The God King's Seal

Inside a dim display room, dozens of rusted implements lay in silence. Some looked as if they had just been unearthed, bearing not only signs of corrosion but also the brown stains of soil.

Every item carried a profound sense of age. Some were even books, yet despite the passage of countless years, the handwriting on the pages remained remarkably clear. If some lamps or firelight were added to this vast display room, along with a bit of decoration and written descriptions for each "exhibit," perhaps this place could serve as an exquisite little museum.

Unfortunately, these objects were ultimately things that ordinary people were not meant to see. Upon closer inspection, one could find mysterious runes carved into the wooden plinths holding each implement. These were runes from ancient texts symbolizing different deities. Mortals did not dare to speak their true names aloud, which led to the creation of these obscure symbols.

Even now, the names of many gods remained unknown. Rumor had it that when you called upon the name of a specific deity, they would cast their gaze upon you. In this era, being the subject of a god’s gaze was nothing to be proud of; the probability of death was far higher than the possibility of a blessing.

The only exception seemed to be that deity of "Death," who truly did not seem to care, or perhaps the world simply never used her true name correctly.

“This is likely... the last one that can be found.” A magic user with a tattered robe walked into the dim display room. He extended a hand covered in wounds from beneath his blue robe, presenting an object that resembled a seal. Characters that could not be deciphered by modern means were engraved upon it, and within it, an extremely powerful force surged faintly.

“All the items at the burial points she gave us have been found. I didn't expect so many authorities to be scattered across the world.” A man in a grey-green cloak entered. His clothes had been completely replaced, and the skin of his right hand was entirely encased in a glove. In truth, his injuries were not light; there was almost no flesh left on the hand he kept hidden.

They had exhausted all their strength to retrieve this object from a pillar of light. Originally, they had planned to crack the magic engraved on the formation. After several years of attempts and weakening the formation through multiple rounds, they ultimately chose to take it by brute force. Both of them had paid a heavy price for this.

They were the resident Five Staves mages of this term, "Alchemy" and "Blizzard."

“The last time I saw you two, it seems it was already... eleven years ago.” An old man in the display room chuckled. He ran his fingers over the seal, unsure which god's rune to draw on the plinth that would hold it.

“Back then, the student movements were still very intense. We traveled through the surrounding countries on our way back. Now, it seems everyone has accepted the rule of the Royal Court.” "Alchemy" Hermes chuckled. He pressed down on his cowboy hat, hiding the scar left on his forehead.

“That fellow who once ignored the affairs of the world seems to have governed this vast country quite well under the trajectory of fate.” The old man smiled. Only ten years had passed, but this former miracle magic user had aged beyond recognition. “Fate still helped her. Those stars that once shone in the sea of people have now all gathered by her side. Every one of them possesses the talent to revitalize a nation.”

“Back to the point. The writing on this seal is the same as the writing in that book—characters we don't recognize. Is that the legendary language of the Mythological Era...?” "Blizzard" Bordote looked at the book sitting in the shadows on a display cabinet. He turned his head, and when the others looked over, they suddenly realized the spot was empty.

“How is that possible...?” Merlin stammered.

“This book contains the magic of the Mythological Era recorded by Metis, the deity of wisdom, as well as the history of that time.” A cold voice appeared along with a figure. The Lord of the Royal Court seemed to have no more reservations after arriving at the Royal Court; she did not linger long before moving to her next destination.

“There were too many empty pages in the back, so she even used it to write a diary... But it is her authority. She can do whatever she wants.” Li Yue closed the book, and every authority in the display room began to glow brilliantly, as if old friends were reuniting.

The three men were stunned simultaneously. It seemed none of them had detected Li Yue’s presence just now. One had to remember that Li Yue had not yet ascended to godhood and was still nominally a Calamity Warlock.

“You... when did you return? We have traveled almost the entire world and never saw a trace of you.”

“I went to Hell and brought back the treasures left there from the Mythological Era.” Li Yue paused. “The chaotic power inside was too violent, so I gave it to Reinhardt and asked him to help weaken it.”

“That magic user’s magic is very unique; I appreciate him.” Hermes chuckled. “After this journey, I plan to visit him. If there’s anything I can help with, my alchemy won't disappoint you.”

“Good.” Li Yue nodded. Merlin handed the seal to Li Yue. He pointed at the characters on it and voiced his questions.

“The meaning of these characters is... let me think how to phrase it. If translated into your language, the meaning should be close to 'Having received the Mandate of Heaven, may life be long and prosperous.'” Li Yue paused and flipped the seal over. “This is the God King's Seal. You can understand the meaning of 'Heaven' as a sublime will outside of this world.”

“Beneath it, there are several other dominators. There aren't many of them, and they all represent wills of a higher tier than our divine thrones. One of them is 'Madness.'” Li Yue paused, seemingly having no intention of continuing. She gripped the seal in her hand, and in that instant, the seal seemed impatient to acknowledge her as its master.

“It’s not time yet.” Li Yue tossed it casually onto an empty counter, giving the others quite a fright.

“I have hypothesized about that higher tier concept. I tried it once in this world, but the effect was poor. Although I nominally received the recognition of this world, in the end, I could still only exercise the authority of 'Death.'” Li Yue rotated her wrist.

“You have all done well. You too are... heroes of this era.” In just a flash, Li Yue disappeared again. She left behind an invitation, which seemed to invite everyone she knew from the academy. However, if there was a chance, she hoped Clo would be the one to invite these old acquaintances of hers.

“All the work seems to be finished. Now, we just wait for the right moment...”