Lind and Mura returned to the teleportation hall deep within Blackrock Fortress. The intense heat and oppressive force of the Earth's core furnace seemed to linger in their senses, creating a stark contrast with the constant low temperature and precise energy flow within the Steel Sky.
Muradin exhaled a long, sulfurous breath, wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead (mostly psychological), and looked at Lind with his lava-like eyes, a mixture of relief and lingering awe:
"My old bones are almost crushed by the pressure of the patriarch... Linde, you..."
He paused, his words trailing off.
Because he saw Lind standing there, his deep purple eyes not filled with the excitement or enlightenment he had expected, but with an extreme, icy calmness, and even... a hint of... rejection.
“Your Majesty Muradin,” Lind began, his voice calm and even, yet sending a chill down the dwarf king’s spine, “thank you for introducing us. The path of the ‘Soulforger’ is indeed… awe-inspiring.”
His word choice was "shocking," rather than "longing for" or "identifying with."
A hint of confusion appeared on Muradin's rugged face:
"What? Is the path of Patriarch Kamran not powerful enough? That path involves merging with the earth's vein furnace, achieving near immortality!"
“Very impressive,” Lind affirmed, but then his tone shifted slightly, “but the end of this path may not be the ‘perfection’ I’m looking for.”
He raised his hand, and the pale blue crystalline particles at his fingertips swirled, forming a small, constantly rotating model of a star.
"To deeply integrate one's own will with a vast, fixed energy source and concept of rules, becoming its 'soul,' certainly grants unparalleled power and a near-eternal form of existence. But..."
With a light tap of Lind's fingertip, the star model suddenly froze. Although it remained powerful, it lost its dynamic sense of self-evolution, as if it had been fixed at a certain point in time and space.
"...This also means being 'anchored'."
"The Soul Forger lives and dies with the Red Mountain ley lines; his will is the furnace, and the furnace is him. This means that the boundaries of his 'existence' are also limited to the limits that this ley line can extend to. He has become an incomparably powerful 'earthbound spirit,' or rather... 'artifact spirit.'"
A sharp glint flashed in Linde's purple eyes.
"This is not what I want."
His goal is to repair the steel sky, use it as his steed to travel the stars, explore the mysteries of countless worlds, and even reach the realm of the gods.
His journey should be to the stars and the sea, to infinite possibilities, rather than being bound to a particular star, a particular star field, or even the ley lines of a particular planet.
How is that any different from self-imprisonment?
Perhaps for Kamran, who sought to eternally protect his people, this was the best ending. But for Lind Truk, the end of this path did not lead to an infinitely vast starry sky, but to an incomparably magnificent, yet essentially closed, prison.
Using the steel sky as an anchor point for deep integration? The ultimate result will most likely be to become a powerful, "ship soul"-like entity, completely bound to this interstellar ship.
The extent of Linde's "world" is determined by how far it can sail. However, its very existence may be extinguished if the ship is severely damaged or its energy is depleted.
This is far removed from the realm of "god" or "supreme legend" that Linde envisioned—a being who is inherently powerful, traversing diverse realms, and controlling their own destiny.
"What I need is to control power, not to be assimilated by it; to master the rules, not to become a part of them. My 'existence' should not be anchored or limited by anything external."
Lind's voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable determination.
His original plan was to repair and upgrade the Steel Sky, using it as a foundation to draw upon the legacy of the Zedu civilization and gradually elevate himself to a level comparable to or even surpassing that of the gods.
However, judging from the example of Kamran, if this technological path is taken to its extreme, it may lead to a powerful "spirit" as the final destination, rather than a true, independent supreme being.
The plan must be adjusted.
The Steel Sky needs to be repaired. It is currently the best base, arsenal, and research platform, but its core purpose needs to be redefined. It is a tool, a vehicle, and a fortress, but it must never become an "anchor" or a "cage" on his future path.
He needs to find other paths, other legendary examples, to refine or even redesign the blueprint for the path "beyond legend".
Should we directly inquire of the known deities? Whether it be the goddess of magic, Tiolantis, who once bestowed divine pronouncements, or Uranus, the lord of beasts, who extended an invitation?
Lind immediately rejected this option in his mind.
The gifts from God have always come with a price tag attached in secret.
Their knowledge inevitably bears their imprint, their inclinations, and even their traps.
Especially after experiencing the spying of the God of Fusion, Linde was filled with extreme distrust of these higher-dimensional beings.
To entrust one's future to the "guidance" of a deity is tantamount to handing one's throat to another's knife.
He must walk his own path.
The way to explore this path is to study and analyze those who have embarked on different legendary paths, understand their essence, their gains and losses, and then summarize, deduce, and even... create a path that is unique to Lind Truk and perfectly suited to his own conditions!
"Kamran the Soulforger represents the path of fusion with the concepts of 'ley line energy' and 'forge of creation'."
Lind quickly calculated in his mind.
"So, does 'Deep-Rooted Elder' Valak represent a path of integration with 'nature,' 'ancient forests,' and even 'planetary ecology'?"
"And what extreme does the 'Silent Saintess' Esmeralda's state of 'emptiness of rules' and 'walking in magic-free zones' represent? Is it a fusion with 'nothingness' and 'silence'? Or is it a 'negation' of the rules themselves?"
Every legend is an extremely valuable example, a living "path demonstration".
The list provided by Narakushi earlier is now priceless.
"It seems it's time to pay a visit to this... 'Old Man with Deep Roots'."
Linde's gaze seemed to pierce through the heavy barriers of the steel sky, looking towards the vast forbidden zone in the north of the continent known as the "Forest of Eternal Silence".
Unlike the relatively "friendly" legend of Kamran, who is associated with allies, visiting Valak is undoubtedly much riskier. The Everlasting Forest is a forbidden zone for life; those who trespass never return.
However, risks and rewards often go hand in hand.
Linde needs to personally experience and closely observe that state of deep integration with the natural life rules, and compare it with the path of the Earth Vein Furnace.
He had a premonition that there must be some commonalities among the different legendary paths, as well as fatal differences. Only by finding these similarities and differences could he piece together the complete puzzle leading to a higher level.
"Aster." Lind's thoughts were instantly transmitted through the magic network.
"Yes, my lord," Aster replied immediately.
"Adjust resource allocation. The priority of the Steel Sky repair work remains unchanged, but all projects related to 'core fusion,' 'consciousness upload,' and 'ship life-saving' are suspended and reassessed. Related research data is archived, and access is set to the highest level."
“Understood. The order has been issued.” Astaire carried it out without hesitation.
"Also, I might be going out of town soon. If anything comes up, just upload it to Steel Sky."
"Yes, ma'am."
Lind ended the call, his eyes shining with an even deeper and more resolute light.
Temporarily shelving the plan to be deeply integrated with the Steel Sky is not a halt to progress, but rather a means to go further and more freely in the future.
His gaze turned to the distance again, as if he could already see that ancient and desolate forest, and the ancient will that slumbered in the deepest part of the forest, integrated with the vitality of all things.
A new "sampling" journey is about to begin. This time, his target is no longer inanimate objects or data, but living...legends.
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