The Key of Fate
According to normal procedure, they should have waited for Pharaoh's order to be delivered to Mount Horeb, and then Mount Horeb would send someone to deliver the slaves to Ah's territory. But Great General Ah did not do this. Instead, he sent his personal guards to take the slaves away on the spot. He was also afraid that a long delay would bring trouble. If someone were to interfere and cause any accidents to happen to the slaves, Ah would not be able to hold them accountable.
The commander of Mount Horeb, Pawara, had not yet received Pharaoh's order when Ah's personal guard arrived. Pawara was put in a difficult position and wanted to wait for Pharaoh's order to arrive first. But the personal guard did not buy it. He pressed his hand on the hilt of his sword and said, "Is the order of the Imperial Great General not an order? I will take the slaves away first. You can report to your superiors later. Pharaoh has already agreed to it. Can it be false? "
This personal guard had risked his life in an army of ten thousand, and his killing intent was frightening. He only followed Ah's orders and would not listen to anyone else. Since he had come, he had to complete the mission. Pawara could not argue. Ah's prestige was unparalleled, and he could not afford to offend him. Thus, he sent Moses and the others to Ah's territory, and to prevent any accidents, he even sent a personal guard to escort them. Even if there were any problems with this, he would let Ah bear the consequences himself. In any case, he was the one who had forcibly taken the slaves.
Although Ah did not have any real power, his status was still there. Just as Aristotle had said, in his position, he could plan, and he could exercise his power. In the past, when he was flipping through the divine texts in the archives of the Temple of Isis, he had to be careful not to be discovered. Schrödinger had given him two records, one of which was the Land of Marduc, and the other was a secret book of the highest level, but he had never found a chance to look at it.
But now, after writing down the serial number, he directly sent a personal guard to get the Temple of Isis to retrieve the book and send it to his territory. He didn't even bother to explain. This was the difference in status.
The territory of the Empire of Eygut was vast. The human population was distributed along the Nile River, mainly in the Upper and Lower Eygut. In the centre of the Empire, only the narrow tidal flats on both sides of the Nile River could be used for farming. Further east and west was a vast expanse of wasteland. Deserts and barren mountains were scattered all over the place. There were only a few small towns and scattered villages, as well as a few nomadic tribes. Places far away from human habitation were also places where a lot of monsters appeared.
Ah's territory was vast. In the southern outskirts of Herak, it included the seasonal flooding of the riverbank, which could only be used for farming for one season. There were also farms not far from the riverbank that could be irrigated, and there was also a large grassy slope at the foot of the mountain on the west bank that could be used for grazing. Further west of the grassy slope, there was an uninhabited barren mountain range within Ah's territory. That was where the Supreme General usually went hunting.
The land bestowed by the Empire was different from the land bestowed by the Empire. The people living in this land were all servants of Ah Zimi, and every year, they had to work for Ah Zimi for 3 months without pay. If they did not wish to serve, they would have to pay a corresponding fee. On the other hand, Ah could not casually transfer or gift this territory to others. He could only receive the profits from this territory, and the rights to dispose of the territory remained in the hands of the Empire. However, Ah's descendants could inherit the ownership of the territory.
Apart from the residents of the territory, Ah also had his own servants, including his personal guards, slaves and hired servants. They lived in a very large manor.
There were a total of 60 Ducians in the town of Duc. More than 40 of them were young miners, while the rest were once servants of Moses. Now, they had all become slaves given to Ahi by the Pharaoh. They had been brought here from Mount Horeb, and their hearts were filled with apprehension. They had already heard that Ah had become the Supreme General of the Empire, and had led the Eygut Army to defeat the Kingdom of Hittite and the Kingdom of Bablon. He had made great contributions, and had requested Pharaoh to grant him the Ducians as slaves.
Ah had been to Mount Horeb a year and a half ago. Since then, the living conditions of the miners had improved a lot. They were no longer abused, beaten or scolded. However, slaves were still slaves, and they had not escaped the fate of being enslaved. Ah was a man exiled from Duc, but he had achieved so much in the Eygut Army. Now that his former clansmen had become his slaves, how would he treat them?
Moses had another worry in his heart. Under the guidance of Allaha, he had been secretly preparing to return to his homeland. But a year and a half had passed, and there had been no news of the god. Now that such a change had occurred, it seemed that the tragic fate of his clansmen was uncertain.
Ah brought them to his territory. He did not make things difficult for them, but he did not give them any special treatment either. After all, Moses and the others were slaves. Even if they were to eat with Ah, it would not be in accordance with the etiquette. Ah did not let them live in the manor, nor did he give them houses. Instead, he sent his guards to set up a row of tents on the grassy slope at the foot of the mountain, at the edge of the farm, for the time being. Then, he summoned everyone.
When Moses and the others saw Ah, they all knelt down to pay their respects. Ah raised his hand to stop them, "This is a human occasion. You are all my clansmen. Some formalities can be waived. I had asked the Pharaoh to give you freedom, but he did not succeed. So, I brought you here. Now that you are in my territory, if you have any requests, you can tell me now. "
One of the women, who was Moses's former female servant, weakly said, "Winter has just passed, the weather is still very cold. Can you give us houses to live in? Even if it is just a stone house like Mount Horeb. "
Ah smiled, "The tents you are living in now are the ones I used to live in. They should be able to withstand the cold. You will have houses, but you will need to build them yourself. In my territory, you can go up the mountain to cut wood, mine stones, and build your own village. The day is almost here. There is a large area of land at the foot of the mountain that can be cultivated. You can use the water from the Nile River to irrigate it. Whether it is seeds or farming tools, you can ask my steward for them. "
Ah did not provide everything ready-made for the clansmen, but let them build houses and cultivate the land themselves. There are wild beasts in the mountains. They can hunt, but they also need to protect themselves. Some of the clansmen were disappointed, but did not say anything. Moses saluted, "Thank you, Great General! Thank you for everything you have done for us! But we have a common wish, we have always wanted to return to our hometown. I heard that it has become a fertile land in the wilderness. "
Ah replied, "Even if you return there, you will still have to rebuild your home. Why not start preparing now? Don't worry, if possible, I will try my best to satisfy your wish, but you still need to wait for the right time. "
Ah only provided supplies, not ready-made things for the clansmen. Everything had to be obtained by themselves. Even if Moses and the others could return to the Plains of Duc in the future, they would have to start from scratch and could not rely on others. From then on, he did not see the clansmen again, as if deliberately keeping a distance from them. This situation was normal. Why would a high and mighty Great General be close to a group of slaves?
The Duc clansmen's new life began. They were the best craftsmen on the continent. After getting the tools, they cut wood nearby, and in two or three days, they built a wooden house enough for everyone to live in. Then Moses commanded the strong laborers to go to the nearby mountains to mine stone and transport it back to the camp. He began to build a permanent solid courtyard, completely according to the plan of a large-scale village, and even left a place for the shrine.
Someone asked Moses, "This is not our home, why do we have to build it so well?"
Moses replied, "My father once told me that the body is the courtyard where the soul resides, and the place where the soul stands is the home of the body and mind. If the body and mind lose their support, not knowing where the soul is, not knowing what they are pursuing, then they are truly homeless. We still don't know how long we will stay here, so why not build a good residence? Even if we return to Duc, we will still need to do the same. "
Some people were dissatisfied with Ah, and once complained in front of Moses, "Ah is now famous in Eygut, and has endless wealth, but he refuses to give us anything, and instead makes our clansmen build villages and cultivate the wilderness for him. We are all his slaves. Everything we build is not our own, it's all Ah's! "
Moses replied with a smile, "The achievements of the Supreme General belong to him, not you or me. You complain that he doesn't give you more, but have you ever thought about what he owes you? Ah is the son of an old drunkard, and he must have been bullied a lot since he was a child, and he was forced to leave Duc. Now that we are his slaves, we should thank the gods that he didn't mistreat us! This is Ah's territory, but it's also our own house and land. If you want to live a better life, you have to do it yourself. "
When Moses led his clansmen to build a new home, he had been eagerly looking forward to the long-awaited moment, hoping that Allaha's emissary would arrive as soon as possible. This was the real hope that supported him to do all this. Moses himself was taught the power of two sides, and now he was a sixth-level sorcerer and sixth-level warrior. If he wanted to escape by himself, it was entirely possible.
Professor Ah's method of teaching Moses was different from others. He only asked Moses to train in basic strength, and only to pursue a breakthrough in the realm. He did not involve any specific magic or martial arts. Even so, with Moses's current achievements, as long as he paid attention to his identity, he could escape to anywhere he wanted. But what was the point of escaping by himself?
Professor Ah had been secretly observing the actions of Moses and his clansmen. When the Duc clansmen finished building their wooden houses and began to mine stones and reclaim the wasteland, he finally decided to summon Moses again. But there was one inconvenience. Ah had lost his magic power and could not use magic, so he assigned this task to Medanzo.
… …
That night, Moses, who had been working all day, was meditating in his wooden house. He had broken through the test of 'Limit Breakthrough', and had achieved the sixth-level of the power of two sides. Although he had not learned any specific magic, his magic power was already very strong, and he had naturally mastered many laws of power. Some simple magic techniques could be mastered by himself without learning them. But he had always remembered Allaha's warning, to only concentrate on training and not use them.
The work during the day was nothing to him. If it was necessary, he could do it even if he didn't sleep or rest for more than ten days. Moreover, he never stopped meditating every night. Only in this way could he see the hope of life in the midst of suffering.
Just then, a voice like the hum of a mosquito entered his ears, "Moses, I am the emissary sent by God. Quietly leave the village and meet me on the slope to the west. I have something to ask you."
Moses almost jumped up from his seat. His heart was filled with ecstasy. The day he had been waiting for had finally come! It seemed that God Allaha had not forgotten him, and had always been silently watching him and his people! He hurriedly put on his clothes, and did not forget to dust his hair and clothes before leaving. He tidied up his appearance and quietly left the camp. He walked across the grassy slope and ran towards the mountain to the west.
The mountain here was not high, but it was very steep. There were many places covered with rocks, and this was where Moses and his people mined for stone. Ahead of him, there was a little light like a firefly guiding him. Moses walked past the stone quarry, climbed over the cliff, and came to a high slope. In front of him stood a man in a cloak, holding a 'branch' in his hand.
Even with Moses's current eyesight, he could not see the man's face clearly. But under the starlight, he could clearly see the thing in the man's hand. It was the staff that Allaha once used. He hurriedly knelt on the ground, "Emissary of God, is it you who summon me?"
Medanzo nodded and said, "Yes, I'm here on God's order to see how you and your people are preparing."
Moses was so excited that he was about to cry, "Thank God, Allaha has not forgotten me, and has always been watching us!"
Medanzo's tone sank, "Have you forgotten? You can't pray to other gods! In that case, please do not call Allaha by his name in front of me or anyone else. He is your only god! This is true piety, fusing it with your faith. "
Medanzo's words were very interesting. Moses could summon other gods, but he could not directly call Allaha by his name, because he could not pray to other gods. So when he mentioned gods, he was referring to Allaha and not the other gods in the world. From this moment onwards, the word 'god' had a specific meaning.
Medanzo asked Moses many questions, including how his training was over the past one and a half years, and what preparations he had guided his people to make. Moses respectfully answered all of them in detail. Moses had the highest level of training amongst his people, and had already attained the sixth level of the power of two sides. He even secretly spread the miracles of Allaha, telling everyone that this god would guide them back to their homeland.
Furthermore, Moses had awakened the power of two sides for 12 of his people. As of now, all of them had achieved the intermediate level, and were at least fourth level magicians and warriors. Even without special reminders, the people knew that this was a secret that could not be divulged. Even the slightest hint of it would bring them a calamity of death. So everything was done in secret.
On Mount Horeb, they had to do heavy labor every day, so it was difficult for them to make more preparations. They could only instill hope and faith in their people, and let them protect themselves well. As for the miners who had not awakened the power of two sides, they also had to diligently practice the mining skills of Duc. It was not only to mine parangons for the Empire of Eygut, but also to strengthen their bodies and minds.
Medanzo nodded with satisfaction, "From today onwards, you will come here every night. I will teach you magic and martial arts, and you will pass them on to those who are willing to learn. When training, you must be careful. Don't let anyone find out. Take this staff and disguise it. It is both a weapon and a staff. The god has allowed you to use it temporarily. "
Adu gave the staff to Moses. Except for the Gods' Tear, there were still four parangons embedded in it: the Terroculus, the Aquaticore, the Ventuscum, and the Spirit of Flame. Adu did not tell Moses the secret of the staff, but only told him that it was for Moses to use. The Terroculus was not the one Crazy 'Ole used to record information on, and the Ventuscum was not the original spatial artifact either. Adu had replaced it with a new one.
Now that Adu had lost his power, he could not even use spatial artifacts, so the staff was idle. As a slave, Moses could not openly take out a weapon, let alone a staff. Although Adu had many things in his hands, this' branch 'was the only suitable one. He wrapped it in a cloth strip, and no one would be able to see through it. To cover up, Moses ordered each of his people to chop a similar branch and wrap it in a cloth strip to make a staff.
In this way, Medanzo taught Moses all kinds of magic and martial arts secrets every night. After a simple demonstration, he let Moses practice on his own and teach them to his people. Back when they were on Mount Horeb, it was not convenient to teach them these things. But now, they could do it in Ah Di's territory. There was an uninhabited valley near the quarry, and they could practice on their own without anyone interfering.
… …
Moses was very smart, and this was also due to the good education he had received from his mother and the tempering he had experienced in the past few years. After a dozen days, Metatro had taught almost everything he needed to. The remaining skills could only be mastered by Moses and the others, so he went back to report to Ah.
In the manor, Medanzo was surprised and sighed, "Are all your people geniuses, Ah God? Twelve out of sixty have awakened the power of two sides. In just a year and a half, all of them have achieved the intermediate level. Especially that Moses, as long as he has the opportunity, I think he has a chance to break through to the seventh level. This is much faster than I did when I was young! "
Adu was not surprised. He explained with a faint smile, "You only see these people, so you are surprised. But have you ever thought about how many generations of cruel elimination have they accumulated? The mining skills of Duc have been passed down from generation to generation. A long time ago, the living environment there was much more dangerous. If an adult man could not master the skills, it would be difficult for him to survive there. Many people died prematurely, and the population has hardly increased for hundreds of years.
The selection and elimination of the environment are cruel and merciless. These descendants have inherited the most powerful power in their blood, the essence of many years of accumulation. If not for that, do you think they would still be able to live healthily after going through so many hardships? As for the twelve people, you only think about their training in the past year and a half, but they have been learning the mining skills of Duc since they were sixteen years old. This is also the foundation of the power of two sides.
Except for Moses, they have been training longer than you and I, but no one has opened the real door. Even so, they have not surpassed your achievements and speed of training. You and I are already miracles in the eyes of ordinary people, but think about Enkidu. He became a ninth-level supreme warrior at the age of twenty-one. What kind of existence is he? "
Medanzo chuckled, "I'm not comparing them like that. I just think that their speed of training is really amazing, not just one person, but a group of people. Your explanation makes sense, but the training of the power of two sides has its own rules. It is not just about hard work, but also through various tests. "
Adu smiled faintly, "They are more suitable to train in this power than ordinary mages, especially Moses. Losing their homes, living in a foreign land, doing hard labor every day, but not giving up the hope in their hearts. Which noble mage has ever experienced this kind of hardship? Don't forget, on the continent, only nobles can practice magic, and slaves can't practice body arts. It is difficult for ordinary warriors to endure such hardships, but they have survived. This is an achievement! "
Since Moses and the others had not given up hope and were making preparations, Adu sent Medanzo to the Plains of Duc to see how Link's preparations were going. Before leaving, he gave the spatial artifact, Ventussalve, to Medanzo, and asked Medanzo to take out a few things from it, including the somewhat damaged scorpion shell armour, a flying shuttle, and a golden spear.
The spear was more than ten feet long, and was different from ordinary spears. It was like a very slender droplet of liquid, and it was impossible to tell what material it was made of. Even with the eyesight of a master craftsman, he could not completely understand the method of making it. Adu gave the spear to Medanzo and said, "You have always envied me for having a magical staff that can be used as a weapon. The sword I gave you last time has been destroyed in the battle with Enkidu, and this spear is even more magical than my iron branch staff."
Medanzo took the spear and tested it. He was surprised, "Adu, where did you get such a magical artifact! It is almost indestructible, and the best staff I have ever seen. Did you make it yourself? What is its name? "
Adu sighed and said, "I did not make it myself. I call it the Key of Fate. You have seen it before, and you have even fought a life and death duel with the owner of this weapon."
Medanzo was at a loss, "Impossible, I have never seen such a magical weapon, let alone duel with the owner of it."
Adu explained, "You just don't recognize it. It was once the broadsword in Enkidu's hand. When it slashed at the cloud eagle in the sky, it became damaged. In the final battle, Enkidu fought with the black thunderbolt from the sky. The sword turned into a golden mist, and even the blade changed shape. At the last moment when Enkidu rushed into the sky, he pointed the sword in his hand at me. I received it into the Ventussalve, and it became this spear. "
Medanzo held the Key of Fate in his hand and exclaimed, "So it was Enkidu's broken sword. He infused all of his strength in his life, and after being refined by the black vortex, it became like this. As expected, it is not something a human craftsman can make!"
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