Chapter 628 Savior (2/2)

Joshua became even more resolved for what he was about to do when he noticed how they toiled for survival. But before that, he wanted to meet his apostle whom he had not seen for a long time, and find out how it was doing.

Arriving at the heart of the mountains, he looked toward the great doors leading deep underground, and was gone in a flash.

The Ancient Dragon arrived there too, worried that Joshua would cause the Drakonids harm, but never once stopping him on their journey since it did not feel ill-will from the warrior. And now, it was slightly bewildered as the Drakonids bowed and prayed to it—it had been slumbering over a few hundred years, and as such did not know why its former allies would now saw it as a god.

The things that could change in centuries was assuredly many.

***

And at that moment, Joshua reached the subterranean depths.

The secret passageways and the baiting traps were meaningless to him, nor did the bloodline checkpoints set up by the Drakonids stopped him. Before any of them noticed, Joshua was already deep below in the underground ruins, arriving at the crystal corridor where he unwittingly slowed his pace.

The birth of the merfolk civilization… the progress of the merfolk civilization…. The merfolk civilization rising to land and the Void.

An optimistic and joyful civilization, exploring the Multiverse and advancing to worlds beyond out of curiosity for the unknown, energetically facing all hardships, treating any beings with friendliness.

Then came the Ancient Dragon and the war against the Darkness… the war ended, their world was destroyed, and the merfolk became Drakonid under the influence of the Ancient Dragon's power, until present day.

Another civilization with talent, destroyed by the Darkness. Joshua's resolve was empowered once more.

If the weak held a torch and walked in a dark forest, the light of which would likely attract beast to attack and devour them—what should the hunter who carried a gun do?

Or what should a fully-armored soldier do, for that matter?

Or simply, what should a tank with steel armor, or perhaps an entire tank division do?

Nothing would be a problem as long as they could become stronger. The former Mycroft had almost achieved that only to fail—Joshua certainly found that the successors of the Starfall Era would never assume the old path of the Glorious Era.

Walking through the corridor, Joshua ventured deep below and into the earth's mantle, finally arriving at the ritual hall.

He saw the pyramidic altar, smelled the pungent odor of blood in the air, heard the humming energy circuits on the walls around, and touched the girls' feeble arm.

Joshua frowned and carried Lisa, who was now slumbering. He sensed the meekness of the girl due to blood loss, and the little life essence belonging to Syndicate inside her body. The warrior hence nursed her with his own lifeforce, wiping off the deep wounds developed in her body due to overexertion.

”Monarch… Thou art here. It's a pity I don't have a body now to pay my respects…”

The archdemon's weak spiritual ripples wafted from the girl's heart. In the very last moment of the ritual, Syndicate abandoned his physical being and passed its profound Origin as a balrog to Lisa, greatly strengthening the Drakonid girl's bloodline concentration. Now, it was effectively one body with Lisa, leaving just its soul that survived mutually with the girl.

”…Syndicate, you have done well… Very well, exceeding my expectations and very much so.”

Joshua inhaled deeply, learning the course of events through an exchange with the balrog spiritually. He saw the Drakonids stalwart will in the face of calamity, saw a father's unhesitating sacrifice for his daughter. He saw every Drakonid individual doing their part so that their civilization lived on, and saw the Drakonid Elder smiling in the face of death as he freed the Ancient Dragon from its chains.

He also saw the sadness, curiosity, delight, astonishment, sorrow, and bewilderment of a young girl. He felt Lisa's despair, and her heart that kept her going even so.

There would always be a spark in civilizations, no matter how weak it was. It was not natural for life and civilization to continue every day, but it was an outcome of their incessant striving, sacrifice, and progress.

The demon was moved by it. It encouraged the girl and acted as its shield, so that she could go forward without worry. It had made its own contribution for the continuation of this world.

”I never thought that an act in passing would give birth to such an outcome… If you two didn't remove the Ancient Dragon's restraint, this world may have trodden on another path.”

”This girl, and all those who sacrificed themselves, were unquestionably heroes. You included.”

It was his own mistake, Joshua thought. If he had not disturbed the Ancient Dragon, the Drakonids' quiet life would never have stopped. Although theoretically speaking, the two Legendary mages would have found it anyway even without him, with others pursuing the power of Creation as well—when that happens, there would be another battle that was perhaps even greater… but this remained his mistake. And he must atone.

Syndicate and Lisa's acts were coincidences yet necessary—any cycle would behave so naturally, so unimaginably as well. Clutching the young girl in his embrace, Joshua left the underground ruins and arrived above the mountains.

He leveled his gaze at the Ancient Dragon, while it noticed the young girl in his bosom, recognizing the young girl who granted it temporary freedom so that It could fight the Darkness. It growled nervously once, as if worried that Joshua had hurt her.

Lisa slowly woke up amidst that growl. She felt that her body suddenly did not ache, while her daze and headaches due to blood loss were gone as well. After a brief giddiness, the Drakonid girl realized she was no longer deep below ground, but in the skies above the mountains, with a huge and imposing man holding her in the air. Beside them, the true Dragon God was watching herself mildly, so close that it was almost right in front of them.

Lisa almost faint once again, but through the firm will she trained in recent times she held on—even so, she felt her entire body softening and was unable to speak.

”Stand straight, little girl.”

”Eh, uh, okay.”

Lisa heard a low masculine voice. Though she did not understand the language, she somehow understood his meaning. Subconsciously straightening herself, she realized that the man had put her down—beneath her feet was air, and when Lisa finally reacted, she tried to use Actuate Bolt to harden her own body and soften her fall, only to realize in seconds that though it was definitely transparent air beneath her feet, it had become as hard as steel, enough to let humans stand upon it.

”Tell us what you've encountered over the last dozen days,” the low masculine voice continued. For some reason, the girl did not dare to decline—in reality, she would not have refused either. Thus, as a comforting feeling welled in her as if all calamity had left her, she closed her eyes and stuttered, detailing her experiences that were so unusual it was unreal.

Her sadness in being unable to awaken, shock in meeting the balrog, delight in awakening, labor in training, happiness in being recognized, excitement in going out for a hunt, accomplishment in the successful hunt and the astonishment in the sudden ambush… the young girl spoke about all her feelings and experiences with a plain tone, and soon it came to her father's death, her bewilderment, the Drakonid elder's sacrifice, the balrog's offering, and her final resolve.

”It is definitely the saddest.”

Joshua, the Ancient Dragon, Barnil and William had all listened attentively to the girl's story, even if she was insignificant in terms of power. When she was finished, the warrior nodded.

”Your name is Lisa, right?” He asked softly.

”Uh…Yes…”

Lisa still found it disbelieving and unreal in the presence of That Person the balrog mentioned—the champion who founded Actuate Bolt. She found it hard to comprehend how things became like this, but Joshua was not concerned about her puzzlement and doubt, and reached out to pat her little head. He laughed softly—her dual-horned head reminded him of Black back home before speaking, ”Lisa, do you know? Although everything had already happened and has become the unchangeable reality, as long as your ability is enough, any sad conclusion could be turned into a happy ending.”

At that, Joshua's whole body ignited with sparks. Fissure-like patterns of magma appeared on the warrior's body, making his voice echo deeply and profoundly.

”Look, little girl.”

Think of it as a surprise I have for you, just have the one you gave me. I shall bless you and this world with a gift, to repay for troubling your lives.”

The Light of Flame ignited. Warm radiance illuminated the Kronos Mountains, and thus countless myriad colored specks rose and assembled everywhere around the mountains… One illumination after another flew within the warm Light of Flame—those were countless souls that had yet to disperse, but was mobile now thanks to the Flame.

It was also the souls of countless perished Drakonids.

In those infinite specks were the shadows of millions. There were mothers carrying their child, monster hunters who were still fighting, and normal folks who trembled as they raised their weapons, to stand against foes they would never hold up against.

With Joshua's power as King of Searing Soul, countless souls received dazzling Light. Lisa seemed to see her father's shadow amongst the ever-present specks of light—the specter of the middle-age Drakonid saw her daughter's surprised expression and smiled calmly. On another side, the aged Drakonid elder's phantom looked around over the Kronos Mountains, and lowered his head devoutly when he saw the Ancient Dragon that was levitating in the sky and just as shocked. Smiling, he prayed for one last time.

”What are you blanking out for? Ancient Dragon! Work with me and reignite the Flame!”

Catching the attention of the Ancient Dragon that was startled by the sight with a low scolding, Joshua ignited the endless Chaos forces he acquired by killing Void aberrations and the Void Mother on Stellaris, and drove the power of King of Searing Soul at full capacity. He laughed, spreading his arms, allowing the warm fiery light to fill the world. Circles of concentric Light of Order hence reverberated over the world, promptly enlightening the Ancient Dragon about what it should be doing.

Fire and Steel were the powers of Creation. The King of Searing Soul grasped the authority of Flame, while the Ancient Dragon was the Eldest Child of Steel. The combined might of the two would far surpass having one of them act alone by a thousand times.

Joshua's eyes were filled with pleasure and determination.

If the World Will had been destroyed, leaving just cycles of life and Order, then he, Joshua, could temporarily assume the duty and reshape the world.

Indeed, he had certainly made a mistake, but it was a stroke of luck that he could bear the responsibility for the mistake.

The power of the strong could revert destruction to rebirth, turn tragedy into comedy. The power of the strong could skew futures, alter fates.

And Joshua was strong.

At the center of the world, the light of scarlet Flame flickered.

The light called new life.