Chapter 436 The Cycle of Fate
After issuing those two commands, Artorias the Starforger paid no attention to the excited wizards.
He simply raised his hand casually, the movement as light and effortless as brushing dust off his sleeve.
The next moment, Jemin felt a dull but unusually stable vibration coming from beneath his feet.
It wasn't the destructive shaking of an earthquake, but rather a uniform lifting sensation, like some colossal creation being awakened from its slumber and breaking free from the constraints of the ground.
He subconsciously looked down, then suddenly looked up and glanced around.
The field of vision is rising!
It wasn't just him flying; the entire wizard camp was rising from the ground!
This massive complex, comparable in size to a modern megacity and filled with towers, factories, laboratories, residential areas, and layers upon layers of defensive fortifications, took flight with such ease.
A massive shadow covered the scorched earth below. At the bottom of the camp, an extremely complex array of anti-gravity runes and a spatial stabilization array lit up simultaneously, emitting a vast, ocean-like soft glow that lifted the steel city into the air.
The wind howled at the edge of the camp, stirring up clouds of dust, but inside the camp, the powerful energy field shielded it from any tremors.
Artorias stood on a high platform in the center of the camp, his gray robes motionless in the wind stirred up by the camp itself, his gaze calmly fixed on the distance.
Immediately, the entire floating wizard camp began to slowly accelerate under the guidance of the eighth-level wizard's will.
Like a shuttle lifted up by an invisible giant hand, it flew steadily and swiftly toward its destination.
The mountains and rivers swept past below at high speed, their stability and speed leaving Jemin feeling dizzy and mesmerized.
...
...
Outside the temple area, several Scythe-Skull tribesmen, panicked and disoriented due to their leader's "petrification" and the collapse of their army, were instinctively fleeing towards this ancient architectural complex that seemed to hold special significance deep within their civilization's memory.
They stumbled and rushed through the dilapidated gates of the temple, their compound eyes frantically scanning the interior.
However, the scene that entered their perception froze them abruptly, and even their pheromones conveyed a strong sense of confusion and horror.
The interior of the temple was completely different from the one they remembered, which was covered with distorted symbols!
The walls are smooth, with precisely and regularly embedded energy lines.
The air is dry and clean, permeated with an unnatural, constant energy field.
What truly spurred their mental breakdown was the altar in the center of the temple, which should have been completely empty.
Above it, a huge metal sphere several meters in diameter was suspended!
A steady flow of gold and silver energy flows through the vertical energy wires on the surface of the sphere, emitting a deep and rhythmic hum.
An incomprehensible yet instinctively awe-inspiring sense of "origin" emanated from the sphere, causing them to tremble in their very souls.
What... what is this?
How did the temple end up like this?!
Just as these scythe-skull creatures stood frozen in shock at the sight before them, their compound eyes flashing with chaotic light, instinctively trying to get closer to comprehend this mind-blowing spectacle…
They suddenly realized that they could not move at all.
It's like a flying insect suddenly crashing into invisible solidified resin, unable to even make the slightest tremor of its antennae.
The mind is still functioning, but all external interactions and body control have been forcibly stripped away.
They remained in the same posture and expression as they had just moments before, as if they had become specimens in amber, frozen in mid-air.
A moment later, the shadow fell.
The vast wizard camp, under Artorias's precise control, constantly changed shape like a nimble building block.
The buildings at the heart of the camp were dispersed, creating an area large enough to encompass the temple.
The energy tendrils and physical base extending from the bottom of the camp cleverly avoid the temple itself, perfectly embedding the entire temple area into the core central area of the camp.
The temple, which was originally isolated in the wilderness, instantly became the "heart" of this camp.
Artorias, along with Jemin and all the eagerly awaiting core logistics wizards, appeared as if by teleportation at the temple entrance guarded by the camp.
The Starforger glanced casually at the few Scythe-Skull Clan members frozen in mid-air like bizarre sculptures, as if they were just a few specks of dust.
With a casual wave of his hand, the space rippled slightly, and the few scythe-skull creatures disappeared without a trace, clearly having been stored in a private space specifically for storing "samples".
The others' gazes then fell upon the enormous mechanical sphere in the center of the temple.
No commands or encouragement are needed.
The moment all the logistics wizards saw that sphere, their breathing quickened and their eyes shone as if they had discovered a priceless treasure!
Every energy pattern flowing on that sphere, every fluctuation of law it emits, is a knowledge puzzle with a deadly allure to them!
"This is the core control unit of the time paradox generator..."
"Quick! Record the basic energy spectrum!"
"Note its information interface mode; it may be quite different from our rune system!"
"Don't rush... Let's start with a non-invasive scan!"
Like bees drawn by the scent of nectar, they rushed forward eagerly, yet maintained the final restraint and order of researchers.
He took out all the most sophisticated detection instruments, recording runes, and analyzing crystals he carried with him, and began to carefully conduct preliminary tests and studies on the metal sphere from various angles and using various methods.
The temple was instantly filled with the low hum of instruments, the rapid reporting of data, and the barely suppressed whispers of excitement.
However, amidst this suddenly heated research atmosphere, Jemin seemed somewhat preoccupied.
Instead of immediately joining his colleagues' research, he quietly walked over to Arterius.
The Starforger seemed unsurprised by his arrival, his gaze remaining calmly fixed on the fervent researchers, yet he asked softly, "What's wrong? You seem troubled."
Jemin hesitated for a moment, organizing his thoughts: "Your Excellency, before I was forced into that timeline, I briefly came into contact with the information storage area inside this sphere. I saw some records... of the reasons why this civilization created this 'weapon'."
He raised his head, looking at Artorias's profile, deep as the starry sky: "According to the remaining information, this plane once detected other civilizations of unimaginable power in an extremely distant region. It was that civilization... or rather, a wisp of the aftershock of its battle, that crossed immeasurable distances and nearly destroyed the Scythe-Skull race's predecessor civilization, which was just about to step out of the plane, and directly prompted them to embark on the path of creating this 'time paradox generator' in order to protect themselves."
His tone carried a hint of solemnity and excitement: "If that information is true, it means that there may be an unknown civilization with extremely high energy levels and posing a great threat in the deep space of our Star Ring Federation territory..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but his thoughts were obvious.
If a mere aftershock can give rise to a civilization that transforms itself into a spacetime fortress, then how terrifying must the original entity be?
This level of power is most likely at level nine. To be on the safe side, it would be best to seek support from the Star Ring Federation.
Artorias listened without showing surprise or seriousness.
He even blinked, a gesture that seemed almost too human for an eighth-level wizard.
The Starforger paused for a moment, as if he were performing high-speed mental calculations and memory retrieval.
Then, he turned to look at Jemin, a somewhat subtle smile on his face.
“So that’s what you’re worried about.” His voice was gentle, but it startled Jemin. “There’s no need to worry.”
"Huh?" Jemin asked, puzzled.
“Based on the clues you provided… we’ve made reverse calculations and comparisons based on the approximate time of the disaster, the approximate location of the shockwave, and its energy characteristics…” Artorias said casually, as if recounting an old anecdote, “If I’m not mistaken, that ‘aftershock of the disaster’ that nearly wiped out this poor, wretched civilization and terrified them into locking themselves up…”
He paused, his smile deepening slightly:
"Its origin is most likely the afterglow of a battle that occurred about 102,000 years ago when an expeditionary force led by a level nine wizard from our Star Ring Federation was sweeping away a malignant proliferating civilization called the 'Void Abominations' during a medium-sized skirmish."
"The main battlefield of that battle was indeed extremely far from this plane. For even a trace of power to leak over and cause such an effect, we can only say that they were unlucky."
Jemin was completely stunned, his mouth slightly open, unsure of what to say for a moment.
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
That "unknown, terrifying enemy" that terrified the Sickle-Skull Clan civilization, whom they viewed as a cataclysmic disaster and were willing to undergo collective "sublimation" to guard against...
The "cosmic catastrophe" that gave birth to this complex and tragic time-space weapon before us...
Its origin is actually the wizard civilization itself?
Was it a spark that accidentally flew over when our boss was fighting?
this……
He instinctively turned his head and looked towards the center of the temple.
There, a group of logistics wizards were gathered around the metal sphere, their expressions focused and fervent.
The instruments in their hands flashed with various lights as they attempted to analyze, understand, and ultimately control this "relic" forged by another civilization under extreme fear.
But the source of that fear was themselves.
An indescribable sense of destiny, intertwined with absurdity, understanding, and profound melancholy, slowly washed over Jieming's heart.
A civilization imprisoned itself due to the aftermath of a wizarding battle, creating a time prison.
Countless years later, a wizard arrived, broke the cage, and obtained this "weapon" that embodied all the fear and struggle of that civilization, and began to study it with great interest.
At this moment, the gears of fate meshed together to form a circle that leaves one speechless.
“So,” Artorias’s voice pulled Jemin back to reality. He patted Jemin on the shoulder, his tone returning to its usual calm and profound tone.
"Focus on the present, Wizard Jemin. Our journey is through the endless void, and along the way we will encounter all sorts of unexpected events, leaving behind all sorts of... traces. The important thing is what we can learn from these traces, and what we can take away."
He gazed at the mechanical sphere, his eyes shining with a pure thirst for knowledge:
"For example, how to better understand time, create our own 'paradox generator,' or... find the next civilization that we've frightened and inspired to unleash its potential."
Jemin remained silent for a moment, took a deep breath, and suppressed his complex emotions.
He looked at the sphere again, his gaze becoming firm and focused.
Whether it's fate or coincidence, it's all part of the equation.
The path of a wizard is always forward, towards the unknown and towards knowledge.
(End of this chapter)
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