Alistair emerged from the virtual world, his eyes shining with a cold light.
"Those muggles, wait for the great sword god to give you a surprise..." Alistair murmured.
He was Alistair Dawnblade, the revered sword god once worshipped by the entire Nexus continent.
Or should he now refer to it as the Curse Continent?
"Hahaha, those fogies are indeed scheming," Alistair laughed at the fate of the former Nexus Continent.
Drawing upon the memories within his body, he witnessed the once glorious Nexus Continent reduced to the dust of history, now becoming the weakest continent in the current Etherium Realm.
According to this body's memory, all of this was due to the death of gods which corrode the mana, which he found very amusing and contradictory.
The ones responsible for the destruction of the Nexus continent and the corrosive mana were the mages and knights of the arcane continent.
In the early ages, the Nexus Continent had shown signs of catching up to the Arcane Continent due to their immortality, rendering them impossible to kill which made them a threat to the overload of Etherium Realm.
The immortal divinities of the Nexus Continent were thus sealed by the powerhouse of the Arcane Continent assisted by the gods of the Divine Continent.
"Seems like you've failed to seal us..."
On the castle terrace, Maximus joyfully watched the battle between Silver Atom and Alistair, accompanied by his children.
"Father, the old man is so strong," Liam said admiringly from his seat beside Maximus.
"Yeah, yeah, but I find his fighting style boring," Max replied.
No one responded to him except the monkey perched on his shoulder, which nodded in agreement.
Shortly after, the scene unfolded, revealing Silver Atom executing his move - atomic slash.
While his children marveled at the impressive moves, Maximus's gaze remained fixed on the opponent, who seemed to be a different person.
"Could it be?" Maximus pondered.
Wanting to confirm his suspicion.
After the fight between the two, He connected to a part of his soul residing in Athercore to access the monitoring array and observe Alistair.
He witness Alistair muttering to himself as if possessed.
"Seems... failed to seal us..."
After listening to Alistair's rumblings he had more questions in his mind.
"What truly happened to the Curse Content?" He muttered.
Seeing that Alistair had finally calmed down and getting no further information.
He cut his connection and programmed the monitoring array to focus on Alistair.
Maximus got up ready to prepare, as he need to start preparing before he leave the kingdom.
Regarding the danger in his kingdom, he wasn't overly concerned since a tier 6 Energy weapon was equipped there.
As long as the monitoring array detected any danger, it would automatically annihilate it using the energy weapon.
At night, Maximus is having dinner with his family.
"Tomorrow, you should visit your family. We will depart for the Arcane Continent in a week," Maximus announced.
"So soon?" one of his wives exclaimed in surprise.
"The registration deadline is less than two months away, so we should hurry," Maximus explained.
"Furthermore, you will also register at the academy," he added, his tone serious.
"What? Us too?" they asked in shock.
"Yes, of course. Otherwise?" Maximus teased.
"But what about the children?"
"There are various solutions. They can also go and learn," Maximus reassured them.
Afterward, they discussed further plans for their time in the Arcane Continent and what they should bring for their family before departing.
In Erica's family house in Moonshadow City...
"You're leaving in a week?" Francis, the former Baron of the Faerie Kingdom, Erica's father asked.
"Yes, Father. Don't worry, I can still contact you through this token," Erica reassured him, waving her personal token.
"Oh? then you should take care of yourself" Francis just sighted.
What more can he say?
His daughter was already someone cabbage and didn't listen to him.
However, he was still satisfied with the son-in-law, as he was truly promising.
Initially, he had only viewed this cheap son-in-law as a means to advance his noble title.
Little did he know, the son-in-law would directly conquer the former Faerie Kingdom and, in just a few years, establish dominance over the entire Sunburnt Continent.
Although Francis had heard that his son-in-law's success was largely attributed to his teacher, in the end, it was his son-in-law who effectively managed the kingdom.
So, the difference was not significant.
They continued to talk and bond, aware that it would be a long time before they met again in person.
Erica even cooked a spirit dish she had recently learned for them.
In Hazel's family house, within a spacious courtyard...
Hazel's brothers and sisters were either training or playing, their faces beaming with joy.
"It's truly a blessing for you to marry the lord," Hazel's mother remarked, observing the positive changes in their family.
They had never imagined such a life.
For them, a bumper harvest was already all they could ask for.
But now, they could have anything they desired without lifting a finger.
Of course, they weren't idle. They trained diligently, and with sufficient supplies, most of them had become Tier 2 great knights.
"Take care of yourself..." Hazel's mother embraced her daughter tightly as Hazel mentioned her departure.
"I know, Mother. I trust my husband," Hazel replied with a smile, free of any worries about potential dangers.
Maximus made his way to his office and summoned his chief officer, Doran.
After a moment, there was a knock on the door.
"Good morning, Your Majesty," Doran greeted.
"I will be leaving for the arcane continent in a week," Maximus declared straightforwardly.
"This..." Doran didn't know what to say for a while.
"Don't worry too much. I will leave behind a mechanical clone that can connect with my personal token, allowing you to contact me," Maximus explained.
"That is reassuring, Your Majesty," Doran sighed with relief.
"In any case, I am here to give you this," Maximus said, producing a storage ring.
Doran accepted the ring and used his consciousness to explore its contents.
The storage ring was so vast that Doran couldn't fully scan its contents with his spiritual consciousness.
It held an immense amount of resources, towering like mountains.
"What is this for, Your Majesty?" Doran asked, puzzled.
"These resources are meant for the kingdom's development and provide cultivation resources for the people," Maximus clarified.
While Maximus could leave behind a mechanical clone, it lacked spiritual capabilities and couldn't access a storage ring.
As for the small part of his soul integrated with the Athercore, it silently watched over the kingdom and wasn't suitable for this task.
"I will fulfill your will, Your Majesty," Doran pledged solemnly, refraining from talking in circles and saying he was not fit for the job.
As for coveting the resources in the storage ring for himself, he didn't have much thought.
Moreover, even if he had such thoughts, the mere notion of betrayal would be sensed by Maximus, regardless of the distance between them.
Maximus had established the highest level of contract-binding agreement for important officials in his kingdom to prevent future troubles of this nature.
Of course, they still maintained their freedom and autonomy, as long as they remained loyal.
The benefits provided by Maximus were sufficient to deter any fleeting desires.
After concluding his conversation with Doran, there was one more thing Maximus had to attend to before leaving his kingdom.
Watching Doran leave, he typed something into his token.
After a while, there was a knock on the door.
The person who entered was Isabella, his supposed secretary.
Isabella had lived up to his expectations, seamlessly coordinating all of his ministers to enhance their efficiency.
As a result, Maximus only needed to engage in discussions once or twice a month.
"What do you need, Your Majesty? You could have just informed me through my token," Isabella said in an emotionless manner.
"You don't have to be so tense in the early morning," Maximus laughed, attempting to ease the atmosphere.
Isabella merely rolled her eyes and casually took a seat on the sofa.
They were somewhat acquainted, so such behavior wasn't considered rude.
"What can I do for you?" she repeated.
Observing Isabella sitting quietly, Maximus was mesmerized for a while.
"I will be leaving for the arcane continent, and I want you to come with me," Maximus stated, maintaining a composed expression.
"That's what I'm supposed to do," Isabella responded as if it were a trivial matter.
Of course, deep down, Isabella was excited.
Going to the arcane continent had always been one of her dreams.
Now that she had become a Nascent Mage, she longed to fulfill those aspirations.
"Great! Do you need to make any preparations?"
"No, everything I need is in my storage ring," Isabella replied, raising her hand to reveal a ring.
"I meant your family. Shouldn't you bid them farewell?" Maximus inquired.
"There isn't much affection between us, only self-interest. If it weren't for their care when I was young, I wouldn't even bother with them," Isabella stated matter-of-factly, devoid of emotional fluctuations.
"What about me? Is your interest in me also purely self-serving?" Maximus teased.
"Who knows?" Isabella blushed and feigned ignorance.
"It's alright, time will answer that question," Maximus said, standing up and patting her head.
"Prepare well. We will leave in a week..."