By now it was dawn, and Joshua was about to send some men to look for David, but just then, he saw David walking out of the forest holding a huge sword while shouting: “I caught twenty-eight of them, they are all knocked out and lying in the woods, should we send someone to drag them all back?”
His father rushed forward to hug David and said: “How could you have captured so many giant warriors?”
David looked up and smiled. “God’s emissary has been guiding me and telling me where those enemies were hiding.”
……
The one who guided David was Metatro. Amon vaguely “heard” the prayers of the Ducians while in the Garden of Eden, and he immediately sent Metatro to check the situation. Soon after the departure of Metatro, sitting in the belly of the mountain, Amon suddenly frowned again. While constructing the magic spatial formation with Geshtinanna, Lynk heard Amon’s voice: “I am a little worried about Metatro, so Lynk, you will go to the Plains of Duc as well.”
Metatro was fast and arrived at the site of the battle between the miners and the giant soldiers before midnight. By now the fighting had stopped, and the twelve Judges were leading the miners to search for the fleeing giant warriors in the dense forest. David, who had entered the dense forest alone with a machete, started using detection magic as he went in pursuit of the enemies.
In the darkness of the night within the overgrown wilderness, the giant warriors simply could not find their way around. Even if they wanted to run, they could not run far, so they could only hide in a corner to wait for dawn to arrive. But a mage could use detection magic to see their surroundings clearly and move around unimpeded in the darkness.
The reason why Metatro chose David to be his disciple among so many others, was because the child’s possessed great innate talent. Not only did he possess the bloodline of the Ducians, but he was also intelligent and extremely perceptive. Furthermore, even though he experienced many hardships at a young age, he did not lose hope and was always full of courage and fighting spirit.
In some ways, this child was even stronger than Amon back then. Amon may not be the most outstanding of the youngsters in Duc back then, but Crazy’Ole had his eye on Amon. At this time, David was not yet sixteen years old, but he already achieved the fifth level of the power of two sides, which was quite amazing.
Of course, achievements could not be completely measured by age. This was just the starting foundation, and it could not represent the ending point that one could reach. For example, the scroll master Nero became a supreme mage in his early twenties, but at the end of his life, he remained as a seventh-level mage. Even a genius like Crazy’Ole ultimately did not break through to the ninth level of achievement.
When Metatro found David, he was creeping towards three giant warriors that he just located. Circling to their backs in the darkness, he struck suddenly and knocked them out without making much noise instead of fighting with those powerful giants indiscriminately. Metatro was very happy to see his disciple’s achievements today, so he secretly pointed out to David what other giant warriors were hiding nearby.
David suddenly heard Metatro’s voice, and accompanying the sound were strange images directly sent into the mind, showing the hiding place of the giant warriors, even their body postures could be seen. David was kept busy until dawn, and only when the last giant warrior was finally subdued did he return to the camp.
……
Metatro watched David walk back to the clan and finally breathed a sigh of relief. Standing on the crystal shuttle, he stretched his arms in the rising morning light. He flew in the sky all night long, then immediately searched the dense forest with detection magic before using message magic to “transmit” the hiding places of the giant warriors directly to David, and he was a little tired now.
However, before he was done with his stretching, his body tensed up inexplicably. The cloud-like crystal shuttle instantly transformed into a cloud of mist, countless sharp ice crystals condensed out of thin air and pointed in all directions, and Metatro gathered his magical power. He slowly turned around, only to feel the blinding light from the sunrise. Squinting his eyes, he saw a man shrouded in flames.
His whole body emitted flames, but Metatro could not see his face, because he was standing between Metatro and the rising sun, and the light from the flames also turned into the form of wings.
“Who are you?” The man spoke. Hearing his voice, there was an inexplicable sensation of being burned in Metatro’s head.
Sensing the powerful aura of this man, Metatro slowly drew out the Key of Destiny, a long spear whose tip shone with a golden glow, like the morning dew that was evaporating in the sun. He asked coldly in return: “That’s the question I was going to ask you, why are you here?”
The man replied: “I am Kibir, the fiery god of Anunnaki, the emissary of Enlil, and who are you?”
Metatro suddenly laughed, even whistled frivolously, before replying: “Oh, so that’s it! No wonder those giant warriors happened to cut off the path of the Duc miners in this thousand-mile wilderness, it was you who had been secretly guiding them all along.”
Metatro had a habit or characteristic, and that was, the more nervous he was the more relaxed he would appear, the more stressful or more dangerous the situation was, the more frivolous he would behave. Facing the powerful Kibir, he was not certain of victory.
No wonder Koria was able to lead his men from the Euphrates Valley into the Plains of Duc and find the Duc miners. The lord of Enlil City, Felix, had most likely sent such a team due to the guidance of this divine emissary Kibir. The true gods who transcend eternal life usually do not do the dirty work themselves, and due to some special covenants between the gods, they generally can not deal with mortals directly but can send their emissaries to complete some tasks.
Metatro had dealt with the divine emissaries of the Ennead, and now this Kibir used similar tactics, directing an army in Enlil City to intercept the Ducians. If nothing else, it would have been a perfect surprise attack, but unfortunately, no one expected that the Ducians would be so strong that they would be able to take out all of Koria’s army!
Kibir watched Koria arrive at his destination accurately and left at that time. His mission had been completed, and the rest had nothing to do with him. A high and mighty divine emissary usually did not participate in the battles of the mortals, as no one could guarantee that they would not encounter any unexpected situation. Once might be fine but if one does it a dozen times, trouble might show up. Even if there is only one percent of the possibility of injury, no one can guarantee one’s safety after a hundred fights. If the emissaries always got personally involved in the battles, then over the long years, most of the emissaries would have perished.
But today’s situation was a bit special. Kibir just left a short time ago, and he suddenly perceived that something had happened to the two mages under Koria. When Kibir rushed back to check, Koria’s force had been decimated. Furthermore, he found a person of suspicious status in the sky, supposedly another divine emissary, and could not resist showing up.
Hearing Metatro whistling and talking, Kibir said angrily: “Which god’s emissary are you? Knowing that I am here on a mission by the order of the Great God Enlil, how dare you make trouble!”
Metatro waved the golden spear in his hand and said with a smile: “I’m afraid that your knowledge of this area is lacking, don’t you know that this is the territory of Salem? The city of Salem is dedicated to God Amon and Goddess Mourrin, and I am the emissary of God Amon. To think that the great and noble god, Enlil, actually sent you to do this kind of murdering and kidnapping? Your mission is over, and those giant warriors have had their deserved end. They probably can’t imagine that the gods are guiding them to their death!”
Kibir coldly shouted: “The reason why Koria died was due to his arrogance and incompetence! The gods have their own principles, they will give the mortals guidance, but will not do everything in the mortals’ stead. You have also completed your mission, but you should not insult another divine emissary in his face. As far as I know, Amon did not join the Anunnaki divine clan, you and I are not emissaries of the same divine clan, so I am allowed to kill you!”
The golden spear in Metatro’s hand no longer moved, held steady in his hands, while the crystal shuttle beneath his feet transformed into a huge white flower. He stood on the flower and said in a solemn voice: “Want to fight with me? Then bring it on! I have been on the battlefield where I fought the continent’s number one warrior, Enkidu, and I witnessed his fall with my own eyes.”
Kibir suddenly reached out his hands, pulling a belt of light out from thin air. Waving it forward, the light transformed into burning flames, and the golden light behind him also turned into countless wings of fire, extending forward towards Metatro. Metatro could only feel his surroundings engulfed in flames, and he could no longer see his opponent.
The outer petals of the giant white flower unfolded, disappearing and melting in the flames, but quickly growing and spreading again, resisting the fire wings, while the inner petals gathered and wrapped around Metatro’s body, turning into an ice-crystal-like armor to repel the fiery aura as he struggled to swing the Key of Destiny forward.
The sharp golden light slashed through, and the sky parted with a dark gap in the light. Kibir’s figure was revealed in the gap, his face full of amazement as he did not expect Metatro’s weapon to be so powerful. He occupied a favorable position, and with his back to the rising sun, he was able to unleash the full power of the fire wings, and he was originally confident that Metatro would not be able to fight back but only struggle to defend himself.
Unexpectedly, the golden spear could cut through the light and darkness, although it did not change the power of Kibir’s fire wings. The flames on both sides of the gap became even stronger, but the cut in the middle of the gap was cool. Kibir hurriedly bowed his body and reaching out with his hand for a tug from the side, the red light of the flames condensed into a huge shield.
Golden light stabbed on the shield, causing an explosion of energy, and the two were unable to see each other clearly at this moment.
In the distant camp, Joshua and others were ordering those captured giant warriors to stand in line with their hands tied behind their backs. Suddenly, an explosion of golden light even brighter than the sun appeared high up in the sky. Everyone was momentarily blinded, but when they squinted their eyes to see what was happening, they could not see anything unusual except for a white cloud gently floating in the sky.
Metatro and Kibir both concealed their forms, and they were invisible to the people on the ground, but during the moment of the fierce exchange, they could not help but reveal themselves partially.
As golden light exploded, Metatro stepped on the white flower and flew backward while also swinging the Key of Destiny backward, cutting a path through the flames. He wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to escape from being surrounded by the opponent’s fire wings. Just then, the pervasive scorching heat suddenly disappeared, and when Metatro looked up, he saw the rising sun, and Kibir was surprisingly gone.
Metatro was a little bewildered, they only fought one round, but obviously, Kibir’s was much more powerful. After the two sides have tested each other’s strength, Kibir clearly had the upper hand, so why did he suddenly disappear?
Just as he frowned, he saw a shuttle shooting towards him, and Lynk’s voice shouted from afar: “Metatro, are you okay? Who did you fight with just now, you nearly got cooked!”
Metatro wiped his cold sweat and shouted while panting: “What cooked? Didn’t you see how I scared him away with one strike!”
Lynk had flown near him by now, and he said with a smile: “Look at the crystal shuttle under your feet, the hot air has yet to dissipate. It was obviously because I had arrived, and he was scared away by me! Who is that by the way, so powerful? If I hadn’t come, I’m afraid you wouldn’t have been able to withstand it alone.”
Metatro rebuked: “You never forget to brag no matter when. It was me who fought with him! This guy is a divine emissary under Enlil, the fiery god Kibir of Anunnaki.”
Lynk sucked in a cold breath, no longer joking, and asked with his mouth open: “Kibir? He and the ash god Nugus are the two great generals under Enlil, not ordinary small fry, to think that you would encounter him! If I did not come, you would have lost. So how’s the strength of this legendary war general?”
Metatro replied: “Definitely stronger than me, he placed himself in an advantageous position before I noticed, and by then he had already gathered the power of his fire wings, striking when he thought that he could take care of me in a single blow. But he did not expect me to counterattack, and if he were to kill me, he himself would be seriously injured!”
Lynk patted his shoulder: “No wonder God Amon was worried and asked me to meet you, I almost couldn’t see you anymore!”
Metatro kicked him not too lightly. “Can’t you say something nice? It was the two of us who scared away the fiery god! …To be honest, if you did not come, I was prepared to run away. Only if that was not an option would I truly fight him. This guy’s wings of flames are really powerful, and he also had the best position with his back to the sun. When I go back I have to think more about what happened!”
Lynk comforted: “It’s good that everything is fine, the two of us combined may not be able to defeat him. He just found out that you are not without the power to fight back and did not want to take the risk, that’s why he left. God Amon sent you to see the situation of the Ducians, how is it going over there?”
Metatro pointed to the far path: “Something cropped up but it’s all good. Enlil City sent an army of giants to intercept the Ducians and the guards escorting them from Salem were no match, but the twelve Judges and David took care of them and are now preparing to continue the journey with the captives.”
Lynk nodded: “God Amon is wise, let’s also follow behind and watch quietly, they will be safe when they reach Salem.”
Lynk put away his shuttle and jumped on the crystal shuttle, and Metatro controlled this white cloud to fly towards the direction of Salem. Suddenly, his body swayed, and the cloud under his feet almost scattered. Lynk gave him a hand in time to stabilize the white cloud and asked in surprise: “What’s wrong with you, are you injured?”
Metatro grabbed Lynk’s arm and replied in somewhat of a shock: “No, not injured, maybe I used too much magical power in that exchange just now, I suddenly feel very weak. …That’s not right, I shouldn’t be feeling so weak!”
Lynk looked at Metatro and suddenly thought of something, his eyes showing a look of envy: “So God Amon called me to come, not because he knew that you would meet Kibir, but because he was worried about your current condition. Metatro, your test has come, actually faster than me! Let me send you back to the Garden of Eden right now.”
For Amon’s head disciple, Metatro, to encounter the test of losing power also meant that he would soon break through to the eighth level of achievement. Lynk brought him back to the Garden of Eden, where Amon asked about his situation, before telling him: “You don’t have to worry about anything, just continue your training in the Garden of Eden as before. When you have time, build some houses and plant some gardens. Forget the power you once had, and forget that you lost it. If you can do this and remain unchanged, this test will naturally pass.”
……
Metatro stayed in the Garden of Eden, while Joshua and other Ducians arrived safely in Salem and were stunned to see that a magnificent city had been built on their homeland. When they entered the city, the original site of the town of Duc was still empty, except for a courtyard and a small building that looked very familiar. Aesop told them that it was the former home of God Amon built by himself. Joshua and the others could now continue to build their homes, and everything needed was prepared.
The city of Salem was also looking forward to the early arrival of the miners of Duc, as many things needed their help. The first and most urgent thing was that the parangons in Aesop’s possession were almost used up.
Lynk obtained the treasures of the goddess Mourrin, so how could Aesop lack parangons? Mourrin’s treasures were all special parangons, Amon also needed special parangons for building the Garden of Eden, and the consumption of ordinary parangons was even greater. For example, the cold spring in the Garden of Eden required an Aquaticore and twenty ordinary parangons.
Parangons were not only the universal currency on the continent, they were also materials for crafting artifacts and for the construction of magical formations. Although Salem had yet to construct a defensive formation on its city walls, Aesop built two forts between Salem and Enlil City, and the magical formations constructed for the forts had used up almost all the ordinary parangons and a large part of the special parangons in stock.
These two forts, which were also battle fortresses, were located on both sides of the road leading from Salem to the northern mountains, and each of them could garrison nearly a thousand soldiers. They not only guarded the road to the mines but also guarded the large farm fields outside the city. If Enlil City wanted to launch an attack on Salem, these two forts must be removed before they could siege the city, or else the army would be attacked from its rear when it attacks Salem.
These two forts were the top important projects of Salem in the past six months. Another important project was naturally the opening of the trade route in the Charcoal Marsh, but that work had been completed by Amon and the city of Syah on their behalf.
A group of special parangons was still in Aesop’s hands, and the quantity was not too much, it was specially left to him by Amon, and was not to be used easily. It was the wealth reserve of the city, and in the future, it would be necessary to buy strategic supplies through the trade route. In the past few years, during the construction of Salem, although large areas of land had been developed, and the city had built a lot of workshops, Aesop had also been incurring immense amounts of expenses.
This place was where all the parangons came from, there were many miners in the mines extracting parangons, and after such a long time, quite a lot of parangons had been produced, but there was just one problem.
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