The return journey to Blackrock Territory was several times faster than the journey there.
Linde summoned the Starry Sky Apostle directly. The silver-blue mech was like a shooting star tearing through the sky, leaving a fleeting, scorching trail above the clouds. It left the rugged, savage atmosphere of the orc kingdom far behind, replacing it with the increasingly clear, chilly air belonging to the western border.
He sat in the quiet cockpit, where only the low hum of the energy flow and the absolute silence after the outside storm was cut off could be heard.
Unconsciously, his fingertips brushed over the [End of Annihilation] stored in the mecha's internal space.
The icy touch, as if it could freeze even the soul, traveled through the crystalline remains, clearly reminding him of the weapon's significance.
He could even picture in his mind its dark, dull spearhead, which seemed to devour all light, and the naturally formed patterns on it that, like shattered stars, contained the meaning of ultimate destruction.
He could sense that beneath Urano's seemingly calm will at the moment of parting, there lay an almost imperceptible burning desire for the spear and a deep fear of it, like a dark fire burning beneath ice.
It is impossible for a living god to remain indifferent to a weapon that could truly threaten or even end its own existence.
The feeling was like a lion facing a poisoned dagger that could easily pierce its heart; it wanted to possess it, yet feared its sharpness.
A cold smile played on Linde's lips, reflecting the rapidly passing sea of clouds outside the window.
He knew perfectly well that the "End of Annihilation" was a Damocles' sword hanging over the throne of any god, emanating an unsettling chill.
Urano had naturally considered killing and robbing, especially within his own divine realm, the "Endless Hunting Grounds," where his wild divine power seemed to offer an obvious advantage.
But this god of beasts is clever, or rather, cautious.
He weighed it.
Killing Lind and seizing the God-Slaying Weapon will be no easy task.
Linde's own reconstruction of the light veins and understanding of the Shadow Abyss are unfathomable, like an iceberg hidden in the deep sea. He also holds a powerful weapon like the [End of Annihilation] in his hand. If pushed too far, it will definitely result in mutual destruction, or even His own demise.
Moreover, beyond the realm of gods, there is the goddess of magic, Tiolantis, like a lurking shadow, as well as other ancient beings that may be hidden.
Once He suffers a severe blow in His battle with Lind and His divine power is weakened, His fate will be no better than that of the fused gods who fled into the sea of stars like stray dogs.
Urano would not do something so foolish as to benefit others or even get himself into trouble.
Therefore, that greed and murderous intent could only be suppressed by reason in the end, like a tide forcibly pushed back, remaining only as a thought.
"Using me?"
Lind muttered to himself, his voice unusually clear in the quiet cockpit.
The Starry Sky Apostle began to descend, piercing through the clouds. The familiar and resolute outline of Blackrock Territory below—the gray-white city walls, the orderly streets, and the towering lord's mansion in the center—was already in sight, gleaming with a solid luster in the slanting afternoon sunlight.
"You thought that by using an ancient contract and a joint effort against an enemy, you could make me the blade to eliminate your great foe..."
The Beast God Urano may have thought that He cleverly exploited Lind's sense of threat to the Fusion God, as well as that "sincerity" (the limited access to the Ancestral Blood Core and the Knowledge Base), to drive Lind to take action and eliminate a major threat for Him, at a negligible cost.
He might be in that "endless hunting ground" filled with roars and bloodshed right now, licking a non-existent wound with smug satisfaction, enjoying the thrill of the enemy's rout.
Unfortunately, you've made a mistake.
Purple light swirled in Linde's eyes, and the internal data cascade reflected on his expressionless face, as if a cold galaxy was rising and falling in his eyes.
“What I need has never been your approval or your pitiful knowledge. What I need is real combat data, to verify the lethality of the [End of Annihilation] against a true god-level being, to observe firsthand the operating mode of a chaotic evil god, and... an opportunity to truly ‘sharpen’ this god-slaying spear and deter other potential enemies.”
The God of Fusion was merely an excellent target for him to test his skills and establish his authority; that pale, twisted "wriggling stomach" was nothing more than a grand experimental field.
The "cooperation" with Urano was nothing more than a mutually beneficial arrangement, with each party taking advantage of the other's needs.
The Beast God thought he had succeeded in using Lind to eliminate the threat.
Little did they know that Linde used this opportunity not only to verify the limits of his own strength and weapons, but also to make a naked declaration of force before the top powers of the continent (especially the divine level).
He, Lind Truk, possesses the power to kill gods, and he doesn't hesitate to use it!
This deterrent, achieved at the cost of the near fall of an evil god, is far more effective than any diplomatic rhetoric or alliance treaty. It is like a boulder thrown into the lake of the gods' hearts, the ripples of which will surely spread to every corner.
Like a precise meteor, the Star Apostle landed on the special landing pad reinforced with magical runes behind the lord's mansion, leaving behind a trail of tearing air. It stirred up visible ripples of energy that distorted light and dispersed the fine dust on the ground.
The mech's hatch slid open silently, and Linde stepped out. His crystalline body gleamed with a cold, deep luster in the afterglow of the setting sun, as if absorbing all the light around him.
Alice, Nazra, and Leonis, who had already sensed the unique energy fluctuations of his return, were waiting beside him. They stood in the rising twilight, with the warm glow of the lord's mansion windows behind them, their faces showing undisguised concern and inquiry.
A gentle evening breeze carried the faint fragrance of newly blooming night flowers in the courtyard, creating a subtle contrast with the lingering, cold, and ethereal aura from a distant dimension emanating from the mecha.
"Is the matter resolved?"
Alice stepped forward, her skirt brushing against the smooth stone slabs, her voice soft yet carrying a barely perceptible tension.
Her golden hair swayed gently in the evening breeze, and her sapphire-like eyes scrutinized Lind, as if to confirm that he was unharmed.
"This is temporarily over."
Lin De nodded slightly, without explaining the details of that divine war that transcended mortal understanding. He simply said in a steady voice that dispelled the evening chill.
"The orcs are unlikely to make any moves that would be detrimental to us in the short term."
His gaze swept over his three wives, and he could feel the obvious relaxation emanating from them because of his safe return. The tense atmosphere melted away like ice and snow, and even his hardened heart was stirred by a slight ripple.
Nazra's fox tail was no longer stiff, and Leonis's grip on the sword hilt loosened quietly.
Is everything alright at home?
He asked, his tone unusually gentle, a stark contrast to the coldness he had displayed in the cockpit just moments before.
"Everything is fine, and the children are all working very hard."
Nazra answered with a smile, her silver fox tail swaying gently behind her, bringing a fragrant breeze. The worry in her eyes finally turned into relief.
Leonis nodded, her resolute face softening considerably in the twilight.
"The territory is functioning normally, and Aster and Narosh have everything in good order."
"That's good."
Linde looked up at the huge glass window of the study at the highest point of the lord's mansion. A steady magical light shone through the window, like a lighthouse guiding the way in the dark night.
He knew that there were mountains of government reports, the latest developments from various parties on the mainland, and research progress reports from the Steel Sky waiting for him there.
The light symbolizes both responsibility and power.
With the threat from the God of Fusion temporarily averted, relations with the Beast God entered a delicate, mutually deterrent "peaceful" phase.
But this is far from the end.
The shadow of the God of Magic, Tiolantis, still hangs over his head like the Sword of Damocles. The integration within the Holy Church is not yet complete, the reactions of other forces on the continent need to be assessed, and the deeper mysteries of the Light Vein and the Shadow Abyss await exploration... His journey has only just entered the next, perhaps even more magnificent, stage.
“Let’s go,” Lind said to his wives, taking the lead into the brightly lit mansion with firm and steady steps, shutting out the twilight and starry sky behind him.
"There are still many things waiting for us to deal with."
His figure blended into the warm and shadowy corridors of the lord's mansion, like a lion that had rested and returned to its throne, ready to continue strategizing and stirring up the winds of change across the continent.
This time, however, he held in his hand a power that would make even the gods tremble.
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