Chapter 17: Fusion Core Star
The explosive sound of air being crushed echoed through the corridor.
No one paid attention to this sound. Even the patrolling Imperial Guards nearby only turned their heads slightly, not taking much notice.
But this fleeting, almost illusory whisper exploded like a deafening thunderclap in Di Mo Er's ears.
What Joshua had said earlier was nothing obscure or difficult to understand. If someone else had said it, the Second Prince might have dismissed it as nonsense and scoffed. But for some reason, simply because it came from the warrior's mouth, those simple sentences became incredibly stirring.
At that moment, Di Mo Er didn't know how to respond. A surge of inexplicable, surging emotion stirred within him, making him clench his fists involuntarily.
Yes, that's how it should be—
It was never anything complicated. Powerful strength was meant to be obtained through battle!
How had I only realized this now?
But before the Second Prince could calm down from this passionate and stirring mood, the heavy doors of the Central Hall creaked open.
A dignified voice emerged from within, echoing through the corridor.
"Lord Radcliffe, please enter."
The voice sounded somewhat tired, but it still carried an undeniable authority: "Di Mo Er, you come too. I have something to say to you."
Hearing the invitation, Joshua did not hesitate and immediately walked toward the hall. On the way, he brushed past Di Mo Er. The Second Prince only snapped out of his daze at that moment, then quickly followed behind the warrior into the hall.
The hall doors closed immediately after Joshua and the others entered, producing a dull thud. This disappointed quite a few people waiting nearby who wanted to see what was happening inside. These were mostly attendants of ministers or foreign envoys, instructed to wait here to get the latest information as soon as possible.
"Who is Di Mo Er?"
Some attendants frowned. They had deliberately memorized the names of the great nobles and important figures in the Imperial Capital, even paying attention to their direct descendants. This was the survival tactic of small figures in the political center, to avoid accidentally offending someone. But the name Di Mo Er was unfamiliar to them. Yet now, it seemed he was no simple character.
"Di Mo Er..."
Some attendants who vaguely remembered the name changed expression. From dusty memories over a decade old, they retrieved that name, seemingly deliberately forgotten and ignored. One quick-witted attendant had already started walking toward the reception hall. Compared to this news, what Nostradamus and Count Radcliffe wanted to discuss with His Majesty the Emperor was no longer important.
Perhaps because the Orc King's Court had already been destroyed, eliminating concerns about assassination, and Di Mo Er had grown up, Israel seemed no longer intent on continuing to hide this Second Prince of the Empire. Instead, he planned to let him appear before everyone's eyes.
The core of Morlai Palace, the Central Saint Radiance Hall
Steady footsteps echoed in the spacious hall. Joshua, Ying, and Lin walked with seemingly casual strides, but each step was perfectly timed. Every time the warrior stepped, while maintaining his body's balance, he could burst forth and launch an attack at any moment. The two girls had also prepared for Divine Mechanization.
This was a tacit understanding that went straight to the heart, a habit formed after fighting together many times.
Since it was already night, the Saint Radiance Hall's dome was embedded with a massive Fusion Core Star. It could channel the power of true gods to deliver divine punishment.
This kind of substance could only come from worlds on the verge of destruction. When a world's end was approaching, stars and moons would fall, the sun would collapse, the earth would turn to nothingness, and then the entire heaven and earth would shatter completely. After that, fragments of some celestial bodies would drift through the void, then be attracted by other intact worlds.
Near a world with a Fusion Core Star, there must be the wreckage of a world that had been completely destroyed. This was a fact that had long been confirmed. Thinking of this, Joshua couldn't help but narrow his eyes. He recalled the Carlis World. If not for his actions, it would have been completely destroyed not long ago.
The worlds around the Mycroft World had probably already been noticed by the Evil Gods.
"You recognize it? Right, of course you do."
Noticing the warrior's reaction, a dignified voice came from the back of the hall, from the throne. As it spoke, the owner of the voice stood up from his throne.
This burly man with dark golden hair wore a deep gray iron crown on his head, inlaid with a golden Saint Radiance Stone. The light it emitted even somewhat obscured his features: "After all, this isn't exactly a secret."
The ruler of the Empire, Israel Diamond, now looked somewhat tired and serious. Nostradamus stood behind him, the old mage's expression equally solemn. The Emperor raised his head, looking at the 'sun' above, and spoke with a tone tinged with nostalgia and reverence: "This Fusion Core Star fell onto the Orc Plains seven hundred and seventy-four years ago. The meteorite that encased it carved out the Northwest Basin Canyon and also caused the originally flat Orc homeland to rise, becoming the current Tartarus Plateau."
"My ancestor seized it from the Orc Great Khan in a war five hundred years ago. Since then, this gem, symbolizing Orc royal authority, has hung from the dome of the Saint Radiance Hall in Morlai Palace."
After speaking, Israel lowered his head. He was silent for a moment, then gazed at Di Mo Er and said flatly: "In this world, there is only killing and being killed, taking and being taken. Joshua is right, Di Mo Er. You have grown lax."
Hearing his father's evaluation delivered in a calm tone, even someone like Di Mo Er couldn't help but feel a slight catch in his breath. He didn't know how to respond and could only lower his head slightly.
But Israel's lecture was not over. He sighed softly, then shook his head and said: "Since returning to Morlai Palace, your will to fight has been gradually eroded by comfortable living. You have forgotten the vigilance of the military, forgotten the pure killing intent when facing enemies, and even forgotten what you have been striving for all this time."
At this point, the Emperor's tone became stern: "You think you have victory in hand because all your siblings combined cannot surpass you. But you have forgotten that to become the Emperor who rules this vast and ancient empire, you cannot underestimate any competitor. In terms of influence, each of them surpasses you a hundredfold. There are also experts around them who can overpower you."
"Want to avenge your mother? Want to sit on my throne in the future? Your strength is far from enough."