Chapter 451 - 304: The Theory of Planes (Part 2)

"Let’s not even talk about whether I have the ability to create a Teleportation Gate between planes. Just finding your plane is a problem in itself!"

Planes other than the Material Realm are countless. Trying to pinpoint a single one among so many would be more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack.

Right now, High Cliff Castle only has a group of low-level Shamans and Priests to make up the numbers. We don’t even have a single proper Mage. For High Cliff Castle, a Teleportation Gate is like a steam train to this world—something you can only look at, but never touch.

"Lord, I know the coordinates of my plane! If you can build a Teleportation Gate, you can definitely reach it," Digen immediately said loudly.

"What do you want?" Levi fell silent for a moment before asking.

’There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world, and no such thing as unearned loyalty.’

’Although this Red Dragon seems to have submitted for the time being, it’s only out of fear of my Power. After all, it’s a crafty old devil that has lived for a thousand years; who knows what schemes it’s hiding?’

’So, it’s better to just be direct.’

The Red Dragon was stunned for a moment, but then its gaze grew calm. "Revenge!"

It now had only this last shred of its True Spirit. Only the Gods could resurrect it, and it would have to be a God who has Mastered the Law of Life. Therefore, its only wish was to kill the one who had reduced it to its current state.

"Are you kidding me? The one who did you in was a real, bonafide God! Forget me—even with you at your peak, we’d both probably get kicked around like a ball by It!"

The Lord was very self-aware. From that single exchange last time, he knew he was no match for his opponent.

He also knew that a being worthy of the title ’God’ was a completely different species from mortals. The gap between them was even vaster than that between an ant and a human.

"I know." Digen nodded as if it were obvious. Having confessed, it seemed to relax a great deal, floating leisurely through the air. "That’s why I’m not asking you to get revenge right now. You are the most peculiar human I’ve ever met."

"You clearly haven’t advanced to the Legendary rank, yet you possess Legendary-level Power. That’s completely illogical."

"Maybe I’m just a peerless, once-in-a-generation genius?" the Lord scoffed.

And so, for the first time, the Lord learned how a Giant Dragon rolls its eyes.

"In any case, there’s something mysterious about you. I don’t know why, but I have a feeling you could ascend to godhood. I never even felt I could become a God back in my day..." Digen muttered.

The Lord, however, sensed something. A jolt went through him, and he asked impassively, "You know how to become a God?"

"You should focus on advancing to Legendary first. Otherwise, you probably won’t even live another hundred years, yet you’re thinking about becoming a God?" Digen chuckled drily. "A hundred years is just enough time for me to take a few naps."

Its tone was filled with the contempt a long-lived species holds for a short-lived one.

After all, the saying that a dragon outlives ten generations of men wasn’t just talk.

"Right. Can’t get ahead of myself." Levi nodded. Then, before the spirit could refuse, he recalled it directly into his inventory.

He stared at the crackling firewood in the hearth and fell into thought. ’At first, I thought Digen’s hidden treasure would be a fortune vast enough to rival a kingdom. But I never expected the dragon to have ruled an entire plane. In that case, its wealth is surely far beyond merely "rivalling a kingdom." It’s worth seeking out.’

’Furthermore, the trip to Gonda now has to be prioritized. Fatir previously told me that the latter sections of the Holy Word Treasure Manual contain the method for advancing to the Legendary rank.’

’Although my Power is still top-tier in the Material Realm, I have to be prepared for danger even in times of peace.’

...

And so, High Cliff Castle enjoyed a rare, peaceful month with everyone present. Then one morning in September, when the King’s second invitation was delivered by a Griffin Knight, Levi knew it was time to head to Gonda.

Levi didn’t bring many people. Officially, he was just attending a victory banquet, but he also had other motives, so the smaller the entourage, the better.

He only brought Mier, Zat, Sam, Heather, and Leiden, along with a mixed-race squad and a few Rabbit Maidens, for a total of only thirty-odd people.

He didn’t even bring Sophia. Knowing there was a Magic Array in the Royal Palace designed to suppress Giant Dragons, he’d have to have had his brain eaten by a Goblin to bring her along.

They had to go to Bailiu City first to meet up with others from the Northern Territory who were also attending the banquet, and then they would all set out for Gonda together.

After all, they had resolved the Demon crisis that had endangered all of Debei, so almost everyone who participated in the war received an invitation.

On a map, the entire journey formed a hook shape. The travel alone would take nearly a month.

With heavy snow falling, the roads were almost completely covered, making it difficult to increase their speed.

This was especially true since they had to accommodate the pace of the frail Rabbit Maidens.

Fortunately, they had Biefeng. This Three-headed Dog, having Mastered Fire Elemental Power, could make its back so hot it felt like a warm room. The Lord had the Rabbit Maidens sit directly on top of it.

As the beast galloped, they covered their mouths and cried out in alarm, but after they adjusted, they began to giggle, displaying a unique charm characteristic of their Alien Race.

When a vast, endless patchwork of farm fields came into view, it signaled that the party from High Cliff Castle had left the Wilderness and entered the Northern Territory.

And this was the Northern Territory’s most famous Golden Radiance Great Plain.

Every autumn, the plain, planted thick with rice, would look as if it were draped in a golden cloak, shimmering with a dazzling light under the sun.

The grain harvested here each year accounted for nearly a tenth of the entire Northern Territory’s output.

But who could have imagined that, just ten years ago, this land was nothing but wilderness.

Yet, under Fulina’s sweeping reforms, it had been transformed into one of the Northern Territory’s breadbaskets.

As this was a fief directly under the Duke, it wasn’t burdened by exorbitant taxes. Even the common farmers lived quite well. They wore respectable clothes, their faces beaming with joy as they watched groups of youths run through the fields, flying homemade kites.

Squads of cavalry patrolled the main roads in the distance, protecting them from bandits and thieves.

Such a rare, idyllic scene was hard to find in all of Debei.

Clearly, there was a reason why Fulina was so widely beloved.

In truth, the last few years had been relatively hard.

Due to the cold weather, crop growth had been worryingly slow, and the harvests were smaller than in years past.

But the farmers did not lessen their efforts because of this. On the contrary, they were even more meticulous with their farm work than before: weeding, fertilizing, pest control, and even breaking the ice on the distant river to use waterwheels for irrigation.

They neglected nothing, firmly believing that sweat would be rewarded. They believed the Gods were watching their efforts, and that even if this year’s harvest was poor, they would be compensated next year.

But if they fell into laziness, they would incur the Gods’ displeasure and lose their wives, daughters, wealth, and homes.

Unfortunately, these farmers didn’t know one thing: farming is always three parts human effort and seven parts the will of the heavens.

Just as they were going about another ordinary day, a strange party arrived on the Golden Radiance Great Plain.

Everything about them was strange.

This party was not a merchant caravan, nor were they Minstrels, and they certainly weren’t Mercenaries—after all, who had ever heard of Mercenaries traveling with several gorgeous young women of an Alien Race?

They drew curious gazes from the farmers in the surrounding villages. Some of the bolder children even formed a group to trail behind, sizing them up with looks of curiosity and admiration.

The party numbered only thirty-odd people, but its composition was diverse, with Beastmen, Goblins, Centaurs, and Rabbit People. There was even an Elf with relatively dark skin; they had never heard of Elves of that color.

The Beastman Warriors and Centaur Warriors were incredibly large; even their fists were bigger than the onlookers’ heads.

Even the strongest Defense Knight from the Golden Radiance Plain would look like a bear cub next to its hulking father if placed among them.