Berkeley, the captain of the magic ship, died suddenly.
He died very suddenly. His head exploded when he was stuck in a critical step in the dream scene.
Berkley is a nine-ring metal wizard. His limbs, torso and head have been replaced by magic metal. There is no trace of blood or flesh. Even the bones are made of magic alloy.
When he exploded like this, there was no scene of red and white objects flying everywhere, but instead a large piece of metal fragments were sputtered out.
These fragments flew in all directions, and when they approached the edge of the dream magic circle, they were controlled by invisible magic power.
The metal fragments suddenly stagnated, motionless, as if a pause button had been pressed.
After a second, the power binding the metal fragments disappeared.
The metal fragments lost their power to fly and fell to the ground with a clatter.
The onlookers around the dream magic circle were not disturbed by the sudden metal fragments, and all their attention stayed on the floor-to-ceiling mirror.
"Oh, that disc-shaped metal thing we saw just now should be some kind of alien spacecraft."
The speaker is Grand Arbitrator Paredes.
As a ten-ring wizard, he has already half-stepped into the Star Wizard level. He is the one who knows the most about the alien sky among all the people present.
He spoke softly and quietly.
Influenced by his tone, the onlookers who were supposed to be surprised after hearing the word "alien space vehicle" all showed a calm and collected look, without any surprise.
Bell, who had collected samples with Li Nuo before, asked aloud:
"Professor, what is an alien spacecraft?"
"It is a vehicle that can fly freely in the alien sky. It can be subdivided into many types according to its purpose, power and driver."
As Paredes spoke, he stretched out his right hand and tapped the surface of the floor-length mirror with his fingertips.
This magic floor mirror has a dream image playback function.
Along with Paredes' movements, the dream scene reappeared on the mirror, and the dream scene was played in reverse.
That huge, oppressive aircraft appeared on the dream screen again.
Paredes tapped the mirror again with his finger, and the dream scene paused, freezing at the moment when the aircraft approached the alien opening.
"See this 'paws holding the planet' pattern?"
The crowd around Paredes, except for the wizards from the Deep Sea Branch, Li Nuo, Dinas, and Mevle, the rest of the wizards are pure light wizards, and they are all students of Paredes.
As soon as he spoke, the scene of interrogating criminals immediately turned into a classroom.
"Look carefully at the 'claws' on this pattern. Does anyone know what kind of animal or monster's claw this is?"
Paredes looked at the students on the left and right.
The Pure Light wizards, including Bell, responded actively.
"Like the claws of some kind of bird"
"Maybe it's from a chocobo."
"I think it's the claw of a humanoid creature, such as the bat-winged demon raised by the Eidolon Order."
After listening to the student's speech, Paredes shook his hand, then took out his golden wand and sketched a magic pattern in the air:
"No. Because the shape of the claw on the pattern is too simple, your guess is wrong. Now, let me use magic to draw a three-dimensional model of this claw."
The tip of the golden wand slid in the air, leaving behind magical lines that emitted golden-white light.
The three-dimensional model of the claw is becoming more and more complete, and all the details are presented under Paredes' "pen".
The moment the diorama of the claws took shape, everyone present, whether they were Paredes students or not, visibly gasped and their hearts beat faster.
"This is a dragon's claw!"
"Why does the pattern of dragon claws appear on the alien spacecraft? And it holds a planet covered with volcanoes, land and oceans in its hands."
"Are there creatures like dragons in the alien sky? Otherwise, why would dragon claws appear on the patterns of alien spacecraft?"
Li Nuo stood in the crowd, throwing deconstruction techniques at the three-dimensional model drawn by Paredes.
The system feedback message showed that what Paredes drew was called a "magic model: the claws of a certain dragon-like creature."
Then he threw the deconstruction technique at the "claw" pattern on the dream screen, and the system named it "the claw pattern of a certain dragon-like creature".
Comparing the names of the two patterns, it is not difficult to come to the conclusion that Paredes, the old magic professor, recognized the origin of the "claw" pattern at the first sight.
He is very familiar with this pattern and "claws", so he can restore the opponent's three-dimensional model.
Li Nuo nodded secretly, thoughtfully.
It seems that the Wizarding Law Enforcement Department does not know anything about Berkeley's cooperation partners. They've found some clear clues.
"Everyone, let me reveal the answer to you."
Paredes clasped his hands in front of him and narrated in a steady voice:
"The alien spacecraft that appears in the dream screen comes from the Deep Space United Mining. This is a galaxy-level alien space force. They regard our world as a huge mineral vein. This is the metal wizard and his metal magic creation. The most unique mineral in this vein. The disaster 15 years ago and everything that happened to this magic ship today was caused by the deep space joint mining industry's plundering of metal magic creations. This is a crisis targeting metal wizards. Because The Deep Space Alliance Mining's methods are cruel, and the lives of other people involved in the crisis will also be in danger."
Paredes' words coincide with Li Nuo's speculation, and can be said to be completely consistent.
With this level of psychological construction, Li Nuo was still calm and calm. The same could not be said for the rest of the audience around him. The wizards, including Dinas, all showed surprise, anger and a little bit of fear.
Especially the only eight-ring metal wizard alive on the scene. Like Berkeley, this wizard also came from the Hotams Metal Branch. He was sent to persuade them to surrender.
Once Berkeley died, his efforts to persuade him to surrender failed, and he was inevitably in a depressed stage at this time.
As soon as everyone heard Paredes' words, they immediately turned their attention to the metal wizard. The metal wizard himself was startled, his thoughts were surging, and large metal spikes appeared on his mask.
"Professor Paredes, where did you hear this news? Why is there no news in the academy?" asked the metal wizard. His voice is younger and slightly trembling. The psychological burden placed on him by becoming the target of plunder by alien forces was extraordinary.
Paredes responded:
"This is the top secret of the Wizarding Law Enforcement Department, Colin. Before leaving, I received a secret order from the Law Enforcement Department. The secret order said that after I confirm that Berkeley and its collaborators are indeed related to the Deep Space Joint Mining, I can This news tells you and the Metal Branch behind you. Take a closer look at the dragon claw model I drew. What does it remind you of?"
The metal wizard named Colin stared at the dragon claw model and thought.
The metal spikes on his mask expanded, contracted and twitched regularly.
There was total silence, creating a quiet environment for Colin to contemplate.
After this atmosphere lasted for about 10 seconds, Colin said in a hoarse voice:
"Yes, Professor Paredes. I recognize the owner of this dragon's claw."
There was a little more frustration and fear in Colin's voice:
"It's really unbelievable that the claws of a metal Archosaur appear on the pattern of an alien space force."
"Metal Archosaur" The onlookers were talking a lot.
Unlike Colin's fear, almost everyone in the audience showed confusion.
They had no impression of the so-called "Metal Archosaur" and could only turn their questioning eyes to Paredes.
Under the gaze of everyone, Paredes read out the words in the textbook:
""The Ring of Unas", at the beginning of the chapter on prehistoric civilization, there are these paragraphs:
"Before the era of wizards opened, this land was ruled by dragons. Most extraordinary people, including wizards, were slaves or servants of dragons. When the catastrophe that ended the Dragon Age came, there were countless casualties among dragon creatures. . Several of the most powerful beings among them broke the oath of the dragon ring, abandoned this land, and became wanderers among the stars."
Paredes paused:
"The book "History of the Unas Ring" does not specify which dragons abandoned this land. I can tell you part of the answer. One of them is the ancestor and leader of the metal dragons, named The metal proto-dragon of "Tulsari". Today, if he were still alive, he would be over 3100 years old, and he would be a well-deserved ancient metal dragon. "
The onlookers were shocked by this secret history, and the topic Paredes brought up next was even more bombshell.
"The "Metal Thinking" meditation method of the Hotams Metal Branch is the dragon legacy obtained from the Metal Ancestral Dragon. This meditation method has a very serious flaw. I think Colin can tell us the answer. "
Paredes looked at the dull metal wizard.
Colin puffed up his chest, took a deep breath, and the voice coming from under the mask became bitter:
"Yes. The "Metal Thinking" meditation method has flaws, fatal flaws. We need to integrate the "thinking metal" left behind by the Metal Archosaur into our bodies in order to master the extraordinary ability to create mental connections with metals. The thinking metal carries the very thin blood of the metal ancestor dragon. Although the power of this bloodline has become so thin that it has almost disappeared, it can still force us to surrender to the source of the bloodline, which is the metal ancestor dragon Talsali.
"If Tarsali and its descendants are all dead, then naturally no dragon can mobilize the power of blood on the thinking metal. But if any of them are still alive, those of us should be classified according to the "Dragon Law" No one who is a "half-dragon" metal wizard can escape the fate of being ruled.
"Berkeley's surrender to Deep Space United Mining and his death both prove that the bloodline of Talsali has not been cut off, and there are still metal dragons of this lineage alive in this world. This is an extremely heavy blow to our Metal Branch. .”
The audience was dumbfounded.
So does Li Nuo.
ah?
this..
Are the flaws of this "metal thinking" meditation method too serious?
Just because there is a trace of the blood power of the ancestor dragon in the thinking metal integrated into the body, it will be controlled by the ancestor dragon and its descendants.
I...this...I still don't want to practice the "Metal Thinking" meditation method.
Eh? No, no.
Li Nuo suddenly thought of "harmless deconstruction"!
The harmless deconstruction provided by the system is obviously aimed at the phenomenon of "being controlled by others".
By deconstructing the "Metal Thinking" meditation method in a harmless way, wouldn't it be possible to completely block the influence of the Metal Ancestral Dragon on oneself?
That's right, I have the deconstruction core system in hand, so I don't have to worry about the shortcomings of the "Metal Thinking" meditation method.
Maybe, with the help of harmless deconstruction, I can practice the harmless "metal thinking" meditation method without even needing "thinking metal"!
Li Nuo's mind turned around.
His attitude towards the "Metal Thinking" meditation method took a 180-degree turn in a very short period of time.
At this moment, Li Nuo completely understood what "harmful components" Harmless Deconstruction had helped him remove.
Just like the results of his first harmless deconstruction of the "Ten Commandments of Martyrdom", the harmless deconstruction was specifically aimed at the "spiritual pollution" left by the original author.
"Spiritual pollution" is like a backdoor program in computer software. The person who sets up this backdoor program can easily control computer software, steal sensitive content such as user data in the software, and even invade the computer system through computer software.
The remaining bloodline of the metal ancestor dragon in the thinking metal is something similar to a "backdoor program". It is precisely because of it that the metal wizard is forced to surrender to the metal ancestor dragon.
In any case, the potential dangers of the Hotams Metal Branch are really quite big.
Li Nuo sighed in his heart and looked at Dinasi beside him.
Dinath was listening to the exchange between Colin and a group of wizards. After feeling Li Nuo's gaze, she turned her head and smiled, holding Li Nuo's arms and twisting them gently.
"What's wrong? What are you looking at me doing?" Dinasi's eyes blinked a few times.
"Uh" Li Nuo said softly, thinking:
"I'm just wondering if the meditation method we both practice may have the same hidden dangers."
Dinas tilted her head slightly, her tone uncertain:
"Probably not. Well, I don't know."
Li Nuo pondered for a moment, dropped the topic, and continued to listen to the discussion with Dinas.
Li Nuo did not give a direct answer, but he had an answer in his heart.
There was no "mental contamination" on either Dinas's little torch of resurrection or Li Nuo's own Sword of Silence, and the system did not remind him to use harmless deconstruction methods to deconstruct these two items.
Similarly, Dinas, who practices the Rebirth Meditation Method, and Li Nuo, who practices the "Sound of Silence" meditation method, have no "spiritual pollution."
According to the previous logical inference, "mental pollution" = program backdoor = hidden danger. No "mental pollution" = no program backdoors = no hidden dangers.
From this perspective, the rebirth meditation method and the "Sound of Silence" meditation method are harmless and can be practiced with confidence and boldness.
Li Nuo felt much more relaxed.
Everyone at the scene looked at Colin with more or less sympathy. Anyone who knows that they will be forced to submit to other people or things because of the meditation method they rely on for survival will feel depressed, fearful and hesitant.
After obtaining Paredes's permission, Colin entered the dream and told his professor everything he knew.
Paredes ordered the students to clean the scene and sort out Berkeley's remains and dream magic circle. He himself fell into a dream and contacted the Pure Light Tribunal.
Comini's inquiry is over. The seven-ring silent witch questioned seven suspected wizards, including Kalandi.
The result of the inquiry was as expected. The shop owners who opened their shops on the ship had no idea what Deep Space United Mining was doing.
Judging from Berkeley's dream process, if the Deep Space Joint Mining plan proceeds normally, these seven shop owners will also have "confinement collars" to block their spellcasting abilities and become prisoners in centralized detention.
The results of the inquiry and the scenes deduced from the dream were put together, and the suspicion of the seven shop owners was cleared.
"I sent Karandi and six other shop owners to the emergency ship."
Comini arrived at the interrogation scene with two headless corpses on his shoulders.
She put the headless corpse on the ground and stared at Berkeley's body:
"What happened here? Why did Berkeley's head explode too?"
The enthusiastic and proactive Pure Light Wizard Bell explained from the side:
"It happened suddenly, Lord Komini. When the pattern of the metal archosaur appeared on the dream screen, Berkeley's head suddenly exploded. We had no time to rescue him."
Comini touched his forehead, becoming more and more confused, and asked Li Nuo:
"Berkeley dreamed of a metal Archosaur pattern, and then his head exploded?. What the hell is going on?"
Li Nuo glanced at the three headless corpses on the scene, and a look of "what a coincidence" flashed in his eyes:
"Lord Komini, let Bell explain it to you. I don't know much about Metal Archosaur."
Li Nuo gave Bell the opportunity to speak.
Bell readily accepted and vividly described the previous scene.
After a short while, Komini figured out the situation, the corpses at the scene were packed away, and the dream magic circle was recovered.
During the interrogation of Berkeley, the law enforcement wizard performed emergency repairs on the magic ship's power system.
There was nothing they could do about the magical engines on the mid-decks, but just getting the ship moving was still possible.
A set of hull-propelling arrays composed of dozens of magic arrays was arranged on the outer armor of the magic ship. Through the air and water jets from the magic circle, the magic ship can barely move.
Just when everyone thought that was the end of the night, Colin and Paredes woke up at the same time.
Colin looked gloomy and just stood there in a daze, heartbroken over the fate of the Metal Branch.
But Paredes told a disturbing news.
"Everyone left this magic ship and hid in the nearby sea. There is an interstellar fleet composed of fifty alien spacecraft, which is approaching our world. It is heading for the magic ship under our feet. This news is absolutely true and came from the Star Filter."
"Fifty alien spacecraft!?"
"Starfleet?!"
The scene exploded.
Paredes repeated it in an unmistakable voice:
"Don't panic, listen to the order. Everyone, including me, leave the magic ship now. Ms. Selina is ready to pick us up."
Selina is the nine-ring deep sea witch who summoned the emergency ship.
Li Nuo learned her name from Bell during casual chat. It's a coincidence that Selina is also the vice president of the Deep Sea Branch. As for the Deep Sea Branch, it is located in the center of the core circle of the Suman Islands.
In a sense, Li Nuo met his future wizard neighbor on the Black Fold Sea, thousands of kilometers away from the Suman Islands.
The group of people received Paredes' instructions and did not dare to neglect, and entered the flying state uniformly.
Paredes revealed the next arrangements to everyone on the road.
Unashuan plans to do something.
Do it hard.
Isn’t that interstellar fleet from Deep Space United Mining coming to this world to find trouble?
So good, Unas Ring is ready to have a "closed door and dog fight".
Unas Ring decided to take the initiative to put the interstellar fleet into the inner starry sky. When the fleet began to transport the magic ships, they immediately closed the alien gaps in the star filter and locked the star fleet in the inner starry sky.
After all, this is a home battle, and there is no need for the wizards in this world to be timid.
To prepare for the coming battle, Paredes needed to call in reinforcements.
He landed on the emergency ship with the law enforcement wizards.
After the ship sailed into the sea next to the magic ship, he raised the golden wand and opened the portal to the Pure Light Court.
The sun and moon alternate in the sky, showing a brief daytime scene. The golden-white sun hung high in the sky, shining large golden spots on the dark sea.
Thousands of light spots appeared on the surface of the Black Fold Sea!
Each point of light corresponds to a recruited combat wizard.
Facing this exciting battle preparation scene, Li Nuo did not forget to use the deconstruction technique to check the situation of these battle wizards.
The combat wizards from the Pure Light Tribunal and Hotams account for the majority, and the rest are combat wizards from various wizarding forces.
It is worth mentioning that there will be no metal wizards in the upcoming battle. The eight-ring metal wizard Colin left directly through the portal after it opened. Among the wizards who came to support, there was no metal wizard.
The teleportation work ended quickly, and the day above the Black Fold Sea turned into night.
After the battle wizards teleported to their destination, they cast a variety of invisible spells to blend in with the surrounding dark environment.
The emergency ship Li Nuo was on was wrapped in pure magic water by Selina. The water on the surface of the magical water body flashed a few times, bringing the entire ship into an invisible state.
At this point, there was only the magic ship floating alone on the entire Black Fold Sea.
The emergency ship took the passengers farther away.
There are a large number of low-level Extraordinaries and ordinary people without extraordinary abilities on this ship. The big battle later may affect the sea area within a radius of hundreds of kilometers.
It is at least thirty or forty kilometers away from the sea area where the magic ship is located to ensure that the passengers on the emergency ship will not be implicated.
Paredes and a group of wizard law enforcers did not leave the ship. They became the guardians of the ship and were now discussing plans in the cockpit.
Li Nuo, Bell, and other wizards with only three rings of strength were assigned to maintain order throughout the cabin.
Their job is to be on standby in the cabin on duty, ready to deal with emergencies at any time.
Li Nuo was assigned to the stern of the middle deck.
(End of chapter)
