The Shepherds Are Dense – Chapter 820

Chapter 819
Master Amber
—Did the Spirit Tower move to the Hrasal Empire a thousand years ago?
Alistair fell into thought.
Eivass had studied Elven history for a time when he was in the Church.
The Elves of the Church primarily used two calendars: the current Lunar Calendar and the past Amber Calendar.
The former marked the time when Hengwo ascended to the Pillar God, while the latter marked the birth of Amber.
After all, both Hengwo and Amber had completely changed the situation of the entire world.
Alistair knew nothing of the era before the birth of Amber. However, the birth of Hengwo directly led to the extinction of monsters. Many inheritances specifically for fighting monsters were thus severed, and races that coexisted with monsters, such as the Lizardmen, rapidly declined. The era of striving for racial survival ended, and the era of conflict filled with desires began.
—The era of humans also gradually arrived.
Before that, Horus was pioneered by Harpies and a small number of Lizardmen. The Ancient Kingdom of Anxi belonged to Lizardmen, with a small number of Harpies and Snake People. The Taichu Empire in the faraway East was once the territory of Dragons and Snake People. The main races of the Hrasal Empire were Harpies, Dwarves, and a small number of Goblins.
However, after Hengwo ascended to godhood, they were gradually replaced by human territories.
Humans did not have the concept of the Amber Calendar; they only used the Lunar Calendar.
The year 6174 of the Amber Calendar was the day Hengwo ascended to the Pillar God. This was also the first year of the Lunar Calendar.
The Elves, about two hundred years after the birth of humans, believed that Hengwo had completely transformed the era, and therefore adopted the Lunar Calendar. Afterward, the two calendars ran in parallel until the Lunar Calendar reached its thousandth year, at which point the Amber Calendar was completely discontinued.
It is now the year 1899 of the Lunar Calendar, and the Spirit Tower moved to the core territory of the Hrasal Empire a thousand years ago, which was around the year 899 of the Lunar Calendar.
The Hrasal Empire, up to this point, had been in existence for precisely five hundred years.
“…Something doesn’t seem right.”
Alistair’s brow furrowed slightly. “You mean to say that the Winged Principal found the spine of the Amber Heavenly Envoy three hundred years after the Empire was founded? But then another two hundred years passed before they moved into the Empire… What happened in between?”
Suddenly, Albert realized something.
He asked in confusion, “You mean… the Spirit Tower was also a mage school pioneered by bird-people?”
“Yes, those bird-people were innate casters. Among all the ancient races, those winged ancient people were the most adept at various kinds of spells… It can be said that most modern spells are inherited from them.”
Adolf nodded. “Their casting talent was much stronger than that of humans. Harpies could cast spells instinctively without needing staffs or studying spell principles. In the time it took humans to learn one spell, Harpies could even grasp a whole system…”
“Then… where did they all go?”
Aurora asked softly, “Did they leave the Spirit Tower?”
Adolf glanced meaningfully at the three young-looking individuals.
“No,” he said in a cold, merciless voice, “our predecessors have always been with us.”
As he spoke, he looked up.
Alistair subconsciously looked up with him, towards the ceiling.
The next moment, her eyes widened.
—On the ceiling, above the chandelier, a large number of skulls were hanging!
Dim yellow flames flickered within each skull, silently looking down at them.
“Necromancers have a bad reputation, and while this is partly prejudice… this prejudice is not unfounded. Our predecessors did commit unforgivable evils…”
Black-faced Adolf said slowly. “This is the original sin.
“Humans, as a nascent race, were merely ‘teaching assistants’ at the Spirit Tower, essentially test subjects for the bird-people researching the burgeoning field of necromancy. It wasn’t until the first ‘Nameless’ Principal gradually transitioned from teaching assistant to student, and then from student to mentor, that he cultivated his own faction… and finally, with the assistance of the Amber Heavenly Envoy, seized the entire Spirit Tower.
“All the bird-people were slaughtered… To prevent their mass ascension and revenge on humans, ‘Nameless’ imprisoned their souls within their skulls and preserved them here. Because this was an act of patricide and slaughter, he left no name to be remembered by posterity, and his own skull is also somewhere among them, as a false atonement… and also as torture for himself.
“It was indeed after this that humans fully mastered the arcane inheritance of the Spirit Tower; from another perspective, it was also from this point that humans ceased to exist as experimental materials for the bird-people.
“Compared to the Spirit Tower, all branches of the past Tower of Truth have been severed and were only revived through archaeology. Only our lineage’s inheritance is naturally complete. For this reason, we can be the sole inheritors of the Tower of Truth. That is why I say, in a sense, we originate from four thousand years ago.
“But from another perspective, the Spirit Tower belonging to humans began a thousand years ago.
“Because we seized the inheritance belonging to the bird-people, bird-people still regard necromancers from the Spirit Tower as enemies to this day. The Horus people still claim that one day they will reclaim their heritage… although they are not those bird-people at all.
“This is a hatred that has spread for a thousand years—every principal believes that one day there will be a resolution. The tradition of temporarily abandoning one’s name upon becoming ‘Principal’ also began at that time.”
Adolf looked at the greatly shaken Albert and Aurora, as well as the thoughtful Alistair, and sighed. “The events of that year left no written records, and oral tradition alone cannot fully explain them. To this day, there is no need to worry too much… Since we are humans, we can only live from a human perspective.”
“But there must be some who cannot accept this fact, right?”
Alistair suddenly spoke. “For example… Master Amber?”
Adolf was not surprised by Alistair mentioning this name.
After all, he was the only person in the world who had mastered true resurrection—before resurrection potions were reinvted, people could only ask Master Amber for help if they wanted to resurrect others.
“Yes, Master Dudley may have also left the Spirit Tower for this reason… because he did not want to bear the resentment of a thousand years of inheritance.”
Adolf clearly knew this friend of the Principal and quickly replied, “Otherwise… perhaps the one who became ‘Principal’ would not have been the teacher, but Master Amber. Here, it’s right here.”
“After all, he is the world’s strongest Preserver…”
Alistair said as she walked towards the small Fernando, who had been petrified into a statue, and frowned slightly.
It was different from what she had expected.
She already knew that this was the person who had been burned to death by the Butterfly during the Ascension Ritual.
However, this was no longer an injury left by fire… but a soul fracture involving a curse.
This level of soul damage would truly require Eivass himself to heal. Because ultimately, Eivass’s liquid soul would likely have to be used for repair…
Alistair subconsciously touched the liquid soul in her pocket, her brow furrowed slightly.
She could heal it, but…
Seeing Alistair’s distressed expression, Adolf sighed as expected. “If we cannot find the former Pope who is currently traveling, we may have to ask Master Amber for help.
“If Fernando’s problem is truly difficult to resolve… I believe we will ultimately have to rely on him.”
“Where is Master Amber?”
Alistair breathed a sigh of relief and quickly asked.
She really didn’t want to use this bottle of liquid soul… but she also didn’t want to go back on her word. Moreover, this was indeed someone Eivass killed in the past.
Although Eivass himself didn’t care… Alistair didn’t want anyone to resent Eivass for this reason.
“Regarding the Master, he seems to be searching for ruins from the Amber era.”
After all, Fernando was Adolf’s most beloved student, and Adolf was quite concerned. “As far as I know, the Master is currently preparing to explore ruins left by bird-people. That should be related to the remnants of the Tower of Truth. He is now anonymously recruiting archaeologists as an investor… He borrowed the money from me. Had you not come, I was originally planning to recommend Aurora to inquire about it.
“If you know any archaeologists, you can also introduce them to give it a try.
“If all goes well, you might run into him this way!”
(End of Chapter)