Soul of Searing Steel

In that very moment, the world of Sartre descended into absolute silence.

Shrouded by the Steel Strength mist, all sound waves were absorbed, leaving the most irritated and hoarse shrieks unable to spread more than a centimeter away. According to simple calculation, any being judged as a threat to others or themselves were chained, all mobility restrained.

Suppressed by the silver sky converted from the mass of the Sartrean moon, none could resist or move—the most devious of plots and conspiracies are now all meaningless, for beneath the subjugation of absolute power, ordinary beings could not even think.

As for what the Sartreans thought or desired, whether they wanted to be saved, whether they yearned for peace or war… None could care about any of those things. The warrior simply wanted to give them peace, and therefore they had to accept it.

Now that things have come to this, the Sartreans’ fate of self-destruction had been evaded. Therefore, high above the skies, Joshua withdrew his hand.

As the tides surged, Joshua slowly pulled back his giant hand of Steel. The remaining parts of the moon that were not turned into the Steel Strength veil had at present formed an irregular multi-sided form, floating alone in the sky.

The gap over the world had been restored, and the warrior even handily purified the Sartrean world’s environment. The millennia of pollution all vanished, and apart from the 2.3 billion Sartrean in the five days of unrest, along with thousands of large-scale residential zones, the Sartreans essentially were not hurt fundamentally.

In the very least, to the Sartrean civilization, it was ‘only’ 2.3 billion people and almost a thousand cities—it did not count as severe casualties.

“Alright.”

Beyond the Void, Joshua stared at the Sartrean world in satisfaction. “Peace has come.”

The warrior naturally did not care about the astonished and blank expressions on Zelma and the Sartre the Steel Python. Before he stopped and left, he forced all life in the world into a dormant state. Soon, Joshua would have Zelma notify a leader he believed to be reliable, hence reestablishing a Sartrean government that embodies rule and Order, pacifying the rampaging citizens.

As for the criminals, Joshua had already personally slain a group of the vilest—but if the Sartreans would not mind, he could still kill some of the most sinful since it was a mere snap of his fingers.

Even before his ascension, Joshua could control a world. Now, after his ascension and without any Legendary champion stopping him, ten billion citizens and their fleets were something to be easily destroyed or saved.

Anything that could be destroyed could be saved. When an existence carries out both such actions for another existence, their position was definitely not equal.

As for the ten billion… while it appeared many, it was in fact the sheer physical mass of ten billion people, in other words around several billion tons and nothing but a mountain. Joshua could accomplish that even in his early days as a Legend, his mass worth more than ten million tons than and naturally able to life objects thousands, perhaps a dozen thousand times his own mass.

Back on Stellaris, the spawn of the Evil God of Pestilence and the Legendary tier Void Mother was nearly a thousand kilometers in diameter, comparable to natural satellites. The Sartrean’s moon was several times smaller, but the Void Mother’s body was hollow inside, just as itself was a massive swarm of ordinary lifeforms. In terms of mass, it might be less heavy than the Sartrean moon, but Joshua could already throw its maimed form then into a gas giant, incinerating it.

At present, Joshua, who had since ascended several classes just had to ‘close his palm’ to kill it at once if it encountered the Void Mother again.

If Joshua had been a satellite-class of being before, the warrior who was now a world had the actual combat force of a star.

Crushing a moon into Steel Strength was to simply intimidate the Sartreans—Joshua could have achieved the same thing by draining substances out of the dead worlds around the Sartrean world.

Right then, Zelma, captain of the Voyager did not know if it should kneel or stay prone: every posture appeared wrong, leaving the descendant of a former Sartrean diplomat in deep doubt of its ancestor’s bloodline, while profoundly realizing why the Sartrean civilization revered the Mycroft civilization even if they themselves occupied ten worlds.

Who could stand staunchly before such majesty, and not feel humble?

Either way, Zelma could not do that.

At the moment, Joshua was speaking to Sartre the Steel Python.

“It was a dire moment. Your children were destroying themselves under the influence of an Evil God… To prevent them from wiping each other out, I could only control their mobility.”

Joshua was always willingly respectful toward Steel Pythons, even unreliable ones such as Simboa, which later become deserving of its duty after changing its ways. Now, the warrior frowned at the Steel Python that appeared unwell before him, saying quietly, “Are you affected as well?”

“Uh… yes.”

Whether Sartre was not uncomposed or too shocked, it could not speak at once. After some silence, it said softly, “I now understand the present circumstances… Thanks to you, Steel God of Mycroft, you have definitely saved my Children.”

Even if a Steel Python had been slumbering for some reason a while ago, it would become at once aware of whatever was happening on its body once it was awakened. Sartre the Steel Python had virtually personally experienced the five dark days of unrest, personally witnessing with its own eyes the outcomes as the dark emotions accumulating in the hearts of Sartreans erupted.

“They had endured it for too long. My Children had already driven their airships to soar the skies freely through the ether belt, ever yearning for the skies and the boundless seas—they are naturally born adventurers of the Void.”

The Steel Python gazed upon the world that no longer had dark clouds or acid rain, sighing deeply. “But after that war, even the Children who had long since left me had returned… I am willing to shelter them once more, but living was becoming worse here. They would not dare and are unable to enter the Void, shrinking into my body where the environment deteriorated endlessly, living they days poorly.”

The dejection, despair, sadness, and rage that piled upon the Sartrean civilization had increased over thousands of years, and conflict should have happened at any time with the possibility of self-destruction—even the Steel Python thought so.

In fact, its own body had become laden with excessive negative Soul Fragments. Along with the environmental pollution, the stagnated energy and soul cycles, it became dormant.

“But there must be a reason behind it all,” Joshua said, the Giant God staring at the Steel Python’s gray-white scales. “I wish to temporarily take over your Authority to uncover any clues behind the unrest.”

“What?!”

Sartre’s serpentine pupils widened at Joshua’s request, while its neck straightened in immeasurable shock. Soon, however, it laughed bitterly, shaking its head. “It’s fine… At least you are willing to ask for my permission—with your ability, it would have been easy for you to kick me out and find out for yourself.”

Sartre was naturally aware that should Joshua not return its Authority, it was basically a soul without form and would break down dissipate over thousands of years, perhaps quicker than that.

But so what if it was reluctant?

Would things change if it disagreed?

Sartre the Steel Python could tell that Joshua was accomplished in the aspect of Steel Strength even without observing seriously. It meant that he was an equal, or an existence beyond that could remove it… there was nothing kinder for him than to ask for it.

That was why it obediently encircled Joshua’s right hand, briefly handing its Authority and all its power unto the warrior’s body.

“Ah. Thanks.”

Sartre could tell that the Giant God of Steel was rather surprised, and smiled in gratitude. “Things would be quicker now.”

“It’s fine. It’s deserved.”

It replied, and sensed the Giant God direct that power beyond the world, combing the entire world for Chaos.

‘ Looks like he is really here to help inspect for Chaos and no other reason.’

The Steel Python could easily see through Joshua’s real intentions through their powers’ resonance. The foreigner was not interested in the Sartrean civilization at all, and he was certainly here only to pacify the Sartreans while seeking possible traces of Evil Gods or spawns of Chaos.

Be that as it may, Sartre the Steel Python could not help but sigh quietly at the depths of its own heart.

“Standing alone with great individual power and rising beyond civilization, able to enforce one’s own will over entire worlds and races.

“The arrogance of the Mycroft civilization has not changed at all even after thousands of years.”

***

Meanwhile, Joshua’s mind was considering matters completely unrelated to Chaotic presence.

Yes, his power could subjugate even worlds—much less build some houses or clean polluted environments.

The Sartreans faced greater destruction and pollution than the Mycroft civilization too. Why was he reluctant to help Mycroft, but willing to aid the Sartrean world?

It was simple: Joshua had different expectations of both.

The warrior did not care at all about the Sartreans’ civilization. He did not mind if they would survive and keep going on, to advance with their own power. He could help them step out of their difficult moment without any psychological burdens, nor the mind to sit and watch as they were thus destroyed.

Joshua could simply save or destroy them just because he liked it.

But the Mycroft civilization was different.

He certainly could swiftly fill the stomachs of hungering refugees and build shelters for the homeless. He could get rid of all pollution, disaster and manmade disaster. Joshua’s productivity alone could spare most of civilization from worrying about their basic needs.

That being said, how was that different with setting a fence around domesticated animals?

A single-sided providing was not a normal relationship for both sides. The normal ones would simply sit back and enjoy, and after they had adapted to that lifestyle, they would feel uncomfortable or unsettled if the Champions did not keep providing for them… Most importantly, it was excessively wasteful.

Take Joshua for example: his very strength could break worlds and or flip day and night, and it was right for him to use that power to fight the Evil Gods, as well as any hostile civilizations or Void Behemoths. Should he used it for instilling Order upon primitive societies, things would end up like it did for the Sartrean world now: none would have their own voice or opinion, for Joshua’s power would make him the absolute Truth.

It was definitely bad for a civilization, and was as wasteful as digging a well with a hydrogen bomb.

“I need comrades, not deadweight.”

Joshua could not help remembering the Sage at that thought, the champion who advanced alone to the center of the Multiverse.

“What I need are not malformed civilization that could only move forward by relying on other powerful beings, but beings that could walk steadily and stand by my side.”

Joshua himself had experienced Great Unity, an age jointly established after the Third World War by the Earth Federation Government, which in turn was formed by various national governments. The perfection and peace of countless people’s dreams were realized, and it was a time when everyone could obtain happiness.

Although Joshua yearned for battle and conflict that actuates his self-worth, he had to admit that that peaceful time was the most blissful and greatest for humankind.

That era, however, was not one that could be brought forth by a champion. It was a paradise on Earth forged by the diligence of countless people, military men, scientific researchers, politicians, and even the normal people.

It was precisely because Joshua was aware of the so-called correct answer and the era of Great Unity that he was reluctant did as the Sage had done in the Glorious Era, to use individual power and ‘excessively’ care for civilization as if babysitting.

A little aid was enough. He should not be doing nothing either or his purpose as a champion would be nonexistent, just as he should not do too much that civilization’s talent and power could not be realized.

“A complicated, entangling thought.”

Through the power of Sartre the Steel Python, Joshua, who was briefly the Lord of the Sartrean Word sighed deeply. “Civilization, to be cared for and to be let loose… how complex.”