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Chapter 783: Titan Giant Chronos!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Respected Giant King, we come from the Spell Caster civilization. This is the Glorious Lord, and I'm an avatar of Arcane Wizard Setoh. I would like to seek an audience with your Titan Giant to discuss a crucial matter."

Setoh stood up. Despite being an ultimate existence's avatar, his aura was not at all oppressive but very genial.

However, upon hearing the introduction from Merlin and Setoh's avatar, the middle rank Giant Lord's face shifted dramatically. As a middle rank Giant King, he was equivalent to an Honored Legend in the Spell Caster civilization. At his position, he, of course, knew about the powerful Spell Caster civilization in the Void Zone.

A Lord was equivalent to an upper rank Giant King. In the eyes of this middle rank Giant King, this was already an impressive existence. While Merlin's identity as a Lord was staggering, it paled in contrast to Arcane Wizard Setoh' avatar.

Arcane Wizard, this was a great existence who was comparable to the Titan Giant!

"You're here to see His Majesty Chronos?"

Chronos was the name of the Ultimate Titan Giant in the Giant Tribe. According to rumors, as long as the Giants achieved the level of the ultimate existences, they were all called Titan Giants. Titan Giant was only the universal title bestowed upon their ultimate existences.

"That's right, we're here to see His Majesty Chronos. Would you kindly show us the way?"

Wizard Setoh asked calmly.

"This… Indeed, if you visit the Titan Dimension in this manner, you'll attract a lot of trouble. I'll lead you there, then."

The middle rank Giant King looked at the Slothful Beast with an awestruck expression. Although he knew that the Spell Caster civilization was powerful, he did not think that they were so powerful as to be able to tame a Slothful Beast.

Of course, this was because he did not know that the Slothful Beast was merely "controlled" using Merin's Hallucinating spell, and not that the Spell Caster civilization had the means to control it. Nevertheless, such a misunderstanding would not be detrimental toward the Spell Caster civilization. Instead, it would increase the esteem held by the Giant Tribe toward the Spell Casters.

Thereafter, Merlin led the Slothful Beast and followed the directions provided by the Giant King.

Along the way, they encountered several Giants. However, with the middle rank Giant King as their guide, they did not come across any obstruction.

After approximately a month, they had traversed past many dimensions, and finally saw an incredibly huge dimension. Just the sheer size of the dimension revealed its magnificence. Surely, this was not an average dimension.

"Everyone, we've arrived at the Titan Dimension!"

Following the Giant King's explanation, all of them found out that the huge and extraordinary dimension was their destination – the Titan Dimension!

Historically, all the Titan Giants of the Giant Tribe lived in this dimension. Therefore, even from a distance away, all of them could feel an inconceivable authority before them. Their hearts also felt slightly suppressed.

Even the Slothful Beast appeared to be slightly uneasy.

"Everyone, I think the Slothful Beast cannot enter the dimension."

The Giant King said softly, glancing at the gigantic beast.

Merlin nodded. "Let the Slothful Beast wait outside, then."

Thus, Merlin utilized his Hallucinating spell and gradually lulled the Slothful Beast into a deep slumber. As long as the Slothful Beast fell into a deep slumber, besides Merlin's Hallucinating spell, almost nobody could wake up the Slothful Beast. Naturally, they would not have to worry that the Slothful Beast would leave.

Moreover, a Slothful Beast in deep slumber would remain docile, and would not swallow any dimensions willfully.

"Everyone, come with me."

The middle rank Giant King leaped down from the back of the Slothful Beast. With Merlin and the others in tow, he quickly flew into the Titan Dimension.

After entering the Titan Dimension, Merlin's first impression was the humongous size of everything. The entire Titan Dimension resembled a Giant kingdom. Every single building was unimaginably large. Under the Giant King's guidance, Merlin and his entourage appeared to be exceptionally tiny.

Soon, they came to a huge palace. The Giant King said hesitantly, "Please wait a moment, I'll inform His Majesty Chronos!"

Hence, the Giant King made Merlin and the others wait in front of the palace while he swiftly entered the palace.

In the shimmery golden palace, the Giant King carefully informed an upper rank Giant King the details. As soon as he heard that the Spell Caster civilization had sent forth the Glorious Lord and Arcane Wizard Setoh's avatar, the upper rank Giant King immediately invited Merlin and the others to enter the palace.

So, Merlin and the others made their way into the palace. The upper rank Giant Lord was gigantic. His voice was like rumbling thunder that caused their ears to ring. Fortunately, all of them were existences above a Lord. Otherwise, they might not able to withstand just his voice alone.

Seeing Merlin and the others, the upper rank Giant King was also astonished. He noticed that Merlin and Setoh were indeed Lords whereas Flarite stunned him further. The aura emitted by Flarite felt vaguely flattering even to an upper rank Giant King like him.

"Everyone, why did you come from afar to see His Majesty Chronos?"

"We want to speak to His Majesty Chronos directly. This matter is extremely important, and concerns both the Spell Caster civilization as well as the Giant civilization!"

Setoh replied calmly. The fact that the Titan Giant still had not appeared seemed slightly peculiar.

The upper rank Giant King took a deep sigh. "Everyone, His Majesty Chronos is neither in the palace nor in the Titan Dimension right now. However, I can bring the news to him on your behalf. Whether or not His Majesty Chronos can return in time, I cannot promise you."

"Not in the Titan Dimension? Then let's wait here for a while."

Setoh deliberated for a moment. Perhaps the Titan Giant was not in the dimension, so they could only wait here quietly.

"Alright, wait a moment. I'll send someone to relay your message right now."

As soon as he finished speaking, this Giant King left the palace.

…

It was an unfamiliar, pitch-black area of the Void Zone. Around this area, there was almost no dimensions except for an unimaginably gargantuan dimension. It was a unique dimension, perhaps approximately equivalent to hundreds of dimensions combined.

However, this dimension was filled with the stench of death, and looked like a dead, forsaken dimension. There was not a single trace of life on the dimension.

"The ancestral land, I still can't enter it!"

In this gargantuan dimension filled with death was an incredibly huge giant radiating a golden glow. He looked extremely eye-catching.

This giant's gaze was transfixed on the dimension but still, he dared not enter the dimension for some reasons.

"If only I can enter the ancestral land, the Giant Tribe wouldn't decline to such a state!"

A spirited look flashed across the twinkling eyes of the incredibly huge giant's eyes but it gradually dimmed. How would it be easy to enter the ancestral land?

He had indeed entered the ancestral land before but even then, he had only escaped by sheer luck, and a hair's breadth away from death. Although he eventually became the only Titan Giant of the Giant Tribe, he still dared not enter the ancestral land again.

This was because he once sensed the threat of death in that place. Even though he was now an Ultimate Titan Giant, he was still mortal. If he were to step into the ancestral land, there was a chance he might perish.

The nearer he got to the ancestral land, the stronger the feeling was! Therefore, as the only Titan Giant, Chronos did not want to take additional risks. Moreover, as the only pillar of the Giant Tribe, he could not afford to take such risks. Back then, if he had not become the only Titan Giant, perhaps the Giant Tribe would have continued to decline and eventually disappear completely from the Void Zone.

Thus, Chronos dared not take more risks. He was the hope of the Giant Tribe now, so nothing must happen to him. Unless the Giant Tribe could produce another Titan Giant.

However, Chronos had already spent hundreds and thousands of years to nurture one giant after another. He had managed to nurture quite a number of upper rank Giant Kings, and even nurtured them with his blood but he still could not nurture a second Titan Giant.

"Boom."

Suddenly, from a distance, a Giant King dressed in black armor flew toward him.

"Respectable Your Majesty Chronos, a Lord and Arcane Wizard Setoh's avatar from the Spell Caster civilization have come to the Titan Dimension, requesting to see you!"

"The Spell Caster civilization?"

Chronos frowned slightly. He had been staying in the ancestral land for a while now but it did not mean that he did not know anything. He knew that the Spell Caster civilization had encountered some trouble recently. This visit must be related to the trouble they had encountered.

"Let them leave."

After a short deliberation, Chronos shook his head. He did not feel particularly chummy with the Spell Caster civilization. This was a powerful civilization that just arose not too long ago. Compared to the Giant Tribe with a very long history, Chronos did not regard these powerful civilizations highly.

Perhaps, the Spell Caster civilization would decline just as quickly as it arose.

The black-armored Giant King hesitated momentarily. He was much smaller than the Titan Giant, but he spoke up, "Your Majesty, the Spell Casters also brought along a Slothful Beast. It's right outside the Titan Dimension."

"Hmm? What did you say? A Slothful Beast?"

The Titan Giant Chronos turned his head, a strange glint shone in his twinkling eyes.

This Giant King was an upper rank Giant King who had always stayed by the side of the Titan Giant. Only when he was in the ancestral land, the Titan Giant would allow him to leave.

The ancestral land was where the Giant Tribe originated but at the same time, it was also their forbidden land. Without the Titan Giant's permission, no one was allowed to enter.

"Yes, they have a Slothful Beast. I don't know how but they seem to be able to tame that Slothful Beast. A middle rank Giant King saw them steer the Slothful Beast to the Titan Dimension with his own eyes."

This Giant King relayed all the information he knew in detail.

After a long time, the Titan Giant Chronos stood up and spoke slowly, "Let's go then. We'll see what they have to say."

Chronos finally decided to return to the Titan Dimension to meet the Spell Casters from afar.

Chapter 784 The Ancestral Land!

A bell chime blared across the entire dimension. No one knew what was happening.

Merlin, Setoh, and the others stood up immediately, and cast their gazes outside the palace. They could sense a powerful aura approaching the palace at a rapid speed.

"Creak."

The main door creaked open, and a Giant emitting a golden glimmer walked in with an air of authority. He walked directly to the highest level, and sat down on a chair that was about the size of a huge bed.

The only Titan Giant of the Giant Tribe, Chronos!

"Your Majesty Chronos, you've finally returned!"

Wizard Setoh was the first to recover. He was Arcane Wizard Setoh's avatar, so naturally, he could tell that the Giant in front of him possessed the power of the natural order. This was a power that only the ultimate existences possessed.

The Titan Giant Chronos had returned!

It was Merlin's first time seeing the Titan Giant of the Giant Tribe. According to rumors, the Titan Giant was the progenitor of the Giant Tribe, and every Titan Giant innately possessed endless courage. They were born to be warriors!

The combative nature of the Giant Tribe was common knowledge. This was a civilization whose blood contained an avid fighting spirit!

"Arcane Wizard Setoh, this isn't one of your Wizards from the Spell Caster civilization, right?"

Upon entering the palace, Titan Giant Chronos' sight was transfixed upon Flarite. Based on his experience, he was, of course, able to tell that Flarite was extremely powerful.

Wizard Setoh also glanced at Flarite and smiled. "The Spell Caster civilization has encountered some tribulation. This is a strong contender from the Flare Tribe, who is preparing to return to the Spell Caster civilization together with me to help the Spell Caster civilization face this tribulation."

Flarite grinned. With his intelligence, he naturally knew what Setoh was trying to achieve. Although the so-called "Flare Tribe" appeared out of thin air, he did not mind, and just smiled.

The Titan Giant nodded pensively. He had never heard about the Flare Tribe before but there were simply too many civilizations in the Void Zone. Perhaps, the Spell Caster civilization was indeed friendly with this unknown Flare Tribe.

He regarded Flarite with high esteem because he could sense that Flarite was almost at par with an ultimate existence. Such a contender was not easily found among most of the powerful civilizations, including the Giant Tribe.

However, Chronos would not know that the entire Flare Tribe only consisted of Flarite and the other two beings.

After a long pause, Titan Giant Chronos retracted his show of interest, and questioned coldly, "So, why have you come here from afar?"

Although Chronos knew that the Spell Caster had encountered some difficulties recently, he did not know the true extent of the situation.

Setoh contemplated for a moment as if choosing his words carefully. Sometime later, he took a deep breath and spoke, "I'm sure Your Majesty knows that the Spell Caster civilization is in trouble. We don't have anything to hide from you because you'll find out easily enough if you sent someone out to collect information. The enemies of the Spell Caster civilization are the Atlan civilization, the Rock Tribe, and the Light God Organization from the God Alliance. The Rock Tribe and the Light God Organization each have ultimate existences whereas the Atlan civilization is a new peculiar civilization, which I'm sure you've heard before. Currently, the Spell Caster civilization is in danger, so we would like to request assistance from the Giant Tribe."

Chronos' gaze was sharp as he affixed a dead stare at Setoh. Then, he sneered. "The rise of the Spell Caster civilization has been fast, yet someone managed to force you into such a tight corner? I thought you can control a Slothful Beast? Why would you still need me?"

Chronos had already seen the Slothful Beast outside the Titan Dimension. As the only Titan Giant of the Giant Tribe, he, of course, knew how fearsome a Slothful Beast was. It was not at all inferior to an ultimate existence.

Setoh seemed prepared for that question. He replied, "The Slothful Beast is indeed powerful but it still isn't an ultimate existence. Moreover, the method of controlling it is still flawed. The enemies of the Spell Caster civilization – whether the Rock Tribe or the Light God Organization aren't a simple tribe. If they succeed in exterminating the Spell Caster civilization today, then, I'm afraid it'll be the Giant Tribe tomorrow! As for the Atlan civilization, it's even more horrifying than both the Rock Tribe and the Light God Organization. As long as Your Majesty take a look at them, you'll understand what I mean."

With that, Setoh stopped speaking. As a Titan Giant who bore the burden of the entire civilization, Chronos would certainly understand the stakes that were involved. Although the Giant Tribe was very far away from the Spell Caster civilization, the Light God Organization had always been a wild card.

In addition, if the Rock Tribe continued to expand, then, it would be difficult to imagine that a conflict with the Giant Tribe would not arise.

Furthermore, the reason that the Giant Tribe had been able to develop in peace over the past many years was attributed to the Spell Caster civilization. It was because the Spell Caster civilization blocked the Rock Tribe as well as a few other nearby civilizations.

As for the threat from the Spell Caster civilization, the Giant Tribe did not have to worry. After all, separating the Spell Caster civilization and the Giant Tribe was the all-powerful God Alliance. Hence, it would be impossible for the Spell Caster civilization to get past the God Alliance and pose a threat to the Giant Tribe.

On the other hand, if the Spell Caster civilization was wiped out, the current equilibrium would be ruined. This was something that the Giant Tribe did not want to see happen.

For some time, Chronos appeared to hesitate. The Spell Caster civilization had three Ultimate Arcane Wizards as well as Flarite in front of his eyes, who was almost on par with an ultimate existence. Other than the ultimate existences, Flarite was almost undefeatable.

Moreover, they also had that powerful Slothful Beast. If they received assistance from the Giant Tribe, the Spell Caster civilization indeed would have a bigger chance of winning. It also meant that helping the Spell Caster civilization would not be too dangerous.

Nonetheless, as the only Titan Giant of the Giant Tribe and shouldering the burden of its development, Chronos generally would not leave the Giant Tribe's sphere of influence.

If something were to happen to him, then the entire Giant Tribe would plunge into danger. Thus, he had to leave behind a seed of hope for the Giant Tribe.

For many years now, Chronos had been thinking of going into the ancestral land again to obtain a drop of Titan Blood. The Titan Blood was heritage blood. Just one drop of heritage blood had a monumental probability of turning a Giant into a powerful Titan Giant.

However, other than his one lucky escape from the ancestral land previously, none of the other Giants he sent had been successful. He did not dare to take the risk to enter the ancestral land either because there was an aura that felt threatening even to him.

Chronos lifted his head, and immediately thought about the humongous Slothful Beast outside his dimension. According to rumors, the Slothful Beast was impervious to any kind of attacks. Even the attacks of several ultimate existences had no effect on the Slothful Beast.

Upon this thought, a bold idea appeared in Chronos' mind.

"Your request for the Giant Tribe to join forces with the Spell Caster civilization isn't entirely impossible. However, you must first do the Giant Tribe a favor!"

Chronos said solemnly.

"A favor?"

Setoh did not suspect a thing and replied at once, "If Your Majesty has any request, as long as you agree to join forces with us, we'll surely agree."

"Haha, don't be so quick to agree. I'll bring you to a place, then, you can decide!"

Chronos laughed. His towering body stood up straight, and left the palace. Setoh, Merlin, and the others discussed briefly. "Let's go. We'll see what is this matter that causes even a Titan Giant to feel helpless!"

They knew that the Spell Caster civilization was in a precarious situation. Whether or not they received assistance from the Giant Tribe depended on this matter.

Hence, they quickly flew onto the Slothful Beast. Meanwhile, Chronos stood next to the Slothful Beast, his eyes tightly focused on Merlin and the rest. Naturally, he wanted to see what method they were using to control the Slothful Beast.

Merlin did not mind because he knew that his method could not be imitated by anyone who was not a Mind Power Master. Besides using Hallucinating spells to "lure" the Slothful Beast, there were no other possible methods to control it. Therefore, it was not a problem for Titan Giant Chronos to watch him.

"Wake up."

With just a soft yap from Merlin, the huge body of the Slothful Beast began to rumble. Under the guidance of Merlin's Hallucinating spell, the deeply slumbering Slothful Beast soon awoke.

"Huh?"

Titan Giant Chronos was watching the Slothful Beast closely. Based on his understanding of the Slothful Beast, he knew that once the Slothful Beast was in a deep slumber, it would not awake in thousands or tens of thousands of years.

However, right now, the Slothful Beast was indeed woken up from its deep slumber. Moreover, the tamer was the least-regarded Merlin. This time, he took a thorough look at Merlin. When he determined that it was indeed Merlin who was controlling the Slothful Beast, he was astounded.

"This technique is something the Giant Tribe won't be able to learn!"

Although Chronos did not know how Merlin accomplished this feat, as a legitimate ultimate existence, he could still sense the Mind Power fluctuation emitted by Merlin. Naturally, he knew that the Spell Casters possessed Mind Power whereas the Giant Tribe did not. Thus, controlling the Slothful Beast was completely impossible for the Giant Tribe.

This could be the most special technique possessed by the Spell Casters!

Thinking along these lines, Chronos was even more certain that the Spell Caster civilization was not completely at a dead-end yet. They still possessed a powerful ability.

"Everyone, steer the Slothful Beast and follow me."

Despite Chronos' enormous body size, compared to the Slothful Beast, he was as tiny as an insect. Nevertheless, he was very fast, and led the way in front of Merlin and the others.

Soon, under Chronos' guidance, they came to a barer area. There were no dimensions around them except for a gargantuan dimension filled with the stench of death right in the middle.

This dimension was immensely huge, almost the size of tens or hundreds of dimensions. It was only a smidgen smaller than the Atlan civilization.

Seeing this dimension, Titan Giant Chronos' expression turned inexplicably complicated. For a moment, he simply stared at the dimension without uttering a word.

"Why have you brought us here?"

Merlin questioned suspiciously. It was such a gargantuan dimension that even the Slothful Beast could enter with ease. It was much bigger than the Flare Region world they were previously at.

A long pause later, Chronos began to speak slowly, "Ancestral land. This is the Giant Tribe's ancestral land! My request is very simple. You must enter the ancestral land and retrieve an item for me!"

Chronos stared at the gargantuan right in front of him with a determined look!

Chapter 785 The Heritage Blood!

"Ancestral land?"

Merlin stared at the gargantuan dimension before them which was filled with death. An eerie atmosphere lingered. He knew that this ancestral land was challenging. Otherwise, whatever Chronos wanted, he would have retrieved it himself a long time ago. Why would he need the help of Merlin and the rest?

"Your Majesty, you're a Titan Giant and an ultimate existence. What item could you possibly need help to retrieve?"

Wizard Setoh inquired softly. He also sensed the peculiarity of this ancestral land dimension.

Titan Giant Chronos looked at the large dimension with a heavy expression. After some time, he reluctantly explained, "This is the ancestral land of the Giant Tribe, and also our place of inheritance! Inside, there's a palace which contained the heritage blood of many generations of Titan Giants. Typically, a Titan Giant can only condense a single drop of heritage blood. Back then, I happened to enter the ancestral land by chance and was fortunate to obtain a drop of legacy blood, so I was able to become the only Titan Giant of the Giant Tribe.

"I would like to ask for your help to enter the ancestral land to retrieve the heritage blood. Back then, I saw two drops of heritage blood in the palace. I used up a drop, so there's only a drop left. Perhaps, there would be more in other places but I don't need you to take too many risks. As long as you can retrieve that one remaining drop of heritage blood, it's sufficient."

Titan Giant Chronos explained his motive to them in a single breath. He wanted to obtain the heritage blood from the ancestral land dimension. Although they knew that the Giant Tribe had a long history, they did not expect that such an extraordinary dimension existed. Moreover, Chronos had become a Titan Giant by using a drop of heritage blood.

Ordinary blood was useless in comparison. A Titan Giant could only condense a single drop of heritage blood. Once the blood was condensed, the Titan Giant would not be far from the grasp of death.

Only the Titan Giants who were faced with an insurmountable danger would condense the heritage blood.

Despite the apparent danger emitted by the ancestral land and the stench of death, it seemed unthinkable that it could deter an ultimate existence like Chronos.

"Your Majesty, how can this ancestral land stop you?"

Wizard Setoh asked in a deep voice.

In the Void Zone, an ultimate existence was almost invincible. Although the ancestral land was quite peculiar, it should not stop an ultimate existence from entering. Therefore, Merlin and his group were filled with confusion.

Chronos thought for a moment and spoke, "The ancestral land is very strange. There's a power that seems to suppress me. Not just me but all Giants. Even if I attack, it's extremely difficult! I've tried it before but I failed…"

Merlin and Setoh exchanged a look, both sensing the absurdity in this statement. Surely, Chronos was not telling the truth. Since Chronos was so wary of the ancestral land, perhaps there was a power that could threaten an ultimate existence.

Hence, they were slightly hesitant. If there was a power that could threaten an ultimate existence, how would they dare enter?

Chronos seemed to be able to guess their hesitation, so he continued speaking, "All you have to do is enter the palace and retrieve that heritage blood, then the Giant Tribe would join forces with the Spell Caster civilization, and rush to the Spell Caster civilization at once! If it was just you lot, of course, I wouldn't allow you to enter. However, you have the Slothful Beast. No matter how strong a force is, can it possibly harm the Slothful Beast?"

He was right, they did have the Slothful Beast!

Merlin also glanced at the Slothful Beast. Back then, even the joint forces of the three great Arcane Wizards were unable to harm the Slothful Beast. So far, only the pale blue flames that were left behind by the Flare Emperor had been able to harm the Slothful Beast. Additionally, if the Slothful Beast was enraged, even the dimension itself could be torn apart. Therefore, there was nothing much for them to fear.

"Perhaps this ancestral land is quite peculiar but with the Slothful Beast, we have a chance of success."

Merlin and Setoh discussed diligently among themselves. For the sake of the Spell Caster civilization, they would have to undertake this risk. Finally, they decided to agree to Chronos' request and enter the ancestral land to retrieve a drop of heritage blood for the Giant Tribe.

"Your Majesty, we agree to enter the ancestral land!"

A smile appeared on Chronos' face. "Don't worry. As long as you can retrieve a drop of heritage blood, I will not break my word. I'll certainly mobilize the strength of the entire Giant Tribe to help the Spell Caster civilization!"

Chronos reiterated his promise. A promise made by an ultimate existence was very trustworthy, so Merlin and Setoh were assured and did not require any kind of contractual obligation.

Hence, the two of them flew onto the back of the Slothful Beast. This time, they decided to go by themselves. After all, this ancestral land was dangerous. In addition, Flarite and the others did not belong to the Spell Caster civilization. There was no need to involve them in such a dangerous situation.

"Flarite, you three can wait for us outside."

As soon as Setoh finished speaking, he got ready for Merlin to steer the Slothful Beast into the ancestral land.

"We want to go with you. Perhaps, I can be of some help."

Flarite led the other two hopped onto the Slothful Beast with an unperturbed expression.

"This…"

Both Setoh and Merlin were very touched. Flarite was still willing to follow them to such a dangerous place. However, they were slightly hesitant because this place was relatively ominous. Just the aura of death alone made the dimension appear uncanny.

However, Flarite's expression gradually turned grave. Softly, he said, "There's a reason why I want to follow you inside. Although this dimension is filled with death, there's an aura that's very familiar to me. What is it specifically, I don't know. Perhaps, only by entering, I'll find out."

"You've sensed something familiar?"

Merlin and Setoh exchanged a look. If Flarite and the others felt something familiar, then this ancestral land must have existed for a very long time. Perhaps, it could be useful to them.

Thus, Merlin and Setoh no longer insisted otherwise. With Flarite and the others in tow, they began to slowly steer the Slothful Beast toward the ancestral land dimension.

Titan Giant Chronos, on the other hand, stayed outside the dimension with a hopeful look. He had sent many Giants inside but none of them had returned.

With the Slothful Beast, this time might be his last hope.

"Warrior spirits of Titan Giants past, I hope this attempt will succeed in retrieving your heritage blood so that the Giant Tribe would no longer continue to decline…"

Chronos mumbled softly as he watched the huge Slothful Beast slowly disappearing into the ancestral land.

…

In the gargantuan dimension filled with death, as soon as the Slothful Beast entered the dimension, it seemed to sense something amiss. The Slothful Beast twisted its body in apparent discomfort. Fortunately, the interference did not seem too strong, so Merlin's Hallucinating spell was still able to affect the Slothful Beast.

"Such a strong aura of death!"

Setoh's expression grew grimmer. How could this be the ancestral land of the Giant Tribe? It was an incomparably deserted dimension filled with death.

This first impression that this dimension gave Merlin was dereliction!

Yes, there were broken walls and holes of varying sizes everywhere. They could even see huge footprints and the stench of death lingering in the air.

Everything in this dimension pointed toward a terrible destruction that could not be accomplished by an average Wizard. Even a Great Lord would not be able to wreck so much damage.

An ordinary Legend might be able to destroy an average-size dimension easily but if the dimension was a few times larger, it could only be destroyed by an Honored Legend.

For a gargantuan dimension like this that was probably equivalent to hundreds of dimensions, its space was unimaginably stable. In some sense, this entire dimension could be said to be sturdier than the Slothful Beast. Neither a Lord nor an ultimate existence could destroy it.

Just like the Atlan Dimension, even though the three great Arcane Wizards knew the threat it posed, they dared not enter the Atlan Dimension. Hence, the Atlan civilization was able to develop freely.

Despite knowing that this would bring more harm than good to the Spell Caster civilization, the three great Arcane Wizards had no other choice. Even if they were to join forces and attack, they would not be able to destabilize the Atlan Dimension that was comparable to hundreds and thousands of dimensions.

This dimension before their eyes was much smaller than the Atlan Dimension but was still equivalent to hundreds of dimensions. Furthermore, it had a mysterious power that even an ultimate existence would not be able to affect it!

Chapter 786: Battlefield

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"We need to find the palace. According to Chronos, the palace is very obvious, so it shouldn't be hard to find."

Merlin, while using his Hallucinating spell to steer the Slothful Beast, spoke. All of them were very cautious. This dimension was very peculiar. Although there was nothing around them, the terrifying aura was omnipresent, causing everyone to be highly vigilant and dared not lower their guard.

"Such a familiar aura…"

Flarite frowned. He could sense a familiar aura but simply could not recall what it was.

Thus, riding on the back of the Slothful Beast, they continued to move forward. Soon, a red mist emerged from the ground and a rancid smell appeared.

"What is this? Everyone, be careful."

Merlin hurriedly wielded his Maxim to protect his body. When the red mist came into contact with Merlin's Maxim, there was a "hissing" sound. It was corroding Merlin's ultimate Maxim.

Although the speed of this corrosion was very slow and had no effect on Merlin whatsoever, it was still his ultimate Maxim. Moreover, he was also a strong contender among the Lords. This showed how terrifying the red mist really was.

In addition, even though it was merely a small trouble, such trouble was rampant all over the ancestral land.

"What is this place?"

Merlin and Setoh exchanged a look with a grave expression. Fortunately, Flarite and the others were also extraordinary beings, so no one was harmed by the red mist. As for the Slothful Beast, it endured the most amount of red mist but it did not sustain any harm. If the attacks of three great Arcane Wizards could not defeat a Slothful Beast, what more this red corroding mist?

As Merlin and the others continued forward, a concentrated stench of death wafted toward them, accompanied by pangs of shrill screams. It was extremely distressing.

Since Merlin's Mind Power was incomparably powerful, its effect on him was limited. Both Flarite and Setoh were also extraordinary hence, they were able to withstand it. However, Flaroah and Flarmun were only comparable to ordinary Lords, so similar looks of pain were etched on their faces.

"Calm!"

Merlin quickly mobilized his Mind Power to shroud them both. He forcibly soothed their chaotic consciousness and stopped the agitation. With that, the pangs of shrill screams were rendered ineffective.

However, this encounter only made them even more vigilant than ever. They had only been in the ancestral land for a short time yet they had encountered the red mist and the eerie screams. Even Great Lord existences like Flaroah and Flarmun seemed slightly susceptible.

It was not surprising where Chronos had mentioned that the Giant Kings he sent into the ancestral land had never returned. All of them failed. The ancestral land was constantly filled with unknown danger.

"Watch out!"

Suddenly, Setoh called out to Merlin. An eerily incomplete puppet had suddenly appeared in front of the Slothful Beast. The puppet did not have an arm, and its head had been broken. The head hung creepily on its neck.

However, this puppet gave Merlin and Setoh a spine-tingling sense of danger.

"This is bad!"

Merlin was caught by surprise. He saw the puppet slowly lift its remaining arm, and a red ball of light appeared. Immediately, an endless danger surrounded Merlin.

Even Flarite shouted, "I remember it now…"

Before he could finish speaking, Merlin already sensed absolute danger. Without thinking, he mobilized all his Mind Power, and steered the Slothful Beast to knock into the mutilated puppet brutally.

"Bang."

How massive was the Slothful Beast? Considering its immense body, a brutal collision was enough to crush a slightly stronger dimension. Therefore, one collision with the Slothful Beast immediately smashed the mutilated puppet into pieces. The red light also disappeared quickly.

"Phew…"

Merlin released a breath of relief. Just a mutilated puppet gave him a terrifying and threatening feeling.

"This puppet, is it the Atlan civilization?"

Merlin thought carefully. The strange metallic body of this mutilated puppet and its strange structure was highly similar to the Atlan civilization.

However, even the Atlan civilization did not possess puppets as powerful as such. Furthermore, the Atlan civilization had never left the Atlan Dimension, so why would this puppet appear in the Giant Tribe's ancestral land?

"Flarite, what did you remember?"

Setoh gazed at Flarite keenly. Earlier, Flarite had shouted loudly, apparently remembering something.

Merlin also turned around, and looked at Flarite questioningly.

Flarite took a deep breath and looked at Setoh, Merlin, and the smashed pieces of the puppet on the ground. In a deep voice, he said, "Right at the beginning, I sensed a very familiar aura but I couldn't pinpoint it. Now, I'm very sure. The reason this place is familiar is that there's an aura of the Vestigial Tribe! The mutilated puppet earlier probably belonged to the Vestigial Tribe. Most probably, this ancestral land was formerly a massive battlefield involving the Vestigial Tribe!"

"The Vestigial Tribe? Battlefield?"

Merlin and Setoh were shaken. Before this, they thought that the Vestigial Tribe was merely a legend or a fearsome civilization that had disappeared a long time ago.

Right now, however, this civilization had come to life right in front of their own eyes, especially in this manner that stunned Merlin and Setoh to the core.

"The ancestral land of the Giant Tribe. During the era of the Thirty-six Emperors, did you not hear about the Giant Tribe?"

Merlin glanced around him. This ancestral land was still filled with death but looking at the dereliction around them, it did resemble a battlefield.

Flarite smiled wryly. "How vast is the Void Zone? We don't even know all Thirty-six Emperors. How would we know whether the Giant Tribe existed back then? Moreover, when we were with the Flare Emperor, we were sent to become guardians of the Flare Region world quite early on. Thereafter, we don't know anything about the outside world."

Merlin and Setoh looked at one another. If what Flarite said was true that this was a battlefield with the Vestigial Tribe in the past, then it was extremely terrifying. Although they had not seen the real Vestigial Tribe, the mutilated puppet had been able to pose such a huge threat to them, which meant that they could easily vanquish a Great Lord!

Additionally, this was only a mutilated puppet. It was not surprising that the Vestigial Tribe was able to conquer the entire Void Zone.

Looking at the degree of destruction in this place, the Giant Tribe must have been truly powerful in the past. There must have been numerous Titan Giants. )Otherwise, the war with the Vestigial Tribe would not have been so ferocious.

From the looks of things, it seemed that the war ended with the defeat of the Vestigial Tribe. However, the Titan Giants of the Giant Tribe were almost completely wiped out. Thus, they finally left behind some heritage blood.

This speculation would be similar to Chronos' narration. Most probably, the reason this ancestral land became so peculiar was because of the Vestigial Tribe. If a few more of these mutilated puppets existed, no matter how many Giants came to this place, it would be useless.

Even this time, they were fortunate to have the Slothful Beast. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable!

"How terrifying is this Vestigial Tribe? Do they rely completely on these puppets?"

Merlin asked in a whisper. He was getting more and more curious about the Vestigial Tribe. A random puppet was able to threaten a Lord, which meant that it was even more impressive than an Atlan civilization dimension-level warship.

Flarite shook his head. "No, the puppets are merely one of the many tactics used by the Vestigial Tribe. The true power of the Vestigial Tribe is their own bodies. Using some external objects, their bodies can undergo a special transformation. In just a short period, they can transform into an existence with incredible powers. Luckily, the number of their most preeminent existences were fewer than the Thirty-six Emperors. Otherwise, this outcome of the war might have been different…"

It appeared that the Vestigial Tribe had eventually lost the war but that original piece of history had almost disappeared. This meant that the powers commanded by the Thirty-six Emperors were also almost completely diminished. The entire Void Zone suffered a massive loss that was not much better than the Vestigial Tribe.

All of this was simply Merlin's personal conjecture. Now that he found out that the ancestral land was a battlefield with the Vestigial Tribe, he became even more cautious!

Chapter 787: The Black Star Armor!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Since this is the battlefield with the Vestigial Tribe, maybe we can obtain some benefits!"

Merlin was immediately reminded of the might of the Vestigial Tribe in the past. They had conquered the entire Void Zone. Even the Thirty-six Emperors were not confident that they would be able to control the Vestigial Tribe.

Moreover, looking at the condition of the battlefield, surely there was more than one Titan Giant. The degree of destruction unleashed in this place was incomparably terrifying. So, it would not be surprising to find some items left behind by the Vestigial Tribe.

"Items belonging to the Vestigial Tribe… If we obtain those, it would indeed be beneficial! Back then, Sir Flare Emperor also wished to obtain some items belonging to the Vestigial Tribe but it wasn't easy."

Flarite's eyes also gleamed. He was well-aware about how powerful the Vestigial Tribe was. Therefore, he did not believe that the Atlan civilization currently opposing the Spell Caster civilization was the Vestigial Tribe.

If it was the real Vestigial Tribe, then they would have conquered the entire Void Zone a long time ago. They would not have been stumped by merely the Spell Caster civilization.

Thus, as Merlin steered the Slothful Beast forward, he searched their surroundings cautiously. However, his luck was not as stellar as before. They did not encounter anything like the mutilated puppet from before.

Although they did not come across any more mutilated Vestigial Tribe puppets, the further they went, the more serious the damage they saw. Some fear-inspiring footprint indentations proved that this was where the most ferocious battle had transpired. At the same time, the stench of death deeply permeated the air.

Continuing, Merlin and the others finally spotted a huge palace, just as described by Chronos. That must be the palace where the Titan Giants had left behind their heritage blood. True enough, it was very striking.

Here, death was prevalent in the air and pierced every heart relentlessly. He wondered how did Chronos manage to escape from the palace and the dimension safe and sound.

If it were any other Giant, they might not be as fortunate.

The closer they got to the palace, the more Merlin could sense a dominating authority radiating from inside the palace. This authority was relatively similar to Chronos' aura.

"Could it be the heritage blood?"

Seeing the palace and sensing the authoritative aura similar to Chronos, it had sealed their belief that a Titan Giant heritage blood was inside. As long as they retrieved the heritage blood and carried it outside using the Slothful Beast, they would earn the Giant Tribe's support.

"Stop."

Merlin steered the Slothful Beast without encountering any obstacles. Soon, they arrived before the palace.

The palace appeared to be in a derelict state. Even the pillars had cracks. Craters of various sizes testified the horrible battle that had transpired in this place yet it did not destroy the palace. It was uncertain whether the palace remained standing due to the Titan Giants' protection or it simply escaped the effects of war by sheer chance.

The Slothful Beast came to a stop. Although the palace was huge, it still could not fit the Slothful Beast. Therefore, the Slothful Beast could only wait outside.

Merlin used his Hallucinating spell to lull the Slothful Beast into slumber once again. It crouched outside the palace and waited quietly. Merlin, Setoh, and the others jumped down from the Slothful Beast, and stood in front of the palace door.

This palace looked exceptionally derelict, and the door was shut tight so they did not know what was hidden inside.

"Everyone be careful. We no longer have the Slothful Beast with us. If we encounter another puppet like that mutilated puppet earlier, don't hold back. Use your strongest abilities to destroy it!"

Merlin's expression was austere. He knew that this ancestral land should not be taken for granted. If they had encountered a puppet like the one from before without the Slothful Beast by their side, and did not destroy it in time, they would be in a treacherous position.

Once they were ready, Setoh took a step forward. His Maxim pushed the palace main door open.

"Creak."

The door swung open slowly. Wizard Setoh took one step forward. After all, he was only an avatar. If there was any danger and he died as a result, it was not a big deal.

The moment the palace door was opened, a stale aura wafted into their faces. The entire palace was extremely spacious, and there were some traces of pandemonium inside.

Merlin's entire body was encased in a Maxim as he regarded the palace interior coolly. The first thing that caught his eye was a broken pillar.

This broken pillar looked like it was sliced through cleanly with a sharp blade. It was cut into several chunks which had tumbled onto the floor. There was also a black armor covered by a thick layer of dust.

"A Vestigial Tribe puppet?"

Merlin's eyes widened slightly. He immediately gazed at the black armor watchfully. Although there was no responsive aura, the Vestigial Tribe's items did not have any living aura to begin with. Hence, Merlin had to be guarded.

Besides the black armor, there was a skeleton of what looked like an arm. This skeleton was incomparably large. Even with just a single glance, they could tell that this arm did not belong to an average Giant. At the very least, this was the arm of a Titan Giant like Chronos.

"It's indeed the Vestigial Tribe's aura. It's even more concentrated here. This is the real Vestigial Tribe!"

Flarite said in a serious tone as he stared directly at the black armor which was covered in dust.

"The real Vestigial Tribe… What do you mean?"

Merlin did not understand. Did Flarite mean that the mutilated puppet earlier did not belong to the real Vestigial Tribe?

Flarite slowly approached the black armor, and explained softly, "Wizard Merlin and Wizard Setoh, you've never met the Vestigial Tribe before so naturally, you don't know their fearsomeness. The Vestigial Tribe's true power rests not on the puppets they create but their bodies with the help of external power such as armors. With this, they would quickly exceed the powerful existences.

"I recognize this black armor. This is the slightly more powerful Black Star Armor, which belongs to the second tier. This type of armor could only be worn by a true Vestigial Creature. When the Vestigial Creatures puts on this armor, they slowly fuse with the armor and become one body. Consequently, they're much more powerful than the puppets.

"The Black Star Armor is formidable to fight against the ultimate existences. The Vestigial Creatures would fuse with the armors. Once the fusion is successful, their abilities would be enhanced many folds. By the looks of things, this Blackstar Armor fought a Titan Giant in this palace. In the end, the Vestigial Creature in the Black Star Armor died while the Titan Giant lost an arm and was probably grievously injured."

Flarite's understanding of the Vestigial Tribe was far beyond Merlin's and Setoh's. After all, when he followed the Flare Emperor, he had seen the Vestigial Tribe personally.

"Fuse with an armor? This armor is more powerful than the puppets?"

Merlin did not know to what extent did the Vestigial Tribe developed back in the days. Nevertheless, fusing with an armor to receive powers comparable to an ultimate existence sounded completely ludicrous to him.

Merlin was not alone. Even Setoh was reeling in disbelief. An ultimate existence was someone who could mobilize the powers of the natural order. Only by enduring countless hardships, one could be lucky enough to become an ultimate existence.

If a mere armor could create a powerful contender comparable to an ultimate existence, then it would be truly fearsome.

Flarite glanced at Merlin and Setoh, seemingly understanding their disbeliefs. He continued, "It's very difficult for you to imagine the Vestigial Tribe's horror now but they were truly a nightmare. Otherwise, why would the Thirty-six Emperors regard them as a major enemy? The Vestigial Tribe has three kinds of armors. The first tier is the Golden Ray Armor, the second tier is the Black Star Armor, and the third tier is the Gray Light Armor. All three types of armors can only be worn by the strongest contenders in the Vestigial Tribe, so it's not as easy as you may think.

"The Golden Ray Armor is almost comparable to supreme existences like the Thirty-six Emperors. I've witnessed a Golden Ray contender attack before. Although he didn't possess the powers of the natural order, the resulting force was still suffocating!"

Upon hearing Flarite's explanation, Merlin's heart was ignited as he looked at the Black Star Armor on the ground. This represented a strong contender from the Vestigial Tribe who was comparable to an ultimate existence.

"Be careful. The Vestigial Tribe is extremely strange. No one can determine for sure that this Black Star Armor is harmless!"

Flarite saw the eagerness in the eyes of Merlin and the others, so he reminded them softly.

Chapter 788: Quiver!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Merlin's Mind Power radiated through the entire palace but kept focused on the dusty Black Star Armor. According to Flarite, the Golden Ray Armors were invaluable, and their quantity did not exceed the Thirty-six Emperors. Most probably, there was only about a dozen or two of them, the majority of which were destroyed by the Thirty-six Emperors.

After all, the Golden Ray Armor was the Vestigial Tribe's most preeminent combat force!

Below the Golden Ray Armor was the Black Star Armor. The Black Star Armor was also incredibly precious. It allowed the Vestigial Tribe to possess powers of an ultimate existence, which was utterly unbelievable. Such armors were surely very few in numbers too. The fact that they had managed to see such a complete Black Star Armor was a rare opportunity.

Naturally, Merlin would not allow such an opportunity to go to waste. He wanted to study it carefully, either to understand what kind of powers the Vestigial Tribe possessed or how the Black Star Armor could possess so much power. Additionally, if he could derive some benefits, it would be the icing on the cake.

Merlin gradually converged his Mind Power on the Black Star Armor but there was no response except for an icy feeling and an even thicker aura of death. There was no sign of life.

No matter how powerful the Vestigial Tribe was, they were ultimately life-form tribes. Merlin's senses would not be wrong. He was sure that he did not sense any living aura.

Slowly, all of them approached the Black Star Armor. Wizard Setoh raised his hand abruptly to stop them. "Hold on. Everyone, stop moving. I'm just an avatar so it's okay even if I perish. So, I'll go first."

All of them exchanged a look with one another. Flarite, who knew the Vestigial Tribe the best and was the strongest contender among the group, was also wary and guarded. Thus, everyone agreed for Wizard Setoh to go first.

Wizard Setoh took a deep breath. With Maxims encasing his body for protection, he carefully inched toward the Black Star Armor.

"Swish."

Finally, Wizard Setoh extended a hand and grabbed the Black Star Armor on the ground.

"Huh? Why won't it move?"

The Black Star Armor looked very lightweight but Setoh's grasp, encased in an ultimate Maxim which could move even a mountain, failed to move it. It was as if the armor was completely drilled into the ground.

"What's happening? Lift!"

Setoh's expression darkened. Subsequently, the Darkness Maxim on his body reconsolidated a new hand that applied directly on the Black Star Armor. This was a terrifying amount of power that could move an ordinary dimension.

"Boom."

The huge force resonated onto the Black Star Armor but it remained unmoved. The entire foyer even shook slightly, and dust flew into the air. Other than that, there were no other changes.

"Swish swish."

Merlin, Flarite, and the others approached quickly and surrounded the Black Star Armor. Each of them looked at Setoh.

"Wizard Setoh, what happened?"

Merlin asked softly.

Setoh's face was slightly gloomy. He stared at the Black Star Armor and spoke slowly, "This armor is a bit peculiar. No matter how much strength I wield, it remains unyielding. I can't lift it at all."

"Can't be lifted? Let me try!"

Merlin extended his hand. His Flame and Darkness ultimate Maxims transformed into two large hands which grabbed the opposite ends of the armor. The power of both ultimate Maxims exploded in an instant, causing Setoh and the others to take a few steps backward.

Merlin's expression grew graver. It was just as Wizard Setoh said. The Black Star Armor on the ground was completely unyielding. There was no way for them to move this armor.

"Flarite, you understand the Vestigial Tribe better. What's happening?"

Merlin cast his gaze upon Flarite. Only Flarite had a better understanding of the Vestigial Tribe.

Flarite looked at the Black Star Armor carefully. After a moment, he sighed. "You truly don't know the Vestigial Tribe's fearsomeness. The real foundations of the Vestigial Tribe are the Golden Ray Armor, Black Star Armor, and Gray Light Armor! According to rumors, once the Vestigial Creatures reach a certain age and undergo a certain training, they're allowed to put on these armors. Whichever armor is most suitable for them, they can wear it and become undefeatable! Thus, this armor can only be worn by the real Vestigial Creatures. Anyone else wouldn't be able to command it. Otherwise, the Black Star Armor wouldn't have been lying here untouched. It would've been taken by the Giant Tribe a long time ago."

Merlin nodded his head internally. Flarite was right. Looking at the traces of destruction in this place, it was obvious that after a ferocious battle, the Vestigial Tribe was defeated, and the Titan Giants of the Giant Tribe prevailed.

Nonetheless, this Black Star Armor remained here. Most probably, it was because no one other than the Vestigial Tribe could move the armor. Even the Titan Giants who excelled in strength were not able to move it, what more Merlin and his entourage.

Mindful of that, Merlin waved his hand and cleared away all the dust on the surface of the Black Star Armor, revealing a dark shimmer underneath. It was unknown what material was this armor constructed from, that even the Titan Giants could not crush it. The defensive capabilities of this armor were monumental.

However, the Vestigial Tribe member who wore this armor had perished. All that was left was this powerful armor.

Merlin gently stroked the surface of the armor but did not find any kind of switch. The entire armor appeared to be completely conjoined with no gaps at all. It was a one-piece suit that looked uniquely striking.

"Let's go then. Since we can't obtain the Black Star Armor, we better find the heritage blood!"

Merlin stood up. Since he was unable to manipulate this Black Star Armor, he had no choice but to give up. First, they had to search for the heritage blood that Titan Giant Chronos required.

Earlier outside the palace, they had already sensed a gust of authority which was similar to Chronos. Most likely, it was emitted by the heritage blood that Chronos had described. Only the heritage blood, which contained the entire essence of a powerful Titan Giant, could possibly emit such an authority.

Soon, they saw a few boxes situated at the front of the palace. Despite the powerful authority lingering outside these boxes, Merlin and the others were overjoyed.

"Finally, we found it!"

Setoh swiftly stepped forward, and opened a few boxes. However, all of them were empty except for the last box, which contained a drop of crimson blood.

This crimson blood appeared to contain immeasurable strength. Setoh was forced to utilize a Maxim to grasp it. Even then, it was wobbling unstoppably.

As for the other boxes, perhaps they were used to contain heritage blood but for some unknown reasons, they were empty. Perhaps, some of the heritage blood was destroyed during the war or had been deliberately hidden away by other Titan Giants.

Nevertheless, Chronos must have obtained a drop of heritage blood from this palace in the past, allowing him to become the only Titan Giant of the Giant Tribe.

"This drop of heritage blood is the Giant Tribe's hope!"

Setoh naturally understood the significance of the box in his hand to the Giant Tribe. Once this drop of heritage blood was passed over to Chronos, it meant that the Giant Tribe would soon have two Titan Giants.

Fortunately, no matter how much the Giant Tribe expanded, they could not possibly pose a threat to the Spell Caster civilization. This was because there was an even more powerful God Alliance constituting the eight largest god organizations between them. Regardless of the Spell Caster civilization or the Giant Tribe, the God Alliance was the monstrosity that could not be overcome.

"Alright, we've got the heritage blood. This place is peculiar all-around, let's leave as soon as possible."

Setoh kept away the box filled with the heritage blood, and spoke solemnly.

Everyone nodded in agreement. It would be prudent not to loiter in this place for too long. Who knew what else was left behind from that massive war?

Hence, they quickly flew out of the palace. However, just as they passed by the Black Star Armor lying on the ground, everyone felt disgruntled that they could not take the Black Star Armor away.

"Hum."

Suddenly, unbeknownst whether it was Merlin's hallucination, he felt as though the Black Star Armor was quivering faintly.

Chapter 789: Brain of Life

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Hmm?"

Merlin turned around abruptly. At this moment, he saw the Black Star Armor quivering gently on the ground as if it was alive.

"What is it?"

Setoh and the others immediately turned back and looked at Merlin cautiously.

Merlin was also slightly doubtful. Just then, the Matrix's voice sounded in his mind after a long hiatus. "Discovered decrypted information. Read?"

"Information?"

Any information that can be "read" by the Matrix was similar to the items created by the Atlan civilization. Indeed, the Vestigial Tribe had some resemblance with the Atlan civilization. Could there be anything left behind?

Despite the uncertainty in his heart, Merlin whispered resolutely in his heart. "Confirm, read!"

Soon, the Black Star Armor calmed down again. Merlin shut his eyes and waited patiently for the Matrix to complete reading the information.

"Beep. Decrypted information had been read."

Upon hearing the Matrix' voice, Merlin swiftly extended his Mind Power into the empire-level warship in his ring. This was because the Matrix had been completely integrated with the empire-level warship. However, it was still controlled by Merlin.

"Analyze new information!"

Merlin hurriedly commanded the Matrix. Instantly, a huge load of information appeared on the screen of the empire-level warship. It was a series of pictures.

These pictures depicted a young boy. From the moment he was born, a minuscule intelligence chip had been implanted into his brain. This intelligence chip was known as the Brain of Life, which meant that it could help life-forms evolve.

The Brain of Life was the real reason behind the Vestigial Tribe's powers. It was equivalent to each Vestigial Creature's identity card.

The Brain of Life was completely integrated into every single baby born in the Vestigial Tribe. From the moment their consciousness was awoken, the Brain of Life would gradually transfer bits and pieces of information into the baby's brain.

Hence, every Vestigial Creature's knowledge was extremely impressive and incomparably vast. Finally, the Brain of Life would analyze every person's knowledge traits, and assign them jobs once they become adults. Some would become engineers, some would become soldiers, and so on.

The entire Vestigial Tribe was an egalitarian society. Every Vestigial Creature would play a specific role to support society. From the viewpoint of other civilizations, the Vestigial Tribe was a perplexing civilization, and to some extent, a "perfect" civilization.

However, nothing is perfect in this world. The Vestigial Tribe's resourcefulness led to the invention of the Brain of Life. In some ways, the Brain of Life was far superior to any intelligence chip and allowed the Vestigial Creatures to be nurtured with various information from young.

With the Brain of Life, the Vestigial Tribe began to embark on a different journey, which was using everything around them to enhance their abilities and develop the civilization. They did not need to integrate with the natural order. In the end, in their quest to obtain some precious mineral resources, they had inevitably fallen into conflicts with other civilizations.

It was at this point that the Vestigial Tribe unexpectedly discovered that their civilization was very different from the other civilizations around them. Moreover, the surrounding civilizations regarded them like strange creatures.

Hence, the Vestigial Tribe fought back. The entire civilization began to descend into violent conflicts with other civilizations. A massive war was inevitable.

This was the general content of the information. Of course, the war was narrated from the Vestigial Creatures' perspective. In the end, no one could determine who was right and who was wrong.

Perhaps, it was simply a war of survival.

This lode of information contained the life story of the owner of this Black Star Armor. Since young, he excelled at combat, thus he was nurtured into a warrior. At last, he became a warrior acknowledged by the Black Star Armor, and became a powerful Black Star Warrior.

Along with a few other Black Star Warriors, they had attacked one of the powerful civilizations called the Titan Civilization. Back then, the Titan Civilization had a fearsome number of Titan Giants. Otherwise, the attack would not have been comprised exclusively of Black Star Warriors.

Unfortunately, they were all trapped in this dimension, and were killed by the Titan Giants. Looking at the state of the current Giant Tribe, however, the Titan Civilization must have also suffered a massive loss. None of the Titan Giants survived. Else, Chronos would not have become the only Titan Giant after obtaining the heritage blood by chance.

Merlin found out a lot of information about the Vestigial Tribe. Although the information was extremely important, he could analyze them carefully at a later date. Right now, his priority was to be acknowledged by the Black Star Armor.

According to this sequence of information, earning the acknowledgment of the Black Star Armor was very challenging. First, it had to be a Vestigial Creature whom the Brain of Life had nurtured into a warrior since young. Only then, the person would qualify to receive an acknowledgment from the Black Star Armor.

Moreover, the candidate also had to be a strong contender among its peers. With an additional stroke of luck, he or she could be acknowledged by the Black Star Armor. As for beings from other civilizations, due to the absence of the Brain of Life, the possibility of them using the Black Star Armor was nil.

Therefore, even if someone were to obtain this Black Star Armor, they would not be able to use it. This was the true reason why, despite being an all-powerful Black Star Armor, it had been left untouched.

All the other Black Star Armors had been shattered into smithereens. Only the Vestigial Creature in this Black Star Armor had been relatively lucky and was merely severely injured. Nevertheless, he had no way of leaving this dimension, so he died slowly. As a result, he was able to leave behind a mostly-intact Black Star Armor without damage.

"Merlin, what's the matter with you?"

At this time, Wizard Setoh's voice rang in Merlin's ear. Merlin raised his head and saw that everyone was looking at him with a weird expression.

Merlin was unconcerned. In a deep voice, he said, "I might know how to take this Black Star Armor with us. However, I'll need more time."

"What? You can bring the Vestigial Tribe's Black Star Armor with you?"

Setoh was astounded. After hearing Flarite's earlier introduction, even he was tempted by this Black Star Armor. However, in the end, he could not bring it with him.

Right now, Merlin could potentially bring the armor with them. Even if they could not use it, they could study it carefully.

"I'm quite confident that I can bring this armor away but I'll need some time to study it."

As soon as Merlin finished speaking, he closed his eyes. He was carefully examining the information about the Black Star Armor.

Right at the beginning, the Black Star Armor was created by the Vestigial Tribe especially for their warriors. With the help of the Brain of Life, anyone who became a Black Star Warrior would be able to gradually fuse with the Black Star Armor and become one.

The owner of this armor had just recently gotten the acknowledgment of the Black Star Armor at the time that he was sent on this dangerous mission. As such, he did not have time to fuse completely with the Black Star Armor. Consequently, he was shaken to death by the Titan Giants. Otherwise, he could not leave behind such an intact armor.

"I can't be acknowledged without the Brain of Life? I don't have the Brain of Life…"

Merlin was stumped. Not only did he not have the Brain of Life but other civilizations also could not possibly have it either. Even the Atlans he had captured had never heard of the Brain of Life.

Merlin was extremely frustrated.

"Without the Brain of Life, I cannot be acknowledged by the Black Star Armor… Regardless, I'm not a Vestigial Creature and have no intentions of wearing the Black Star Armor. All I want to do is bring it away."

A flash of inspiration struck Merlin. He recalled some background of the Black Star Armor among the information. It seemed like every armor was controlled by a sequence of program.

However, this control program was temporary. Upon the successful fusion between a Vestigial Creature and this armor, the control program would cease to operate. Nevertheless, the owner of this armor was yet to begin the fusion?

Perhaps, the program still controlled the armor?

Stumbling upon this thought, Merlin's heart was overjoyed. He immediately commanded the Matrix, "Matrix, try to invade the program and control the Black Star Armor!"

After he finished speaking, Merlin waited with bated breath. He did not know whether the armor still contained a program or whether any change had transpired over the years. Most of all, he did not know whether the Matrix could control the Black Star Armor.

It was a series of unknowns. Right now, the only thing Merlin could do was to wait patiently…

Chapter 790: Controlling the Armor

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Beep, there's an encrypted program… The program has crashed and can be controlled. Confirm control?"

When Merlin heard the Matrix's voice, his heart was wild with joy. This Black Star Armor contained a control program. Although it was encrypted, maybe because it had been too long or the circuits had been ruined by the Titan Giant, the Matrix was now easily able to access and control it.

"Control the armor!"

Merlin instantly gave this command. Soon, the black armor vibrated even more fiercely. It had been so heavy that even Wizard Setoh was unable to lift it but now, it was shuddering furiously, causing the entire palace to shake as well.

"What's going on?"

Setoh could not remember how many times he had asked this today but now he had no idea what was happening. The Black Star Armor had started to vibrate without reason, and from the looks of it, Merlin had something to do with it.

"Has Merlin succeeded? Can we bring this Black Star Armor with us?"

As he thought of this, Setoh could no longer remain calm. His eyes swept across Merlin and the Black Star Armor constantly.

"Beep, preliminary control over armor is gained."

Upon receiving this update from the Matrix, Merlin instantly stepped forward and reached out.

"Swoosh."

This time, Merlin easily grabbed the Black Star Armor. It was no longer like before when it was incomparably heavy, unable to be lifted at all.

"Crack."

Suddenly, cracks appeared all over the palace for some unknown reason as if it would collapse at any time.

"Wizard Setoh, we'll leave first!"

Merlin eyed the palace and delayed no longer. He used his Spatial Ring to store the Black Star Armor. Together with Setoh and the rest, they quickly flew out of the palace.

Just as soon as they left the palace and landed on the Slothful Beast, the entire gigantic palace began to collapse instantly. Within the flying dust, there were faint flashes of red light.

"The Vestigial Tribe puppets? There's still more of them, let's go!"

After the palace had collapsed, a few mutilated puppets had appeared from unknown locations. Those empty eye sockets still flickered with terrifying red lights. They raised their hands, forming fearsome power.

"We can't escape now. Prepare for battle, everyone."

Merlin and the rest felt threatened. There were four damaged puppets in total. Each of their hands was shining with the red glow, equipped with a momentous threat.

"Allow me. Back when I was with Sir Flare Emperor, I didn't have a chance to fight the Vestigial Tribe. Let me fight them now!"

Flarite stepped forward, and clasped his hands. Instantly, a colossal fire god-demon appeared behind him.

"Roar…"

The fire god-demon seemed alive as it gave a deafening roar. The mighty shockwaves rushed toward the four damaged puppets of the Vestigial Tribe. Even the recently collapsed palace was swept by this frightening sound, turning into a scary windstorm.

"Whiz whiz whiz."

Four beams of red light aimed at the massive fire god-demon in mid-air, crashing into him with destructive power. A few holes appeared in the fire god-demon's body.

The fire god-demon's body shuddered slightly as if it was about to disperse. Flarite's face was ashen white as well. He had a profound connection with the fire god-demon and was now injured somewhat.

Nonetheless, Flarite could still withstand this. He brought both hands together, and his body flared up in terrifying flames, practically distorting space.

Space here was not any weaker than it had been in the Flare Region world. After all, this was used by the Titan Giants to trap the Black Star Warriors of the Vestigial Tribe. Naturally, it was no ordinary dimension. Therefore, although the force of Flarite's flames had been augmented to their extreme, it still could not break the space.

Still, a force like this was sufficient!

Merlin and Setoh stared at Flarite solemnly. Before this, they knew that Flarite was nearly on par with a quasi-ultimate existence who had five ultimate Maxims. He had the chance of merging with the natural order and becoming an ultimate existence.

However, Merlin had never truly seen how powerful an existence with five ultimate Maxims would be. Now he could feel a mighty pressure. Even though it could not compare to a true ultimate existence, it was enough to handle him.

At the very least, Merlin had no way to contend against Flarite for now. Five ultimate Maxims was close to a Greatest Lord. According to rumors, even ultimate existences could not handle a Greatest Lord, a powerful Lord who had six ultimate Maxims.

However, from the birth of the Spell Caster civilization until now, there had been no Lord with six ultimate Maxims. On the other hand, there had been Lords with five ultimate Maxims, and these were the three Arcane Wizards. Nevertheless, they soon decided to merge with the natural order and succeeded in doing so, becoming the Ultimate Arcane Wizards.

Therefore, it was rare to see an existence as powerful as five ultimate Maxims in action.

The gigantic fire god-demon was empowered with new strength by Flarite. Its body swelled up a size, and each wisp of flame on its body was extremely scary, even more so than Merlin's ultimate Fire-type Maxim.

Merlin previously thought that an ultimate Maxim represented the pinnacle of an Element but now he had imagined that this was somewhat arrogant. How vast was the Void Zone? How could an ultimate Maxim represent the peak of power? When he saw the light blue flames left by the Flare Emperor back then, Merlin was already swayed, for that was something one could not explain through Maxims.

As he looked at Flarite's fire god-demon, it became even more obvious to Merlin that the Spell Caster system of condensing Maxims was merely one system. It definitely could not be said to represent the pinnacle of power.

Flarite's fire god-demon instantly swung a fist, locking onto the four mutilated puppets of the Vestigial Tribe. This punch turned into flames that filled the air as they sped toward the puppets.

"Bang bang bang."

The flames crashed viciously into these puppets. Originally, if these Vestigial Tribe puppets were not so damaged, they might have the capability to threaten a Lord. However, in Flarite's eyes, who was on par with five ultimate Maxims, they were not indestructible.

Moreover, they were already damaged and were far from their most powerful state.

Thus, when the flames exploded, the four puppets were immediately blown up to chunks. There was no more movement.

The fire god-demon glanced at the surroundings that were already in ruins. Following that, it gradually faded, turning into sparks of flames that were absorbed into Flarite.

"Alright, it's settled!"

Flarite still wore a relaxed expression, as expected of a formidable existence equivalent to five ultimate Maxims, the sentinel of the Flare Region world!

"The Vestigial Tribe is impressive indeed. After such a long time, they still have puppets that survived."

Merlin felt an increasing dread toward the Vestigial Tribe. The more he understood, the more he knew to fear them. These damaged puppets still had such frightening abilities, to say nothing of the many contenders led by the Black Star Warriors in the past.

Flarite shook his head and said evenly, "These puppets had repaired themselves later on. The puppets, armors, and even warships created by the Vestigial Tribe all had the ability to self-repair. Unless they were damaged too grievously such as turned to ashes or their cores are damaged. Only then, they are truly destroyed. Otherwise, just like these puppets, they would recover bit by bit.

"We'd better leave this place quickly to prevent any more encounters with the Vestigial Tribe puppets."

Merlin continued using his Hallucinating spell to steer the Slothful Beast, gradually departing from the Giant Tribe's ancestral land.

After the Slothful Beast started flying out of the dimension, Merlin and the rest were safe for now. Setoh hesitated before finally asking, "Merlin, what about the Black Star Armor?"

It was not just Setoh but Flarite and the rest, who looked toward Merlin with shining gazes. Evidently, they attached great importance to the Black Star Armor.

Merlin drew in a deep breath. At this point, he had no choice but to retrieve the Black Star Armor from his ring.

Chapter 791: Leaving the Ancestral Land

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"The Black Star Armor!"

Whether it was Setoh or Flarite, their gazes were directed at this Black Star Armor. Merlin had already wiped off the dust that covered it, so now the Black Star Armor glimmered with subtle light, and looked extraordinary.

"Merlin, how did you control the Black Star Armor?"

Wizard Setoh had tried to grab this Black Star Armor himself. It had been incomparably weighty and was unable to be lifted at all. Currently, not only was Merlin able to pick it up but he could also place it in his Spatial Ring.

Merlin laughed casually. "It's just due to fortunate circumstances that I was barely able to put the Black Star Armor into my ring."

Merlin was being cautious. Although he trusted Wizard Setoh, when it came to his biggest secret – the Matrix – he must not divulge it so easily.

Only Merlin himself could know this secret!

Setoh seemed to know that Merlin was hiding something but now Merlin was already the Glory Lord. He was among the higher levels of the Spell Caster civilization, so a few secrets were no big deal. Did the three Arcane Wizards keep no secrets themselves?

Thus, Setoh did not pursue the matter but instead, spoke with anticipation, "Merlin, can you wear this Black Star Armor?"

Setoh had previously learned from Flarite's explanation that once someone put on a Black Star Armor, they would become a Black Star Warrior. They would be comparable to an ultimate existence. If Merlin could wear it, the Spell Caster civilization had a greater chance of victory.

Merlin was rather tempted as well but the information within the Matrix indicated that to wear the Black Star Armor, one must have a Brain of Life. Although currently, the Matrix could control the Black Star Armor, he did not know if he would succeed.

"Give it a go, Wizard Merlin!"

Setoh spoke in encouragement.

Merlin took in a deep breath, and made up his mind to try. If he did not, he would always feel regretful. Therefore, he commanded the Matrix, "Matrix, open up the Black Star Armor and prepare it to be worn!"

"Beep. Activating the Black Star Armor!"

The Matrix's voice was as cold as ever. Following that, the Matrix did not dismantle the armor in the usual manner. It was a complete whole and had no crevices or joint parts. Naturally, it could not be dismantled.

Under the Matrix's control, the Black Star Armor gradually came to Merlin's side, starting to affix itself onto Merlin's body. The Black Star Armor rapidly liquefied just like ripples on water, fusing into Merlin's body.

It turned out that this was how one put on the Black Star Armor.

Merlin could feel a gust of cold force within his body but soon, that force vanished. Right after that was an onslaught of splitting pain as if his body was going to explode.

"Beep, Master isn't acknowledged by the armor, and cannot wear it!"

Following that, with another fluid ripple, the Black Star Armor withdrew from Merlin's body, looking as if nothing had changed.

"Wizard Merlin, what happened?"

Wizard Setoh hurried forward and asked.

Merlin shook his head powerlessly. The situation was already clear. He did not succeed.

Flarite did not take this to heart, saying with a smile, "The Black Star Armor can only be worn by the Vestigial Tribe. In the past, even the Thirty-six Emperors had analyzed the Vestigial Tribe's three types of armors. Forget about the Black Star Armor, even the Gray Light Armor is the same. Other than the Vestigial Tribe, powerful existences of other civilizations can't wear it at all."

Merlin fell silent as well. Although he had been prepared for this, when he was unable to wear the Black Star Armor, he was still somewhat rueful. No one would remain unmoved by this formidable armor. Even existences like the Thirty-six Emperors could not help but envy that the Vestigial Tribe could manufacture such terrifying armor.

"Matrix, what happened? How can I wear this Black Star Armor?"

Merlin questioned the Matrix. The Matrix had absorbed the data within the Black Star Armor and should know how he could wear the Black Star Armor.

"The Black Star Armor is specifically designed for the Vestigial Tribe, so one would need a Brain of Life to receive an acknowledgment from the Black Star Armor!"

The Matrix had mentioned the Brain of Life. Indeed, it was due to the Brain of Life that others were unable to be recognized by the Black Star Armor. This Brain of Life could be seen as the foundation of the Vestigial Tribe. The Vestigial Tribe was able to take over the entire Void Zone back then in large part thanks to the Brain of Life. It was practically an era-defining product.

Even the Thirty-six Emperors were unable to replicate a Brain of Life. Each member of the Vestigial Tribe, from the moment they were born, would be implanted with a Brain of Life, which was an identification mark for the Vestigial Tribe.

Therefore, the Black Star Armor was surely supplemented with authentication functions. Without the Brain of Life, one would not be recognized by the Black Star Armor at all. This had nothing to do with the Matrix's current control over the Black Star Armor because that was one of the prerequisites for the Black Star Armor to acknowledge its owner. Even without a control program, the Black Star Armor would still obey the rules of the Brain of Life.

"Brain of Life… Matrix, can you imitate a Brain of Life?"

Merlin suddenly thought up of a fantastical possibility and asked.

"Beep, without specific data, imitation is impossible!"

The Matrix had formidable functions and had followed Merlin here, swallowing so much intelligence of the Atlan civilization. Therefore, the current Matrix had transformed greatly, although Merlin was unclear about the exact direction of these changes.

He only knew that the Matrix had expanded in function as if it could do anything. However, in terms of a Brain of Life, without specific data, it could do nothing.

At this, Merlin raised his head, and explained the Brain of Life to Wizard Setoh and the rest. It was not necessary to conceal this. After all, the Vestigial Tribe was gone by now, and the Brain of Life could not possibly be manufactured.

"What a shame. The Vestigial Tribe had relied on the Brain of Life to develop so powerfully. It's truly impressive. Without the Brain of Life, we can't access the Black Star Armor. That's a shame!"

Wizard Setoh felt this was a pity. This Black Star Armor was so formidable. If it could be worn, it should be a great help to the Spell Caster civilization but this seemed impossible now.

Merlin kept the Black Star Armor as well. The force of death that enveloped the dimension must have been left by those Titan Giants. Only ultimate existences like the Titan Giants would leave such a terrifying presence of death after they died.

Perhaps this dimension had been bursting with life in the past but today, it was well and truly a land of death.

"Ultimate existences can be killed?"

Merlin had witnessed the battle between the three Great Arcane Wizards, the Lord God of Light, and the two Rock Progenitors. Ultimate existences were able to mobilize part of the natural order's power and were practically unrivaled. Everyone seemed equally matched, so how could they be killed?

Merlin found it difficult to believe that these Black Star Warriors of the Vestigial Tribe could kill ultimate existences like the Titan Giants.

Flarite let out a long sigh. "Even the strongest ultimate existences can die such as noble beings like the Thirty-six Emperors – didn't they die after all? Ultimate existences are strong due to the power of the natural order but the Vestigial Tribe's strength goes against the natural order. Water seeks its own level but is incompatible with fire. Even though we can harness the power of fire and water, that's still in accordance with the natural order.

"However, the Vestigial Tribe is different. They have the power to turn water into fire and fire into water. They can make water flow to high places, turn stones into gold at a touch… In short, the Vestigial Tribe can't be explained through the common framework. Their power is outrageous and inconceivable. Therefore, the weapons they create can break down the natural order and kill ultimate existences. Hence, it's not surprising."

The Vestigial Tribe could take over the entire Void Zone, so it must have a unique strength, which was a dread of the natural order's power! This was the basis of their confidence in waging war against the countless civilizations led by the Thirty-six Emperors. Just based on this dimension, one could see that the number of Titan Giants was certainly greater than the Black Star Warriors.

However, it resulted in the death of countless Titan Giants. Their death forces soared into the sky, shrouding the dimension. To this day, it still had not faded, which was why the Giant Tribe had fallen to such a weak stage today.

Through the information he had gained, Merlin was also able to learn of the Vestigial Tribe's strengths, so he said nothing else. Using Hallucinating spell, Merlin steered the Slothful Beast, slowly departing from the ancestral land filled with death.