"Are you insane?" Aludiba stared at Deimos, the Dragon King, in disbelief. Though Deimos hadn't fully explained his plan, Aludiba could already discern the greedy dragon's outrageous intent.
Not only was Aludiba shocked, but Muria was also left dumbfounded by his grandfather's audacity. However, compared to the two of them, Mikaela remained calm. She was already accustomed to such bold ideas.
She found it puzzling that her husband would be so surprised. Wasn't this kind of unorthodox approach to dealing with enemies part of their family's tradition? Since Muria often entertained outlandish ideas himself, wasn't his astonishment unnecessary?
"I'm not crazy. You're just too conservative in your thinking—utterly lacking the awareness of being an Epic. If we possess the power to move worlds, we should use it flexibly," Deimos retorted, scoffing at Aludiba's reaction. He considered Aludiba's astonishment unwarranted for such a relatively simple idea.
"Deimos, do you even understand? We're not in our own world cluster. Even if we could move this world, how would we take it back?"
"Don't be so rigid. Who said we couldn't bring it back? The same way we got here, of course," Deimos replied, his tone brimming with disdain.
"Are you serious? This is an entire world! Do you realize how much strain transporting it back through the World Transfer Hall would cause?"
"No matter how great the strain, the World Transfer Hall can handle it. It can simultaneously send multiple Epics across the void to various locations. Don't tell me it can't bring back a single world," Deimos countered with confidence.
"Epics are different from worlds," Aludiba said, exasperated. He felt Deimos was blinded by greed and resorting to nonsensical arguments. Unlike conscious Epics that could assist during transit, a world was a passive entity, requiring immense energy to transport. The World Transfer Hall was designed to aid Epics or facilitate the journey of those aspiring to become one—not to transport entire worlds.
"There's no real difference. Stop overthinking it. Don't forget where the Transfer Hall is. Even if it struggles, there are others who'll step in to assist. I've thought this through, and it's completely feasible," Deimos declared, exuding self-assuredness.
"I still think your plan is reckless. Moving a world with an evil god to Erathia could have unpredictable consequences," Aludiba said, frowning deeply.
"What consequences? It's just a medium-sized world. Even if it crashes down, someone will bear the brunt," Deimos replied nonchalantly. He didn't believe that a mere medium-sized world, even with an evil god, could pose any real threat to Erathia's gods.
"I think my grandfather's idea is highly feasible and worth considering," Muria suddenly chimed in, siding with Deimos. After his initial shock subsided, he pondered the plan and found it genius.
"Mikaela, what do you think?" Aludiba, keeping a neutral expression, turned to his granddaughter, hoping for her support. To his dismay, Mikaela sided against him.
"I think it's worth a try," Mikaela said, her voice calm. After witnessing Muria's bold experiments succeed twice, she didn't dismiss Deimos's audacious plan.
"…" Aludiba glanced at his granddaughter, then at Muria, who stood expressionless beside her, and finally at Deimos, whose smug smile only deepened his frustration. In a moment of exasperation, he swung his sword downward, unleashing a scarlet blade of energy at the world barrier below.
The blade struck the world's barrier with a resounding boom, causing it to ripple and dim. A visible slash appeared, but within moments, the barrier drew in dark energies, healing the wound. Simultaneously, a massive claw rose from below, channeling the barrier's power to shatter the sword energy. The barrier stabilized shortly after.
"Such attacks are unnecessary. This world is beyond our ability to breach by force," Deimos remarked with a mocking tone.
"Hmph! Let's get started!" Aludiba snapped. Outnumbered three to one—even his granddaughter opposed him—he saw no point in further resistance. Even without him, they had enough power to move the world.
"Excellent," Deimos chuckled, pleased with Aludiba's concession. "With the four of us, we'll easily dislodge this world from its coordinates."
"You madman. Watch—Bahamut will definitely reprimand you for this," Aludiba grumbled, invoking the name of the Platinum Dragon God to suppress Deimos's enthusiasm.
"You're overthinking it. Bahamut won't criticize me; we get along just fine," Deimos retorted, laughing. As a Dragon King, he was on equal footing with the Dragon God, despite Bahamut's higher seniority.
In the endless void, a colossal metallic construct, resembling a floating continent, hovered above a vast, boundless world barrier. Drawing streams of energy from the surrounding void, it occasionally emitted spatial ripples—this was the World Transfer Hall, a marvel built by the Titans, Celestial Blazing Angels, and Dragons of Erathia to assist those pursuing the path of Epics.
Due to its high-end purpose, the Transfer Hall was usually dormant. While Erathia had many Legends, few reached the pinnacle of Legendary status, and even fewer dared to become Epics. Most preferred to establish faith and ascend to divinity within the safety of their world.
Now, however, the Hall was active, its ripples initially drawing only a few cursory glances from high-ranking beings. Over time, the ripples grew stronger, attracting more attention from Epics and gods alike. The increasing energy caused the Hall itself to tremble violently, raising concerns that the massive construct might collapse into the world below.
"What's happening?"
In Erathia's Prime Material Plane, numerous golden eyes opened to observe the phenomenon. In the Boundless Heaven Realm, mighty beings with eyes burning with holy fire also stirred.
"That oversized hunk of metal is finally malfunctioning?" a Dragon King in the Abyss muttered, its blue eyes reflecting the trembling Hall.
"Familiar presences—Aludiba and Deimos. No doubt about it!"
"I sense the aura of one of our clan's brightest."
"And Muria's scent!"
As the vortex expanded, revealing the immense object within, the watching Epics and gods collectively gasped in astonishment.
"What are they doing? Have they gone mad, dragging a world from another cluster?"
"Maybe that world holds something extraordinary to justify the effort."
"Let's go. If we don't help, they might break the Transfer Hall."
"It's been ages since I've moved. I need to see what's so special about this."
"I smell an evil god. Interesting. Did they capture an evil god and drag its world here too?"
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