"Come in."
Chen Xu and Zhou Zitong entered Zhang Jingping's office.
"How much do you currently know about the Akhan Dynasty?" Zhang Jingping asked directly, getting straight to the point without any small talk.
"A Transcendent-tier dynasty specializing in magic and mental strength? The things they've researched are quite interesting, especially the meditation methods and runes."
Chen Xu's knowledge of the Akhan Dynasty was limited to what he had studied over the past few days.
"The 【Akhan Dynasty】, 【Immortal Island】, 【Taikun】, 【Ten Thousand Beasts】, and the 【City of Miracles】 are the five major Special Dungeons that Daxia is currently in contact with. Akhan belongs to the path of spirit and magic."
"What? What are Special Dungeons?"
Chen Xu was confused by Zhou Zitong's answer.
Zhou Zitong raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit smug that he finally knew something Chen Xu didn't. "Special Dungeons are Manifested Dungeons."
"What are Manifested Dungeons? Aren't they categorized as Conquest or Assimilation types?"
Before Zhou Zitong could explain further, Zhang Jingping took over. "The past, the present, and the future. Most dungeons are derived from a specific event intercepted from the river of history after a world has shattered. We call these the Days of Old."
"The Manifested Dungeons, however, are what I prefer to call otherworlds. They are living worlds just like ours. It's just that people got used to calling them dungeons, so the officials stuck with that naming convention."
"Then how do we know it's not just history from the past? Maybe the historical event was just so massive that the resulting dungeon is as large as a real world."
"We don't know, but the World Will does."
"The World Will?"
"The World Will has had two periods of activity in total. The first was when the dungeons first invaded, and the World Will directly granted humanity Transcendent powers. The second was when the Mohai and Hanyuan dungeons completely manifested into reality."
"Because the Transcendent powers were granted directly and multiple systems existed simultaneously, humanity was like a group of monkeys who found different weapons, only learning how to use them. Therefore, the World Will sought out five allies, which are these five Special Dungeons."
Chen Xu wanted to keep asking questions, but Zhang Jingping shifted the topic. "As for Special Dungeons, your clearance is high enough to browse all the files. Go back and read them yourself. Today, I'm here to talk to you about the world of the Akhan Dynasty."
According to Zhang Jingping's introduction, while the Akhan Dynasty is the ruler in name, it is actually governed by a council composed of the Ten Schools, who collectively decide the dynasty's policies. Blue Star humans have relatively good relations with several of these schools. The 【Pioneering Order】 in Chen Xu's hand was a gift from one of the schools, or perhaps, a price?
As a dynasty that has lasted for nearly ten thousand years, at its peak, the Akhan royal family ruled over everything, and the number of experts at the Heaven Unity rank reached a staggering hundred.
However, a thousand years ago, the experts of the Akhan royal family discovered a vast amount of fragmented spaces flowing outside their world, so numerous they were described as a river. Their original world had already been fully developed, so these fragmented spaces were seen by the royal experts as another way to expand their territory. At the same time, unknown spaces could bring new things and new knowledge. In the eyes of the Akhan people, knowledge equaled strength.
Thus, the Akhan royal family arranged a massive ritual covering half the dynasty's territory to begin drawing in the fragmented spaces from outside the world.
At first, the ritual operated normally. One fragmented space after another was slowly drawn in, and from them, they discovered items, history, and knowledge from numerous other civilizations.
Seeing the benefits, the royal experts ran the ritual at full power, drawing in more and more fragmented spaces.
This continued for ten years. During this period, due to the massive acquisition of knowledge from other civilizations, Akhan's Transcendent system was supplemented and perfected, and their overall strength increased tremendously—until that day arrived.
It was a beautiful day. As usual, the mages of the Akhan Dynasty were operating the ritual apparatus to draw in space fragments. As energy was poured into the apparatus, a large cluster of space fragments was pulled onto the capture devices specifically deployed for the ritual. Everything was going as smoothly as always.
Just as the mages went to check the harvest in the capture devices, that batch of space fragments all exploded. The nearby ritual apparatus was shattered, and the escaping energy instantly annihilated the mages in the vicinity.
At the same time, Hellgates rose from the explosion sites, and overwhelming numbers of hell demons poured out from them.
Outside the world, a giant eye occupied the area vacated by the drawn-in fragments, observing the slaughter of the Akhan people by the demon army.
A demon invasion and a giant eye outside the world—two nightmarish pieces of news crashed down upon the rulers of the Akhan Dynasty.
Under the Emperor's command, the dynasty's strongest armies and mages formed a coalition and began to march toward the demons.
This war lasted for five years. Initially, the invading demons were easily crushed by the powerful Akhan Dynasty army, but the Hellgates could not be closed. The mages tried various methods, but they couldn't even scratch the Hellgates.
Slowly, the demons coming out of the Hellgates became stronger, and the Hellgates themselves grew larger as they absorbed blood and souls from the slaughter.
The powerful army was gradually ground down.
Until one day, the mages of the Stargazing School discovered that the unique nature of the Hellgates was due to that giant eye outside the world. The eye continuously provided energy to the Hellgates for self-repair. The energy was so immense that no matter what the Akhan people tried, they couldn't damage the Hellgates in the slightest.
The rest was a somewhat clichéd story. The powerful mages researched a way to banish the giant eye. With the strength of the entire world, they modified the ritual apparatus, changing it from drawing in to banishing.
The ritual was activated, and the power of banishment accurately struck the giant eye. The eye began to blur, and the Akhan people found that the Hellgates could finally be destroyed. With the energy supply cut off, the Akhan people were victorious!
However, an accident occurred. Before the giant eye was banished, it released a drawing-in spell so powerful that the Akhan people couldn't comprehend it. Those tens of thousands of space fragments outside the world crashed toward the Akhan world like meteors.
When space fragments enter a world without restraint, there is only one result. On Daxia's side, this is called a dungeon invading reality.
In the final moments, the archmages at the top decided to pay the price for their greed. They gathered together and, relying on the previous ritual apparatus, guided all the space fragments to land within that half of their territory, leaving living space for the Akhan people.
Even with the help of the ritual apparatus, the number of space fragments was too high, leading to a direct collapse of their high-level combat power.
"So this 【Pioneering Order】 means the Akhan Dynasty has recovered and plans to reclaim their lost land?" Having heard this much, Chen Xu understood most of it.
"Lost land? Ha. After those tens of thousands of space fragments merged into Akhan, the area expanded by an unknown amount. Even the Akhan people themselves haven't been able to explore it all."
After talking for so long, Zhang Jingping was a bit thirsty. He took a sip of tea and continued, "Equivalent exchange. That is what Akhan believes in. Akhan uses their knowledge of mental cultivation and mage training to exchange for the combat power of Blue Star humans. We need to help them expand Akhan's territory in the Scourge Lands—the places where the dungeons merged."
"In other words, we're going there as mercenaries?"
"You are, but Zhou Zitong isn't. He's more like a study abroad student sent by Daxia. Those mages in Akhan are busy every day with various experiments or improving themselves. They don't have time to specifically arrange for someone to teach knowledge, especially to a civilization that has never touched the spirit and mage systems before."
"So, Blue Star sends people over to start as mage apprentices. How far they can go depends on the individual. After they finish their studies, they organize the knowledge they've learned and spread it back to Blue Star."
"Then those Five Spirits Martial Arts Hall Invitation Letters are also for study abroad students?" Hearing this, Chen Xu felt a bit of an imbalance. I have to fight and kill on the front lines to advance, while you guys can advance just by studying? Where's the justice in that? Where's the law?
"Yes." Seeing Chen Xu's sudden change in expression, Zhang Jingping thought he also wanted to study in an Akhan school. "If you want to study abroad, I can personally write you a recommendation letter. However, it won't be for the Blooming School, but for the Balance School. It's one of the Top Ten in Akhan, but the threshold for the Top Ten is very high. This recommendation letter only gives you a chance to take the entrance exam."
Realizing Zhang Jingping had misunderstood him, Chen Xu quickly replied, "No, Teacher Zhang. I just felt a bit jealous that they can advance without taking any risks." He waved his hands, indicating he had no intention of studying abroad.
However, Zhang Jingping ignored him and took a scroll out of his storage space. Its material looked the same as the 【Pioneering Order】.
The scroll was unfurled, but there was nothing written on it.
"Use your mental strength to leave your name at the bottom of the scroll."
Seeing Zhang Jingping's serious gaze, Chen Xu couldn't refuse and did as he was told.
After Chen Xu left his name with his mental strength, Zhang Jingping also left his name on it, then gently rolled up the scroll and gave it to Chen Xu.
"If you pass the exam, and if you have the chance, do me a favor and bring something to Professor Aaron in the school." He pulled a long object from his robe and handed it to Chen Xu.
It seemed he had picked up an extra side quest before even entering the dungeon. But there was no helping it; this heavyweight before him had helped him a lot, and he might still need Zhang Jingping's guidance on the path of mental strength in the future.
Chen Xu tucked away the scroll and the long object, then said seriously, "After I finish my advancement mission, I will try the exam."
"If you can't finish your advancement mission, you should try it even more."
"Huh?"
"What do you mean 'huh'? Professionals are the Transcendent system of the Blue Star World Will. It doesn't conflict with the mental strength system. When one path is blocked, why not try another?"
...
Akhan Dynasty, Scourge Lands, inside Daxia City No. 1.
Chen Xu and Zhou Zitong arrived at the first piece of land expanded by Daxia's predecessors through the dungeon entrance within Daxia.
"Student Chen Xu, then we shall part ways here."
Zhou Zitong's goal was the Blooming School within the Akhan Dynasty, while Chen Xu's priority was still completing his Advancement Ascension.
Although Zhang Jingping said one could try another path if one was blocked, Chen Xu knew that his path as a Necromancer was far too bright. It was so dazzling he never feared it being blocked. Therefore, the Transcendent power of a professional would always be Chen Xu's primary pursuit.
As for the path of mental strength, it was merely a pastime for Chen Xu when he was bored. After all, with skeleton heroes like Bone Guard One, he didn't even need to personally command his skeleton army anymore. The game had already shifted from a real-time strategy to an idle management game.
"See you. I'll also head to the Akhan royal city after I finish my advancement. I'll be counting on you to lead the way then." Chen Xu waved to Zhou Zitong, and the two parted ways.
Holding the 【Pioneering Order】, he found the Akhan Dynasty's envoy in the city.
The richly dressed envoy took the 【Pioneering Order】, looked Chen Xu up and down, and finally spoke slowly, "A mage with such massive mental strength. It seems Daxia has finally stopped sending toddlers to do something as dangerous as pioneering like they did last year. Otherwise, I would have certainly reported to Her Majesty and the Council to have them re-evaluate the cooperation with Daxia."
The envoy's mysterious words left Chen Xu, who was unaware of the internal details, completely baffled. Fortunately, the envoy didn't continue with any nonsense. Instead, he took out a golden chest and produced a longsword.
"Chen Xu of Daxia, I, the royal envoy, Akhan Morini, exercising the authority granted to me by the Queen, hereby grant you the title of Heroic Knight of the Otherworld and bestow upon you the right to pioneer territory."
While reciting the lines, he placed the longsword flat on Chen Xu's shoulder.
Once the process was complete, Chen Xu received a mission notification.
【Expanding the Territory: Mighty mage, heroic knight, go forth and pioneer territory for the King. Spread the King's fame and use the conquered lands to write the beginning of your own legend.】
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