The Shadow of an Era

In the cold, lifeless universe, the Star Palace floats in the cracks of the world.

Apophis looked down upon the Mortal World from the ruined bridgehead of the Starry Firmament Bridge.

He had been gazing at the planet, composed of returning winds, changing waters, solid earth, and a core of fire, as if still mourning the passing of Phaethon.

Behind him, the God of the Star Palace stood silently, gazing at the departing figure of the Star of Divine Destruction.

I object!

A God of the Star Palace roared, "To set off for the Mortal World now, without an army to accompany us, without the Starry Firmament Bridge to provide support, and without the Purge Agreement, is nothing but suicide!"

Apophis slowly opened his eyes.

He turned around, his eyes blazing with fury, and said in a deep voice, "That's right, I'm sending you to your deaths."

This response was completely unexpected by the gods.

The God of the Star Palace who asked the question suppressed his anger, knowing there must be a reason.

He said coldly, "Explain."

"I command you to descend to the Mortal World in the time to come and bring calamity upon Mortal World once more."

"Go and call upon and guide our servants hidden in the Mortal World to ignite the flames of war across the land."

"Go and unseal and release the beggars of our generous forgiveness, so that they may keep their promises."

"Use every cruel and despicable means you can think of to make the Mortal World cry out in agony."

Every word Apophis uttered resonated with the star rings behind him, their flames of destruction blazing and flickering, revealing the Destroyer's coldness and cruelty... and not just towards his enemies.

What is the point of all this?

The handsome deity who posed the question was Adonis, Song of Springtime, Silver Star Lotus. He retorted without hesitation, "Your planned attacks have all ended in failure. Phaethon, Bennu, Helis, Lahma... names that once resounded throughout the stars have fallen one after another, fallen in this mortal war!"

"With the Starry Firmament Bridge broken, our greatest advantage cannot be utilized. We should be repairing the Starry Firmament Bridge as quickly as possible and launching a full-scale attack, but instead you keep launching offensives, sending noble gods down to the Mortal World to die--"

"Why is all this happening?"

Hearing his colleagues question him, which was a complete defiance of authority, Apophis should have been furious... but he was surprisingly calm, turned to face the God of the Star Palace, and spoke calmly.

"There's only one reason," he said, "There are Fire Thief down below."

Upon hearing this, the gods' expressions changed immediately, and a commotion arose.

Although Lahma had brought this news before his death, most of the God of the Star Palace regarded it as a pointless rumor. But now, Apophis had actually said it himself...

"You're insane!"

Another God of the Star Palace, Meixierde, rebuked, "You and I both know that there will be no more Fire Thief in the Mortal World Star Palace, otherwise it would be your place to issue commands! Fire Thief born alongside gods, and the birth of each Fire Thief signifies the imminent start of the harvest—this is the law of the universe. Tell me, now that new Fire Thief have been born in the Mortal World, where is their master?"

"The Fire Thief below is named Kang De."

Apophis looked at him and said calmly, "He comes from another world."

The deity instinctively wanted to retort, but the next moment, he opened his mouth wide, unable to utter a sound.

Silence spread like magic.

This news was like a bomb, causing these so-called gods, whose hearts had become numb and indifferent over the years, to be shaken, their souls to tremble, and a tremendous roar to rise in their spiritual sea.

I want to refute that.

Those who want to question it.

I wanted to scream.

I want to cheer.

All the sounds he wanted to make were stuck in his throat, and his face slowly changed from astonishment to ecstasy.

So much so that it eventually led to... frenzy and excitement.

Meixierde said in a trembling voice, "You... no, please explain in more detail!"

Apophis's expression remained calm throughout.

He calmly explained... Let's start from the beginning.

"Do you remember the prophecy Asa made for Lahma?"

"He stood out long ago, was chosen by the pioneers, and was allowed to enter the Land of the End ahead of time to observe, ultimately comprehending the Divine Power of Illusory Mist... This is against the rules. Many of you are dissatisfied. At that time, Asa had not yet been killed by the Netherworld creatures, so in order to appease the masses, he made a prophecy for Lahma."

"They said he would make an even greater contribution with a great sacrifice."

"You'll find out what happens next."

"Strange things have been happening one after another in the Mortal World realm. I sent Lahma down to investigate. On the Broken Isles, which guards the gate to Yilan-Tai'er, he encountered an unprecedentedly powerful enemy and was directly hit by a Radiance Emission."

"The Doomsday Clock was activated, and we initiated the Extinction Protocol, simultaneously rescuing Lahma and preparing for the apocalypse... Then, a Radiant Spear, with power far exceeding that of previous eras, surged upstream along the Starry Firmament Bridge, not only burning Lahma to death but also costing Hermes life. The Starry Firmament Bridge was shattered, not to mention the annihilation of several legions, even a piece of the Star Ring was damaged, and the Extermination Mechanism was almost completely shut down. The losses were undeniably devastating."

"Ever since that inexplicable defeat, I've been thinking about two things."

"First, what happened in the Mortal World that led to such a defying-the-logic breakthrough in warfare technology?"

"And the second thing is a hundred times more important than the first."

That is...

Apophis's tone was chilling. "Lahma's 'sacrifice' resulted in the destruction of the Starry Firmament Bridge, the loss of Hermes, the annihilation of several legions, and the near destruction of the Star Palace —what kind of great contribution is that?"

"And as you all know, Asa's prophetic abilities originated from the Land of the End, were blessed by his master, and he also seized a fragment of Akatum's time; there is absolutely no possibility of any error."

"I was very curious and kept thinking about what Lahma had contributed during those days."

"It wasn't until these last few days that I fully understood what this contribution was; it truly was a great contribution... but the results of this contribution had already become apparent in those few days."

He paused for a moment, noticing the God of the Star Palace's intense gazes, but they only listened without speaking, none of them bothering to ask "what the results were," which made him slightly annoyed.

Keeping this secret alone is too painful.

But...

He looked into those pairs of eyes, trying his best to suppress his excitement and speak in the calmest tone.

"A few days after Lahma's death... I received a message from my master."

As expected, the God of the Star Palace were all in an uproar.

Among them, a few already knew the contents of the master's oracle. After all, the selection of Bennu and Phaethon to descend to the mortal realm was done by drawing lots... naturally, the lots had to be drawn from the most loyal, steadfast, and capable.

At the time, although they were excited, they failed to connect the prophecy about Lahma.

The vast majority of the God of the Star Palace are now dancing with wild joy, almost weeping.

The master's decree... the master's decree!

The supreme ruler who governs, guides, teaches, leads, and protects them is returning!

"The master said..."

All noise vanished, leaving only boundless emptiness in the vast universe.

The Star of Divine Destruction spoke slowly and deliberately, "Mortal World, enemy, stop, Kang De."

The meaning of these four words is self-evident.

"I can only hear my master's commands unilaterally. I can only sense that my master is still very weak, very far away from us, as if he has just been awakened..."

A God of the Star Palace murmured, "Could it be Lahma? But how could it awaken its master when it died right before our eyes? This seems illogical..."

Apophis ignored him and continued, "Since it is my master's decree, I will obey. Phaethon and Bennu were sent down to the mortal realm for the same reason."

Then the God of the Star Palace said sadly, "They are all dead."

"Bennu was ordered to investigate the western continent, Phaethon was ordered to investigate the eastern continent. I had them search for the whereabouts of a Cathayan named Kang De... Unfortunately, after Asa's death, the capriciousness of fate is beyond our comprehension."

"Who would have thought that Kang De, whose name clearly sounds like that of Cathayan, and who was indeed Cathayan, was already active in the Western Continent and had already established a considerable base of influence."

Apophis sighed as he finished speaking.

The Star of Enlightenment, the Eye of Foretelling, the All-Seer Asa, his death is a significant loss in the long history of the Star Palace, and it is also bizarre, even terrifying.

The cause of his death has always been a mystery, because for thousands of years he has been under strict protection, never set foot on the battlefield, and tried his best to conceal his own information. Even if the Fire Thief used their Extraction and devouring abilities, they would not know the information about this god of prophecy, let alone make a plan to kill him.

Moreover, he possessed three major time-related abilities: the blessing of his master, fragments of the Dragon God, and the power of the end. He could almost perceive the most subtle changes in the river of time. Such a powerful god of time could not foresee his own death and was inexplicably killed on an ordinary day!

Asa's death not only brought significant tactical and strategic losses to the Star Palace, but also had a far-reaching impact. At least, the God of the Star Palace always felt regret and resentment whenever they thought of it.

--If Asa hadn't died unexpectedly in battle, how could the master have disappeared without a trace, leaving no clue to the extent that even the Star Palace couldn't detect anything beforehand!

Burying this poisonous regret and hatred deep within his heart, Apophis continued speaking.

"I ordered Bennu to deal with Yilan-Tai'er's mess first, but after he descended to the mortal realm, he was targeted by Kang De. Like you and me, he refused to believe that Fire Thief had reappeared in the Mortal World. As you can imagine, he was caught off guard and attacked by Fire Thief. His fate was predictable."

"He must have discovered the secret of the Fire Thief before he died, but unfortunately he didn't have the chance to spread it."

Then a God of the Star Palace said, "Is Kang De the Fire Thief?"

"Yes, Kang De, whom the master specifically mentioned, is both the Fire Thief and the rebel who slaughtered our people, destroyed the Starry Firmament Bridge, and defied the Star Palace..."

Apophis's tone became erratic.

He thought of Phaethon.

"Upon learning of Bennu's death, Phaethon traveled to the Western Continent. Instead of confronting the Fire Thief directly, he sought out the leader of the Arcane Council, hoping to use this as a starting point to influence the Mortal World realm and create an opportunity... He succeeded; in a battle following a coup, he faced the Fire Thief head-on."

"They completely ascertained the other party's identity."

"And from the weapons, ideas, strength, and morality they displayed... we deduced that they came from another world."

The Star of Divine Destruction's gaze swept back and forth, flashing with a sinister yet excited light.

"Condition one: The Fire Thief is born in the company of a god."

"Condition two: Our god is no longer in this world."

Conclusion one: It is impossible for Fire Thief to exist in the Mortal World.

"Condition three: Kang De demonstrated all the power and qualities of Fire Thief."

"Condition four: Kang De is extremely likely from another world."

"You..." he said quietly, "What conclusions will you draw?"

After an eerie silence, fierce roars rose and fell.

"Marching out!"

"Conquer!"

"A gift!"

Welcome back!

Numb and cold souls become fiery, and perhaps only their master can awaken souls that have been withered and lifeless for thousands of years from the stillness of the earth.

Apophis simply gazed at those fervent, joyful, excited, and frenzied eyes.

He said calmly, "Phaethon died for this."

The Star of Divine Destruction gazed upon every face until the last God of the Star Palace returned to calm from his euphoria.

Then he said, "Pay homage to him, remember him, and recite his name."

The gods of the Star Palace did as instructed.

"After deducing this clue, I discussed it with Phaethon for a long time and finally came up with a plan."

"Because of our incompetence, the Starry Firmament Bridge was destroyed, preventing us from overwhelming the world with our army, destroying the Mortal World, capturing Kang De, or extracting the coordinates and location of that world."

"If this news were to leak even slightly, and Kang De were to flee and abandon the Mortal World, we too would be filled with lifelong regret... Fate is unknowable, and the most unknowable fate is enough to fill us with dread."

"We don't even know the details of that world—if a visitor from another world can put us in such a passive position, just how powerful must his Civilization be?"

"So..."

He sighed. "Great sacrifices are required."

"Use Griffin as bait, use our Infinite Wisdom Codex as bait, use unprecedented victory and the opportunity to integrate the Mortal World as bait... devise a perfect scenario."

"To prevent Kang De from suspecting anything, and to appropriately distract him, keeping him naturally busy so he has no time to think about potential oversights in the details—on this basis, let Phaethon die at Kang De's hands."

"One must burn oneself out completely, and not allow the power of the Fire Thief to Extraction or leak one's memories."

"The goal is to create a sudden, difficult-to-handle situation so that Kang De can choose a more convenient place to deal with it."

"This plan is fraught with countless potential pitfalls. If any one aspect goes wrong, the entire plan will fail, and Phaethon's death will have been in vain... I'm prepared that if he fails, it will be your turn, one by one, to ultimately achieve our goal."

"--The Homecoming Beacon will be marked in that world."

Apophis said softly, "He succeeded. I will let my master know that he is braver than anyone else."

In a solemn silence, Meixierde said in a deep voice, "We must not fail in this sacrifice... Now that the beacon has been erected, may we consider the expedition?"

Apophis lowered his eyes. "No."

Please explain.

"I know you are eager to curry favor with your master, but the success achieved through the burning sacrifices of Phaethon cannot be used lightly."

Divine Destruction Star resolutely stated, "In my perception, the power fluctuations from Phaethon's burning soul did not appear in the Mortal World, meaning he successfully completed the imprinting in the other world."

"A complete Homecoming Beacon will not only irradiate the target planet and show its owner the way home, but will also provide its owner with ample energy."

"It can serve as the starting energy in the worst-case scenario, enabling the master to begin reviving, and it can also allow the master to communicate with us more clearly and smoothly... At that time, whether it is to guard this place, annihilate the Fire Thief, or launch an expedition to welcome the divine arrival, we will obey its command."

The void trembled, and a soul spoke, "And now?"

"Now, we wait, and as I said, we begin the next phase of the operation against the Mortal World."

With a flick of his finger, the Star of Divine Destruction caused countless points of light in the void to converge and solidify into a lifelike planet.

"In the period before Phaethon died, he and I went through the process of planning and discussing the three phases of this plan, making a meticulous plan. The preparations before the plan were perfect, and the execution of the plan was also perfect."

"And the cover provided after the plan must be completed 100%."

He pointed to the planet, then turned and said, "To stir up trouble in the Mortal World, targeting the Fire Thief... to keep them on their way, preventing them from turning their attention back to their homeland... at least to tie down the vast majority of them."

"I see."

The gods of the Star Palace have obtained the answer they sought.

Are we going down to the mortal realm now?

"No."

Apophis softened his voice. "Phaethon has uncovered enough useful information... To divert Kang De's attention, we must either attack where he must defend, or firmly draw upon his boundless hatred."

"And I have gained considerable experience in these two areas."

His gaze fell into the void, focusing on a single point in the planet's projection; the image magnified, magnified.

On the snowy plains of the north, someone is trudging along with difficulty.

"This ant is the obsession of the Fire Thief, and also the seed left behind by Phaethon."

"Let's start with him..."

Meanwhile, on Earth.

Amerikkka, the White House.

Oval Office.

The president of the world's most powerful nation is pointing his finger and speaking clearly into the phone.

"NO," he said. "I'll say it again, NO. Whatever you find, stay away from DC. I don't want to see it, and I won't visit it."

"Send it where it belongs, and then find some scientists and staff with safety awareness and ethical standards to study it. Remember to keep it confidential, remember to be safe, and remember to be careful."

"Don't mess everything up like those bastards in Hollywood movies, because I assure you, if anything goes wrong, we'll clean up the mess with shootings, suicides, and nuclear bombs, just like those bastards in Hollywood, and we'll never acknowledge your identities or provide compensation."

"Listen, I don't know if this thing came from outer space or just appeared out of nowhere. I'm even a little regretful and nervous. Maybe we can use it to talk to Kang De and get something more useful in return..."

"Okay, okay, I won't tell anyone, but I'll repeat it again, be careful, be very careful, don't mess it up. Don't attract alien killing robots, don't attract alien genocide lunatics in bodysuits, don't release the strange virus that can turn people into zombies."

"Make sure every security check is thorough, do it every day, don't make those Hollywood idiot mistakes. If you're transporting samples or anything like that, use a helicopter escort, don't fucking crash it... Oh, damn Zefak, I'm getting more and more uneasy, maybe we should really contact Kang De?"

"Shit, I'm going to cut your budget for next year..."

Hearing the busy tone on the phone, A Chuan threw the receiver on the table and looked around blankly.

"Damn it, what am I afraid of? Kang De?"

He casually loosened his collar, frowned, and pondered, "Should I do something?"

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PS1: I had insomnia the night I ejaculated. I slept for four hours, then endured it like an idiot for six or seven hours. I couldn't resist going back to sleep and slept for over ten hours straight. When I woke up, I had a fever... Unbelievable. Okay, I'm going back to sleep now. I still need 5,000 words to update. I'll try my best to adjust and finish it.