novelslam Chapter 44 [Omen of a Falling Star, Movement of the Three Kings]
Chapter 44 [Omen of a Falling Star, Movement of the Three Kings]
Chapter 44
A fiery star streaked across the sky.
After some time, tremors came from the distant horizon and spread to every corner of the world of Ashem.
The North, the dwarven forgefire outpost.
Lynch and Master Brock were working together in the furnace workshop, researching the next steps to improve the Frostfire Forging technique.
The moment the meteor appeared, all the metal objects in the workshop emitted a slight resonance.
The battle axes hanging on the wall, the armor displayed on the shelves, and even the wine jugs at the waists of the dwarves all hummed at the same time.
The dwarves walked out of the room with "Huh?" expressions, completely bewildered.
The mysterious battle axe in Lin Qi's hand also trembled.
Master Brock threw down his forging hammer and rushed to his workshop, where he retrieved the ancient instruments that had been gathering dust for a long time.
An observatory and a compass-like instrument.
He climbed to the top of the watchtower and began his observations despite the wind and snow.
The pointer of the ley line detector spun wildly, finally pointing to the distant central mountain range.
"This frequency..." Master Brock looked at the reading returned by the pointer, his wrinkled face revealing extreme shock and ecstasy.
"Pure, perfect, without any impurities! I have never seen such perfect metal!"
He rang the alarm bell, which was only used in the event of a major crisis or the discovery of a giant mineral vein.
An emergency meeting of dwarven elders was convened.
In the dimly lit stone hall, a dozen or so dwarf elders with their beards braided into intricate plaits sat in a circle.
"Divine iron has fallen from the sky!" Master Brock slammed his observations heavily onto the stone table.
For the blacksmith, the divine iron that falls from the sky is a supreme sacred object, the most precious gift bestowed by the heart of the mountain range.
"We must get it!" Commander Thorin stood up. His wounds had not yet healed, but his eyes were already burning with a desire for war and glory.
Lynch also took a step forward.
"I felt its call too." He raised the mysterious battle axe in his hand. "It's guiding me."
He and Thorin exchanged a glance and together petitioned the Council of Elders.
"I request to form an expedition to the impact zone and obtain the divine iron."
A commotion arose in the hall, with some elders expressing their agreement and others expressing concern about the unknown risks.
Finally, the chief elder stood up and tapped the ground with his scepter.
"The resolution has been passed."
"Commander Thorin and 'Heart of Rock' craftsman Lynch will jointly lead the expedition."
"Assemble fifty of the most elite Iron Guards of the watchtower, and ten of the most outstanding craftsmen."
"Bring us the best equipment we've crafted using the 'Frostfire Forging' technique."
Once the resolution was issued, the outpost began operation.
The warriors polished their newly forged battle axes, while the craftsmen prepared specially made mining tools and transport vehicles for the expedition.
At the same time, in the southern wasteland, in the Black Tide Legion's camp.
As the fiery meteor streaked across the sky, the Black Tide Power within the Black Tide Monarch surged, and the enormous totem pole in the corner emitted a yearning hum.
The monarch raised his head and looked north.
A huge and delicious cake, freshly baked in the far north.
That primal and powerful aura made him tremble all over.
Compared to that, "Tyrant's Throat" and "Bloodthirsty Throne" seem utterly uninteresting.
"Pass down the order." A smile of extreme pleasure appeared on the monarch's face.
"The plan... has changed."
A champion of the Kuroshio Current entered the tent, knelt on one knee, and awaited new instructions.
"My lord, we have completed the mopping up of the outer tribes of 'Tyrant's Throat,' and we can launch a general offensive tomorrow."
"No need." The Black Tide Monarch turned around and kicked over the sand table that had taken countless efforts to build.
"A moldy throne isn't worth my time."
He stepped out of the tent, raised the totem pole in his hand high, and pointed it north.
"The entire army must turn around!"
"Heading towards where the trend takes hold!!!"
For his people, the will of the monarch is everything.
The deafening sound of war drums rang out once more, and the massive war machine turned around, crushing towards the center of the continent.
Eastern Forest, Arcane Sanctuary.
Inside the main hall on the top floor of the temple, the text on the enormous Wall of Contribution briefly became garbled due to the upheaval of the laws caused by the comet impact.
It then returned to normal.
The other members of the temple thought it was just a minor lapse in concentration, but only Thea noticed the anomaly.
They realized this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
He immediately went to the center of the hall and placed his hand on the broken branch of the World Tree.
The entire world's magical network, to put it metaphorically, is like a spider web that has been torn open by a reckless flying object.
During this fluctuation, Thea finally glimpsed a glimpse into the workings of the world, much like looking through a cut into a mesh.
"Speaker." Valen and Lila also arrived at her side.
"Summon all core members, now!" Thea's entire mind was immersed in the reality that the world was quietly revealing.
A moment later, all of the dozen or so core members of the Arcane Council arrived.
Thea turned around and drew a light screen in the air in front of her. On the light screen, a source point that was constantly releasing fluctuations of law was displayed.
"I am issuing a top-priority council mission—'Starfall Exploration'."
Valen stared at the terrifying numbers, his eyes gleaming with longing.
"Speaker! This is enough to expand our temple tenfold! I request permission to lead the main force there and completely seize it!"
"I object," Lila retorted. "The risks are unknown, and the forces are powerful enough to disrupt the laws of the world—we know nothing about them. I suggest focusing on observation and information gathering."
"Cowardice!" Valen scoffed. "Opportunity is right in front of you; hesitation will only lead to missed opportunities."
"Recklessness is the biggest risk!" Lila retorted without backing down.
"That's enough." Thea raised her hand, stopping the two from arguing.
"Lila's suggestion is more in line with the long-term interests of the council." She looked at Lila. "I value the knowledge it contains more than its power."
She personally issued the appointment.
"Lila, you will be the captain of the observation team."
"Valen, you are the vice-captain and will also serve as his bodyguard."
"Select ten of the most outstanding elite mages from the council to form the 'First Contact Group'."
"Use the newly developed teleportation array and concealment spells to proceed to the impact site."
"You have only one mission: to observe, record, and analyze. Active contact with any unknown forces is strictly prohibited."
With the mission assigned, a highly skilled mage squad was assembled.
Led by Lila, they entered a newly built teleportation array on the lower level of the temple.
From then on, three teams with different objectives simultaneously headed towards the same coordinate from three different directions on the continent—
The site where "Dragon's Comet" fell is being developed.