Pivot of the Sky

Chapter 181: Beyond the world's imagination

There were countless random pieces of debris falling from the sky, and Amon stood there with his sword stabbed into the ground. Gabriel knelt down on one knee in front of him and held her battle axe above her head with both hands and said: Amon, you win!

Amon took the battle axe and casually stowed it away in his spatial artifact. Then he asked: Idu, do you want to judge the outcome?

Idu did not even see how the fight had ended just now, but the scene before him had explained the outcome, and he quickly stood up and said loudly: There is no need for that, Lord Gabriel has conceded.

Amon pulled his sword out and slapped the blade lightly on Gabriels shoulder as he said with a smile: Well then, the duel is over, please get up!

Gabriel said: You can kill me.

Amon replied without an expression: I can kill you, I also can decide not to kill you. As I win the duel, I make the decision. You are now my captive, and I will demand that the Ejyptian Empire pay a ransom for you, a noble, a supreme warrior. If the Ejyptian Empire refuses, you will become my slave, and I will have the right to grant your freedom.

Gabriel nodded. That is so, what will you do?

Amon laughed, Its the first time in my life that Ive ever fought with someone like this using purely martial techniques, which is really great! Im tired after fighting for so long, so lets have a good drink and something to eat. I will send my own messenger to the Pharaoh about the ransom, you can only wait for the result. Your task is done, I still need to have a talk with Idu.

Idu said: Two of the top warriors of the continent, that was an amazing duel just now, but unfortunately I couldnt see it clearly during the later half of the duel. Lord Gabriel, since when did you become an eighth level warrior? I didnt even know about it.

Gabriel stood up and replied: It was just now.

Idu was stunned for a moment before exclaiming: Advancing a level during a battle? Ive never even heard of such a situation!

Amon laughed and patted him on the shoulder. So what if you have never heard of it, arent you seeing it with your own eyes now? I didnt expect this duel to last only one day, lets continue drinking, were not done talking about things yet.

The group returned to the intact tent and saw that it was time for dinner. Lynk cleared away the broken utensils from the table while Amon took out a variety of food and ushered everyone to sit down and talk. Idu and Lynk both sat down, but Gabriel was standing next to them. Lynk asked: Why dont you sit down, arent you tired?

Gabriel replied with a serious face: I am now a prisoner of war of Amon. Since Amon is sitting at this table, I should remain standing. I would like to thank Amon for my release, and for the food in front of me!

This supreme warrior was truly stubborn enough to be serious about everything she did, and all Amon could do was say: Then you will eat while standing, and drink more wine, I prepared all these specially for the both of you. Idu, the supreme warrior Gabriel has done her duty, and you are also one who is tasked with killing me. What do you want to do, do you want to ask me for a duel as well?

Idu shook his head. Im not a supreme mage like Celia, and I dont have a summoned beast to assist me, how can I fight a duel with you? If I really wanted to attack you, it would be together with Gabriel, with her at the front while I stay at the back, that would be the best way to deal with you. The Egyptian Empire sent the two of us to hunt you down, obviously for the sake of employing such a tactic.

Amon: But you didnt do that, so how exactly are you going to complete the mission?

Idu sat down on a chair and stretched his arms, looking as if he was relaxed. I accepted the order, but there are two kinds of missions in this world: those that can be completed and those that cannot be completed. Before I left, I said I would not go back if I could not complete the mission. I know that your current abilities have far surpassed the time when you were leading thousands of troops. If I dont train hard from now on, I will never be able to complete my mission. God Amon, for the sake of an old friend, will you let me stay here and practice?

Amon and Idu looked at each other and then they both laughed, the laughter grew so loud that it almost brought tears to their eyes. Amon lifted the flask and poured Idu a cup of wine. Youre no match for me, you wont finish the mission.

Idu: I can continue my training, I will become stronger, I might be able to surpass you now one day.

Amon blinked and said: You may improve, but dont forget that I will continue to practice as well. I was far inferior to you in the beginning, but now I have already achieved the ninth level.

Idu: Then Im afraid Ill have to stay here. Will you provide me with food and shelter?

Before Amon could reply, Lynk couldnt help but interrupt: Lord Idu, if you are willing to stay in Salem, we would love to have you! Ill arrange everything, you can feel free to live comfortably, just ask if you have any requests.

Idu suddenly let out a long sigh. It is easy to talk about continuing to break through, but actually doing it is far from easy. Many people in the world have awakened their power, but almost half of them die as first level mages. With so many warriors left in the world, how many of them could advance to a higher level? For a long time, there havent been any living ninth level warriors other than Enkidu, but now we have Amon. How difficult or fortunate would it be for a supreme mage to advance. I wonder if I can have that kind of luck?

Amon smiled broadly and said: Things that are done by men, just like a mission, there are successful ones and unsuccessful ones. You didnt live your entire life for the sake of becoming a supreme mage, did you? Lord Idu, there is a shrine in Salem as well, and now an oracle is needed to appease the people. If you stay in the city, you would be the best person for the job, I wonder if you would be willing?

Idu looked at Amon, Arent you the most suitable person for the job?

Amon shook his head. Im not suitable, Im already standing on the altar.

Idu nodded. Well then, I cant live for free, so I have to do something. Ill be the Chief High Priest of Salem before I complete my mission. Its a familiar job for me anyway, so its easy to do.

Gabriel was surprised. Lord Idu, you want to be the Chief High Priest of Salem? But their shrine

Idu turned his head and interrupted her: You dont know where I am from, do you, Gabriel? I started as a sorcerer and achieved a high level as a sorcerer, and the man who taught me was called Nietzsche. He was born as a miner in the town of Duc and a supreme sorcerer himself. Now Duc has become the city of Salem, and my arrival here may be the very fortune that guided me to the higher realms of understanding. Amon, there are two things I need to make clear if you are going to appoint me as the oracle of Salem.

Amon held his cup of wine and said: Go ahead.

Idu wasted no time in saying: Since I am to be the oracle of Salem, lets not use make the difference between a mage and a sorcerer, what do you think? In Salem, not just the nobles, everyone can receive guidance to learn magic arts, no, lets just call it sorcery.

Amon and Lynk looked at each other and slapped the table: Of course it wont be a problem, all of us actually started as sorcerers anyway! Its just that sorcery or magic arts cant be simply taught to everyone, it has test requirements and guidance can only be given to those who are suitable, it has nothing to do with identity.

Idu smiled. Of course I know this, Im the oracle, these specific matters are for the priests to handle, I will let them know what to do. There is one more thing I need to remind you, my mission is still to hunt you down and kill you, and I might just do it someday.

Amon smiled as well. Ill wait for that day.

Idu waved his hand. You dont have to be too nervous, Ill let you know before I do it. Anyway, the Ejyptian Empire did not stipulate a timing, maybe ten years, maybe twenty years, maybe even a hundred years if I live long enough.

Amon raised his cup and said: Heres to your long and healthy life then!

The two of them clinked their cups and finished their drinks, Gabriel, at the sight of this scene, already understood that Idu did not intend to return to the Shrine of Isis as High Priest again, he chose to stay in Salem as the oracle, on one hand, he did not want to carry out the task of hunting down Amon, on the other hand, he should also have his own considerations. The goals of a supreme mage like him was no longer wealth, status, or even glory, but the achievements of this life. He might have encountered a bottleneck that his training could not break through, and was looking for a new opportunity.

Gabriel was pondering when Amon suddenly turned around and handed over a cowhide envelope. Want to know what Maria said to me? Its about you, see for yourself.

Gabriel took the envelope and took out the parchment inside, only to see that it read-

Gabriel had no choice but to take orders from the Empire to hunt you down. I know her temperament, so I know that she would only fight you in a duel so as not to break her own convictions. She has lost her power now, just as you did back then, and this is a test. I hope you can help and guide her through it, but its all her own choice, and I wish the both of you the best. Amon, I have always known what you were doing, and I understand your love and your quest.

Gabriel held the parchment and looked at it for a long while, repeating the few simple lines silently, her fingers lightly trembling. After a long time, she finally raised her head and said: I didnt mention it to anyone, but the Adoratrice saw it and knew I had lost my power. No wonder she asked me to give you this letter before we fought.

Amon sighed. You never even read the letter, though it was always with you. How incredible it is that a warrior should hand a letter to his opponent before a duel, in which the letter tells the opponent that he has lost his power! Maria may have been afraid that I would injure you by mistake, and thats why I asked you if you wanted to change the time and place, but you still insisted on a duel today.

Gabriel replied: Even if I hadnt lost my strength, I knew I was no match for you, and I knew the outcome when I asked for a duel. When I duel I forget what kind of power I once had and just do what I can with what strength I have, no matter how powerful you are. As a result, I advanced a level during battle unknowingly.

Amon followed up with an amused question: I have a personal question, do seventh level supreme warriors such as yourself usually lose their power when they advance to the eighth level?

Gabriel replied: Some will and some wont, it varies from person to person. It is said that this is a test from the gods to the mortals, giving some of them a greater difficulty to overcome.

Amon: What is the difference between those who will and those who wont?

Gabriel: There doesnt seem to be much of a difference in terms of the power held, but there should be a difference, Im not too sure about that.

Amon turned his head again and asked Idu: Did you also lose your power when you were advancing to the eighth level?

Idu shook his head. No, its just that there was a period of time when I always felt that I didnt have enough magical power to perform magic arts, so I secluded myself in the shrine and trained until I had enough magical power to instantly cast supreme magic. As far as I know, eighth level supreme mages have different experiences and achievements. An example would be supreme mage Urhiya who was killed in battle, he didnt lose his power at all when he was advanced back then. There must be some sort of clear guidance missing from this that I do not yet understand.

Amon thought about it and asked, Like Lykwid, Wadj-hotep, Gilgamesh, and Golier, these ninth level supreme mages, did they also lose their power when they first advanced to the eighth level?

Idu shook his head. How am I supposed to know that? No one else will say it. From what you say, you seem to understand the mystery behind it?

Amon laughed and snapped his fingers, and the wine from the flask gushed out in a strange way, condensing into the shape of a mountain on the table, and from a starting point several paths appeared, each leading to a different height. He explained: Just like climbing a mountain, there are many paths to reach the same height. Some can go further, while some may bypass certain obstacles but cant reach the top. There may only be that one path or a few paths that can reach the summit in the end.

Idus eyes lit up and he pointed to the small mountain of wine on the table. The same path can be climbed by different people at different heights, some can only ever stop at the base of the mountain, while some others may reach the halfway point. God Amon, if there is a chance, I would like to have a private talk with you.

Lynk chuckled. Lord Idu, you finally called him God Amon as well? It doesnt seem like a joke this time. If you remain in Salem as the oracle, there will certainly be plenty of opportunities.

Lynk finished his sentence and glanced at Gabriel again. Seeing that she was still standing there staring at Marias letter, he asked Amon: God Amon, now that Lord Gabriel is your prisoner of war, how much ransom do you plan to make the Ejyptian Empire pay?

Amon looked at Gabriel as well, before replying plainly: I dont want a ransom, there is just one thing that I want from the Ejyptian Empire.

Idu asked: What is it? What God Amon wants must be something special, its not a person, is it? That was actually in jest, and the certain person he was referring to was of course Maria. There was no way the Egyptian Empire would agree to this condition, and there was no way Amon would make such a request.

With another snap of his fingers, Amon returned the wine on the table into the flask and said with a grim expression: If they want to ransom Gabriel the supreme warrior, then in exchange, they have to offer me the position of Ra, king of gods of the Empire!

Idus hand shook, almost dropping the cup, and he said with a shuddering voice: What in the heavens kind of condition is that!

Amon replied coldly: The religious reforms carried out by the Pharaoh which established Ra as the only god under the heavens and appointed Seth as the Leader of the neteru originally had nothing to do with me. But he sent Gabriel and you after me in the name of an oracle, then my demand is to strip this oracle of its legitimacy! This condition may seem unimaginable, but for this matter, its only logical for me to make such a request. As for whether to accept or not, that is the Ejyptian Empires business, and has nothing to do with me.

The hidden meaning of these words probably could only be understood by the gods. Seth had usurped the position of god king of the Ennead in the name of serving Ra as the only god, and had guided Pharaoh Merneptah to carry out religious reforms. But he also gave an oracle for the Ejyptian Empire to send people to hunt down Amon and to prevent his people from returning to the Plains of Duc. Now Amon offers to return Gabriel if the Egyptian Empire is willing to give him the position of Ra that they worship.

This was simply beyond the worlds imagination, and even the most insane lunatic would not be able to say such a thing. But when one calmly analyzes the circumstances, Amons offer was unbelievable but not unreasonable. There was no way the Ejyptian Empire would agree to such a condition for the sake of ransoming a supreme warrior, it was blasphemy to even say it, and what Amon wanted was not for them to agree, he just wanted to declare it!

Idu and Lynk recovered from their shock and quietly looked at Gabriel again, fearing in their hearts that the supreme warrior could never return. Gabriels shock was indescribable, as if she had heard the most improbable language in the world. Night had fallen and no lights were lit in the valley, and while standing in the darkness, Gabriel finally spoke: Amon, you are proposing such a condition to make it impossible for the Ejyptian Empire to redeem me. What will you do with me then, will you take me as your slave or will you let me free?

Amon asked in response: You dont have to ask these questions yet, Ill make my decision when the Ejyptian Empire officially rejects my request. Right now, I just want to ask you one question. I must seem crazy to others for proposing such a condition, but you know the process behind this matter very well, does it make sense for me to do this?

Gabriel took a long moment and finally nodded. Fair enough, but this is just your thinking.

Amon laughed. It is indeed just my own thoughts, and Merneptah cant stop me from thinking what I want. If hes not happy then so be it, he can rage all he wants in the palace. Gabriel, Maria has entrusted you with a letter to me, did she not leave any instructions for you?

Gabriel: The Adoratrice also gave me a letter, specifically telling me to open it only after the duel. I havent had a chance to read it yet, Im not sure what it says.

Amon waved his hand. Then read it, if you dont want to talk about it, I wont ask about it.

Gabriel took out another cowhide envelope before opening it and retrieving the parchment inside. Reading it under the moonlight, the letter said

You have lost your power, I know and have told Amon. I know your character well, and only a formal duel with Amon according to the etiquette of nobility will release you from your mission. Even if you lose your power, you will still make the request, without which you will not pass the test, and only when you make your choice will you be truly guided.

Now that you have seen the letter, you may have passed the test and will be faced with another decision. Amon will demand a ransom that the Empire cannot accept, you will be his prisoner, and after the Empires formal refusal, he will release you and set you free. What will guide your faith then?

I am well aware of your beliefs, there is no need to try to change it. I am also aware of your faith towards the gods, that is the light in your heart. I hope you find the true source of divinity and accept the guidance of that light. Lastly, I would like to ask a final favor of you. If one day Amon grieves and has a broken heart, please protect him, as you once protected me.

Gabriel looked at the letter and stood there thoughtfully without saying a word, before finally putting it away quietly. Amon and the rest did not disturb her, and Lynk said: The matters here are done for now, shall we go back to Salem? I intend to hold a summoning ritual for the shrine so that the gods can descend, and now that we have an oracle, we can let Lord Idu take charge of the ritual.

Amon: Summoning the gods to descend? I am also on that altar, but since Im going to Salem anyway, it doesnt matter if I descend or not. But Goddess Mourrin has been waiting for this day, and after I walked out of Ejypt, she has yet to show herself to meet me, so she should be waiting for me to fulfill my promise.

Lynk gestured with his eyes mischievously and said: The goddess hasnt seen you? You miss her, dont you? Then this thing needs to be done quickly!

Amon shook his head. Theres no need to rush, this will be a celebration ceremony for the entire city. Lets just wait here for a few more days until El Mar and the rest arrive before we set off together, you might be pleasantly surprised.

They waited for half a month at the fortress that was being built, but Lynk didnt quite understand why Amon said he would be surprised. When Hardedef and Raphael walked out of the Charcoal Marsh half a month later, Lynk didnt recognize El Mar at first, but only saw a voluptuous girl beside Raphael wearing a robe that obviously didnt fit. The robe was an attire of the priests of the Hittite Kingdom, and it should have belonged to Raphael.

As Lynk stared left and right, he couldnt help but ask Hardedef, Wheres El Mar? Where did that big fellow go? And who is this beautiful young lady?

Hardedef smiled a little oddly and didnt answer. The girl twisted her waist and said: I am the emissary of God Amon, known as the guardian goddess of the Charcoal Marsh. Lynk, you can call me the Goddess of the Swamp, or Neteru El Mar!

This girl actually called herself El Mar, and Lynk was petrified silly there. Amons voice came from nowhere: El Mar, congratulations! Raphael, thank you too! Have you found out where Bright Moon Night is?

El Mar bowed and replied: We were searching for traces along the way, but unfortunately we didnt find him. We were afraid of delaying you, so we came out as soon as possible.

Amons voice added: Its good to be out safely, he probably left the Charcoal Marsh already. Since he was ordered to assassinate me, let me deal with him. Guardian of the Charcoal Marsh, who gave you that nickname?

El Mar smiled. Its Raphael! He even praised me for remaining pure within the mud!

Raphael quickly explained: Amon, I was just joking with El Mar.

Amon chuckled. Thats actually a nice joke. El Mar, since you call yourself that, then you have to maintain the safety of the trade route in Charcoal Marsh in the future. Lets return together to Salem first, theres a celebration ceremony to be held.