Soul of Searing Steel

Panda Novel

What the warden Yana Milo, Legendary champion of the Glorious Era revealed was largely consistent with Joshua’s theories.

The unknown Evil God that would soon awaken was not an unstoppable threat, or could at least be returned to its slumber or sealed once again. If luck holds, all Chaos force could directly be purified and the galaxy’s cycle restored.

Things would be simpler that way. With the chance of stopping everything from happening, Joshua was confident that he could do his best… the other Legends could be notified by others, while he would now make preparations for everyone else.

Soon, once again at the center of the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds where he materialized his clone beneath the Silver Sky Radiance, Joshua linked himself to the Commanding Will.

“Connect to all high-energy world in this galaxy—categorize according to energy concentration and the strength of living signatures on ascending order, and compile the two to calculate. Also, lower the proportion for candidates which shows extreme proportions in a single value!”

Joshua at once made his request to the Commanding Will, the central hub of the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds, which in turn did not delay as it did what Joshua instructed. “Galactic data online. Screening for corresponding aspects, checking coordinates… Data are as follows.”

Soon, dense specks of gold appeared in Joshua mind: those were world coordinates with higher energy and life signatures found in the data vault of the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds.

According to what Yana Milo and Joshua himself was aware of, when the Vortex of Creation turned into the unknown Evil God that affected the galaxy, all destroyed civilizations would turn into Evil Gods that, regardless if they were destroyed, would further add to Chaos corruption and hence hasten the awakening of the unknown Evil God. On the other hand, he had just had to pacify the conflict in those civilizations and hence significantly delay its awakening.

Nevertheless, not even the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds could precisely determine whether civilization existed in those worlds— it could only determine if there was life within and its energy concentration. Having life did not mean that there was civilization, just like the world that exported giant appendage crab meat. It was truer for worlds with high energy concentration as well: not even one hundred worlds with concentrated flame elements could birth a civilization of Fire Elementals.

That was why there were conditions in otherworld explorations for valuable realms. For example, one should avoid living worlds when searching for mineral worlds to prevent from disturbing native lifeforms. Those who want to study otherworld lifeforms should also pick low-energy worlds to avoid encountering powerful local creatures—the Tyrant Squid that Priest’s party, however, was an exception. It lurked so far beneath that it escaped the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds’s general scanning, hence labeling that particular world as ‘unknown’. As a result, the Elite Party who was imagining they were in for a stroll were left screaming as they fled haggardly.

Therefore, civilization has a great chance to exist only in worlds where both energy concentration and living signatures were high, although there were exceptions as well. There were many primitive worlds where powerful bests, monsters and Tyrant Behemoths existed and the realm itself resembled the age of dinosaurs in the Jurassic Period. Though there were significantly energy values and living population, it was lower in value and developing such places was not worth the output.

That being said, it remained the quickest way Mycroft Civilization search for other civilizations at present.

His data scanning organ activating, Joshua memorized every world coordinate and observed the details to analyze which worlds may have civilizations. For its part, the Commanding Will did not ask the reason for that data—it may be self-conscious, but remained an ordinary AI. It would carry out any order if there is one, and not inquire about the purpose.

Soon, after confirming a few thousand target worlds, Joshua relayed the data back to the Commanding Will. “The other Legends would arrive soon and move to other worlds through you. When that happens, you could hand them this list and inform them to leave the first hundred worlds to me… they’ll divide the rest.”

“As you command.” The Commanding Will responded peacefully. “Is there any other request?”

“Yes. Send me to the outer reaches of world number 1.”

“As you wish.”

***

The skies were blood red as blazes of steel descended.

Steam armor rumbled as it moved, echoing over the skies of the flatlands. The scent of burning coal, carrying dark smoke rose right into the air, while metals and cannons clashed, causing the land to quake. The despairing death throes of the soldiers resounded, along with their final bellows.

It was the longest, most terrible and most bloodthirsty conflict since sentient life was born in the Lomu continent, lasting seven days and nights.

The long standoff, probing, talks and provoking between two kingdoms on the eastern and western parts of the mainland, partitioned by a great mountain range that finally erupted into all-out war. Their main forces were now waging a major battle like no other at the Dotham plains amidst the heart of the continent: more than three million soldiers were sent into that direct confrontation, enshrouding every stone, soil and air in the rot of flesh and broken machines, boiling steam and suffocating coal smoke.

The blue blood of the Lomu people burned, steel bent and melt. Not even the scavenging birds would approach the battlefield—the toxic ether steam could kill any being without gas masks.

In this war, the East Empire had thrown in their most advanced steam war armor that ran on ether steam cores. Behemoths that stood five hundred meters tall, they had the power to crush a thousand-man force, its thick arcane armor capable of directly withstanding 88 cm armor-piercing shells. The East Empire had sent out 200 of those machines and secured a great advantage initially, only for the West Empire to reveal their trump card: small flying bombers, war machines they called ‘Flamethrower Birds’. Though easily shot down by cannon fire, their production rate and air superiority put the battle on equal terms, and the plains hence became a meat grinder for the young.

Year 1774 of the Sun and the seventh day of the Great War, Lomu total casualties had exceeded four hundred thousand. Secret weapons such as arcane lances, steam tanks, suicidal and ether wave cannons were slowly used en masse. Those state-of-the-art killing machines caused death by the thousands, and compared to a thousand years ago when they used chainsaw blades and steam helm breakers, the Lomu people who evolved from appendage beings with exoskeletons had definitely moved forward in mutual destruction.

The frontline was now a hell dyed blue. All those lives were left to the endless slaughter as the blood grudge between two empires saw the unstoppable war on all fronts.

On the other hand, the rear of the two nations was a pitiful whiteness.

The females of Lomu people were stronger than males, which is why every adult of age was conscripted or trained as reserves. Those now left in the city were older craftsmen, the elderly or children. As the war lasted seven days with no end, the world was now dressed in white mourning clothes as countless children lost their parents and vice versa—the learned realized in despair that if the war continues, the two empires would drain the other of the very last drop of blood, all social constructs would hence fall and cause civilization to die, leaving few Lomu spawnlings to live in the empty city ruins, toiling to reestablish society.

The Lomu people were an ordinary civilization that flourished on ether but had yet to discover the Void. Their existence did not matter to the Multiverse—they would probably destroy themselves in the future if they survived without much fuss, for it was an ordinary civilizational collapse from infighting. Indeed, it was commonplace for the Multiverse, and not special for the Multiverse.

But fortunately—or perhaps not, their fate was no longer in their own hands.

In the night of the seventh day of the Great War, both empires realized in shock that a sun had suddenly appeared over the skies, illuminating the night and turning it to day.

At the same time, a metal pillar pierced the World Barrier.

Silver specks shone at the top of the sky, parting clouds and atmosphere and dragging a great trail that descended straight towards the very heart of the battlefield.

An audible but incomprehensibly grand voice resounded.”

“Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds. Send me to world Number 23.”

In the very next moment, the sun vanished and night returned to the world. Only that single streak of silver stood aloft at the center of the world, as if a star was descending upon the mortal realm.

The war did not end because of that sudden sight. Having no luxury like their superiors, the soldiers were still moving forward with their steel machines that ejected steam to beat their enemies into a pulp and spread over the dark blue plains. Even when the silver metal beam stabbed into the heart of the battle and create a deep crater while emitting endless smoke, their attention was not diverted.

But soon, the Lomu legions could hear a heavily electronic voice speaking from the depths of the smoke.

“Collecting data of target world… unlocking combat components… temporarily removing Level Nine substance conversion protocol… uploading Mr. J System… commencing form conversion.”

“Power limit: Supreme pinnacle. Operation rules; mild suppression.”

“Mission objective: world peace.”

“Caretaker Protocol online: Mediator—Peace Envoy No.16 activated, for a better world.”

The unknown voice frightened the forces of both nations, who bombarded the smoke jointly. Ether and gunpowder illuminated the center of the battlefield as if a small sun, melting steel and kicking up dirt.

Whatever object and however hard it was, the near ten-thousand degrees heat would be disintegrated in its very construct.

Still, the faces of those Lomu soldiers who were closer changed at once… for they saw a huge silver arm rising from the smoke, catching an ether vibration missile and easily crushing it into sparks.

Then, the earth rumbled, and a large four-armed humanoid war machine slowly rose up at the center of the war. Just over ten meters tall, its silver armor that resembled a mirror deflected every attack, knocking away all projectiles and armor-piercing missiles. The war machine was also absorbing soil and metals around it, with uneven anti-detonation plating that resembled dragon scales appearing over the mirrorlike armor.

Soon, the metal android that had collected massive volumes of information about that world rapidly changed its form. Unless cannon barrels and ether discharge appeared over its shoulder and hip, while its four hands transformed into four colossal harvesters. It easily crushed an ether vibrator cannon, and fired all its long-ranged missiles at once to flatten the border mountains in the distance.

The Peace Envoy, having displayed its unbelievable capacity of war, broadcasted its voice over the battlefield in fluent Lomu language.

“Lomus, you have been surrounded. Put down your weapons and surrender—this is your only chance.”

Meanwhile, the commanders of both empires stared blankly as the four-armed giant kept growing, now reaching 180 meters tall. Its cannon barrels that were now larger than their tanks, they began to spray some white bubbles subconsciously, just like their arthropod ancestors that roamed the seas hundred thousand years ago.

“Bluuuurp…”

***

Similar sights occurred in many worlds.

Arcane year 901. On the southwestern peninsula of the Nier Continent, the witcher guild known as the Blazing Ironbones began their assault on the core region of the continent.

The witcher guild of the strength faction that applied lifeform refinement using strength modifications as their mainstay clashed against the witchers that studied mana and controlled the elements. In the great war five hundred years ago, the strength faction was defeated and banished the endless desert on the southwestern edge, while the elemental faction occupied the fertile central zone of the continent.

But five hundred years later, the witchers of the strength faction regained their might. Never once forgetting the grudge of being chased away from their homes and the anguish of losing, they would exact vengeance and prove the superiority of the strength faction now that they have regained three first-class grand witchers, unwilling to stay in the desert.

The Blazing Ironbones were their vanguards. The cold, dispassionate and evil witchers did not mind having their comrades as cannon fodder, just as they were not concerned with using mortals as fodder. Driving over a hundred thousand mortal slaves, they charged toward the southwestern checkpoint fortresses of the elemental faction.

In the world of Nier, the witchers were peerless rulers, boasting powers no mortal could match—whether they were from the strength or elemental faction. The 99.99% population were nothing but lowly slaves to the Extraordinary minority, lab rats and livestock, and only another witcher could be considered their own.

The witchers’ war would definitely lead to the death of many witchers… But before that, mortals ten thousand times their number would be reduced to dried bones.

However, the witchers were never concerned with such matters. Cold and selfish, they would use even themselves as experiment subjects in the quest for greater power. Normal humans were nothing but numbers to them, and the war between the strengths and the elementals would undoubtedly engulf the entire world.

Although this time, both side who had now advanced could destroy the world’s balanced ecosystem.

Therefore, late into the night of Arcane year 901, as the Blazing Ironbones and their slave army were about to ambush the southwestern checkpoint…

A silver star fell from the skies, turning the heads of countless witchers.

Meanwhile, a profound voice resounded across the world.

“Power limit: early Legendary. Operation rues: unconditional subjugation.”

“Mission objective: world peace.”

“Guardian Protocol online: Judge—Peace envoy No.29 activated, the light must illuminate the night.”

A dozen seconds later, the mountains at the center of the Nier continent trembled.

A mountainous Titan strode forward and began to suppress the dark realm.

***

In the Void, innumerable worlds with civilization saw an unprecedented upheaval.

Conflict suddenly erupted, causing the piling differences to erupt as all ugliness and filth were placed center stage. Be it in the name of hate, grudges, bloodline, and love, wars were waged for endless excuses, slaughter carried out over the righteous. Prosperous cities were burned to the ground, towering wonders collapsed by siege machines—Extraordinary power was no longer used in pursuit of universal truth, but in the murder of own’s own species.

Still, steel machines, magical clones, ancient trees of war and spiritual units ventured into many worlds, forcefully pacifying all conflict and strife. Soon, many elemental legions, Holy Light projections, and psionic bodies also appeared in those worlds, selflessly bringing peace to other worlds.

It would be fine for realms that willingly accepted the regulation. Those unusual beings that appeared out of nowhere would not act whimsically, whereas those reluctant to accept peace would face pure injustices and random tyranny… they would be convinced, educated intimately so that even their stony brains could understand the importance of peace.

Be that as it may, the power of Legends was limited. Even if the galaxy gradually dimmed, civilizations that had yet to step into the Void still exceeded the range where Legends would regulate.

An oceanic planet that glinted int pale blue light, a world the size of the Solar System… the great Steel Giant’s imposingly tore the moon of that planet, shocking the advanced native civilization that was almost steeping into the Void to cease their hostilities, crying and screaming as they built temples dedicated to the Giant God, changing religions to consecrate the new god.

As for the original deities… Well, they did not exist in the first place, so it was fine even if they were altered—moreover, if they existed, they would probably suffer that humiliation in silence in the name of civilization’s survival.

The Steel Giant, however, was unconcerned with the opinions of those little jellyfish-like things, and simply kept transferring information to his true form.

“Time: day 4. World number 100, suppression complete. Moon core where low-Chaos signatures were observed has been purged.”

“41 civilized worlds found, 13 destroyed worlds, 1 Evil God Embryo killed, 24 cases of Chaos corruption purged.”

“The rate of Chaos-fueled unrest is increasing but with significantly lower margins. The speed of the unknown Evil God’s awakening has been suppressed—we now have more time to prepare.”

Even with Joshua’s power, it would not be easy to find all civilized worlds and suppress the growing Chaos within. Furthermore, as time passed, the Chaos disturbances would become more serious and quicken the unknown Evil God’s awakening.

Joshua knew that he had done what he should, and that his strength should not be spread out to suppress those normal civilizations. He must head to the bottom of the Abyss, and begin to purify the Chaotic force within.

Even so, controlling those ordinary civilizations was not an easy task for ordinary champions. At least Gold pinnacle, or Supreme power was required against varieties of standard weaponry even in worlds without Extraordinary power… the clones and summons of Legendary champions would naturally achieve those ends, but their numbers were seriously lacking—without the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds, they would need a long time before they could actually pacify two civilizations.

“Aside from Legendary champions, even the Supreme and Gold-tiers of Mycroft have to act… none should be left idling; everyone must act.”

At the thought, the Giant God’s true form called out to the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds for transporting in the Void. A curtain that resembled the starry skies began to blanket the Giant God’s body and moved him to his destination, while Joshua, remembering his apprentices, sighed.

“This could be training for them.”

And that training fits the purpose of building the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds, and the essence of Project Multiverse.

“Helping and saving all civilizations? Never imagined that now would be the first time for the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds to be used for what it was designed.”

Just as the warrior thought about the same thing, the serene voice of the Commanding Will spoke to him. “Joshua van Radcliffe, Successor of the Sage, please provide the next teleportation coordinates.

His thoughts interrupted by the Commanding Will, Joshua exhaled—four long days of continuous subjugation and after treatment left many excess thoughts in his head. But now, clearing them all away, he revealed his last objective.

“The Sixth Abyss.”

The warrior said flatly and unemotionally, “Send me to the Void beyond the Sixth Abyss.”

“As you wish. Teleportation commencing.”

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