Read Novel Full Chapter 1280: Benefits [1]
Chapter 1280: Benefits [1]
At that moment, movement outside the window caught Michael’s attention.
His gaze shifted toward the sky above the capital, where he was met with dozens of enormous vessels.
Their hulls reflected the evening light while formations of soldiers moved across their decks. Runes along their sides glowed faintly as the ships adjusted direction, gathering into several groups before beginning to spread outward.
Even from the palace, it was an impressive sight.
Down below, many stopped in the streets and looked up.
Many had seen flying ships before, but seeing this many deployed at once was something entirely different.
For ordinary residents, the sight inspired awe more than anything else.
To them, those ships represented the strength of the empire.
The nobles reacted differently.
Behind windows, inside carriages, and from private estates scattered across the capital, countless eyes followed the ships with far more cautious expressions.
Only a few months ago, this city had been bathed in blood.
The memory had not disappeared.
Many noble families still remembered how quickly the previous order had collapsed.
Michael’s methods during the takeover had been violent enough that even though the capital had gradually grown accustomed to its new Emperor, no one had completely forgotten how he came to power.
So when dozens of flying ships suddenly began leaving the capital at once, the nobles grew uneasy at once.
Some wondered if another rebellion had appeared. Others feared a neighboring kingdom had done something foolish. A few quietly considered whether another purge was beginning somewhere beyond the capital.
There were even those already thinking about what opportunities might come from whatever was happening.
If a rebellious territory was about to lose its ruler, new positions would open.
Their worry was naturally mixed with calculation.
They could hardly be blamed for it.
Dozens of flying ships did not look casual.
That was not the kind of force deployed for a minor administrative matter.
All the nobles could do was hope that whatever had happened was something the Emperor could handle. And perhaps, if they were fortunate, something they could eventually profit from as well.
Michael watched the fleet gradually split apart across the horizon.
Michael was just about to turn away from the window and return his attention to Bok when he suddenly paused.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
At the same time, in the Origin Battlefield, Michael stood atop one of the enormous walls overlooking the Subsidiary Territorial Anchor.
The station below had changed considerably from when it was first established.
Several figures dressed in robes sat cross-legged around the Dominion Conduit, their eyes closed as streams of mana continuously flowed from their bodies into the mana circle beneath them.
The energy was absorbed almost at once and flowed into the platform.
Faint patterns of light spread across the platform before disappearing into the Anchor’s internal reserve.
These were some of the Rank Two mana-capable supernaturals the empire had gathered from its subordinate kingdoms.
Unlike the Rank Three contributors, who remained stationed on the Land of Origin side and were kept away from unnecessary information, the Rank Two contributors were only allowed to stay within the Origin Battlefield.
As a result, what had once been a relatively empty area now looked almost like a temporary settlement.
Huge tents surrounded the station in several organized rows, forming rough streets between them.
Groups of people moved constantly from one section to another.
Some supernaturals rested after exhausting their mana reserves, lying on simple cots while waiting for their energy to recover.
Others ate together around temporary tables, chatted with people from different kingdoms, cultivated inside their tents, or quietly waited for their turn to approach the conduit.
The atmosphere was surprisingly lively.
For many of them, being summoned by the empire had initially caused considerable anxiety. Yet after spending several days here, most had realized that the task itself was simple.
They supplied mana, were compensated for it, and gained access to an environment far richer in ambient energy than what many of them could normally enjoy. For some, this assignment had unexpectedly become an opportunity.
The only real difficulty had been setting up the large-scale mana-gathering circle around the platform, with a few modifications to fit their needs, which took several days. Fortunately, the Emperor did not rush them or press them on time, so the work proceeded at a leisurely pace.
As for why the mana-gathering circle was needed in the first place, it came down to their status as mana batteries. Without the circle, they would have been slowly killing themselves by letting the platform drain them directly.
As one advanced in power, regardless of race, all supernaturals experienced their bodies changing over time. It wasn’t an exaggeration to call them huge living bodies of mana. Because of this deep relationship with mana, many mages had realized that when the platform absorbed their mana directly, a small amount of their life force was pulled along with it.
This problem could be avoided through careful concentration, but doing so drained a great deal of mental strength and wasn’t sustainable in the long run.
To solve it, they needed a better method, which is how the modified gathering circle came to be. With the modification providing dedicated nodes mages could feed mana into safely and carelessly, the conversion process became far smoother.
Michael’s gaze moved across the temporary camp as a smile appeared on his face.
"She’s back, huh?"
As for who Michael was referring to, it was naturally about Lily.
It had been four days he’d been waiting for her in the Land of Origin, and as many as twelve days in the Origin Battlefield.
Even with all the gains he had experienced these past few days, a part of his mind had remained focused on Lily.
Now that she was back, he of course had to check up on her. Taking one final look at the situation below, Michael disappeared into the void.
Inside the Mausoleum, Lily had only just appeared in the living room when a figure materialized directly in front of her.
It was Michael.
Lily’s expression brightened at once.
"Cousin!"
Michael smiled as he looked her over.
She was filthy.
Dust covered parts of her clothes, dried mud stained the lower half of her trousers, and several strands of her hair were still messy from everything she had gone through in the Origin Battlefield.
Lily, however, did not seem to care about her appearance.
She looked excited.
"I have something for you."
Michael raised an eyebrow.
Lily quickly waved her hand.
"But wait first. I want to greet Mom."
She had just turned when Michael shook his head.
"Aunt Mia isn’t in the building."
Hearing this, Lily stopped.
Michael’s senses had already swept through the entire house.
At the moment, only the two of them were inside.
Through his connection with the Mausoleum, however, he could see Aunt Mia was currently sitting near one of the lakes in another part of the Mausoleum.
A fishing rod rested in her hands.
Beside her sat Jester.
The two of them seemed to have been there for some time.
A small basket already contained several fish.
Michael found the sight slightly amusing.
"Aunt Mia went fishing with Jester. She should be back soon."
Lily’s shoulders relaxed. She didn’t doubt her cousin. In any case, since her mom would return sooner or later, there was no need to rush.
Lily turned back toward Michael.
The excitement from before returned to her face at once.
A moment later, Lily reached into her storage space.
Four dark fragments appeared in her hands.
Each piece was roughly the size of her palm, with one curved edge and several faint golden lines running across its surface. Tiny runes occasionally flickered over them before disappearing again.
Michael’s attention sharpened at once.
Lily carefully handed all four pieces to him.
When he placed them together in his palm, their shape became obvious.
They were quarters of the same object. Together, they could form a complete circle.
Michael stared at them for a moment before casting Detect.
A panel appeared in front of him.
[Universal Cornerstone Fragment]
[Fragment Completion: 4/4]
[Description: A separated portion of a Universal Cornerstone. Four matching fragments may be combined to reconstruct a complete Universal Cornerstone.]
Michael’s heart began beating faster.
For several seconds, he simply stared at the four fragments in his hands.
A moment later, he slowly raised his head and looked at Lily, who was already smiling at him.
There was a trace of pride on her face.
"I did what you told me to do, right?"
Michael’s lips twitched.
Lily leaned forward slightly.
"So I deserve a gift, right?"
Michael looked at her dirty clothes, messy hair, and the almost shameless expectation on her face.
Then he looked back down at the four fragments.
His smile widened.
A gift?
At this point, Michael felt she could probably ask for quite a lot.
* * *
A/N: Got sniped by cold. Took some drugs, but they’re making me sleep a lot, so I can only write this much. Fortunately, they seem to be working, though I still feel very terrible. I’m sorry, dear readers. The author will soon be back strong after defeating the cold demon.