novelraw Chapter 441: The Eye of Truth, A New Direction of Evolution, A Prophecy of Failure
Chapter 441: The Eye of Truth, A New Direction of Evolution, A Prophecy of Failure
Chapter 441 — The Eye of Truth, a New Evolutionary Direction, a Prophecy of Failure
"The Goddess of Fortune is not a deity known for warfare, and her priests are not particularly outstanding in combat."
"However, powerful luck is enough to keep her followers away from danger, guiding them to favor and away from harm."
"If we want to meet her, we should first find a way to reduce her luck blessings."
Garoth pondered, "Perhaps... we could try contacting the Misfortune Sect, longstanding enemies of the Church of the Goddess of Fortune? They specialize in curses and bad luck, and should possess special methods aimed at the luck attribute."
Just then, Sorog's voice came through the mental link again, carrying a strange tone.
"Wait, there’s new news from over there."
"The Church of the Goddess of Fortune has remotely contacted the Luckbringer who is currently on the Arotala Continent, and relayed our invitation to her."
"She responded gladly, saying she will complete her current tasks as soon as possible, then leave for Aola Kingdom to see our progress in person and formally discuss cooperation."
On hearing this, Garoth fell silent for several seconds, then let out a wry laugh.This is amusing.
High luck should instinctively steer its bearer away from danger, yet targets sometimes fly straight into the flames.
"According to what the Luckbringer said when she left, while she was in Ximu Town she bestowed a blessing on the dragon flock there."
"And for a while afterwards, I indeed managed to conquer several Map Kings in one go, saving a lot of time; the plan against the red dragon Gorthax also proceeded extremely smoothly, with almost no mishaps... From the results, that period’s luck seemed quite favorable."
"Her words likely weren’t false, and given her character, there’s no reason for her to lie about such things."
"Thinking it over, if the Luckbringer didn’t forcibly take the Hall of Heroic Spirits and instead truly bonded with the dragons through that blessing... then I would have placed great importance on my relationship with the luck priesthood."
Garoth considered another possibility in his mind.
The luck attribute, in a world where gods and magic truly exist, is indeed a force, yet it is elusive, formless, and intangible.
It can subtly guide someone to avoid fatal traps and dangers or steer them toward hidden opportunities.
But it cannot directly make concrete choices for its host.
If at a critical moment the host makes a wrong judgment or decision, even the strongest fortune can, through a twist of fate, turn into deadly misfortune.
According to the records, the Goddess of Fortune and the God of Misfortune share a common origin.
At that moment, Sorog said, "Our envoy replied according to my previous instructions."
"Aola Kingdom does not need any other high-ranking clergy to come. We can wait patiently. After the Luckbringer Alya returns, we will negotiate cooperation with her."
After a few more minutes of discussion, Garoth ended the mental communication.
On the broad courtyard, the red iron dragon calmed his mind and suppressed all distractions.
Then, with a thought, he directly activated his Rage State.
Fine, fierce bloodshot veins appeared in the dragon’s eyes, one after another.
A tangible, substantial wave of furious energy, able to stir violent emotions deep within living hearts, rippled outward from his draconic body in all directions.
I drew a deep breath, focused my spirit, and tried to control that tangible psychic radiation that originated from the frenzied flame.
Undoubtedly, it’s an extremely subtle skill; even weak legendaries can be immune to its effects.
Garoth had named it "rage radiation."
When he had managed to kill the powerful Bronze Dragon Siano, it was largely because Siano had been persistently affected by rage radiation, his anger constantly fanned and amplified until he lost reason and chose to fight Garoth to the death.
Had Siano remained clear-headed and rational, he could have retreated safely instead of dying.
As for the earlier battle with the four human legendaries...
Well... that fight ended too quickly.
Rage radiation hadn't taken full effect and failed to influence their minds before Garoth ended the battle with thunderous measures.
That is precisely a major flaw of rage radiation.
Its onset is relatively slow, requiring time to subtly influence targets.
Therefore, Garoth hoped that through repeated practice he could wield this skill more skillfully, making it act faster, even concentrating its influence to shatter a target’s sanity barrier instantly.
This had become one of his training directions.
Days of rigorous training passed in the red iron dragon’s relentless routine; time flowed on without pause for any being.
In the blink of an eye, winter fully descended on the Ser Wilderness.
Countless snowflakes drifted down from the sky.
The snow here was not as fierce as the northern ice plains nor as severe as some borderlands, but it dressed the Ser Wilderness in silver, creating a beautiful scene.
At the same time, over the Citadel of Crimson Flame, a shuttle suffused with gentle magical light cut through the snowy veil. After identification by the aerial patrol, it slowly descended onto the wide platform of the High Mountain Court.
A woman in a robe embroidered with intricate star charts, her bearing extraordinary and refined, stepped gracefully from the shuttle.
She appeared mature and elegant; years had left few marks on her face, instead bestowing wisdom and a serene demeanor.
She came from the southern Lothrian Kingdom and was a person of great influence.
Legendary mage Margarita, titled "Star Speaker."
She was an astrologer, part of a prophetic school of a special legendary path.
Not only could she divine the future through subtle changes in celestial phenomena, she could summon meteors from beyond the sky to deliver devastating strikes — giving her far more direct combat capability than purely prophetic spellcasters.
During wars, her magic had annihilated many enemy legions.
Guided by several serpent woman attendants, Margarita walked through a grand passage supported by colossal pillars into the central hall of the Dragon Court.
The space here was vast, the architectural style magnificent.
Human-sized figures seemed tiny against the massive structural elements.
On a throne forged from obsidian and dull steel, the red iron dragon emperor sat steady and imposing.
His towering, powerful frame exerted a tremendous pressure even while motionless.
He lowered his gaze slightly to regard the legendary visitor who had traveled such a long distance.
Even a legendary spellcaster could not help but show a flash of admiration in her eyes when meeting the illustrious red iron dragon emperor in person.
She did not show fear, however, keeping a composed, elegant demeanor with a faint smile.
"Your Imperial Majesty Emperor Ignas, by order of our parliament, I have come to visit you and your kingdom, bringing Lothrian Kingdom's most sincere greetings."
She performed a respectful gesture among mages with graceful courtesy.
"Welcome to Aola Kingdom, Star Speaker Margarita."
Garoth's voice echoed through the hall. "Aola Kingdom appreciates the friendship shown by the Lothrian Kingdom."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Margarita knew that dealing with this red iron dragon emperor required cutting to the chase rather than prolonged flattery.
She produced the item she had brought from her storage device.
It was a strange artifact.
Two crystal spheres rotated slowly around each other along specific trajectories; within each orb, innumerable fine sigils like stars seemed sealed, emitting a subdued, mysterious glow.
"Your Majesty, as per our prior agreement, this is Lothrian Kingdom’s treasured legendary item, the Eye of Truth."
Margarita held it in her palms and introduced it to the throne, "It has the wondrous ability to pierce illusions, reveal disguises, and analyze energy flows. It is exceptionally effective at uncovering traps and discerning hidden dangers."
Garoth’s gaze fell on the Eye of Truth, and a hint of satisfaction flickered across his dragon pupils.
"A fine device, exactly what I need."
He spoke and raised his claw in a gesture.
A dragon-blooded guard standing nearby immediately understood, presenting a heavy custom metal casket and opening it.
Inside, on black velvet, lay the legendary two-handed greatsword that had caused Garoth considerable trouble.
After being ambushed by the Dragon-worshipping Church, Garoth had been considering how to effectively improve his shortcomings in perception and insight.
Eventually, he thought of how he had obtained his Frenzied State and Bloodburst State.
Using a powerful external artifact as a key to trigger his evolutionary talent.
So he had traded the Blade of Ashen Joy to Lothrian Kingdom.
That weapon was a serious bane to fire-domain users, with potent specialized effects.
But ultimately it had been made for human-sized wielders; for Garoth it was little more than a cumbersome ornament — far less practical than getting something better suited to his needs that could address his weaknesses.
"It is yours."
The red iron dragon spoke plainly.
Margarita’s eyes darkened when she saw the greatsword.
She placed the Eye of Truth on another tray held by the dragon-blooded guard, then personally sealed the Blade of Ashen Joy with specific magic techniques and accepted it carefully.
The exchange completed quickly in a solemn atmosphere.
Margarita visibly relaxed somewhat.
She looked up at Garoth on the throne and praised sincerely, "Your Majesty, allow me to express my personal admiration."
"You ascended to Legendary not long ago, yet with a single dragon’s might you turned the tables and killed four scheming Scale Path legendaries."
"Such glorious achievements are astounding."
"Maintaining friendship with you and your kingdom is Lothrian’s wise choice."
Garoth showed little vanity, merely nodding calmly.
"Power is the foundation for safeguarding one’s order and interests. Aola Kingdom pursues peace and development, but does not fear any form of challenge."
Having said this, he studied the Star Speaker with interest and shifted the conversation.
"I have heard that the prophetic arts of the astrologer tradition are exquisite, capable of glimpsing some tributaries of destiny."
"Ms. Margarita, could you take this opportunity to cast a glance at my future?"
Hearing this, Margarita’s elegant smile did not change, but she felt a chill in her heart.
To prophesy for a powerful legendary dragon, a ruler whose weight in fate is immense, is not a trivial matter and even carries the risk of backlash.
On the other hand, it was an opportunity to deepen ties and trust.
After a brief assessment, she decided.
"At Your Majesty's command, I will do my utmost."
She inclined gracefully, then grew solemn and focused, entering another state.
The Star Speaker clasped her hands as if cradling an invisible star above her chest.
Her eyes slowly closed, and she began chanting obscure incantations.
As her voice echoed through the hall, pinpoints of starlike light rose and drifted from between her cupped hands.
Hum—!
In an instant, the great hall’s ceiling became a projected scene of a slowly turning star field.
Centered on the red iron dragon emperor seated on his throne, dots of light were linked by invisible lines, sketching a complex network. Margarita’s consciousness extended cautiously along those lines that represented possible fates, probing into future time dimensions...
But the next moment, Margarita’s expression changed drastically.
What she perceived was not the expected clear or intricate fragments of future visions.
A heavy fog enshrouded Garoth, blocking her from seeing any definite future.
One star after another, representing possibilities, dimmed and extinguished; the fate lines connecting to the future snapped and frayed like broken strings, disappearing continuously.
"Ugh..."
Margarita let out a painful groan, her body trembling uncontrollably as she forcibly broke off the divination.
The starry projection above the hall dissipated.
She opened her eyes, sweat beading at her temples, her breath disordered.
"Your Majesty, I’m very sorry... I cannot predict your future."
She said it with a pale face.
The red iron dragon was slightly surprised.
He pondered a moment and asked, "An unpredictable future... what are the usual possible reasons behind that?"
Margarita thought briefly, calming the surging magic within, and answered cautiously, "There are two main possibilities."
"First, your destiny weight is too high. The nature of your life and the complexity of possible futures are so vast that they exceed my current prophetic observation limits."
"Second, a stronger existence than me has intervened in advance, obscuring the future trajectories related to you."
The red iron dragon emperor was silent for several seconds, then slowly said, "Thank you for trying, Star Speaker."
"This result alone is very important information for me."
Margarita looked deeply at Garoth.
His unfathomable and unique nature exceeded her prior estimates and imagination.
She adjusted her breath, bowed again with elegance, and said, "It is my honor to serve you."
"It seems Your Majesty’s path must be forged by your own hand, not written by the stars."
Not long after, the legendary mage Margarita took the Blade of Ashen Joy and left Aola Kingdom.
The Eye of Truth remained, ready to serve as the key for Garoth’s next adaptive evolution attempt, to finally patch up his perceptual shortcomings.
Outside the hall, snowflakes kept drifting, covering the ever-growing, imposing city of dragons.
Some time later, the Divine Kingdom of Theo, pressured by continued losses of sentient creatures and population resources within its borders, could no longer restrain itself and officially dispatched diplomatic envoys to Aola Kingdom. They requested the return of the sentient beings and magical creatures originating from Theo’s lands.
To give back population resources already obtained?
Aola Kingdom naturally refused.
After this, the Divine Kingdom of Theo did not press the issue further.
However, as Aola accelerated building and strengthening its border defenses, Theo continuously reinforced its border forces, increasing garrison numbers.
Their actions were conspicuous, with no attempt at concealment.
At the same time, to stem further losses of their creatures and populace, Theo spent enormous funds to erect tall walls along the long frontier bordering the wilderness.
The border between the two kingdoms was winding and long, with complex terrain.
Although Theo’s extreme defenses were effective, determined sentient beings or individuals still occasionally found ways to overcome the obstacles and reach the land they sought.
Objectively, their efforts did curb large-scale population loss.
Because of this incident, the potential conflict between Aola and Theo was now out in the open.
Along the long border defenses, a number of small-scale but frequent frictions and clashes began, and the border region grew increasingly tense.
Yet whether it was the red iron dragon emperor at the High Mountain Court, or the king and advisors in Theo’s royal capital, both sides’ leaders understood that open war at this moment would bring no substantial benefits to either.
One side was a newly established kingdom needing time and stability to develop; the other had just ended a vast civil war, was heavily depleted, and required rest and replenishment. Both needed a calm period to recover.
Barring major accidents, both nations would show restraint and keep conflicts localized.
The possibility of full-scale war remained slim.
While guarding against the Divine Kingdom of Theo, the red iron dragon turned his gaze toward the Permafrost Tundra.