"Well."
Just at this critical moment, a soft sigh rang out.
Golden Seed slowly floated out of Dola's pouch.
Mu En hovered in the center of the mine tunnel, facing the oncoming Fallingstar Beast.
Even though he wanted to conserve energy, at this point, he had no choice but to act to protect himself.
Soon, golden energy waves gathered in front of the seed, then transformed into a spherical golden wave that shot out.
[ Wrath from Afar ]
The next instant, the golden light collided with the purple light, and a tsunami-like shockwave instantly filled the entire mine tunnel!
Rumble!!!!
The air pirates, who were fleeing for their lives, felt a tremendous force slam them to the ground, their eardrums even bleeding from the shock.
The violent air currents swirled wildly throughout the tunnel, making it impossible for them to even lift their heads.
It is unknown how much time passed before the suffocating shockwave gradually dissipated.
The air pirates scrambled to their feet, ignoring the pain in their bodies, and immediately turned to look.
Then, they witnessed a scene they would never forget.
The once invincible rock behemoth was now lying in a sorry state not far away.
Not only were large cracks appearing on its rocky shell, but even its sharp mane was shattered into pieces.
The golden sphere hovered quietly in mid-air, as if everything that had just happened had nothing to do with it. Suddenly, the monster raised its head and slowly stood up, its four hooves supporting its weight.
Everyone's heart skipped a beat.
Still not dead?
However, things didn't go as planned.
The giant beast first let out a mournful howl like a puppy, then turned and charged toward the side path that was blocked by rocks.
During the process, it slipped several times due to its panic, which looked quite comical.
With another loud bang, it smashed open the side road, and the heavy footsteps quickly faded into the distance.
The mine tunnels were now eerily silent.
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.
It just... slipped away like that?
Not only them, Mu En also found it strange.
The [ Wrath from Afar ] attack just now wasn't actually that powerful.
With the seed's energy depleted, he only used the bare minimum of power, which was only a few times greater than the combined power of Dola's three grenades.
Logically speaking, it shouldn't be enough to truly seriously injure the Fallingstar Beast.
Having lost a few thorns and broken a few pieces of its shell, it was perfectly capable of continuing its pursuit of the people in front of it.
But it just ran away, decisively and swiftly, even recklessly.
Is this thing actually a coward? It looks fierce, but is it really a weakling?
"Never mind, it's good that the crisis is over," Mu En said, gathering her thoughts. "Since we've already taken action, let's go through the formalities first."
The survivors collapsed to the ground, still unable to recover.
The oppressive feeling they experienced from the monster's crushing attack was something they would never forget.
Everyone involuntarily turned their gaze to the floating golden "stone".
What exactly happened?
Is it protecting us?
"Hey, old lady, um—" Pazu looked at the dumbfounded Dola.
"Don't ask, I don't know, I just picked it up."
Although she said she didn't know, Dola actually had some guesses in her heart.
This thing, falling from the sky, could still release an energy shock that defied common sense—
Could it be a creation of an ancient civilization, like the " Volucite," or even something from Laputa itself?
Just how many strange and wonderful things did people in ancient times create?
As she was thinking, the Golden Seed emitted golden light again, illuminating the several surprised and uncertain faces around her.
Then, everyone simultaneously felt something "squeezed" into their minds.
Grand and majestic, it was as if an invisible symphony orchestra was playing deep within the soul.
You may call me by my name— Erdtree.
After gaining further control, he learned how to use Rune energy to communicate with ordinary people.
The Golden Rune is the soul of Mu En, even the essence that sustains his existence.
Unlike Blessing Link, this kind of communication projects energy directly into the soul of the person being communicated with, which can be somewhat abrupt.
"I am the god who governs the Golden Order, descending from the other world to spread blessings upon this land."
"Now, I am preparing to choose agents to travel the world and spread my faith. Are there any volunteers among you?"
The scene fell silent once again.
The terrifying golden torrent from just now is still vivid in my mind.
Compared to this self-proclaimed "god," they, ordinary people, were indeed like ants.
Dola's eyes flickered, and she didn't respond immediately, because she had already identified Mu En as an "extremely dangerous relic of an ancient civilization."
As a sky pirate who often walks on the edge of a cliff, she knows all too well that any hasty promise or confrontation could lead to annihilation.
The other five air pirates, whose minds were clearly not as quick as "Mom's," were still in a daze.
They looked at the golden seed, then at Dola, and finally chose to remain silent.
In situations like this, it's best to let the eldest brother make the decision.
In the ensuing silence, Pazu suddenly spoke.
"Great Erdtree! These people are vicious aerial pirates! They just kidnapped me and Sheeta; they're absolute villains!"
He pulled Sheeta up and continued, "We're different from them. We're all orphans with no one to rely on. If you can help us gain our freedom, Sheeta and I are willing to serve you!"
Sheeta was taken aback by Pazu's "oath," but feeling the strength in her hand, she mustered her courage and nodded firmly.
"Good."
Without much hesitation, Mu En readily agreed, as he already had a favorable impression of the two main characters from the original work.
Pazu is honest, astute, and knows how to assess situations and seize opportunities.
Sheeta's special identity, coupled with her possession of the Volucite, connects her to the world's greatest secret.
Mu En still remembers that Pazu was very popular in town.
Using this relatively peaceful town with an industrial base as a "base" seems like a good choice.
Then, two drops of dew, each the size of a fingertip and resembling liquid gold, slowly separated and drifted toward the two children.
Blessed Dew.
The seed has little energy left, but this investment is necessary.
"I bestow upon you superhuman strength, longevity, and intelligence; this is your qualification to be children of the Erdtree."
Buzz-
A dewdrop landed on his brow, Pazu's body trembled.
He felt a warm current explode from between his eyebrows, instantly sweeping through his limbs and bones.
The muscle fibers felt as if they were being combed and strengthened by an invisible hand, the bones tingled slightly, and the five senses suddenly became clear.
An unprecedented surge of power coursed through his body, and he felt as if he could now arm wrestle with the muscular Duffi.
Pazu instinctively struggled, and the rope binding his hands snapped.
"This----"
Pazu stared blankly at his newly freed hands, in disbelief.
Sheeta reacted a little slower, but she also followed Pazu's movements and broke free of the ropes.
Then she realized that her actions might not have been very ladylike, and her cheeks flushed slightly.
The air pirates' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"It's... broken?"
"They—they just now—"
Am I dreaming?
As a mechanical apprentice, Pazu knew how absurd it was to break a rope out of thin air.
This "deity" did not make empty promises; he truly bestowed upon him extraordinary power.
The boy's lips curled into a small smile as he looked at the air pirates who had lost their weapons, eager to try his luck.
"Hehehe----Did you have a lot of fun chasing us? Now it's our turn!"
Dola's face darkened.
"Overestimating yourself! Hold this arrogant brat down!"
The five air pirates suddenly realized what was happening.
Although the scene was bizarre, did two teenagers really think they could take on five grown men with their bare hands?
Are you kidding me!
They discarded their empty, useless hand cannons, clenched their fists the size of earthenware pots, and charged forward with roars.
Then-
A series of dull thuds and cries of pain rang out.
"My hand! My hand! It's broken!"
"How can this girl be so strong?! Ahhh, don't break her!"
"Spare me! Spare me! I won't do it again!"
With a single punch, Pazu sent the bearded air pirate, whose physique was comparable to his master's, flying through the air. Although Sheeta was forced into the battle, she could also send a burly man staggering backward with a casual push.
In just a few dozen seconds, five tall and strong air pirates lay sprawled on the ground, clutching their arms and groaning in pain.
Pazu, standing on the back of a sky pirate, looked up at Dola, who was standing at the back.
"Hmph—" the boy proudly raised his chin, "Old woman, aren't you going to surrender?"
Dola stood still.
She looked at her men lying on the ground and swallowed hard.
I was careless.
The Dola Air Pirate Gang have roamed the skies for so many years, robbing caravans, breaking through military blockades, and fighting other sky pirates, but they've never lost so badly. They were wiped out by just two kids.
But Dola was a seasoned veteran.
If she didn't have the ability to turn adversity into opportunity, she wouldn't have been able to lead her large family in such carefree living for so many years.
"Etc!"
Her eyes darted around, and the fierce, gloomy expression on her face suddenly vanished, replaced by a "sincere" smile.
"Great deity— the Erdtree! Please wait!"
"I can negotiate too. I and my men can also become your followers!"