In the Forsaken Land of the Gods, the City of Silver, a bolt of lightning streaked across the deep high sky, illuminating the entire the City of Silver, but it did not last long, quickly dimming and fading, returning the world to darkness.
After Derrick opened his eyes, he subconsciously scanned the room, then got out of bed and headed straight for the door.
As he walked, he suddenly slowed his pace. Mr. Tower would surely need many materials and characteristics. Hunting in the dark was already a dangerous undertaking, and it would also delay a lot of time, slowing down the progress of exploring the Giant King's Court. He wondered if Chief Colin would agree.
After careful consideration for a long time, he couldn't come to any useful conclusion. He shook his head, picked up his newly changed weapon, opened the door, and walked all the way to the Round Tower Bottom in the center of the city.
Along the way, he saw the City of Silver residents with more smiles on their faces and stronger bodies. The normal food acquired through the Tarot Club transactions greatly improved the living standards of the people in the City of Silver. Although the traded grains could not completely replace the City of Silver's black-flour grass, they could ensure at least one normal meal a day.
Mr. Tower seemed to be caught in a war, and he wondered if he still had time to help them collect food. With this concern, Derrick quickly arrived at the Round Tower Bottom. After being announced, he went to the room of Chief Colin Iliad of the Council of Six at the top of the Round Tower.
The Demon Hunter, as usual, leaned back in a chair behind a dark desk. His grizzled hair was quite disheveled and unkempt, his nasolabial folds were deep, and there were still many old scars, some deep, some distorted, on his face. His light blue eyes were profound and weathered, as if they could Insight into people's hearts.
After Derrick bowed, he nodded and said,
"How are you mastering your Priest of Light Potion?"
"Still a little short..." Derrick replied frankly. He had only recently been promoted and was not yet able to perfectly control his spirituality or skillfully use the corresponding Beyonder abilities.
"Hmm, no need to rush. Many people in this exploration team are not yet ready."
After a brief mention, Colin Iliad moved past the topic and asked,
"According to the time, you should have participated in a gathering today. Were there any special transactions this time? What made you come over immediately?"
Derrick nodded, then recounted Leyton's proposal and the transaction.
Colin Iliad nodded heavily after listening to Derrick's narration. He rose from his chair and walked to the window, speaking as if he were asking Derrick, yet also answering himself:
"Silver Knight and Glory, these are conditions the City of Silver cannot refuse. With the Potion formulas, the City of Silver will be able to have Sequence 3 Saints, and even the legendary Angels."
"How do you think we should determine the authenticity of the Potion formulas? And how many monsters in the darkness do we need to hunt to collect the materials?"
"Wars that only exist in common textbooks are far crueler than you imagine. According to some of your previous descriptions, this might be a game between those Gods."
"This…" Derrick swallowed, his expression somewhat downcast as he said, "I don't know."
Colin Iliad looked out at the training ground and streets through the window with a complex expression, watching the City of Silver residents with smiles on their faces, and said in an unusually calm voice,
"I don't know either. This matter requires convening the Council of Six for discussion. The Glory's formula is very significant to us!"
After a moment of pause, Colin Iliad turned back to Derrick and asked, "Do you have anything else?"
"No."
Derrick shook his head, then bid farewell and left Chief Colin's room.
In the northern district of Backlund, within a luxurious manor near the suburbs, Emlyn sat on a single sofa in the reception room, toying with a gold coin with a four-leaf clover pattern, his gaze curiously surveying the furnishings in the room.
This was the home of Rus Báthory, a Sanguine Baron. He was an antique enthusiast and had collected many peculiar items. Although most of them came from the Southern Continent, some also belonged to the Northern Continent, from the Fourth Epoch Trunsoest Empire.
Under the announcement of a manor servant, Rus Báthory soon arrived in the reception room. He appeared to be a rather elegant middle-aged gentleman, of medium height, extremely upright, with meticulously groomed dark hair and eyes as red as blood.
Upon seeing Rus Báthory, Emlyn smiled and rose from the sofa, bowing slightly and greeting him very politely:
"Good afternoon, Baron Rus."
Rus Báthory looked at Emlyn with some surprise, then also bowed and greeted him:
"Good afternoon, Viscount White, what kind of collectibles do you wish to purchase from me?"
Rus Báthory did not engage in much small talk and went straight to the point.
Emlyn paused for a moment, then chuckled softly, flicking the gold coin he was holding into the air before catching it again, and said calmly,
"I thought you would also refuse me directly, like Ernest and Cosmi, once you knew my purpose."
Rus Báthory smiled and shook his head:
"I prefer to collect peculiar items from the Southern Continent; this is something all Vampires in Backlund know."
"But I'm still a bit curious, why are you suddenly interested in items from the Trunsoest Empire period?"
"I've been researching Vampire history recently, specifically the glorious period when the 'Blood Moon Queen' re-united Vampires scattered across the world. I want to learn more through things related to the Trunsoest Empire."
Emlyn smiled, offering the excuse he had prepared long ago.
Rus Báthory nodded gently, showing neither belief nor doubt. He paused, then continued,
"I need to remind you that although our Vampires and humans had a close relationship during the Fourth Epoch Trunsoest Empire, this doesn't mean you can easily find Vampire-related records on just any item."
"One has to try, doesn't one?" Emlyn responded with a light chuckle.
Rus Báthory nodded, then turned and led Emlyn towards his collection room.
Oleston Port, the northernmost point of the Paz River Valley in the Southern Continent, is one of the main ports established along safe shipping lanes.
Affected by the Berserk Sea, it is perpetually shrouded in storms, and the sea surface is turbulent.
On the dark, churning sea, a Steam-powered vessel with a metallic sheen broke through the violently surging waves, appearing in the sight of everyone at the port.
This was a ship made entirely of Steel, measuring two hundred meters from bow to stern. Both sides were equipped with large-caliber cannons, and on the deck, there was a main cannon carved with numerous strange symbols. This main cannon was even larger and more imposing than the Purification cannon on the Golden Dream.
On both sides of the bright yellow hull, there was a triangular holy emblem filled with symbols of Steam, gears, and levers, and an emblem composed of a bow and sword burning with flames. They represented the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery and the Intis Military, respectively.
At the Oleston Port dock, Ethan, dressed in a black wizard's robe, stood side by side with Phoenix Aigels. He watched the distant sea with a solemn expression, his face somewhat pale.
In his eyes, purple light faintly flowed, weaving together peculiar symbols.
His throat bobbed twice as he muttered a spell and casually scattered a handful of colored powder.
The powder scattered to the ground, forming a vivid, colored painting, which was the scene on the distant sea, only clearer and more detailed.
With the appearance of the first ship, one vessel after another subsequently broke through the waves, appearing in sight, like giant Steel monsters, extremely imposing.
Phoenix looked at the contents of the colored painting, let out a long sigh, and turned to Ethan, asking with some anticipation,
"Is it true that none of the Princes are coming here?"
Ethan smiled bitterly and shook his head:
"Miss Glenn is holding the rear, and President Komir is in the Northern State, but there is also one of the Ten Pillars here who wields a holy artifact."
"I don't think one holy artifact can withstand those cannons. The Church of the God of Steam and Machinery has no shortage of such consumable mystical items and ammunition. They could drown Oleston Port with just bullets."
Phoenix looked at the increasing number of Steel warships on the distant sea, his expression not very good.
Beside him, a faint blue "door" appeared out of thin air. Edwina, wearing a beige jacket cinched at the waist, a dark knee-length skirt, and dark brown leather boots, walked out from the other side of the "door."
Behind her followed Orpheus, the second mate of the Golden Dream, and Daniels, the boatswain, and Danitz, as well as Anderson, who had recently been staying on the ship.
Anderson gazed at the increasingly clear Steel warships on the distant sea, letting out a somewhat exaggerated gasp, then looked at Phoenix and Ethan beside him, wiggling his finger:
"Just bullets wouldn't be enough, but if you add those cannonballs with Beyonder effects, as long as there's enough quantity, they could even shatter a Silver Knight's protective barrier."
Danitz looked at the Steel warships, like monsters, on the colored painting created by Ethan's spell, and couldn't help but exclaim,
"Shit, good thing we didn't bring the Golden Dream over, or I might have been out of a job."
"Corpses don't get unemployed. No, if you were on the ship, you wouldn't even leave a corpse behind." Anderson casually mocked Danitz.
"Shit." Danitz glared at Anderson. He had no good feelings for this person who had recently been constantly staying on the Golden Dream. The other party spent more time in the captain's cabin in one day than he did in a week.
"The true main force has arrived." Edwina looked up at the sky above the dock, her eyes light blue, and said in a very calm tone.