In the New Calendar, the Red Emperor fell into a deep sleep in space.
It was late autumn in Atlant at this time, and the maple forests of the Red Emperor Royal City had turned fiery red overnight. Looking out from the city walls, the entire foothills looked like a frozen river.
People were enjoying the late autumn scenery as usual.
Everything is as usual.
For the people of Sacred Aura, the emperor's slumber is not unusual; he has slumbered before, and each time he awakens, he becomes even more invincible. This has become a predictable pattern.
The empire did not cease to function due to the emperor's absence.
New Calendar 793 AD, Holden officially established the nation.
This nation, which once considered itself the ruler of the sky, has finally regained its national title after many years of falling to earth.
The founding ceremony was held in Cloudrest City.
The Holden people used their proud technology to illuminate the entire city as if it were daytime. Fireworks bloomed in the night sky in beautiful patterns, lasting for a full hour, drawing cheers from the crowd.
The day after the ceremony.
King Holden signed a unification pact with Prince Sorog of Iron Prince in the Dragon Court of Aura Royal City.
The terms of the contract were identical to those of the other Atlant vassal states.
The Holden Kingdom retains autonomy but formally recognizes the suzerain status of Sacred Aura, accepting unified command from the Empire in military, diplomatic, and cross-regional affairs, while enjoying the protection provided by the Empire through Star Network access, Cloud Rail connectivity, and a joint defense system.
For decades thereafter, the Sacred Aura did not expand outwards.
The unification of Atlant needs to be digested, its internal potential has not yet been fully unleashed, and more importantly, it is not advisable to launch a major campaign while the emperor is asleep. This has always been a tradition of the Sacred Aura and a prudent strategy that has been tested many times.
Thus, the empire's power began to extend inward, beyond the city walls, into the undeveloped areas that were once considered barbaric.
The wilderness was tamed piece by piece.
The mages unleashed wide-ranging soil-improving spells, softening and fertilizing the compacted earth; paths were cleared through the dense forest, and towering ancient trees, under the control of nature magic, parted to create straight passages...
Even the most remote mountainous areas now have branch lines of Cloud Rail extending into them.
Aura's engineers erected Star Network relay towers across the wasteland, and the Empire's communication network gradually covered every inch of land incorporated into its territory.
As time passed, the empire's habitable area steadily increased by one percentage point each year, and the population rose accordingly, with new cities appearing on the map one after another.
This was the golden age of Sacred Aura, and also the golden age of Atlant.
The empire thrived in peace and order, becoming more prosperous and powerful every day.
In the year 843 of the New Calendar, Prince Sorog of the Iron Prince entered a deep sleep.
Six years later, in the year 849 of the New Calendar, Princess Samantha of Fire Princess also ventured into the depths of the Dragon Lair.
The dormant periods of these two blood relatives arrived almost simultaneously, with only a few years between them.
They had anticipated this and left behind a detailed agency plan before falling into a deep sleep.
However, it is undeniable that when Sorog's pupils closed, a vacancy appeared in the power center of the Sacred Aura.
In this situation, as before, Gordon took over the helm of the Empire.
As the Steel Prince, his style is completely different from Sorog's.
If Sorog is like a hammer, always striking decisively and without hesitation, never wavering in the face of obstacles, then Gordon is more like a bearing, preferring to find a balance between various interests, maintaining the smoothest operation with minimal friction, allowing power to be transmitted smoothly.
He did a good job, but the empire still encountered some troubles.
However, the problem wasn't with Gordon; he had done everything he could.
The problem is that the Red Emperor's slumber has lasted longer than anyone expected.
More than seventy years have passed since 1970 or 1980.
The emperor still showed no signs of waking up.
Previously, the slumber of this Lord of Aura had lasted at most fifty years, never this long. Many young people were born when the Emperor was already asleep, and they could only see the image of the Red Emperor in books and murals when they grew up.
After 850 New Calendar, the empire's growth began to slow down.
The vigorous upward momentum has hit a ceiling.
This is no one's fault. There is always a limit to the amount of land that can be developed, and technological progress cannot maintain explosive growth forever. Any growth curve will eventually flatten out.
The empire encountered a bottleneck that any unified regime inevitably faces.
A system without external expansion will eventually reach saturation.
Saturation means stagnation, stagnation means friction, and when everyone can no longer easily obtain more, they will start eyeing what others have.
One day, a land dispute arose.
The Lothern Kingdom and the Theo Kingdom have had several small-scale conflicts along their border, triggered by a newly discovered magic crystal vein.
Among the former Romanian States, Lothern was far stronger than Theo. At that time, Lothern was the dominant power in the region, while Theo was just an insignificant ordinary kingdom. But now— Theo is no less powerful than Lothern.
It experienced rapid growth within the framework of Sacred Aura, with significant improvements in industry and military, even surpassing Lothern in strength today.
Both sides claimed mining rights, and the standoff lasted all winter.
Gordon dispatched an arbitration team, and after several rounds of negotiations, they finally finalized the ownership of the mine, awarding it to Lothern, but the mining profits had to be shared with Theo.
This was a compromise, and both parties accepted it.
This is only one of the problems.
Shortly afterward, trade disputes arose.
A price war broke out between Holden's refined metals and the existing metallurgical guilds of the native nations of Atlant, with both sides undercutting each other and causing chaos in the market.
After a two-week-long industry conference held in the Red Emperor Royal City, things stabilized again, and a complete pricing system and distribution plan were finalized.
These are all minor issues.
The most troublesome issue is racial friction.
Sacred Aura is an empire where multiple races coexist. Previously, prejudices between different races gradually faded during periods of prosperity, and everyone cooperated and helped each other.
But when resources are scarce, the problem resurfaces.
Right now, it's just some grumbling and complaints, but this dissatisfaction is like dry kindling; once it accumulates enough, a single spark can ignite it.
Gordon was extremely troubled by this, spending his days running around trying to maintain order and balance.
In New Calendar, earthquakes struck the Atlan Middle-earth with a frequency far exceeding the normal geological activity cycle. The earth trembled violently in the dead of night, waking countless sleeping people.
Immediately afterwards, the rat infestation began to spread and become a disaster.
As if commanded by a unified will, swarms of rats poured out of the cracks in the earth, invading farmland, devouring crops, polluting granaries, and nesting and breeding in the city's sewers.
The Plague spread along with the rat infestation.
The Empire urgently mobilized priests and sorcerers to provide treatment, and epidemic prevention instructions were repeatedly broadcast on the Star Network, but the number of infected people continued to rise, and the shadow of the Plague loomed over the Middle-earth region.
New Calendar 874 AD, the Sacred Aura discovered the source of all this.
A deep underground exploration brought the truth to light.
Deep beneath the Middle-earth, a vast Ratfolk Kingdom thrives in dark, sunless caves.
The ancestors of these Ratfolk were merely ordinary rats corrupted by the Abyss, but through generations of mutation, they have developed a considerable level of civilization.
Or rather, it is a distorted society that uses rampant reproduction and blind expansion as its survival strategy.
Their king is a Ratfolk giant.
Its mind has been corrupted by the residual power of the Abyss, giving it an innate talent for controlling rodents and causing other rodents to mutate rapidly, and it has only one thought in its mind.
They gnawed through the earth, surged onto the surface, and turned Atlant into a pasture for rats.
In the same year, Gordon issued an order to annihilate the enemy, the most decisive military order he ever issued during his tenure.
Claude the Chromium Dragon led an elite force, bursting into the earth through a fissure dug by a swarm of rats.
In less than three days.
They traversed winding underground tunnels, overcame layers upon layers of Ratfolk guards, and reached the heart of the Ratfolk Kingdom.
The Chromium Dragon grinned and smashed the Ratfolk's dream with its three claws. The Ratfolk king was smashed into mincemeat under the Chromium Dragon's sharp claws, and the entire nest collapsed. The remaining Ratfolk scattered and fled.
The rat infestation in the Middle-earth subsided rapidly within a month of the fall of the Ratfolk Kingdom.
In New Calendar AD, the corrupted remnants of the underground Abyss were completely cleaned up.
In the same year, Prince Gordon of Steel Prince issued a far-reaching order.
He commanded the nations to organize their forces to explore and develop the Underworld of Atlant.
The development of the surface has reached its limit, while the underground is a blank space that has not yet been developed. The sparks of conflict were just ignited when they were extinguished by the new resources and space brought about by underground development, and new possibilities were opened up.
As interests resume their flow, friction naturally cools down.
In New Calendar AD, the exploration of the Underworld was basically completed.
Its scale is limited; it is merely a hollow system beneath the crust of the Atlant Continent. Although the channels and cavities are vast, they are still confined within the crust.
But in this dark realm, the pioneers of Aura discovered abundant rare mineral veins and a large amount of magical plant resources that only grow underground. The wealth underground gave the empire a new round of growth momentum.
That same year, the Sacred Aura encountered a familiar being.
Mushroom King.
It once dominated the Ser Wilderness, one of the Regional King, controlling vast areas of the wilderness with its enormous mycelial network, and was one of the most difficult to eradicate of all wilderness life.
When it was eliminated by Theo, it fought against Theo Sword Saint, a level above it, and was openly killed and torn apart.
But in reality, it escaped into an underground fissure and, by a series of coincidences, arrived in the Underworld, where it disappeared without a trace.
Centuries have passed, and it is no longer what it used to be.
The current Mushroom King is Crown Rank life form, ruling over all the Mushroomfolk in the Underworld. It has established a special community linked by a spore network, and a large number of Mushroomfolk thrive and multiply under its nourishment, spreading throughout the Underworld.
In the former wilderness Regional King, this Mushroom King's development was second only to the Molten Iron King.
But compared to the latter, it's still far inferior.
Sacred Aura had no intention of eliminating intelligent life forms that could communicate with each other. The Empire sent envoys to extend an olive branch to this former Regional King of the wilderness.
The negotiations lasted for several months.
Although the Mushroom King still harbors fear of the surface dragons, it is also well aware of the gap between itself and the Sacred Aura.
Subordinating to the empire is far more promising than confronting it.
Ultimately, an agreement was reached between the two sides. With the help of Sacred Aura, the Mushroomfolk Kingdom was officially established and signed an alliance with Sacred Aura, acknowledging Sacred Aura's suzerain status. Diplomatic relations were then established with the Atlan States, and the trade route for underground mines and magical plants was officially opened.
In 931 of the New Calendar, more than 150 years had passed since the Red Emperor fell into slumber.
That year, the slumber of Prince Gordon of Steel Prince finally reached a point where it could no longer be delayed, while the Iron Prince and the Fire Princess remained asleep.
Gordon explained the empire's operational strategy point by point.
Domestically, the established path of underground development will continue without major adjustments; militarily, the existing defense system will be maintained, with corps maintaining rotational vigilance; diplomatically, existing treaties with vassal states will be upheld without change.
The core principle can be summed up in one word: stability!
In short, the strategy was to avoid making major decisions, maintain the status quo, and wait for the prince and the emperor to awaken.
Thus, after Gordon fell into slumber, the Sacred Aura continued to function. The empire's governing system, after hundreds of years of refinement, had become mature and efficient enough that daily administrative affairs could proceed normally without the prince's intervention.
But as Gordon feared, the Empire no longer had a brain capable of making critical decisions.
Without a leader, a group is unable to respond flexibly to unexpected changes.
Sure enough, problems followed one after another.
Ferocious beasts wreak havoc across the land, and the monsters suppressed deep in the wilderness begin to tentatively expand their territories; cults are bewitching people, and various sects promoting doomsday theories and anti- Aura ideology are quietly rising; a few vassal states are breaking the rules, causing friction and testing the empire's bottom line.
The empire's stability has been challenged multiple times.
However, these problems were suppressed thanks to the timely responses of the various lords of Aura and the emperor's henchmen.
They may not have the authority of a prince, but they possess formidable power. Before the Red Emperor, this power might be insignificant, but in Atlant, it is enough to crush most threats.
And so, with the combined support of countless hands, the empire steadfastly maintained its stability.
In the New Calendar year 945, the Iron Prince and the Fire Princess awoke in the same year.
After waking up, Sorog spent less than an hour reviewing all the key business briefings he had accumulated during his slumber.
"Very good."
He said that.
Iron Dragon genuinely thought it was excellent. In his view, Gordon's ability to maintain the empire's smooth operation while the emperor and two blood relatives were both asleep had far exceeded his expectations.
As for those ferocious beasts, cults, and border frictions----
It's just a minor ailment, nothing to worry about.
Their existence merely proves that the empire still possessed the ability to self-sustain during a long period of leaderlessness.
Next, Sorog began his cleanup operation with an Ironblood fist.
Ferocious beast? Eradicate it.
Within three months, all Legendary Realm- level or higher ferocious Magic Creature on the Atlant Continent were either killed or brought under control. Beasts below Legendary Realm were confined to designated wilderness areas for captive management, while Hunt quotas were opened, ensuring ecological balance and minimizing their threat.
Cult members? Arrest and execute them!
The Fire Princess personally took charge of this matter.
Or rather, this red dragon is extremely enthusiastic about anything related to executions, killings, and destruction.
The sheer number of arrests and the speed of executions terrified all those with ill intentions. Their strongholds were wiped out one by one, and the bodies of high-ranking officials were impaled and hung on the city walls for public display. The entire underground network was eradicated in just a few months.
A vassal kingdom that doesn't follow the rules?
Sorog, too lazy to engage in any negotiations or arbitration, simply hanged the two vassal kings who had disrupted the order of Aura, telling the other nations in the most straightforward way that while Sacred Aura was benevolent and tolerant, it was not without its ruthless methods.
Under the iron fist of the Iron Prince, Atlant quickly returned to normal.
The ambitious opportunists retreated back into the shadows, and the scum that had been stirred up was once again pushed back to the bottom of the water.
The mainland is at peace, and order has been restored.
The unease in people's hearts was gradually dispelled.
And so, the first millennium of the New Calendar arrived.
The ancient bell tolled in the Red Emperor Royal City, resonating through every window.
The Cloud Rail train trailed celebratory ribbons across the sky, its carriages adorned with flowers and flags, leaving dazzling trails in the air; the Star Network signal transmitted festive greetings to every city, and celebratory images flickered on screens and projectors.
The people of Atlant celebrated the arrival of the new millennium amidst laughter and fireworks.
They celebrated the empire's prosperity, peace, and tranquility.
But everyone who looks up at the sky feels that something is missing.
Their emperor has not yet returned.
New Calendar, the great Red Emperor has been silent for more than two hundred years.
More than two hundred years----
Enough time for many who witnessed the Red Emperor soaring through the sky to be carried away by time.
The vast majority of people living on this land today have seen his silhouette in statues, his dragon wings in murals, and heard of his great deeds in poems and legends—slaying the Demon King and sweeping away the Abyss.
Yet they never truly looked up to his existence.
However, their loyalty and faith did not diminish as a result.
Loyalty to the emperor was deeply ingrained in the entire system of the empire, and even if the emperor were to pass away, this aspect would not be affected much.
Time continues to flow, as always.
It does not accelerate with the development of any country, nor does it remain still because of the slumber of any existence.
In deep space, the stars are silent.
Beyond the boundaries of Bernardo World lies endless darkness and emptiness, devoid of air and sound, and devoid of any trace of life, only an eternal silence.
Occasionally, a few wandering meteorites would streak across the darkness, leaving long trails before disappearing into the deeper void.
But today, the starfield border, silent for countless epochs, has welcomed an uninvited guest.
A faint, distant point of light flickered at the edge of the Bernardo Star Domain.
If a stargazer happens to spot it among the countless stars, they might mistake it for a dying red dwarf star, as its dim, reddish glow can indeed be confusing.
However, the way this point of light moves is incorrect.
Normal planets do not move.
And it—while approaching, is moving using a faster-than-light spatial jump.
A single flash covers a distance; another flash covers yet another distance.
This planet, constantly leaping through deep space, is undergoing a kind of spatial teleportation-like displacement; with each blink, the distance between it and Bernardo shrinks.
After an unknown number of jumps, it suddenly stopped, coming to rest on the boundary line of the Bernardo Star Domain.
This planet is the dwelling place of an ancient life form, or rather, its vessel, an extension of its limbs and will.
" The Calamity Egg," that's its name.
It hovers there, and normal planets appear tiny and fragile in its presence.
Its size is almost enough to engulf an entire medium-sized planet.
Some smaller meteorites and cosmic dust are captured by its Gravity, fall towards it, and are absorbed into it, becoming part of its outer shell.
The plates on the surface of the Calamity Egg began to crack.
The earth cracked, Mountain Range collapsed, and deep valleys closed up.
Countless clods of earth and stone began to converge toward a few fixed centers, as if some unseen hand was kneading and shaping them; they compressed and solidified, growing larger and larger as they rolled.
One, two, three----
Ultimately, several enormous spherical objects coalesced on the Calamity Egg, each comparable in size to an asteroid.
But what's most frightening isn't their size.
The surfaces of these spherical objects are covered with vein-like textures that undulate constantly.
They are alive.
Or rather, they are part of the Calamity Egg.
The Wild God itself cannot leave the Calamity Egg, at least not yet, but it can extend its tentacles first, crossing the barriers of deep space, reaching towards the azure world that slowly rotates in the darkness.
Immediately afterwards, these spherical objects disappeared.
The next instant, they appeared some distance away, then disappeared again, only to reappear even further away.
Spatial jump.
They not only possess life, but also the ability to traverse spatial distances.
The Calamity Egg itself cannot perform high-frequency jumps, nor can it travel too far in space at once; its speed is relatively slow.
But these spherical objects can.
Like a pack of hunting dogs released from the sky, they pounced on their target with greater agility and hunger than their home planet, accelerating toward Bernardo.