Chapter 65: It's Time to Set Off
When she said these words, there was a hint of playfulness in No. 3's eyes. She didn't actually want any help or gifts; she just wanted to see how Joshua would react in this situation. But what she didn't expect was that, after thinking for a moment, the warrior actually nodded with a serious expression.
"I do have something to give you, but it's not me helping you—it's you helping me."
Joshua crouched down, face to face with No. 3, so he could have a private and smooth conversation with the Artificial Intelligence Girl. His expression was solemn, but his tone was sincere: "Think about it carefully; perhaps you're the only one who can help me with this."
"Then... then speak." Faced with the warrior suddenly approaching so closely with such a serious expression, No. 3 herself stepped back uneasily, her voice a bit flustered: "What do you need... my help with?"
"This can't be said out loud."
Seeing No. 3 agree, Joshua chuckled. Then, he reached out and pressed his hand against the seemingly illusory magical projection of the Artificial Intelligence Girl. Silver light flickered, and radiance flowed along the meridians of arcane power, as if the warrior's palm had actually touched something solid: "In any case, I'm counting on you."
As for No. 3, whose head was being pressed, an immense amount of azure magical runes flickered in her eyes, and an endless waterfall of data flashed through them. After a moment, Joshua withdrew his hand, his face slightly pale, while No. 3's expression seemed somewhat pained. She let out a few low cries of pain, then looked at the warrior with an incredulous gaze: "Joshua, you—what are you trying to do?!" She seemed about to continue, but was stopped by the warrior's look.
"Experimenting with a possibility, also preparing for the future."
In response to No. 3's questioning, Joshua just smiled and said no more. He stood up, raised his head to look at the Glowstone Lamp flickering in the center of the second-floor corridor of the Lord's Manor, his expression calm, as if nothing had happened: "This matter is a secret between you and me. It's best not to tell anyone... I believe you can help me."
"...Since you've said that, I'll naturally act as if nothing happened." Hearing this, the Artificial Intelligence Girl could only lower her head with slight reluctance. She murmured softly: "But... if that's the case... why go this far? I believe things will never come to that!"
"Nothing is absolute, No. 3." Joshua began to walk toward the other side of the Lord's Manor, while seriously answering No. 3, who followed him: "Anything is possible."
"And to win, you need to overcome the worst-case scenario."
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Edge of the Great Aias Mountains, Dwarf Settlement.
Deep within the earth, the dwarven city was bustling with activity.
In the natural underground cavern, thousands of sturdy dwarves trod on the flat ground. Solid roads, paved by magic that turned mud to stone, radiated from the city center, reaching every corner of the settlement. One of these roads ended at the foot of a large, stepped building. At the top of this trapezoidal pyramid was a nozzle-like chimney, constantly spewing what seemed like tangible arcane power and steam. Its foundation was deeply embedded in the strata, drawing on the power of lava to supply the operation of the massive machinery within.
The giant steel giant, Chu Hao, was digging the foundation opposite this factory. It knew the purpose of the building before it: it was a second-generation Rune Mana Factory built in response to the Great Magic Tide. Compared to the first-generation Mana Factory, besides being able to produce general-purpose magical equipment like Mana Armor, it could also manufacture some core components of large floating warships. Chu Hao knew that the Northern Rune Dwarves had recently received a large order from the Imperial military, but their production capacity was slightly insufficient, so they had commissioned it to dig the foundation for a second Rune Factory.
"How is it, Chu Hao? If you feel tired, take a rest!"
In front of the huge pit caused by the foundation digging, Tania, the new leader of the Northern Dwarves, stroked his long, dark yellow beard and the copper rings on it, shouting loudly: "We're not in a hurry!"
"Zzz."
Not needed. I do not get tired from mere physical movement. Chu Hao answered honestly, continuing its work. But obviously, the dwarf beside it couldn't understand what the Steel Elemental said and could only shrug helplessly.
Steel Elementals, like ordinary elemental lifeforms, sustain themselves by absorbing magical elements from the surrounding atmosphere. Various rare metals were, for Chu Hao, just tasty snacks, providing material for its transformations. Now, located near the Mana Factory, even the excess arcane power discharged by the factory made it very comfortable. Chu Hao felt that the dwarves had been very good to it, requiring no extra light, and it was very willing to contribute its strength to these sincere people.
But just then, Chu Hao's thoughts were interrupted for a moment. The massive steel lifeform abruptly stopped its work, stood up straight, and looked into the distance. The Steel Elemental felt as if it had been struck by lightning; a massive current surged through its entire body. Following this, a vast amount of information descended out of thin air, borne by a marvelous connection it couldn't yet comprehend.
"What's wrong?! Chu Hao?!"
Tania had originally turned back with his guards, preparing to leave. After all, having just taken over the reins from his father, the Old Dwarf Moria, he was very busy. Besides visiting Chu Hao, he also needed to inspect the factories located throughout the settlement. But now, seeing the strange condition suddenly appearing on the Steel Elemental, Tania immediately ignored his guards' obstruction, came to the edge of the foundation pit, and nervously asked Chu Hao, whose electric current had just disappeared: "Are you alright? What happened just now?"
Tania's heart was full of tension at this moment, not only from genuine concern but also from practical considerations. He knew that Chu Hao was not just a source of living metal treasured by the Rune Dwarf craftsmen or an important labor force for large projects. Its most important identity was as a subordinate of that legendary lord—the Northern Dwarves were merely entrusted by him to take care of it. Even the order for the floating warship was secured with his help. If anything happened to Chu Hao, he, as the new leader, might very well be ousted!
"Wait a moment, I'll immediately call the Grand Artificers to come and take a look!" Thinking this, Tania made a decision in his heart. He immediately turned to leave, intending to find the few Grand Artificers who were very familiar with Chu Hao's body—great figures who had once delved deep into the Elemental Plane and knew all about alien lifeforms. But before the young dwarf could take a few steps, a familiar yet unfamiliar deep voice sounded behind him.
"Zzz... No need, I'm fine, Tania."
Hearing his name, the dwarf turned back in shock. What he saw was the massive Steel Elemental slightly lowering its head, meeting his gaze. Chu Hao seemed to carry a hint of a smile as it continued: "Human language pronunciation... zzz... I've learned it. This is Father's... power!"
The minor commotion in the Dwarf Settlement caused by Chu Hao suddenly learning the Common Tongue quickly subsided. Most people were not surprised by this; after all, the vast majority of adult elite elemental beings had the intelligence to learn languages, and Elemental Elders possessed thinking abilities no less than human elites. As a Steel Elemental, although its race was peculiar, Chu Hao clearly had considerable intelligence, so suddenly learning a language was not strange.
Only some high-ranking individuals remembered the strange phenomena that appeared on Chu Hao before it learned the language, and the "Father" it mentioned.
Count Radcliffe, had he mastered some new power again? This seemingly unimportant piece of gossip spread in secret, then was collected by some observant individuals. They diligently compiled it with other information related to that legendary count, and finally reported it layer by layer, delivering it into the hands of their masters.
"The ability to grant wisdom? Chu Hao already had wisdom; it just learned to speak now."
In the Imperial Capital, at the Royal Study of the Morlai Palace, Israel shook his head and set aside the report before him. He sighed and said: "Nash, you don't need to spend every day collecting information on Lord Radcliffe. If you want to know his power, you can just go directly and ask in my name. Say that for the stability of the Empire, I need to know just how far his power has reached. I know him; if you ask directly like that, he will tell you, just as if he asked me, I would tell him too—there is no need for sneaky concealment between the strong, and under legendary power, there is no room for conspiracy."
"The power of the Shadow should not be concentrated in the Northern Lands; that is meaningless. You should focus on those decaying great nobles in the southeast. And I believe Lord Radcliffe is already aware of your little tricks. The only reason he hasn't crushed all you bugs peeping at his secrets with one hand is that he is willing to abide by order and doesn't want to casually kill my men."
"Yes... Yes, Your Majesty!"
Hearing Israel's words, the warrior in black armor and black clothes, kneeling on one knee, immediately broke out in a cold sweat. After being awakened, he instantly realized how dangerous it was to spy on the secrets of a legendary expert. If the other party harbored any dissatisfaction with the Imperial Royal Family because of this, then even ten thousand deaths would not atone for his sin. Fortunately, Count Radcliffe was broad-minded and didn't bother with him.
But it was hard to blame him entirely. After all, the purpose of the Shadow was to gather information on anything that might threaten the Empire. And what person's threat could be greater than a legendary expert? Vigilance against the overly powerful was an instinctive necessity. So after pondering for a moment, Israel did not overly punish this loyal subordinate of his.
"Nash Voshad, you were once a warrior who fought bloodily on the battlefield. It was my fault for keeping you in a gloomy and secretive place like the Shadow for so long, wearing down your spirit."
He stood up from the large chair behind the desk and walked over to the warrior. Israel said slowly: "Working in a place like that will not end well... In a few years, after you finish your handover, come to my side and serve as a Captain of the Guard."
Hearing this, Nash, who had been feeling low, suddenly raised his head. He looked at Israel in surprise, then immediately realized his disrespect and deeply lowered his head, saying with immense gratitude: "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!"
An ordinary person might find this strange. As the head of the Empire's most important central intelligence agency, the position of Shadow Commander was by no means inferior to that of a deputy legion commander. Moreover, the ability to meet the Imperial Emperor at any time surpassed many other important positions. For Nash to step down from this post and become merely a Captain of the Guard seemed like a huge demotion in status. Why would he be so happy? But in reality, it was quite different.
As Israel said, the head of the Shadow department could never end well. The great nobles whose secrets had been spied on would go to great lengths to eliminate this damned bastard who knew most of their scandals. Their methods were numerous, and even Nash couldn't claim to evade them all. Israel's willingness to make him a personal guard meant that such retaliatory assassinations would be impossible. No noble would be foolish enough to attack someone openly protected by a legendary emperor. Moreover, becoming a personal guard meant Nash might receive guidance from a legendary expert, potentially reaching the Ultimate-rank in the future. In the world of Transcendents, this surpassed all gold, silver, power, and influence.
"Alright, you're not off duty yet."
Somewhat exasperated, he kicked this warrior who had followed him since the Orc War era. Israel paused, then said: "But you're not wrong; he must have learned something new again... Nash, send word to Di Mo Er and A Er Wa."
"Tell them, it's time to set off."