Chapter 15: I'm Back
Year 833 of the Falling Stars Era, September 3rd, Noon, Cloudy Sky.
Far Sea Holy Mountain, Central Temple District, Temporary Plaza.
Hundreds of divine-mechanism construct puppets were busily hauling earth and stone back and forth, having cleared a rectangular plaza several hundred meters in size from amidst the ruins. The plaza was open, and around it one could see broken temples and the golden light barrier on the periphery. The towering temple spires were mostly intact, but the lower sections were riddled with holes and cracks, clearly having suffered severe damage during the previous battle.
On the plaza, several thousand clergy members and paladins stood in orderly ranks. They had all come to see off the heroes who had aided the Holy Mountain in repelling the Abyss invasion. Among them were the Pope of the Seven Gods, Israel, the Nature Mentor, Verdani, and the four legendary experts, including the Ocean Sage, Barbarossa. They stood at the very front, quietly waiting for the final moment of farewell.
"Lord Radcliffe, this time, the Holy Mountain owes you a great debt."
The old pope's tone was sincere as he looked at the black-haired warrior before him. "If it weren't for you discovering the anomaly in that red dragon, the casualties among the Holy Mountain's clergy would have been far greater."
Joshua shook his head slightly. "Your Holiness, you flatter me. I merely did what I had to do. Besides, without the full cooperation of the Holy Mountain's clergy, it would have been impossible to so quickly suppress that Abyss Lord's ambush."
"Regardless, your contribution is undeniable."
Israel smiled and nodded. "The Holy Mountain will remember this favor. If you ever need anything in the future, feel free to send word."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the old pope turned to look at the other heroes who were about to depart. Sal, the Divine Mechanism siblings, the black dragon girl, and the blue dragon were all standing nearby, waiting for the teleportation to begin.
"Your Holiness, is there anything else you wish to say?"
Seeing the old pope's somewhat hesitant expression, Joshua asked proactively.
Israel was silent for a moment, then shook his head with a smile. "No, nothing more. I just think that perhaps it's time to tell you about the fourth Saint's inheritance."
Joshua's eyes flickered slightly. "The fourth Saint's inheritance?"
"Yes." The old pope nodded. "But not now. Wait until the Holy Mountain is fully rebuilt, and everything has settled down. Then I will tell you in detail."
"Understood."
Joshua didn't press further. He simply nodded in acknowledgment.
"Alright, I can see you're all eager to return home, so I won't waste any more words."
Israel swept his gaze across the assembled crowd and said in a deep voice, "Prepare yourselves, everyone. The teleportation is about to begin."
The teleportation had been arranged long ago, so there was no need for further explanation.
Joshua and Sal naturally indicated they were ready. Meanwhile, the Nature Mentor and Israel also emerged from the great hall. The two legendary experts silently scanned the crowd, looking equally pleased.
Under the surging holy light, a deep blue glow quietly blossomed. Two spatial passages leading to different locations appeared before the crowd. After bidding each other farewell, Joshua, Sal, and the others stepped into their respective spatial passages, returning to their homelands.
With one step, he entered the teleportation passage. The disorienting sensation of space-time reversal washed over him. In that instant, the warrior suddenly sensed something. He closed his eyes and used his soul to 'look' at the endless void around him.
Divinity silently radiated, connecting with various pieces of information within the fluctuations of space-time.
In the void, there were several colossal existences, as if they were the incarnations of countless living beings. They gathered together, seemingly waiting and on guard against something. Among these massive presences, Joshua sensed several familiar auras—the God of Might, the God of Life, but what surprised him most was the Five-Color Dragon God, which faintly carried a trace of Abyss aura.
The god of the Five-Colored Dragon Clan, who had stirred up the Dragon Calamity and invaded the Far South continent, along with the Seven Gods of Humanity and several other deities, were not fighting each other but were instead on guard against something together?!
Before he could ponder further, the teleportation ended. The warrior opened his eyes and found himself standing before the Lord's Mansion of his territory, Moldavia, in the Northern lands.
Behind him, the Divine Mechanism siblings, the black dragon girl, and Chu Hao and the blue dragon also emerged from the spatial passage one after another. Before Ying and Lin could cheer for being home, a shimmer of arcane light flickered before them. Accompanied by elemental surges, the slightly surprised projection of the Artificial Intelligence girl appeared before Joshua.
"You... are back."
She said softly.
"Long time no see."
Joshua nodded. "I'm back."