met free Page 172
Page 172
[You find the Titan's image somewhat comical, so you tighten your face and start thinking that you must set the record straight and not let the Titan remain just an urban legend among ordinary people. A Titan's life matters too!]
[While you were pondering, Mitu had already led you to the prayer altar. You looked up at the classical statue of the goddess, whose face was not sculpted, and sat down on the bench, waiting for Mitu to proceed to the next step.]
The magical network began to form around Mitu. In your perception, the solid, almost tangible network stretched from before you straight to the heavens, seemingly piercing through the starry sky. After a moment's wait, Mitu spoke in a deep voice, "A divine oracle is about to descend."
You are sitting upright when suddenly you see the sacred book on the prayer table move without wind, and a line of ancient language appears on a new page.
"Latis, you have rendered meritorious service in protecting and expanding the Magic Network. Although you have engaged in several acts of polluting the Magic Network, the overall harm caused is minor. You are hereby granted the rites of a priest of the Church."
[As Mito relayed the divine oracle, you felt a surge of magical energy flow into your body. You moved your fingers and were surprised to find that you seemed to have gained a certain degree of control over the magical energy.]
After waiting for a while, Mitu solemnly closed the sacred book and then offered a deep bow to the statue of the goddess.
Afterwards, she led you to sit on the edge of the floating island, swinging her legs as she casually said:
"The goddess's oracle has always been this simple, yet the miracles are unmistakable. Lord Latis, you will gain much after being granted the priesthood, but you need not worry about any accompanying responsibilities. The goddess does not discipline us believers. You see, since returning, I have gradually become more lax."
"Keep it simple. If I were to actually talk to the goddess in person, it might trigger the simulated time-space flow again..."
You felt a surge of relief, then looked at Mitu, who was lying on her back on the ground. She was squinting at the sky with a relaxed expression. You shook your head, then lay down on the ground like her, silently reciting:
"This is the first time I've seen this old flame so relaxed. It seems the environment of the Goddess Church is quite nurturing. Although worldly affairs are constantly being reported to them through the cyber police, requiring their handling, staying here for a long time seems to make one's mindset more peaceful... It's a bit like how she looks after completing her journey to the West and receiving her official rank..."
You chuckled softly and closed your eyes.
The followers of the Goddess Church quickly returned to their usual routines. You temporarily refrained from handling affairs, focusing instead on studying the various functions of the priesthood.
[First, there's the increase in your affinity and mastery of magic elements that you felt from the very beginning. Even now that you've advanced to Legendary, this ability is still very useful to you.]
Secondly, you have gained a slight ability to manipulate the magic network. This ability is not the kind of attack that the cyber police use, but rather the ability to truly influence the nearby magic network. However, whether to use it for attack or to disrupt the magic elements depends on your own research.
Third, you have gained a sliver of the ability to quickly construct a magic network. In areas without a magic network, you can rapidly assimilate nearby magic elements to build one. The specific speed depends on your mage level; at its fastest, it can be even faster than all three schools' magical creations combined.
[Of course, there are other minor functions, such as slightly detecting recent changes in magic essence, but they aren't very useful, so you didn't pay much attention to them.]
[And what Mito said about "goddesses generally appointing those below the legendary level as cyber police" becomes your first task: to hand over the key given to you by the goddess and resign from your cyber police duties. However, this is not mandatory; you only need to do so before returning to the mortal world.]
[You were initially surprised. Did everyone else willingly give up such powerful cyber police abilities after returning to the Church of Goddess?]
However, you quickly realized that for them, being a cyber police officer is a responsibility, a job. Their beliefs drive them to constantly follow the instructions of the "magic network," which is exhausting.
[But you only took advantage of the cyber police's superiority, so you don't have any memories of hardship or toil from it.]
[After thinking it over, you realized there wasn't a specific use for your cyber police skills in this simulation, so you simply extracted the key and placed it in the box in front of the prayer table.]
A fluctuation of magical energy swept in, then hesitated before departing. You glanced at the key, still inside the box, scratched your head, and suddenly remembered that the goddess seemed unable to sense your key.
"Damn, did the goddess spend ages searching through the magic network after returning only to find the key that was supposed to be handed in..." you couldn't help but complain. "I really was going to hand it in, you know? It's not that I didn't hand it in, it's that you just didn't find it..."
You retrieved the key and spent several days in fear at the Goddess's Church, terrified that the goddess might unleash divine punishment upon you. However, the goddess seemed unconcerned, and over time, you relaxed.
One day, feeling you've had enough rest, you suddenly become curious about the affairs of the believers. With their enthusiastic welcome, you participate in handling worldly matters.
This involvement lasted a full five years.
Chapter 190 The Magic Network Landing Campaign
On this day, dressed in priest's robes, you stood at the edge of the floating island, looking at the broken stone pavement, and sighed.
A colorful, unidentified bird landed on your shoulder, but you ignored it until it lightly pecked at your head. Annoyed, you waved your hand and complained, "Can't you see I'm thinking? Stop stepping on me all the time. I'm not a perch..."
As you watch the colorful bird fly away, thoughts begin to surface about the changes the world has undergone over the past five years.
The primary issue was the turmoil within the United Nations of Janium. The unexpected death of King Runetic II triggered a chain reaction throughout Janium. Faced with the approaching Mage Norard, the so-called gods even engaged in a civil war, vying for the position of supreme ruler, disregarding even national security.
The civil war has even drawn the traditionally neutral Adventurers' Guild into the fray. More and more civilians are joining the guild seeking protection or learning self-defense skills. This shift in power has allowed the Adventurers' Guild to rival numerous forces backed by divine intervention.
However, just when the Anium thought this period of constant warfare would continue for several years, Norard's magical artifact creation level quietly experienced a significant leap forward. It turned out that the addition of Yashutia and the robin directly accelerated the academy's research progress, thus making the establishment of magic network nodes much simpler.
With your return and the help of the new creations, the mages infiltrated Anium in small groups to establish nodes. By the time the gods of Anium realized what was happening, the magical network had already been erected at the gates of the capital, Vitaly.
There was no dramatic war, nor any anticipated resistance. The ecosystem of Janium vanished silently before the magic network, like snow melted by a spring breeze.
You were surprised that the Anium people accepted the Magic Network so quickly, and even the professionals didn't raise any significant objections. However, you soon realized that with the arrival of the Magic Network, the gods had vanished without a trace, and the professionals alone couldn't make much of a difference.
Meanwhile, the mages of Norard had already withdrawn beyond the border, pretending nothing had happened. You couldn't help but find it rather amusing that Zerris was truly despicable; although there hadn't been any armed conflict, this was no less than a direct flood inundating seven armies.
[You had intended to observe what clashes and frictions the Magic Network would cause in Yanium, but soon you heard that the two countries that had reached a peace agreement had begun exchanging ideas, and to commemorate you, the pioneer who broke the old order, they began building monuments in the places where you had adventured.]
You were initially curious about what they would build, but when you saw one of the "airship monuments" under construction—a monument to an airship crashing into the Twin Towers—you were horrified. Damn it, this kind of memorial is way too much like a war criminal memorial!
[As expected, Janium was not a place to linger, so you quickly fled the country. Before leaving, you curiously met with Janium's new cyber police officer, wanting to tell him how to write the document submitted to the Church of the Goddess.]
[You'll be surprised to find that the first cyber police officer in the Yanium region is none other than Big-Eared Tutu, Tusda!]
He wasn't surprised to see you; in fact, he seemed somewhat reverent. During their conversation, he took out the Demon-Gathering Tower you had previously sculpted from clay, telling you that it was this sacred object that allowed him to hear the wondrous power of the Demonic Network, thus enabling him to become a cyber police officer.
[Tusda's attitude towards accepting commissions from the Adventurers' Guild instead of the Goddess was remarkably calm; perhaps that's just how adventurers are! You couldn't help but think of the Adventurers' Guild, which had perfectly accepted its current situation and even begun to learn magic, and couldn't help but admire this mindset of adventurers.]
Over the past five years, Lundia has prospered, with the number of students at the three schools increasing to the point that branch campuses have been opened in other territories. When you first heard that Yashutia and Robin had become lecturers at Bogu Academy, you found it somewhat unbelievable, but as news of their project's groundbreaking progress spread, you gradually felt reassured.
[Lives has been born, and she still possesses that magical genius physique, far surpassing you in ability. However, given her young age, you haven't been in a rush to teach her magic. Instead, you've gathered the girls together and taken your young daughter on a trip for about half a year.]
[However, perhaps your control over magic essence is too strong. You always feel that Livs has a sour face when you carry her. It can't be that your child-carrying technique is wrong, right? This brat must be jealous of your magical power!]
[After receiving her baptism as a young dragon in Dragon Valley, Setis is now able to transform into human form. She's very attached to you, constantly clamoring to return to Lundia from the valley. But you're worried about her lack of strength and potential danger, so you have her bring the lazy Serfal along each time. Setis, who knows the way, and the powerful Serfal traveling together puts your mind at ease... It's definitely not because she wants to ride a dragon, absolutely not!]
However, after spending a long time at the Church of the Goddess, you might occasionally feel that things outside are too rushed. Time here seems to fly by in the blink of an eye, and before you know it, it has already slipped away silently.
[On a warm spring day, the wise man Salk of Andora passed away. You attended his funeral with the catgirl Mianmisi, who was already a mid-level mage.]
Contrary to your expectations of a large, well-attended funeral, Salk's funeral was attended only by the children he had once cared for. There were no travelers or tourists, or rather, few people knew that the now bustling "Latis Greenhouse" was built by him, and few knew that before the arrival of the magical network node, he had served as a mobile terminal for the network, protecting this nation, which was essentially a tribe.
Looking at the scars on Salk's body from fighting monsters, you suddenly remembered his words, "I could easily smash those monsters to pieces," and couldn't help but chuckle. Traveling across the icy plains is never that easy; Salk truly is a man of unwavering determination.
[You, along with those children who had also endured hardship, cremated Salk and buried him in the earth at a frozen oasis on the icy plains. Witnessing the wise man's aging body gradually dissipate in the flames, you seemed to witness, in a daze, that his journey across the icy plains was also gradually buried in history.]
"Was your journey... a satisfying one?" you couldn't help but ask, looking at the urn being buried.
No one answered you, just as no one knew of his achievements. You looked around at the icy plains, so similar to before yet completely different. The sparse magical energy stirred up their memories in your senses, and you knew then that Salk's journey had been one without regrets.
The children hold a magic key—a relic of Salk—and hand it to you. They tell you it's Salk's last wish: to keep the key safe or give it to the goddess, but never to attempt to synchronize with it yourself.
You accepted the key, sighed, and sincerely bowed to Salk's tombstone. Although you weren't very familiar with him, he had earned your respect.
[After much hesitation, Mianmi Silk finally decided to bid you farewell and return to the Ice Plains. She will inherit the will of the wise man and walk across the Ice Plains. Although the Ice Plains are no longer as dangerous as before, this does not mean that the Andora people can give up their training and entrust everything to magic.]
She didn't know what she was going to do—whether it was to train the team or explore the remote, icy plains—but she wasn't discouraged. Instead, she put her hands on her hips and laughed, saying, "Teacher, if I knew what I wanted to do, I would have become a sage long ago, meow! Don't worry, I'll send you beacons like crazy when we encounter monsters we can't beat, meow!"
[Mianmi Silk embarked on her own journey, just as the previous saying goes, there will always be someone on an adventurous path. Hopefully, her journey will be a satisfying one.]
You returned to the Church of the Goddess and resumed your own spiritual practice.
Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye. In the first few years, your child with Arte was born. Perhaps because of the age difference, Lavras and Livras are no longer so hostile, but have become closer. However, looking at Livras, who still can't shake her mischievous nature, you still feel a little uneasy. In the previous simulation, their fight even collapsed the snow-capped mountains of Andora. This time they're not fighting, but their combined fighting power seems even greater...
[After having a child, the half-elf seemed to be in much better condition, perhaps because she had passed on her bloodline power to Raphtalia. But seeing Arte's smile, you couldn't help but smile too.]
[I heard Jennifer recently succeeded to the position of Pope and began to lead the entire Church of Light. Upon hearing this news, you gasped in shock and frantically called her in the middle of the night to ask what was going on. Jennifer chuckled on the other end of the beacon and told you that the Pope was too old and spent all his time playing "Last Night's Round Cart." She, Jennifer, was now going to overthrow the established order!]
Okay, you can only use the opportunity of visiting her (in a suggestive way) to remind her not to always try to stir up any big news. These days, the goddess has all the know-how, and who knows what might happen.
[You're not exaggerating. Just a few years ago, the followers of the Goddess Church received a report that a forum beacon was extremely harmful, causing serious pollution to the Magic Network environment. You observed it and discovered that it was the very forum beacon where your fellow readers had gathered before. Now, the followers have finally found its address.]
It's funny, actually. Your readers dug up your past... no, your past of prostitution. After the initial shock, they actually liked your risqué and abstract style even more, and even named this forum beacon "Hand of the Mage".
[More than a decade has passed, and the daily active users of "Hand of the Mage" forum have not only not decreased, but have actually increased. You, who have stopped writing, are no longer on the Magic Network, but your legend is everywhere on the Magic Network. Is this what a legendary fiction writer is like? Terrifying!]
However, after a period of discussion, the Church of the Goddess ultimately decided to destroy the forum beacon.
[You wanted to stop them, but by now you'd been exonerated. You were no longer a pseudonym, but a pioneer in internet cleanup. You lamented your tragic fate of becoming one of the "Third Young Masters" and began to observe as they destroyed the beacon.]
[As you know from the "Monster Hunter Forum," after obtaining the beacon address, you can log in by sending a soul link through your consciousness. But how do you destroy a beacon? The forum beacon is located in the distant starry sky; magic can't reach that far!]
[However, you soon learn from the chanting of the believers that after connecting their consciousness to the beacon, they can lock onto it with a magical net. Then, as if praying to a divine oracle, they inquire about a miracle from the goddess, using the soaring magical net to instantly destroy it.]
[As you sense the magical network surging within your followers, you are suddenly surprised to discover that you can also use the magical network to provide a kind of virtual address cover for the beacon. In other words, you can redirect their magical network lock to another location!]
A slight thought crossed your mind, but you didn't act rashly, because this function should only be effective in reality.
[And so, under your watchful eyes, "Hand of the Mage" forum collapsed! Tens of thousands of poor readers lost their spiritual nourishment today! Without "Hand of the Mage," where will they get the bitter nutrients they lack every day?]
This incident caused a huge uproar on the internet. You find it strange, since many beacons have been shut down by the cyber police before, and "Hand of the Mage" is not unusual. Why has it sparked such a widespread discussion?
[But you didn't take it seriously, because the floating island news suddenly reported that the dwarf kingdom had reappeared!]
[It is said that a traveler named Gan Gan raised the dwarf kingdom from the ground. The ancient dwarf kingdom, carrying four huge floating islands pieced together, rose directly to the top position among the floating island families, which is nothing short of an astonishing miracle.]
Just as you were about to cheer for the Dwarf King and Gangan, Jennifer told you that Gangan had gone to Lundia to settle in your mage territory. As for why… she waited for months on the dwarf floating island, but the dwarves from the mainland never moved there. When she went down, she found out that the dwarves had absolutely no intention of moving and were all staying at home!
Gan Gan couldn't hold back any longer. Having been away for many years, she felt it was time to settle down somewhere, so she returned to Lundia.
[“…” You felt the dwarves were beyond saving. Imagining the dwarf king, now all alone on the floating island, you almost laughed, but it was too unlucky. Thankfully, you managed to hold back.]
Time slipped away without you even noticing. You listened to news from your daughters, occasionally visited your wives, and another ten years passed in this peaceful life.
[Over the past ten years, although you appeared to be practicing asceticism and celibacy at the Goddess Church, you took advantage of your numerous trips away from the floating islands to wreak havoc on Yashutia, Robin, and Silvershur. Even Going, who was running the Warrior Academy, couldn't escape your clutches. And during a joint expedition to the mortal world, you even took advantage of your old colleague, Mitu.]
Although your daughters were exasperated with you, they still fought their way to the floating island, helped the Dwarf King drive away his clans that were attacking him, and incidentally drove the Dwarf King away as well.
Of course, the real reason was that the Dwarf King no longer wanted to stay alone in this desolate palace. He resolutely decided to return to the ground and start over, so he gave this floating island to the son of his old friend.
[At Jennifer's urging, Hines City merged with Titania City, founded by your daughters. As the girls grew older and their career ambitions faded, they all moved to the floating islands. Now you can enjoy family bliss even more. Not only do you have a stable job where you can slack off every day, but you also live close to your workplace. Every day after work, you can jump right into your own 100-meter-long bed.]
Just when you thought your happy life would continue peacefully, the Floating Island News brought you shocking news.
Queen Whiteley of the Kingdom of Norard, in this era when the magic network is at its zenith, has waged war against the Goddess of Magic.
Chapter 191 Your Majesty, you didn't want this either...
[In later history, this war without gunfire became known as the "Magic Network Landing Campaign," which lasted for decades until one day, the Magic Network ceased to emit its unsettling echoes... However, who the final victor was remains unknown.]
At this moment, you are looking at the travel-worn Slink in astonishment. After bowing to you, she glances around the brand-new city of Titania, sighs, and says:
"In the end, I still didn't win. No, everyone lost to her, even the goddess..."
[Through her narration, you glimpse a side of Queen Whiteley that you have never known before.]
[Chandria Whiteley, age unknown, already had several princesses and princes before she ascended the throne, but no one knows who their biological fathers are. Legend has it that the beautiful queen would occasionally invite men she fancied to the palace for a pleasant evening.]
Although the origin of this rumor is unknown, it does not diminish the mysterious and alluring veil that shrouds the Queen's powerful and enigmatic image in the eyes of the Norard mages. Even in a wild and untamed land like Dragonhorn Territory, bards sing in taverns, "In a faraway place, there is a maiden named Cindyia..."
The Queen encouraged the princesses and princes to build their own power bases and hone their skills. However, in the end, Slinger discovered that this was merely a small price the Queen was paying to reshuffle the power structure of the capital.
Long before Tina's family fell apart, Slinka sensed an invisible hand preventing her from taking over the vacated ecological niche. At the time, she assumed it was her older siblings and didn't think much of it.