Xyrin Empire
Chapter 421 - Chapter 421 Chapter 421 Rallying Call

Chapter 421: Chapter 421: Rallying Call Chapter 421: Chapter 421: Rallying Call Facing the precious gift I suddenly produced, Zeratul’s eyes shimmered undecidedly; however, after hesitating for a moment, he couldn’t refuse this meaningful offering: in some ways, a few seeds like these were even more precious than the “Divine Artifact” they inherited from Salnaga.

Zeratul reverently took the small seeds, placed them close to his body with utmost care, and then asked Lilina for instructions on how to use these “Holy Seeds.” Such wondrous creations surely couldn’t simply be planted in a flower pot and left at that, right?

A two-meter-tall uncle bending deeply at the waist to a little loli half his height, respectfully addressing her as “Sacred Priestess,” was packed with all sorts of comedic flair…

Lilina was clear-cut; immediately, she started waving her little hands and gesturing, “Well, it doesn’t require much, these things are easy to grow! When planting, bury them deeply, it doesn’t matter if you water them or not, no need to loosen the soil, you can use compound or organic fertilizer, or even no fertilizer at all. The ideal germination temperature is from negative two hundred to positive one thousand degrees; they’re acid-resistant, alkali-resistant, drought-resistant, wind-resistant, guaranteed harvest even with floods and a single season brings multiple yields. Aside from not building houses nearby when the leaves stretch out since it gets too loud, there’s nothing to worry about… Oh, one thing though, even though it can decompose the Insect Race into elemental forms, you should plant the seeds after the number of insects on the planet has decreased to a certain extent. The Insect Race isn’t dumb; if they discover the seeds and launch a massive attack… there are limits to Plants vs. Zombies… Ah, also, the command I gave them is to completely purify all insectoid powers on the whole planet and wither away after establishing an ecology that suits the current planetary conditions. So, if they die off, don’t panic, that’s normal. You can collect new seeds from the original planting spot, soak them in water for thirty minutes and they will regain vitality!”

This was all the first time I even heard such details from Lilina’s mouth, previously it was only those intrigued Druids interested in such marvelous Life Seeds…

No wonder it’s the roughcast provided by Dingdang, the ease of care is almost on par with that Little Goddess who can be kept happy for half a day with just a jelly bean…

If I was still just a little surprised and mentally critical, Zeratul’s feeling could almost be described as horrified.

“So simple!?” Uncle Z exclaimed, “These holy seeds can take root this simply!?”

“Bullshit,” Lilina rolled her eyes impatiently, “Who has the time for those exasperating fasts and purifying rituals when it’s the end of the world? Anything used to save the world operates on foolproof measures! Anyway, those were the Lady Goddess’s original words…”

Okay, stop mentioning your unreliable Lady Goddess.

When Zeratul secured the seeds and quickly regained his composure, I spoke with a not-so-concerned tone, “You can use the seeds as you please, but I do have a small request–of course, if you’re not willing, there’s nothing I can do.”

“Of course, having accepted such a precious gift, I shall surely offer my power for my generous friend,” Uncle Z said in a very solemn tone.

“About that, it’s actually that Divine Artifact you brought with you…” I hesitated slightly before revealing my intention, “Of course, I’m just curious and want to have a look. You’ve seen our power, and to us, an ancient ‘Holy Artifact’ isn’t something worth probing into. Naturally, if this involves any taboo related to your faith, then forget it–but may I see it?”

This time, Zeratul hesitated much less, the light in his eyes flickered, and he nodded, “Of course, Emperor of the Xyrin People, please forgive my initial caution on this matter, but now, the Divine Artifact can be presented before you.”

Saying so, Zeratul took out a small, forearm-length, chicken-egg-thick golden alloy cylinder from beside him and handed it to me.

I didn’t deceive Zeratul; I am incredibly interested in this ancient “Divine Artifact.” Regardless of the religious background information related to the Protos people, the mere fact that an artifact from a lesser civilization could affect the Imperial Soldiers’ space transmission positioning system was enough to pique my interest.

The golden alloy cylinder emitted a very faint “hissing” sound, and then the seamless surface suddenly revealed several bright, curved lines. Following these traces, the metal cylinder gradually opened, and a purple hexagonal prism floated up from within.

What is this material made of?

I curiously observed it, it wasn’t metallic, nor did it have the translucent feel of a crystal. It was clearly a third type of strange material that did not belong to either of the former two categories. It was just under twenty centimeters long, about as thick as a pigeon’s egg, with a hexagonal prism surface covered in very fine golden patterns. However, these patterns apparently held no meaning I could understand. It seemed to possess an energy-sensing ability; after being released, those golden patterns on it were constantly shifting with a faint halo of light. But it itself did not possess any energy–I was completely sure of that.

“Scan did not detect any recognizable structure; the target is a single organizational form.”

The voice of the mother ship’s mainframe sounded directly in my mind. Sure enough, just like the results of scanning through that metal cylinder before, this “Divine Artifact” did not have any internal structure. It was a solid bump, yet it possessed an incredibly… beacon function.

So, what kind of beacon was it?

“Indeed, it is a very interesting object,” I said after a long look, or rather, after having the mother ship scan it for a long time with no results. I could only have the mother ship record the material composition of this object for the time being and then handed the golden cylinder back to Zeratul. “Return to the rightful owner.”

Zeratul took the cylinder, nodded slightly at us, and said, “Then, perhaps it is time to take my leave. My journey is far from over.”

I held some desire to keep him longer. “Leaving just like that? Won’t you stay for a meal? Have a couple of drinks with your brother here…”

Before I could finish, Lilina had already started using her little fists to fiercely poke me in the ribs–from where did such a little thing, barely over a meter tall, get so much strength?

“Boss, can you keep it together when you speak?”

Lilina’s voice, exasperated that I was not shaping up, rang in my mind. Tsk, is there something wrong with speaking the truth?

But Zeratul ultimately left anyway, burdened with too many heavy duties to be tied down by anything. Perhaps, as he said, his journey was far from over, and there were many tasks waiting for him to undertake–I certainly didn’t understand all that mumbo jumbo of his theories. In the end, this strong Dark Templar once again embarked on his own path, along with his several dozen followers.

Before he left, he mentioned his next plan. First was to take the seeds to Shakuras, hand them over to his kin, where they could use them to purify a few recently discovered planets that had been infected by the Insect Race. Then he would venture deep into the universe, in search of his “fate’s revelation”–I thought he just needed to have a phone call with Lin Xue…

“Speaking of which, those Protos scientists won’t dismantle our shuttle, will they?”

Watching a bright light spot flash and disappear in the distance, I suddenly had such a worry–because the spaceship we had arrived in was discovered and destroyed by the insects at some point, and when Zeratul left, he borrowed one of our Anti-Phasing Shuttles. This type of shuttle, once activated, can remain in a state of anti-phasing indefinitely, undoubtedly high technology beyond Protos comprehension–despite being ridiculously simple to operate.

Lilina ungraciously rolled her eyes at me. “Do you think all aliens are as clueless as your entire family?”

Another jibe from this nasty creature, and what was worse, I couldn’t refute her at all!

After transmitting the various data collected on Bump Star to Taville’s research center, we returned to the main base on Black Egg Star. The spellcaster forces from other worlds had almost finished assembling.

Once transported down to the landing site, I immediately saw the familiar face of Mage Muller leading a large group of mages, lining up to welcome us.

Since the last farewell from the Vedis Empire, we had not seen each other for nearly a year. I never expected that my second meeting with this otherworldly mage would be at an imperial base on an alien planet–this… truly was an exasperatingly cliche plot development.

“Yo! Long time no see, Muller.”

After stepping out of the transport beam, I called out to Muller from a distance.

“All right, mighty Emperor, I must admit, this time you really scared me…”

Startled from his thoughts, Muller jumped slightly then smiled genuinely and said to me.

“To witness one’s own insignificance and the shallowness of humanity,” to tell the truth, what that mage named Jaina told me is the absolute truth. If I hadn’t come to your Imperial Front, I might still be immersed in the narrow world of humanity. The more I know, the more I feel how naive I was in the past…”

Muller’s face bore a smile, but he was cut off mid-sentence by a slender yet forceful fist flying past: “Enough with the sighs, get back in formation! Do you want to lose face for the Vedis Empire in front of the United Army from various worlds?!”

Uh… wasn’t it last time when Nova kicked Muller right in front of me?

“Long time no see,” I greeted the long-haired demon swordsman in red knight armor in front of me and couldn’t help but think of the other member of their “Superhuman Trio,” “Speaking of which, is Mu around? If we’re talking spellcasters, he should have been dispatched here too.”

“He… well,” Nova’s expression twisted slightly, “Blood Elves… that Azeroth’s White Elf probably calls their race that. A female Blood Elf Magic Master has successfully charmed our Lord Priest, I’m sorry, Emperor, but once the free spirit of the elves and their stubbornness come together, even a Demon Knight couldn’t drag him back…”

Me: “…”

Okay, that’s good news, at least it means the mages from different worlds can coexist peacefully. But isn’t this cross-time romance a bit too melodramatic?

Furthermore, speaking of the Priest of the Life Goddess, I wonder who is more genuine between Lilina and Mu–one such irrelevant thought suddenly pops into my mind.

“Where do you think Mu and that Blood Elf girl are planning to buy a house? The property prices in Silver Moon City are quite low recently, but other prices in the Blood Elf areas are not cheap… Can you guys in Vedis get a mortgage? If there’s a spouse from another world, there should at least be some welfare benefits or something…”

Needless to say, the only one who could ponder in such a unique way was Qianqian.

“Did you guys come yesterday? You are getting accustomed to this place pretty quickly.”

I remembered that it was just yesterday morning when Sandora informed me that the otherworldly spellcasters were in position. I wonder if all the mages from Vedis are just mentally robust, as the formation of mages behind Muller looked very orderly. The fact that they could adapt to the mystic scenery of General City in just one day spoke volumes about their adaptability.

Nova looked back at the Great Mage Corps, who stood as straight as recruits undergoing inspection, then leaned in slightly and whispered, “Of course, there’s still surprise and curiosity, but right now, we are representing an entire world. In front of the warriors summoned from other worlds, we can’t lose face–Moreover, I’ve chatted with those soldiers from Azeroth… You are something beyond my imagination. We always thought the wars we experienced were epic enough to be recorded in history, yet for you, they seem to be regular battles. Fighting in such an army, anyone should understand their place.”

Nova was right; standing here, everyone should know their place.

In fact, perhaps because they had never experienced wars of the scale of Azeroth’s world-saving wars, nor had they organized a united front like the “Salvation Army,” when those Vedis Empire human mages first arrived at the Imperial Front yesterday, they did have some “top human warrior” pride. It wasn’t that they didn’t realize where they were, but rather, their long-established habits made it difficult for them to adapt to the sudden change from hero to soldier. These individuals were all formidable beings who could even make the rulers of their own countries bow down. Now you’re asking them to march in step at the Imperial Barracks… Naturally, one or two hot-headed guys would challenge the authority of the instructor, also as a display of their strength in front of mages from other worlds: Is this some form of patriotism?

If the Azeroth Salvation Army is considered a well-trained regular army, then these mage teams from Vedis would be more like heroes gathered from all walks of life– they have strength but don’t really take orders very well.

Anyway, a couple of guys who made themselves the spokesmen only took one second to get knocked down by their Raven Instructor… and then they understood the universally accepted truth in this place: in an ultimate army where every new recruit is at least a Magic Master, you better tuck your tail in if you don’t have the strength of at least a Magic God.

At that moment, Sandora came out from a nearby transmission beam, first rubbing against me with her usual silly smile, then turned around with a solemn face to the new Vedis recruits, “Tomorrow at this time, go with your respective Raven Instructors to get your new Power Armor– Also, remember what the instructors told you about how dangerous space environments are. Don’t think your magic shield can keep you alive in the void and radiation for too long, dismiss!”

“They are quite obedient.”

Watching the mages disperse obediently, I tilted my head slightly and whispered into Sandora’s ear, who nuzzled my cheek affectionately and murmured, “There were a few who didn’t listen and got a harsh lesson from the Raven, compared to these hastily assembled irregulars, they really can’t compare to those from Azeroth who have undergone rigorous training… By the way, the mage corps from the British Puritan have already taken their positions. After testing, their uniquely formatted magic happens to have the same essence and is just as deadly to the insect race. But they’re few in number and look somewhat pale and bloodless, after all, it’s not a world engulfed in doomsday warfare, I’m not very confident about the soldiers sent by Lola.”

“Don’t worry, the unseen bloodshed of the Magic Prohibition world is definitely no less brutal than a real battlefield. But speaking of fighting the Insect Race in space warfare… ah well, I’d better go check on them. Who’s leading the team?”

“Stier, Shen Lie, uh… Lola too.”

Lola’s here too?

I felt a slight surprise in my heart. It was one thing for Stier and Shen Lie to come, but Lola, that fox woman… As a leader of the British Puritan, is it really fine for her to abandon her post like this?

The temporary British Puritan base was set up next to the Azeroth force’s camp, not too far from here. Bubbles established an extensive church area here so that these warriors far from home would have a sense of belonging. Naturally, in the nearby campsites, there were similar setups: Elf Tree Houses, Human Dwellings, Beastman Caves, and two large pools…

A few Mermaid Mages, seated in specially designed individual mechas, forcefully passed by me…

I wonder if Lola and the others got a shock from all the “monsters and demons” here.

As soon as I entered the gate of the church area, what first caught my eye was a two-meter tall red-haired bad boy priest standing like a human billboard in front of a fountain, Stier.

“Yo! Stier, long time no see!”

I gave Stier a hard pat on the shoulder from behind and then called out loudly, catching him by surprise.

In a muffled voice, he muttered, “I mean, as a ‘God,’ can’t you act a little more in line with your status?”

“Tch, so I’ve been found out already.”

I shrugged nonchalantly, then snuffed out the cigarette in Stier’s mouth, “Every bit of air here belongs to the Empire, which means it’s my possession. Keep smoking and I’ll put you on rationing.”

“… You tyrant!” A vein throbbed on Stier’s forehead before his shoulders slumped, “By the way, what should I even call you now? Lord God? Divine Messenger? Mr. Savior? King of Mankind? Or perhaps Emperor… geez, how many more secrets do you have! Just now we saw a group of legendary Elves street racing in the plaza outside!”