Chapter 510: The Origin of the Black Mist

Chapter 510: The Origin of the Black Mist

"Hehe, it seems our Dean Helm holds a high regard for the Empire's Lord Rayne", Councilor Nelson said with an awkward laugh, helping to ease the tension for General Randall.

"That's not the main issue. The question now is, what do we do about the upcoming exploration of Sky City Ruins?" Trina interjected.

Given the significant problems that arose during the initial exploration led by the Military Department, neither General Randall nor Councilor Nelson felt comfortable responding to Trina's query.

"Trina, do you have any suggestions?" Vice Speaker Bertrand asked in a deep voice.

"I suggest we immediately have Sir Tirion the Sword Saint return to Cave Camp. As a federal powerhouse with experience from the previous Sky City exploration, his presence would be crucial."

"Additionally, I recommend setting up large-scale Defense Witchcraft around Sky City to prevent the mechanical monsters, which appeared for the first time, from breaking out."

Councilor Nelson frowned and questioned, "Trina, do you know how vast the area of Sky City is? This would consume a significant amount of resources and manpower from the Federation."

"Of course, but have you considered what would happen if these mechanical monsters break out of Sky City?" Trina countered.

"Alright, even if your point is valid, what about the exploration? Should we halt the initial exploration entirely?" Nelson continued.

"If we proceed, my suggestion is that Sir Tirion leads the team, but only operates on the first sub-level of the Sky City Ruins, and be ready to retreat at any moment."

"Once we gather enough strong individuals, we can consider further exploration."

"Especially for Lord Helm, if he can successfully advance to a Dawn Wizard, he would be the Federation's second metal-based Dawn Wizard, which would greatly benefit the subsequent exploration of the Sky City Ruins. Don't forget, Lord Rayne of the Empire is also a metal-based Dawn Wizard."

Trina's words left Councilor Nelson and General Randall feeling as if they had swallowed a dead fly, but they couldn't immediately find a suitable angle to counter her.

"Then let's decide this way! Trina, please contact Sir Tirion the Sword Saint immediately."

"Additionally, General Randall, you and I need to return to Antuhol immediately. We both need to face the Federation Parliament's inquiry." Vice Speaker Bertrand said, his expression grim.

Due to the failure of the Military Department's operation, he would have to explain the situation to the Federation Parliament.

Of course, this didn't mean it was his fault, but it was a standard procedure for significant events to undergo such inquiries, a crucial part of the Federation's internal system.

The death of two federal powerhouses during the relic exploration was undoubtedly a major event that shook the Federation!

Meanwhile.

Above the vast Summer Sea.

The Imperial Airship Fleet had just set off, and the federal city of Zetaya was gradually disappearing from the view of those aboard the airships.

Rayne and Menya were standing on the deck of the flagship, enjoying the distant scenery and the sea breeze while chatting.

"Something important must have happened in the Federation. I noticed Bertrand's expression changed", Menya remarked casually.

"Princess Menya, you noticed too?" Rayne smiled.

"Yes, but no rush. The intelligence department should provide us with the details soon."

"By the way, Rayne, how did your exploration of the ruins go this time?"

"Princess Menya, I was fortunate to find the fifth level of the Advanced Steel Heart Meditation."

"Oh? That's wonderful news. Moria will be overjoyed to hear this. Additionally, the Empire will soon have another major school."

Menya's beautiful eyes focused on Rayne as she brushed a strand of light red hair behind her ear, smiling.

Rayne was momentarily stunned by Menya's sudden smile, and for the first time, he noticed that her beautiful eyes seemed to hold more than just admiration.

He had always thought that Menya, as a representative of the Imperial Royal Family, held a high regard and great expectations for them, the future stars of the Empire.

But now, it seemed that wasn't entirely the case, at least not for him.

Rayne didn't dwell on this thought for long, quickly nodding and saying:

"Hehe, indeed, the head of the Moria faction will be very pleased."

"As for the major factions, I believe the head of the Moria faction will represent the Bishu Construct Guild and apply to the Empire for promotion to a major faction after we return."

"By the way, Princess Menya, you might not know this, but that ruin is actually an intact Sky City from the ancient Goblin Empire." Rayne suddenly remembered something and added.

"Hmm? A Sky City?" Even the usually composed and serene Menya couldn't help but widen her beautiful eyes in surprise.

"Yes, it was the capital of the ancient goblins and a truly awe-inspiring Sky City. Inside—"

Rayne then began to recount his journey in detail, of course, slightly omitting the secret content recorded in the black-skinned diary, such as the fact that the Iron Heart Meditation originated from the ancient Goblin Empire.

"By the way, Princess Menya, I encountered a Black Mist inside that could transform into any physical form, and it was quite troublesome."

"Moreover, according to the relics left by the ancient wizards who died during the exploration, they referred to this Black Mist as a Vile Demon. Do you know the origin of this Vile Demon?" Rayne finally asked the question that had been on his mind.

"What? Vile Demon!" Menya's delicate face changed again, suddenly becoming unusually serious.

"Rayne, are you sure the ancient wizards called that Black Mist a Vile Demon?"

"Yes, Princess Menya", Rayne nodded.

"Tell me in detail about the Vile Demon you encountered." Menya thought for a moment and then said solemnly.

Rayne nodded, knowing that Menya wanted to confirm whether what he had encountered was indeed a Vile Demon.

"At first, there were black insects infesting the heads of goblin corpses. When I killed them, I found it strange because they turned into a cloud of black smoke and disappeared. In the B2 Level Prison, I encountered an Ancient Minotaur enveloped in black mist—"

As Rayne spoke, Menya's delicate face grew increasingly serious.

"From your description, that is indeed a Vile Demon."

"It seems that the ancient texts mentioning the sudden attack by Vile Demons leading to the fall of the ancient Goblin Empire are true." Menya nodded.

"Princess Menya, what is the origin of these Vile Demons?" Rayne couldn't help but ask.

"The earliest appearance of Vile Demons dates back to a very ancient time, making it difficult to trace their origins. According to ancient texts, Vile Demons are said to be evil creations of the Void Overlord, and each time they appear, they cause significant upheaval in the world."

"Vile Demons don't have a fixed physical form, and multiple Vile Demons will fuse into a more powerful medium or even large Vile Demon when they encounter strong opponents."

"Actually, fighting Vile Demons is not only our responsibility but also a primary focus of the Church of the Goddess."

"The Church of the Goddess?"

"Yes, I'm sure you've noticed that fire magic is very effective against Vile Demons, but in reality, the most effective means of killing them is divine power."

"Divine power?"

"Yes, Rayne. Since you have encountered Vile Demons, and given your strength, there is a secret you should know. In the deepest underground of the Imperial Capital's Cohen Cathedral, a part of a Vile Demon's body is sealed."

"Because of this, the Church of the Goddess has to dedicate most of its Epic-Level Warriors to guard the Vile Demon's remains."

"I see." Rayne nodded, his expression showing understanding.

No wonder, while other heretical activities were frequent, the ones responsible for their suppression were the Empire's Swordbearers and the royal family. The Church of the Goddess seemed to be relatively inactive, but it turns out they were preparing for the resurgence of the Vile Demon.

"Based on the information you provided, although the goblin capital was attacked, it seems that the Vile Demon was successfully sealed, or rather, suppressed to a certain balance. Otherwise, it would have already broken out of the ruins and ravaged the Federation."

"But with the Federation's exploration, this balance might be disrupted." Menya suddenly thought of something, her beautiful eyes narrowing with a hint of severity.

"Adjutant, send a message to the Federation, urging them to be extremely cautious about the Vile Demon. Ideally, they should focus on defensive preparations first." Menya turned her head and gestured to the adjutant standing not far away.

"As you command, Your Highness."

At this moment, if one were to look down from the angle of the Imperial Airship Fleet, they would see the deep blue sea dotted with various sizes of fishing boats.

Fishing boats are very common along the coasts of both the Empire and the Federation.

However, on one of these boats, several people were clearly busy with tasks unrelated to fishing. One of them held a brass, pendulum-shaped monocular, observing the Imperial Delegation's airship formation in the sky, continually calling out numbers:

"Elevation 65 degrees"

"3"

"2"

"1"

"Elevation 63 degrees"

What the person held was actually a sextant, an instrument used in navigation to measure the angle between stars and the horizon to determine latitude and longitude. Now, he was using it to measure data related to the Imperial Airship Fleet.

"Understood. The elevation difference is 2 degrees, and we are two nautical miles from the 'Bachelor.' " Another person spoke while quickly calculating something with a quill pen in a notebook.

"Initial estimate: their speed is 80 knots, and their heading is..." A series of results were reported out loud.

In fact, when the Zetaya airship formation took off, someone on the shore had already started observing the Imperial Airship Fleet.

Moreover, at this moment, there were far more than just this one boat observing the airship formation. Not far ahead of this boat was the 'Bachelor'—another small pirate ship disguised as a fishing boat.

They were all elite members selected from small pirate gangs and maritime opportunists who had pledged allegiance to the Sea God Cult.

For them, this mission was simple: to observe and record the return route and speed of the Imperial Delegation's airship formation as much as possible and report back quickly.

Somewhere in the deep sea.

"Your Holiness, we have received a report that the Imperial Airship Fleet has departed from the Federation's Zetaya, traveling at 80 knots." A black-robed man with a strange sea beast emblem on his chest reported respectfully.

"Hmm, very good. Let us now perform the prayer ritual. The timing should be just right as they leave the Federation's maritime territory."

The Sea God Cult's Pope Egil led a group of high-ranking wizards and sorcerers to the prayer hall. A large crowd of black-robed cultists were already busy there, the complex lines of the prayer array ready to be activated.

"Great Goddess of the Depths, the tsunami is a testament to your power, and the storm speaks of your majesty."

Soon, Sea God Cult Pope Egil began to pray softly, followed by a sea of black-robed cultists who were prostrate on the prayer array, chanting in low voices.

A few meters in front of Egil, in the center of the prayer array, a crystal coffin was placed. Inside was a mermaid, a rare creature with the upper body of a human woman and the lower body of a fish.

She was beautiful, her eyes closed, her ample chest adorned and covered with two seashells, and her silvery fish scales glowed faintly. Just a glance was enough to make one want to reach out and touch her.

The Sea God Cult had gone to great lengths to secure this vessel, capable of hosting the descent of the Goddess of the Depths. It was the body of an ancient mermaid princess from a long-extinct race found in an ancient ruin.

A few minutes later.

The long eyelashes of the mermaid in the crystal coffin began to flutter, and then she opened her deep blue eyes and slowly rose, saying:

"My servant Egil, you have summoned me at this time because you have found the trail of the human named Rayne, correct?"

"Yes, Great Goddess of the Depths." Egil bowed deeply and began to speak quickly.

"Very well, how is Jorgmund’s recovery progressing?" Sea Goddess Hela asked as she stepped out of the crystal coffin. Her originally shimmering, scaled lower body was transforming into the pale, human legs of a woman.

"Reporting to the Lady Goddess, he has recovered to about seventy percent of his original strength. Our cult followers are currently working overtime."

"Excellent, that's enough! This time, I will deal with the disrespectful human boy Rayne and the Dragonborn once and for all."

The last time Sea Goddess Hela had descended as a projection, her efforts had failed, and she had returned to the Sea God Cult. Before leaving, she had revealed the locations of several sealed sites and ancient ruins, then promptly withdrew her divine power.

Over the past period, the Sea God Cult had successfully found and opened an ancient marine ruins site and a sealed location.

The ancient marine ruins yielded the body of Mermaid Princess Nereida, encased in a crystal coffin filled with the essence of water. Despite the passage of time, her body showed no signs of decay, making her one of the best vessels for Sea Goddess Hela’s descent.

The sealed location, on the other hand, contained a legendary ancient marine beast, the ‘Leviathan Whale’ Jorgmund, known to be as formidable as the ‘Ice Sea Titan’ Gazrian.

Jorgmund was currently located in a submerged volcanic cave several kilometers away.

A massive indigo-colored unicorn whale, over two hundred meters long, was receiving energy infusions from a group of Sea God Cult sorcerers.

Five high-ranking sorcerers of the Sea God Cult stood in a pentagram formation, and as the dark blue light of their magical arrays lit up, they used the essence of water—a blue, malleable substance similar to putty—as a medium to shoot brilliant blue beams at the unicorn whale.

There were at least a dozen such arrays surrounding the entire body of the unicorn whale.

Thanks to these blue beams, Jorgmund emitted rumbling sounds akin to thunder, clearly indicating his comfort.

Due to his long period of imprisonment, even after his release, his strength could not be fully restored in a short time. The Sea God Cult was now employing a method to rapidly restore his power, which required a significant amount of the essence of water and the participation of many mid-to-high-level sorcerers within the cult.

The reason they prioritized the revival of the ‘Leviathan Whale’ Jorgmund was clear.

After the failure of the ‘Ice Sea Titan’ incident, the Sea God Cult had learned about the Imperial Delegation’s visit to the Federation. To counter the powerful dirigible fleets of the Empire and the Federation, the ‘Leviathan Whale’ Jorgmund, with its formidable abilities of ‘Tidal Surge’ and ‘Whale Spring,’ was the best choice.

As the Sea God Cult was launching attacks on the Federation’s coastlines, hoping to lure the Imperial Delegation into action, the Zaral Resistance provided a crucial piece of information.

The Imperial Delegation was set to return to the Dragon Empire from the Zetaya Sea today.

Thus, the plan was revised to ambush the Imperial Airship Fleet upon its return!

A few hours later.

In the luxurious cabin of the flagship of the Imperial Airship Fleet, high in the sky.

Rayne, who had just completed his Elven Tanner class change, was reviewing the System Prompts that flooded his screen:

[Ding! Promotion successful!]

[Promotion to Elven Tanner successful! Strength +2, Agility +4! Gained Elven Tanner core skill: Elemental Tanning lv1]

[Elemental Tanning lv1 (Active): When crafting leather armor, you can channel mystical energy particles, and the success rate of related leather armor crafting is slightly increased.]

Rayne could have completed his Elven Tanner class change before the Imperial Delegation arrived in Westing, but Trina had needed his help, so it had been delayed.

"Elemental Tanning?" Rayne’s face lit up with joy as he mused.

Suddenly, the shrill sound of the dirigible’s alarm interrupted Rayne before he could finish his review.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end