MTLNOVEL Chapter 1001
Chapter 1001 New Era (17k for Moon Tickets)
“Hermes’ statue?” Professor Lily suddenly stopped and asked, “Is there only one?”
Dark nodded, then added uncertainly, “There are eleven other statues of celestial deities on the top floor, but they should not be under Hermes’ control.”
“So it’s just this one!” A look of excitement appeared on Professor Lily’s face.
Dark watched her cute face turn rosy and suddenly felt a bad premonition.
But by the time he reacted, Professor Lily had already rushed towards Hermes’ statue.
He then heard footsteps coming from upstairs.
It was Olivia and the others who had noticed something amiss and quickly rushed down.
Worried about Lily, Dark hurriedly instructed the [Infernal Beast] to check in and then returned to where she was.
By the time he got back, the statue’s drive had been fully restored. Its last bit of divine power could no longer support any abilities, including the beam attack from its eyes.
However, its strength remained formidable, though its speed had slowed significantly without the “Boots of Winged Flight.”
Even Professor Lily wouldn’t find it easy to deal with such an opponent.
—Probably.
As soon as Dark reached a position where he could see them, he noticed the statue’s right fist piercing through Professor Lily’s body—as if passing through a mirage—only causing a ripple.
Immediately after, Lily’s figure flashed and appeared at the side of the statue, reaching out to touch its remaining half-head.
“Ugly!”
This time, Dark clearly heard Professor Lily mutter, “But Kazel would probably like it.”
Then, Dark saw a [Ball of Truth] appear in Professor Lily’s hand!
Capturing the statue within the [Ball of Truth] wasn’t an easy task.
Its performance was terrifyingly powerful, and even that final sliver of divine power could sustain it for a long time.
Professor Lily summoned thousands upon thousands of [Ghost Butterflies] to capture it!
That was a legion-type mana spirit card with a daunting crafting difficulty.
When thousands of [Ghost Butterflies] emerged from a single mana spirit card, Dark almost thought he was seeing an illusion.
But the countless [Ghost Butterflies] overwhelmed the statue. In legend, these butterflies were said to be formed from the souls of the dead, known as “white glowing spirits.”
There were countless [Ghost Butterflies] in the thick forest around Saint Maryann Academy.
Dark also kept some in the clubroom; their primary ability was to absorb mana.
The [Ghost Butterflies] summoned by Professor Lily had similar capabilities. Even if just a few hundred of these butterflies managed to suck up a bit of divine power, they could drain it completely.
Yet, even a weakened statue was still powerful.
Though it lost the ability to launch area attacks, the wind pressure generated by swinging its arms could instantly kill the swarm of [Ghost Butterflies].
However, Professor Lily then used another special mana spirit card.
Under its effect, she shared her state with all the [Ghost Butterflies]!
Thus, when she turned into a phantom, all the [Ghost Butterflies] followed suit.
Thousands of [Ghost Butterflies], immune to physical attacks, drained Hermes’ statue dry!
The statue lost its last bit of power!
Professor Lily cautiously confirmed it wouldn’t move again before excitedly opening the [Ball of Truth] and throwing—no, placing—Hermes’ statue inside.
Only when he saw Hermes’ statue vanish did Dark truly breathe a sigh of relief.
This fight against Hermes’ statue was the most challenging he had ever experienced.
He had even prepared himself mentally to give up.
Of course, he hadn’t truly given up.
Even without the [Fairy Puppet]’s special summon, he had already filled the [Witch’s Staff] with mana. The ensuing [Hatred Flame] would make Hermes’ statue experience the power of [Envy].
“79.”
Glancing at the [Envy] value, Dark placed the [Witch’s Staff] back into the [Ball of Truth].
79 was still within a safe range.
Moreover, since it was [Envy], it would naturally decrease over time if he maintained his daily routine.
But when Dark returned the [Ball of Truth] containing the [Witch’s Staff] to his bag, he suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of relief.
Today’s action—and the entire recent endeavor—had been too risky for him!
He realized he hated this kind of unpredictable “adventure.”
“If possible, I hope this is the last time.”
Thinking so, Dark faced the swiftly approaching Olivia, Aurora, and others.
He didn’t let his guard down entirely.
This mission wasn’t over yet.
Subduing Hermes’ statue might just be the first step. After all, he hadn’t seen Principal Altair yet. Rescuing the principal was their ultimate goal.
Lily’s arrival brought him a strong sense of security. He had never felt better with Lily around. So why did Lily come out of the [Fairy Puppet]’s summoning vortex?
What did she do to the [Fairy Puppet]?
Dark slowly stopped, turning to look at Professor Lily, who was holding the [Ball of Truth] excitedly.
But he didn’t ask that question and instead said, “Professor Lily, you’ve already come in?”
Professor Lily put away the [Ball of Truth] and replied seriously, “Yes, but not everyone.”
Dark frowned and asked, “Who else?”
Professor Lily said, “Sarah, Bellamy, Sabrina.”
Saint Maryann Academy’s Professor Sarah Shylph.
Moon Elf High Priestess Bellamy Artemis. Bishop Sabrina Melville of the Church of the Saints. And finally, Professor Lily herself.
These were all who had entered the [Pearly Gates].
And besides Lily, the other three had entered the [Pearly Gates] half an hour ago.
They just weren’t teleported here.
Dark wondered, “Why only four people? How did they get in?”
Professor Lily explained, “Kazel’s research process isn’t detailed here. They used their treasures to trigger some special mechanism, bypassing the seal and teleporting in… This place should be the [Pearly Gates], right?”
Dark nodded, “Should be.”
Professor Lily continued, “Good. Sarah got in because of the [Demeter’s Skirt] she wears. Bishop Sabrina Melville used a [Golden Key]. Bellamy Artemis has a crown… likely an ancient Elven King’s crown, containing Demeter’s power.”
Dark patted his [Scabbard] and said, “So, can my scabbard also serve as a key to enter here?”
Professor Lily nodded, “Theoretically, yes. But according to Kazel’s theory, your scabbard needs to absorb divine blood to trigger the mechanism like Sarah’s skirt.”
“I see,” Dark nodded, “So how did you get in?”
Professor Lily grinned and pulled out a black orb from her backpack, “I snatched this from Kazel! It triggered recently.”
She glanced around and said, “I sensed the presence of the Netherworld here, which must be why this [Netherworld Orb] triggered.”
Dark understood, “I get it. This is how one enters the [Pearly Gates] now.”
Professor Lily said, “When I first entered, I sensed… Oh, what are you doing? Where’s Cynthia? Did you find her?”
Dark didn’t point out her poor attempt to change the subject and directly said, “We haven’t found Principal Altair, but we’re sure someone is manipulating events from behind the scenes. Hermes’ consciousness should be nearby. Finding him would lead us to Altair.”
Professor Lily said, “Hermes himself? Should be more powerful than his statue, right?”
Dark replied, “Who knows? But he hasn’t acted yet, so there must be a reason.”
Just then, Angrey walked over and said, “Pollution is nearly flooding this level.”
Dark thought for a moment and said, “Return to the top floor.”
Back at the top floor,
Dark noticed the barrier had vanished.
With no black fog or pollution outside the window, they could leave anytime.
But as he said, finding Altair meant finding Hermes’ consciousness first.
Now, with eleven of twelve celestial statues gone from the ritual site, Hermes would need to appear before the pollution reached them.
Looking at Professor Lily’s [Ball of Truth] again, Dark realized that if Hermes wanted his statue back, he’d have to pay a steep price.
Soon enough, Hermes’ consciousness appeared.
However, Cynthia Saint Altair, the principal, appeared alongside him.
Hermes’ expression was as grim as a dead man’s.
Principal Altair, on the other hand, was beaming with joy. Dark always felt there was something off about her gaze towards him, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
From their expressions, it was clear that Principal Altair had an advantage in some matters. They also no longer needed to worry about facing Hermes in person again.
The surprise of finding Principal Altair and the aversion towards seeing Hermes balanced out, keeping Dark’s emotions stable and his facial expressions unchanged.
Hermes remained silent and stern since his appearance. It was Principal Altair who did all the talking.
She first greeted Dark and the others, then introduced herself to the representatives of the Church of the Saints and the elemental race, before introducing Hermes standing behind them.
Everyone present, who had suffered greatly after being teleported to the [Heavenly Court] by Hermes, naturally looked at him with disdain. Even the Twin Holy Knights, who revered gods, glared at him unceremoniously.
Despite their faith in the [Saints], they did not worship any other gods. However, Hermes was a genuine deity. Before he started “spending” gold coins, Dark and the others were not foolish enough to confront him easily.
Moreover, with Principal Altair speaking up for them… they would at least give some face to her.
Once everyone calmed down, Principal Altair explained the details of the ritual.
According to Hermes’ wishes, he originally did not want to go through this process. But now, with his statue in Professor Lily’s hands, he could only stand aside and endure the sharp gazes of Dark and the others.
But acknowledging defeat… he had no other choice!
As Principal Altair detailed the explanation, Dark and the others finally understood the cause and effect.
First, the twelve Olympian gods indeed survived the [Ragnarök], but they paid a huge, unimaginable price for it.
Leaving aside the entire Mount Olympus and the inhabitants of the [Heavenly Court], those who did not want to cut ties with their gods were originally destined to die during the [Ragnarök].
So, that didn’t count as a cost.
The true cost for the twelve Olympian gods was their physical forms and souls, which were sealed within the [Heavenly Court] forever.
Their physical forms and souls were used to fool the [Ragnarök].
They separated their consciousness—divine awareness—from their physical forms and souls, then cultivated new divine awareness within themselves.
That new divine awareness replaced them, becoming the new twelve Olympian gods and dying in the [Ragnarök].
Meanwhile, they fused with the [Heavenly Court], lowering their status, thus successfully avoiding the [Ragnarök].
After the [Ragnarök], the entire [Heavenly Court] was contaminated by pollution from the Abyss, and they, having fused with the [Heavenly Court], naturally suffered from the pollution too.
Among the twelve Olympian gods, only Hermes’ power could connect to the [Underworld]!
Everyone, including Dark, heard for the first time that Hermes actually had power related to the [Underworld].
Dark had already seen it from the statue, but he confirmed it only when he heard it from Principal Altair’s mouth.
In his previous life’s mythological legends, Hermes was always a god associated with the [Underworld].
He was the famous [Guide of Souls], helping deceased souls reach the [Underworld].
In many Greek myths, Hermes was one of the few gods, along with Hades and Persephone, who could freely enter and exit the [Underworld]!
After hearing this information, a new idea suddenly formed in Dark’s mind.
Could Count Stanley Longfellow, sent by the king, and his female guard Gwen have come to the [Heavenly Court] for this reason?
How could an old human suddenly regain his vigor overnight? The real reason the old king could recover so quickly, even restoring his vitality to its prime, was likely due to divine intervention.
Considering the timing, when he regained his vigor was after the [Demon King Execution Ritual]. Thus, he most likely came into contact with a god associated with the [Underworld].
And gods of the [Underworld] indeed had the power to grant rebirth. With this in mind, sending Count Stanley Longfellow and his female guard Gwen to the [Heavenly Court] made more sense.
Unfortunately, although they entered the Mountain of Gods and even reached the tunnel leading to the [Heavenly Court], they were ultimately blocked at the entrance, unable to enter even a step further.
Because Hermes had power related to the [Underworld], his tolerance to pollution was higher than the other eleven gods.
A millennium ago, when the other eleven gods fell into a deep sleep due to the pollution, Hermes remained awake.
During these thousand years, he did many things, including rebuilding the [Endymion Tower] and guiding all the pollution in the [Heavenly Court] to the [Endymion Tower]!
In other words, the [Endymion Tower] was essentially a “trash tower.”
Before it was used as the ritual site, the [Endymion Tower] served this purpose.
What Dark and the others saw now was the result of cleanup in the [Heavenly Court].
And the creatures within the [Heavenly Court] began to multiply abundantly afterward.
To some extent, Hermes could be considered the [recreator] of the [Heavenly Court].
Afterward, he spent day after day alone in the [Heavenly Court].
One day, he suddenly discovered a crack in the barrier between the [Heavenly Court] and the [Mortal Realm].
This crack appeared without cause.
But if we look back in history, such inexplicable events often occurred during special periods.
The most likely period to think of was the [Awakening of the Gods]. History is cyclical.
Even gods who understood the rules of heaven and earth seemed unable to escape this cycle.
Hermes realized he might have survived the hardest period, and a new era for gods had finally arrived.
He was the god of boundaries and travelers crossing them.
Although the barrier between the [Heavenly Court] and the [Mortal Realm] had only developed a tiny crack, it was enough for him.
But his consciousness had fused with the [Heavenly Court] like the other gods.
This concept was similar to a “bound spirit.” He could not leave the [Heavenly Court].
Thus, he could only rely on his powers to listen to the world through the wind.
As the crack grew larger and his abilities in this area deepened, he could gather more information from the [Mortal Realm] and intervene more effectively.
He even developed a few puppets in the [Mortal Realm] to pass the time doing interesting things.
But human development exceeded his expectations.
Since the strongest Magus, Merlin, developed “Mana Technology,” human progress had entered a path he could not see clearly.
Yet, as the god of invention and commerce, he was naturally creative and had a learning ability.
Since he couldn’t see that path, he decided to learn and “steal.” He began studying Mana Technology and occasionally improving it, spreading it through his preferred methods.
The smooth development of Mana Technology was undoubtedly due to his silent efforts behind the scenes.
However, in recent decades, Mana Technology suddenly burst into rapid development, leaving him unprepared.
At the same time, he found that his fellow gods—the other eleven Olympians—even while sleeping, were struggling to maintain their existence.
A special idea quickly formed in his mind, but after careful consideration, he abandoned it and chose a simpler ritual to awaken and sustain the lives of the other eleven gods.
That ritual was the one Dark and the others had just experienced.
Everything began from there.
As for Hermes discovering he too needed to sustain his own life, that happened afterward.
Of course, he wouldn’t reveal his other thoughts to Principal Altair.
When Principal Altair recounted the details, she said nothing.
But wise people see things differently. Smart people understand without revealing everything.
With that, the story was nearly complete.
About how Principal Altair met Hermes and how she played against him after entering the [Heavenly Court], she wouldn’t reveal those details here.
But in the end, she mentioned a bet with Hermes.
It was an important matter related to everyone present.
Simply put, Principal Altair believed Hermes’ plan for this ritual would fail, while Hermes himself believed it would succeed.
Principal Altair promised that if Hermes’ ritual succeeded, she would become his subordinate god if she ever forged a God’s Core.
If the ritual failed, Hermes would have to execute another plan—his original special idea.
Since the current ritual plan was based on that idea,
if it failed, Hermes could adjust it.
Go back.
The core reason why Hermes agreed to this bet was actually because the second plan had always been his backup option from the start!
Hermes is the god of deception, and such a “deception” carried out in accordance with the circumstances was naturally within his capabilities.
Therefore, he essentially got a free bet from Principal Altair. Moreover, with this human here, if his first plan failed, this human could step in to help him smoothly carry out his second plan.
Everything was very well prepared.
Both sides were willing.
Principal Altair was also using that bet to ensure her own safety.
And now, with Hermes’s first plan failing, the bet ended, Principal Altair won, and Hermes was “forced” to implement his second plan after months!
“So, what is his second plan?” Dark asked Hermes.
Principal Altair smiled slightly and said, “Hermes is the god of competition.”
“Wait.” Dark hurriedly said, “God of competition?”
Hermes couldn’t help but sneer.
Humans of this era often portrayed him as a deceitful and cunning traveling merchant, but in reality, he held many different authorities.
In the prosperous age of deities, he had always been the guardian deity of various competitive events.
But he didn’t expect that Dark’s next sentence would be, “Were those flames that escaped from the underworld also his doing?”
Hermes, who had remained silent since his arrival, suddenly spoke his first words since coming here: “No.”
Dark looked at him with some suspicion, but did not pursue further. [Guide of the Underworld] and [God of Competition].
These two divine authority lineages of Hermes were almost perfectly aligned with the origin and abilities of those [Underworld Fires].
Although Hermes said it wasn’t, he didn’t believe it!
According to Principal Altair’s statement, Hermes had done many “interesting” things over the years.
What exactly these “interesting” things were probably weren’t something easy to talk about.
However, after knowing that Hermes possessed the authority of [Competition], Dark immediately gained a clearer understanding of the authority that the golem had once used.
At the same time.
Since Principal Altair specifically mentioned [God of Competition], it indicated that Hermes’s second plan was related to [Competition].
But what exactly was this plan related to [Competition] that made Principal Altair so concerned?
Dark’s gaze narrowed slightly, and he couldn’t help but become serious. The others were similarly affected.
Although everyone had gathered for various reasons, they each had their own thoughts.
With the appearance of Principal Altair, the people from the Holy Church and the Elemental Race all guessed the reason why Saint Maryann Academy was so actively involved in this matter.
But now, upon careful reflection, if it weren’t for this reason, Dark Demon wouldn’t have been here.
If Dark Demon wasn’t here, many of them might lose their lives in this ritual.
Not to mention, completing their initial goal upon arriving here would be impossible.
Moreover, it seemed that the purpose of “guidance” or “inheritance” of divine power was initially conceived through Hermes’s design.
Though still reluctant to accept this reality, it seemed they could only proceed this way.
While they were lost in thought, none of them realized that they were witnessing the birth of a new era!
Seeing that Hermes had spoken and then closed his mouth again, Principal Altair continued, “Hermes’s second plan is based on [Competition]. He witnessed the entire development of mana technology and the rise and prosperity of mana duels. He is a fervent enthusiast of mana duels… well, this is irrelevant.”
“Hermes’s second plan also requires a ceremony, and the difficulty of completing that plan is tens or even hundreds of times more difficult than the first plan. But for the Polopos Twelve Gods, the rewards they can obtain are also tens or hundreds of times greater.”
“He wants to rely on his divine authority as the core, use the consciousness of the twelve gods as sacrifices, and open up a brand-new path, unprecedented in history, a divine path.”
“A divine path?” Dark asked with slight confusion.
Principal Altair explained, “A divine path, or a path to divinity. There are countless paths to divinity in this world, and each path corresponds to a different divine authority lineage. Opening a divine path is essentially opening a divine authority lineage. Hermes wants to work with the other eleven gods to open a divine path and become the god of mana!”
Dark listened patiently and only after hearing everything did he gain some understanding of Hermes’s second plan.
He did not develop any thoughts about Hermes himself; most of his attention was focused on the so-called [god of mana].
Mana technology is an entirely new technology that has never existed before. Currently, it is itself a path to divinity, absolutely possessing the potential to become a god.
Yet, no one has ever walked this so-called path to divinity.
Thus, everything is mere speculation.
To rely on mana technology to forge a divine core, one must create a new path. But forging a divine core along an existing path is already incredibly difficult, let alone forging a completely new divine core.
Many professors at Saint Maryann Academy are already on this path.
That’s why when Professor Kazel and Professor Shylph and others learned of the existence of the [Sixth Tier], they were ecstatic.
They believed it to be a ladder to becoming a god. But upon careful consideration:
They realized that even if the so-called [Sixth Tier] were truly created, it would merely result in a Sixth Tier mana golem capable of mastering certain divine authorities.
What does the ascension of a mana golem to godhood have to do with the ascension of a mana master?
And Hermes’s second plan is about making the ascension of a mana golem to godhood and the ascension of a mana master to godhood interrelated.
Moreover, his ambition is enormous.
Not only does he want to open this new divine path, but he also wants to bring other gods into this divine path.
This world has entered the era of [Divine Awakening].
Therefore, any action that can awaken the gods will receive subtle assistance.
Hermes’s plan is built on this premise.
He intends to use a ceremony to construct a brand-new set of rules in this world.
Thanks to the pioneering nature of mana technology, these rules will not conflict with other rules, avoiding many complications.
This is a brand-new set of duel rules!
When Dark heard this, his expression was blank.
This starkly contrasted with the stunned expressions of the others around him.
Ultimately, Hermes’s plan was to create a rule system that could achieve the effects of [Underworld Fire] without using it. This made Dark suspect whether [Underworld Fire] was his experimental product?
Did Didi Maxwell opening the Underworld Gate initially come under his influence?
Of course, regardless of the reason, the real concern was just [Underworld Fire]. If every duelist could engage in so-called “dark duels” without using [Underworld Fire], wouldn’t the world immediately fall into chaos?
Certainly, he believed in Principal Altair and trusted she wouldn’t push forward without thorough consideration.
Due to the seriousness of the matter, which couldn’t be explained in just a few sentences, Principal Altair proposed that they sit down and carefully discuss it before deciding.
Fortunately, Professor Sarah Shylph, High Priestess Bellamy Artemis, and Bishop Sabrina Melville were all in the Heavenly Court, so they could simply gather them together to discuss.
Hermes himself had no objections—he couldn’t show any “urgency” in front of this group of humans.
Moreover, the ritual was already missing just the final step.
As long as he spent some time adjusting and then had Dark and the others consecutively offer the medals, the ritual could be completed immediately.
Before that, they just needed to make sure that the pollutants didn’t spread to this top floor—the presence of pollutants was also part of the ritual.
But they could allow the pollutants to spread upwards at the original rate.
This way, they would have more time to discuss the details of the ritual.
Hermes himself could not act, but with a slight hint, Principal Altair successfully calmed the turmoil of the pollutants.
Professor Sarah Shylph, High Priestess Bellamy Artemis, and Bishop Sabrina Melville were summoned to the top of the tower half an hour later.
Principal Altair set up chairs and tables, summoned tea sets, and brewed black tea.
Amidst the fragrant aroma of the tea, the atmosphere eased slightly.
The newly arrived Professors Shylph and the others were still confused, so Principal Altair briefly reiterated the key points.
Dark and the others took this opportunity to listen again.
After listening, Dark found that the details of Hermes’s plan differed somewhat from what he had imagined.
In the duel rules Hermes wanted to establish, duelists could indeed activate special duel arenas like using [Underworld Fire], but they wouldn’t forcibly plunder the opponent’s power like [Underworld Fire] does.
During the preparation phase of the duel, both parties could draft relevant contracts according to their own wishes and then duel fairly and justly.
The content of the contract would be protected by the rules, allowing them to do things that wouldn’t normally be possible.
For example, they could select a card from the opponent’s mana deck and seize its usage rights.