Please Tempt Me
Please Tempt Me
After the flood, the Charcoal Marsh would be formed to the west of the land, and it would be impossible for a large army to pass through. The Hittite army could only go south into the Syah Desert, then turn northeast to reach there from the edge of the newly formed inland lake. To the north of it was the Assyrian Plateau, and the Assyrian army had to cross the plateau if they wanted to get there.
To the east of the Syah Valley, the steep mountains and forests were a natural barrier. Beyond the inland lake, the area to the south was still a desert. If the armies of Bablon and Eygut wanted to enter the Syah Desert, they could only cross the desert from the east and the west, and then head north.
There were natural geographical barriers between this area and the surrounding countries, as well as difficult expeditionary supply lines. Therefore, once a war was launched, the consumption and casualties would be especially high. If someone was the first to occupy this place, build a city and manor, and have a military and economic supply base, they would have a clear advantage. Anyone with a discerning eye could see this.
Because of this, a great war between the countries was inevitable, and the fertile land would be filled with blood and smoke. The flood was Enril's so-called gift. A new fertile land had appeared on the continent, and it could have become a prosperous and peaceful home for the people. But Goliath seemed to see another disaster coming, and this disaster was also the result of people's own choices.
Although Goliath could foresee it, he could not stop it.
Goliath even analyzed the military strategic situation. Originally, the Assyrian Kingdom did not pose much of a threat to the Hittite border, because their army had to cross the Syah Plateau, and the cost of starting a war was too high. But after the situation changed, people would be willing to pay the price if there was enough profit. From a military point of view, Assyria was the most advantageous in the war, but it was the weakest country.
From a war supply line point of view, the Hittite Kingdom was naturally the most advantageous. After all, the fertile land where the town of Duc was located was closest to Syah. But from a power point of view, the Empire of Eygut in the southwest was the strongest. In the southeast, Bablon was as powerful as Hittite, and its supply line was not very long. They only needed to cross the Syah Desert from the lower reaches of the Euphrate River.
Every country had its advantages and disadvantages, and it seemed that no one had the absolute upper hand. Goliath could only analyze the situation based on his experience. He couldn't use Greater Prophecy to come to a conclusion. Even if the two kingdoms of Assyria and Bablon were not considered, war between Hittite and the Empire of Eygut was bound to break out again in the foreseeable future.
The powerful Empire of Eygut had forced the Hittite Kingdom to submit decades ago. However, it was precisely because the Hittite Kingdom was too far away from the Hittite Kingdom that Eygut was unable to incorporate the Hittite Kingdom into his territory. In order to weaken the conflict and achieve the most favorable rule, the Pharaohs Of Eygut allowed the Hittite Kingdom to keep the original temples, but they had to build the temples of Horus and pay the tributes of the vassal state.
Nowadays, many people in the Hittite Kingdom were dissatisfied with the fate of submission for decades. Some people had been accumulating strength in the dark, waiting for an opportunity to rebel. The last time Governor Schmul ambushed Rod-dick's caravan in an attempt to seize the Gods' Tear, it was for this reason.
For the Empire of Eygut, the reason why it was unable to annex the Hittite Kingdom was that it was separated by the sea and the desert. It was difficult to thoroughly govern the area in the form of local governance. But now that there was a vast, uninhabited fertile land, the situation was different. Occupying the land for immigration was not only to expand the territory, but also to serve as an important strategic and economic base to deter other countries.
There must be people in the upper echelons of the Empire of Eygut who knew that the resistance of the Hittite Kingdom was growing day by day. The geographical conditions had suddenly changed. The best strategic choice was to take the initiative and send an expeditionary force to occupy the fertile land around the town of Duc and extend the territory to this place.
Goliath's series of analysis and conclusions would still take time to see. The geographical and climatic changes he had predicted with the Great Prophecy would really stabilize and form the fertile land in three to five years. At present, there would not be any disputes in the next one to two years. The area around the town of Duc would still be a muddy, uninhabited swamp.
… …
A month later, Goliath walked out of the secret chamber. He looked even more tired than when the flood receded. But he did not have time to rest. He summoned his students, Walter, Raphael, and the governor, Schmul, to the Shrine and had a long, private talk with them. No one else knew what Goliath said.
Then Goliath left Syah and returned to the Hittite Academy of Magic in the capital. For a year, he did not come out of his room and did not ask about anything. In the past, Goliath often returned to the capital. He still had a title in the Academy of Magic, but every once in a while he would return to Syah to deal with the affairs of the Shrine. In the Academy of Magic, he also did various research and teaching work.
But this time, it was completely different. Goliath did not pay any attention to anything in the Shrine of Syah. He almost never appeared in public in the Hittite Academy. He claimed that he was going to study complex magic and closed the door to visitors. His prestige in Syah was unparalleled, but doing so in the capital inevitably aroused criticism. Many people used various channels to impeach Goliath, criticizing the supreme mage for not being loyal to his duty.
Some people suggested that another mage should be sent to replace Goliath as the chief priest of the Shrine of Syah. Instead, he should be given an empty title in the Academy of Magic to study magic. The chief priest of the Academy of Magic visited and persuaded Goliath, but the result was unknown. The King of Hittite, Lucier, sent a messenger to Goliath, but the result was also unknown.
It was always prudent to deal with a supreme mage. Even the King was hesitant for some reason. After a long time, the Hittite Academy of Magic finally decided to remove Goliath from his position in the Shrine of Syah. At this time, Goliath suddenly appeared in the Academy of Magic again. People were surprised to learn that he was already a ninth-level supreme mage.
All the voices of doubt immediately disappeared. It turned out that this supreme mage was really concentrating on practicing magic and could not be disturbed by the outside world. He had already broken through to the highest realm, the ninth level, so what was there to care about? The attitude of those who had originally criticized and impeached Goliath changed immediately. One after another, they sent the most valuable gifts to Goliath. Goliath did not mind and accepted them all with a smile. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
King Lucier of Hittite held a special banquet to congratulate Goliath. Also present were the elders of the Academy of Magic and important ministers of the palace. The king and his ministers talked and laughed happily. After the banquet, the King summoned Goliath alone for a long talk. People speculated that the King might want to keep Goliath in the capital to take up a more important position, such as the high priest of the main Shrine of Hittite.
But this speculation was wrong. The next day, Goliath said goodbye to the crowd and returned to the distant border of Syah to continue serving as the chief priest of Syah.
The news that Goliath had become a ninth-level supreme mage after a year of seclusion soon spread to Syah. When Goliath's carriage entered the west gate of Syah, people flooded out of the city to welcome him as if he was a god. Goliath's reputation in the city reached its peak.
As expected, Syah, which had been cut off from the neighboring countries, had been peaceful for the past year. It was so peaceful that people felt a little bored. Goliath's return to the city was naturally a cause for celebration, and the people who had been idle for a long time also got excited.
Raphael was already a fifth-level mage. The young man's aptitude was already very good, so it was not surprising that he had made such progress. Walter was still a sixth-level mage, and it was extremely difficult to advance from the sixth to the seventh level. Most mages would be stuck at this threshold all their lives. Otherwise, supreme mages would not have such a high status.
Governor Schmul finally breathed a sigh of relief. For the past year, the whole city had lived a very leisurely and peaceful life. Only the governor was secretly very nervous, but no one knew what he was nervous about. It seemed that he wanted Goliath to come back more than anyone else. This was somewhat strange, because in Goliath's absence, Schmul was the most distinguished lord here and held all the real power. It was more advantageous to his position if Goliath did not return.
… …
On the same day that Goliath solemnly returned to Syah, on the plateau of the Euphrate River in the distance, Amon quietly left the cavemen's tribe and embarked on a long journey alone. Why would Amon leave at this time? It all started from a few months ago.
Since three months ago, Amon had felt a great deal of pressure when practicing body arts. Once he used the power of his blood beyond a certain limit, he felt as if there was a small mountain pressing down on him, and all the joints in his body were creaking, as if some kind of magic had been cast on him to restrict and hinder his movements.
Similar phenomena were encountered by all warriors before they advanced to the advanced level. It took great perseverance and perseverance to persevere in training to make a breakthrough. Some people really couldn't bear it, and naturally, their body arts could not advance. Some people persisted in training, but they could never make a breakthrough. Not everyone could become an advanced warrior.
But Amon was very clear that the test of 'blood purity' had come. He had finally practiced body arts to the peak. He had previously experienced the test of 'body purity', which was to restore his body to a state of natural health without any hidden injuries. But now, with the training of body arts, his body had also been improved to adapt to the growth of strength. This test would eliminate many people who did not have enough hard work or were born with insufficient physical strength.
Amon was used to hardships since he was a child. He began to learn the mining skills of Duc at the age of twelve. It was definitely hard work, and he had to endure the bone-chilling cold spring every night. So he didn't feel too uncomfortable, and he had never stopped practicing body arts.
He was just a little surprised. He had broken through from the first level to the third level very quickly. He thought that it wouldn't take long for him to face the next test, but it took him more than a year. In fact, it was fast enough. He seemed to have forgotten that he was only fifteen years old, the period of puberty.
In theory, this was the golden age to advance to the advanced level. The body's development would synchronize with the improvement of physical strength to achieve the best results. But in fact, it was too difficult. For example, Medanzo, who had been practicing body arts since he was a child, also advanced to the fourth level in his early twenties.
Amon used to practice the power of two sides. He could break through from the first level to the third level so quickly because he had a good foundation. But from the lower level to the middle level, this was a more difficult threshold. His speed was already amazing.
It took Amon three months to get rid of the trouble of the internal restraints in his body. He felt so light and comfortable all over. There seemed to be a power flowing in his blood that could be activated at will, and it could even be condensed outside of his body. If this power was strong enough, it could even resist many magic arts.
This meant that Amon had become an advanced warrior of the fourth level.
The process of the test was very long, but passing it was very sudden. One day, when he was practicing body arts, the entangled pressure in his body disappeared inexplicably. Amon felt a wave of relief, as if he had been freed from life. He wielded the staff as if it were an iron rod. The heavy staff seemed to be as light as a real tree branch. He operated the power that seemed to flow in his body and shot it out. The tip of the staff emitted a faint layer of light.
It was as heavy as a small mountain, and then it fell gently like a feather. Amon was not proficient in many martial arts. He still used the method of mining cores. The staff touched a rock, and there was almost no sound. The hard rock immediately turned into countless pieces. Amon couldn't help but think, "Wouldn't it be much easier to mine parangons if I could control this power?"
He still lacked enough experience, and the only analogy he could think of was the experience he had in the past.
On the same night that he passed the test, Amon sat quietly in his room and took out the Terroculus. He did not rush to read the information inside. Instead, he waved his hand in the air, and a circle of fire appeared around him. This was the advanced Wall of Fire he had already mastered.
The wall of fire danced around him. Suddenly, Amon naughtily snapped his fingers, and the shape of the wall of fire changed. It became a circle of fire fence around him. Amon waved his hand again, and the top of the fence extended inward. The fire became a huge birdcage, trapping him in the middle.
Amon thought it was funny and laughed in the dark. This was spatial magic. There was no such thing as a low-level spatial magic. Spatial magic started at the intermediate level. To be able to use two kinds of advanced magic at the same time was already the basic standard for a fourth-level mage. Moreover, Amon did not use his staff at all.
Amon was very satisfied with this magic game. He nodded to himself and put away the fire cage. Then he activated the Terroculus. As expected, the message left by Crazy 'Ole appeared in front of him again.
"My child, maybe I should congratulate you. When you read this message, you will already be a fourth-level mage. I don't know if you have found Bair's whereabouts. If you can't, I have a suggestion for you. You can become a sorcerer and hide your identity as a warrior.
There is more than one way to unravel the secrets of the gods. You can refer to what Bair did in the past. I think that the new Adoratrice of the Temple of Isis, Maria, is very congenial to you. When you become a supreme sorcerer, you can find a chance to have a deeper conversation with her. I have high hopes for you. You can definitely do better than Bair. "
Crazy 'Ole's tone was sarcastic, as if he was serious and joking at the same time, just like his usual frivolous self. In the next message, there were some introductions to advanced magic. There wasn't much content because many advanced magic had already been introduced before.
In addition to the advanced magic, there was also new information about how to make magic artefacts, such as making staffs and writing scrolls. Writing scrolls must be in hieroglyphs, so the message also introduced the specific forms of writing and how to interpret them.
Crazy 'Ole's voice ended, "I am not only an eighth-level mage, but also one of the best craftsmen on the continent. Otherwise, I would not have been able to make your staff. It was not made in a few days. The iron embryo in your house, I have secretly worked on it many times over the years. I finally made it into a staff and gave it to you before you left.
Learning to make these magic artefacts may be very useful to you, but remember, these are skills that rely on external objects, not the practice of magic itself. You can use them at the critical moment, but you should not be obsessed with them and deviate from the fundamental direction.
There was once a supreme mage named Nero. He reached the seventh level in his early twenties and was regarded as a genius in magic. But he was obsessed with making scrolls and became the best scroll maker in the whole of Eygut. But he never reached the eighth level for more than forty years. Thirty years ago, he disappeared while hunting Bair. I think he could have become a ninth-level mage. You must remember this lesson. "
Crazy 'Ole predicted the coming disaster and arranged the path that Amon had to take in the future, but he was not an all-rounder. He was not sure if Amon could find Bair. The message in the Terroculus was already a back-up reminder. If Amon could not find Bair, he could still follow the instructions in the Terroculus and become a supreme sorcerer step by step like Bair.
Crazy 'Ole taught Amon how to write the script at the most appropriate stage, but he did not know that Amon had already learned it from Bair's message. He also told Amon about Nero's deeds, but he did not expect that Nero's relics also fell into Amon's hands. Only now did Amon realize that the owner of the staff and the ring was such a famous scroll maker.
Amon, who was playing naughtily a moment ago, sighed sadly. He put away the Terroculus and knelt on the ground. He bowed in the direction of Duc in the west and kissed the soil. Although it was not the soil of Duc, it was still the same land. He had decided to leave. He would continue to practice the fourth-level magic and body arts in his travels, and then face the next test. He would wait for the "devil's temptation" in the unknown world beyond the mountains.
… …
Link was meditating when he heard a voice in his mind, "Come to the big cave. Please do not disturb the people. I will wait for you there."
This was Amon's message magic calling. He hurriedly got up, picked up the bone club out of habit, and quietly ran out of the house. When he came to the big cave, Amon was already waiting for him. He was standing behind the fire, facing the stone wall.
Link hurriedly asked, "Amun, why did you summon me here in the middle of the night?"
Amon turned around and handed him a dark yellow staff with seven parangons inlaid in a spiral arrangement. He smiled and said, "You have become a third-level sorcerer two months ago, and your body arts have also reached the third-level. I have promised to give you a real staff. What do you think? Are you satisfied with this staff? "
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In this chapter, Goliath's analysis of the situation of various countries can be read more clearly and intuitively with the map of the continent in the first chapter.
Introduction of the characters in this chapter —
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