Chapter 1248: Chapter 1235: Cooperating with the Gods Chapter 1248: Chapter 1235: Cooperating with the Gods “Having the capability to develop a civilization that can navigate and wage war in the void, with resources barely reaching that of a medium-sized world, is indeed impressive. You are an exceptional civilization.”

Gazing upon the various spaceships and warships ascending and descending from the sky to the earth, Muria did not skimp on his praise, his mental power had already enveloped the land below, providing him with a good understanding of the general situation.

“Of course.”

Hearing Muria’s praise of his own civilization, Zomali, who had been half-coerced and half-willingly leading the way, puffed up his chest with pride.

“Come to think of it, isn’t this your own turf? Among your clan, your identity is quite prestigious, right? Why the secretive act?”

After passing through the spatial tunnel that the Yuguang Civilization had sealed, connecting two realms, the girl Areina curiously surveyed the vast, deserted facilities, then looked with some confusion at the fleet commander clad in a simple combat suit and an all-concealing helmet.

“Please, even if my identity is prestigious, deserters on the battlefield still get executed, and what I’m doing now is far worse than deserting,” the tall and slender fleet commander Zomali responded reluctantly, his stature visibly shrinking, appearing sneaky and sly.

“Taking you two unknown characters to see the most esteemed Princess Astia is a betrayal far more disgraceful than deserting. If I get discovered and my identity confirmed, not only am I done for, but my clan will also suffer the consequences because of me.

Ah! Damn it, what am I even doing? Why did I agree to bring you two here? I’m truly a fool. If someone sees us…”

“Having regrets? It hasn’t been that long, has it? Your resolve is far too weak!” Areina said, surprised at the display from the Yuguang commander.

“Of course, I regret it!” He said, having abandoned his entire fleet to sneak others into his own civilization, he glanced sideways at Muria, the shortest of them, and muttered quietly, “I shouldn’t have agreed from the start, if not for your use of force.”

“Stop mumbling. It’s too late for regrets now. You’ll just have to follow us to the end,” Muria said sternly.

“Wait a second, this person…” Zomali turned to address Muria but realized he didn’t know how to refer to him.

“You may call me ‘His Majesty,’ ” Muria said aloofly, floating in mid-air, observing Zomali’s useless demeanor.

“‘His Majesty’?” Zomali looked at Muria with uncertain surprise and then instinctively probed, “I acknowledge your strength, but do you realize that’s a title reserved for a True God? By asking me to address you in such a way, you are offending those eternal beings up on high.”

Muria turned his head, intrigued by this high-ranking official of the Yuguang Civilization, “Does your civilization have the protection of a True God?”

“True God’s protection? Impossible. Many in the empire dream of gaining divine power, but sadly, our civilization is hostile to such deities; many of them would like to destroy our world’s weaponry and then enslave our civilization.”

“But you didn’t submit; you chose to fight against those gods, right?” Areina too was interested. A civilization that fought against gods sounded fascinating.

“Of course, our Yuguang Civilization will never be enslaved by any being, not even gods.”

“But you long for the power of the deities, don’t you? If you simply bow and pray devoutly, not only would you gain power, but you could also achieve eternal life. With such a temptation, how many in your civilization could resist?”

Muria, too, was curious about how a civilization at war with deities and without the support of another deity could resist the temptation of eternal life.

“You… how could you know so much about the gods?” Zomali asked in utter fear upon hearing Muria’s words, “In our civilization, that’s something only…”

“Only a select few are privy to, right? A simple yet effective method, directly sealing all information about deities from the middle and lower classes and only proclaiming the deities’ cruelty. It’s hardly a long-term plan.”

“Indeed, when we fight against deities, we can only block the information, or there would always be defections. I’m young now so I can choose not to believe in gods, but when I’m old and frail, I’m not sure what I’d think then?”

“You? You’re the kind who will definitely choose to side with the gods and betray your civilization the moment you get old,” Areina replied without a trace of sympathy, having understood the situation.

“What makes you say that? I am utterly loyal to my civilization, even willing to lay down my life for it,” Zomali argued fiercely, his face reddening in anger at the native’s disdain.

“Enough. If you were as loyal to your civilization as you claim, you wouldn’t have brought us here,” Areina retorted.

“I did it for the Princess. I’m not a traitor.”

“You just admitted that you’d be guilty of treason if found out. And don’t use the princess as a shield. You knew we came to disrupt her engagement ceremony, yet you have no idea how we plan to do it and whether our methods will affect your civilization,” Areina accused.

“Alright, Areina,” Muria interjected, halting her barrage against the disreputable young man. This man might be cowed, but like all living beings, he has a fighting spirit, and provoking that could complicate matters.

“Point the way, tell me, what is the shortest path to where Princess Astia is.”

“I can tell you, but you must promise not to harm Princess Astia.”

“Even if your civilization were destroyed, she would not be harmed.”

…
“It’s Sky City! How magnificent!” The man-made marvel had a charm and impact beyond what natural wonders could ever match. When the girl Areina saw the city floating in the sky, she couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

“Ptolemy, The Eternal Floating City, the political and cultural center of our civilization.” The guide spoke with pride as he introduced the symbol of his homeland to others.

Seeing a structure that symbolized a civilization, Muria didn’t show much reaction; there were, if not a thousand, then eight hundred cities floating in the skies of Elasia. However, this particular Sky City before him was not without its notable features.

“Without relying on special terrain, without relying on special metallic materials, but by virtue of technology and abundant energy alone, to forcibly lift a city from the earth—that suggests the Yuguang Civilization has reaped significant gains in the void, to the point where energy can be squandered in such a way.”

“Your Majesty, Princess Astia is within this city. May I ask, what do you plan to do?”

“You just said that this city is the political center of your civilization. So, is the highest ruler of your civilization also within this city?”

“Are you referring to Her Majesty, the Empress? If there are no special circumstances, Her Majesty naturally resides at the core and would not leave.”

“Hmm, that’s good, I’ll go and speak with her.”

“Your Majesty, what did you say?” The guide looked baffled and confused, “Didn’t you say you would not interfere with the princess’s engagement? Why are you suddenly seeking an audience with our civilization’s supreme ruler? Or is this your true purpose from the beginning?”

“It’s a spontaneous idea; I had not expected your civilization to still be under monarchical rule. Since this is the case, I can simply speak directly to your ruler.”

“No, it’s impossible. Unless you are a deity, without the Empress’s approval, you cannot see her.”

“Gods? Such beings, huh.”

…
“Alas, the Empire had just restored peace and we thought we could enter a phase of peaceful development, but then the Space Rift suddenly appeared; it’s truly troublesome. To this day, there’s still no consensus on the reason for the rift’s emergence.”

In the spacious yet markedly austere Administrative Hall, the loosely robed Yuguang female bore a worried expression, “When I ascended the throne, some even joked that I was the luckiest sovereign in the history of the Empire. Now, it seems I might be the most unfortunate one.”

“Your Majesty, why would you say that? While the appearance of the Space Rift brings unpredictable dangers, it also comes with tremendous opportunities. The Empire might control more domains and acquire more resources as a result, further advancing our civilization.”

“However, the premise of the Empire’s territorial expansion and resource acquisition is that our army must launch more wars, leading to more casualties. Minister Remi Locke.”

The Empress, with a trace of fatigue in her brows, looked up at the man standing respectfully in the center of the Administrative Hall.

“Moreover, this time, our Vanguard Fleet discovered something after passing through the Space Gate, and you know what it is.”

“The traces of new gods, I know. These immortals seem to leave their mark everywhere.”

“So, do you still consider this a development opportunity for our civilization?” The Empress questioned the ostensibly reverent man before her, “Once we unsheathe our swords again, we will inevitably make enemies of more Divine Beings.”

“The Empire’s army is invincible in battle, and even facing the Deities, we will not retreat.”

“I believe in the fighting will of our army, but there is no need to pay the price of casualties for this. The Empire already has enough resources for stable development for a hundred years; there’s no need to initiate a war.”

“Yes, Your Majesty, war is not the only way to deal with the gods when we stand against them.”

“What are you suggesting, speaking with the gods, living in peace with them?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“It looks like I’ve come just at the right time. The Yuguang Civilization wishes to cooperate with the gods? In that case, how about working with me instead?”

The clear voice echoed through the spacious Administrative Hall as the black-haired child with golden pupils gradually materialized before the Empress.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read