Chapter 58: Despair of the sages
The call ended shortly afterward.
Victor lowered the communicator and released a slow breath. His expression remained calm, but his eyes revealed a trace of tension that rarely appeared. The information he had learned aboard the ancient vessel was not something that could be casually explained.
Nova quietly observed him from nearby.
"You finally look nervous," she commented.
Victor let out a faint laugh.
"I would rather fight ten thousand elite monsters than explain the next conversation."
Nova seemed amused by his response, but she did not say anything further. She already understood the magnitude of what was about to happen.
Approximately thirty minutes later, Victor arrived before the Federation Hall.
The enormous structure stood proudly beneath the evening sky, illuminated by countless lights that reflected across its polished exterior. Security around the building was noticeably tighter than usual. Elite guards occupied every entrance, and multiple powerful magical formations could be sensed throughout the area.
The moment Victor stepped inside, he immediately felt several overwhelming presences waiting within.
Arthur was already seated at the center of the hall.
Lyria stood beside him with her arms crossed while Elyndros remained quietly nearby. Merlin occupied another section of the chamber, accompanied by three additional sages whose expressions were equally serious.
A few moments later, Diana entered the hall as well.
The instant she stepped through the doorway, her gaze immediately found Victor.
"Victor," she said with visible concern. "What happened?"
Victor glanced around the gathering before offering a calm nod.
"Hello, sages. It is nice to meet you all."
Not a single person present considered his casual greeting inappropriate.
The young mage standing before them had repeatedly accomplished feats that should have been impossible. His achievements had already earned the respect of every major power within humanity.
Arthur leaned slightly forward.
"What exactly happened during this expedition?"
Victor remained silent for a few seconds.
Instead of answering directly, he asked a question of his own.
"How much do you know about the previous two civilizations?"
The unexpected question caused several confused expressions to appear throughout the hall.
Arthur answered first.
"The first human civilization emerged approximately four billion years ago. Based on historical estimates, it survived for roughly one million years before disappearing."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"The second civilization appeared around two billion years ago. It also lasted for approximately one million years before vanishing."
Victor slowly nodded.
"And our current civilization?"
Elyndros answered this time.
"It is approximately one million years old."
The moment the words left his mouth, his expression changed.
A disturbing realization formed almost instantly within his mind. Victor would not have asked such a question without a reason, and the implication behind it was terrifying.
Lyria narrowed her eyes.
"What exactly are you implying?"
Victor met her gaze directly.
"Exactly what you are thinking."
The hall became noticeably quieter.
Victor’s next words felt like a blade falling across the room.
"We probably have less than ten years before that apocalypse wakes up."
Complete silence followed.
Every sage stared at him.
Even the air itself seemed heavier.
Merlin frowned deeply.
"What apocalypse are you talking about?"
Victor calmly pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Please sit first. This explanation is going to take some time."
The sages exchanged uncertain glances before taking their seats.
Victor then turned slightly toward an empty section of the room.
"Nova, show them everything. Include the apocalypse."
Diana immediately frowned.
"Which Nova?" she asked. "Are you talking to another woman?"
Victor nearly choked.
Several sages blinked in surprise, and even Arthur looked momentarily caught off guard by the sudden change in topic.
Victor coughed several times before answering.
"Nova is the personal artificial intelligence I acquired during the expedition. Please do not misunderstand."
Unfortunately, his next sentence only made the situation worse.
"You are the only woman who will bear my children anyway."
The hall instantly became silent once again.
Diana’s face turned bright red.
Lyria openly smirked while several sages suddenly found the floor extremely interesting.
"What a bold confession," Lyria remarked.
"Shameless idiot," Diana muttered while refusing to meet Victor’s eyes.
Victor chose to completely ignore the reaction.
At the moment, humanity potentially faced extinction. Embarrassing conversations ranked very low on his list of priorities.
A second later, a massive projection suddenly appeared throughout the hall.
The atmosphere changed immediately.
Every expression became serious.
The projection displayed a world consumed by destruction.
Flames covered entire continents. Oceans boiled. Mountains collapsed. Countless cities were reduced to ruins beneath an endless storm of devastation.
Then the creature appeared.
A gigantic monster flew across the sky.
At first glance, it resembled a dragon. However, its sheer size surpassed anything the sages had ever imagined. The creature stretched more than five hundred meters in length, and dark brown scales covered portions of its massive body. Its wings were so enormous that they seemed capable of blocking the heavens themselves.
Human armies desperately launched attacks against it.
Countless legendary level powerhouses unleashed devastating techniques. Weapons powerful enough to vaporize mountains crossed the battlefield continuously.
The monster ignored everything.
It simply opened its mouth.
A terrifying torrent of destructive energy erupted forward.
Entire battlefields vanished instantly.
Cities disappeared.
Nations burned.
Human civilization collapsed within three days.
The projection shifted.
A second civilization appeared.
This civilization was even more advanced than the previous one. Massive floating cities dominated the skies while gigantic combat machines filled the battlefield below. Towering mechs carried enough power to rival modern sages.
Yet the outcome remained exactly the same.
The creature’s body proved completely indestructible.
Energy cannons struck it.
Mythical weapons struck it.
Nothing mattered.
One swing of its tail annihilated entire armies of war machines.
One breath attack erased cities that had taken centuries to build.
This civilization survived for ten days.
Then it vanished from history.
The projection finally ended.
A heavy silence settled across the hall.
Every sage had unconsciously risen from their seats during the recording. Their faces contained varying degrees of shock, disbelief, and horror.
Even though they had only watched a recording, the pressure radiating from the creature felt overwhelming.
Victor then explained everything.
He described the ancient spaceship.
He explained the existence of the previous civilizations.
He revealed the truth regarding the sleeping entity beneath the planet.
Finally, he explained the coming apocalypse.
As the explanation concluded, Arthur slammed his fist against the armrest of his chair.
The impact echoed throughout the hall.
"An Elemental Sovereign?" he said, despair visible in his eyes. "That thing stands two entire realms above us. Forget ten years. Humanity could not stop such a monster even after a hundred years of preparation."
Nobody argued.
For the first time in a very long while, the assembled sages could not see a path forward.
The atmosphere became suffocating.
Diana felt the pressure even more strongly than most.
She had already been preparing herself mentally for the eventual arrival of the Monster Lord, an existence that stood one realm above her current level. That challenge alone had seemed nearly impossible.
Now another creature existed beyond even that.
The difference in power was so great that it bordered on absurdity.
How could humanity possibly survive two disasters of such magnitude?
Victor finally broke the silence.
"President. Sages. I need your assistance obtaining eight S Rank monsters that possess the eight elemental bloodlines."
Every gaze immediately shifted toward him.
Diana frowned.
"What are you planning?"
Victor calmly looked at her.
Then he began explaining the martial cultivation system.
He described the foundation of cultivation, the strengthening of the body, the refinement of energy, and the limitless growth potential hidden within the system. He explained how ordinary humans could become powerful without relying entirely upon awakening an affinity.
As the explanation continued, the sages gradually became silent.
The implications were enormous.
Arthur stared at him in disbelief.
"You intend to change the foundation of human civilization itself."
Victor nodded without hesitation.
"Yes. Humanity does not have enough awakened individuals. We need everyone to become stronger. Even ordinary people must gain the ability to cultivate."
Silence followed once again.
The sages considered the proposal carefully.
What Victor suggested would alter the future of the entire species.
Finally, Victor looked around the hall.
His expression remained calm.
His voice remained steady.
Yet every word carried absolute conviction.
"Do not worry. As long as I remain alive, humanity will not perish."
The statement should have sounded arrogant.
A novice rank mage was standing before sages who were five realms above him and making a promise regarding the survival of their entire civilization.
Yet nobody laughed.
Nobody questioned him.
After everything they had witnessed and everything they had learned, every person in that hall believed him completely.
