The Holy Radiant Empire transformed its political system from a theocracy to a monarchy, strengthening the aristocracy.
The de facto supreme leader remained Anthony Douglas, except that he also held the title of Emperor. Legally speaking, His Majesty's power was the strongest since the empire's founding.
The establishment of the Holy Radiant Empire caused a great stir, plunging many people who had previously harbored illusions about the Holy See into utter despair.
Several pastoral areas declared independence, and some ambitious individuals directly declared the establishment of kingdoms. At this moment, the remaining influence of the God of Dawn finally erupted completely.
Countless believers joined the resistance, and the power of the Sebawen Faith expanded rapidly. Under the ongoing Great Purge in the Dawn Empire, the already oppressive social atmosphere generated a large amount of negative emotions, which, under the instigation of those with ulterior motives, were instantly released, and a rebellion, much smaller than the internal strife of the Crimson Alliance, but equally rare, began.
Due to the violent and rapid outbreak of the rebellion, the Dawn Empire, now known as the Radiant Empire, had a great deal of energy tied up, resulting in extreme instability in the border regions. The orcs and goblins of the Winter Empire then launched a brutal invasion.
Between nations, there are always one or two arch-enemies who dislike each other, whether from the highest levels of government to the common people. For example, the Crimson Alliance and the Sea Dragon Alliance, or the Radiant Empire and the Winter Empire.
Going back to the past, because the God of Orcs the orcs and the God of Dawn were at odds, their followers were naturally opposed to each other and disliked one another. As a result, the two races that once lived together on the land of the Dawn Continent frequently broke out into war.
Unfortunately, although the Geya People were arrogant, they were really good fighters and smart enough to use their wisdom to drive the straightforward and hot-tempered orcs out of the Dawn Continent.
Goblins are simply hated by the Geya People. In fact, among the races hated by the Geya People, goblins are definitely number one, even more so than orcs.
While the Geya People were hostile to the orcs, they admired their tenacious fighting spirit. But as for the goblins, simply put, they were filthy and an eyesore!
The clean-loving Geya People, upon seeing a goblin, are like someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder strolling down a beautiful street and suddenly bumping into a pile of excrement. Putting aside the physical trauma, the psychological damage is explosive.
Therefore, after the second-ranking orcs were driven out of the Dawn Empire by the Geya People, the third-ranking goblins also had no choice but to pack up and leave. The two unlucky brothers unanimously chose to cross the sea and head north to the Winter Continent was considered a barren land by the major powerful races at the time.
Did you think that was the end of it?
Of course not!
The hardship had only just begun. When the Dawn Empire was at its peak, it would idly beat up orcs and goblins, eventually forcing them to seek cooperation.
However, in normal cooperation, the goblins could not suppress their cunning and greedy nature, which greatly dissatisfied the simple-minded orcs.
Not cooperating won't work either. The Winter Continent is already a harsh environment, and there are many fierce Transcendent races and tribes in the northern ice plains. Poor mountains and bad waters breed unruly people, and these ice plain races have explosive combat power and are exceptionally rich in martial virtue.
Not to mention, the Dawn Empire to the south is also eyeing them covetously, and they're always ready to cause trouble.
So, with that in mind, the orcs, their expressions serious, came up with an excellent solution.
Although orcs are honest and easily fooled by goblins, they are very self-aware and, once they make a decision, they will not easily change it.
Therefore, the orcs at the time gave the goblins two choices.
Either become "blood sworn brothers" and never betray each other.
Either go their separate ways and never see each other again.
Choose.
The goblins were stunned. "Did your family sign a ' Blood Oath Covenant ' so hastily?"
But it must be said that the orcs' performance was quite touching for the goblins.
After all, goblins are universally disliked, and few are willing to cooperate with them. Signing a "Blood Oath Covenant"? They wouldn't even dare to dream of it!
So when this scene actually occurred, even the cunning goblin was somewhat caught off guard.
Sincerity is an Eternity and powerful weapon.
And so, the orcs, with their straightforward approach, successfully won over the goblin race.
The two sides signed a "Blood Oath Covenant," merging into one and establishing the Winter Empire.
Orcs are the main combatants, while goblins are responsible for logistics.
Hey, you know what? You really have to believe it, the energy that bursts forth when the orcs and goblins come together is something no one expected—it's like a racial super chemistry reaction.
Orcs are highly fertile, possess outstanding physical talents, and are brave and fierce in nature, with extremely strong individual combat capabilities. However, they are naturally indifferent to technology and magic, making them what is commonly known as "iron-clad fools." In primitive society, orcs were invincible, but in the era of the rapid development of civilization and the emergence of various powerful weapons of war, orcs have become somewhat powerless.
Goblins, on the other hand, are the complete opposite of orcs. They are weak, lack Transcendent talent, and are greedy, cunning, and blinded by greed. However, these guys have a very keen sense for magical technology and are quite good at alchemy. They have created many goblin black technologies, such as Transcendent steam chariots, magical firearms, and giant magical constructs, which perfectly fill the gaps in the orcs' weaknesses.
Later, through meticulous exploration by the goblins, it was discovered that the mineral resources of the Winter Continent were actually exceptionally rich, but they were all hidden deep underground, covered by layers of rock. However, goblins are the race most skilled in mining, so underground mining was no problem for them at all.
Among these mineral deposits, the most famous is the Daniesi Ore, followed by rare minerals such as Blue Feather Stone and Flying Cry Ore. Many of these deposits are coveted by empires like the Crimson Alliance. In particular, the Daniesi Ore, with just a little refinement, can be used as fuel for spaceships, and its value is self-evident.
Thus, with its abundant resources and the perfect cooperation between orcs and goblins after forming a blood alliance, the Winter Empire swept across most of the Winter Continent in a short period of time, even repeatedly clashing with the Dawn Empire on the border. Their ferocity was astounding, making one wonder if these were the same two unfortunate races that had previously only deserved to be beaten.
That said, after the rise of the Winter Empire, although it still couldn't defeat the Dawn Empire, it had the power to fight back. Now, the orcs were the ones looking for trouble, and the tables had turned.
Especially after the Twilight War, the orcs established a vassal state, the Golden Sands Khanate, in the northern part of the Dawn Continent.
In reality, though it's called a subordinate regime, anyone with eyes to see knows that the Golden Sands Khanate was actually the Golden Sands Tribe of the orcs, and its relationship with it was many times closer than that between the White Wolf Kingdom and the Dawn Empire.
As the thorn in the side of the Winter Empire Dawn Empire, the Golden Sands Khanate was exceptionally perceptive of the Dawn Empire's situation.
Immediately after the establishment of the Radiant Empire, a rebellion broke out. The Golden Sands Khanate received the news and immediately reported it to the Winter Empire.
Upon hearing the news, the orcs were eager to fight. After the Imperial Council held a symbolic meeting, a large number of troops were sent to the front lines. They found a pretext to provoke a conflict with the border troops of the Radiant Empire. Then, an orc soldier suddenly screamed and lay on the ground. Due to his poor acting skills, he even picked his nose while pretending to be dead. The soldiers of the Radiant Empire who saw this were both angry and amused.
Regardless, war broke out using this absurd but 'reasonable' excuse.
The orcs swung their arms wide and delivered a powerful slap across the face.
The Radiant Empire was reeling from the blow, Geya People, who had never been so humiliated, retaliated without hesitation, causing the intensity of the war to escalate rapidly.
Following the upheaval in the Crimson Alliance, the already turbulent situation on Planet Oklo took a sharp turn for the worse with the outbreak of war between the Radiant Empire and the Winter Empire.
All major powers simultaneously activated their highest level of combat readiness and are closely monitoring the development of the situation.
Space-based weapons were activated, the fleet weighed anchor, and began a tight patrol outside the planet to guard against malicious interference from other planetary powers.
Diplomatic notes fluttered like snowflakes across the Planet Oklo.
A tense atmosphere pervaded all parts of the planet.
Under this influence, many already conflicting forces are now embroiled in various frictions amidst their anxiety. With the instigation of certain behind-the-scenes manipulators, more and more forces are being drawn into the conflict, leading to the spread of war and a trend of the shadow of war even extending to other planets.
In addition, in order to cope with the increasingly severe situation, many middle powers have accelerated their efforts to unite.
One typical example is the agreement reached by fifteen factions near Angedora Bay to upgrade the "Rare Metal Community" into an organization called the "Angedora Bay Alliance".
There are also the "Far North" and the "Southeast Trade City-State".
Although the three organizations have not yet been established, there have been signs of their formation.
The instinct of intelligent beings to seek advantage and avoid harm is fully manifested on the increasingly chaotic Planet Oklo.
Deep in the universe, in a perilous place where the ' Black Death Storm ' blows year-round, lies a colossal creature.
This is a steel fortress, entirely black, with a layer of Black Crystal on its surface. It is full of technological beauty, while also possessing a deep and mysterious magical charm. The Black Death Storm, which is powerful enough to Destruction ordinary satellites, is powerless against this behemoth. Under the faint starlight in the distance, it appears sinister and intimidating.
The mothership is called "Star Moon".
It sounds elegant, but what if it's the lair of the Ashes Organization?
As the most notorious dark organization in the Elven Plane, the Ashes would not keep their hideout in one place. A cunning rabbit has three burrows, let alone the Ashes, who are far more cunning than rabbits.
Having a base that can be escaped at any time and possesses formidable combat power seems like a good option, and thus the Star Moon was born.
Despite its beautiful name, the Star Moon became a messenger of fear.
At this moment, in the highest conference hall of the Star Moon.
One by one, figures descended.
They were all high-ranking officers of Ashes.
Some are the actual entities that descend, while others are merely energy projections.
The Sun Eclipser, shrouded in gray haze, hung its head, seemingly asleep.
Once everyone had arrived, he slowly raised his head, revealing only a pair of scarlet pupils in the haze.
"Planet Oklo has completely entered an era of chaos. The organization's next plan can now proceed. The Elven Plane no longer needs so many empires."
"Yes, as you wish!"
Ruibete Island.
Inside Maidisenna's alchemy tower.
The god, bound by runic chains, remained asleep, showing no sign of waking.
Before the enormous body of the deity, the master and apprentice concluded their final dissection experiment.
Setting down his laser scalpel, Madison casually remarked, "Are you really going to continue meddling in the mess on Planet Oklo? Four imperial-level powers are already engaged in direct warfare, and other smaller powers are also stirring up trouble, with constant friction. The long-standing atmosphere of peace since the Twilight War has been shattered, and what follows will inevitably be a brutal battle."
After a pause, Madison continued, "With your talent, you could reach the top without the support of the Gendaya Royal Court. Why do you insist on getting involved in these things? As far as I know, you were born in the Sunset Jungle; you shouldn't have a deep connection to Origin Island."
The teacher's words came from the bottom of his heart; they were spoken entirely from Logo's perspective. He would never have said such a thing if he didn't truly care about Logo.
"Teacher, I understand what you mean, but there are some things I can't explain to you. In short, I can't give up the Royal Court, and not only the Royal Court, but also the ' An Alliance ' that is about to be established. I will occupy an important position there as well," Logo said frankly.
"The An Alliance?" Madison looked surprised. "The Royal Court is manageable; you're Blood Clan, with impeccable lineage, and King Larken is enlightened enough to elevate you to a high position. But here in Angedora Bay, there are 15 kingdom-level powers and over 40 Demigod. Together, they're no weaker than an empire. How did you manage to occupy such a high position?"
"With your Ruibete Group?" Madison scoffed. "Undeniably, your Ruibete Group is doing well, but if you want to use that to climb to a high position in the An Alliance, you're still a long way off."
"Well then, we'll wait and see." Logo smiled mysteriously, leaving Madison completely bewildered.
He had never truly understood this disciple; it was as if Logo was shrouded in a thick Mist, and as you peeled back one layer, another appeared.
In other words, Madison himself is not a controlling person; otherwise, the two would easily have developed a rift.
Having dropped the previous topic, Madison abruptly changed the subject, his gaze sweeping over Logo like a brush. "Speaking of which, what's up with your profession? I noticed something was off the moment we met. If it weren't for the fact that you can still use the Fire of Birth so freely, I would have thought you'd changed professions!"
Logo wasn't surprised by his teacher's words. Demigod naturally have strong perception, let alone a renowned Cartographer like him. It was normal for him to notice something was wrong.
After all, the body Logo is currently using is, strictly speaking, a bloodline clone.
As the primary consciousness, Logo can freely descend upon any of his clones and seamlessly take over control. This is determined by the absolute subordination between the two, leaving the clones with no possibility of resistance.
The bloodline clone follows the path of the Slaughter Knight, so its aura is naturally very different from that of a proper alchemist. Only the shared bloodline and the covering of the Fire of Birth can conceal the difference, but it will still reveal its flaws when facing a strong person like Madison.
Of course, it's not a big problem.
Logo didn't explain much, only saying that he was conducting a bloodline experiment and that the current reaction was normal.
"I know your research on bloodlines is very in-depth and you've made considerable progress, but it's best to be cautious about bloodlines. At the very least, don't modify yourself carelessly. Otherwise, if something goes wrong and your physical body is destroyed, you'll only be able to exist in the world as a soul," Madison warned worriedly. He had seen some bloodline lunatics who had turned themselves into Frankenstein's monsters, and his student couldn't go down that path.
What the Cartographer didn't know was that his student had already been completely transformed beyond recognition. Not only was his body fragmented, but his soul was also split apart. What kind of Logo's monster was he to Logo?
Feeling somewhat guilty about his teacher's concern, Logo quickly changed the subject, "Teacher, since your research on this deity has come to an end and you've collected enough flesh and blood samples, I feel bad about troubling you to keep suppressing it. How about this, could you help me set up a cage in the demiplane that can seal the deity? That way, I can conduct my research independently."
After listening, Madison pondered for a long time before nodding in agreement, "Alright, I'll listen to you. However... that demiplane should be a strategic location for your Royal Court, right? Would it be inappropriate for me to enter?"
"It's alright. Anyway, you helped locate this demiplane, so the Grand Elder and the Left Prime Minister won't say anything," Logo said confidently.
Thus, Madison's last concerns were dispelled. He activated the alchemy tower, entered the space, and, guided by Logo, arrived outside the demiplane crystal wall.
Upon receiving orders from Logo, the administrators inside the demiplane opened a temporary Gate of Space, allowing the Alchemy Tower to enter.
As far as the eye can see, the once pristine natural landscape has been completely transformed beyond recognition.
Various artificial special environments are scattered throughout the landscape, alchemy factories are bustling with people, and hundreds of brand-new spaceships float in the zero-gravity environment of the sky, all clearly exhibiting an alchemical style.
"Your Royal Court is really efficient. It hasn't been long, and you've already completed the initial transformation of the demiplane. It looks like it won't be long before this place becomes a terrifying production base." Madison has high standards; for him to say such a thing shows that the demiplane's transformation work has indeed yielded remarkable results.
After a few modest words, Logo led Madison to a sinkhole.
The rules of this demiplane have been modified to suit the environment for setting up a seal. There are several similar areas, all of which will be used as prisons to hold large Transcendent beings in the future.
Now it's perfect for creating God's Cage.
"Having a demiplane is so convenient. Modifying the rules is so easy. You can create any environment you want." Madison looked at the dark sinkhole in front of him, his tone tinged with envy.
Logo smiled faintly, "Demiplanes aren't many, but they're not nonexistent. We can just snatch them from other forces. If I have the chance in the future, I'll definitely give one to my teacher."
"You're just offering empty promises?" Madison squinted.
"How could that be? The student is willing to sign a contract," Logo said confidently.
"Alright, we can deal with the future later. Let's take care of the present first." Madison said with a laugh, then manipulated the alchemy tower to levitate above the sinkhole.
"The fastest way to create God's Cage is through direct imprinting. Among the many Rune Array engraved on my alchemy tower, there is the one you want, ' Samsara Binding '," Madison said, tossing down various precious resources.
As the alchemy tower shone, runes shone, like branding, and were engraved on the surfaces of various materials. Then, these materials flew into different locations in the sinkhole, transforming into cage-like structures that seemed both real and illusory, and merged with the sinkhole.
After a long while, Madison stopped, the Alchemy Tower was pulled out of the sinkhole, and the God's Cage was completed.
"Even between master and apprentice, accounts must be clear. The total cost of labor and materials is 680 million Ta Pound, and there will be no credit!" Madison held out his hand, indicating that he should pay immediately.
Logo knew that for anyone else, the price would have been at least double; Madison was only charging him at cost price.
Therefore, Luo smiled and handed over a crystal card, "There are 700 million Ta Pound in here, the extra 20 million is my treat for you, teacher."
"You're quite filial!" Madison smiled with satisfaction.
By putting away the crystal card, Madison controlled the alchemy tower and sent the sleeping god into the God's Cage.
Finally, he instructed, "Although the God's Cage is enough to confine this guy, the power of the gods should not be underestimated. You'd better send more guards to keep a close watch on him, and, unless absolutely necessary, it's best not to awaken him."
"Understood." Logo nodded readily, but what he was really thinking remained a mystery to outsiders.
After seeing his teacher off, Logo's consciousness detached from his clone's body and returned to the Nirvana Tower.
Top-level laboratory.
The Fire of Birth coalesced and took the form of Logo.
Pure energy bodies are not very convenient for outdoor activities, but they are more than sufficient, and even more convenient, for conducting various alchemical experiments.
Arriving at a corner of the laboratory.
In a transparent petri dish, a string of bubbles rose from a pale green solution, while a dark gray substance settled at the bottom.
Below the petri dish, a sophisticated material analyzer was installed, and a pale red liquid dripped from the end of the delivery tube from time to time.
At this moment, a full 1200 milliliters of this pale red liquid has been collected.
"Crimson Alliance, what do you have to offer in exchange for these viral serums?" Logo crossed his arms, a faint smile playing on his lips.
When Gustavo carried out the mission of transporting the "virus strain", he left behind some samples, and Caesar brought back the spaceship left behind by the Black Sea Bandit Gang as well.
Logo certainly wouldn't underestimate a virus strain that Ashes takes so seriously.
Upon receiving it, I immediately began studying it.
Thanks to his vast knowledge reserves far exceeding those of the current era in the Elven Plane, and with the help of the Eye of Insight, Logo successfully developed the viral serum and began secretly cultivating it.
The pale red liquid we have obtained now, with just a simple dilution, could yield a vaccine powerful enough to cure the entire Crimson Alliance.
Now that the Crimson Alliance is plagued by the K11 Virus, they are certainly willing to pay a huge price to buy a vaccine.
This opportunity allows Logo to connect with the Crimson Alliance and form a binding economic partnership.
Given such achievements, is it possible to place him in the position of Finance Minister of the soon-to-be-established "An Alliance"?
The answer is self-evident.
"The problem now is how to negotiate with the higher-ups of the Crimson Alliance. If I go alone, it's a bit too weak..."
Logo lowered his head and pondered for a while. After a while, he picked up the communicator and contacted the Left Prime Minister, Alex.
Three minutes later, Logo hung up the communication. His conversation with the Left Prime Minister went smoothly, and the latter would represent the Royal Court in supporting him.
In addition, Logo also needs to bring one more person along.
Sunset Jungle.
The heart of the city, Sunset City.
Above the city, on a floating island shaped like a cat's head, Logo's figure appeared.
"The lord is waiting for you." A magical beast, Purple-Patterned Leopard, walked over. He was a member of the Sunset Lord's guard, Legendary- ranked warrior.
Following the Purple-Patterned Leopard, Logo arrived at a small pavilion surrounded by blooming flowers.
On a recliner, the Sunset Lord, with cat ears and a human body, was sunbathing, exuding an aura of languor.