Chapter 61: The Mystery of the Ancient Dragon
Israel was certainly not one to talk without acting. In fact, he had already made ample preparations for his goals. During their return from the underground sealed space to the Void Observatory, this ruler of the empire explained his series of plans in detail to Joshua.
On the current Mycroft Continent, all Legendary-rank experts were aware of the truth regarding the Evil Gods and the world's inherent malice toward them. This was information passed down through generations. However, not long ago, because the Mycroft World was on the verge of death, whether it held malice toward humanity or not was irrelevant—after all, everyone was a passenger on a sinking ship, with no mind to target each other. But now, because Joshua had reignited the flame, granting both humanity and the world a chance to continue, everyone had ample time. The sealed World Will would gradually awaken as well.
As long as the sealing arrays left by the ancient gods and the Sage remained intact, a mere weakened World Will could not stir up any waves. Even if it truly broke free from the seal, the process would take hundreds or thousands of years. However, if the Abyss invaded or an Evil God descended, and the Mycroft Continent became infected by their aura, things would become uncertain. Thus, although the seal was perfect, all factions had backup plans to prevent accidents.
Before Israel, the previous emperors of the Northern Empire had also been tirelessly searching for new worlds. The Void Observatory's detection array, specialized in life reactions, was clear evidence of this. To research stable teleportation arrays capable of traveling between two worlds, Israel had always strongly supported Nostradamus's related research activities. He had even recently helped the latter achieve Legendary advancement. Without a doubt, with a Legendary spellcaster specializing in space-time magic, the pace of such research would greatly accelerate.
"Developing transport ships capable of traversing the void, large-scale cross-world teleportation channels, and simultaneously dispatching multiple elite squads to explore surrounding worlds in search of suitable land... At least fifteen years, huh? Though it sounds lengthy, for such high-end technology and the future of humanity, it's remarkably fast."
Joshua recalled Israel's every move and realized that was indeed the case. This emperor had already developed flying sky warships, and Nostradamus had established a teleportation network connecting various parts of the empire. Aside from entrusting him, they had certainly sent many squads to attempt exploration, but it seemed progress in that area was not smooth, which was why they sought the help of a Legendary expert.
—It seemed the key lay in finding a new world.
"Actually, exploring the stars and then migrating isn't the only option. We have a simpler and faster way to resolve the aftermath."
Hearing Joshua's muttering, Israel activated his wristband, causing the pitch-black void portal to open again. He said calmly, "Whether it's the Abyss's invasion or the awakening of a World Will hostile to us, neither can truly eradicate humanity. The current strength of the various races on the Mycroft Continent is not weak; we are confident in resisting any threat. If we completely eliminate that sealed World Will, the aftermath will be easily resolved."
These words made even Joshua turn his head. When Israel said this, his expression did not change at all, as if he were not talking about killing the mother who had nurtured all races on the earth and everything in this world, but rather about slaughtering an orc with ease. The warrior could even see a hint of madness flickering in Israel's eyes. But then, the emperor shook his head and denied it: "Unfortunately, our ancestors left a teaching: as lives born from it, we cannot directly kill it. Even if we did, it would only fulfill the conditions to attract the Evil God [Doom]. Moreover, other World Wills would harbor deep malice toward us, the mother-killers. It would be completely counterproductive."
There was no love without reason, nor hate without cause. Why did the World Will abandon humanity and choose magical beasts instead? Israel did not voice his guess, but Joshua had some ideas. Back in the Era of Radiance, when the Mycroft Continent fought against the Abyss and Evil Gods, the Earth Mother Goddess was also a member resisting external invaders. As the incarnation of the earth, she was undoubtedly closely connected to the World Will. In the end, the Earth Mother Goddess was severely wounded and nearly dissipated. Certain events during that time must have influenced the World Will's choice.
Joshua did not want to dwell on the possibly filthy conspiracies behind this—not because he refused to accept them, but because it was meaningless. Since things had come to this, no matter what had happened back then or who was right or wrong, he would only choose to help humanity overcome this crisis.
A few seconds later, the two had passed through the portal and returned to the secret meeting room of the Void Observatory. The unknown Fairy Queen said in a cheerful voice, "The seal is functioning well. Good maintenance, Israel."
"Naturally. How are your injuries?"
From their conversation, Joshua learned that the fairy speaking from afar was none other than the severely wounded Earth Queen of the Fairyland from not long ago. Listening closely, her voice did sound a bit weak, but it seemed she had recovered considerably.
As for Israel's earlier words about the Evil God [Doom], Joshua knew it was not an exaggeration but a fact. Most Evil Gods could not invade a complete and orderly world. They could only descend from the distant void after a series of conditions were met. For example, the Evil God [Calamity] required a massive environmental change like the near-extinction of the original ecosystem in the Ilgena World, which enraged the World Will. The Evil God [Plague] required a worldwide plague of extinction. [Famine] had the ability to explore other worlds and had encountered its true form in the void.
Each Evil God had specific triggering conditions, but [a world having a large number of lives aware of their true nature] was common to all Evil Gods. During the Era of Radiance, the extreme prosperity of that time, along with the large-scale wars and plagues caused by the endless Abyss invasion, instantly attracted Evil Gods including [Plenty] and [Plague]. If the World Will were completely killed, they would face the same dire situation as a thousand years ago, with the addition of the Evil God [Doom].
Thinking of this, Joshua showed a complex expression. He had originally thought he had solved many problems—the Mad Dragon Plague, the world's survival, and the Abyss's invasion—either resolving them or laying the groundwork for a response. But he had never expected the Mycroft Continent to have so many follow-up issues: the hostile earth, the Evil Gods, and the exploration of new worlds.
"Really, if this were my past life, this would probably be content for several subsequent version updates—completely uncharted territory for me."
Though thinking this, the warrior did not show a frustrated expression. In fact, Joshua looked quite pleased. His gaze pierced through the sturdy alloy shell of the Void Observatory, watching the chaotic space-time currents, enjoying the pleasure called challenge.
The road ahead was indeed arduous, but that was no big deal. Since he had almost single-handedly solved the previous troubles, now with so many companions and the world's situation so much better than in his past life, there was no reason they could not solve the subsequent problems.
Even the Mycroft Continent, which had become almost a ruin twenty years later in his past life, still had the strength to counterattack the Abyss and ambush Abyss Lords. The current situation was far from that bad.
Not long after, when Israel finished communicating with the Fairy Queen, he turned around and called out to Joshua, who seemed about to leave.
"Lord Radcliffe."
At this moment, Israel used a formal address. Joshua knew immediately that the other party must have something to trouble him about, and it was definitely not a public matter like saving the world, but something personal.
As expected, Israel hesitated for a moment before saying, "Though it's sudden, I have some matters to entrust to you."
After Joshua nodded in agreement, the emperor stated his request: "I have two children..."
...
When Joshua traveled through the space-time channel and returned to the Moldavia Territory in the Northern Lands, he still found it somewhat amusing.
Israel, always resolute and decisive in action, still struggled like a normal father when discussing matters concerning his descendants. Of course, he did not show much emotion, but for a fellow Legendary expert like Joshua, it was enough to prove the hesitation in his heart.
"The Second Prince and the Seventh Prince, huh... That's right. The former proved his ability as the next iron-fisted emperor through his actions in my past life, while the latter is the only legitimate son and youngest child."
Managing a vast empire consumed a great deal of Israel's time and energy. If not for the need to maintain the stability of the Northern Empire, this emperor might have gone to explore other worlds himself instead of entrusting Joshua. To pull himself out of this huge vortex, since the end of the Orc War, Israel had begun considering appointing a crown prince and deciding on the next imperial heir.
Now, it seemed he had some choices in mind. Israel favored the powerful Second Prince to inherit his position, while the Seventh Prince, though lacking in strength, was still young. Moreover, the legitimate son had the orthodox claim and the support of the Empress's faction. The choice between the two indeed troubled the emperor, so he intended to make Joshua's choice part of the deciding factors.
"Meeting them sometime isn't a difficult task." As a former martial arts dojo owner in his past life, Joshua was not averse to taking disciples. He had already selected several outstanding students at Winterfell Academy as nominal disciples. Adding two princes would not make much difference. As long as they passed his tests, everything would be fine.
Flying slowly through the air, Joshua looked down at his territory. The current Moldavia Territory was vastly different from a few years ago. Under the hard work of engineering soldiers wearing Mana Armor, the entire territory was covered with sturdy stone roads extending in all directions. Every town and village, whether deep in the mountains or in the forest, was connected by a road. With such convenient circulation channels, cults and demon sacrifices based on isolation no longer had room to develop.
Around the main city, four satellite cities were gradually taking shape. Many shops had already opened, serving the engineering personnel. Under the impact of the large-scale spread of low-to-mid-level mana technology deliberately promoted by the Northern Empire's high-level officials, large-scale urban renovations were underway throughout the empire, and the newly built satellite cities were no exception. On both sides of the city roads, small towers resembling street lamps could be seen from time to time. These were mana nodes used to replenish energy for surrounding magical devices. Simple-looking Mana Armors were using these small towers as centers to dig foundations and construct buildings.
The current Mycroft Continent, against the backdrop of the Great Magic Tide, was rapidly advancing toward an era of 'magical industrialization.' With the immense abundance of arcane power, many designs that were previously unprofitable or too energy-consuming had become feasible. At the same time, the mid-level strength of the entire world seemed to explode, expanding rapidly. Many soldiers and knights who had remained at Black Iron or Silver rank due to talent or inheritance had continuously improved their ranks in recent years, instantly raising the overall strength of the world by a level.
In the Moldavia Territory, many elite knights had advanced from Silver to Gold rank. Not long ago, Joshua gathered them, provided each with a suitable breathing art, and guided them on their flaws and future growth paths.
However, just as the warrior was admiring his territory, he suddenly sensed two familiar arcane fluctuations coming from the direction of the Great Aias Mountains. Just a few days ago, Joshua had met the owners of these fluctuations.
They were the arcane fluctuations of two Legendary mages.
—What's going on? Joshua blinked, feeling a bit puzzled. Hadn't Baniel and William already returned to the Sky-Piercing White Tower to continue as their guest elders? Why were they back here again?
Thinking was not as good as asking. Determining the location, Joshua accelerated and flew toward the Great Aias Mountains.
A few minutes later, accompanied by a red light trail piercing through the clouds, Joshua slowly descended from the sky. Frowning, he looked at the two Legendary mages located on the waist of a mountain peak and asked with some confusion, "You two, why are you here again? I remember your schedule; you should be teaching at the Sky-Piercing White Tower right now..."
Mid-sentence, Joshua suddenly stopped because he saw a deep blue portal, from which curious young mages continuously emerged, looking around at the surrounding Great Aias Mountains.
"It's an extracurricular experiment, Joshua. The empire has recently been collaborating with the Sky-Piercing White Tower on some projects, including mutual personnel exchanges for learning."
The two Legendary mages, who were guiding students through the space-time channel, rose from the ground. Baniel was the first to greet him. This old mage, who exuded wisdom and wore immaculate robes, smiled and stroked his beard: "We notified you not long ago. I remember you replied with agreement—but thinking about it now, your assistant probably handled it for you, right? After all, you don't seem like the type to deal with administrative affairs."
The old mage said this without any derogatory intent. On the Mycroft Continent, many Transcendent experts owned vast territories but did not manage them themselves, leaving it to their subordinates or assistants. They were only responsible for protection, not management. Joshua did not find this strange, so he shrugged and guessed inwardly: "Research on space-time? It seems Nostradamus hasn't been idle either."
While Joshua was conversing with the two Legendary mages, on the ground, many mages who had just passed through the space-time channel from the Sky-Piercing White Tower looked up curiously. Most of them were young, dressed as students, indeed the disciples of Baniel and William. These young mages tried to catch a glimpse of the newly promoted Legendary warrior, curious about the title 'youngest Legendary in history.' However, the moment most of them tried to look up, they felt dizzy. Another part, due to strong mental fortitude, only experienced a slight palpitation. This was the result of Joshua deliberately restraining his pressure; he did not want to accidentally harm these young people.
Even though some of them were older than him in age.
"Extracurricular experiment... Are you talking about this Writhing Forest?"
Following Baniel's words, Joshua looked down at the ground with some headache. At the foot of a mountain peak, a large, eerie forest full of vitality was slowly writhing on the earth, stretching its branches and tentacles.
This was the spoils of war the two Legendary mages had brought back from the Sixth Abyss. Using exquisite space-time teleportation, they had directly uprooted a large piece of Abyss land along with these forests and placed them in the Great Aias Mountains. According to William's explanation, due to environmental issues, these peculiar biological forests, which grew in the Abyss and had countless tentacles and dragon scales, only liked the sulfurous environment around volcanoes. Now, the Writhing Forest was living peacefully on this land, not causing the trouble the warrior had anticipated.
"You said this forest is related to ancient dragons."
Joshua stared at this strange otherworldly forest, his tone carrying some curiosity: "Since you've brought students here now, it must mean you've gotten results—what exactly have you discovered?"
"Would you believe it?"
Hearing Joshua's direct question, Baniel and William exchanged glances. This time, it was William who smiled and replied, "After a few days of research, we really have found quite a bit."