Volume 5 Chapter 0089 Salute to the Great Emperor - I, The Dragon Overlord

In the heart of the "Sleeping Dragon Temple," within the chamber known as "The Domain of Order," the vast expanse had almost been transformed into a sci-fi planet. Under the manipulation of the "Artificial Intelligence," numerous biological factories began operation. Through cultivating genetic modules and ecological fluids, millions of devils were being manufactured. These devils were haphazardly collected by Louie during his ventures into Hell, encompassing a wide variety of devil types. After extracting genetic factors using Terran civilization's methods and employing them as foundational templates, modifications were made to produce these creations. Given that magic and science are entirely different systems, the devils produced by Louie lacked the spell-like abilities of authentic devils. However, thanks to foundational adjustments made through biotechnology, these devils possessed physical capabilities that far surpassed their counterparts. Additionally, to enhance similarity, Louie equipped them with miniature weapons embedded within their bodies, masquerading as spell-like energy. These miniature weapons had self-destruct capabilities, thereby reducing the risk of detection by other entities. The creation of these "clone armies" did not necessitate Louie's direct oversight. With Terran civilization's scientific advancements, leaving the manufacturing process to the Artificial Intelligence within the arsenal would swiftly yield a formidable devil army. However, this instance demanded Louie's personal intervention for a once-and-for-all attempt to exploit the chaos represented by the Abyss in order to gain complete acknowledgment from Order. This required expending divine power. Using internal conflicts amongst the demons to suppress the chaos was proving too slow. Hence, the key piece Louie had placed within the Abyss - Rosalind - was pivotal in launching the Blood War. With the devils now cooperating, the first Blood War in thirty millennia between Hell and the Abyss was destined to bring about unparalleled and despair-filled slaughter. Devils and demons have long forgotten the brutality of the Blood War. It was time these wicked races were reminded of that fierce conflict. However, merely manufacturing devils to slaughter demons wouldn't earn Louie Order's recognition. Thus, he had to implant his divine power seeds within these devils, transforming them into his "avatars." These seeds, possessing contagious properties, would, when introduced into the Blood War army, autonomously spread to other devils, endowing them with Louie's characteristics and enabling them to represent him. Only in this way could the slaughter by devils earn Louie recognition from Order. Otherwise, all that the Blood War would yield was the primal surge of war, slaughter, and destruction. "To ensure these divine power seeds have sufficient contagion within such a massive devil army, a significant divine power grant is necessary. These seeds would likely only spread up to four generations." Divine power seeds function like a virus; however, the nature of divine power prevents them from self-replicating and instead weakens themselves during the spread, limiting dissemination. Even so, this endeavor expended all Louie's divine power acquired from the Earth realm, leaving him utterly depleted. Although Louie still retained divine power derived from San Soliel's believers, akin to a person's foundational savings earmarked for emergencies, he refrained from squandering it heedlessly. In a flash, Louie transitioned from affluence to poverty. "Yet, should this Blood War succeed, I could wholly secure Order and have minimal need for divine power any longer." Louie exhaled, his gaze flickering, and within those vertical, massive dragon eyes, anticipation gleamed. "Here's hoping everything proceeds smoothly." He murmured softly, patiently awaiting developments. ... In the southern Main Material Plane, the capital city Dragon City of the Dragon Kingdom. Today, the city was bustling with activity. Many citizens took to the streets: young maidens clutching bouquets, elegantly attired girls eagerly anticipating, robust women and men holding their children, smiling prosperous merchants adorned in gold and silver, and rugged adventurers curiously observing. These people lined the streets, engaging in loud conversations, rendering the entire city exceptionally lively. Thousands of armored knights maintained order, holding back the crowd, while soldiers hurried about, relaying messages. Up on the city walls, the knights' commanders alternated between checking on event preparations and asking nearby mages about the location of Her Majesty's troops. Today wasn't a festival of any sort for the Dragon Kingdom, but rather a triumph ceremony. After two years of campaigns, the expeditionary force led personally by Emperor Alexia was returning from the "Underdark." In fact, the Dragon Kingdom's army had reached twenty miles outside the capital yesterday. However, given that this was a rare war personally undertaken by the emperor, a grand welcoming ceremony was a requisite upon their triumphant return to honor their majestic ruler with cannonades and accolades. The entire army camped twenty miles away, resting overnight in preparation for today's entry into the city. Dragon City, positioned as a mountain city built at the southern edge of the expansive and majestic San Soliel Mountains, served as a crucial junction between the eastern and western continents. The city itself was constructed against the mountain, with numerous stone bridges connecting different districts. Each bridge was perched atop towering cliffs, flanked by cliffs plunging hundreds of meters. From its inception over two hundred years ago, the Dragon Kingdom experienced consistent prosperity with scarce warfare, and even if conflicts did arise, they were regional. Consequently, as the capital, Dragon City underwent several expansions. Compared to the times when Louie was a dragon lord here, the capital had since expanded threefold. During his tenure as lord, Louie refrained from expanding the city because the terrain's undulating mountains and complex geography necessitated significant resources and labor for urban development. When Louie acquired the city, its residents were impoverished, compelling him to source food from the Earth realm to support their livelihood. However, after centuries of growth, the empire witnessed tremendous advancements in military and economic strength, affirming its status as the continent's most powerful nation, rivaling even the ancient millennia-old Subila Empire. With resources and population at their disposal, the kingdom prioritized expansion efforts, culminating in the construction over fifty years of this extraordinary city spanning multiple mountain peaks, essentially a miracle city built atop mountains. "Such an imposing city, unmatched even by Earth's standards," mused Louie. Positioned on the third-floor balcony of a renowned capital bar, which he had entirely reserved, Louie stood at the edge, surveying this magnificent metropolis he initially founded and which Alexia completed. With the revival of the Goddess of Magic and the reestablishment of the Weave, the threshold for mages significantly lowered, leading to a substantial increase in their numbers, albeit still the smallest of all professional classes. Due to the Weave, mages could more easily harness its magical power, resulting in significant advancements in magitech. Particularly the relics and techniques from the Arcane Empire preceding the Calamity Era, once dormant, became usable once the Weave was reestablished. If during Louie's arrival, San Soliel's world still echoed a medieval physical style, now it had fully transitioned into a fantastical realm. Constructed amidst mountains, an endless vista of city structures, numerous towering mage towers with colossal magical crystals linking power to create an impregnable barrier encompassing the city, resisting even demigod attacks. On the main streets wandered various classes: warriors, rogues, clerics, mages, sorcerers, bards, knights, druids, barbarians, and more—completely aligning with Louie's envisioned magical world. "This city, established by the Great Deity, embodies incredible beauty." Next to Louie, a lively young girl with a graceful figure, pure beauty, and silver hair adorned with curved dragon horns, smiled softly. She was none other than Heloise, the Goddess of Good Dragons' avatar, Louie's subordinate deity.