## Chapter 689: A Plan to Kill a Heavenly Envoy Early
“Cardinal Belisarius… he’s been stationed in the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi for a long time. I admire him. I grew up listening to tales of him when I was very young. It was because of him that I joined the Central Inquisition.
“The slavery in the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi arises from their culture and political system. Although we consider it wrong, we cannot directly refute it. Only when the Anxi people stand up and awaken themselves can they fully negate their past and advance to the next stage of civilization. Any physical interference from outside is inherently an act of aggression.”
Cardinal Dominic said softly, “Without a ‘Lord,’ the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi would be nothing but a barren desert devoid of life. They contracted with the Phantom Demons dwelling in the deep seas of the Dream Realm and gained the ability to create water out of thin air… forcefully bringing forth oases in the desert of Anxi where life shouldn’t exist.
“Since they monopolize this resource, selling water at a high price is the seller’s freedom. Those who thirst for water sell themselves to them, which is also the buyer’s freedom. The ‘Market Supervisor’ might regulate such behavior, but we see it as a normal part of the process – the perversions and chronic illnesses of a civilization are also part of its normal development.
“Moreover, we cannot possibly kidnap a Lord and force them to provide water to others without compensation. At the same time, we are powerless to transport water into that demonic desert… The desert was cursed a long time ago. Any water entering it that is not filled with sin will quickly dry up. Legend has it there are many Sin Thorns beneath the desert, though I’m not certain.
“In my opinion… from the very beginning, it was not a place meant for life and civilization to be born. Poisonous soil yields no good fruit, and polluted seas only harbor sick fish. To survive in that desert, one must pay a greater price.
“—Unless there is a Lord willing to provide water selflessly and purely for others, the Anxi people will continue to see this system of life dependent on a Lord as perfectly normal. They will even thank the Lord and genuinely believe this is a ‘benevolent act’ worthy of dedicating their lives and freedom.
“At the same time, in Anxi, almost every Anxi person owns slaves, with over sixty percent owning three or more slaves… They see no problem with this. Even the slaves themselves do not reject slavery – they simply desire to become slave owners.
“In such an environment, it’s incredibly difficult for us to bring about change. ‘The Anxi people are more stubborn than Dwarves’ is a saying that circulates among us.”
Eivass shook his head.
He could only conclude that elves possessed a moral standard that was too high…
The noble can be deceived with straightforwardness – they are too considerate of things, which restrains them and prevents them from acting freely. But there’s no other way; after all, their good deeds are their own purpose… this “theory of salvation” is itself a practice of the Path of Devotion.
To alter one’s methods for the sake of a goal, becoming tough and brutal, might instead deviate from the Path of Devotion.
“Where do these slaves come from?”
Isabel listened with a frown.
She found it hard to imagine such a depraved place… and even harder to comprehend why there were more slaves than Free People, and why they didn’t want to overthrow the rule of the Free People.
If this were Avalon or the Iris Flower… oh, the people of the Iris Flower have already done so, so never mind.
Cardinal Dominic sighed and slowly replied:
“Most of these slaves come from the conquered settlements of other residents, with a minority coming from slave hunts and the Goblin Merchant Guild. To protect the interests of the Lords, even if the source of the slaves is illegal, slaves already sold to them are not returned to Freemasonry. Those sold by the Lords are ‘legal slaves.’
“Anxi eliminates surplus population in this manner, converting them into wealth. Almost every Anxi person was a rich individual before their cities fell, far wealthier than the commoners of Avalon or the Iris Flower. Even the Anxi people have accepted the fact that today’s Free People could become new slaves tomorrow. Even so, they still do as they please with their slaves and will ride camels to secretly capture new ones.
“We cannot change this habit because even the locals consider it normal. Even if we try to teach them common sense, they are always stubbornly unwilling to accept it. But there will always be some wicked individuals, whom even the locals deem deserving of death… and at such times, they will risk their lives to venture into the depths of the desert to request Belisarius to judge these villains – an act that is inherently dangerous, and thus demonstrates their determination.
“Belisarius would then emerge from the desert depths with his Paladins, crush the city’s resistance, apprehend the villains, and publicly try them before disappearing back into the desert.
“They do not know that Belisarius is a Cardinal of the Church… Many of them have never seen an Elf in their lives, and few Elves venture into that cursed desert. They call Cardinal Belisarius the ‘Ice Heart King,’ a mysterious guardian of the desert’s depths. Occasionally, some wise individuals venture into the desert for guidance… At such times, Cardinal Belisarius would inform them of the world and knowledge beyond the desert. If someone wished to leave the desert, Cardinal Belisarius would have Paladins escort them.
“Water sources, Lords, deserts, slaves, city-states… their final choices and actions are their own affair. Belisarius can only offer them one possibility… a possibility of resistance.
“He says that even the foolish ones who have not yet awakened are worthy of salvation. If anyone comes seeking help, he will rescue them; if anyone comes seeking knowledge, he will provide it. If someone wishes to see the outside world and then return to save their homeland… whether they return or not, he will find a way to help them leave.
“He has been waiting there, silently, for the Anxi people to make their decision and awaken completely. When that time comes, Belisarius will fight for these awakened ones, helping them crush all obstacles.
“He always tells me, ‘Soon’ – that day will come soon.”
Cardinal Dominic’s voice was filled with hope and longing.
Her voice was full of adoration.
Eivass nodded slightly.
—Indeed.
The Fourth Water War is about to begin.
At that time, the Anxi people will summon the ‘Abyss Heavenly Envoy’ that once destroyed the Atlanteans…
The Abyss Heavenly Envoy is a Heavenly Envoy of the Twilight Path. It existed even before the Twilight Path was called the Twilight Path.
At that time, the power of the Origin River of ‘Error’ was called the ‘Forbidden’ Path.
Born from the deep sea, the Abyss Heavenly Envoy is an incomparably giant Sea Monster. Its descent would turn the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi into a vast ocean, permanently destroying that cursed desert.
Eivass wants to ascend his Beast of Sin, which requires defeating Heavenly Envoys of corresponding attributes in the Material Realm. With Heavenly Envoy Fragments of the corresponding attribute, he can have his Beast of Sin level up alongside him.
Because the Abyss Heavenly Envoy must be summoned, and it is a problem that must be dealt with as soon as possible – if the Abyss Heavenly Envoy is not summoned, the problem of water scarcity in the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi can never be permanently solved; if the Abyss Heavenly Envoy is not dealt with, then the endless water will gradually drown the entire world.
…Perhaps I can take some time to visit the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi.
A thought flashed through Eivass’s mind.
If the Abyss Heavenly Envoy could be summoned in advance through the Ouroboros Ring Ritual, it might be much easier to handle.
In the game, the Abyss Heavenly Envoy is a Level 80 template, which is simply world-destroying… It sinks millions of square kilometers of desert into the sea out of nowhere, human settlements disappear one by one, and cities are dissolved one after another… That sense of powerlessness was truly overwhelming.
Eivass has no recollection of Cardinal Belisarius. He probably died at that time. Given his personality, he would have certainly faced the enemy head-on. However, a normal template class cannot single-handedly defeat a descending Heavenly Envoy without special countermeasures.
But if it were a Level 50 template… it wouldn’t be this powerful.
A thought occurred to Eivass.
He was being led astray by the ingrained thinking from his seer’s perspective.
Except for the Fallen Heavenly Envoy, who must be dealt with first, other Heavenly Envoys… perhaps they don’t need to wait until the World Tier is so high to fight them!
Those enemies that are almost impossible to resist at Level 80 or 90 might not be so strong if encountered at Level 50 or 60!
For example…
—The Ring Heavenly Envoy!
“…This is a good idea. I’ll try it then.”
For the first time, Eivass conceived a method that could truly “kill the Ring Heavenly Envoy.”
Once he deals with the Fallen Heavenly Envoy, he plans to visit Anxi.
Eivass is also somewhat curious about that sinful country. In the game, when he encountered Anxi, the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi had already been destroyed by the sea and turned into ruins.
He has not yet seen the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi during its desert period.
(End of this chapter)
