Chapter 16: Level of Violence
After speaking with Joshua and Di Mo Er, Nostradamus quickly strode into the great hall. As he entered, the old mage waved his hand, and the hall's doors slammed shut amidst a flash of blue light. The patrolling guards initially wanted to stop him, but upon seeing who had done it, they scratched their heads and reluctantly withdrew.
"This move... it seems our Chief Archmage has discovered some major news."
An elderly man with graying hair, dressed in formal attire and wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, leaned on a silver carved cane. He calmly said to the young man supporting him, "There will definitely be a meeting to discuss this tomorrow. Prepare in advance."
"Yes, Your Honor the Judge!"
Similar conversations echoed among the lingering crowd in the corridor. Nostradamus's hurried steps and somewhat rough actions seemed like a signal, making everyone sense an unusual atmosphere. Not only the bespectacled elder who served as a judge in the Imperial Court, but also the diplomatic envoys from other nations sensed something amiss. They exchanged words with their companions, analyzing the situation.
But since the meeting had already ended, some people, perhaps with other plans, ignored this incident and left according to their original schedules. Others, with no urgent matters afterward, stayed nearby. Most of them were imperial ministers familiar with the old mage, preparing to wait in the reception hall on the other side for Nostradamus to reappear, hoping to inquire about the situation and get firsthand information.
Thanks to the old mage's actions, no one's attention was on Joshua. Apart from Robzek, no one deliberately focused on the warrior and his party standing quietly to the side. Of course, there was an exception. A middle-aged noble in luxurious attire, along with several attendants beside him, clearly recognized Di Mo Er and Joshua. The noble frowned, seemingly unable to understand why the two appeared together.
(Di Mo Er and Count Radcliffe together? This guy has fully entered the core of the imperial faction?)
The middle-aged man thought to himself, but wisely said nothing. He silently left, instructing his attendants to keep quiet as well.
"Finance Minister Kandia, a friend of my mother. A smart man."
The Second Prince watched the middle-aged man's retreating figure, a hint of regret in his tone. "Unfortunately, he has no talent. Just an ordinary person. But precisely because he's ordinary, he can sit in the position of Finance Minister."
"Aside from this Finance Minister, it seems no one else recognizes you."
Standing at a corner of the corridor, Joshua looked around and casually asked, "As the Second Prince, how are you so unknown?"
The effect of the Mist Pocket Watch was quite good. Most people here weren't paying attention to him, which satisfied the warrior. Atanis had indeed given him a good item. Joshua felt he must return the favor next time.
Beside him, Di Mo Er also spoke up. "It's normal they don't recognize me. I rarely live in the Imperial Capital."
"Since childhood, Father sent me to the mountains of the Western Border to train with a reclusive Sword Saint. After my coming-of-age ceremony, I've been fighting back and forth between the Southern Fortress and the orc battlefields of the Northwest Plains."
It seemed that being defeated by Joshua had softened the Second Prince's attitude considerably. His tone was no longer as arrogant as before. He said in a low voice, "Father's intention is to wait until the orcs are exterminated and the empire is completely stabilized before considering the matter of succession. During this time, I don't need to show myself. I just need to do my best to strengthen my power, while learning some politics, management, and interpersonal relations."
—Let less talented children appear in public to attract the attention of hidden enemies, while letting truly promising descendants secretly sharpen their claws?
A simple idea, and also useful. Joshua naturally knew why Israel made such a decision.
Though the empire was vast, it had many enemies. Assassination attempts against the imperial family had never ceased. The thousand guards patrolling the Morlai Palace were there to protect against potential infiltrators and assassins. But even so, it wasn't foolproof. Whether through curses or other methods, in this world with supernatural powers, there were always ways to kill an ungrown imperial descendant.
There were only two ways to deal with this. One was to wait for these future heirs to grow strong enough to handle assassinations themselves. The other was to conceal their identities and send them outside. Though dangerous, it was actually safer than the seemingly impenetrable imperial palace.
Israel's method of training Di Mo Er was clearly a mix of both, and the effect was indeed good. Later history proved this. Di Mo Er was undoubtedly a qualified emperor, with strength no less than his father's.
The crowd gradually dispersed. Only guards and a few scattered people remained in the corridor. Joshua didn't find the wait boring. After confirming that almost everyone around had left, he closed his eyes and began rhythmic breathing.
Seeing this, Ying and Lin, accustomed to it, stepped forward without surprise and stood guard in front of the warrior. Their movements were practiced, as if they did this often. Di Mo Er, seeing this, was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected the other to start practicing his breathing technique here.
(He trains every moment. No wonder he's so strong, reaching the Ultimate at such a young age.)
Di Mo Er initially thought this, but as he observed Joshua's breathing and the rhythm of surrounding energy fluctuations, he couldn't help frowning, sensing something strange.
The warrior, however, didn't care about being observed. He simply absorbed the surrounding energy on his own, slowly strengthening his physique.
The effect of the Ultimate Essence of Force was useless for direct combat. Its significance lay in [every training yields results], [every effort has a return].
Though it might sound unremarkable, in reality, training might not yield results, and effort might not bear fruit. As one ages, old injuries from youth manifest, and training can even damage the body. At best, it maintains strength without decline, let alone growth.
But the Ultimate was power gained after surpassing limits. Joshua's physique had now completely changed. As long as he trained, his body would grow stronger without pause. Though the magnitude wasn't large, there would definitely be returns. Naturally, the warrior wouldn't waste a single moment.
As the breathing technique continued, Joshua's breath became calmer and calmer. But the wind swirling around him was not the same. Free energy rotated and surged into his body, soaking into his muscles, then flowing through blood vessels to his heart, and spreading throughout his body.
Blood, muscles, bones, and organs all resonated slightly with his breathing, pulsing. Battle Qi, like electric current, constantly stimulated and strengthened every part of his body. In this process, though some energy dissipated, part of it merged into Joshua's body, becoming part of his power.
The most peculiar thing was the warrior's bones. During the energy dissipation, strange black-red patterns faintly appeared on his bones. These patterns were straight and simple, revealing a majestic dignity. Vaguely, Joshua seemed to emit a dim radiance from within. These patterns spontaneously absorbed surrounding energy, enriching themselves, making his bones and surrounding organs and muscles tougher, gradually transforming his body.
To outsiders, everything seemed normal. Only a faint breeze appeared in the corridor, flowing toward Joshua. The patrolling guards didn't notice this slight air movement. Other outsiders might have vaguely sensed it, thinking it was just a small breeze from the other end of the corridor.
Only Di Mo Er noticed this, but for some reason, his expression was strange.
When Joshua finished this brief training session, he lowered his head and began to ponder.
"This isn't right..."
Di Mo Er muttered to himself in a low voice. His tone was full of confusion, and to avoid attracting attention, he deliberately lowered his voice, as if just murmuring to himself. "It shouldn't be like this..."
"Why shouldn't it be like this?"
Moving his body, his muscles flexed, producing a creaking sound like twisting steel bars. Joshua turned his head and looked at the Second Prince with interest. "Feel free to speak."
From the still-young Di Mo Er, the warrior could see a trace of the future Iron-Blooded Emperor. This contrast made Joshua find it quite amusing. It was like how, in the future, Di Mo Er would never speak in such a doubtful tone. Every word and action of his would be full of confidence and certainty, even if wrong, seeming like truth.
"...You shouldn't have such power."
Hearing the warrior's words, the Second Prince seemed to make up his mind and bluntly expressed his thoughts. "It's strange. Very strange."
"Oh? Why do you say that? What's strange?"
Hearing Di Mo Er's words, Joshua wasn't bothered. He nodded slightly, signaling the somewhat angry Ying and Lin not to speak, and motioned for the other to continue. "You don't seem like someone who complains after losing."
"No, I have no complaints about losing to you. But seeing your breathing technique, I felt something was off."
Raising his head, Di Mo Er frowned slightly. His gray-brown eyes revealed suspicion. "Joshua van Radcliffe. The first time I saw this name was when Father was reviewing records about the Guardian Families. At that time, you were already being watched as the next guardian of the Sealed Land. I remember that was about a year ago. You were only at Mid-Silver or High-Silver rank then. In short, you hadn't yet touched the Gold barrier."
Ying and Lin exchanged glances. The silver-haired girl nodded slightly. She clearly remembered that when she first met her master, the warrior was only at High-Silver rank.
"And in just one year, I've leaped to such a level—the Ultimate. This makes you wonder."
Joshua showed no emotion at the other's suspicion. He still spoke calmly, even with a hint of a smile. "Indeed, there can't be anyone in this world who advanced faster than me. But hasn't the reason been found? You should know it too."
"The Sage's inheritance—Father and Master Nostradamus both told me so. Originally, I thought the same, even secretly thinking you were just a lucky one who obtained the legacy of a predecessor."
Di Mo Er's words were simple and direct. He seemed to know that a person like the warrior wouldn't get angry at such words, so he frankly stated his view. "But after the sparring in the library earlier, I changed my mind. You're not a lucky one. Your power comes from self-tempering and hard training. Every bit is solid, without any flaw. I can't even shake it. But precisely because of this, I can be sure—you haven't obtained the Sage's inheritance at all."
Hearing this, Joshua raised an eyebrow. The Second Prince's deduction continued.
"I've met Brandon Kaos, another Sage inheritor. His breathing technique and power come from the twin blades at his waist. His breathing and movements have a faint sacred order aura. That's the true Sage's inheritance."
When he said this, he remained calm, his tone steady without any tremor, just narrating his views and discoveries. "As for you, though you have the power of order, that thing is just hanging on you. Even I can see it hasn't merged with you at all. Joshua, even if you have the Sage's inheritance, you haven't obtained it."
"Impressive."
Joshua nodded slightly. This time, he was genuinely a bit surprised. He hadn't expected this Second Prince's observation to be so meticulous, actually seeing quite a bit. "What else did you notice?"
"I noticed... your talent isn't good. The progress of your breathing technique training isn't fast, just above average. No matter how hard you train, without taking magic potions, you shouldn't have reached Gold before thirty. Even if you inherited the power of the Guardian Family, you couldn't have risen above Mid-Gold rank."
At this point, Di Mo Er's confusion fully erupted. His deductions clashed greatly with reality, but he couldn't find the reason. "This is impossible. You don't have the Sage's inheritance for cultivation. Your battle qi and talent haven't improved. These things can't be changed by hard work alone. But how can you reach the Ultimate realm? And your power is so solid? I was even suspecting you made a deal with a demon, but then thought, what demon could grant such power? This is too strange!"
"Alright, Di Mo Er, no need to get excited. You're right. The Sage's inheritance didn't give me any breathing technique, nor did it improve my talent. Even the power of order is probably only hanging on me because I have the Azure Orb."
Facing such questioning, Joshua wasn't annoyed. Instead, he calmed the other down. When Di Mo Er had settled, he said calmly, "But there's one thing you got wrong, Second Prince. You misunderstood battle qi and the essence of power for us warriors."
"What essence?" Di Mo Er immediately asked in a low voice.
"Do you remember the root of the word 'battle qi' in ancient common language?"
Joshua asked back, but didn't wait for an answer. He continued on his own, "Potestas of pugna... the power of combat. Life originates from steel. Its characteristic is mutual plunder. The essence of life is the same, and so is power."
"You ask why I have such strong power? It's simple. Just like a person who keeps eating and becomes stronger, I just keep fighting, keep killing enemies, and so I become stronger."
Hearing this, Di Mo Er's expression began to change. At first, he seemed disbelieving, but then he thought of something and became thoughtful.
"In ancient times, there was no battle qi, no breathing techniques. Everyone had different methods of training."
Joshua didn't care about the other's expression. He just spoke calmly, clearly, and seriously. "At that time, the sages of humanity relied on hunting magical beasts, plundering their life force to make themselves stronger... Talent? Inheritance? Those things are just shortcuts to help later generations follow in the footsteps of their predecessors. To gain the most real, unique power of your own, you have to fight, plunder, and kill enemies."
As he spoke, Joshua's figure seemed to be covered in shadow in Di Mo Er's eyes. Subconsciously turning his head, the Second Prince dared not look directly at the other. But every word the warrior said clearly entered his ears. The tone was unequivocal, as if narrating the truth of the world.
"There's no such thing as becoming a strong person by training at home."
"But I..."
Di Mo Er seemed about to argue. He too had grown up on the Northwest battlefield, experiencing dozens of wars. But the warrior shook his head and interrupted, "Precisely because you are stronger than others, but not as strong as me, it's just because you haven't killed as much as I have."
"...Is that so?"
The Second Prince's momentum was completely overwhelmed by Joshua. He immediately shut his mouth and stopped asking. His expression was troubled, as if pondering Joshua's words, while muttering to himself, "I haven't fought enough?"
The warrior no longer paid attention to him. He looked at the system on his retina. There was a list detailing his attributes. Skipping over meaningless things, he looked at the topmost value.
[Joshua van Radcliffe]
[Level: lv54 · Ultimate Essence (Force) (Initial Stage)]
Lv, level. In the game of his past life, it was a value measuring a person's power. Though it couldn't indicate absolute combat strength, it was still an important index.
But it also had another name.
Level of Violence, the kill index.
"This is the Mycroft Continent."
Standing at the corner of the corridor, Joshua raised his head, looking at the ceiling. He said softly, "A world full of strife, where it's either kill or be killed."
Only battle is truth.
From very early on, he understood this principle. In this world of fire and steel, life and power could be plundered from each other. Bathing in dragon blood could grant a dragon's power. Killing demons could earn fearsome magical power.
The sages of humanity living in this world had long sensed the essence of this world—battle and the death of enemies were the source of power. There was no room for tenderness here. And the players of his past life had also understood that so-called leveling up by killing monsters was just a simple manifestation of this world's essence.
Talent isn't important. Inheritance isn't important. A coward who stays at home can never become a strong person. Only by stepping out of the house, leaving home, exploring the world, and fighting powerful enemies can one's life be elevated.
This is the warrior.
And as a warrior, what he needs to do is sweep away all enemies standing in his way. Whether they are evil gods, chaos, famine, or plague, he will kick them all into the trash bin of time.
That's all.