Chapter 246
Translator: Pai_
The Second Age of Exploration brought about by the dimensional gate caused significant changes in both Earth and Cradle.
First of all, Earth, needless to say, was able to obtain an enormous amount of resources by opening up new frontiers.
From oil to all sorts of rare earth elements that had been difficult to develop due to environmental pollution on Earth, and even rare resources such as helium, which had either been completely depleted or were becoming economically unviable, came pouring out.
On top of that, they were able to acquire something far more precious than any of those other resources from the other world.
Magic.
A mysterious power originally exclusive to that world called Cradle.
By interacting with the wizards of the other world and learning their techniques in various ways, Earthlings realized that magical power mediated by the soul was latent within themselves as well.
They simply had not known how to manifest it.
Of course, putting aside the fact that it was a completely different technology from the magic that dealt with the essence of Cradle, and was merely a technique that utilized the soul's source energy, Earthlings did not mind.
Just the fact that the possibility of becoming superhuman had arisen was more than enough to excite countless people.
As extraterrestrial magical knowledge spread, the once-stagnant technological development began to gain momentum once again, and the economy also became revitalized.
Earth, which had felt like a powder keg on the verge of explosion, now channeled its energy not at each other but outward, toward outer space, toward a world that was farther than any other planet but closer in essence.
Of course, such a connection did not come without its downsides.
From various new diseases brought from beyond to all sorts of incidents and accidents caused by extraterrestrial creatures infiltrating through the dimensional gate, and the treatment of alien laborers, the shadows were as deep as the light was bright.
Moreover, Earthling wizards who had gained the new power of magic ran amok with it, committing all manner of crimes.
It was the kind of side effect typically brought on by paradigm shifts and rapid development.
And in the process, Earthlings came to understand the true nature of the Cradle they had long admired.
It was thanks to the condition Turan had demanded when he opened the dimensional gate long ago: to spread the word of his existence in the other world.
"Do you happen to know a world called Cradle?"
"Cradle? Never heard of it."
"They are the ones who mediated the connection between your world and ours."
The pioneering world of Ashag.
An English adventurer who had learned their language through consistent interaction tried to discover the true nature of the Cradle world by conversing with a sage who claimed to have lived for centuries.
The answer he received was truly shocking.
"If what you say is true, then they must be the gods of your world. Only those worthy of worship have the authority to mediate and travel between multiple worlds and bestow their blessings. Judging by the powerful tools you possess, they must indeed be mighty and benevolent gods."
According to the sage, the power to mediate between worlds was not something a mere human could possess.
Only beings who had transcended, those called transcendentals, gods, devils, and other such names, could do such things.
As this story spread widely on Earth, so too did the idea that the beings of the Cradle world were not just humans capable of using magic, but divine beings.
In fact, the various forms of magic that Earthlings had learned were laughably weak compared to the great miracles performed by the wizards of Cradle in the past.
As a result, it was only natural that the pseudo-religions already rooted on Earth, which worshipped the wizards of Cradle such as Turan as gods, would catch fire once again.
"They are false gods!"
"They’ve even revealed themselves in person! Aren’t the ancient gods you worship the real fakes?"
"You dare-!"
As Earthlings continued pioneering the new world and encountering various events, the world of Cradle, which they had come to regard as something akin to Olympus of Greek mythology, was also developing rapidly.
This was thanks to the enormous amount of resources received through extraterrestrial pioneering efforts, which served as the foundation for industrialization.
Naturally, Turan and other Ascended Ones strictly supervised the process, thoroughly cracking down on all side effects that emerged during industrialization, such as the unchecked exploitation of workers by capitalists and collusion with the government.
As for environmental pollution, it was solved using purification magic devices.
The explosive growth that resulted far exceeded what the early imperial administrators had anticipated.
Year 35 of the Empire's founding.
The current world population had already grown to more than ten times what it had been when the Empire was first established.
“...That concludes the report.”
“Good work.”
"It is my honor, Your Majesty!"
Turan nodded at the young official’s report and mentally reviewed what had just been presented.
The Parsha region, once known as the Gray Zone and now the imperial capital, along with the Aravion region governed by Meisa and the Varaha region governed by Solif, had become the most developed areas within the Empire.
This was thanks to their leaders’ active crackdown on corruption and their support of various major construction projects.
Next in rank were the Zahar and Lavitas regions, and the Samil region, formerly known as the Western Forest.
The Ruvan, Carmine, and Hisaril regions, once called the Western Wastelands, showed the slowest development.
In response, Turan appointed his son Luska as the lord of Hisaril.
Unlike the first generation of lords, who had been chosen mainly for their innate magical ability or personal connections with Turan, his son had received rigorous leadership training from an early age, and Turan believed this would be more helpful.
As expected, once appointed as lord of Hisaril, Luska soon dramatically raised the development level of what had been the most underdeveloped region in the Empire.
It was an achievement made possible by reorganizing many areas that Turan had previously neglected while focusing on other regions, and by launching several new business plans aimed at revitalization.
When ten more years passed and the Empire reached its forty-fifth year, people no longer remembered the time when they lived in fear of being devoured by magical beasts or the era ruled by wizard-lords.
Illness and disability were things that could be cured simply by finding a healing wizard nearby.
Lifespan was something that could be overcome by studying diligently and rising to high positions within the Empire.
The essentials for living, food, clothing, and shelter, could be obtained by working faithfully as a member of society.
Magical beasts were creatures that rarely appeared outside protected zones and were more akin to useful livestock or pets.
The young adult generation of the Empire, raised in an environment where everything was provided, began to go beyond mere survival and allowed diverse cultures to blossom.
Film, literature, painting, music, and all forms of art enriched the minds of the people as much as their bodies, and the vast new quantities of information produced were distilled back into essence, increasing the world’s power.
It was a golden age reminiscent of Earth’s Belle Époque, but with as many of the dark elements of that era, like colonial exploitation, social inequality, and racial discrimination, stripped away as possible.
As more people were born, experienced joy, and produced all sorts of information, Turan’s power grew even stronger than before.
As time passed and the population continued to increase, the cities expanded upward into the sky and downward into the underground.
The vast amount of food needed to support such numbers was provided by the growing number of wizards and advanced scientific technology.
And as more people were born and more devoted themselves to magical training, new Ascended Ones began to emerge, those capable of handling four types of mastery and thus approaching the essence.
The first to reach that point was none other than their son, Luska.
Thanks to the foundation laid with Soul Magic in manipulating spirit forms, and his exceptional magical talent, he scored highly on character evaluations and accurately selected four potential masteries, proving his capability.
Following him, several more Ascended Ones appeared, including Osel, who barely managed to achieve a floating paradise by combining advanced science and magic.
All of them had begun establishing their presence as lords when they could handle three types of mastery, so even after awakening their power, they were able to control a considerable amount of essence.
Those who lacked enough still had Turan, who personally traveled to Earth to hold touring performances and supplement what was missing.
As the emergence of new Ascended Ones brought about a positive cycle, Turan finally announced his intention to step down from the throne.
When Meisa first heard of it, she didn’t react with surprise, but rather with a look that said the inevitable had finally come.
“So you’re finally stepping down.”
“What? You knew I was going to say that?”
“We’re running out of things to fix, and Luska’s more than capable of taking your place. Honestly, I thought you’d step down much earlier.”
Turan’s reason for abdicating the throne was to secure more time for training.
Over the past few decades, the world had become more prosperous through governance, and while power itself had increased immensely, there had been no time to actually train with it.
A few years later, Turan appointed Luska, who had long since solidified his standing as the lord of Hisaril and had become a first-class wizard and an Ascended One, as the new Emperor.
In line with this, Meisa also retired, appointing the most competent administrator in the Aravion region as the new lord.
By contrast, Solif chose to remain in his position a while longer, claiming he was still capable and had no suitable successor.
Because Berit, still enjoying power as both the lord’s wife and chancellor, didn’t want to step down.
Naturally, this announcement sent shockwaves through the world of Cradle.
“Your Majesty, please continue to rule over us!”
“We need an eternal father!”
“O great Turan, do not abandon your flock!”
Even though Turan had declared his intention to step down long ago, and even clarified that he would not disappear entirely but remain in a position to check the Emperor, the backlash was enormous.
No, calling it backlash would be inappropriate.
Humans cannot defy the will of a god, they could only weep and plead.
To the commoners of the current Empire, Turan had reigned as the world’s sovereign since the day they were born.
As natural a presence as the sun and moon always being in the sky.
They had grown up hearing of the Emperor’s deeds from the cradle, and were nearly indoctrinated, at school, at the churches of the Imperial Faith, by their superiors in society, about how great their master was.
For such a being to retire from political life was equivalent to saying that the sun and moon would not rise tomorrow.
“Please, do not step down, Your Majesty!”
At least hundreds of thousands, perhaps over a million, people knelt and cried out before the Imperial Palace in Kalamaf, their voices resounding thunderously.
From the top floor of the Imperial Palace, Turan looked down and sighed.
“I just hope they don’t harm their health doing that.”
“The police said they’re monitoring things and stopping anyone who tries to self-harm, so it should be okay.”
Even with Meisa offering comfort right next to him, he couldn’t feel better, because news had already spread via newspapers and other media of people taking their own lives upon hearing the announcement.
He was beginning to regret having made the Imperial Faith, which worshipped him as an idol, the national religion just to gather presence.
But all of this had been necessary to save the world, it couldn’t be helped.
Even now, the fear and despair felt by over a billion Imperial citizens was being absorbed into Turan’s presence.
After completing the final handover, Turan said to Luska, who stood before him, as if offering a blessing:
“Do what you can. If it gets too hard, come take a rest.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Luska’s eyes, as he nodded, were burning with passion.
He had been a model child since young, and even though he was now over sixty, he still maintained his upright character.
In a way, it was an extremely rare quality.
Of course, for wizards as powerful as them, sixty was still considered youth.
***
After stepping down from the throne, Turan first traveled the world with Meisa, enjoying the empire he had created.
Due to heavy borrowing of Earth’s technology during development, the culture had been heavily influenced as well, but the art of the Cradle world had evolved in its own direction and had its own charm to enjoy.
Hiding their identities, they traveled not through spatial transfer but by transportation methods like trains and airships, starting from Hisaril Hill, Turan’s hometown and sacred ground, and moving through famous sites across the world, savoring the feeling of living as one of the world's ordinary residents.
And occasionally, they would quietly pass on reports of corruption, misconduct, or administrative negligence to Luska as a bonus.
After enjoying a brief month-long break, they shut themselves away at the edge of the world to begin training.
“All right, shall we begin?”
“What are the conditions?”
“Let’s start with power at about this level.”
“Sounds good.”
After confirming the power Meisa had displayed first, Turan began his attack by handling an equal amount of essence.
As flames poured forth, more than enough to incinerate a small nation, Meisa countered with cold, instantly creating a mountain of ice. Then, a toxic mist capable of melting the ground down to the mantle vaporized and raged forth.
To that, he added his specialties: lightning and storm, and thousands of railgun blasts, creating what could only be described as a natural disaster.
Had this display of power occurred in the material world or on Earth, the aftermath alone could have easily killed tens of millions.
All of this was training to efficiently handle the essence, which had grown absurdly vast compared to the past.
As the amount of power increased, imagination tended to become constrained, so it became necessary to frequently handle large amounts of power.
The two were, without question, the best sparring partners for one another.
Turan handled the most essence, followed by Meisa, and their talent and skill in manipulating essence were too closely matched to determine who was superior.
Of course, as the master of the world who wielded the greatest essence and the largest presence, Turan was in a far higher class in terms of raw power.
But since overpowering Meisa one-sidedly wouldn’t make for good training, he simply adjusted the amount of essence he handled to match hers.
That’s why their matches often ended with Meisa's victory.
“I won this time, didn’t I?”
“Agreed.”
As the form of a golden eagle dispersed and Turan collapsed to the ground, he shook his head in surrender. Sitting atop him, Meisa smiled in satisfaction.
Those who manipulate essence can handle almost all forms of power like mastery holders, but to some degree, their base still has an influence.
When both were nearly depleted of essence, her Thunder Lord mastery, which included fighter traits, gave her superior brute strength.
“Do you like winning that much?”
“Of course. Even when you were reigning as Emperor, I kept training whenever I had time. I’ve got to be good at something, right?”
To her, Turan was both an ideal partner and a rival.
Because of certain spiritual and other factors, the position of group leader had always been his, but she had constantly worked not to fall behind when it came to combat ability.
Turan looked at her proudly boasting while still sitting atop him and spoke.
“Then let’s say you won that fight. Shall we move on to the next match?”
“What do you mea- wait!”
With a quick movement, he shifted his weight and reversed their positions, pinning Meisa beneath him. She gave him an embarrassed expression.
“That’s what you meant?”
“Why, you don’t like it?”
“What if someone comes in!”
“If someone comes up, I’ll sense it. Don’t worry. Besides, who’d come at this hour? It’s still dawn over there.”
“Still...”
Turan silenced her complaints with a kiss.
He knew well that if she truly disliked it, she would’ve resisted far more fiercely by now.
Even though they were approaching a hundred years old, her shy expression was no different from the time they first met in their early twenties, or from when they first made love in the wastelands.
Back then, that first kiss had tasted of thick blood, unlike now.
And so, after fierce clashes, they sometimes released the resulting mental fatigue through deep connection, steadily increasing both the amount of essence they could handle and their skill.
They also welcomed visitors like Solif, Luska, and Osel, who had finally achieved a major accomplishment recently, and passed on the more useful techniques they had learned.
After about ten more years passed, Turan began to feel that he had finally internalized the ever-increasing power to a degree.
He could now wield several times the power he had once used to alter the laws of the world at will.
Of course, the world of Cradle had grown immensely during that time as well, so altering its laws with just that much power was no longer easy.
Perhaps it was to reward the fruits of his steady training?
At last, signs appeared that an enemy had arrived from beyond the world.
“They say the moon hasn’t risen for a while now.”
“At night, pitch-black darkness falls, and even lighting torches doesn’t brighten the surroundings.”
This news came from Earthlings traveling between Cradle and Kablan, one of the eight worlds connected to Cradle.
When Turan heard the report from an Ascended One stationed on Earth for resource transport, he immediately sensed it.
The greatest enemy that had threatened them for decades was finally drawing near to the borders of Cradle.
*****
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