https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-548-The-Long-Awaited-Dragon-Knight/13463207/
Chapter 547: The Origin of True Deities
Chapter 547: The Origin of True Deities
Seeing Prince Everdon in such a disheartened state, everyone couldn't help but empathize, sighing deeply.
The once magnificent palace was now in ruins, and the loss of personnel far exceeded expectations, far more so than the loss of supplies.
When Rayne had initially healed his wounds and returned to the palace, many guards were already clearing away the corpses.
Rayne approached Menya, looking at the spot where Carlos II had fallen, and said:
"Menya, why are the ones who have awakened all eldritch deities? What about the true deities? Like the Monsoon and Sea Goddess, for example?"
In his view, if the energy tide had caused the awakening, it shouldn't have been limited to eldritch deities.
If true deities had participated in the battle for the Imperial Capital, perhaps the outcome would have been much better.
"The true deities have long since withered. Since ancient times, eldritch deities have continuously invaded our world. According to ancient texts, about twenty-three true deities have completely vanished from the annals of time, some without even a trace of their temples remaining."
"Currently, within the empire's territory, the only one with a faint faith response is the Monsoon and Sea Goddess."
"However, it's unclear if it's because of the item's seal, but the Goddess has yet to show any signs of awakening."
"I see." Rayne nodded.
He knew that deep beneath the Cologne Cathedral in the Imperial Capital, the avatar of a Vile Demon was sealed.
Rayne had thought that neither eldritch deities nor true deities would want demigods to emerge among humans, but now it seemed that wasn't the case.
After the great battle, the Imperial Capital had many issues to address.
In the current state, they clearly couldn't rely on Prince Everdon. Therefore, after an emergency meeting of the empire's elders, Menya continued to serve as regent.
After bidding farewell to Menya, Rayne headed toward his residence.
Along the way, he heard the heart-wrenching cries of the people. For example, a little girl with pigtails and a pink dress was hugging a doll, sobbing in front of a collapsed house.
Under the rubble of the house, the remains of a young woman could be seen.
Clearly, she had once had a happy life, but now...
Continuing on, he came to a crater-like area of shattered ground. A man was holding a broken leg and howling in pain, clearly a result of the battle's aftermath.
Federation, Zetaya.
In the Cave Camp within Retheron Canyon.
Sword Saint Tilio, Dawn Wizard Hernandez, and several distinguished wizards were gathered around a long table, their faces solemn as they discussed something.
Among them was none other than Hiram, the dean of the Federation Mechanical Institute. From his aura, it was evident that he had recently ascended to the Dawn Wizard tier.
"Tirion, based on your assessment, what exactly is that massive metal dinosaur that appeared on Level B2?" Sword Saint Tilio asked.
"Based on the Memory Crystal left by Sir Rayne and the records in ancient texts, I am ninety percent certain that it is a top-tier combat unit from the ancient goblin mechanical legion—the Tyrant Rex", Hiram explained.
"If we consider it from the golem tier perspective, the ancient goblins named it a 'Legion Commander' level, while wizards often refer to it as a 'Titan' level", Hiram continued.
He had only recently ascended to the Dawn Wizard tier when Sword Saint Tilio called him over.
The reason was simple: the Federation's exploration had been forced to pause.
Despite gathering six Dawn Wizards and Sword Saint Tilio, a total of seven epic-level combatants, they had failed to penetrate Level B3 and were forced to stop at Level B2.
The greatest obstacle they faced was a colossal metal dinosaur, which had given Hiram quite a shock when he first saw it.
"Titan level? That would mean it's at the demigod level, right?" one of the wizards, holding a blue crystal ball, exclaimed.
"Indeed. According to ancient texts, a complete ancient goblin mechanical legion was capable of opposing even the strongest demigods", Hiram nodded.
"Doesn't that mean we have no chance of controlling the Sky City?" another wizard, dressed in a gray robe, frowned deeply.
The Federation could certainly muster more epic-level warriors, but the situation within the Federation's territory was complex. The current seven were already the limit of what could be spared.
If more were called upon, the situation in many areas would deteriorate rapidly.
"Perhaps... we could invite the empire, especially Sir Rayne, to join us?" Hiram suddenly suggested.
"Sky City is top secret. Inviting the empire to participate? Sir Helm, do you think that’s appropriate?" The elderly wizard holding the blue crystal ball looked at Helm with a rather exasperated expression.
However, he soon realized that neither Dawn Wizard Hernandez nor Sword Saint Tilio spoke, instead appearing deep in thought, seriously considering the matter.
This left him thoroughly puzzled.
"That... Is Sir Rayne of the empire really that formidable?"
"Defeated an incarnation of the Abyssal Sea Goddess, killed the ancient sea beast ‘Glowing Eel,’ and routed the main forces of the Sea God Cult. Do you think that’s enough?" Helm replied irritably.
The other wizard was from the same batch as Helm, but due to their differing personalities and tempers, they had never seen eye to eye. However, the other wizard had advanced much earlier than Helm, so Helm had always been at a disadvantage.
Now that Helm had successfully reached the Dawn Wizard level, he was no longer willing to back down.
"But... That doesn’t mean he can defeat the ‘Tyrant Rex,’ does it?" The old man looked embarrassed but still argued.
"Hehe, the other party is a rare Metal-type Dawn Wizard, and at least a Late Dawn stage."
"What! But... How is that possible? There are only a few Late Dawn stage wizards in the empire, and I’ve never heard of anyone named Rayne."
The elderly wizard and the other Dawn Wizards who hadn’t met Rayne exchanged glances, all looking astonished.
"Hehe!" Helm ended with a chuckle and said no more.
Just as Sword Saint Tilio was about to mediate, a messenger suddenly reported at the tent entrance.
"Report! Urgent news from the Imperial Capital!"
"Enter!" Tilio frowned. He had previously instructed that they should not be disturbed unless it was important, so the messenger clearly knew what was at stake.
"My lord, just yesterday, eight divine incarnations descended upon the Dragonia Empire’s Tamriel to prevent Emperor Carlos II from ascending to demigod status. A fierce battle ensued, and although the divine beings were ultimately repelled, the empire suffered heavy casualties. Moreover, Emperor Carlos II perished!"
"What!"
Upon hearing this news, the federation’s powerhouses, who were present, widened their eyes and opened their mouths in shock, standing up one by one.
This news was simply too astonishing!
"Ladies and gentlemen, it seems we must accelerate our progress."
"The situation is far worse than we imagined!"
"If eldritch deities can descend upon the Dragonia Empire today, they might very well descend upon the federation at some point. What will we use to defend ourselves then?" Sword Saint Tilio looked around the room solemnly.
"I agree with Sir Helm. We should contact the empire and seek a joint exploration to quickly gain control of Sky City!"
"I also agree! If Sir Rayne can join us, I believe the exploration progress will significantly improve." Hernandez nodded.
Tamriel, Bishu Construct Academy.
After comforting his family, Rayne first reviewed some information about full-moon wizards, then returned to the secret chamber at the academy.
The devastating battle left Rayne with a sense of unease and urgency.
The intensifying resurgence of eldritch deities had left the empire on the brink of collapse.
Rayne first attempted to sketch the fifth level model of the ‘Iron Heart’ advanced meditation method. Soon, he was delighted to find that his progress had significantly improved.
On his first attempt, he increased his progress by thirty-three will runes, reaching a total of four hundred and forty-five.
"The qualitative enhancement of psi energy is indeed a significant boost to the advanced meditation method."
Half a day later.
Rayne had advanced to four hundred and seventy-nine will runes, not far from the final goal of five hundred and twelve.
"Estimated to be another ten to fifteen days, and I’ll complete the fifth level model."
"However, I need to find a sufficiently safe place to ascend."
The critical phase of demigod ascension involves a period of time to shape the nascent divine essence, which, for Rayne, means the formation of the ‘Iron Heart’ in the mental sea.
Rayne was unsure if the system would directly assist him in this process.
Instant completion would be ideal, but if not...
"If even the palace isn’t safe, where else can I go?" Rayne frowned, deep in thought.
At that moment, the communication mark on Rayne’s chest began to flash.
"Hmm? An imperial high-level meeting?" Rayne sensed it and raised an eyebrow.
Half an hour later.
In the conference hall of the palace.
The Dragon Empire was holding its first high-level meeting after the Battle of the Imperial Capital, chaired by the 'Red Queen' Menya.
This was the first time Rayne had attended a meeting of this level, and the topics discussed were of great importance to the entire empire.
"Following our recall of most of the imperial guardians to the Imperial Capital two days ago, several provinces, such as the Vaz Province and the Nom Province, have experienced multiple large-scale massacres with over a thousand casualties each", Marshal Alfred stated.
"The Black Flame Cult, the Limb Grafting Cult, and the Secret Serpent Cult have been extremely active. We need to immediately allocate resources to suppress them. Otherwise, the situation will only worsen."
"However, in this battle, four imperial guardians fell, more than nine five-colored dragons perished, eighty-two death griffin knights were lost, and four hundred and thirty-two palace guards were killed. Three thousand two hundred and thirty-three buildings were destroyed", an elder from the Military Department added gravely.
"Stabilizing the empire's situation now will not be an easy task."
Rayne fell silent after hearing these numbers. This battle not only cost the empire the brave and resolute Emperor Carlos II but also resulted in significant casualties and losses.
"Does anyone have any good solutions to this problem?" Menya frowned, addressing the assembly from her seat.
"Perhaps we should consider collaborating with one of the eldritch deities to provoke the others, leading to internal conflicts among them", a noble elder in hunting attire suggested.
"Absolutely not! Collaborating with an eldritch deity means having the people, or at least some of them, worship that deity. Not only would this gradually corrupt the people with the deity's will, but the Church of the Goddess would also find it difficult to accept such a move", an imperial guardian immediately opposed.
"This would not only shatter the long-standing understanding between the empire and the Church of the Goddess, but the loss of faith would further slow the awakening of the Monsoon and Sea Goddess."
"I believe that in the current state where the goddess has yet to awaken, relying solely on the Dragon Empire's strength will not be enough to maintain the current unstable situation", another noble elder with a slicked-back hairstyle stated gravely.
"Many of you may not be fully aware, but the empire is already in a dire state. Tax revenue has dropped by thirty percent, and large tracts of farmland have been abandoned due to frequent cult activities. This situation is even more severe in remote areas."
The words of the Minister of the Interior caused many present to frown.
Although the imperial guardians had advanced far along the path of the extraordinary, ordinary people were the foundation of the empire. Without a large population, it would be impossible to nurture a large number of extraordinary beings.
Soon, several more people spoke up, most of them high-ranking officials, imperial guardians, or royal elders, but their opinions were divided.
For a moment, the meeting split into two factions, each with its own valid arguments.
At this point, Elder Ivan, after a moment's thought, suddenly turned to Rayne and asked:
"Lord Rayne, what are your thoughts on this matter?"
Upon hearing Elder Ivan's question, the other imperial guardians, department heads, and even Princess Regent Renara turned to look at Rayne.
They realized that Lord Rayne, who had shone brightly during the Battle of the Imperial Capital, had not yet spoken.
Rayne, though extremely young, had demonstrated his formidable strength during the battle. Additionally, he seemed to have the trust of Lady Menya.
"Lords, this is my first time attending a high-level meeting, and I intended to listen more and speak less. However, since Elder Ivan has asked for my opinion, I have a question for everyone. What is the origin of the true gods, such as the Monsoon and Sea Goddess? Does anyone know?"
Hearing Rayne's question, many were puzzled.
After all, Rayne's question seemed unrelated to the issue they had been discussing.
"The origins of the true gods are largely unknown, but according to scattered records in ancient texts, the Monsoon and Sea Goddess likely originated from a powerful human woman who gradually ascended to divinity", Wakmars, after a moment's thought, replied.
"I admire Lord Wakmars' extensive knowledge. I only learned this myself yesterday while reading ancient texts", Rayne nodded slightly in acknowledgment to Wakmars.
"Lord Rayne, what do you mean by this?" Elder Ivan's eyes widened as he seemed to grasp something.
(End of Chapter)
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