MTLNOVEL Chapter 619: War is Over
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The war was over...
With the Void Prince dead, most of the Royal Guards gone, the population of the Void Creatures culled in mere hundreds, and the main consciousness of the void sealed, the war was truly over. All that's left was the cleanup.
It's safe to say that the Void Creatures wouldn't be a problem again, and if they could help it, forever.
There had been casualties. That can't be avoided; it's war after all. However, the casualties on the side of the living beings were very minimal. A mass funeral and honoring took place for them, and the Border Patrol Office ensured that the bereaved families were compensated appropriately.
Regardless, this was an astounding victory for them. With the leading figures of the void disposed of, the void won't be a danger anymore. So much so that the gates can be left wide open with confidence, and the office could now set up branches into the void itself for more convenience.
Despite this massive victory, though, the Border Patrol Office decided to keep things private, not a secret, just private.
For them, there's no need for a massive, realm-wide celebration for this victory. There was no need to boast or put this news in the headlines. They were never in it for the fame, glory, or recognition anyway. They did it out of necessity. They're just glad that it's over now.
But for Cedric and the Chancellors, it's not quite over yet...
They mourned the death of the young patriarch. Chancellor Igor looked as if he'd aged a couple thousand years overnight due to how much grief he felt. Though he understood that there's nothing he could've done, he still wished that things had gone differently.
To honor his first child, because that's practically undeniable at this point, the old dragon decided to bestow the name of the young dragon patriarch as the second name for his unborn cubs. Tirso, that would be their second name, a permanent remembrance and hope that his cubs would grow as benevolent, brave, and talented as his eldest.
While the others focused on mourning, Cedric was already back to his usual work. Tirso said it himself; they don't have much time left. He didn't specify how much time they have, only stressing that there's not much left at all. Therefore, Cedric must keep moving forward.
He's still reeling at the discovery, though.
The fact that the void turns out to be a prison...that's something none of them were prepared for.
To this, Cedric couldn't help but ask, 'Why does it feel like I'm just moving from one new prison to the next? '
The irony of the situation was very obvious. The Risk Management Center was his first prison. The bubble that protected humanity's last bastion was the second one. The threat of the Demon Race was the third. The unknown and prosperous world of the Primeval Scarlet Dust Realm was the fourth, and finally, the void itself was the fifth.
It would truly seem that he's just moving from one larger prison to the next.
That said, Cedric didn't dare to keep his thoughts there too long. He knows his tendency to overthink and overanalyze everything, and that's just not his priority right now.
What he should focus on, instead, was his upcoming confrontation with the main consciousness of the void, because that is something that he can't escape from.
'How should I enslave the main consciousness of the void? '
'Hell, can I even do it? '
Cedric couldn't help but doubt himself for a bit. It was understandable given who he's about to face.
The main consciousness of the void was an entity that's been around longer than the Primordial Chaos; hell, it's way older since it has seen the birth and death of Primordial Chaos more than once. There isn't an exact number provided, but more than once is already a lot.
It's mind-boggling, that's what it is.
To think that he should start scheming against an entity like this sounds an awful lot like suicide. So can anybody really blame him for not feeling too confident?
That said, the fact that Tirso—the young dragon patriarch who only followed the old orthodox path of life evolution—managed to probe the memories of the void's main consciousness as nothing but a mere soul means that there is a way. He just has to search for it carefully.
Tirso did all of that as a fragmented soul. It wouldn't make sense for Cedric—the pioneer of the Ancient Chaos Path in this era, and the same guy who rendered the main consciousness helpless and imprisoned in its own space—to not figure out a way to enslave it. Tirso was good, but Cedric believed that he was way better; he wouldn't be satisfied with anything less.
Especially when he also planned on seeing the view on the other side of this prison...
Fortunately, Cedric had a lot of material to work with. All the secrets and methods of 'The Six' were open for him to peruse at his leisure, and there's no time limit for this; he just needs to give them a heads-up, and they'd make way for him.
Cedric already knew how Tirso was able to survive as a fragmented soul for so long. He even knew how he managed to preserve his consciousness for so long while enduring the erosion of the void. More importantly, he also learned exactly how he counter-probed the main consciousness of the void, and that gave him a lot of ideas to work with.
The next part was to formulate a plan and a method. This is going to take a while, and they're pressed for time, so he must begin now.
**
Meanwhile, Cedric's clones were still doing their tasks. The first clone was still tending to the important matters at the office while the second clone treated the void like it's his backyard.
Teams were sent out to clean up the last few Void Creatures around. The goal was their total eradication, and Cedric's second clone was helping with that.
He will periodically point them in the direction of the few void creatures left alive. He didn't personally accompany them, but he did linger around to witness their work. And if an accident happens, he wouldn't mind lending a hand.
But of course, he's not here to be their nanny. The second clone was here to ensure that the seal on the womb remains intact for now.
It was clear that the main consciousness of the void was still trying its best to break the seal; this much was obvious with how frequently the womb shakes every now and then.
This was a good sign because it meant that it hadn't thought of sending a message to its creator yet. So long as it's active like this, it means that Cedric still has time to work with.
It must be seething in rage right now. Whether this was the first time somebody had the audacity to seal it away like this and cause it to lose control or not, it doesn't change the fact that Cedric was at an advantage right now, and he'd be a fool to not run away with it while he still can.
In Cedric's calculations, the womb will shake once a day. With how immense the main consciousness of the void was, this was already fast and frantic. It shows that it was truly panicking since it had lost complete control over the situation. It was rendered blind and helpless through some unknown means.
Cedric stationed his second clone here permanently. Making sure to keep an eye on its activity while the main body focused on discovering a way to enslave it—the sooner, the better.
He just hoped that it doesn't send a message out soon...
**
Time passed by...
With the army's relentless pursuit, Void Creatures had disappeared from the void. There are still a few left, but they're hiding at some random corners of the void, avoiding the pursuit.
Without them, the void, aside from the foul and unfriendly environment, was mostly safe to traverse. Even the heart of the void became a ghost town ever since the war ended.
Since there were no more threats, the Border Patrol Office could confidently set up infrastructure on the void, making it easier to gather the resources they needed. They don't have to hurry either because nobody's attacking them anytime soon; the handful of void creatures left alive aren't brave enough to do so, and even if they were, they'd just be sending themselves to their deaths.
Despite the unfriendly environment, though, the Void was surprisingly rich in resources. Because the void was 'alive' in a way, its resources regenerate often. Actually, each time a Void Shift happens, the mines are refilled and more resources appear, ready for harvest.
With rich resources available, the main task of the Border Patrol Office became focused on gathering as many as they could. This work was definitely much easier compared to being constantly on guard for a surprise invasion.
But while all of this was happening, Cedric was already preparing himself to take the next step...