Soul of Searing Steel

Panda Novel

“The world of Mycroft?”

“What happened?”

“What should we do?”

In the Lost Galaxy, what scarce few remnant civilizations that survived the Final Battle were thinking about the same questions.

In fact, it was not only the civilizations in that single galaxy who were considering it.

***

The things known as prophecies are divided by the scientific and the unscientific.

Scientific prophecies are future scenarios determined and hypothesized by present knowledge and conditions. Though it was not a hundred-percent precise, it at least holds substance and had a greater chance of coming through without unexpected circumstances such as an alien invasion.

As for unscientific prophecies, those generally refer to the nonsense of conmen and witches, alarmist nonsense spouted randomly. Such prophecies are substantial and yet shockingly low in accuracy—even what few that came to pass were mere lucky coincidences. After all, with seven to eight different prophecies talking about the same thing, one of those foretelling would end up being correct regardless if its outcome was adverse or favorable.

Still, there were some that were unscientific yet infinitely accurate.

Those were foretold through supernatural power and by setting inspiration aflame, instantly projecting a future according to present circumstances, a future that even the oracle would not understand or be aware of.

It was something the Takur Ruin Cult was adept at.

When the great yellow sun moves to the center of the sky, when the great ‘Vanguard’ circle was prepared, the grand scale prophecy ritual that would foretell of distant stars hence began in the skies.

Igniting flame of mana and carrying out dimensional positioning, the music of ether plays, blurring Void boundaries, the elements commanded to dance, causing the elements of two worlds to entangle, using psionic energy to link all things and gathering all information.

Being a xenophobic religion, the Takur Ruin Cult appear in the eyes of the Void civilization as a race proficient at destroying everything instead of gathering intelligence. That was untrue—with powerful and precise spells of prophecy, the cult was a master of gathering information that others believed to be concealed.

The Third Takurian Prophet stood at the center of a shrine, using its single huge eye to gaze upon the faint starlight of the distance. The sun’s splendor dimmed every star around it, but the photosensitive Takurians were able to differentiate between the light of every star even in brightest noon. Those creatures that possessed a single eye similar to cyclopses were born observers, having a robust build and sharp vision.

Far away, the Lost Galaxy that only existed in myths could now be prophesized… In the past dozens of millennia it had been wrapped in a cloak of red light, inscrutable, its existence even indeterminable.

The cult never cared for things they could not utilize. Though a galaxy was endlessly rich, it was essentially nonexistent if they could not reach it. Even so, a streak of light flickered in the boundary of the Multiverse recently, and everyone—from the Takurians to their nemesis—realized in shock that the Lost Galaxy that had been independent from the Multiverse has reappeared in this world, its fate now visible.

The cult had been dormant for a long time following its dozen millennia-long war against their deadly rivals. All lifeforce had been redirected to resupply the extended frontlines in the Void, and every planetary region that could be conquered was claimed. When the new galaxy appeared, the only thought the Takurians had was that the opportune moment has come.

As long as they could obtain more resources from the galaxy, they could crush their ancient arch-rivals, claiming victory in that war that was without compare.

Thus, they began to use their most powerful magic circle to foretell every aspect of that galaxy.

Even if it was merely a prophecy, those who know the principle behind that spell—the so-called ‘Vanguard’ circle was, in fact, one of the most advanced observation spells in the Multiverse.

Their spell worked through deft spatial magic that opened a small dimensional rupture, which concurrently applies an ether circle as a foundation to exchange the six great elements between both boundaries. Finally, psionic energies would temporarily gather those otherworld elements into a ‘spirit’, and those elemental spirits would be interrogated (perhaps through torture) for local information.

The range in which elements flowed was vast. They would follow dimensional turbulences, billowing over world after world in the Void. There was no question that it would contain great volumes of information, thus guiding a ‘prophecy’—such was the truth behind it all.

That spell that appeared to be a Xuanxue-inspired one was, in fact, the most profound of technology.

Focusing, the Third Prophet kept the spell running. Being one the Five Prophets, it excelled in prophesizing the outcome of wars, masterfully guiding the power from innumerable Extraordinary devotees, molding a supreme spell circle that could cover the world’s surface over the sky. The power of millions of Extraordinary individuals combined into one body as an obscure shroud of light, shooting into the skies as if a meteorite darting in the opposite direction, activating the Vanguard circle with relative ease.

The energy consumed in that instant could flatten the surface of a world.

As for the Third Prophet which was prophesizing at the center of the spell circle, it saw three colossal ‘spirits’ that were temporarily animated by great psionic energies.

“Speak to me. What are the greatest dangers should we advance our enemy into that galaxy!?”

The Third Prophet raised its right hand. Powerful divine bind spell warped even rays of light, interrogating those great lifeforms that existed briefly.

Alive for the time being thanks to the ritual while also being bound by it, the omnipotent and near-omniscient trio of elemental spirits encircled the Third Prophet. They became instantly aware of their duty due to the ritual, and thus displayed three clips to the Third Prophet.

A grey elemental spirit showed the first scene.

Metal, crystal and silver shroud tangled with shrill trumpeting and the sharp noise of steel scraping, resounding in a vast but empty world.

All upon the land were crystal-forged obelisks, the foundation of which soul lights flashed.

In the distant skies, a silver sun shone, its peerless might embodying a presence of destruction that left humans trembling surging, while its light that left all things in terror unfurling over all directions.

A green elemental spirit showed the second scene.

Those were ruins.

In a dark domain of the Void, small, shattered galaxies gradually dispersed. The Main Body that was once the center of a planetary system had been sealed, and the cage that sealed it, a cage that could seemingly subjugate everything was not far from the galaxy.

The Main Body of the Black Fog had fallen into silence.

A world revolved within the center of a Void Vortex that surged fearsomely. Inside, the Steel Python guided puppets and living beings alike, so that they work together upon the newborn world. In the heart of the barren world with regained vigor, a grave wherein a small crystal coffin was buried weathered the bellows of raging winds.

The Ruler of Time had already perished.

Over the outer reaches of the silver world, the number and sizes of Void observatories as well as fortresses gradually expanded. Built with the most advanced technology, the fortresses could withstand any attack, just as they hold the offensive capacity that could break any defenses. In the instant when attackers considered ‘whether the shield or the spear was stronger’, they would have been blasted into nothingness that could not even think.

The awakened Evil God had just been destroyed.

Finally, a crimson elemental showed the final scene.

It was a special world, a plane composed of the four elements of fire, water, earth, and wind. It was a world of beautiful sights were countless small superpower creatures live, and yet two beings that clearly stood out from the sights walked upon its edge.

It was an old man and a black-haired man.

But when the elemental spirit showed that scene, both of them looked up at once toward the Void. From the Third Prophet’s point of view, those two terrible beings whose bodies burnt with unbelievable vigor were leveling their gazes upon itself.

“Who is it?”

“Spying upon us?”

The booming voices echoed, transcending worlds. In that instant, the Third Prophet felt its own body pierced by boundless light and diced by a keen blade into pieces. An icy chill that cuts into bone froze its body, but the murderous intent did not stop, instead flowing along the Vanguard circle and spreading over the other side of dimensions.

Within that split second, the Third Prophet saw a towering mountain of Steel that was unbelievably massive. Beside it, a blinding fiery light flashed, but the mountain moved, fearsome gales and frost engulfing the world.

It was then that it noticed that the mountain was merely a finger of a Giant God, and that itself was right within the Giant God’s palm. Fiery Light and Giant God gazed upon it together, as if to see through everything.

The ritual was over.

The massive Vanguard spell began to diminish, the spirits of the three elements thereby reverting to their original state—a large composite of elements that wandered the Void.

Meanwhile, the Third Prophet kept staring blankly, floating in the skies with his instinctive psionic ability.

“What is it?”

A voice spoke right beside the Third Prophet’s ear as another powerful being asked after its companion puzzledly. “Unusual. What have you seen to leave you stunned?

“Grand Patriarch…”

It was after a long time that the Third Prophet reacted to the urging from the highest leader of their cult. Rubbing its single eye and gulping, it spoke prudently, “Forgive my slowness and meekness… But things are just as expected.”

“It is best if we did not go to that galaxy.”

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