Soul of Searing Steel

I was up by daybreak.

Minuscule element particles revolved within runic formation as mana flow surged within the core. Hence, intelligence awakened from temporary standby, and began to observe the world around with innumerable observation circles.

My first task was to use the circle outlined with mithril inside the metallic room. The real form of the crystal core was glinting at the center of the circle, while the mithril and rune-empowered mana allowed my senses to extend instantly throughout the entire liege’s residence—even the main city, observing the entire town.

Artificial intelligence knows all.

And it was within that very moment, substantial repeated signals and communications notifications took up 0.3 percent of my processing power. Every city street and every person wandering the little alleyways could now be seen, with logical thinking circuits determining if each wanderer was a friendly or not, stagnating the circuits itself for three and one-seventh seconds.

Observing, not much. Judging, on the other hand, was severely difficult—that was probably the limit of an artificial intelligence’s soul. According to that person, this was an ordinary ‘lagging’ phenomenon—and was trivial.

I gradually adapted to it.

After two years or more of observing, imitating, learning, and subsequent evolving, I learned what it meant to be human, as well as becoming aware of the deficiencies of my past and the progress at present.

Dawn at the main Moldavia city was dull. Apart from the drunkards thrown out from a nearby tavern, everyone was leisurely doing their daily work. These lives that were filled with errors and inconsistent thought modules were occasionally interesting, but most of the time they were wasting time busying themselves that way.

But that person disagreed. He said that a person’s life could never be constantly filled with excitement, that peaceful daily life was part and parcel of living.

He said that I should learn, to slightly grasp what it meant to rest.

It was difficult for me to comprehend the term.

Rest, sleep, recreation, pause… As the artificial intelligence core of a mobile city, I do not need such things. My processors could control a huge fortress and run it for nine hundred and forty-seven years before developing a huge error phenomenon—and that period was far longer than a human’s lifespan.

But that person hit my head in return. He said nothing else, but I feared the mental surge that wafted from him.

It was not a reprimand, but a sigh.

I did not wish to see him sigh, which was why I said, “I’ll learn.”

Was that a lie? I do not know. Though I did not know the way, I should be as diligent as possible…’Diligent’ is a strange word too—I should operate at full capacity in the first place unless I lack the power.

Come to think of it, the energies adrift in the air was becoming thicker recently, the average concentration being 483.72% of the three months before. The environment was simply extraordinary that even my core was excited, forcing me to enter standby sleep mode to protect my mental circuit hub from overheating.

It was not a bad thing. As my vision extended, my gaze swept through the entire liege residence.

The maid and servants were doing some house work, cleaning the already immeasurably scrubbed floor and windows. Their amount of work had decreased exponentially due to the absence of their master, since there were neither the occasional monster skull getting dragged into the hall nor an entire floor of bloodstains.

That person always favored taking out a book after his afternoon tea to summon a demon for fun—but perhaps thanks to one particularly serious incident some time ago, demons rarely came in resonance to the magical tome’s summons now. He appeared rueful then, a sentiment I shared since he promised me a disembowelment study the next demonic summon.

A petite metal puppet was placed in the dungeon beneath the liege’s residence. It was the gift that person gave me.

The puppet, constructed entirely out of living metals, could emulate the features of my mana projection. It is very interesting and I liked it very much, but its only drawback was how heavy the puppet itself had been, something that person may have forgotten. Operating a puppet that was at least one point two million grams heavy was simply too inconvenient. The floorboards of the residence and the stone pavement outside were shattered quite a few times—which was why it ended up in the dungeon.

I thought I should remind him to craft a lighter one as a sense of regret rose within my heart.

Another new term.

As my vision gradually enlarged and my awareness enshrouded the entire city, I found that things were different compared to two years ago. Now, the main city of Moldavia was filled with liveliness—many people were out in town and moving around. On another note, in the heart of the city square was a gigantic stone carving of that person’s likeness when he was slaying dragons.

If he saw it, he would probably be happy inwardly even if he said nothing.

Him.

When would he return?

He should know that there were quite a few new happenings around here.

Recently, a curious theater was built in the west city. The elves who came from the south did not leave entirely, leaving some people who planted a seed in the empty land within the west city. In days, it became a tree house, and after a dozen more days it turned into a theater—the initial judgment never would have expected it to be constructed so swiftly.

There was also another small lodging that started business in one of the little corner alleys by the tavern street. Though it was deep within the alleyways, many people were seen entering and leaving frequently. That, however, was not the most unusual thing about it—every single visitor was dressed exquisitely, amongst them being a swordsman who carried a silver greatsword that rather resembled the ‘Holy Swordsman’ mentioned in the books.

Though I could see these strange characters enter and exit the lodging, I simply could not find any trace of them entering or leaving the city. Could it be that my circles of observation were malfunctioning or becoming outdated?

Still, even if I am reluctant to admit it, it was not impossible… Technology does develop swiftly on the Mycroft Continent.

Emergency Alert! Energy detection plugin promptly released the highest alert, and so I looked to the direction it pointed towards.

It was dawn time, the stars still twinkled in the sky.

A scarlet galaxy stretched across the heavens, engulfing the entire atmosphere.

A tremendous energy ripple, causing every air particle within sight to flash in auroras that were as hazy as light fogs. Countless faintly discernible golden specks glinted in the edge of the horizon too, before vanishing entirely.

Soon, another scarlet celestial body rose, blanketing all things and all life with a thin layer of warm red light.

Within it… was a familiar presence.

He has returned, I thought.

The emotion known as delight quietly grew.

*****

In the Void of Chaos by the outer reaches of the world, the white-haired pontiff walked towards the slowly shrinking six-armed giant.

Under the support of the four-colored radiances, the monumental giant that was ten thousand miles tall and huge enough to shoulder an entire continent rapidly contracted. Within the time the pope walked toward him alone, the giant vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving only the exhausted warrior standing upon the sheet of light over the world.

The four-colored radiance then dissipated, the will of the Sage’s Legacy returning to their original body located in the Star Altar within the Mycroft Continent. Joshua, too, stopped paying attention to the world of Karlis, as well as the survivors and titan that were slowly returning to consciousness.

The warrior turned his gaze towards the oncoming Igor.

“I’m back,” he spoke with a slight smile and a rather hoarse voice. “By a stroke of luck, I did not fail my mission.”

“It’s been hard on you.” The pontiff nodded somberly. He looked prepared to say something, only to shake his head and smile in return. “Welcome back, our hero.”

“Hero, huh.” Joshua was unsure how to reply when he heard the word, pausing for a while before answering slowly. “It’s just that I believe it to be a choice everyone would make—and just that.”

Looking up, the warrior studied the elderly man who, in another timeline, turned himself into ember and kept the world burning to the end bitterly. “If it were you, Your Holiness,” he said in a reverent tone, “the outcome would be the same.”

“There’s no need to be humble in such moments.” Reaching out to press upon the warrior’s shoulder, Igor had intended to continue with some moving or praiseful words, only to pause when he felt the sensation coming from his own hand and the presence Joshua emanated.

Igor blinked subconsciously, and scanned the warrior’s whole body in astonishment. Subconsciously, the Legendary-pinnacle pope inhaled sharply, displaying an expression rarely seen by others.

“Wait… You’ve ascended into Legendary?!”

It was impossible not to be astonished!

If someone were to tell the mild-mannered pontiff about the existence of a champion that had ascended into Legendary in his twenties a few years ago, he would have brought that person to a confessional and have him reflect on why would he waste his time and life and his mistake of crafting such nonsense.

And yet, the dizzying truth was now right in front of him—a Legendary warrior who was not over thirty.

“Seven Gods almighty…” The old pope sighed emotionally, mouthing each word. He began to rejoice a little that nobody other than him was aware of what that flaming galaxy meant, and therefore there would not be many who would head for the Void to investigate.

The Great Mana Tide looms. Both deities and Legendary-champion would not risk themselves by leaving the Infinite Horizon or the world of Mycroft—meaning that he was the first to learn this sensational news.

—This is too delightful…

Noticing the old pontiff’s poignance, Joshua smiled lightly in return but said nothing. He stretched out his arm that was still holding the Dragonslayer Swordspear. It was as if the arm itself was cast in steel—each muscle fiber and curve were immeasurably perfect and gleaming with a metallic luster, a physicality that no artist could sculpt even with exquisite innate talent.

Staring at his own arm, the warrior inhaled deeply in the void, consuming the energy adrift within it including the Steel particles that he could not absorb before and thus converting it into his own energy.

The Steel particles that floated around the Void originates from the endless worlds within the multiverse, carrying inconceivable contrast even amongst each other. Some of them could be from the other edge of the Multiverse itself, the corpses of certain worlds, Abyssal fragments or were unorthodox creations as the energies of two different worlds fused. But without exception, those curious particles that were impossible for most to consume were being drawn by Joshua entirely and turned into a part of him.

All things are for my use.

The warrior’s gaze was one both of surprised delight and doubt.

He was at the nearest of a breakthrough in his battle against Akhar, but it was cut short as his respectable opponent ran out of power.

Afterward, under the assist of the energy left behind by the Sage, he transformed into the King of Searing Soul and moved all Grandia survivors to Karlis while reviving the ashen world. He was incomparably powerful then—perhaps equal to a deity—but it was not Joshua’s own strength. Even with his many understandings and his soul’s refinement, he was still could not take that sublime step.

His limits had been surpassed, his energy has reached the requirements of the threshold—what obstructed Joshua was that he had used too much energy in the world of Grandia, weakening his body. Still, after a few days of recovery, he could attempt to charge towards the stage of Legendary.

But somehow, this final step was achieved by its own accord.

It could be fate, or a coincidence of the utmost fortune.

*****

In the distant void, a streak of radiance illuminated the darkness, causing the multiverse to shine as bright as day.

The splendor of the Initial Flame swept across the world.

Even before the light of dawn broke through the skies over the Mycroft Continent, dazzling but not quite blinding white radiance filled the skies, sweeping away all black clouds and gloom.

In the world of Karlis, the survivors from Grandia opened their eyes perplexedly. What they saw was an utterly unfamiliar world and the mild light that filled every corner, a light they never saw after twenty-seven long years under a hazy sky.

On the world of Illgner, the giant tree that appeared to pillar heaven and earth quivered slightly. Its innumerable leaves shifted their petiole as they did their best to touch the light, while the ancient deity gazed at the skies with a complex expression.

It was the blessing of the Initial Flame, an opportunity for all life.

It was also the beginning of unrest, the prelude to war between worlds.

Nevertheless, the world remained bright.

*****

Beyond the void, the infinite light that billions of worlds bathed in flooded the multiverse, so much so that describing it as ‘blanketing’ paled its significance.

Stars that had glinted dimly reflected the incomparably bright radiance. The energy wave that was indescribable, boundless and brutal passed over each world without dealing any damage, equally distributing endless blessing.

Within the forests, the wolf packs howled excitedly while snakes and bears awaken from hibernation in caverns or beneath the ground, opening their eyes in cheer. Be it insect or dragon, fish or whale, sentient humans or unintelligent helminth, immobile trees or eagles that soar to their hearts’ content, all life had developed an epiphany.

This was the tide.

The energy tide.

The tide that engulfs the Multiverse, rousing all life and causing all things to shine.

The Great Mana Tide has arrived.

And within that radiance, Joshua and his weapons stared at the tide that cascaded towards them. It was something that he had experienced and was experiencing again now.

However, from this day forth, everything would differ distinctly from the past.

He had made the heaviest decision, to let a world fall so that another might live.

The foreseeable future had been changed in its entirety. The path of fate was now comprehensively muttered, Chaos now pulling everything into the unknown.

Joshua gripped the weapon in hand. Leveling his eyes towards the light that would even make the gods turn sideways, he smiled faintly.

A gleam as if steel flashed around his body.

Invincible.

[Legendary Incident—Final Legacy]

[Starfall Year 834. The liege from the North, having received a commission from the Church of Seven Gods, moved towards the edge of the Multiverse as he searched for the final Sage Legacy. In that world that approaches its end, he spoke to the Divine Child of the Land, fought against commanders of undead spirits and quickly found his objective.

Despite completing his mission, to discover the ancient secrets and search for the way to save that world, he took the journey to search for answers.]

[Mythical Incident—the Authority of Destruction and Rebirth]

[To save or to destroy, that is the ultimate question. However, the warrior never hesitated.]

[Mythical Accomplishment—the man who shoulders the world.]

[–Heart of iron, soul cast in a seal. Not a hint of doubt nor an inch of ignorance, able of shouldering all things going forward.]