Chapter 1165 A Crow's Corpse
Oriole saw the rest of Ragnar's story as his companion, although a lot has been summarized. Ragnar had a power that allowed him to rise faster than anyone and gain many comrades, and that is the strength of charisma. Even if his enemies disagreed with his opinions, they felt respect toward him.
Ragnar was too merciful toward those weaker than him, even if they plotted against him. Oriole wanted to voice out his concern on several occasions, when Ragnar had to be ruthless. Soon after, his mercy came back to hurt him, but Ragnar did not care.
"Their actions speak of their character, so why should I allow them to change mine?" he asked on one occasion, with his comrades around a bonfire. Some of them looked worried, others looked to keep quiet about their opinions.
Oriole could tell that whoever made this book did not write to show Ragnar and his victories, but his strengths and flaws. The most glaring one was that Ragnar loved everything that breathed, regardless of their character. That was his greatest strength while also being the greatest flaw.
A lot of time passed, and many adventures led to Ragnar becoming the king of wrath. His existence became a center of the universe, and others revolved around him. Countless worlds bowed to him as he brandished a dagger against the gods.
The battles grew fierce, and many of his comrades became victims of the gods and Nameless. Ragnar still walked a path of rebellion as the king of wrath, a voice to the weak and a hope for a better future. But Oriole saw something that the book hadn't mentioned.
"What a lonely path he has taken," muttered Oriole as he watched the man sit on his throne in a kingdom of wrath. Many would assume that wrath was a violent emotion, but it was the sole savior in times of despair.
In the kingdom of wrath that he built, people lived in happiness under a fair and just saint. No one had to risk their lives or dignity to live in this kingdom, making it a destination for the entire universe.
That did not please the gods.
The end began when Devaheim sent one of their gods to meet this wrathful king, inviting him to join the kingdom of gods. He would have access to infinite resources to grow stronger and harness the universe.
"You are inviting me to join Devaheim?" asked Ragnar atop his black throne while looking at the god with disgust. "I know how your powers came to be, sinful gods. I am known for mercy, but toward the kingdom of gods, I hold nothing but wrath."
Ragnar sent the god back with a single arm and a wounded ego. The king of wrath did not even use his full strength against the god, just choosing to punish him for attacking his kingdom after he rejected the invitation.
The entire universe was flabbergasted. Someone was invited by the heavens but rejected that offer and attacked a god, even wounding him. This incident weakened the position of Devaheim, while also making the king of wrath known.
It was the beginning of a new era, where countless worlds realized that the gods were not invincible. Those who knew the truth about the gods chose to join the new king of wrath, who allowed them to serve under his wings.
Oriole felt tired as the story reached this point, and his consciousness began to fade. As he tried to struggle, he snapped awake in his room, with the light from the book fading. After a moment of confusion, he realized the reason.
His mana has been consumed until nothing is left. The story he saw needed his mana to show him the story of the king of wrath. And until he restores his mana reserves, he would not be able to know what happened.
"Arthur is related to this man?" muttered Oriole as he slumped back in his chair, tired and panting. "If he is the man to carry the will of Netherborne, doesn't that mean he would have to face Devaheim as well?"
Oriole witnessed some of the battles against the gods and their legions. Calling them easy opponents was nothing but a lie. Each member of their armies was capable of giving their entire world trouble.
For the first time since he came to know Arthur and his powers, Oriole felt worried about his safety. These gods were numerous with mind-defying powers. He witnessed some of them bending the laws of the universe and annihilating worlds with the snap of a finger.
At the very least, Arthur was still not ready to handle them. He might have grown a lot stronger than before, but he was still far from being as strong as Ragnar Netherborne, a man who could obliterate gods.
"If Arthur is his descendant, then he will get to that stage," said Oriole with a smile, but felt guilty for feeling this way. Ragnar has fallen for Arthur to rise. If he wanted to change this ending, he would have to learn what happened to him.
The book given to him by the seer was a true treasure, but it might be because Sier did not see the vision like Oriole did. After flipping through the book, he found that the explanations were minimal, unlike the vision.
Peck! Peck!
His thoughts got interrupted by a crow pecking his window. After a moment, Oriole realized who it was, and he stood to open the windows. Behind the glass was a giant crow that looked at him with intelligence. Oriole allowed him into the room.
"Ori! Ori!" said a voice as the crow flew into the room, circling the bed before landing on its headboard. "It has been a while since we met, Ori! Are you still alive?"
"As alive as you can see, Reece," said Oriole with a smile as he closed the window and pulled the curtains. "What brought you to me at this hour? I thought you were sent on a dangerous mission?"
"I just came back, Ori!" cawed the crow at him before spreading its wings. "I have terrible nose! Terrible nose!"
"I think that you mean news, not nose," said Oriole with a frown as he turned his chair and sat down before the giant crow. "What news did you bring me?"
"Terrible news!" the crow corrected himself as it flapped its wings. "I spied on the secret meeting in Orlan! A big thing is happening in Yalen! Soon! Soon!"
"…where are you?" asked Oriole as he rose and grabbed his pants, but the crow flew and perched on his shoulder, pushing him back to the chair.
"Just listen, Ori! I don't have long before the mechas of Orlan find me! You must warn Arthur about the ambush in Yalen! The seven families are planning to…"
The crow then paused.
"Summon a god!"
Lightning struck across the sky outside his window, as thunder shook the entire mansion. Oriole stared at the crow's giant eyes with confusion before he processed what he said. The alchemist jumped from his chair and grabbed the crow from its wings.
"Are you sure, Reece?!" shouted the runemaster with his heart pounding in his chest. "How could they summon a god?! They are not summoned monsters, but actual gods! A higher creature cannot be summoned by a weaker one!"
Oriole blurted out his logic in a single breath, as he tried to understand what the crow meant. His agitated state of mind came from the earlier vision that showed him how terrifying gods could be. If the seven families summon a god just to ambush Arthur, then it might be the end of his story!
Summoners were weaker than others for this person. In order for them to summon strong monsters, they need to have a stronger spiritual energy or mana than said monsters.
"I don't know, Oriole! But I heard something about… a sac…rifice…"
As the crow cawed those words, it began convulsing and flapping its wings. The sharp talons injured the alchemist as he struggled, shedding blood on the carpet before he released it. As he watched the crow fall to the ground, his face was filled with horror.
It died.
Reece was the sole member of Mistletoe that Oriole could trust. He cared about Arthur and Sier just the same, making it his mission to mend their relationship. After seeing what the crow said before its death, he became worried.
"If he was back in Yalen, he would have come here to tell me this himself," said Oriole with a frown as he crouched to examine the crow. Its eyes were rolled out as if something snatched its soul in an instant.
Blood dripped from his arm, but Oriole used the mana he regenerated to treat himself. After the blood stopped, Oriole tried to use his mana to examine the crow, but he could find nothing.
"The seven families are going to use a sacrifice to summon a god?" muttered Oriole with a frown while looking at the crow's corpse. "What in the world is going to happen in Yalen?"
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