Chapter 126: Changes
What are above the clouds? In the most ancient religious epics, it would be realm of the true Gods, the final resting place of humans. At the top of the clouds, the world of the numerous Gods would be stare down for all eternity.
“Mama, Lord Priest said that Lord God is looking down at us from the clouds. But there are so many people down here, can they cope? If they are able to cope, doesn’t it mean that they have eyes all over their body? That’s scary!”
On a field, a straightforward rascal said such words. On the very afternoon of the same day, he was tied to a stake and sentenced to death for the crime of heresy.
Those were the famous “Little Tom’s Words of Truth.” In the future, it evolved to become a challenge towards the falsehoods created and spread by those in authority, as well as the ignition of the changes that would be made to the numerous churches of Gods.
As for what exactly were above the clouds, the earliest batch of aerial knights who had been to the clouds wisely chose to avoid answering the question.
As the era progressed to the current day, there were some things that could no longer be concealed. The truth that the Heavenly Realm laid in another dimension was clear for all to see. As a result, the phrase “The Gods are always watching over you” became empty words in books.
Gods are not omnipotent. Altars and churches were locations where their consciousness descend toward and reside. If one were to chant their true name, it might be possible for them to hear one’s words. Questions directed towards the god could only be channeled through the prayers of the priests and archbishops. Of course, it was possible for them to send an avatar or God Envoy down, but the resources that would be expended wasn’t a minute sum.
Distance and the unknown brought about fear and respect. Divine authority and the monarchies always vied against one another. Deciphering the secrets of the Gods might have always been a taboo, but the private investigations conducted by individual countries had never once stopped.
In an era where every country had an oracle of a true God had come to an end and in this generation, the Gods had granted the humans a greater degree of freedom. However, it is within expectations that along with the start of the Sacred War, the humans would slowly be robbed of it.
The Sacred War has already became an inevitable event. Without even requiring the Order Gods to send down their commandments, countries already started preparing for war. After all, their enemies were already at their doorstep.
In this Sacred War, the development of all kinds of aerial units would leap ahead exponentially. The Air Fleet of the Auland Empire might have been the most advanced of the lot, but it definitely wasn’t the only one. The taboo of the past had already opened its doors to the mortals.
However, reaching the clouds wasn’t an easy task. Even without the existence of the taboo, the world above the clouds still remained inaccessible to ordinary aerial units. After all, the low temperature, lack of oxygen, and low pressure made it hard for even a physically fit warrior to bear. Those who tried to accomplish such heights would most probably die in their attempt.
Yet, at this moment, I flew freely about the sea of clouds, as though running on land. Erebella had shapeshifted to become a Pegasus and the surrounding Ice Crystal Barrier isolated me from the low pressure and lack of oxygen.
The low temperature that came with height was nothing to the Frigid Nightmares. The advantages of possessing a magic mount was apparent. However, the skies were far from being empty. In the distance, the sight of the mountain-like Cloud Whales turning about was a sight to behold, a sight that would leave one trembling.
Rather than say that Cloud Whales were animals, they were more like a hybrid between Wind Elementals and mammals. They were much larger than their counterparts in the sea and their movements caused the wind and clouds to billow. Even the Wind Elemental God was incapable of keeping this gigantic being in rein.
It was said that the Blackwings’ ships and cities were also built among the clouds, and they were once a famous tribe in the sky. However, after being robbed of their privilege to fly, they had been reduced to pirates. I had always felt regretful for being unable to enjoy the unique way of living of the Sky Tribes.
【System Notice: You won’t be feeling regretful about it in awhile. I hope that you will still have the mood to enjoy the scenery by then.】
Ignoring the notice that suddenly popped out, I turned my attention towards the clouds not too far away.
There were all kinds of mysteriously-shaped clouds in the sky. Their forms were ever-changing. Some of them resembled the mountains, some resembled the trees, some of them giants, and some the waves of the oceans. Through their contact with one another, their shapes were always morphing.
However, not every cloud changed at every moment. Under the effects of magic, some clouds remained the same even throughout a span of hundreds of years. Those firmer clouds would often serve as the lairs of the Cloud Beasts, and at this moment, they didn’t seem to welcome our appearance here.
Even though I kept soaring ahead, a group of Cloud Beasts still continued to pursue us. A large portion of them were the amiable Cloud Dolphins, who were here to watch the commotion. The rest of them were small Cloud Dragons who hoped to prey on us, not knowing that their actions were suicidal.
Even though they were called Cloud Dragons, they were actually just meter long wyverns. These little fellows completely ignored the disparity between the strengths of the prey and predator and were fervently pursuing us in hope of an additional snack.
Erebella might still be far away from the pinnacle of her strength, when she was capable of shapeshifting into an Ice Dragon, but the current her was still able to easily take care of these small fries.
However, I chose to only pat her slightly to signal her to speed up so as to shake them off.
“Aooooooo!”
After a deep howl, the Pegasus unfurled her wings and surged forward, pulling the distance between us and the Cloud Beasts in an instant.
“Lord Roland, are you happy?”
“Yeah, I am indeed very happy. You noticed it?”
Of course I was happy, otherwise I wouldn’t be coming here on a whim to tour the world above the clouds. If we had wanted to hasten our journey, travelling at lower altitudes would have been much more suitable.
As for the reason why I was happy…
In order to prevent the true secrets from not leaking, I didn’t put the classified strategic plans within the courseware. What the rest saw were just the tragedies that could possibly occur in the future. Other than stating the potential occurrence of the Undead Calamity, invasion of the Demons, and the war with the Underground World, the courseware didn’t even list the reasons behind these disasters or record the estimated time of their occurrences, not to mention the strategies I have prepared against them.
The only thing they were aware of now was that they would meet with a series of calamities, and that I was trying my best to resolve all of these troubles. As for how they would be resolved and the possibility of success, it was all still an enigma to them.
Although I was recruiting comrades, my invitation lacked sincerity.
If they were to nod their heads despite having not knowing what they could expect, they would be handing their futures completely over to me. To do so took great trust, and the foundation for this trust needed to be built up over time.
I could understand their hesitation and silence. Forcing them to toil their lives away for another just with some cheap talk—such a thing only exists in irrational novels.
If someone were to tell me that “The world is about to be destroyed, you can only be saved if you put your trust in me, so give me all your fortunes,” I would already be kind to not to slap that person’s face several times.
“Perhaps, this is the revelation from fate. Lord Roland, I am willing to work for you. If destruction is what that awaits us, I am willing to face it with you.”
Alright, just when I just said that such a plot only existed in novels, this silly lass jumped out to slap me in the face.
Holy Knights were always the bunch who are the easiest to coax, and Diana was the kind who was the easiest to coax even among the Holy Knights. Her acceptance was a good start, but what that follows afterwards was still a long period of silence.
“Lord Roland, there is another Lich in Liu Huang Mountain City who goes by the same name as you. Your relationship with him is…”
Yingou Beyar asked a seemingly unimportant question. However, his words captured the attention of everyone in the room.
I hesitated for a short moment. However, since I had decided to face them honestly, I chose not to spout nonsense at this crucial period.
“That’s me. However, I am unable to tell you the reason behind my revival.”
“Then, who is the Legend Holy Knight from more than 300 years ago? The legendary hero whom that bunch of single-celled knights chant about everyday, the final prince who left a mark in history?”
This question was well thought-out. It seemed that even though this bunch of people were fooling around everyday, they weren’t slacking off. At the very least, they had been collecting intelligence to prepare for the future.
If it wasn’t for my determination to keep all of them on board, then some of them would have taken the initiative to leave the group back then when we had reached a safe zone.
“That’s me as well, but I cannot explain the matter to you.”
My confession caused several of them to gasp in shock. After all, a comrade of theirs who had been fooling about suddenly turned out to be a legendary hero.
Furthermore, this legendary hero had been right before them, living with them for a long period of time. Shocking as it was, it also made people wonder why he hid his identity and resided in Liu Huang Mountain City for such a long period of time.
“Last question. What is your relationship with Lord Wumianzhe?”
“Comrades. We have the same goals and same means. In a way, we are intimate to the point where we might as well be the same person. However, now that we’ve come to this point, those who choose to back down afterwards will have to sign a contract of silence.”
I might have played a bit of a word game, but my words were true. We were the same person, so naturally, we were intimate to the point that we might as well be the same person.
Yingou looked at the Krose, who was standing silently by the side. The Archbishop of the God of Law hesitated for a moment before nodding to verify the authenticity of my words.
“Fine, I will speak in the stead of my elder brother as well. Our Safe Merchant Union will be staking everything on you. We will be under your commands. However, if it is an action relating to commerce, we will be demanding payment! The motto of the Goblins dictates that ‘Close Goblins ask for payment straightforwardly!’.”
This time, I was taken aback. From the start, I thought that the greedy and selfish Goblins would be the targets which I would have the greatest difficulty in convincing. I had already prepared myself for their refusal, yet they were the second to nod their heads. This was completely out of my expectations.
“What is there to get shocked about? Lich Roland has been our brother for many years. Furthermore, Lord Wumianzhe has always been a figure of respect among us. Since you have said that destruction is just around the corner, do we need to hesitate when there is a reliable backer right here?”
Everything could be traced back to the question of trust. Even though it was clear that huddling together would be the best choice to deal with the incoming doomsday, if one were to find the wrong tree to stand under, they would simply be waiting to become pawns in the war.
From the moment that Yingou Beyar accepted the deal, the winds swiftly turned to my favor, to the extent that I even started to suspect whether this was a trap set up by him. However, indubitably, his choice had a significant influence on the decisions of the others.
“I will listen to Big Brother Yingou. I also trust Lord Wumianzhe’s decision. I know that he wouldn’t ascend for no reason at all. Perhaps we might just be pieces on a chessboard, but I am willing to trust the chess player, Wumianzhe. I believe that he wouldn’t sacrifice us pointlessly.” The moment Kabala’s words ceased, the voice of the Dwarven Blacksmith echoed in the cabin.
“Since it is the will of Lord Wumianzhe, feel free to speak up if you are facing any trouble. It is enough for us to trust him. We might be short, but we are not blind. Without your help, we would have drowned in that cell. We will remember this favor.”
At this point, things were still normal. However…
“Momo… Momo likes Lord Wumianzhe the most!” Alright, looks like you have noticed the equation of Wumianzhe = Lich Roland = Little Rolo, but what do you intend to achieve by slipping in a confession in the midst of this chaos?!
“What about food?”
“Dixu, you idiot, how can you be only bothered about food! Lord, will there be meat in the meal? I am okay with once every three days.”
Only bothered about their stomach, Kavan and Dixu were probably the ones who were the easiest to bribe.
“How can this be! There are so many beauties in the world whom I have yet to come into contact with. How can I let them all go to ruin? For more beautiful beasts… beauties, let’s do it! No matter who it is, as long as they intend to destroy this beautiful and cruel world, I will fight against him to my last breath!”
That should be the most normal reaction one would have towards the destruction of the world. However, in so many years, this was the first time I saw Beifeng acting so seriously. Furthermore, the radiance of the soul which could vaguely be seen meant that he was in the midst of comprehending something, very much so about to break through his bottleneck! A Legend Beastmaster was about to be born!
“I was wrong. In the past, my understanding towards love was too superficial. Loving a person doesn’t mean that I must possess him. Protecting everything that is beautiful, that is my truest wish. Love surpasses boundaries, kindness without motives! Goodbye, the me of yesterday. The me of today is going to comprehend the true profoundness of love.”
“Guardian of Universal Love! I solemnly vow to protect all charismatic existence, regardless of race, age, gender, job, whether it is cold-blooded or warm-blooded, its land of origin, whether it is dead or alive, whether it is an arthropod or a mammal…”
That… How apt the name was. His love was simply much too universal! I had heard many different kind of vows. Advancing into the realm of Legends was the crystallisation of one’s experiences and comprehension, so the vow made during the advancement was often the true words derived from that person’s comprehension. However, this was the first time I heard one that left me speechless.
“… regardless of whether it is a bird or a beast, regardless of whether it is a fork or a spoon…”
This vow was really long, but why is it that something sounds fishy about the vow the more I listened to it?
“Ah! Fight! Watch my Tiger Folding Stool!”
“I can’t take it any longer. Beat him up!”
“Safe-brand bricks, special discount, please take note of this green logo whenever you buy anything! Safe-brand products are always that safe! Boom! Boom!”
The last part wasn’t a part of the commercial, but the sound of an explosion. To be capable of making a brick explode, how the hell did you all do it, Beyar Brothers?
Due to the vow that was devoid of a single shred of decency, someone couldn’t stand it any longer and started on the daily activity of beating Beifeng up.
However, even though he was knocked down, Beifeng’s vow of true love didn’t stop. The sacred light representing the advancement in realm continued shining. Judging from the duration the process was taking, the Soul Imprint that was being forged would definitely be extraordinarily strong. Most probably, Beifeng wouldn’t just be a normal Legend after his advancement.
“… regardless of whether it is an egg or a chicken, regardless of whether it is an S or an M…”
Alright, let’s ignore the vow which was getting more and more difficult to listen to. He was probably the only one in the world who would was enjoying a thrashing while advancing to become Legend.
Although they were fooling around as usual, the situation became less tense after the incident with Beifeng and easier to communicate at this point.
Should I say that Wumianzhe’s reputation was astounding? After being informed that this was the will of the God of Law Wumianzhe, the living treasures of the Underground City decisively accepted the offer one by one. However, at the very end, I unexpectedly got a single rejection.
“Can I just follow you all around for the moment? I need time to make such a decision.”
Tracy’s rejection was still quite polite. A large portion of Aulanders also chose the same as her. Even so, quite a few of them decided to disembark from the boat after a period of hesitation. The only positive of the situation was that there weren’t many of them.
Trust needed to be built up over time. I agreed to the requests of Tracy and the rest immediately, allowing them to follow us as they pleased. However, for those who decided to leave, I didn’t intend to force them to stay.
“Yeah, you can get off the boat after signing a contract of secrecy. However, you all aren’t allowed to return to Auland within a year, otherwise it would be hard to explain your sudden appearance and disappearance. After all, you all probably do not wish to be locked in some dungeon of an intelligence institution for interrogation.”
In the end, the results were much better than I expected. Only seventeen of them insisted on disembarking the ship and they were all the new talents whom we scouted from Kagersi before its fall.
The operation could be said to be a huge success, so how could I possibly not be happy.
“When the members of the Church of Law and my knights arrive, they would be able to serve as the backbone of our group and many things would probably be different. Perhaps, we might be able to build an acceptable base. A Liu Huang Mountain City on the surface? Seems like a decent option.”
Of course, even if I was happy, I wouldn’t go out for a stroll on a whim. There was a reason why I headed out alone.
Finally, I reached my destination. The collapsed massive rock lion statues jogged a memory in me. The events that occurred here replayed in my mind, that “revolt” which overthrew the notions which high-tier undead held towards their own race.
Near the entrance, two familiar figures cloaked in black busied themselves around the rubble, seemingly looking for something.
“Camisia, Fanderk. Why are you two here?”
Yes, the two people who were before me are my knights, Camisia and Fanderk. There was always a kind of inconceivable connection between an Undead Emperor and his direct subjects. The reason why I rushed here was because I felt their presence here.
“Your Highness, we started to head north upon receiving your orders. However, Lord Bastian said that the seal here was starting to unravel, so we came over to take a look.”
The Headless Horseman’s high-tier Nightmare possessed the ability of flight while Fanderk was an Aurora Knight. Being aerial units, they were both ideal choices as scouts.
“Your Highness, Omar’s seal has been released! It looks like it is the doing of the Xiluo Empire. They are courting death!”
***
“The motion has been passed in the council. From today on, Omar Mist will replace the missing Queen of Banshees Harloys as the new 3rd Senator!”
Shocking news was pasted on the notice board outside the council room. All of a sudden, a “newcomer” stood at the very pinnacle of Xiluo Empire.
Undead who had never heard of Omar asked around to figure out who the guy who suddenly popped out of nowhere was, while those who were aware of him cursed the insanity of the council.
“Darn it, does the council intend to destroy all living beings? Are they not afraid of Omar starting another revolt? Now that Emperor Yongye is no longer here, who could keep that frenzied Pride in place!”
***
Ever since I noticed the presence of the two knights here, I had roughly guessed what had happened. Even so, now that it had been ascertained, the good mood which I had while soaring through the clouds fell into the pits.
Since the seal had been released, there was no reason to remain here any longer.
Since both our destinations were the East Mist Communal Country, I brought the two of them back to the mouth of the sea where I had arranged to link up with the Borealis.
The path back to the ship was smoother-sailing. However, when we finally reached our destination, we realized that the Borealis was currently busy entertaining “guests.”
A massive Kraken had wrapped itself around the boat and its poisonous ink had dyed the entire region of the sea black.
On the other side, a giant Horned Whale frenziedly knocked itself against the boat. Its white horn glowed with the seven colors that represented the Power of Elements, augmenting the strength of its ram.
In an instant, I immediately understood the reason why we were assaulted by these two Sea Monsters.
“Haha, damned bastards, how could I possibly die so easily! Since I’m not dead yet, you all will be the ones to die!”
In mid-air, a crow which only had half of its feathers remaining laughed crazily. Half of its face was burnt and it was astonishingly ugly. However, the familiar duck-like voice allowed me to recognise him instantly.
“The greatest cockroach of the Celestial Tower, the Auland Branch Head Lamos’s Eye! You sure are resilient!”
That day, when we were dealing with the Hydra, this fellow suffered a strategic-level Fireball from a Mage’s Tower. At that moment, as we were rushing to retreat from the battlefield, we didn’t have sufficient time to ascertain the results of the battle.
“The Queen of the Storms has granted me power! I am Lamos’s Eye! Her most faithful servant!”
Seemingly afraid of getting hit by the cannons below, he chose to fly up to a high altitude. The staff in his hand that carried divine power seemed to be charging up its strength in the midst of the storm. It seemed to be the catalyst he was using to control the Sea Monsters below. Unfortunately for him, I was above the clouds.
“Hey~, look. What did I find? A remnant of the Celestial Tower. A Celestial Towerist can provide us with several days worth of energy. Furthermore, it is rich in protein. However, a Celestial Tower inhabitant isn’t easy to deal with. Not only does it possess strong life force, it is also exceptionally agile when trying to escape, equally difficult to catch as their brothers, the cockroaches. Thus, we have to approach him slowly. Be careful not to make any noise.”
“Hey, I caught it. Oh, it is struggling very fiercely!”
“Let us sever its head. We can eat the other parts of it raw.”
“Of course, if we have enough time, we could try barbecuing it. It would be much more delicious that way.”
“Yeah, the texture is not bad. Tastes like chicken.”
“Stupid Roland, stop dubbing over my voice. Irene doesn’t eat these kind of things! I will suffer diarrhea!”