Sonya, this ancient dragon that suddenly appeared has truly brought us an unprecedented "surprise". Originally, we had only come here out of curiosity to see what kind of relationship an ancient dragon had with the Pope of the Earthlings, but we didn't expect that they would be talking about the Dim Moon. And judging from their tone … they seem to be quite familiar with the Dim Moon Lord? Even this wrinkle-faced old Pope was a figure from thousands of years ago?
"Tsk tsk, this development … the whole thing is getting more and more interesting." Icetis crossed her arms in front of her chest and commented on the two in her invisible state. "That little dragon has a long lifespan and is still a little girl. However, that old man is a real human. I'm not wrong this time. If everything is normal, he can only live for another ten to twenty years. Reincarnation. It seems that this human used some secret technique to allow himself to live until now. "
I opened my mouth, but no words came out. I was completely confused. This seemingly ordinary world hides a deeper and more complicated history than we imagined. We originally thought that the lost artifact only gave birth to a religion here, but we didn't expect so many things to happen in the blink of an eye. Now, it seems that even if we follow the clues of the 'Goddess' of the Goddess Religion, we might not be able to find out what happened back then. The reason is simple — the Goddess Religion isn't the only one who has something to do with the artifact! The dragon lady before us, the Dim Moon Lord on the moon, the so-called Blood Princess, and the Pope of the Goddess Religion — these four must have done something incredible with the artifact in ancient times. I suddenly recalled what the dragon lady said just now: the power of the artifact is weaker than the power of the demons. This isn't something that mortals can make up for with hard work. Could the artifact she was referring to be the one we are looking for?
At this moment, the debate between the old Pope and the dragon lady was still inconclusive. After listening for a long time, I roughly understood what they were arguing about: the dragon lady, the Pope, the Dim Moon Lord, and the Blood Princess. A long time ago (probably around the time of the first Dim Moon War, as the Dim Moon Lord was' exiled 'to the moon after the first war), these four signed some ancient agreement. This agreement should be what caused the current situation on Earth and Moon. Now, the Dragoness was dissatisfied with some of the things agreed upon in the agreement, so she wanted to go to the moon to discuss it with the Dim Moon Lord and the Blood Princess again. However, the Pope felt that this was meaningless and infeasible, so he was trying to persuade them otherwise.
After all, the Pope was old, and his lung capacity might not be comparable to that of a dragon who could live to the end of time. After a fierce argument with his opponent for a while, he suddenly coughed. Surprisingly, the cold dragoness appeared to be very concerned about the old pontiff's condition. "Is your body about to fail again?"
Although the tone was still cold, the concern in the content of the sentence was obvious.
The old pontiff recovered from his coughing and waved his hand as he slowly walked to the nearest wooden chair and sat down heavily. "It's alright, I can live for another ten years or so. As long as you don't continue to piss me off."
"You know I've thought it through." The Dragoness stood in front of the Pope, her purple-red eyes reflecting the Pope's doddering appearance. "The original plan has been tested for thousands of years and proved to be unreliable. We must adopt another plan while we still have a chance to salvage the situation. The Dim Moon Lord … That barbarian is a good person, but he's too stubborn. We can't let him continue to be willful. So I just need to convince the Blood Princess, which shouldn't be too difficult. I know what she wants. "
The old pontiff held the heavy staff, his eyes still bright as he stared at the Dragoness. "Sonya, you want to settle things before the barbarian wakes up? Do you know what will happen when he wakes up? "
"It's just a fight, it's not like I haven't fought before." The Dragoness was indifferent. "Besides, I don't know how to destroy the divine artifact, and I don't have the ability to destroy it. So that barbarian still has other ways to continue trying, but he can no longer borrow the power of the Dim Moon War."
"Divine artifact, divine artifact … I really don't know if something that brings such a disaster is a divine artifact." The old pontiff was silent for a long time before he suddenly let out a long sigh. "Sigh … So what is your so-called 'other plan'? If you don't have a plan at all, and just act on impulse like before, then I'll mobilize the knights to keep you here! "
"The demonic power was brought into this world sealed in the divine artifact," the Dragoness said slowly. "Didn't the Blood Princess say that the divine artifact can carry out some kind of 'operation'? It should not be just an energy source, but a kind of … tool. Perhaps it's a tool specifically used to capture and kill the demonic power. Since it's a tool, there should be a way to use it. If we know how to use it, maybe we can also seal the demonic power back. Instead of spending our power again and again to delay the end of the world, it's better to try to end it completely. "
The old pontiff looked at the Dragoness for a while and slowly shook his head. "You want to be like those people back then, using the wisdom of mortals to speculate the operation of the divine artifact, but you won't succeed. Back then, when the barbarian wizard first opened that thing, he released the shadow of the demon. How can you be sure that the thing will take back the demon the second time you open it? If it releases more and more dangerous enemies, the remaining half of our world will fall. "
"It won't, I promise," the Dragoness promised solemnly. "If it goes out of control again, I'll sacrifice all the dragon's souls to seal the crack. That will be enough. We tried it once, didn't we? We almost succeeded, didn't we?"
"All the dragons!" The old pontiff almost slid off his chair. "Sonya, are you crazy?!"
The white-haired Dragoness standing in front of him was silent for a moment, then sighed softly. "What does it matter? I am the only dragon in the truest sense of the word. The rest of them are nothing more than wild beasts that I, the pitiful Dragon King, controlled with my mental power. Using this kind of laughable method to maintain the eternal dignity of the Dragon Tribe, I am also tired. Edwinsa, I know you have a way to bypass the seal and open the Gemini Star Station in advance. Your attainments in the runic technology of the ancient civilization are higher than the Blood Princess, so this time, let me be stubborn. "
The old pontiff, or the old man named Edwinsa, lowered his head. Just a moment ago, he was still holding his staff and arguing with the white-haired woman in front of him, but now he seemed to be unable to find any words to refute her. After a long time, he waved his hand weakly. "You have to know that if you can't get the Blood Princess to hand over the Holy Skeleton Box, then the Dark Moon War will still start as scheduled. After the local people and the Dark Moon Demons fight, you must retreat. Also, I don't agree with your bullshit about throwing your soul away. As long as the divine artifact shows signs of going out of control, you should immediately stop. We can work with the Blood Princess again to shut it down, but if you throw your soul away as well, then there's nothing we can do to turn the situation around. If you promise me these two things, I'll tell you what to do. "
"Alright, I promise you that I won't throw my life away." The dragon lady revealed a smile for the first time since her first appearance. "It's enough to jump into the Devil's Den and turn the tide once. Also, I don't have to wait for the Dark Moon Invasion to begin. Once the Devil's Den opens, I'll be back. "
The old pontiff Edwinsa suddenly stood up and walked quickly in our direction. I was stunned and thought that I had been discovered. In the end, Lin Xue forcefully pulled my arm and dragged me to the side. The old man brushed past me. He came to the corner of the wall and opened a small iron door that was embedded in the stone wall. He took out an exquisite metal pillar that shone with silver light.
The metal pillar was only a foot long and as thick as an egg. There were complicated patterns on its surface. Regardless of the quality or craftsmanship, it was obviously different from the other things I had seen in this world. Not only was it more exquisite, but the patterns also had a … different style. In any case, it was different from the things on Earth.
"This is a part of the Gemini Star Station's controller. I was worried that an accident would happen during my reincarnation, so I left this thing here." The old pontiff handed the metal pillar to the dragon lady. "Don't give me that look. That's right, this is a fake. I made it from a small skeleton that fell when we blew up the Astral Telescope. I realized that it was made of the same material as the control rods, so I imprinted the control runes on it. I don't know what those runes mean, but this thing should work. You know how to operate the controller. You just need to use it to replace the locked control rod. You don't need the soul imprints of four people. You alone can open the bridge. "
The dragon lady carefully put away the silver scroll-like metal pillar. She could no longer hold back her curiosity. "Edwinsa, you … Why did you secretly make this thing?"
There was a flash of light in the old pontiff's eyes. His wrinkled face had the expression of a mischievous youth. "Have you forgotten? I was the most dishonest one among the four of us. When I first separated from the barbarians, I was naive for a few days. I even made this thing. I was waiting for the day when I could save the world with my little cleverness. Then, I would go to the moon and scare the barbarians … It's so good to be young, always thinking that I'm omnipotent."
The dragon lady's lips seemed to curl slightly, but she did not say anything in the end. She just walked towards the door with a cold expression. The old pontiff's lips trembled a few times. Just as the dragon lady was about to push the door open and leave, he finally could not help but ask, "Sonya, I heard that you've been mingling with the humans as a mercenary all these years. You've almost never returned to the Dragon Mountain. Is that okay?"
"It's better than saving the world." The arrogant figure finally disappeared behind the door, leaving only these words in the air.
The old pontiff subconsciously took a few steps forward with his staff. But in the end, he slowly slid down to the cold stone floor with the support of his staff. Very abruptly, the old man who was already in his twilight years began to cry like a child.
"Let's go." Icetis suddenly pulled my sleeve and called me back from my messy thoughts. "We have a lot of things to do."
We left the stone fortress as easily as when we sneaked in. But this time, none of us felt relaxed. We quickly returned to the lower layer of the Northern Fortress. I noticed that Shallow Shallow was still rubbing her eyes. I subconsciously put my arm around her waist and asked, "Girl, what's wrong?"
Shallow Shallow rubbed her eyes as she muttered, "Although I have no idea what's going on with them, I just feel sad. That old man doesn't look like a bad person …"
"Needless to say, I'm afraid our speculations about the goddess' religion and the goddess' faith are all wrong. Even if they are not completely wrong, most of them are not accurate. Their purpose is not to strengthen their rule at all. They just don't want people to know what happened during the Dark Moon War." Bryndis curled the corners of her mouth. While looking at the bustling town scene around her, she complained in an angry tone, "I just can't do intelligence missions. So what? Does this world have to be so complicated …"
In the end, Icetis turned her gaze to Lin Xue. She tried to hold it in but failed. "You saw a lot of things, didn't you?"
"I don't dare to use too much power here. I'm afraid that I'll attract unnecessary 'people'," Lin Xue said calmly. "But I did see a lot of things. But don't ask. What should be known will eventually be known. What should happen will happen. I'll tell you what to do when the time comes. Until then, just watch quietly. "
Icetis rolled her eyes at the sky and whistled loudly.
Lin Xue looked at the female pervert from the corner of her eyes helplessly. Finally, her gaze landed on me. "Blockhead, let me ask you a question. If you were to steal a world from under the nose of the Fallen Apostle, what would you do?"
I didn't react at first. I subconsciously hummed in acknowledgment. Two seconds later, cold sweat broke out. I looked at Missy as if I had seen a ghost. "What did you say?! You must be joking … "
Lin Xue sighed. "Just take it as a precaution."
When I wanted to ask for more details, Missy refused to say anything more.
Is this a precaution? Don't you think that this precaution is a little too much?!
However, Icetis and Shallow Shallow were so carefree that they didn't seem worried at all. Just as I was scratching my head trying to figure out which step I took that would lead to the situation that Lin Xue predicted, Icetis stretched her body. "Let's go back and rest. Now, we'll focus on that little dragon girl. When she makes her move, we'll make our move as well."
The group of us didn't have the mood to stroll around the fortress anymore. We could only return to the camp. This place was much more deserted than it was in the morning. Most of the mercenaries didn't come here just to waste their time. The knights would never complain about having too many patrol and defense missions, so the mercenaries would always find something to do. When we returned to the camp, there were only a few scattered mercenaries guarding the camp. Most of them didn't get any missions or were in poor condition, so they could only rest in the rear.
When we returned to the camp, I saw the dusty tent that was no different from the rest of the tents. Unsurprisingly, we also saw the person in front of the tent — the tall woman with short white hair. She was the last true dragon in this world, Sonya.
The news of the Dragon King's arrival at the North Fortress had already spread. The three Iron Knights all knew about it. However, no one would have guessed that the Dragon King was actually here with those burly mercenaries in the messy tent area. Furthermore, she was registered as a mercenary.
Of course, the Dragon King had just returned from the fortress. She was currently standing in front of her tent, looking up at the snow-covered peak of the Longqiao Mountains. Her face was still cold and expressionless. When she retracted all of her power, she indeed looked like an ordinary human. It was no wonder that even we didn't notice that she was a dragon in human form. In the morning, no one paid any attention to this stranger who seemed like a passer-by. Who would have thought that she had such an incredible identity?
Of course, we attracted her attention when we walked past her with so many of us. What was surprising was that she actually turned around and nodded at us. Although her cold appearance still made people feel awkward, this action was a sign of goodwill. It seemed that greeting her earlier was useful. At least this expressionless sister remembered that we were her 'neighbors'.
Perhaps she really wasn't good with words.
She didn't know that her 'neighbors' had been watching her for a long time. In her eyes, we were still a group of strangers. So, we didn't say much to her. Only Shallow Shallow casually greeted her. "Yo, have you eaten?"
Dragon Lady was stunned. "… No …"
Under our stunned gazes, Shallow Shallow took out a large pile of snacks. Then, this girl with a strange mind skipped over to Sonya. "Then, this is for you. We brought these from our hometown. We are neighbors after all …"
Dragon Lady Sawyer's reaction speed obviously couldn't keep up with Qian Qian's thinking speed. She was completely dazed as she was dragged back to her own tent by Qian Qian, leaving us to watch the chaos outside. After Qian Qian and Sawyer disappeared behind the door of the small tent, Bryndis maintained his dumbfounded state as he nudged my arm, "… Chen, is there a pattern to her behavior?"
I spread my hands. "What pattern? Her thinking is Brownian motion. It's not like you don't know that."
It seemed that Shallow Shallow didn't intend to come out of her tent anytime soon. Also, Sonya wasn't as unapproachable as she seemed. At the very least, she wouldn't be able to resist Shallow Shallow's social bombardment. The rest of us could only return to the tent in the middle, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
After we settled down, everyone fell silent. In the end, Icetis was the first to speak. "Alright, let's put aside our previous deductions. It seems that the God Equipment is on the moon. But I must make one thing clear — there is no reaction from the Star Domain's divinity on the moon. "
I scratched my head. I had been organizing all the messy clues along the way. The conversation between Dragon Lady and the pope that I eavesdropped brought me too much information. Also, before the final answer was revealed, there seemed to be many ways to interpret this information. It was difficult to say which one was correct. At the moment, we could only confirm that there was a huge discrepancy between our guesses about the Church of the Goddess and the truth. No matter how much we calculated, we just didn't take the "non-conspiracy" route into consideration …
"If it really doesn't work," Icetis rolled her eyes and thought for a moment. "Let's kidnap the pope and that Dragon Lady. Since we have confirmed that they know the whereabouts of the God Equipment, we can just use brute force to solve it — pouring chili water on a tiger stool."
"You only thought of this idea after such a long time?" I glanced sideways at the female pervert. I had to admit that her "idea" was simple and clear, and it might even work. However, personally, I was most unwilling to use brute force to solve this problem. After all, we didn't have any grudges with the old pope or the Dragon Lady. More importantly, there were four people related to the God Equipment. There was also the Dim Moon Lord and the "Blood Princess". It was difficult to say how these four mortals managed to conceal the Star Domain's God Equipment to the extent that even Icetis couldn't detect it. Thus, in order to "dig out" the God Equipment, we definitely had to figure out the relationship between these four mortals. Anything we did before that would just be causing unnecessary trouble.
However, I also made up my mind. I would wait until we reached the moon. If I didn't make any progress after meeting the Dim Moon Lord and the Blood Princess, I would kidnap all four of them …
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