Soul of Searing Steel

Joshua strode forward over one thousand and four hundred meters in the air, with layers of the earth rising by layers, overturning before crashing down.

The forests that had stood for over a thousand years upon those soil were hence instantly crushed and flattened along with innumerable magical beasts, the domain of Chaos that had troubled humans for centuries shattered beneath the wild dance of distorted gravity and becoming nothing.

And as Joshua moved forward, two more figures darted out from the red-black airship that with the crest of a hand holding a blade.

One of the figures was a black-haired girl with sharp draconic horns. She calmly scanned the land below her—the soil was squirming even as dark red bloodstains spread, as if something beneath was trying to struggle and free itself. It could be stalwart beasts that had yet to expire, or perhaps wiggling plant roots.

But that had nothing to do with the black-haired girl. With a long draconic cry and violent energy rippling, the girl vanished, and in its place was a giant black dragon that was comparable to a twenty-floor building, with a golden sunflare crystal flickering incandescent radiance by its chest. It rapidly descended, while veins of dragon breath and golden rays tore across the land, igniting the damp Dark Forest roots and blood of magical beasts.

And the other ‘figure’, or more precisely spherical metallic core had simply dropped down, before enlarging and transforming in the air. Just as it was about to fall on the ground, it was already a metal giant over forty meters tall.

Silently, the giant looked around at the Dark Forest that had been burnt by the dragon into a sea of flames, and raised its two hands and ‘touched’ the bumpy soil and stone. However, it was such simple movements that quietly flattened the craggy soil, while those trees and monster corpses that could not be buried were lifted from beneath the ground to be incinerated by draconic flame.

Joshua had turned the Dark Forest upside down, with black dragon and metal giant holding his rear. Thus, in less than ten minutes, everyone in Fort Ares saw that everything in sight was ablaze, the world flipped and mountains falling. Rivers and hills had vanished, replaced by a level ground covered in ash.

No one was complaining then about why no Legendary champion would deliberately clear the Dark Forest in the first place, since everyone watching felt an unwitting terror… If that force of devastation was not used on the Dark Forest but upon humans, what was flourishing cities, sturdy fortresses or even the entire world before it?

They would rather those champions would not do a thing.

While terror arose amongst the hearts of many, there were those who did not fear that power.

“Is that the true power of Legends?”

In Fort Ares, a young patrolling soldier clenched the weapon in his hand, and stared at the figure that was now too vague and muttered to himself, “That is worth pursuing, even if the price is everything!”

Meanwhile, Priest who was prepared to make for the Imperial External Exploration Department airship and return to headquarters, also clenched his fist and the Information Terminal.

“That is what I strive to be!”

***

A black-haired youth who was dressed extravagantly was looking at the land below from the back of a large observation window on the black-red airship. His features were delicate, having the androgynous beauty of elves, while four little luminous human figures were sitting on his shoulders and head, exclaiming quietly in the spiritual realm with their little hands muffling their mouths.

“The polluting elements of Chaos is being cleansed!”

“All presence of life completely gone. Even bacteria have been incinerated!”

“Heavens… the entire forest had lost all vigor. That was the actually Dark Forest which could have grown a tree even if a simple branch was stabbed into the ground…”

“Tu, but the earth is being purified from inside out. Even the deepest rocky layers!”

The four fairies bickered in the spiritual realm so that they would reveal their opinion first, while the black-haired youth, the Sixth Imperial Prince Adrian did not even listen to them. He was now watching Joshua’s back as the warrior headed toward the distance, finally understanding why Legends exercised such self-control that even the Element Maven Barbarossa and the Murloc High Priest Godard hardly clashed inside the world of Mycroft.

To such champions who embodied profound power, civilization, and order was a mere potted plant they carefully held in their palm. Everything they did was solely to enlarge and toughen the pot, until the day they could live normally within as well.

Meanwhile, the green fairy Tempest, who had been bickering with the others widened her eyes, using mana to sense the mayhem emanating from the distance before nodding thoughtfully. She then drew out a little book condensed from mana, reading a few pages before finally stopping on a page and labeling it with mana.

Soon, Joshua had left the border between civilization and Dark Forest, finally venturing deep into the outer layer of the Dark Forest.

He had promised Nostradamus that he would do his best not to make a scene such as tearing the continent’s crust apart, which was why the warrior had already made plans and preparations.

First, he would overturn the surface of the Dark Forest and directly press all trees and magical beast into the earth, leaving the roots on its surface… Then, Black would ignite all magical energy of Chaos along with the roots of the Dark Forest with sunflare rays that burnt sixty-seven hundred degrees at minimum, turning all soil of Chaos that was essentially another world into clean ash.

As for Zero-One, it would flatten the soil so that it would be useful for sowing crops and building construction after the blaze, a simple task for the Steel Elemental. In truth, it was actually simple agricultural slash and burn, the same thing like the human pioneers who developed new lands during the early days of civilization. Joshua had flipped the earth, blackening the woods into ash, and after Zero One’s exquisite plowing, only the Nature’s Magister sowing of seeds was left… However, this slash and burn was one of grandest scale since history.

As Joshua ventured deeper, the stronger the magical creatures inhabiting the Dark Forest. Unlike most beasts on the outer zones that were mostly Iron or Silver-tiers, there were already Gold-tier beast, killers who hunted countless adventurers, to be found just a little further in… And now, those Gold-tier monsters were fleeing, having been jolted awake from their winter slumber, sensing the terror that was swiftly approaching them before they could vent their rage.

At once, with howls and bellows, dozens of powerful monsters darted away from their lairs and rushed deeper inside the forests, entering the center of the Dark Forest that they never dared to enter in the past. However, they would never outrun Joshua with their speed, which was why those formidable monsters were lifted one by one by distorted gravity and thrown heavily down on the ground, before experiencing draconic flame between their dazedness of broken flesh and bones.

“Noble Radcliffe, what is the situation now?”

Israel’s communications had suddenly rung in Joshua’s spirit while he cleared the outer zones of the Dark Forest—His Imperial Majesty was calmly asking after him. “I heard a report from the fortress that you have commenced your operation.”

“Going well. However, the outer zones are the easy part—later, I’ll slow down when we go deeper since I have to purify Chaos mana.”

Joshua ended the communications after a brief exchanged. Through Israel, he learned that other Legendary champions were also beginning to purge the land from other directions of the continent.

A force that could flatten the entire Mycroft Continent was now used to clear all Chaos.

It was certainly success in every endeavor.

Brmmm, Brmmm . The sound of a metallic trigger being pressed echoed.

Behind Fort Ares, a newly build landing zone for airships rang with the rumble of magically powered engines. It was not from a single fortress either, but from the entire Empire’s southeastern fortress chains.

Twenty minutes after Joshua had ventured deep into the Dark Forest, thousands of airborne troops rose profoundly towards the blazing land, spraying blessed Holy Water to cool the red-hot soil and dirt. Then, assuming a line abreast formation, the vessels began to throw emerald cylinders down to the cooling earth.

The cylinders that were each one-point-five meters long and fifteen centimeters in diameter were ‘Spreading Woods’ processed by druid’s natures enchantments, entering a dormant state as they stabbed into the cooling magma. However, as the environment stabilized a dozen days later, the Spreading Woods would burst like missiles, diffusing the seeds of countless ordinary seeds. The empty lands left by the Spreading Woods would be allocated for building villages, towns and farms in the future. With that, it was clear that the operation in the Central Back Forest was not conducted by the various factions out of a moment of impulse, but a long-term plan drawn out in detail over a long time.

But all of that had nothing to do with Joshua, who was about to enter deep into the Dark Forest.

The warrior was now hundreds of kilometers inside the Dark Forest, and what had been weak Iron or Silver-class beasts were now ancient aberrations, powerful monsters that embodied the bloodlines of Ancient Dragons or Legendary beasts.

However, regardless of how powerful they were, all creatures had no intent of resisting before Joshua. Even the ‘Flame-eater Berserker Dragon’ which had the worst temper and would crash into volcanos when hungry to devour hot magma did not dare to bellow, instead quietly gulping as it sprinted towards the distance. However, this time, those powerful monster moved faster than Joshua, who had to rummage through the earth. As long as they did not attack deliberately, Joshua would not bother to destroy them.

In the end, he still had to ensure the diversity of species on Mycroft. He had already caused considerable extinction events; he did not want another title like ‘Destroyer of Life’.

At present, Joshua could vaguely sense an energy signature wafting from other directions of the Dark Forest. It was the presence of other Legendary champions dealing with the Dark Forest—in Joshua’s Vision of Steel, the faint presence of gloom that filled heaven and earth was rapidly diminishing. The miasma of toxic hazes which had accumulated over a thousand years in the Dark Forest had completely vanished, and even the purest of supernatural forces remaining of the Chaos were cleansed away.

Joshua could even feel that the gods, who had now descended upon the world of humans as Holy Ones, leveling their gaze upon them. There were even some who discreetly moved to suppress several regions where forces of Chaos were bursting continuously, allowing the natural countermeasures to be easily disarmed. Amidst the tremendous change in nature, ancient creatures that had slumbered for a long time were rising from the depths of subterranean reaches.

Crack, crack . At a white summit in the depths of the Dark Forest, a giant platinum ‘boulder’ slowly shattered, with endless shards peeling off and faintly revealing the colossal draconic form behind it. Then, with a resounding draconic howl, the platinum form of a dragon rose into the air, arriving thousands of meters in the air, an unusual Steel Strength welling out of its body.

It was a power only Ancient Dragons possessed.

***

The young Platinum Ancient Dragon looked around curiously, having sensed the dramatic change in the environment around it: the presence of Chaos that had kept the lands silent for so long was extinguished, granting the world new vigor.

It did not match the memories it inherited—from what it could recall, the land had already been polluted by Chaos, and the world would soon be completely dead and lifeless. Its goal would hence be to wait after everything died out before creating new life, allowing countless microorganism and unicellular lifeforms to flourish. It would be able to leave the world then, heading to other places without life and spread the seeds of life once again.

But now, the destiny of destruction had been dispelled, and the land now have a new future… Although its long wait had came to nothing, the Platinum Ancient Dragon paid that no mind. Its life has not been long, but that was because its unique living form that was made out of infinite bacterium was changing incessantly, its body hence rapidly exchanging. Its memories, however, were as eternally existent as that world.

After ascertaining that the power of Chaos was suppressed, the Platinum Ancient Dragon issued a long howl in farewell before determinedly making for the skies, crossing the spatial barriers to head towards the Void and wander the Multiverse once again.

Deep beneath Milan Oceanic Abyss beneath the western seas, the seabed was trembling violently. The endless sedimented oceanic crust and dust rose into the seas and wafted away like mushroom clouds, just as the split rifts shone with a long and narrow red light. It was amidst the dark dust and radiance of underwater magma that a gigantic draconic form rose swiftly from the depths of the sea abyss. It was an ancient black dragon, having a craggy skin like a newborn continent, and a golden core flashing at the center of its chest.

Atypical Steel Strength spread. It was a genuine Ancient Dragon as well.

The Deep-Sea Ancient Dragon that had slumbered at the depths had sensed the tremendous change in its environment too, and shook its head in confusion. Based on what it saw a long time ago, the continent that was pasted together from endless fragments and forces of Chaos would crumble in the near future, and the once lively and flourishing world would lose its last continent entirely. Thus, its goal was to raise the earth once again, triggering explosion of sea volcanoes and slowly form a whole new continent.

It would have turned the oceans into a primordial soup, so that life could flourish once again.

But now, any hidden threats were gone, the Flame was reignited and Chaos banished. The world now had a bright future, and the gloom shrouding it parted… It no longer needed it.

Which was why it was time to leave.

Another read-black speck of light rose from the depths of the ocean, finally piercing the skies to become a reverse meteor, leaving the world of Mycroft.

No one stopped them. Even Barnil and William, two men who yearned to meet Ancient Dragons merely lowered their head at the skies by the edge of the Dark Forest, a gesture of respect toward those profound beings. They slumbered in the world of Mycroft because they foresaw the impending destruction of the world, and though they were powerless to overturn that destiny, they could grant new life in destruction after the devastation.

Joshua looked up at the star which was flying in the wrong direction, and knew at once that the last insurance of rebirth for Mycroft was gone. If their world was destroyed, no other Ancient Dragons would come for a long time to reshape the world, just as the thousands of worlds which had lost all life in the Void.

But was that important?

Joshua looked down and afar. At the center of the Dark Forest was a platinum peak and magical energy of Chaos that was so thick it would condense into droplets. Beside the mountain was a massive crater, flowing with a pool of Chaos energy that manifested physically.

Joshua could sense two magical creatures in front of him that were completely different from all others. Their presence that was so unimaginably formidable approached: with a brief sense, one could tell that they were a beast, without a doubt. But when one extended their sensory more carefully, they would be able to tell that it was different from typical magical creatures—it was the presence of a lifeform that had freed itself from its own race, becoming a brand new species entirely.

“Legendary beast.”

Joshua ceased his overturning of the earth. No longer distorting gravity, he subconsciously gripped his fists—but when he sensed that the other side showed no opposing intent, he relaxed with a tinge of regret. Joshua stared at the space up front where spatial ripples wafted: the opponent was about to arrive before him.

Meanwhile, on some other corner of the continent, the identical presences of Legendary magical beasts appeared before the Eastern Sea Sage, the Nature’s Magister, and the Sacred Swordsman.