Soul of Searing Steel

In most cases, the word 'adventurer' was not actually one with positive meaning.

In the not too distant past of conservativeness and simplicity, the word 'adventuring' was actually discriminated against—it had meant that the person involved in such activity did not possess a stable income or a steady lifestyle, and was even forced to do things that they did not have a handle of. Adventurers were therefore simply categorized as no different from the uncouth, the unethical, the unconventional gambits, and those who simply enjoyed risks: inelegant and disliked.

However, since conservativeness meant a wanting for the constant, the changes and upheavals that were decreasing in eras of stability meant that more and more people were compelled to or would voluntary seek change, thereby becoming adventurers. In turn, adventuring changed from a poorly and belittled path to a wonderful worthy matter that the newcomers would pride themselves over. And amidst such change in the fabric of society and turning of cultural dissemination, the word adventurer eventually became a pronoun for beings pursuing glory and wealth by assuming unconventional journeys and exploration.

Still, that was certainly far from having a positive meaning—most of the time, pursuing wealth and glory meant not having both of those things even to date. Moreover, coupled with the fact that there were certainly adventurers who would occasionally make cameos as robbers, they remained a group that were still ambiguous in the eyes of the public, and were at most praiseworthy for the fact that they were 'lively'.

With the turning of times, the definition of adventurers was also frequently liable to change. Even so, that word could never escape association with the trait of being opportunistic and the attribute of gamble—it was ever ambiguous, at once prompting interest as well as belittlement.

If that was the case, when were the 'rare occasions' where the term could be considered one of positiveness?

That answer would be right now, in the time when one would die without braving dangers.

[Making a living in desolated environments where dangers lurked everywhere, to survive at the end of the road where death is all but fated.]

[To seek an escape from the darkest underground cavern, to gain a trace of light within the silent and enclosed darkness.]

That was a part of being an adventurer as well.

***

It was the twentieth of May, Starfall year 860. 19 minutes past 3 in the afternoon, Mycroft Standard Time.

The Babel Void Tower, the West Barnett Highlands of the Empire, the world of Mycroft.

With the deafening rumble of an electromagnetic accelerator tower, Void warships were moving around, almost covering the entire surface of the highlands as if it required no cost. The production installation there had crafted moving steel that stretched as far as the eye could see, which would launch into the Void soon after their manufacture—one could say that the number of warships taking off through the Babel Void Tower and into the Void every hour could very well be more than what ordinary Void civilizations could produce.

The production flow that very much resembled dark technology was working at full capacity, with Mycroft civilization converting basic resources to high-grade resources, with the only thing keeping them in check was the output resource along with the population that would be steering them.

That was also the greatest limiting factor.

"It is still not enough."

Arlwa Diamond, Prince of the Empire and Chief Supervisor of the West Barnett Void installation, gazed upon the peerlessly profound sight of countless warships entering space as a single group. But unlike others who were left in astonishment, he breathed a sigh instead. "The population is far from enough."

And that was fact: the entire Mycroft civilization had done everything to implement a more tolerant approach in policies—encouraging childbirth, lowering legal marriageable ages to sixteen or even fourteen in certain regions, adopting a welcoming attitude in cultural teachings, as well as providing comprehensive education for all. But one way or another, after exhausting every resource with the intent of having the fertile be productive, the population growth rate did not show any overly distinct signs of increase.

Even after almost twenty years had passed, the population of the Mycroft civilization had merely increased by a few decimals to up to seven billion… one should also note that it was a society where all civilizations did not have to worry about basic needs, just as the average lifespan was on the rise. Reasonably speaking, the rate of childbirth should have been increasing drastically, but it remained that it simply was not how population growth was counted.

Arlwa could not hold back a pained laugh, even if seven billion sounded numerous. "The population in any single colony world of the other civilizations would exceed that number."

After all, the Mycroft civilization was different because it was nurtured through the uncovered data from an older era and their many Legendary champions. Other Void civilizations had entered space for thousands, if not for dozens of thousands of years—even without advanced technology, the sheer accumulation of time would be able to pile pressure. Moreover, when it came to war, populations were the most important resource.

"We have popularized divine armaments, allowing almost one-thirds of the Mycroft population to be individuals of dual existences—that way, even if the population reaches ten billion, while also including improved artificial intelligence processing along with the assistance of puppets, a few hundred individuals is all it takes to operate a single Dreadnought-class battleship, when it would have previously needed dozens more."

Turning his eyes away from the Void warships that were launching amidst rumbling over the Void Tower, Arlwa looked towards his friends who were having tea in his own office, shaking his head. "But even calculating that would mean that the Void civilization has a population of several trillion civilians—the older Void civilizations with over twenty colony worlds would be able to muster such numbers offhandedly, and that is also the figure after assuming every Mycroft individual is military."

"And to speak freely, what are you running those numbers for?"

The silhouette could not help but look up at those words, glancing at the frowning and ruminating Arlwa in slight curiosity. "The combat might of the entire Multiverse is not dependent on civilians or the number of warships. We may be understaffed, but we have many Legendary champions."

"If we were to count one Legendary champion as an entire armada of fully crewed Void warships, our combat ability would instantly multiply by ten times—and that is without accounting for the power of High or Ultimate Legends, because they cannot be graded by the number of warships in the first place."

"And you are being quite optimistic, Priest." Arlwa could not hold back a grin after listening to his opinion. "Even so, the fact that Legendary champions increase with the population still stands."

"That is true, but it is not like there is any other option apart from being optimistic. After all, isn't it simply looking for trouble if you are not optimistic when running into trouble while adventuring?"

As he spoke, Priest sighed softly and turned towards the other four inside the office—his teammates who were enjoying Arlwa's royal collection—and all smiled knowingly. "On the other hand, if you keep making a long face, some Evil God of Graveness or Evil God of Worry might just pop out. But all that aside, why did you ask for all of us?" he asked interestedly. "Or is this just an invitation for some tea?"

"You really have a way with us."

Arlwa did not have the strength to spare and retort Priest's merrymaking, and simply raised a hand, take a look at the time before saying lazily, "It certainly wasn't an invitation for tea time… there's something important for both you and I. Ah, they're here."

Then, while the Elite Party were considering what actually passed as 'important', there was a very distinct dimensional surge in the office. Veins of blue radiance hence opened as portals, with several individuals whose presence were raging tides of energy and whom did not hide any of their presences stepping out of thin air, entering the room!

The first to arrive was the Legendary dimensional mage Nostradamus, followed by one of the Seven Gods—the God of Might and Justice. Right on their heels were the other six gods, the Murloc High Priest, the Nature Magister, the Rune Master, and the Mind Lord… along with other Legendary champions such as Brandon and Roland who were present with clones as their true forms were still in the faraway galaxy of Piroth, as well as Miss Zero Three and the Ancient Dragon of Thunder. Either way, every other Legendary champion and god who could personally be there had come, entering the office within a brief ten seconds!

The patron gods of the murlocs and the metal dragons had come as well, with several metal dragon elders making an unprecedented public appearance—the stunning sight left the members of the Elite Party frozen, unable to decide if they should rise or put down their teacups first.

With dozens of Legends and True Gods watching them, they felt as if anything they would do was inappropriate—just as they could not do a thing.

"Wow…"

What a profound sight! Priest thought to himself, gulping nervously, even if he was the apprentice of a Legendary champion who often fought wild Legends, and even if he had personally witnessed a battle against an Evil God from close range.

From a single class, every single elite champion from the Mycroft civilization, apart from that man, were gathered in one place in that very moment!

And from the looks of things, they appeared to be here for themselves…for the Elite Party!

What the heck was going on?

Priest notwithstanding, every other member of the Elite Party was also trying to send signals to Arlwa, but it appears that the prince himself was stunned as well. He probably was not aware that he would be hosting so many Legendary champions in his office—he had probably been informed that it would be a meeting between the Legendary champions and the Elite Party, in the hopes that information regarding the information itself was not leaked.

However, despite how imposing the sight itself had been, the champions did not at once speak to Priest and the others, and instead exchanged information that were too inconvenient too be sent over the Mana Net.

"The frontlines are still steady at present—the main body of the Evil Gods have yet to arrive, but the advance legions of Evil God spawns did. Roland is leading the first wave of engagement along the fortress, and the damage is still within the range of what's acceptable."

The first to speak was a beautiful youth with blue hair. It appeared that Merlin, the God of Order and Destruction, had no inclination for maintaining secrecy—after having set up a bounded field reaching throughout the office, he summoned a screen displaying a map of the Void in the air, before continuing, "Look, everyone. That was the battlefield after the first exchange: the legion of Evil God minions had destroyed seven permanent fortresses, although all of them were fully decimated, and the destroyed fortresses could be reused after some disinfecting."

One could see a chaotic battlefield in the Void, with the wreckages of thousands of warships strewn over the planetary sector and lingering over the dimensional turbulences. The erratic energy left the entire screen itself in a blur, and only those with greatest ability could discern the fully-armed and still-running fortresses out of the blurred shrouds of energy.

"But look."

Casting his divine might again, Merlin extended his hand to wipe off the shroud over the display, and actually enfolded the radiant energy that the many fortresses were emanating. He clicked on a seemingly empty darkness, before enlarging the display itself.

"All of those destroyed Evil God spawns were actually only the first wave—their scouts."

In the display, one could see an even greater darkness overflowing in a darkness that appeared to contain nothing within—it was a curtain of gloom with no horizon in sight even in the Void and was pouring towards the screen itself, unconcerned if those moving up front would be destroyed in turn.

"Evil Gods are not self-aware. If a world was a single person, every single move they would make would be mobile and powerful sources of infection and extremely dangerous radioactive dischargers. In turn, their spawns would be bacteria that invade the body of the person, with radioactivity capable of killing cells."

It was Barbarossa speaking now, after having recently busied himself with research and adding to his personality ability. Now, furrowing his brow, he quietly said, "And that is why if our first encounter and the first impact we felt was valued at '1', the real forward legion of Evil God spawns would be '50'. In that respect, the value of their entire legion would be '100', but being the source of all radiation, the collective assault of the Evil Gods holds 'inestimable' value."

"On the other hand, the fortress chain in the Piroth galaxy would be able to repel an attack ranging from '1' up to '100', with the perimeter we did our best to build able to handle a maximum assault value of '125'. That being said, it is just a projection, because the oncoming assault of Evil God spawns would be without end. Likewise, no one could actually be sure that there would not be many Legendary-tier spawns such as the specimens noted in Stellaris."

Thanks to the influence of the Demi Saint known as the Ultimate Sublimator Collective, the spawn of the Evil God of Pestilence could easily grow into Legendary-tier Void Mother and other Void Tyrant-class creatures, but from the looks of things at the moment, it appeared that even the Evil Gods had barely any Legendary-tier spawns, with any present being one of those minor few exceptions.

However, the existence of Demi Saint Evil Gods had long since been ascertained. After all, who could now be sure that those greater of Evil Gods had not grown an entire Chaos horde of Legendary-tier spawns?

"The fortress chains in the Piroth Galaxy is definitely not going to hold."

Ezerg, the God of Conservation and Reformation, spoke ever so flatly while fidgeting with a smoking pipe between his fingers, neither putting it between his lips nor ceasing the twirling. "According to the information I have previously exchanged with Joshua," the dwarven deity said with apathy, "the Demi Saint—the Ultimate Sublimator Collective—had confirmed that there would definitely be Demi-Saint Evil Gods amongst the horde of ruin who would put an end to eras. In other words, they are Evil Gods akin to Fertility and Upheaval, monsters whose radiation could tear through entire galaxies even as they pass by."

"Stopping ordinary Evil Gods notwithstanding, the garrison stationed at the Piroth galaxy fortress chains would definitely be wiped out on the spot once Chaos of such scale show their face."

"That being said, the fortress chain in the Piroth galaxy is necessary. Without such a sector acting as a buffer, the fragile and loose rear of the cosmos would not even allow the time to fall back or actually make a plan."

The Nature Magister could hardly conceal her fatigue—she had recently remained in the Ether Ring World, spreading seeds that were artificially enhanced in the realm with a surface a million times larger than standard worlds, creating a natural environment. It was considered difficult even for a Legendary champion, but she would do all she could where her duty dictated. So, mustering her spirit at the moment, the Nature Magister said, "Even if it was just an assault by scouts and advance troops and due to the factor of incompatibility, the first contact still ended with the fall of seven forts. It is therefore hardly imaginable how profound the destruction would be when things escalate to an all-out war. "

"Or, that is too say…sending armies to their deaths?"

With the cost of some lives, to buy enough time to react for the organization known as the Cosmic Civilizations Alliance, which was at once massive yet loosely arranged, allowing them to fully assume battle stations…or simply to retreat?

"No. It is sacrifice."

The God of Love and Death, a deity who was likewise elf replied, her expression remaining calm with no sign of fetter. "Of the Seven Gods, myself, the God of Law and Freedom, as well as the God of Wisdom and Choice would head for the frontlines soon, alongside several other deities of foreign civilizations. We will stand guard upon the fortress chain of the Piroth galaxy, and with True Gods like us standing guard, the assault of the Evil God spawns would not be unstoppable."

"But what about the majority of the Evil God legion?"

In a corner, Hernvallo the Ninth, the Queen of the Elves could not stop herself from asking—being a fellow elf, she appeared to have an inkling of Yolanda's decision, and her own questioning was simply out of reflex.

"We would assume the state of Divine Death when the time comes, and would exert our greatest power to probe the limits to the Evil Gods' power…and also as to whether the Demi Saint Evil Gods would be making a move, or how many of them would be striking out if they do."

Without any sign of hesitation, pause, or even fluctuation in her cool speech, the God of Love and Death spoke ironically about demise while looking around at the stunned middle-aged individuals around herself. "Don't give me that look. The number of mortals who would be dying would probably outnumber gods by trillions to one. In that war, even Legendary champions would be broken like tree branches in a storm, and the gods would be no different—it is just that I had chosen to imbue greater value unto the moment of my parting."

"This is the advent of Chaos, an enemy we have feared and waited for thousands of years. Now that things have come to this, there is no longer a thing to be scared about."

Meanwhile, the members of the Elite Party who were too scared to even make a sound, much less interrupt the conversation, were all left in utter shock alongside Arlwa, who were all sitting where they were like stone sculptures.

Beings whose existences seemed perpetual to mortals were planning deaths so simply…whether their own or others, as if it was all nothing to them.

So, was that being god? A profound being that was not human, an ultimate and Extraordinary existence surpassing most definitions of Legends…

"What? Stop being so shocked, young man."

Turning his head, Ezerg glanced at Preist who was wearing an unnatural visage and laughed heartily, before the God of Conservation and Reformation then moved beside the youth and gave him a friendly clap on his shoulder. "You don't have to be so nervous. We are shadows who should have departed thousands of years ago—still, since we're still here, we should let out the lingering warmth, or we would simply burnt out like coal if we were to simply like this for another few hundred or thousand of years, with nothing left but ashes."

"But you lot are different. All of you are still brimming with youthful vigor and hope."

Even if Priest thought himself to be bold and could stand up against Legendary monsters as well, he felt his brain going blank with a True God giving him such friendly body contact. It was after Ezerg had finished that he realized somewhat about why the Legends and gods would ask for them—a Supreme-tier party of explorers—and were also revealing so much secret information.

"Could it be that…because many elite combat forces are going to be lost anyway, the leaders are planning to groom some sufficiently talented and loyal individuals as new Legends?"

It was not self-flattery, but in just innate talent and loyalty to civilizations alone, Priest was ready to provide assurance that he and his party was absolute, or they would not have otherwise been trained all along from back when they were a group of ordinary explorers to this moment, even winning first place for the Gold-tier group category in the first edition of the Cosmic Invitationals competition.

They definitely possessed the talent to become Legends.

But could it really be so simple?

With them being five candidates to become future Legends, there would be ten if they included Arlwa and the First Party. Still, even if having ten new Legends sounded frightening and imposing, Priest was certain, after having truly seen High Legends fight, that an Ultimate Legend like his mentor could simply destroy all of them with a thumb.

His mentor slayed Evil Gods like poultry, and Legends as if squishing an ant—in the world of the Extraordinary, the effectiveness of piling numbers was far less superior than adding quality.

"Nevertheless, I have already prepared myself."

Time did not pass much in the real world despite the multitude of thoughts flowing through his mind. Priest shook his head and got rid of all those random thoughts, muttering softly to himself, "I am mentally prepared, whether to head out for the frontlines or going off to scout the zones occupied by the Evil God legions…I just need to inform Sol and Britney, and have someone who would help take care of things afterwards."

Being the pupil of a Legendary champion, or indeed the most powerful individual amongst Legends, everyone including Priest, Arlwa, the First Party, as well as the Drakonid girl's trio were mentally prepared to shoulder a responsibility fitting for their own positions.

It was not something they should avoid. They had been provided resources far more excellent than most others, receiving instruction and guidance from the most powerful—it was therefore only natural that they would become champions and be able to shoulder responsibility of the powerful.

Even if his teammates were not actually pupils of his own mentor, the years of provisioning meant that they benefited even more than actual pupils: Constantine himself also worked part-time with Joshua's organization for physical modifications, Wayne had been the disciple of one of Master Nostradamus's own disciples, whereas Said and Clark were rare prodigies of the Seven Gods and an honored graduate of Victor College. All of them had received kindness from the world, with everyone placing their hopes upon them, while all of them willingly accepted the kindness and the expectation.

That was why it was time that they made their own contribution.

Nonetheless, what the God of Might and Justice said next left them utterly stunned once again.

"Priest Omni. You are hereby appointed captain of the great ark Spark, and the marshal of the Voyager Fleet. Every member of the Elite Party would be also be joining you."

The human silhouette emanating golden divine light spoke with the irrefusable tone of an emperor that Priest was all-too familiar with, before turning towards the progeny he had birthed during his time as a human. "Arlwa Diamond, you are henceforth appointed the captain of the ecological vessel Glimmer, and marshal of the Wanderer Fleet. Every member of the First Party would be also be joining you."

"From this day forth, every task and information all of you hold would hence be encrypted. In three minutes, all of you essentially no longer exist here in this world, with no traces of information about any of you anywhere, save for the Unified Archives."

Wait. The great ark? The Voyager Fleet? The ecological vessel? The Wanderer Fleet?

Both Priest and Arlwa were left dumbfounded. The very sound of those names and titles were unusual right when they heard it, with the young warrior asking out in reflex, "Your Majesty…what does that actually mean?"

"It means that all of you are sparks."

The gaze of the God of Might and Justice twitched as He said softly, "That is your duty for the rest of your lives."

"But I am willing to join the frontlines!"

For some reason, Priest was seething angrily with his brow screwed tightly even in the company of Legends and gods. "Your Majesty…I am the apprentice of Radcliffe…the apprentice of a warrior! I do not fear death or the Evil Gods—I am brave! I can shoulder my duty!"

Do not simply give me some preferntial treatment just because I am his pupil…I do not need any of them at all!

"Yes, our leader is right. After having faced so many powerful threats, the brow on us members of the Elite Party would not even twitch at the prospect of scouting the Evil God's horde!"

In a corner, Clark the Rider, who had the strongest nerves, quickly follow-up. Though he appeared to be upset as well, it was the dissatisfaction of self-worth after being levied deliberate preferential treatment.

Meanwhile, Arlwa did not say a word at first. He watched his father for a long time instead, before saying quietly, "I still remember the day over a dozen years ago when you brought Dimore and I in a journey across the Empire, instructing us in what was duty and courage."

"I have never forgotten that. And likewise, I do not need preferential treatment either, Your Majesty."

Every Legend and god at the scene glanced at each other at those words but said nothing, while the God of Might and Justice looked up slightly, looking around at the rascals who were showing that they were upset and protesting before laughing.

"Isn't this very courageous?"

The god grinned. "Perhaps all of you might not understand this, but compared to stepping forward, taking a step back needs even more courage and assumes greater risk."

Extending his hand as if to silence all of those present who still had much to say, the God of Might and Justice then continued calmly, "Do all of you believe this to be preferential treatment? Then all of you are completely mistaken. This is, in fact, the hardest task—do not think that being a spark is an easy task, because we don't have such cushy positions for hardened steel such as you."

"To advance, all you have to do is grit your teeth—you don't even have to think to depend on that boldness in your chest to charge headlong, throwing away any thoughts of deaths or despair using that rush. On the other hand, retreating is different, and even more so for some little rascals when they have to lead others away."

"Every single one of you would live your lives cautiously against the fear of becoming too relaxed and lazy, because all of you know that the path you assume is the one where you are running away. With every step you take, you will be tormented by the anguish called duty and expectation, and, should a mistake be made, suffer ten times the guilt than if you had advanced—whether that mistake is your own or another's."

"All that it takes to advance is probably just a big heart, while what it takes to fall back is a heart that is diligently prudent, and an unyielding heart even after a hundred tribulations."

With that, the God of Might and Justice clasped his hand behind his back and turned away from everyone. "It is certainly a little forced for Arlwa," he added calmly, "but you are definitely the best man, Priest. All of us are aware that you have chosen the way of the guardian, and that you absolutely understood the truth about protecting: to not disappoint the expectations and protect the fate of the countless lives under your watch. And now, a great ark and an entire exploration party, along with the fate of millions, are entrusted into your hands."

"Rather than blindly venting your courage, think more carefully about how you would become a leader who excels."

***

The God of Might and Justice left, having much on his plate and an appointment with the Triple Curtain of Stellaris coming soon. He would also be greeting the gods of Emotion Power, and likewise, after delegating some of the important matters, the other Legends and gods also left one after another.

Be that as it may, everyone smiled and conveyed their blessings to Arlwa and the Elite Party before leaving, all of whom were still remaining blankly where they were. It was only until it was Nostradamus and Ezerg the God of Conservation and Reformation's turn that the two champions took their time to speak more to the young ones.

"This is the burden that all of you would carry."

The old mage patted the huge man who was much larger than himself, vaguely seeing the shadow of a certain other man from the past and shaking his head. "Some of us are choosing to sacrifice ourselves, just as others are asking to leave," he said. "Do not believe that you are under any preferential treatment, because the dangers that you could come to face may be worse than what those asking for death would encounter."

"Listen. As the saying goes: plan for the worst before you imagine your victory—even if the battle against the forces of the Evil Gods has just began, the war would certainly not be so easily ended. Therefore, being the group that shines the most amongst the newer generations, all of you are the sparks for humankind."

"You, Priest," the dwarven deity said flatly, taking over the conversation from the old mage. "You are responsible for leading the great ark Spark, a vessel with a world inside, similar to the realms that the Void Behemoths of the Starherders carried upon their backs. Within it is a complete continental ecosphere calibrated by the Nature Magister herself, and could support life for several million people over 900,000 years. You would be in charge of leading the ship and navigating past the subspace Shadow passage that the Wise One of Shadow had created to head for another cosmos, sowing new seeds for the human race. Relax, the specialist whom we recruited had foretold that the cosmos is still very safe in the hundreds of thousand years to come."

"As for you, Arlwa," Ezerg turned, narrowing his eyes at the imperial prince. "Your task would be even more dangerous and difficult…don't think that you have been treated favorably just because you are your father's son—don't dwell on it! Like the Spark, the Glimmer has a world within it as well, but the preservation period is much longer, even lasting forever if the population within does not burst."

"Furthermore, it is equipped with silencing spells—a circle similar to the muting spells of the Ether Ring World. Your responsibility is to lead some of the handpicked technicians to journey deep within the Silent Void, never to return for all eternity unless the day of our victory comes and we find you. Otherwise, you are to venture far into the Void, never to pause even if you reached the very edge of the Multiverse."

"Now, do you still believe that you are receiving some preferential treatment?"

All of them were left speechless and utterly silent.

Even so, it appears that something had been ignited in the muteness: it was the warmth of a blaze, the color of the will to fight!

"Humph. I just knew it—if I didn't make it sound difficult, you lazy bumpkins would not have been able to muster any spirit at all."

The dwarven deity grunted softly and turned, clearly intending to leave as well—but before he did, he paused.

"By the way, there are copies of the entire Unified Archives, whether in the ark or the ecological vessel. With them, all of you represent the civilizations of humans itself."

"Don't embarrass us and live well! Wait until the day of victory arrives, and the day of return would eventually come."

With that, Ezerg left, leaving just Nostradamus whom everyone was very familiar with.

The old mage studied the successors whose growth until the present he had witnessed firsthand, his heart welling with emotion. Even so, he was unable to think of any good thing to say, and so simply reminded them quietly, "Don't worry. All of you have already proven yourselves as the most powerful adventurer party amongst human beings, and that is the indisputable truth. Not even Legendary champions such as us would dare to claim that we are superior over all of you in this respect, and that is why all of you are the best."

"The Wise One of Shadow has opened the path towards other cosmoses. As such, Priest, just head towards that direction. And you, Arlwa, you are a child whose growth I had personally witnessed—though you would soon be caught in a hell of nothingness with only utter desolation as company, I have faith that you definitely can bear the expectation."

"Give it your all, most powerful of adventurers."

Then, even Nostradamus left, leaving two portions of glimmering lights: those were a series of complex divine patterns keycodes that enables them to teleport and start the engines of the world ships, which locations were presently unknown.

"To tell the truth…"

After a long silence amongst the six youths, Clark the Rider spoke out with a solemnness on his face like never before. "I believe that this journey of ours is certain to have many tribulations and obstacles."

Everyone looked up towards him, but Rider remained totally unaware as he continued loudly, "That being said, we will claim victory for certain—just as we did countless times before."

"There's nothing to be afraid of, is there?"

"Well, you're finally making sense." Withdrawing his Word of Truth: Silence spell that was ready, Said the Clergy shook his head. "Still, I'm not sure if we can bring friends and family along…but there should not be any problem since our leaders had not mentioned a thing about all that."

"Sigh. I still have to inform the lot in the labs…" Arlwa said, seemingly having a greater pain in the head than the others from the Elite Party. "All of you could gather easily, but my own group is all over the place…"

Like Priest and the others, it appeared that Arlwa was not left shaken by the words left by his own father and the God of Conservation. Acting as he always did, there was actually a hint of mirth as the prince spoke. "But Clark is right—there is nothing to be afraid of."

"Yes, that is certainly true."

"At the very least, it will not be as dangerous as the time when we ran into the Black Fog—if not for having to bring a few hundred thousand people onboard as well, I assure you that we would reach another cosmos smoothly."

"Could you please shut up. And weren't you the one screaming 'this is the end' when we ran into the Black Fog?"

Everyone's voices stirred a ruckus, but the discussion soon quieted down with an unknown tacit partnership.

Then, everyone raised their hands, giving each other high-fives while laughing.

After all, it could be the last occasion in their lives where they would so leisurely and pleasantly give high-fives.

That was why the adventurers had to laugh and stride forward with overflowing hope, even if it was filled with trials, duty, hardship and despair.

***

On the twenty ninth of December, Starfall year 860, 31 minutes past 7 in the morning at Mycroft standard time.

An unknown planetary system in an unknown galaxy near the Void.

"Why that worried look on your face? Britney, I am not leaving you behind this time—we are about to go out together."

In an unnamed Void harbor, Priest held a green-haired elf who hovered in the air like a ghost with one hand, while lowering his head to smile at a sulking girl on his other side. "Look, even Sol is so happy and cannot wait to depart earlier. Why are you different from the rest, and making such a troubled face?"

"Because…it's just a little worrying."

Although Britney had grown into a fine lady, she would always reveal a delicate side of herself whenever she was with her brother. She then looked up at the great ark as much as she could, though its tip could not be seen even if she tried her best, and could not hold back from mumbling, "Is this big ship going to be our home in the future?"

In response, Priest blanked out a split second, unable to answer. Instead, it was Sol who happily and carefreely exclaimed loudly, "That is for sure—wow, it looks so cool! When can we get onboard, Priest?"

"Haha, at once, at once."

Priest quickly answered and gave an easy grin as well, the pair's easygoing reactions alleviating some of the worry in Britney's heart, who could not hold back a giggle.

And just like that, Priest simply led the two whom he shared irreplaceable bonds with and walked up with huge steps towards the entrance hatch of the great ark. The other members of the Elite Party had arrived as well, bringing along their own family and friends who were going to leave with them.

Laughing at greeting one another, all of them advanced together.

[Why be worried? Why be anxious?

My friend, this is the splendid and beautiful path of Legends. We would go together hand in hand to another cosmos!

It is a profound adventure like no other, a difficult journey that no one has made before.

Even so.

The courage of humankind be praised. The resolve of humankind be praised!]

Adventurers, go forth!