[Vol. 8] Chapter 344: An Invitation from Another Dimension
The disaster of the gods was unimaginably brutal. Any god who survived such a war was no ordinary being. The moment the gods, including Demon God Olivia, all attacked together, brilliant lights flew across the sky.
Even Violet felt secretly shaken by the overwhelming divine powers thrown out without limit, a force so great it seemed as if heaven and earth would be completely crushed!
But then, a colorless barrier of light suddenly appeared in front of her. All those attacks were blocked without exception. No matter how mysterious, no matter how powerful, whether enough to burn seas or shatter mountains, none of it could pass even a fraction through that faint, transparent arc of light.
It swallowed everything, like an eraser above the heavens, casually wiping away every invading force. Violet saw the black dragon, massive enough to blot out the sky, dive forward under its master’s command, but it couldn’t even get close. It was thrown back, coughing blood under the invisible force. She saw figure after figure charging forward, only to fall one after another under that overwhelming glow, like ants crushed underfoot.
Only Olivia, together with a few other gods whose auras were equally deep, managed to force the memory’s owner to respond more seriously. But even then, it was only enough to hold the enemy back for a moment, they could not actually wound it at all.
Strong. Too strong.
It was complete domination without suspense, power that stood above all. From the perspective of the recorder facing the gods’ combined assault, Violet felt it clearly for the first time. This must be the true [Divine Catastrophe], an almost unstoppable power!
Even though this was only a memory, Violet couldn’t judge exactly how strong either side was. But at the very least, Olivia was a main god. Even weakened by injuries, she would not be that fragile. For someone to so casually suppress all the gods alone, there was only one possible explanation.
There was no doubt, the power of the [Divine Catastrophe] had already gone beyond the limits of the divine!
Violet kept watching carefully, planning to see more of their techniques so she could prepare for the future. But as the divine battle raged on, with countless laws and terrifying forces exploding through the void, even this mysterious memory could not withstand it.
The vision quickly blurred like a broken disc, the space cracking and shrieking with ear-piercing static. Everything twisted out of shape until nothing could be seen clearly.
Helpless, Violet tried to catch whatever fragmented images she could. She barely glimpsed a flash of ultimate light exploding, the fierce battle tearing the void apart, until suddenly…
The vision cleared again. What filled her eyes was an expanding, dazzling silver light!
Violet jumped in shock, but she recognized it instantly. It was the same silver radiance that had fallen from the sky earlier!
The recorder seemed unable to dodge in time. The silver light cut through like a blade, but strangely, it drew no blood. Instead, Violet saw a mass of golden starlight being sliced away, carried off together with the silver glow, shooting far into the unknown void until both vanished.
At that point, the strange replay ended completely. The vision of the god-war shattered like an illusion, and Violet’s sight returned again to the high vantage point where she overlooked the world. But…
She saw it.
Compared to before, the view had changed in a way even her eyes could clearly notice.
The mysterious areas that had once been hidden in mist, where nothing could be seen, suddenly lit up with golden and silver lights, shining like lighthouses. Though faint, they were enough to serve as beacons, guiding the way through the darkness.
Violet instantly understood what they were.
Those scattered lights across the land… they must be fragments of the silver light, together with the golden starlight that had been cut away from the [Divine Catastrophe] long ago!
In that moment, the pieces connected. Violet finally realized what all these scenes were trying to show her.
The strange changes and “lost zones” in the Origin Realm must be tied closely to the god-war of a thousand years ago. And that puppet was most likely a special tool created to handle this matter, providing it with clues and guidance in this way.
But… why?
Based on everything she knew, the god-war most likely ended with both sides heavily damaged. The gods who went to fight had almost all fallen, leaving only the small group known as the Twilight Council. But the [Divine Catastrophe], most likely the very figure whose perspective she had just seen, should not have escaped unscathed either.
Whether it was that mysterious silver light from the sky, or the golden starlight cut away at the end of the battle, their true nature was still unknown. But one thing was clear, they were extremely important to it. Perhaps that was why, after losing them, the [Divine Catastrophe] had remained silent for a thousand years, never showing itself again.
There were still many mysteries, the truth of that godly war, the secret of the Primordial Light, and even the priestess’s own identity, which was still not completely clear.
But now, with those lighthouse-like lights shining one by one, she finally seemed to have a direction to search for.
“The northern part of the world, another land separated by the frozen extreme cold zone…”
She thought of Princess Nolan Sinong of the Snow Country, who had once appeared in the Holy Empire’s capital to take part in the God-chosen Hero Trial, and of the secret she seemed to carry. The priestess had already quietly made up her mind.
It looked like it was time to make a trip there.
Pulling back her thoughts, Violet pushed the flow of information from the puppet away with her divine sense. The all-knowing, all-controlling state quickly faded. When she opened her eyes again, she was surprised to find herself already back in the skies above the imperial capital.
As planned earlier, Xiao Guang should have gone with Nitila and the White Dragon Queen Cielru to clean up the mess left behind by Leonis. The barrier that covered the Frederick City was being lifted, and the airspace above was already empty.
Violet looked around and saw the so-called [Origin-type Machine 03] puppet still floating quietly in the air. But something was strange, its glow had completely faded. The holy and mysterious aura was gone. Now, it felt like nothing more than a rough wooden puppet made with slightly special material.
The [Ironblood Arena] never closed without reason. Its removal could only mean that the duel had ended and only Violet remained alive inside. In other words, something had changed in this puppet, and the domain no longer treated it as a valid opponent.
Was it because of the contact just now…? But why?
“......”
Looking at the puppet before her, which no longer shone and seemed to have lost all power, the priestess frowned. After thinking for a while but finding no answer, she decided it wasn’t good to just leave it floating there. After some thought, she tried putting it into her backpack.
“Swish~”
The process went even smoother than expected. With a flash of silver light, the puppet vanished and appeared in her backpack’s space. Violet shook her head helplessly but let out a long breath of relief.
“Hah, whatever, whatever. At least the matter here is basically solved.”
Muttering to herself, Violet lowered her eyes to the imperial capital Frederic below, which was still in chaos. A few thoughts passed through her heart.
So many things had happened recently. Violet had gained a lot, but where there is joy, there is also sorrow. The failure and disappearance of Leonis would bring huge changes to the Austre Empire. First of all, the throne itself would now be in question.
She could still clearly remember the struggle for the throne in the Human United Kingdom. The princes and princesses of Austre Empire were even more numerous than back then. Although their strengths were very different, until the very end, no one could say for sure who would win.
Since Carinvega, the strongest and most qualified princess, had already made it clear she would not become emperor, the most likely candidate now was Xiluo Frederick. Looking at things now, maybe Leonis had already planned for this possibility. By allowing Xiluo Frederick to act as regent, he had paved the way for this situation in case of his own defeat.
No matter what, the Austre Empire would definitely fall into short-term chaos. The world war itself might also shift in new ways.
Even though Violet had once again used her ultimate magic to cut off the Origin Realm, stopping the World Sustainers from sending more reinforcements, the large number of otherworldly creatures that had already invaded were still a huge threat. The empire itself… might become one of their targets.
If Leonis were still alive and fully in control of the Serpent authority, the World Sustainers would naturally have no reason to move against the Austre Empire or its allies. But now that Leonis had failed and the throne would pass to his heirs, the alliance of convenience between them was nothing more than empty words. With that, many hidden dangers were likely to erupt all at once.
A lot of things were going to happen soon…
The black-haired girl shook her head helplessly.
The power of the World Sustainers could only be understood by direct experience. It was more terrifying than the [Southern Calamity], a large-scale invasion and catastrophe that could cover all directions of the world. It was no less destructive than the ancient chaos of the Evil Spirits in the Ancient Spirit Realm.
To put it in less exaggerated words, in the coming days, many nations might fall in the war. Countless people would die, be displaced, or lose everything. Yet, the balance of the world would also undergo another major change.
She only hoped that the preparations made earlier could really be useful in this coming age of chaos.
“Hmm?”
Suddenly, a strange ripple broke the priestess’s thoughts. She turned her head, sensing something, and saw a card floating silently in the air nearby.
On its surface was drawn the image of a “Door”.
And from within it, a figure slowly stepped out.
It was a strange man wearing a tall hat and dressed in black magician’s formal clothes. He held a short staff, and cards spun around and flew under his feet, holding him in the air. He gracefully bowed to the priestess who was watching him.
“We meet again, Miss Violet~”
Seeing this sudden visitor, the black-haired girl raised an eyebrow but didn’t rush to react. After all, she knew this man somewhat. Their relationship was a little complicated, but in truth, he was not her enemy.
“Timos Young? Why did you come here at this time?”
“~”
Once the first king of the Human United Kingdom, this man now called himself the Immortal Magician, leading the underground group called the Eternal Throne. He only smiled, shook his head, and answered vaguely.
“I am just an ordinary person. The fights between mythical beings, or the conflicts between those great and powerful existences, are not things a small man like me can join. If I want to live long, I can only wait until everything ends before showing myself carefully.”
Of course, Violet could tell he was dodging the question, avoiding the real reason. Not sure of this man’s true goal, the girl frowned slightly and said.
“Stop with the meaningless talk. If you have something to say, say it. I don’t have time to play guessing games with you.”
“Haha, Miss Violet, your direct way of speaking hasn’t changed at all~”
The magician nodded and, dropping the jokes, spoke seriously.
“The truth is, I came here to find you for something related to the Human United Kingdom. I want to discuss it with you.”
He lifted his head, his deep and unreadable eyes staring at the half-transparent sky above, as if looking far away toward another world.
“I believe you know the current world situation even better than I do. A great crisis has arrived. The Human United Kingdom is facing the greatest challenge in its 800 years of history. Just Edith and those children alone cannot hold out. So I plan to return to my homeland and secretly help them as much as I can.”
“I know you have a close connection with the Kingdom, especially with that little queen. I wonder if you’d like to come along with me, to meet some old acquaintances again?”
“...?”
The girl looked at Timos Young strangely for a moment. His words sounded like a simple invitation, but Violet knew better. The Immortal Magician would not personally seek her out at such a time unless there was a deeper reason. There must be more hidden in his words.
She did not tell him that she had already asked the White Dragon Queen Cielru to send mythical beings to guard the Kingdom. Instead, she just nodded calmly.
“Going back to the Human United Kingdom is no problem. But I wonder, Mister Timos, who exactly do you want me to meet there? If you go to all this trouble, I doubt it’s just some unimportant person.”
Their meaningful gazes crossed in silence. Soon, the magician laughed again. This time, his laugh had less politeness and more satisfaction.
“Haha, as expected of Miss Violet. Talking to a smart person really is easy.”
As if being cautious, Timos Young said nothing more. Instead, he raised his hand and took out a folded letter, handing it to Violet with both hands.
“Please read.”
“?”
Considering their difference in strength, Violet wasn’t worried about traps. She nodded and opened the letter directly. Inside was indeed a letter, written in the common Holy Empire language. But strangely, the edge of the page was surrounded by a very complex and delicate magic circle, sealing the content inside.
The message itself was surprisingly simple, yet also confusing.
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Violet, or should I call you the Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden instead? No need to mind it. I only wish to meet you, to talk about certain things… things very important to both of us.
You are smart, so I believe you won’t reveal this invitation to anyone. I won’t waste more words. In the Human United Kingdom, I will be waiting for you.
—Exmont
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“...Hah?”
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Volume Eight: Under the Serpent’s Dusk.
The End
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