Chapter 713 Slumbering Cocoon (2/2)

And it was certainly confident.

Igor withdrew its gaze and turned to the giant silver cocoon before him, finding it unusually troublesome, although a raging Void Behemoth would only circle it a few times before leaving as well. However, being Legendary-pinnacle and a god amongst the humans of Mycroft, Igor was not helpless against the Steel Strength core that would leave most champions at a bind.

Veins of halo-shaped runes swarmed away from the luminous human figure with a vague visage. In seconds, millions of golden 'isolation runes' formed a huge runic sphere outside the giant silver cocoon. With the support of the elderly pope's power, the seemingly weightless runic sphere did not crumble beneath the gravity tear from the silver cocoon, instead overlapping and resonating to form a 'parallel space'. At once, the dimensional vortex that swirled in the surrounding Void began to shrink, finally vanishing, just as the concave funnel space gradually returned to its previous shape, no longer twisted.

When all of that was done, Igor panted, feeling a little glad that Joshua should still be focused in the metamorphizing instead of deliberately resisting. Otherwise, the pontiff would have to pay several times the effort, even calling for support from the Holy Mountain Fortress to complete the seal.

His series of actions was actually a sealing art inherited by the Seven Gods Church, used to seal various remaining body parts of Evil Gods. It would build a parallel space that was completely isolated, holding the endless remaining toxic of Chaos within—even the grand scale sealing spell used on Mycroft's World Will was a form of its variant.

But due to the rekindling of the Flame, Mycroft had to seal their own Steel Python, even before the sealing spells were casted upon various remaining body parts of Evil Gods and origins of Chaos in the Sealed Lands… and now, there was Joshua.

When everything was done, Igor drew the golden sealed sphere and flew towards the Holy Mountain Fortress, but could not help hesitating when he was prepared to put the sphere in a hold.

”That man… If he suddenly struggled away from the seal, wouldn't the Holy Mountain Fortress be completely destroyed?”

After some thought, Igor found a perfect solution.

Thus, the mountainous and dazzling vessel navigated over the Void, darting toward Mycroft and causing a surge of dimensional turbulence.

And behind the vessel was a long runic belt of light, hanging by the tail ends of the Holy Mountain Fortress and connected to the inconspicuous golden sphere of light. However, despite running on full capacity, the Fortress remained almost a third slower than before. Most hands were puzzled as to why the return journey was considerably longer than before, but only a few knew the reason.

***

Starfall Year 837, fifteenth of October. The Void Warship production base in the East Barnett Highlands, the Northern Empire, the world of Mycroft.

Nostradamus stared at the giant silver cocoon placed inside a translucent quarantine storeroom with considerable aching in his head, just as Israel's full-body projection also watched that giant cocoon which diameter was almost forty meters.

The two then looked at each other, their expression helpless.

They were in a large storeroom temporarily built by the westernmost front of the East Barnett Highlands, at the very edge of the Northern Empire's magical factories. There was no other production installation around, but the two leaders of the Empire were frowning at the center of the storeroom, wherein a cocoon filled with 'isolation runes' floated in the air.

”What should we do? I can't sense a thing inside the cocoon.”

Nostradamus, holding a grimoire in one hand, was scratching his head with another—which he did for an entire week. After the Seven Gods Church had handed over the cocoon 'suspected' to be Joshua, the old mage had spent almost every day inside the storeroom, considering how to talk to Joshua.

Even if they could not interact, they should at least determine Joshua's present condition.

”According to the Seven Gods Church, all known divine spells or even magic could not determine what is happening inside the cocoon—we can't even bypass the Steel Strength shielding over the surface of the cocoon.”

”That's very much what Barnil and William said.” Israel's projection nodded. The Emperor had remained on his Throne of Surveillance and did not visit with his real form, mainly because there was no purpose even if he arrived in person. As a Dragon Rider who was not on the same field, Israel could only repeat others' conclusion. ”That sage from the Eastern Plains and Barbarossa also came by a while ago. Did you meet them? What did they say?”

”They can't do a thing either.”

Nostradamus rubbed his temples rather exhaustedly and scowled. ”Direct contract would not do. Everything that passed through the gravity seal barrier would be caught, then fully disintegrated into base Steel Strength shroud and absorbed by him. That's how Barbarossa lost that scepter of his, and Barnil almost lost a hand.”

”Does that mean we can't do anything here?”

Israel shook his head, and turned toward that slowly whirling silver sphere that kept shrinking to sigh. ”Noble Radcliffe, you've given us a great conundrum.”

At that, His Imperial Majesty's projection turned anxiously towards Nostradamus again. ”Then? If we can't awaken him, we can only put that egg here?”

”Cocoon,” the elderly mage corrected. ”Although that's the gist of it. Joshua is, after all, a Legendary champion of our Empire and can't be kept in the Seven Gods Church… But to be frank, those clergies appeared in great panic. I suspect there would be mass hysteria eventually if they kept the cocoon.”

”Ah… Can't blame them. Even the workers in the installation are getting restless.”

Israel did not show any expression of disdain; he was in fact a little sympathetic. Soon, even that bit of sympathy quickly diminished as His Imperial Majesty glanced at the egg. ”After all,” he said worriedly, ”this thing is a bomb that could instantly destroy the East Barnett Highlands in its entirety. To be honest, I am fearful since this is our industrial base, and if he does lose control suddenly… Keeping the egg Noble Radcliffe turned into is definitely not a solution.

'Cocoon', Nostradamus thought. Still, he was of the same mind with Israel's worries. Even if the silver cocoon appeared stable now, who knows what kind of anomaly would happen after Joshua awakened? If it was another phenomenon at the scale of a dimensional vortex, the entire western highlands of the Empire might be devastated, leaving a pile of wastelands.

Since they could not talk to Joshua inside the cocoon, they should not be keeping him here. They need to find a safe and vast space to put him and await his awakening… But was there such a place? There was no such place that was vast and unowned, not even the far seas since the gravitational shift could lead to tidal waves, causing great damage.

The Void would not do too since it was too far for them to observe. On the other hand, if they placed it too close to ensure Joshua's safety, it would affect the Void-Star Observatory that all factions shared, making it an extraordinary dilemma.

”Wait. There is a place wide enough!”

Nostradamus suddenly thought of a great spot after some long consideration, quickly telling Israel quietly amidst a stir in his spirit.

***

Starfall Year 837. Third of November, the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds beyond Mycroft.

A bunch of unusual visitors had entered the ancient artificial plane that had yet been cleansed of Abyssal toxic.

”They're saying that Master's here?”

It was a rather unique procession. In the lead was a metallic construct several dozen meters tall, and holding aloft a flag that read 'Winter Fort Academy'. A black dragon of almost the same size following behind it, and up on their shoulders sat many youths who were students. One of them, the silver-haired girl standing on the metal construct's shoulder was looking through a pair of binoculars excitedly at their surroundings, seemingly searching for the alleged presence of her master.

Soon, she sensed a familiar presence emanating from the center of the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds.

The Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds was now open to various factions of Mycroft. Although there were some who protested, believing that such a vital outlet should not be open to public, their opinions did not hold a candle to the Legends, or to the Will that was the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds itself. Most champions believed that since the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds was a miracle built by the races existing in the Glorious Era of Mycroft's history, they should not simply refuse any existing right to use it.

Ultimately, everyone should be made aware of the Glorious Era's advancement and power. And they, as successors, would unquestionably be able to achieve the same feats.

What was more, as a completely independent and vast demiplane, its cleanup alone would take decades if the various factions did not work together. Most leaders were aware as well that the Evil Gods would be coming then, and that the Mycroft was on the cusp of great peril. If that was the case, why should they tangle over the rights to use a public facility?

The Winter Fort Academy's organized trip to the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds this time was an official movement, having received instructions from the Imperial Family of the Northern Empire, and a trail planned by the Imperial Royal Mage Academy. They would head for the center of the plane where the Empire's base was largely established, before visiting the colossal enchanted Glorious Era buildings under the guidance of a certain elite mage.

Apart from broadening their horizons, such a visit would also hone the aspirations of extraordinary individuals so that their gaze would not be limited to lands and countries, and would instead come to learn the vastness of the Void and the Multiverse.

Naturally, for those amongst the procession but not academy members, and who came only to find their master who had gone missing for a considerable part of the year, it was nothing too important… After all, they had already been there many times.

The many academy students who were still left in awe after transcending the Void at the frontier entrance of the demiplane notwithstanding, a silver cocoon was floating over the land, at the center of the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds and directly beneath the 'Silver Sky Radiance'—the original form of the Commanding Will.

Countless translucent runes were churning around the cocoon, formless, gathering and dispersing while occasionally forming an orbit form, or an incorporeal nebula. Still, whatever form they take, they would utterly isolate the giant cocoon's gravity, so that the ultimate mass that exerted a gravitational force fifteen hundred billion times above standard gravity was the same as a harmless metal ball, silently wafting in the air.

The Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds watched the giant cocoon silently, at the most orthodox Sage's Heir at its heard, watching his metamorphosis.

It was only here, beneath its control at the edge of Mycroft that the giant cocoon would not cause any unseen harm of devastation. Even if Joshua would suddenly finish morphing and once again stir a gravity vortex that was more powerful than before, the Commanding Will was certain it could keep the repercussions at a minimum.

What was more, it believed that Joshua van Radcliffe can keep his own power in check.

And inside the cocoon, the warrior whom everyone thought to be slumbering never once stopped thinking.

He was conscious—infinitely conscious, because Joshua had been resisting a power that could break his flesh and bones. all along

And the source of that power was himself.