Chapter 646 Interlude (2/2)
”Lady Galanoud would definitely appreciate that title.”
'A big sister who is seven or eight times his age…' Joshua grinned, shaking his head at the thought. ”That's normal—the world of Mycroft has a complete path of Extraordinary Legacy. The known Legends would only be the few famous ones.”
”As a huge race, it is impossible for the elves to have just one Nature's Magister. The leaders of the Court across generations would all certainly be Legendary champions, and they wouldn't be fighting from the frontline after they assumed the title.”
Moreover, it was more or less the same case for other factions. Even the Northern Empire had a Supreme-tier mage who could ascend at any given moment, apart from their renowned Emperor. In the Eastern Plains—Barbarossa of the Skypiercing White Tower and the sage Vahina notwithstanding—there was another unknown Legendary champion presiding over the ancient and dormant Council of Seven.
There were many Supreme-tier champions in the various West Mountain kingdoms as well, but since they were mostly rulers living in seclusion, none would know if there were Legends amongst them. Be that as it may, the current Sword Saint and the Mind Lord William were natives of the West Mountains, while the divine dwarven craftsman was also stationed in that region—all of them have their own successors, and the depth of Legends.
Joshua was aware that the reason Legendary champions were rare and only appeared one after another now was due to environmental issues. In the past life, the world of Mycroft had been essentially hostile, the damage from the Great Mana Tide far severe than any benefit it brought. The Abyss, the Pentashade dragons and the various cultist factions had ran everyone on the continent ragged, and that was not the case for this continuity.
One example was the Seven Gods Church: Igor did not sacrifice himself to keep the World Flame burning. Then, having the guidance of such a Legend, the Church itself did not fell to the same situation of being led by a successor who could not meet the demands, and Roland would not have to deliberately open Abyssal Gates to prolong the World Flame.
”Come to think of it, the world of Mycroft really plays its cards close to chest. As expected of heirs of the Glorious Era, a lame lion is a lion nonetheless…”
Joshua felt an inward jolt when he made the calculations in his mind. The Legendary champions he had saved in the open were more than a dozen, and when subterranean races and nonhumans who could become Legends in the future were counted as well, there would be more than thirty of them!
Thirty Legends! Even though almost half of them are would-be champions, the rest—provided they work together—would not find venturing into the Abyss difficult. A case in point is the Sixth Abyss: one deity-class Abyssal Liege and five more Demon Generals were already an extremely frightening force, and would be unequalled if the Three Dragon Kings were counted as well. And yet, when that force was besieged with Legendary champions twice their numbers, they might disperse off into the depths of the Multiverse while sobbing… and they had yet to take other deities into account.
Naturally, Joshua knew that it was not that easy to get Legendary champions to work together, and there had been considerable numbers of newborn Demon Generals in Goliath's forces before. One of them was that Heart Devourer whose name Joshua had very much forgotten, for better or worse, the world of Mycroft had divided and weakened itself through civil strife, even as the enemy strengthened without stopping. That was the true reason calamity befell them.
However, Joshua believed that with the change he brought, the number of Legendary champions in the future would not be less than it was in the preexistence.
***
Meanwhile, the Nissia Snow Mountain, the main faculty of the Winter Fort Academy.
On one of the cliffs of the mountain itself, a black-haired Drakonid girl was lying down amidst the snow, staring at the moon between the cracks of the clouds.
The silver-blue moonlight descended like satin, refracted by the snow of the mountain and turning into rays of dazzling halation. Lisa stared at the moonlight that was distinct from her homeworld's, her gaze flickering as if reminiscing about the past.
”What, Lisa? Homesick?”
The balrog's voice wafted from her spirit, asking after her when it sensed that Lisa's mood was not as calm as she appeared to be.
”It's nothing, Mister Syndicate… Just a little lonely.”
Sighing softly, the Drakonid girl ignored the chilliness of the ice around her. ”Although everyone in the academy is treating me just fine,” she said faintly, ”none of them are willing to become my friend.”
”I think it's more like they don't dare to be than they are unwilling.”
Syndicate pointed out Lisa's issue rather subjectively. ”Your ability is far beyond those of your peers, and who would dare to befriend someone of a completely different level? And those with similar ability would only see you as competition, just like my lord's other apprentices.”
”Still aren't you quite famous on the forum? You have quite a few admirers there—don't you want to give a few replies?”
”Weren't you the one who made all those posts, Mister Syndicate? And you even uploaded my photographs without my permission too!” Lisa protested, a slight blush appearing over her face. ”I haven't even learned how to make a post—if any friends were made, those are yours, not mine!”
”Stupid.” Syndicate shook its head contemptuously. ”A fellow like you who keeps climbing to the mountaintop to see the moon will never make a friend your entire life.”
”Actually, it's not very important whether I have friends…” Lisa smiled in return. ”I have Mister Syndicate and that's enough! I'm also used to being alone since that's how I lived all along!”
The balrog that had been puffing itself became quiet at once, but the Drakonid girl did not seem to notice as her thoughts were directed to the future instead. ”I'll look for Master Joshua in a few days. Your soul should have mostly recovered and could live independently from my body… When that happens, we can become friends!”
”Fool…” Syndicate could only mutter a single-worded reply, unsure how to respond toward the Drakonid girl's simple-mindedness.
In the meantime, the cliff returned to silence. However, just as the Drakonid girl watched the moon and moved the lightning flow in her own body while sleep almost overcome her, Lisa and Syndicate suddenly sensed waves after waves of huge tremors.
”What's that sound?”
Lisa rose from the pile of snow nimbly, her eyes widened as she looked toward the direction of the tremors. Syndicate vigilantly scanned their surroundings as well, observing the direction where the unusual sound came from.
”Bzzt-bzzt…”
Then, they both saw that colossal silhouette of Steel that appeared between the canyons amidst the distinct sound of lightning flow. It seemed to be strolling, and started to go toward the Drakonid girl when it noticed her.
”Bzzt-bzzt.”