘sson，Jack，vowedtotakerevengeonhisfather.HefoundthefamousswordsmithMelSmithandmadehimcastabigswordcalled“Vow“forhimself.Hewouldusethisgreatswordtocutofftheheadofhisenemy.Thenhesetofftofindthehalf-elveswhohadkilledhisfather.

    JakeandNaverfinallymetinEmeraldCity，theroyalcapitaloftheTwilightEmpire.ThebattlebetweenthetwodestroyedtheEmeraldCity.Soonafterwards，countlessrebelforcesenteredthebrokenEmeraldCity，andtheTwilightEmpirewaslost.TheserebelssegregatedtheterritoryoftheentireempireintheEmeraldCity，onebyoneastheirownking.Numerouscountries，largeandsmall，havebeenestablishedandshortlyafterwards，amarathonwarofmorethan300yearshastakenplacebetweenthesecountries.Intheend，amannamedNeilendedthewarandestablishedanempirenamedCrescentonthelandoriginallybelongingtotheTwilightempire.TheCrescentEmpireattachesgreatimportancetoalchemyandengineering，andhasinvestedalotofmanpowerandmaterialresourcesinthisarea.Intheend，alchemistsandengineersworkedtogethertocreateahugewarmachine.Itwasnamed“EmpireGuardian.“Shortlyafterthis，theImperialGuardianslostcontrolanddestroyedtheentireRoyalCity，andtheCrescentEmpiredied.Theempireguardsarecompletelydestroyed.

    Countlessyearslater，amannamedSamantookhisbrotherswhooverthrewthenortherncity’slordsandthenheadedsouthandsouth，eventuallyestablishingtheirownempire，theSamanEmpire.Samanisnotcontentwithinheritingtheboundariesofhispredecessors.Whileconstantlysendingtroopsacrossthedeadmountainstofindnewland，heisalsovigorouslydevelopingtheshipbuildingindustry.Theboatworkersbuiltanironboatthatcouldsailonthesea.SamanthaIVnamedtheironboat“NeverSink”.ThesonofSamanthaIV，thefutureofSamanthaVsecretlydrovetheshipintothevastsea，andforeverdisappearedintothedepthsofthesea.

    ShortlyafterthedemiseoftheSamanempirewaslifted，adozenlargeshipsdroveoutofthedepthsofthesea.Thesepeoplewerebusinessmenfromanothercontinent.TheirleaderwasthesonofSamanthaIVwhoranoutsecretly.ThedescendantsoftheoriginalSamanthaVwerenamedLormanSaman.Lohmanncametodestroytheempireguards.Whenhelearnedabouttheexistenceoftheempireguardfromhisfather‘slips，hehopedtoseeit.Now，withhisowncaravan，hecametothecontinentwherehisancestorshadlived.Atthistime，themainlandisstillfullofdisputes，peoplearestilllivingindirestraits.

    Lohmanmettheempiredefenderwhohadbeendestroyedinadarkvalley.AmongthepeoplewhocamewithhimwasamannamedTrierwhoclaimedthathecouldrepairtheempireguards.Lohmannagreedtohisrequest.Lethimgotorepairtheempireguards.TrierdiditandherepairedtheImperialGuardian.WhenLomanentersthemanipulationroomoftheImperialGuardian，heandtheImperialGuardianareintouch.Hissoulisseparatedfromtheempireguardandbecomesawhole.