Volume 5 Chapter 0094 Miracles require a price - I, The Dragon Overlord

The mage district was sparsely populated; some mages had gone with Her Majesty Empress of the Dragon Kingdom in the campaign against the dark elves of the Underdark, and they now marched in triumphant return, while others participated in welcoming ceremonies to greet the empress’s return. However, mages have always been known for their eccentricity, and so a portion of them neither joined the expedition nor attended the ceremony, choosing instead to continue their experiments. Marches was one of them. Louie entered the mage's tower, which would typically be bustling with mages and magic apprentices, but at this time, the tower was nearly deserted. Only some animated statues managed the tower, with a few ghosts summoned by the mages to clean. As a deity, Louie could pass freely anywhere without obstruction—even the myriad magical traps and alarms within a mage's stronghold like the mage tower couldn’t detect his presence. When Louie ascended the tower to the top-floor laboratory, he found an elderly mage in simple black robes, solemnly conducting an experiment at his workstation. Energies from various planes roiled within the energy pool. Louie stepped closer for a look, finding Marches's experiment to be, as usual, related to alchemy—his only talent. Making himself visible from his non-existent state, Louie was immediately detected by the legendary mage’s mental prowess. “How did you enter my laboratory, sir?” The elderly mage was visibly wary; sneaking into his lab without a trace would require a mage of at least demigod caliber. With this thought, he promptly turned around, various spell sequences flashing on his mage robe. A mere thought could unleash several high-tier spells at once. The reappearance of the Weave had greatly simplified spellcasting for mages. Before the awakening of the Goddess of Magic, mages had to guide magic circles with mental effort, then manipulate mana to cast spells. But with the Weave, mages could record their mentally constructed spell sequences in it, retrieving them with mana when needed, significantly reducing mental strain. The Weave was essentially an intelligent device for mages. Yet, the Weave had its limitations, as the Goddess of Magic tightly controlled the number of spells available to mages of different levels each day to prevent magic from running rampant across the land, safeguarding her powers from being usurped by mortal mages. The previous Goddess of Magic had failed to regulate the Weave's usage rights, allowing magic to overrun the world, which ultimately led to powerful arcanists misusing magic, draining her power, and causing her downfall. However, this rule did not apply to legendary and higher-level mages; they could still construct new spells with their mental power once those stored in the Weave were exhausted, albeit at the cost of their own mental strength without the Weave’s aid. Marches prepared numerous spells, securing himself a few crucial seconds might have brought numerous powerhouses rushing to his aid—after all, this was the city of Dragon Song, capital of the Dragon Kingdom, where countless strong individuals resided. Not even a demigod would dare act rashly here unless a deity descended. Upon recognizing the figure behind him, Marches instantly dispelled all his spells, tears welling in his eyes. He even abandoned his experimental matters, kneeling in grand reverence, “...My Lord Louie Galakrond, your most devoted believer, and faithful servant, offers you the sincerest greetings.” “Rise, Marches…” Louie smiled at his first servant and slave in the world of San Soliel, gesturing lightly for him to stand. The old mage, obedient to the god’s word, stood before Louie with reverence, “...You’ve descended from your divine kingdom; do you have orders for your servant?” Louie remained silent, merely observing Marches before finally speaking, “...After more than two hundred years, you’ve only just entered the legendary rank. At this rate, you have no hope of advancing further.” Life, even for a legendary being, has limits—usually around a millennium. Only long-lived species like dragons or elves could extend their lifespans further upon reaching such a rank. Only by merging with divinity to become a demigod could one escape death by old age. However, obtaining divinity is incredibly rare, and many high-tier legendary beings fail even to acquire it—let alone integrate it. There are roughly a hundred deities in the world of San Soliel, with demigods outnumbering true gods by several times. Yet, compared to the vast number of intelligent beings inhabiting the world, the number of gods and demigods seems pathetically small. “My talent ends here. Reaching legendary status was already a result of riding the empire’s rise to fortune; given my aptitude, further advancement is impossible... But there is nothing to fear from that. In my life, I shall serve Her Majesty Alexia and dedicate myself to the empire. When I die, I shall accompany you in your divine kingdom. For your servant, this is already a fulfilled life.” Once a life-fearing and scheming old mage, Marches had transformed into a devoted believer, unafraid of death. The ambitions he once held to achieve legendary status now completely relinquished—a testament to the power of faith. “I had considered granting you a fragment of my divinity, should you have the opportunity to strive for higher legendary levels, allowing you the chance to become a demigod.” Louie expressed with regret. “Thank you for your kindness and great gift, though your servant is unworthy of such honor and fortune.” Marches knelt once more, tears of gratitude flowing. “Yes, your aptitude indeed falls short; even with such copious resources and my blessings, you remain stalled… Normally, upon your death, you would journey to my divine kingdom to become a saint. However, I have another significant task designated for you.” “Please, speak of it. Your will is my path forward.” The faithful disciple proclaimed eagerly. “It isn’t time to reveal it yet, but you’ll understand when the moment comes… It may be an unimaginable leap to the heavens for you.” Louie chuckled softly. Gods gazed loftily upon the mortal realm, and as Louie ascended to become a prime deity, he determined to observe the gods as a god does mortals. Thus, Louie needed a representative of his own to act as a thorn among the gods, to be his most loyal servant—ready to defy the gods in fulfilling his will. Marches presented a fitting choice—loyal, steadfast in his faith, and, crucially, not a relative by bloodline. When Louie ascended, he would be cast into the pantheon, carrying out Louie's will among the gods. Ascending to godhood in a single bound was indeed a miracle almost beyond comprehension, though Marches would inevitably pay a steep price thereafter—that of becoming all gods' adversary, the target of divine enmity.