Chapter 50: That's Really a Good Idea
Year 833 of the Falling Stars Era.
The undulating mountains and hills of Moldova were like layers of frozen waves, covered by the colors brought by the deep winter snow. It was late at night, with beasts lurking and birds silent. A crack-like gash could be seen in the sky, moonlight cascading down.
Frost refracted the twin moons, making Mount Mordes shimmer with silvery light. At the same time, Saint Israel crossed the barrier of space and arrived in the Northern Lands.
An aged hand extended out, and the Pope smoothed the ripples of space-time beside him. He looked ahead at the warrior who was the target of his journey, the one who had repeatedly surprised and delighted him.
—He had grown stronger again.
This was the first thought that flashed through Israel's mind upon seeing Joshua.
Growing stronger was only natural. Every warrior in their prime should be constantly improving. Only after a hundred years or so, when their vitality waned, their flesh decayed, and disharmony arose between their soul and will, would their strength gradually decline and return to decay.
But clearly, the kind of growth that could move the Pope of the Church of the Seven Gods to such emotion was not this natural increase, but something far more fundamental.
Israel focused his gaze, scrutinizing Joshua as he was now.
Compared to a few months ago, when they were at the Far Sea Holy Mountain, the warrior's current physical body contained several times the surging life force of before. Terrifying energy flowed through his incredibly sturdy, nearly indestructible frame, guided by his will. Layer upon layer of intricate, precise special structures crisscrossed between his muscles and blood vessels. They formed patterns akin to innate runes, releasing a power unique to Joshua.
From within, Israel could sense a familiar aura—one that transcended the mundane things of heaven and earth, a power directly originating from steel and fire. Unlike the last time, when it had only shown its first signs, Joshua had now grasped the essence of this power. With just a bit more trivial insight, he might very well cross the greatest barrier in this world and comprehend the power to master destiny.
The power of Legendary.
"One step away, Joshua van Radcliffe."
Closing his eyes, then opening them again, Israel couldn't help but let out a soft sigh. He looked at the white-haired warrior with a complex expression, a hint of admiration in his voice: "You are only one step away from us. I originally thought this day would come in a few years, or even a decade or more, but I never imagined it would arrive so quickly."
This terrifying speed had even disrupted his thoughts, leaving the old Pope momentarily stunned, forgetting the purpose of his journey to the Northern Lands.
"One step away is a world of difference, Your Holiness the Pope. You came here, surely not just to say these things."
Bowing slightly, Joshua turned his head slightly, looking toward the distant horizon. After confirming there was no reaction from that direction, the warrior understood that Pope Israel's arrival was not a sudden event but something prearranged. Perhaps his battle with He Er La Si had taken place under the watchful eyes of several Legendary experts.
So, what could have drawn the leader of the Church of the Seven Gods from the southernmost tip of the continent all the way to the extreme north? Was it the sealed Evil God fragment, or the Witherer He Er La Si?
The old Pope seemed able to read Joshua's thoughts. He shook the pure white scepter in his hand and smiled, shaking his head. "Stop guessing, Joshua. I came here not for those trivial matters, but for you."
"Of course." As he said this, Israel's gaze shifted to the nearby Brandon, who was still quietly conversing with Verdani. His eyes fell on the twin blades at the swordsman's waist. "And it also concerns this friend of yours."
The old Pope's descent had not alerted anyone. Apart from Joshua, neither Brandon nor Verdani had any reaction, let alone the Gold-rank experts from other factions. They sensed nothing unusual, as if this Legendary expert didn't exist here at all. Israel's figure was like an ethereal light, visible to no one but the warrior.
"He is very important."
After staring at Brandon for a moment, Israel said softly, "If it weren't for you, he might have been the best choice... But since you're here, no one else has a chance."
What is this all about?
Joshua couldn't help but frown. The old Pope's cryptic tone left him somewhat confused. The warrior asked directly, "Your Holiness, did you seek me out specifically to give me some instructions?"
"Yes."
Without denying it, Israel seemed to think of something. He gripped his scepter tightly and nodded in reply. "But this is not a good place for conversation."
With that, the old Pope reached out his hand toward Joshua.
"You two stay here."
Seeing this, the warrior turned to look at the Divine Mechanism siblings beside him and gave a soft instruction. Then he too reached out and grasped Israel's hand.
—This was not a body of flesh and blood.
The moment they touched, Joshua sensed that the old Pope's aged hand was not made of human flesh and blood, but of countless energies, countless 'lights' condensed together. It was formless, weightless, yet could take whatever shape the old Pope desired, possessing whatever properties he wished.
"Let's go," Israel said.
And the next moment, accompanied by a hazy white light, the two figures suddenly vanished, completely disappearing from Mount Mordes.
In the distant sky, Israel and Nostradamus watched a pillar of light, invisible to ordinary eyes, rise from the earth into the heavens like a reverse meteor.
"Let's go." After staring for a moment, the ruler of the Empire shook his head and said softly, "Teacher Nostradamus, we still have much to do."
"You're right, Your Majesty." The old mage nodded in agreement. Then, the two stepped through a cyan-blue portal that appeared before them and vanished.
Mycroft World, Outer Void.
In the cold, dead darkness, a warm arc of light suddenly flickered to life.
When Joshua came to his senses and opened his eyes, he found himself in the boundless outer reaches of the world.
No gravity, no air, extreme, biting cold. The sensations of freezing and suffocation came rapidly, but the warrior was not panicked. Life energy circulated within his body, and a transparent membrane immediately formed on his skin and over his eyes. Black-red energy swirled around Joshua, forming a ring of light that intercepted the faint radiation of void energy coming his way.
After doing this, he had the energy to observe his surroundings.
And the sight that greeted the warrior made him pause for a moment.
In the void, stars blazed brilliantly. Amidst the endless, dead darkness, countless stars shimmered with light. Without the obstruction of atmosphere and dust, brilliant rivers of galaxies appeared before Joshua's eyes. They flickered with the warrior's breath and shifted with it as well.
But Joshua did not keep his attention fixed on the distant, resplendent sea of stars. Instead, he looked down at what lay beneath him.
It was an invisible barrier, shimmering with an indescribable, hazy light. The warrior focused his gaze, penetrating this barrier. Beyond it, he could see clearly defined white clouds, a land of mingled black and green, and deep blue oceans.
That was the Mycroft plane.
The world was now beneath him.
After silently watching for a moment, Joshua turned to look beside him. Pope Israel stood next to him, also gazing at the world below.
Noticing Joshua's gaze, the old Pope smiled faintly. With a hint of emotion, he said, "This should be your first time in the outer void, right? I didn't expect you to be so calm. It truly surprises me."
I've just seen similar sights before.
Joshua was unwilling to explain further. He was never one for pleasantries or circumlocution. So, after thinking for a moment, the warrior asked directly, "Now that we're in the void, Your Holiness, can you finally tell me what this is about?"
"Of course." As if he had long anticipated the warrior's personality, Israel showed no displeasure at Joshua's straightforwardness. He asked bluntly, "Joshua, do you know of the 'Great Magic Tide'?"
The warrior nodded. Of course, he knew about the Great Magic Tide. Ever since Joshua had crossed over, he had been waiting for its arrival.
The Year of Falling Stars, the magic tide approaches, conflicts begin to stir. Accompanied by the mana tide sweeping across the multiverse, the barriers between worlds weaken, causing space-time passages to appear frequently. Gods fall from the sky, Abyss seals open, the struggle between Chaos and Order dims the stars, and all demons awaken.
The magic tide is the source of all future conflicts. It brings great progress capable of advancing civilization by a thousand years, but also an apocalypse more terrifying than hell. Under the endless assault of Abyss Demons, scorching heat and fierce winds burn the seas, fire clouds and ash obscure the sky. Humanity struggles and wails within, never knowing a day of peace.
Israel did not know what was running through Joshua's mind. He simply looked up, somewhat lost in thought, at the vast, shimmering stars in the darkness.
Then, the Pope of the Church of the Seven Gods calmly raised his hand, pointing in a direction in the void. "Look, Joshua."
The warrior followed his gesture and looked toward one side of the starry sky.
It was a starfield slightly brighter than the rest of the void. Aside from the brilliant starlight and a shimmering galaxy, there was nothing particularly unusual to note.
No. Wait. During his continuous observation, the warrior's eyes suddenly moved. He frowned, staring intently at that starfield, and then said in a deep voice, "...That cluster of stars is shining a bit too strangely!"
The stars in the void were the projected light of countless worlds. The brightness or dimness of this light represented the state of those worlds. But all the stars in that starfield were shining beyond all reason.
Their light interlinked, even producing a nebula-like glow. This glow was visibly spreading toward other starfields at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In this chaotic void, amidst the distances between stars and the barriers between worlds, this glow could actually spread at a speed visible to the naked eye!
Seeing the shock in Joshua's eyes, the old Pope's face showed a faint smile. He watched the bright starfield together with the warrior and said softly, "That is the magic tide."
"A mana tide that spans stars and worlds, sweeping across the entire multiverse. What it brings will be power beyond our imagination, and the terror we have long known."
Israel's voice was soft but incredibly clear. His words, carried by the energy resonance around them, echoed in the warrior's ears: "Beasts do not dwell in bushes; whale sharks do not swim in streams. Even Evil Gods are no exception. The magic tide makes all realms shine with dazzling light, which naturally attracts those colossal entities in the void chaos. Riding the energy waves that even gods find hard to imagine, they will embark on unprecedented, active movements."
Who 'they' referred to needed no explanation. Joshua nodded, understanding what Israel wanted to say.
The old Pope turned his head, looking at the Azure Orb at the warrior's chest. The pure white scepter in his hand resonated unmistakably with the orb. A sacred aura of Order overflowed, even causing a pure white halo to appear in the cold, dead void.
"One of the Sage's Inheritances has been lost."
Letting out a deep sigh, Israel's expression was heavier than ever, deepening the wrinkles on his face. "If it were before, we could have let it go. But now it's different, Joshua. We must gather all the strength we can. Collecting the four Sage's Inheritances is of utmost importance. They hold the secrets of the First Flame. We must obtain them."
"Do you know where it is?"
The warrior suddenly asked.
"...Yes." Giving Joshua a deep look, Israel replied with extreme seriousness, "According to the Seven Gods' deductions, the Church has located the final Sage's Inheritance and its inheritor. It is in a very distant, peripheral world."
"You want me to go retrieve it?"
A faint, unreadable smile appeared on the warrior's face. "To that distant peripheral world?"
"...Yes." After a moment of hesitation, the old Pope said somewhat reluctantly, "Joshua, I am not trying to make things difficult for you. The Church of the Seven Gods has suffered severe damage. We can no longer send large teams across vast distances to another world to find an unknown inheritor. But the inheritors resonate with each other. This is the best choice."
"I... have important responsibilities and cannot leave." Saying this, Israel turned his head painfully, looking down at the Mycroft continent below. His voice carried a hint of bitterness and resolve: "Loranda is in seclusion. The inheritor of the Order Twin Blades has only just broken through to Ultimate-rank. They are not the best choices. Only you can do it."
"I know this journey is extremely dangerous. It is a completely unknown world, where even a Legendary expert could die. But we have no other choice."
The old Pope seemed about to explain further, but the warrior immediately interrupted him.
"I accept."
Joshua shook his head, speaking in a tone that Israel could not fully understand, and smiled. "Go to another world?"
He thought for a moment longer, then said lightly, "That's really a good idea."