Chapter 10: News of the Metal Dragon God
"Israel actually wants to abdicate?"
Upon hearing this news, Joshua was initially shocked, but surprisingly, he didn't find it all that strange.
Thinking about it carefully, what was there to be surprised about?
Only a fool wouldn't see that Israel, the Imperial Emperor, had long wanted to throw in the towel!
As everyone knew, Israel Diamond was not the original heir to the empire. He was forced to take up arms and lead after all his brothers, the crown princes, had fallen in battle... But no one expected that this seemingly ordinary prince possessed such extraordinary talent in combat. Not only did he grow rapidly on the battlefield, but he ultimately slew the Orc Khan in battle and ascended to the throne with the might of a Legendary.
Although he was powerful, he was simply not cut out to be an emperor. Rather than ruling an empire, Israel preferred to be on the battlefield killing enemies. As for other things like political intrigue, scheming, and underhanded tactics—Israel wasn't incapable of them, but he would rather use simple, direct methods to achieve his goals. For example, he was very fond of the Sky Net system, which could directly monitor all crime and disobedience, simply because it was convenient.
For a man like this to say he didn't want to be emperor... was that even news?
"There's nothing strange about it, Nostradamus." Thinking this, Joshua actually reached out and patted the old mage on the shoulder, kindly comforting him. "I dare say that when he created the Sky Net system a few years back, he was already thinking of finding a successor and focusing on this project himself... Don't worry, with us around, the empire won't fall into chaos."
"Nonsense, of course the empire won't fall into chaos." Nostradamus irritably slapped Joshua's hand away. "Israel isn't dead, and the empire has three Legendary experts. No matter how chaotic the situation gets, it won't affect us."
Having said that, his expression turned serious. "Joshua, you know exactly what I'm worried about!"
Hearing this, Joshua fell silent, and Number 3, sitting on his shoulder, slightly opened her eyes. On the girl's forehead, the divine rune of the God of Sky was faintly visible.
The warrior certainly knew what Nostradamus was worried about now.
In his previous life, during the Era of Falling Stars, roughly around this time, the Northern Empire's Emperor Israel died in the Imperial Capital due to severe curse-induced internal injuries. This news was collectively concealed by the Imperial Royal Family—or more precisely, by the various imperial princes and the emperor's harem... Rumors had it that Israel left a will at that time, designating a successor, but until the warrior's transmigration, no one knew what that will actually said.
In the following years, a large-scale civil war broke out among the royal heirs vying for the throne, plunging the Northern Empire into misery and suffering. A vast amount of advanced mana technology was not used against humanity's enemies but against fellow countrymen.
The power Israel gained upon advancing to Legendary could rewrite reality and even grant wishes to a certain extent, but he could not deceive himself about the internal injuries he had suffered. They were the most insidious means the Orc High Priest could employ, combined with totem curses and erosion runes. The poison was potent enough to kill a Dragon King without warning—a certain Metal Dragon King had died from this very curse.
Israel could not deceive himself into ignoring the internal injuries caused by this curse. Even a Legendary could not ignore it, so his body gradually declined until he passed away silently.
Of course, the current Israel, thanks to Joshua giving him a Divine Crystal early on, was able to comprehend the mysteries of divinity... This was indeed a very useful method. With Israel's top-tier talent as a Legendary High-rank, he naturally quickly gleaned something from that Divine Crystal left by the God of Luck and Despair, and managed to curb the worsening of his injuries.
Some time ago, Israel even used the Sky Net system to directly punish criminals across the nation, intimidating all restless and misbehaving nobles, creating a peaceful era that remained stable even under the disturbances of the Death Evil God's conflicts.
Because he had obtained his own divinity, Israel believed he could accomplish more than before. He thought the original poison could no longer kill him, and so the internal injuries that had plagued him for over a decade easily dissipated.
Similarly, because he had obtained divinity, comprehended it himself, and acquired a divinity entirely his own, Israel naturally believed he could become a 'New God.'
His power, for the same reason, would drive him toward this step.
"So, he plans to ascend to godhood?"
Without any euphemism, Joshua sighed. He waved his hand to signal Hei to go play elsewhere while leading Nostradamus back inside the Lord's Manor. "Recently, the God of Might and Justice has often conversed with him. The gods also believe that Israel is a divine awakener and can become His successor."
"And I also know that the ideals of the God of Justice and Might align very well with Israel's. If His Majesty Xing Zheng truly passed on his legacy to Israel before his divine annihilation, then he indeed has the qualifications to become the new God of Might and Justice."
"That's right. If a god is to choose a successor, they would certainly pick someone whose doctrines and ideals are similar, or even identical, to their own."
Seeing that Joshua also understood the current situation well, Nostradamus couldn't help but let out a breath. His expression was somewhat weary—the old mage was always tired—and he slowly said, "So I understand why Israel accepted His Majesty Xing Zheng's legacy and wants to become a deity. But the current situation involves more than just these simple issues... There's also the problem of the clergy's abilities."
Having said this, Nostradamus's face darkened.
The main object of faith in the Northern Empire was the God of Might, Xing Zheng. Naturally, true gods do not require faith to exist; faith merely makes it easier for them to resist divine erosion. Likewise, clergy do not need a god to obtain divine spells. As long as they harbor good intentions and follow a logical order, Holy Light will respond to the clergy and grant them power.
Nevertheless, due to information exchange, Xing Zheng's followers possessed a set of special divine spells related to his divinity, distinguishing them from followers of other gods... Not long ago, Xing Zheng exerted his full power and was annihilated before the Extreme Dark Abyss. The moment Xing Zheng cleaved the River Styx, all of his followers began to gradually lose those special divine spells associated with him.
"Most of the empire's clergy are beginning to lose the power of 'Might's Divine Spells.' Although they are still clergy, they are much weaker than before."
Sitting on the sofa in the guest room, Nostradamus frowned with worry. "The Northern Empire is the gathering place for followers of the God of Might. Losing Might's Divine Spells has caused their strength to decline rapidly. Some can no longer defeat magical beasts and monsters they could easily handle before. This has caused considerable chaos in many areas."
"To allow all the clergy who have lost their divine favor to regain Might's Divine Spells, Israel wants to ascend to godhood as quickly as possible and become the new God of Might and Justice."
Hearing this, Joshua finally understood why the old mage was so troubled.
Abdicating the throne was not a problem; as long as the three Legendary experts were alive, the empire would not fall into chaos.
Attempting to ascend to godhood was also not a problem; for Israel, becoming a god might be the most suitable path for his advancement.
Nostradamus was not opposed to these two things. On the contrary, he welcomed them.
The problem was that Israel wanted to ascend to godhood immediately, but the entire empire was not yet prepared for it.
"Ascending to godhood—although legends have always circulated about it, and there seems to be a set of effective rituals, to this day, no one has truly ascended to the divine throne through various arrays and magic... Wanting to become a deity? How could it be that simple!"
At this point, Nostradamus was practically venting his grievances. "If he rushes to ascend and fails, not only will he die, but His Majesty Xing Zheng's legacy will also be lost, not to mention the potential turmoil. Although with the two of us around, the empire won't fall into true chaos, why take the risk of relying on luck? Why not postpone the ascension a bit to increase the chances of success? If he dies, no matter how small the turmoil, technological innovation and otherworld exploration will have to wait until a new emperor ascends to restart."
In this way, the Northern Empire's leading reform momentum would likely fall behind other factions.
Joshua understood this was the ideological difference between Israel and Nostradamus. The former wanted to ascend quickly, becoming stronger while ensuring the followers of the God of Might could regain their special divine spells. The latter preferred stability, caring more about long-term order than the current minor disturbances.
Joshua couldn't say who to support. Israel believed in his own strength and will; taking one step faster now would allow him to move even faster later. Nostradamus wanted to ensure the empire's stable development without any accidents. Neither was wrong.
"Alright... I'll send a message and advise Israel to slow down. Besides, the clergy losing their unique divine spells isn't entirely a bad thing. A short-term decline in strength might help them gain a deeper understanding of the true essence of Holy Light."
After thinking it over, Joshua ultimately decided to side with Nostradamus. He said, "If he insists on ascending soon despite everything, I'll be there to assist him and minimize the risks as much as possible."
Supporting Nostradamus wasn't because Joshua was unwilling to take risks, but because he believed now was not a good time for ascension.
To suppress the Abyss's mutation and defeat the Death Evil God, both Joshua and the remaining six gods had suffered considerable damage. They were all recuperating and not at their peak. At this stage, he and the gods, unable to act freely, could not guarantee the safety of Israel's ascension.
However, if Israel insisted on ascending immediately, Joshua could observe the birth of a true god up close as a guardian.
Perhaps he might find a technique to suppress his own divinity or gain some inspiration from Israel's ascension ritual... That wouldn't be a bad thing either.
Hearing Joshua agree to this matter, Nostradamus stroked his beard and breathed a sigh of relief.
He and Israel had been teacher and student for many years, always supporting each other. But this time, what Israel wanted to do was not something he could handle alone. Although the relationship between the world's Legendary experts had improved compared to before, Nostradamus was still unwilling to entrust such a matter as ascension to others.
If possible, he still hoped that Joshua, as an imperial noble of the same faction, could help Israel. But the old mage also knew that Joshua's current condition was poor, so he personally came to check on the warrior's situation and inquire about his stance.
The matter was not complicated. After deciding on the next course of action, Nostradamus prepared to bid farewell to Joshua. They also chatted about the recently popular game 'Continent of Strife.'
Nostradamus was also a closed beta tester and a master who had reached the fourth civilization stage. But even as a Legendary mage, he had not yet cleared the fifth stage.
"How exactly do you defeat the three otherworldly Chaos legions?" Before leaving, the old mage felt very puzzled. "A single otherworldly legion is an opponent that an entire world civilization can only defeat with all its might. Two legions can barely be suppressed with tactics. Three legions attacking simultaneously is simply something no civilization can resist."
"The answer is simple. There are many solutions."
For his old friend Nostradamus, Joshua naturally wouldn't hide anything. He shrugged, making Number 3 jiggle, and said, "The simplest method is to cultivate a Legendary-level figure with immense potential. Using their power to assist the entire civilization's army, defeating the three legions one by one is not difficult."
"Secondly, you should be able to see that the three Chaos legions are not from the same faction. They also fight among themselves. If you retreat a bit, hunker down in a strategic rear area, and let them fight over territory, you can take advantage of their civil war to raid their portals and end the war."
"As for the more orthodox method I designed, it's a blitzkrieg—abandon defense and take the initiative to attack. Behind each otherworldly legion is an empty world with abundant resources. If you can quickly eliminate the first legion of minions, you can recover using that world's resources and defeat the three legions in sequence."
As for what the fifth stage was like and how to play it, Joshua didn't reveal a single word. Before leaving with some regret, Nostradamus dropped another bombshell.
"The Metal Dragon God, the Steel of Ten Thousand Dragons, wants to see you."
Saying this, Nostradamus had already opened a space-time passage. He patted his forehead, somewhat annoyed. "Damn, that lord's power affects cognition. Even as a Legendary, I almost forgot about this... In short, the Metal Dragon God is currently at the Vanguard Fortress. He's been communicating with the Star Shepherd and the Great Khan recently and seems to have obtained some strange information."
"He wants to see you, Joshua. I suggest you find a chance to go. Unlike the Five-Colored Dragon Clan, Metal Dragons are always orderly and gentle."
Having said this, Nostradamus, who had stepped entirely into the space-time passage, revealed a rather strange expression. He said with some confusion, "Strangely enough, He only wants to see you—you, the Sage's successor who slew the Evil God."
"To see you, the 'Soulflame King.'"