Chapter 63: The Inheritor of Magic
Starfall Year 844, February 19th. After five consecutive days of fine-tuning the Star Gate tunnel, stabilizing space-time frequencies, and connecting the Jetram Space-Time Hub with the Myriad Realms Sacrificial Ground, the expedition fleet finally established a link with the Mycroft world itself.
This was a day destined to be recorded in history. First, it proved the feasibility of 'Star River Expeditions', demonstrating that the Starfall Mycroft Civilization indeed possessed the capability to manufacture high-grade Void Warships and project combat power across star rivers. Second, it proved the power of the Myriad Realms Sacrificial Ground, capable of spanning the Silent Void and connecting to any Space-Time Hub within the observable multiverse.
Somewhat shamefully, the prototype designs for the vast majority of warships originated from the Era of Radiance. Even the core concepts of the superweapons were not designed by the Starfall Era itself. The only aspect of the expedition fleet's technology worthy of praise was the design of the 'Ecological Ship', entirely overseen and constructed by the Nature Mentor, Galannod, demonstrating perfect material supply and circulation capabilities. However, that being said, while constantly referencing the design blueprints of the Era of Radiance is not a healthy process of technological advancement, if you have them, why not use them?
After all, feeling guilt and self-reproach doesn't stop you from enjoying the feeling of using a multi-kilometer-long super-battleship to bully a hundred-meter-long escort ship from another world.
It really is satisfying.
According to statistics compiled by the Ocean Sage, Faina, during the process of suppressing the Spirit Clan civilization, blocking otherworldly civilizations from entering the Origin Star River, and confronting the Knowledge Seizer, the expedition fleet lost a total of one hundred and twenty-two ships of various types. Among these, the main fleet of the Mycroft people suffered no losses among its large warships. The only casualty was a malfunction in the Mana Core of the flagship belonging to the Sword Saint, Lamotte. The sole victims of this expedition were a scout ship belonging to the Elite Squad and two escort ships hit by stray fire, resulting in a total of 84 temporary deaths. Joshua's comment on this was: "As expected? It's always them."
Eighty-three of their Soul Abyss Orbs were recovered, but one unlucky individual's orb went missing. A divination spell is currently being used to track it down.
The core fleet of the Shart people suffered minimal damage. Their main task was to deploy unmanned fighter craft, coordinating with the semi-intelligent combat plants within the Void Behemoth fortress to encircle and suppress the otherworldly fleets. Not a single one of their ships was destroyed, though the majority of their drones could not be recovered.
The fleet that suffered the most damage within the entire expedition was the Demon's Lava Fleet. This extremely primitive meteorite fleet, entirely reliant on the power of various Demon Lords and the Demon King, suffered the destruction of over twenty meteorite warships simply because they moved too fast and self-destructed. When confronting the otherworldly fleet, they had virtually no chance to engage in battle. As for the over one hundred damaged ships, most were actually destroyed during landing operations after the confrontation with the Salvation, when the Demon fleet descended upon other worlds to suppress the native inhabitants.
After all... a Demon invasion basically involves crashing the entire meteorite warship down. That's the only way to have presence.
After Emperor Amos and the High Patriarch of Takur retreated, the Knowledge Seizer's fleet also began to slowly pull back and contract, ending their confrontation with the various experts of the expedition fleet. As the vanguard of the joint fleet, the Demon fleet proceeded to suppress several native civilizations on life-bearing worlds surrounding the Origin Star River. They selected one life world and began constructing the second Void base for Mycroft Civilization within the Multiverse Star River.
Speaking of the Knowledge Seizer, all Legendary experts were puzzled. This civilization, described by the Great Khan as being like heaven itself, initially displayed a considerable degree of hostility. However, this hostility seemed less like 'collecting knowledge, destroying civilizations' and more like being on guard against something arriving from a dangerous place.
Soon, when communication became possible, the Knowledge Seizer seemed to glean some information from a certain sentence, and the hostility in their tone vanished completely. They began to actively withdraw.
It is worth noting that the Knowledge Seizer's fleet did not show any sign of retreat when facing the two top-tier Transcendent beings, Emperor Amos and the High Patriarch of Takur. These two Transcendent beings also acted as if the other didn't exist, mutually ignoring each other. This alone is enough to show the power of the Knowledge Seizer.
And then, after all of the above had already occurred.
Above the massive Space-Time Hub of the Jetram World, the Star Gate tunnel slowly opened. The unique and distinct silver light of the Silver Sky's Radiance within the Myriad Realms Sacrificial Ground was clearly visible.
The Star Gate was open. The familiar scent of home drifted over from the other side. All the expeditionary soldiers waiting for this moment around the Jetram World felt extremely excited. The radiance of six Divine Powers directly pierced through the blue Star Gate rift, arriving in this otherworldly star river, followed by wave after wave of support fleets.
While the expeditionary force sailed through the Silent Void and engaged other civilizations in the Multiverse Star River, the Mycroft home world was not idle. The entire Bannert Plateau and the southeastern part of the Eastern Plains had become heavy industrial bases. Through the Void Sky-Piercing Tower, one Void Warship after another was sent into the Void. Resources from other worlds made the resources of the Mycroft world extremely abundant. Furthermore, the number of Transcendent beings experienced a leapfrog growth as the children born during the Great Magic Tide grew up.
Starfall Year 845, February 19th, Mycroft Standard World Time 6:55 PM, Jetram World, Star Gate Tunnel.
A ghostly girl, accompanied by a gray-haired girl who could barely be called a young woman clutching a dandelion plush toy, walked out of a landing craft. They curiously looked down at the Jetram continent, which had been completely transformed.
"Aha! We're here, beautiful new world!"
Arriving at the lift platform, the ghostly girl shouted in a tone full of energy, completely at odds with her race. She and the gray-haired girl turned their heads in perfect sync, scanning the surrounding docking platform. This exit station for the Star Gate, located at an altitude of 5600 meters, was entirely maintained by floating Mana machinery and could hold over one hundred thousand people. However, since this was the early stage of the Star Gate's completion, not many people were lucky enough to get the chance to travel to another star river, so the station's load was not heavy.
"Sister Su Er, where is big brother and the others?"
The gray-haired girl—or rather, young woman—had let her once shoulder-length hair grow down to her waist over the past few years. Brandi curiously looked down at the cloudy sky of the Jetram world and the continent faintly visible through the gaps in the clouds. She asked softly, "Didn't he say he would come back to pick us up?"
"Should be down below?" Su Er wasn't very sure either, but soon, the girl skillfully gave up thinking. "Whatever, anyway, if we can't find anyone, it's Priest who'll be anxious, not us. No big deal."
"Sister is right." Holding the dandelion plush toy, Brandon nodded in agreement.
As they spoke, the lift platform carrying Su Er and Brandi began to descend slowly. This steel platform, shaped like a cylinder and enclosed in transparent tempered glass, could carry one hundred and fifty people up or down at a time. The entire Star Gate station had seventy-five such lifts operating simultaneously, capable of handling a throughput of 11,250 people.
The lift started, passing through the dark, gloomy clouds, descending steadily. After crossing the cloud layer, the bright and bustling ground came into view.
Due to the massive magical power drawn by the Star Gate, a huge mana rain cloud constantly gathered beneath it. In the gloomy weather, bright white lights illuminated most of the continent. Shimmering magical runes had transformed this otherworld into a different form. A colossal steel base stood at the center of countless arrays, built around the Space-Time Hub.
Looking down from above, everywhere were towering mana spires and massive steel structures. The city, built entirely to the standards of Transcendent beings, had never considered many of the issues ordinary people faced from the very beginning of its design. Floating patrol lanterns and high-precision detection arrays scanning the entire city every 30 seconds formed the dazzling nightscape of the Jetram base. An invisible protective barrier kept the rain outside the city.
Several small escort ships could be seen patrolling in formation around the base, their silver-blue exhaust trails brilliant and eye-catching.
"This is... way too cool!"
Even though Su Er and Brandi had always lived in the relatively modernized Moldavia, they couldn't help but exclaim in admiration when they saw this scene, so different from the style of a world of swords and magic. "I really hope we can see big brother (Priest) soon!"
But at that moment, Priest, the captain of the Elite Squad who had originally planned to pick up Su Er and Brandi and had already taken leave, was forced by an unexpected situation to stay with his teammates at the Void base outside the Jetram world, awaiting summons from over ten Legendary experts and six deities.
Void Base, Conference Hall. The entire five-member Elite Squad sat obediently in the central seats of the silent hall, not daring to breathe. The Alchemist, who possessed internal breathing capabilities, simply stopped breathing altogether.
Because surrounding them, over a dozen deities and Legendary experts were discussing information that had just arrived from afar.
"Joshua, you are the Inheritor of the Sage. Tell us, did the Sage ever leave behind similar statements or speculations? Did he leave any messages?"
"You've asked this question eight times, Master Nostradamus. I am the Inheritor of the Sage, but ultimately, I'm not his disciple. How could giving me a Sacred Artifact mean I know everything? However, speaking for myself, I had similar speculations when I deduced the 'Pleasant Paradise'. I agree with that point."
"Your Holiness the Pope, you are the pinnacle achiever of the Holy Light path. What is your view?"
"...I have a vague feeling, same as Joshua. I have also had similar thoughts and speculations, and found a trace of clues in ancient texts... But to be honest, Barbarossa, I think you and Baniel have the most say in this matter. You don't need to ask others; the answer is already in your hearts."
"Yi Zhe, you are the oldest among us and the one who spent the most time with the Sage. Did he ever say anything?"
"I've said it before. Our memories as True Gods are incomplete. You can't remember, and you want me to recall? Why don't you try to remember how many lovers you had back then? The Sage's message... Hah, our very existence is probably his living message board."
In the small conference hall, the aura of Divine Power overflowed. The Force of Steel and Holy Light shone together. Vast Mana and Psionic Energy unconsciously swept through the material and spiritual worlds. Surrounded by such a large group of powerful beings, the five members of the Elite Squad felt like fish trapped in ice, suffocating.
If it weren't for the fact that the newly ascended God of Might and Justice, Israel, had returned to the Mycroft world to rest and consolidate his strength, and that the Demon Lords hadn't appeared, the Elite Squad would probably feel like fish trapped in a block of iron.
But soon, a situation worse than being fish in ice arose.
"Priest."
Among the assembled Legendary experts and deities, a black-haired warrior turned his head, looking at the Elite Squad members who were trying to pretend they didn't exist. Joshua called out his disciple's name loudly, then asked: "You were the ones who discovered the 'Knowledge Seizer's' ship left behind on the 'Flesh Seizer's' homeworld. Are you certain that the 'Star-Annihilating Giant Pit' has existed for over seven hundred thousand years?"
Suddenly hearing his teacher's question, even though his throat was dry from the surrounding pressure, Priest immediately and instinctively answered loudly: "Yes! We confirm. World 39958 is the homeworld of the Flesh Seizer. Based on elemental decay and analysis of surrounding energy movement trends, the history of the Star-Annihilating Giant Pit exceeds seven hundred and thirty thousand years—it can only be more, not less!"
Receiving such a forceful answer from his disciple, Joshua nodded with considerable approval. Then, he turned back and continued speaking seriously to the Legendary experts and deities before him: "I trust my disciple. Besides, World 39958 is not far. If you don't believe this data, you can go there and conduct field tests yourselves. But my opinion is that the Knowledge Seizer has no reason to deceive us in this regard. They are indeed a race far older than us, even far older than the Astral Dragons. They even possess knowledge passed down from ultra-ancient civilizations millions, tens of millions of years old."
"Furthermore, if they truly harbored hostile intentions, they could have simply pushed straight through from the beginning, directly attacking the Jetram Star Domain, making it very difficult for us to stabilize the Star Gate tunnel. Moreover, their willingness to share this information is enough to prove their attitude—at least, as long as our strength is sufficient, they will maintain this current benevolent attitude!"
When the warrior's voice fell, the entire conference hall fell silent for a moment. Joshua's authority had indeed reached this level; even True Gods listened attentively to his opinions.
Shortly after Joshua finished speaking, a sigh followed.
"It's not that Nostradamus and I don't believe it... How should I put it, Joshua, the information these otherworldly beings passed to us is simply too shocking."
The supreme Elemental Mage, current leader of the Sky-Piercing White Tower, Elemental Master Barbarossa, spoke with a weary tone. His expression was somewhat grim, as if truly shocked by some information and deeply puzzled by it. "Yes, I know. The Sage created Holy Light and filled the multiverse with it. But Holy Light... Holy Light is just a special Transcendent power. Without it, no natural phenomenon would change. It is not some constant, but a 'special force' independent of the basic elements."
"But Mana is different... If Mana were to disappear from the multiverse... then it's hard to say whether the multiverse would exist or not!"
"Really, Barbarossa?"
To this, Joshua scoffed, shook his head, and said in a low voice: "Is that truly your view? Holy Light is not one of the fundamental forces? Then why, tens of thousands of years ago, did sunlight, which could not originally dispel filth, suddenly gain the power to purify evil? Why did ordinary electromagnetic wave frequencies suddenly begin to have a significant impact on ghosts? Why did the Sun God, the embodiment of 'harshness' and 'scorching heat' in the legends and myths of many native worlds, abruptly and collectively transform into the God of Light, representing 'brightness' and 'purity' over the past few thousand years? Barbarossa, you are one of the most powerful and learned mages in our world. I don't believe you haven't deeply considered these strange phenomena and questions."
"I ask you again, Barbarossa. Do you think that if this world truly lost 'Holy Light', would it truly remain the same as before?"
Faced with Joshua's interrogation, Barbarossa's expression changed slightly, as if he wanted to refute. But in the end, he just sighed and remained silent.
Standing beside the middle-aged mage were the three Legendary figures: Nostradamus, Baniel, and William. These four seemingly different Legendary experts, with their distinct personalities, all shared one common trait.
They were all spellcasters who had deeply cultivated 'Mana'.
"Admit it, Barbarossa. In the 'original multiverse', Mana might have existed in a more dormant form, unknown to us now. It was only after the appearance of a 'great existence' that the Mana we are familiar with today came into being. He transformed the entire multiverse, just like the 'Sage' did."
Saying this, Joshua unrolled the parchment he was holding tightly and placed it directly on the table. The warrior knew that everyone else had already seen the information recorded on this parchment, but he wanted to reiterate its contents.
It was a passage of text, extremely strange in both grammar and sentence structure, as if completely translated from a vastly different language.
[By the name of the Final Inheritor of the Primordial Mana Path, the Knowledge Collector, the Wisdom Seizer, we convey the final message left to us by the 'Teaching First Master', passed down to our kind.]
[The 'Order Pioneer', the 'Nameless Creator God', the 'Teaching First Master', and we, the 'Knowledge Seizers', through successive generations, have preserved the message left by the founder of magic, the 'Sage of Demons', three thousand years ago for all intelligent life in the multiverse.]
[Now, we are willing to share this 'message'. Similarly, knowledge needs exchange, information needs trade. We also wish to know the message left by the 'Sage of Light'.]
[After seven hundred and seventy thousand years of waiting, we have finally found you, who possess this 'knowledge' and survived the 'Great Calamity of Extinction'. 'People of Radiance' who defeated the Swarm of World Devourers, we await the day you agree to communicate.]
[After all, no matter how crazy the order, it is a million times more beautiful than the most perfect chaos.]