"This thing is really just a symbol of power," Muria muttered to himself, staring at the Nine Phoenix Divine Axe in his hand. He had been studying the axe for a while but couldn't figure out how to use it. All he could sense was the increasingly powerful and growing energy within it.
As the ancient golden dragon, who was growing weaker by the minute due to the suppression of his power, continued to urge him, Muria grew impatient. He swung the Nine Phoenix Battle Axe directly at the ancient dragon, who had sneaked out of his duties without permission.
And then, a miracle happened. Muria's strike, instead of injuring the ancient dragon, merely sent him rolling across the ground. The axe left a faint symbol of nine phoenixes entwined on the dragon's scales, and suddenly, the dragon's suppressed power began to surge visibly. He had broken free of his chains.
"The suppression on you was lifted just like that? It was simpler than I thought," Muria remarked, smacking his lips as he held the jade-like battle axe.
Muria then turned to look at Terence, who was standing behind him with a hopeful expression. He also glanced at the ancient golden dragon, who was now roaring in excitement after regaining his strength.
After a brief hesitation, Muria swung the Nine Phoenix Divine Axe at the steel deck beneath his feet. The massive axe, large enough to shield half of Muria's body, struck the deck without leaving any marks, as if it had merely sliced through water.
Seeing this strange occurrence, Muria no longer hesitated and swung the axe at the ancient golden dragon Giovanni to test his hypothesis.
"Roar...!" The ancient golden dragon's joyous roar turned into a sharp cry as he saw the divine axe coming toward him.
But no matter how the ancient dragon tried to dodge, the axe still grazed his wings. However, in a surprising turn of events, the axe passed through the dragon's wings as if it were a phantom, causing no harm at all.
"Huh?" Giovanni stopped his cries and, puzzled, raised a claw to touch the spot where the Nine Phoenix Divine Axe had cut. There wasn't a single scratch; he hadn't been hurt at all. The ancient dragon then looked at Muria in astonishment.
"Just as I suspected, this thing has no destructive power at all," Muria said, looking at the axe in his hand with a resigned expression. Despite its formidable appearance, the axe was made of a material that resembled colorful jade, making it look more like a beautiful piece of art than a weapon.
"My Lord, it's possible that this axe isn't lacking in power but is simply special. I've seen similar divine artifacts before, and perhaps your axe shares the same properties," Giovanni suggested.
"What kind of properties? Stop being mysterious."
"This weapon might be able to attack based on the wielder's intentions. The reason it didn't hurt me earlier is likely because you had no intent to harm me, so it had no destructive power. But if you were facing an enemy you wished to kill, the axe would unleash its full power in line with its strength."
"It's that sentient?" Muria raised an eyebrow. According to Giovanni's description, this axe might indeed adjust its power based on his intentions. It would be just a decorative item when wielded against friends but a deadly weapon when used against foes.
Of course, this was just a guess. Muria suspected that the Nine Phoenix Divine Axe was more like an ornamental instrument, symbolizing the legitimate right to rule this world, akin to an imperial seal, representing authority and legitimacy. Its practical use was likely significant.
"Just being able to lift the world's suppression on my subordinates is more than enough," Muria thought, playing with the axe. He didn't lack weapons, so even if it could discern between friend and foe, it would only be an added bonus, not a necessity.
"Now it's your turn, Terence." Muria smiled as he turned to the Storm Giant leader, who was eagerly waiting behind him. Terence's suppression wasn't as severe as the ancient dragon's, thanks to the blood Muria had given him, but he was still significantly weakened.
For the next while, Muria was quite busy. He used the Nine Phoenix Divine Axe to lift the suppression on all the dragons, giants, and dragonborn who had accompanied the Void Fleet, freeing them from the world's restraints.
"My Lord!" The ten thousand juvenile giants, thirty thousand adult giants, eight thousand dragonborn infused with various dragon blood, and the six legendary figures who had followed the fleet all bowed in unison to Muria.
"Start building a camp here!" Muria ordered, instructing his followers and retainers to begin constructing a fortress. He wasn't sure how many legendary powers existed in this desolate world, but it was crucial to establish a stronghold first. Developing a base was a must, and it wouldn't hurt to be cautious.
Muria had no intention of letting the Void Fleet crew live with the native inhabitants of the Flamewheel Tribe. The differences in race, culture, customs, and even their worlds were too great, with almost no common ground between them.
Given that, there was no need to force them together. Moreover, the beings from Erathia naturally felt superior to the locals of this world, a sentiment that would show in their behavior, expressions, and daily actions. Forcing them to live together would lead to no good; it would be better to keep them separated.
"Survey the area for any resources suitable for building the fortress. If you find anything, start using it. If not, make do with what you can create," Muria instructed a group of three thousand mountain giants. In Muria's plan, the mountain giants, with their immense endurance and ability to manipulate earth and stone, were designated as the logistical force. Muria valued their construction abilities more than their combat prowess.
If a mountain giant were given proper education in architecture, they could build an entire city with all the necessary facilities by themselves, though it would take time.
As soon as Muria gave the order, his retainers quickly set to work. The first to begin surveying were the ancient golden dragon and an ancient blue dragon who had been conscripted by Muria.
When it came to resource detection, dragons had an unparalleled advantage. They possessed an extraordinary sensitivity to rare resources.
"There's an elemental crystal mine deep underground," the ancient golden dragon reported with a look of undisguised joy on his face after a brief survey. "I can't tell the exact quantity yet, but the initial estimate suggests it's over twenty million cubic meters."
"I request permission to investigate underground," the ancient blue dragon quickly asked Muria, barely able to contain his greed. He was the same blue dragon who had wisely chosen to become Muria's lackey after being violently beaten by Mikaela.
"I request to accompany him, my Lord. I'll supervise him to prevent any theft," the golden dragon hurriedly added.
"There's no need to make it so complicated," Muria said, glancing at the two dragons. Sending them to inspect a crystal mine with an unknown amount of resources was like asking two mice to guard a grain warehouse. Who knew how much they would pocket for themselves?
"You guys stay here. I'll send a team of mountain giants to survey the crystal mine and estimate its contents," Muria ordered, pointing to a group of mountain giants.
"Sigh," the golden dragon sighed in disappointment, realizing Muria didn't trust them. But then he suddenly sniffed the air and looked surprised. "My Lord, I smell the scent of a transcendent metal ore."
Before the golden dragon could finish speaking, several mountain giants came running up excitedly to report to Muria.
"My Lord, I've discovered a medium-sized elemental crystal vein thirty miles southwest of here."
"My Lord, I found a yellow gold steel ore vein forty-five miles northeast."
…
Listening to the mountain giants' continuous reports of various resource discoveries, Muria fell silent. Something seemed off.
Based on his earlier surveys, this area was supposed to be a barren wasteland, devoid of anything valuable. But the resources the mountain giants were now reporting completely contradicted his expectations.
As the mountain giants delved deeper underground, uncovering more and more resources, Muria decided to start mapping out the area based on their findings.
The resulting map showed that this supposedly barren land was actually rich in various rare elemental and metal ore veins. It was like a natural treasure trove, as if all the world's elite resources were concentrated here.
"This is simply unbelievable," the ancient golden dragon muttered, staring at the three-dimensional map marked with resources, his eyes filled with shock. In all his long life, he had never seen such a dense distribution of resources. "It's like a miracle."
"My Lord, are all the resources in other worlds this abundant?" the ancient golden dragon couldn't help but ask Muria.
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]