Many years ago, in a highly anticipated national sword fighting finals.
The young Kaelos, with an imperfect and extremely risky self-created skill, unexpectedly defeated another highly favored and experienced opponent.
All the referees and spectators erupted in enthusiastic cheers for him, ready to bestow upon him the title of 'Unrivaled Sword' on the spot.
However, he raised his hand and refused this honor, which many warriors dreamed of.
In front of everyone present, he said: "Remember this well, I am the 'unfinished sword'. It's not too late to cheer for me when I become the strongest Sword Saint and truly achieve the name of 'Unrivaled'."
This incident brought him initial prominence and some fame.
And it wasn't until recently that he had successfully advanced to become a revered Legendary Sword Saint, yet he still hadn't changed the title of 'unfinished sword'. Clearly, this legend had greater ambitions and pursuits, unsatisfied with the status quo.
At this moment, Marquis Marcus looked at the Legendary Sword Saint and spoke.
"Nearly thirty years of brutal civil war have almost made us forget that the sharp fangs of the wilderness have never truly fallen off. They have always been sharpening in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to strike."
His voice was deep and hoarse, with a hint of anger, sounding particularly clear in the quiet room.
"Except for the northeastern region, our centuries-old stronghold in the Serre Wilderness has been almost completely uprooted by those barbaric natives! This is an unprecedented loss and a great disgrace in the history of the Xiao Kingdom (The Kingdom of Theos)'s expansion."
"Those wilderness natives are truly audacious and ignorant of their own limits!"
The civil war, which lasted for decades but ultimately failed to yield the expected benefits and instead depleted national strength, left the high-ranking officials of the Southern Kingdoms, including the Xiao Kingdom (The Kingdom of Theos), with a stifled resentment with nowhere to vent.
Now, Marquis Marcus seemed to have found a suitable outlet.
If they couldn't defeat the Lothorn Kingdom, where the Holy King of Lossern had reappeared, could they not deal with those ignorant and backward wilderness natives?
"According to intelligence gathered from various sources, this does not appear to be a scattered tribal rebellion."
Marquis Marcus's finger tapped heavily on the glaring red area on the map.
"Ruling the Northwest and Central Region is the so-called 'King of Molten Iron', who has integrated a large number of monster tribes and even dragons under his command. He has strong forces and has even developed organized and systematic alchemical armaments, with an organizational level far exceeding ordinary monster groups."
"And the 'Fungus King' who occupies the southern region of the wilderness should not be underestimated either."
"To date, there is no reliable intelligence that can reveal its true form. All we can see is its army of fungal monsters."
"In comparison, the Mountain King, a giant who fled from the Theresia Continent and is entrenched in the northeast, has behaved relatively peacefully."
Marquis Marcus was assessing the situation in the wilderness.
Beside him, the Legendary Sword Saint Kaelos stood with his arms crossed, his posture relaxed but with a restrained sharpness.
His gaze was as sharp as a sword, as if it could penetrate the map and look directly at that chaotic land.
"The entire Serre Wilderness, theoretically, should be the future territory for the expansion and conquest of civilized nations."
Kaelos said indifferently: "Do those entrenched beasts, uncivilized monsters, and those two dragons and mushrooms that emerged from some dark corner, also dare to usurp the title of 'King'?"
"They are openly challenging the kingdom's authority and trampling on the bottom line of civilization."
Upon hearing this, Marquis Marcus slowly nodded in deep agreement.
He stood up and walked with steady steps to the large map, his finger tapping heavily on several crimson areas in the Northwest, Central, and Southern regions.
"We cannot let this continue."
"We must make those ignorant wilderness rabble understand who the true master of the Serre Wilderness is."
"The Foreign Affairs Strategy Department has already drafted a plan and submitted it to His Majesty the King, deciding to conduct a cleanup operation in the Serre Wilderness. The goal is to reclaim all our strongholds, seize more new resource points, and make those monsters who dare to provoke pay a bloody price."
As he spoke, Marquis Marcus's gaze turned to the unfinished sword standing silently beside him.
"Kaelos, whether it's strength, prestige, or understanding of the wilderness, you are the best candidate, bar none, to carry out this cleansing operation."
"I will immediately request formal authorization from His Majesty the King for you to personally lead the team and return to the Serre Wilderness."
"The objective this time is very clear: execute the so-called 'King of Molten Iron' and 'Fungus King', destroy their Dragon Group and fungal army, reclaim and consolidate our control over the wilderness, and restore the glory of the Xiao Kingdom (The Kingdom of Theos)."
The Legendary Sword Saint heard this, and the corner of his mouth twitched, letting out an ambiguous 'tsk' sound.
"The civil war has just ended, the Federation has dissolved, the country is in ruins, and there are many conflicts. His Majesty the King is probably in a state of great anxiety right now."
"Choosing to forge a close alliance with the Kingdom of Repos and advance and retreat together now seems like not a wise choice."
His words seemed to lack sufficient respect for the monarch of a nation.
However, any legendary existence is the foundation upon which a kingdom stands, a precious resource that needs to be carefully maintained.
A legendary powerhouse, even if he secretly criticized the King, would usually not suffer any substantial punishment as long as he did not actually do anything to harm the kingdom's core interests.
This was a privilege brought by power.
"The world is unpredictable. Who would have thought that the Holy King of Lossern, who should have died long ago, was actually still alive?"
Marquis Marcus lowered his voice.
"If not for this, our Xiao Kingdom (The Kingdom of Theos) could have gained more benefits from this civil war and further strengthened its national power."
He paused, then changed the subject, his voice even lower: "Kaelos, you were also present at the Battle of Valdo Royal City and witnessed that scene with your own eyes."
"Based on your judgment... do you think the Holy King of Lossern has truly resurrected? Or is there something else going on?"
The Legendary Sword Saint's expression became serious.
He pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head.
"I don't know."
He answered very directly: "As soon as the Holy King of Lossern made his move, he crushed and killed two legends, and both were senior legends of a higher level than me. I completely couldn't comprehend the domain he displayed at that time and that level of power."
"Perhaps he really took that crucial step."
"Perhaps his death back then was just a pretense, a period of dormancy."
"Otherwise, with his aging human body, it would be impossible for him to still possess such incredibly powerful strength."
Upon hearing this, Marquis Marcus's brows furrowed tightly, forming deep lines.
He asked: "Then, is there another possibility... that it was just a contingency left by the Holy King of Lossern during his lifetime, containing powerful might, but only usable once? That the Lothorn Kingdom is actually bluffing, using his lingering prestige to deter other nations?"
Sword Saint Kaelos nodded: "Of course there's that possibility, and the probability isn't low."
But then he changed the subject, a half-smile appearing on his face, and said: "However, the problem is, do you dare to bet on that possibility? I certainly don't, and I believe our His Majesty the King, and the rulers of other kingdoms, probably don't dare to easily bet on it either."
"If you bet wrong, the price will be the destruction of the entire nation."
Marquis Marcus sneered twice, his laughter sinister.
"What is fake can never be real."
"Even if the nations now fear the might of the Holy King of Lossern and dare not act rashly, as time goes by, someone will eventually be unable to resist testing him."
"If the Holy King of Lossern has not truly resurrected, or if his state is not as perfect as it appears, Lothorn's bluff will eventually show cracks."
"We just need to wait and see."
After many years of war, although the nations ultimately gained nominal autonomy, they did not obtain more of the anticipated tangible benefits such as territory and resources.
Overall, after this internal struggle, the losses of the various nations were even more severe.
The nations are now temporarily dormant due to the Holy King of Lossern's reappearance and his thunderous methods, not daring to overstep their bounds.
But how long can this fear-based calm last?
Especially since there are rumors that the Kingdom of Repos also seems to have some unknown backing, and the powerful armaments that suddenly appeared during the war do not seem to be part of its inherent reserves.
"Enough, let's not talk about these far-reaching matters for now."
"Our current focus is the Serre Wilderness."
Marquis Marcus waved his hand, as if to dispel those complex thoughts. He looked back at Kaelos, his tone regaining its previous decisiveness.
"Kaelos, prepare in advance."
"Waging war on the wilderness, reclaiming lost territory, and demonstrating national prestige are things that His Majesty the King will certainly authorize and approve. It won't be long before you return to the land you once guarded for many years."
The corner of Kaelos's mouth curved slightly, outlining a confident and cold smile.
"I'm looking forward to it," he said.
"It's a good opportunity to meet those wilderness monsters that ignorant natives call 'kings' and see if their heads are harder than ordinary monsters."
For him, returning to the Serre Wilderness was as familiar as going home.
Before his promotion to a legend, he had long guarded the wilderness border, using his sword to suppress the activities of a large number of fierce monster tribes, preventing them from easily emerging.
Now, he had stepped into the legendary domain, and his life level had undergone a qualitative leap.
He imagined that slaying those crude monsters who only understood instinct and brute force would be even easier, like cutting vegetables.
At the same time.
Borderlands, Dragon Valley, Burning Steel Fortress.
The Red Iron Dragon stood on the edge of the tall watchtower, gazing at the howling blizzard.
At the same time, he calmed his mind and activated the bloodline connection within.
He had already asked Deborah about the general situation of the tribe in recent years.
However, they had been in the Borderlands for many years and did not know enough detailed information about the outside world, especially the specific events in the Serre Wilderness.
Galos still needed to talk to the dragons directly in the wilderness, on the front lines.
Soon after, with Iron Dragon Sorog as the mental node, the minds of Red Dragon Samantha and Iron Dragon Gordon also converged in this mental world.
The Iron Dragon Mother, who also had a bloodline connection, was not called this time.
After all, she was an ally of the Ignas Dragon Group, with her own independent territory and vassal system, rather than a core member of the Molten Iron Tribe.
There was no need to inform her about some conversations involving internal tribal affairs.
Once the mental connection stabilized and all participants were present, Galos got straight to the point.
He said, "What important events worth mentioning happened during my slumber? Tell me based on what you know."
Red Dragon Samantha and Iron Dragon Gordon's personalities didn't particularly enjoy this kind of formal reporting occasion.
Ultimately, it was the most stable and meticulous Iron Dragon Sorog who, with clear timelines and well-organized, layered details, recounted the important events he had already compiled.
Some time later.
Through Sorog's narration, Galos had a clear understanding of the critical events that had occurred during his twenty-nine years of slumber.
This included changes in the Abyss, the end of the Southern Federation's civil war, and the reappearance of Holy King of Lossern, among others.
After a moment of contemplation.
The Red Iron Dragon turned his gaze to the consciousness representing Iron Dragon Gordon in the mental network.
In the mental world, the appearance of a consciousness can roughly reflect the true state of the main body.
At this moment, Goldon's image, though still covered with a thick layer of fat beneath his scales, also showed clear and strong muscle contours, revealing a mighty dragon posture.
His physique was so robust and burly that, among his blood relatives, he was second only to Galos.
Galos directly asked, "Goldon, you were in Lothorn Royal City before, did you personally see the 'resurrected' Holy King?"
Goldon's mental fluctuations immediately became active.
He said, "That's right, I saw him with my own eyes! He walked out from endless light, and then, with just one move, he easily killed two legendary powerhouses with overwhelming force, immediately announcing the dissolution of the Federation, making the originally aggressive allied armies of the Southern Kingdoms dare not cross the line, and finally retreating to their respective homelands."
When the Lossern Federation was still intact, the Holy King's prestige was like a blazing sun, unmatched.
Galos was not surprised that he possessed such powerful deterrence.
The question was, was the Holy King... truly resurrected?
The step the Holy King had tried to break through back then was much more difficult than a mortal ascending to legend, even the mighty Golden Dragon King ultimately failed, and with his already aged human body, the probability of success would only be lower.
Of course, there was another possibility.
He hadn't died at all back then; the previous so-called signs of his demise were merely due to severe injuries from failing to break through to a higher level, and he had been silently recovering and healing since then.
However, although this king had always been known for his benevolence, he so easily pardoned the invading enemies.
Was this... too lenient?
Tracing his rise, there was never a lack of decisive, iron-blooded, and ruthless deeds.
If Galos himself were in that position, he would at least kill all the legendary enemies involved in the invasion, as a warning to others.
Of course, this might also just be the thought of a giant dragon, too presumptuous.
He was not human now, and it was normal for him not to fully understand decisions made under complex political considerations.
Perhaps, as the Holy King's age and power increased, he truly reached a certain transcendent realm, grew tired of killing, became more benevolent and compassionate, and loved peace more.
Galos temporarily suppressed these thoughts.
He then asked, "So, after the Holy King reappeared, has he made any public appearances in these three years? Or has he once again disappeared without a trace?"
Iron Dragon Gordon nodded, responding affirmatively, "Yes, he has appeared."
"In these three years, he has appeared intermittently a few times, mainly in the Royal Academy or within the palace, guiding his own children and descendants in cultivation and handling state affairs, but each appearance was very brief, seemingly unwilling to interfere too much with the Royal Court."
"Moreover, there are some unconfirmed rumors within the Royal Court that the Holy King's reappearance in the world this time is because his research on the 'Art of Immortality' has achieved crucial results, but it has not yet been completely successful."
"Therefore, most of his energy is still focused on diligently perfecting the Art of Immortality, leaving him no time for other matters."
This sounded like a rather plausible explanation, capable of explaining why he died and resurrected, and why his whereabouts were mysterious and he rarely appeared.
However, plausible does not mean it eliminates all suspicious points and conjectures.
Nevertheless, Galos did not press further.
He knew very well that time would ultimately provide all the answers.
The true situation of that Holy King, whatever it may be, would sooner or later gradually reveal itself to the world as time passed.
By then, whether the Southern Kingdoms could maintain the current fragile peace or would once again be embroiled in conflict and war was still an unknown.
"Oh, I have an important discovery."
Goldon's spirit suddenly became serious and solemn, breaking the brief silence.
He said, "Recently, through observation and contemplation, I have come to understand a principle."
Galos nodded slightly, signaling him to continue his explanation.
So, Goldon, with a mix of pride and mystery, solemnly put forward his [Theory of Destiny].
"Power, talent, hard work... even wisdom and opportunity, in my opinion, all of these are secondary!"
"The most crucial, most core, and most important thing is - Destiny!"
"You see, in this world, some people exhaust everything, spending their entire lives' efforts, yet fail to make a ripple in the long river of fate; while others, perhaps with just a casual thought, an unintentional action, can cause dramatic changes and influence the entire world's pattern."
"What is the root of all these differences? It's all related to the 'Destiny' they carry!"
"As long as you bear a powerful Destiny, then no matter how humble your birth, no matter how mediocre your talent, you will ultimately achieve remarkable accomplishments under the influence and impetus of a series of seemingly accidental, yet actually inevitable, events."
"Destiny is the most important; compared to it, everything else is insignificant."
Iron Dragon Gordon spoke slowly, his mental fluctuations full of confidence.
Regardless of whether it was correct.
His statement, at first hearing, indeed seemed to have some truth, capable of explaining many incomprehensible disparities in fortune in the world.
Galos glanced sideways, somewhat impressed by this usually unreliable dragon brother, feeling that he seemed to have grown a lot after the changes in the Royal City, capable of comprehending such a seemingly profound theory.
He asked, "How did you come to this understanding?"
Then, Goldon puffed out his chest and declared word by word.
"Because, after repeated verification and contemplation, I am convinced - I, Goldon, am the Dragon destined by Heaven!"
In the mental network, an invisible cold wind seemed to sweep through, and silence instantly fell.
Galos was speechless for a moment, silently retracting his previous assessment of his dragon brother's growth.
The next moment, Red Dragon Samantha's loud laughter rang out.
"Wahahaha! Goldon! Are you telling some clumsy dragon joke? Haha, if you wanted to amuse everyone, you've been very successful, I'm practically going to laugh my scales off at your outrageous confidence!"
Facing Samantha's mockery, Iron Dragon Gordon did not get angry, nor did he show the slightest bit of embarrassment.
Instead, he became even more serious, beginning to explain and argue for his destiny with clear logic.
"Think carefully, don't my past experiences just confirm this point?"
"Haven't I always managed to turn danger into safety, and even gain blessings from misfortune, no matter what I encountered?"
"For example, when I was young, I was unfortunately stranded, but I was adopted by the Lothorn Royal Court, accompanied the princess, and enjoyed nearly a hundred years of luxury and wealth. Isn't this the favor of Destiny?"
"Another example, when Lothorn Royal City was about to fall and was in imminent danger."
"I had originally made up my mind to escape alone and save myself, but at the last moment, I hesitated and ultimately chose to stay. It was precisely at this critical juncture that the Holy King reappeared, turned the tide, and the Lothorn Kingdom was preserved."
At this point, Goldon paused, then uttered another outrageous statement.
"I even have a strong feeling that if I had been resolute at that time and truly succeeded in escaping, then... the Holy King might not have appeared, and Lothorn Royal City might have truly fallen."
He was very serious, saying, "In other words, the Holy King's existence or non-existence, whether he appeared at that point in time, is very likely to have some fated connection with my decision to escape the Royal City."
"When I hadn't made my final decision, he might have been alive, or he might not have been."
"He was in a superimposed state that depended on me!"
"If I left, he wouldn't exist; if I stayed, he would exist."
In the mental network, a deathly silence fell once again.
This time, not only was Sorog silent, saying nothing, but even Red Dragon Samantha, who was always sharp-tongued and good at ridiculing Goldon, was momentarily speechless by Goldon's incredible idea, not knowing how to refute it.
Or rather, not knowing where to begin to retort.
"This guy has formed his own self-consistent logic around his theory of destiny."
Galos felt a wave of speechlessness inside.
"How are all these dragons around me so uniquely skilled?"
This thought flashed through his mind involuntarily.
"Could it be, hmm... am I actually the true Dragon destined by Heaven?"
As soon as this absurd thought emerged, Galos himself chuckled, and he gently shook his head, dispelling such a baseless notion.