Chapter 340
The Ouroboros Chronicle (Third Update)
“I actually suspect that this so-called ‘Alain’ is Alistair from Avalon. The one who made Her Majesty the Queen so furious a while ago.”
General Karl, by the window, suddenly spoke. “The woman who removed our moles in Avalon – that’s what my intuition tells me.”
“You mean that fatso Dross?”
Count Leipzig chuckled, his gentle smile unwavering. “That guy is inconsequential. Her Majesty treats him so well just to set an example for the Avalonians who have turned from darkness to light. His preferential treatment won’t last long.”
“Do you have inside information?”
General Karl turned back.
“It’s hardly inside information. Or rather, it’s something many people know.”
The elegant man with red eyes smiled, flattering General Karl. “You simply disdain dealing with those ‘wine table nobles,’ so you haven’t heard these rumors. But I’m sure word will reach Karl’s Manor in a few days. Your grandson is quite active.”
“Hmph, that brat…”
Old Karl grunted, his face full of disdain, but his words carried a hint of pride. “Relying on his Fourth Tier cultivation at such a young age, he’s started associating with important figures like an adult. Doesn’t he realize his place? Those people are simply not worth interacting with. They’re just leeches draining the kingdom, sources of trouble, and useless trash whose voices are merely loud enough to be heard.”
“If you ask me, he should be sent to the army. The battlefield is the most spirited, cruelest, and most desperate place. Only there can he absorb enough power. In this world, only power is real—”
As he spoke, his eyes, like burning gold, fixed on Albert, causing Albert to tremble.
The old man lectured, “It’s the same for you, Lieutenant Lore.
“Don’t work in isolation – you can create Armed Gargoyles because you’re lucky. Your invention just happened to meet a demand. But are other flesh creations useful? You need to see the battlefield for yourself. You need to encounter problems before you can ask questions and then find answers – listen carefully, this is all life experience.”
Upon hearing that he was to be sent to the battlefield, Albert’s expression turned bitter.
*I don’t want to go!*
If it weren’t for the requirement to graduate before accepting sponsorship in my own name, I’d rather stay in the Spirit Tower and continue studying…
I still want to pursue a doctorate in biology…
“There’s no need to rush,” Count Leipzig advised from the side. “Albert is a genius. Geniuses always receive preferential treatment – rather than sending him to a dangerous battlefield before his potential is exhausted, it’s better to let him stay behind and find inspiration until he can’t advance any further.”
Ignoring Old Karl’s grumbling about “Star Antimony’s battlefields not being dangerous” and “if you can’t survive at Fourth Tier, you won’t survive at Fifth Tier either,” he shared his recent tidbit of information to divert their attention. “Dross won’t be strutting around for much longer.
“Once we’ve completely digested Avalon, his death will be imminent.
“However, Avalon itself holds no value for us. What we need is population, talent, and resources – descendants of knights favored by the Silver Crown Dragon, and the technology and qualifications to tame Gryphons. Star Antimony doesn’t have enough people to garrison Avalon; ultimately, Avalon will have to be ruled by its own people.”
“And by then, Dross will be the sacrificial lamb offered to appease the anger of the Avalonians – one faction in Star Antimony favors underhanded tactics, while another is quite upright. The upright side will attract the upright Avalonians, and then they’ll settle the score with the wicked faction and the traitors who betrayed them… This is a script the knights will love.”
“…Are you talking about the Alchemists?”
The old general realized.
The core crisis currently facing Star Antimony was the power struggle between the Demon Scholars and the Alchemists.
And undoubtedly, Her Majesty sided with the Demon Scholars.
However, the Alchemists were currently powerful, so the Royal Family couldn’t openly take a side. They could only remain silent for now, allowing the increasingly arrogant and triumphant Alchemists to stir up public dissatisfaction.
Their initial goal was to undergo a constitutional monarchy reform, like the Iris Flower.
Because, undoubtedly, the war had essentially ended… The Demon Scholars, who symbolized war, naturally saw their status begin to decline. They definitely couldn’t invade the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi, and the Star Antimony people had no interest in the desert; the Trolls to the south were not a threat, and the Dwarves in the northern mountains were a rabble.
Only Avalon and the Iris Flower remained.
And the Alchemists and Necromancers were gradually beginning to replace the Demon Scholars on the battlefield. In other words, Alchemy, now developed to its extreme, had gained absolute superiority in military, civilian, and all other fields for Star Antimony.
Star Antimony could no longer do without them.
Therefore, in this situation, the Alchemists only needed to prove that “the battlefield also does not require reliance on Demon Scholars” to gain decisive influence.
And over the past three hundred years… including the expeditions that annexed the Black Hawk Duchy and the Daffodil Duchy, these were all achieved with the help of Demon Scholars. This resulted in a large number of military meritorious nobles within Star Antimony.
General Karl, for example.
Under these circumstances, the Demon Scholars would certainly be completely hostile to the Alchemists. But within the increasingly radicalized Alchemist group, there were moderates who sympathized with the Demon Scholars and were loyal to the Royal Family.
And they were undoubtedly the side that could be won over.
“So, Her Majesty intends to let those Alchemists act freely – to let them initiate war and unify Avalon themselves. Then, she’ll let them stage a coup and stop them. They’ll be eliminated through a rebellion war, dissociating from them. Then these sinners will be sent to Avalon, giving Avalon a slight respite.”
Count Leipzig explained softly. “If the plan goes smoothly, not only will Avalon be safely acquired, but the extremist faction within the country will also be eliminated in one fell swoop. This is Her Majesty’s plan.”
The old general frowned deeply. “Why go through so much trouble? And what if it goes wrong?
“Those Alchemists are developing too quickly… perhaps if they develop a bit longer, we might truly not be able to defeat them?”
The Vampire Count shook his head. “Because no one knows the Silver Crown Dragon’s attitude towards Avalon, we can only use such indirect means to annex Avalon.”
He then smiled triumphantly. “This is why… I said Miss Alain would definitely come. Because I mentioned the Rose Cross… her Shadow Demon will definitely tell her what the Rose Cross is. She will definitely come. This is a high-level inheritance for all the world’s Demon Scholars, just as the Church has the inheritance of Priests. As long as she comes and sits down to chat with me, I will find a way to persuade her to defect to us.”
“Are you that confident?”
The old general scoffed. “I, on the other hand, believe she’s already part of the Avalon Royal Family. I heard she has a lover there, a descendant of the founding family. I also heard that Her Majesty the Queen is planning to grant him a ministerial position… Such an important figure is already worthy of her.”
“He is not worthy.”
The Vampire Count calmly shook his head. “For Transcendent beings, the desire to ascend is impossible to erase. And the instinct to betray cannot be eradicated. She is a genius, and genius means easier access to limits. The Rose Cross possesses a special secret art… under certain conditions, it can elevate a Fifth Tier Demon Avatar to the Sixth Tier.”
“…Sixth Tier?”
Albert’s eyes widened. “That’s not… only in legends…”
“The Eternal Pope, right?”
The Vampire Count smiled elegantly and said calmly, “But do you know?
“– The Sixth Tier is not the limit of this World.”
Hearing this secret, Albert and General Karl simultaneously held their breath.
But Karl suddenly felt a sense of unease.
He remembered how fallen and evil the Child of the Moon he saw in his dream was… Although he and Leipzig, as a Child of the Moon, had been good friends for many years, he now felt a sense of foreboding.
Count Leipzig placed his hand to his lips and spoke in a seductive whisper, “This is a secret. 【Please do not reveal it】.”
It was a type of ability similar to Word Spirit. It was also one of the reasons he gave himself the name “Alias Rule” (禁令 – Ban).
“–The Ouroboros Chronicle. This is a fragment of an ancient stone tablet that the Rose Cross recently unearthed… It records a ritual that can force a peak Fifth Tier strong individual directly to the Sixth Tier without going through an Ascension Ritual, just like the Eternal Pope.
“And to activate the power of this stone tablet, a special ritual must be completed, through which the power of a Fallen Heavenly Envoy is stolen. This ritual can only be performed once… so we need to absorb as many Fifth Tier Demon Avatars as possible and use this ritual to promote everyone together.
“The Church has only one Pope and can become a Permanent Neutrality nation. But if Star Antimony has five, six… or even a dozen Popes, can’t we easily rule the World? This is why Her Majesty unhesitatingly stands with us.”
The Vampire Count said calmly, “The prerequisites for the ritual have been prepared and can be initiated at any time. It’s just that the Chairman wants to maximize profits and minimize problems. So, no matter how much those Alchemists jump around, it’s useless; they are destined to fail. And we will surely win – the only thing that could potentially cause the ritual to fail is the hostility of the Pillar Gods.
“So, we must gain the approval of the Silver Crown Dragon and ensure Avalon becomes part of us before the ritual begins. Otherwise, if we produce a dozen Sixth Tier beings at once, the Avalon Royal Family might use their trump card, summon Apostles for a large-scale descent, or cause other unknown difficulties. These are factors that must be considered.
“But if Avalon has already become part of us by then, all this naturally won’t happen. All the kingdom’s current plans are merely preparatory steps to ‘maximize the ritual’s success rate.’
“And if this ritual succeeds… we might even have the chance to touch the nonexistent 【Seventh Tier】.
“– If the Sixth Tier is the Eternal Pope, then tell me, what is the Seventh Tier?
“Undoubtedly. We will become gods. This is the very essence of 【Star Antimony】 – The Triumphal Chariot of Antimony expounds on the refinement and sublimation of animal instincts, warning us that with the right methods, mortals can all become gods.”
The Vampire Count’s words were highly inspiring. “Don’t you understand yet? That will represent eternity and glory.”
Listening to this grand and magnificent plan, Albert couldn’t help but tremble.
The old general next to him, however, frowned more and more deeply. He felt that something was wrong, but perhaps because he had read too little, he couldn’t pinpoint it.
However, they all clearly realized that the Star Antimony people were one step away from the threshold of a new era.
Crossing this step would usher in an unprecedented new era.
“…What is this ritual called? Or rather, does this plan have a name?”
Albert asked tremblingly.
“Of course.”
His Highness the Prince smiled, his eyes seeming to hold the radiant hope of the entire cosmos. “The Chairman has named this ritual…
“– Ouroboros Ring.”
Today is truly legendary.
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