CHAPTER 42: CHAPTER 41: EMPIRE

Watching the passenger ship that came to pick him up drift away, Li Ang was momentarily at a loss for words.

He didn’t feel shock, anger, helplessness, absurdity, nor the urge to laugh.

It was a complex feeling, with a small mix of everything and an overwhelming sense of speechlessness.

No matter which force these four ships belonged to, how dare they fire upon the official transport ship of the Guild?

The Sky Knight Guild is not just a guild organization, it is the largest political entity in the entire aerial realm with territories and military power.

In the past, the islands were largely isolated from each other, but it was the emergence of the Guild that facilitated exchanges and established the current order of the aerial realm, thus making agreements with nearly all communicable forces on the common laws of the aerial realm.

Even if islands and forces have their own rules, and even if there are people who do not cooperate with the Guild, they could not blatantly violate the Guild’s laws, for the laws are not oppressive but establish order and protection.

The blatant attack on a neutral civilian transport ship has already severely violated the law.

Li Ang wanted to see how they would die.

He asked Eden: "Do you know what organization they belong to?"

Eden shook her head: "I do not know, but it is definitely not simple."

"Those mortals, their weapons couldn’t break my ice shield, but they caused me serious harm. Their lightning-releasing weapons seem designed specifically to strike Star Souls."

The black lightning used by those magical flying ships in the end was really too strange.

"Specifically targeting Star Souls..."

Li Ang asked, "You have been well-hidden, and in all these years, I have never understood about Star Souls. I believe that at least the majority of the high-ranking Sky Knights are unaware as well. But these people, how do they have special attack weapons?"

Eden nodded: "Our name has long faded with the winds of history, and even I cannot understand what force they belong to, nor why they can wield such weapons."

Li Ang pinched the space between his eyebrows.

Since meeting Zoe, he had thought that something significant might start happening.

There are many secrets in the skies, which is a common understanding among all Adventurers. Sometimes, during idle chats, they fantasize about uncovering some ancient secrets, which might be paths to becoming high-tier powerful figures, inheritances of ancient technology, or wealth significant enough to establish a nation—the stories of Legendary Adventurers obtaining these have long circulated in the skies.

Though many secrets exist, only a rare few have been uncovered over the millennia, with generation upon generation of top-tier powerful beings struggling to find their trails.

Until the establishment of the Sky Knight Guild, the quantity and strength of Adventurers gradually increased, and they formed large-scale cooperative battles, allowing the Sky Cavalries to gradually explore various dangerous areas.

However, everyone knows that huge mysteries still lie ahead.

Significant events affecting the entire aerial realm have also occurred, each involving many people and forces. In the ten years since Li Ang arrived here, there have been two such events at the Lost Ancient Battlefield and the Tower of the Abyss, where he witnessed the prowess of other Celestial Group members in those fierce battles.

Now, it is undoubtedly the beginning of another major event.

Li Ang looked at Zoe, who was quietly listening to the conversation.

What is a protagonist with destiny? A child of the world? Her fate is closely linked with the world. Is it that the world’s upheavals have granted her such destiny, or is her destiny to change the world? Or perhaps, the two are just one and the same?

As the world’s protagonist advances, certain dust-laden secrets of the world are bound to open, and Nebis is about to change in a way beyond everyone’s understanding or imagination.

His own efforts to deal with the Earth Serpent were a perfect example of what may come, for more challenging situations will likely arise, and everyone needs to be prepared not to be swept away in such tides, whether they are strong or weak.

This unknown force, commanding a fleet wielding black lightning that targets Star Souls, is likely the vanguard of the tide.

"The two of you can ride on my back to break through, but before that, I would like the Divine Child to help heal my injuries."

Eden said, as she was pursued by that pernicious black lightning, sustaining significant injuries, while Zoe’s power could rapidly heal her.

Li Ang was a bit worried: "Can she withstand it?"

Eden smiled: "The Divine Child’s power is not generated by herself but connects to the source on the other side. Only when she doesn’t know how to wield it does it deplete her life."

The woman gently reached out to Zoe: "I will guide you, don’t worry."

Zoe carefully reached out, touching her palm to Eden’s, becoming enveloped in divine light.

"How is it?" Li Ang asked.

Zoe appeared calm, but her eyes widened, and her mouth opened slightly as if overwhelmed by too much information to speak.

In her pupils, tiny runes of light formed vortexes, spinning rapidly.

The divine light flowed onto Eden, dyeing her blue hair green, with the tips turning from light blue to bright gold.

After about half a minute, Eden voluntarily separated her hand.

"I have mostly recovered."

"Is that enough?" Li Ang noticed her complexion indeed better.

"This is the power of the Divine Child, showing only a small portion of her potential. We should now—"

Eden wanted to suggest leaving, but noise erupted from the nearby village.

A flying ship hovered at a low altitude, the tail flames of its magic-guided power furnace illuminating the prairie as numerous soldiers disembarked directly into the village.

"Let’s go quickly."

Li Ang and Eden immediately took action, while Zoe looked reluctantly at everything at home before gently closing the door and following them.

Seizing the shadows of the houses, the three slipped into the woods and reached outside the village.

The soldiers disembarking from the flying ship were mainly ordinary soldiers of low strength, except for the leader being a Tier Two Warrior; the rest were Tier One, equipped with Tier One standard armor, holding Tier Two magic-guided energy guns—the only somewhat potent weapons.

Magic-guided guns are not cheap, and if they were all purchased from the Makena Island Country, it would have been a significant expenditure.

The soldiers kicked in villagers’ doors, rushing into houses, dragging out the already trembling villagers due to the day’s events, and pulling them towards the village center.

A leading officer shouted: "Bring those kids in their teens here! Ah, forget it, gather them all! It doesn’t matter about the adults, but don’t harm the children, or I’ll chop your heads off!"

But the villagers, long isolated, were not used to such a scene—some screamed in fear while others fell limp to the ground.

"What are you doing? Let go of my child!" a mother cried out.

A soldier kicked her down, snatching her frightened son away to join the other gathered children.

"Are they all here?" the officer asked.

"Report, sergeant! All found!"

"Good, begin the test."

The officer took out something like a measuring device, coated here and there by a dark purple substance, pulsating with yellow pustules, just like the cannons that previously unleashed black lightning.

The device had a sharp tip, which he directly stabbed into the trapezius muscle of a child in front of him, letting blood flow through the spiked duct into the instrument.

The child cried out in pain, only to be struck unconscious by a nearby soldier.

"No reaction, next one." The officer’s voice was devoid of emotion.

Seeing the child being hurt and struck, the parents grew agitated.

"Why are you taking my child!"

A strong male villager suddenly pushed away the soldier restraining him and charged toward the soldiers guarding the children.

The officer drew the long sword at his waist, effortlessly beheading the man before stabbing through a woman, presumably the man’s wife, who ran towards him, cleaning the blood from his sword before sheathing it again.

The other children, on the verge of sobbing, were silenced by the scene of death, some even fainting.

The officer sneered coldly: "No need to hurry. Originally, you all must die to prevent trouble. You should feel honored to contribute to the resurgence of our Holy Speriel Empire."

In the woods, Zoe was pressing her mouth shut tightly. She clung to Li Ang, trembling incessantly.

Although able to fend off Demons, witnessing the separation of her kind deeply affected her.

All the children were done with blood testing, and the officer roared angrily: "Nothing found! It must be somewhere on this island, chop down the forest if you must, but find it!"

"Is—are they here to capture me?"

Zoe clung to Li Ang’s hand, her eyes red with tears.

The matter related to Star Souls and involved children in their teens, almost explicitly indicating her involvement, implicating these people.

The young girl looked at the villagers, choking back tears: "I don’t like them, but even so—"

Li Ang shook his head: "Zoe, it’s time for your first adventurer lesson."

"I will endure."

"No," Li Ang pointed to the soldiers, "I mean take them out."