From Secret Clan to the Divine Dynasty

Chapter 584: Chapter 522: Reforging the City and Number One “Book

On that night woven with constellations and fantastical illusions, a city within the Seven Stars Empire on the Ouden Continent quietly underwent an unprecedented transformation.

As night fell, the sky was no longer a tranquil canvas dotted with stars, but rather filled with countless intricate and massive brass gears that slowly rotated, flashing a harsh metallic luster as if they were part of a vast, beyond human understanding, mechanical device in the heavens.

These gears meshed with one another, emitting a deep and rhythmic roar, heralding the miracle that was about to occur.

The “Brass Gear”, a cardinal of the Reforging Church, stood beneath the eerie sky, gazing upwards.

“This city is good, although the faith of many people from the Seven Stars Empire has wavered due to the business with the Military God, some have chosen to convert because of the arrival of the God of Reforging… Out of fear of the power of the True God?”

“In any case, this is another city where half the population now believes in the reforged True God, very good, indeed.”

“The ritual has begun, let your desires be fulfilled!”

As the first rays of the morning light slowly broke the horizon, the city’s appearance gradually became clear in the dawn, yet it was no longer as it had been the day before.

In just one night, the city seemed to have been cast with an ancient, strange magic, reshaped with unparalleled craftsmanship into a steampunk wonderland completely composed of machinery.

Where stone buildings once stood along the streets, towering steel towers had taken their place, adorned with complex gears, pistons, and steam pipes that constantly moved, releasing gentle clouds of steam.@@novelbin@@

In the middle of the streets, where carriages and automobiles once traversed, all manner of steam-powered vehicles had taken their place, shuttling back and forth, leaving trails of steam, while the bridges had transformed into massive steam-driven drawbridges, and the parks boasted not only traditional fountains and sculptures but also self-playing music boxes and moving mechanical animals.

Pedestrians walked around in a daze, seemingly unaware of any particular change in their surroundings, as if they had lived in such a city since birth.

Their accessories and tools were filled with a sense of the future—pocket watches turned into precise timing instruments, gemstone-embedded glasses that could display various information, and even their leather shoes concealed mechanisms, fitted with springs and gears.

At the heart of the city stood a massive steam bell tower once more, as the heart of the city’s energy.

Whenever the clock struck the hour, the complex mechanisms inside would immediately activate, accompanied by melodious bell tolls, countless gears and pistons working in unison, releasing dazzling light and strong steam waves, illuminating the entire city as if it were daylight, and also providing a continuous and powerful force to every corner of the city.

“Brass Gear” gazed at everything before him.

“The reforging is complete.”

“This is the third city to undergo reforging… All it takes is for half the cities in the Claud World to be reforged, and then the whole of civilization will become a sacrificial offering to the rite of my lord’s coming.”

“Fischer family, your delays with the Dawn Church suit me just fine, as we of the Reforging Church also need more time to complete the transformation of this world.”

His eyes blazed with fanaticism, and he muttered to himself,

“When the time comes, the whole world will be reforged, and everything will be made perfect!”

——

Sapphire Library.

On another continent in the Claud World, nestled within a deep, misty valley, stood a mysterious building unbeknownst to most—the Sapphire Library.

The library was not constructed of brick and stone but carved from a single massive block of sapphire, emitting a serene blue glimmer. Its facade changed hues with the rise and fall of the sun, from a light blue at dawn to a deep blue at dusk. The entrance was concealed by an archway inlaid with finely carved silver trim, engraved with ancient runes.

It was said only those with pure hearts and chosen could decipher the secrets and push open the door leading to a sea of knowledge.

In fact, this was not the case.

Without the permission of the Sapphire Curator, no one could enter this magnificent ancient library.

An elderly man in a blue robe stepped into the library, the space both mysterious and tranquil. Towering bookshelves, like giants guarding knowledge, stretched from the ground to the dome, each level densely packed with various books.

These books were not made of ordinary paper but of all sorts of strange materials: some glimmered like constellations, some exuded a warm wooden scent, and others seemed to pulse with life, their soft whispers heard when lightly flipped.

Every book here bore extraordinary legacies; some containing lost magic spells, some hiding crystallized wisdom of ancient civilizations, and others discussing notes on the secrets of the universe or the origins of life.

“The elements of destruction are reviving…”

“If utilized properly, achieving godhood is not impossible, it’s just that thing—that most terrifying otherworldly god is also counting down to revival.”

The Sapphire Curator pondered for a long time. Returning to the Claud World was not a safe option, for if the End were to revive, the entire world would be reduced to nothingness in an instant.

“`

His power was like that of a divine being to the common man, inscrutable and unattainable, yet when compared to an otherworldly god of that caliber, there was essentially no significant difference with ordinary people.

He was very self-aware.

“However, for countless years, as I traversed many worlds, any opportunity to ascend to godhood required snatching from the jaws of death… Relying solely on the Philosopher’s Stone to become a quasi-god might be a stable passage, but to become a true deity, even more power is needed.”

The old man calmly walked towards the deepest part of the Sapphire Library, where a unique treasure was hidden — an odd book imprisoned within a sparkling emerald-colored sphere.

The sphere appeared as something carved from the purest emerald found in nature, casting a gentle yet profound glow that made everything around it seem both mysterious and dreamlike.

If the Emerald Elf, March, were here, she would be astounded to discover that the emerald-colored sphere was the very Elf Holy Object she had been searching for nearly a century — the New Green Constellation!

In truth, over the past century, March had not been able to locate the New Green Constellation, and there was no other reason for this except that the one who had seized this elf holy object a hundred years ago was the Sapphire Curator.

He had kept this sacred object hidden within this ancient library, rendering all the elves’ frantic searches futile.

“The elf clan’s sacred object is not the focus, what those elves had been guarding for generations was mistaken… What’s inside there is what’s most important.”

And the book hidden within the emerald sphere was not something that could be compared to ordinary items; it was the key to the mysteries of the universe.

Number “one” amongst the Forbidden rare artifacts!

Known simply as “the book,” the most powerful Forbidden rare artifact’s full name was — the Omiscience Book!

Its cover was engraved with countless unknown ancient runes, each stroke imbued with endless energy and stories, its pages woven from an unknown material, lightweight yet durable, and flipping through them one might hear the whispers of time, imagining that each page recorded the world’s rare miracles, secrets of lost civilizations, and the intricacies of the constellations.

It was said that anyone who glimpsed this book could gain unparalleled power! Even the potential of attaining godhood!

However, this mystical book was not something that could be perused at will.

For a century, the Sapphire Curator had employed every conceivable method, yet was unable to access the books within.

“What a pity, a pity that though I have already obtained one of the six Elements of Destruction, I cannot wield its power.”

The old man’s eyes burned with unprecedented fervor, excitement, regret, and disappointment.

The book was tightly enveloped by the emerald sphere sacred object, which served not only as a protective barrier but also as a place of trials and tribulations. Anyone attempting to approach the book would have to face the illusions and trials released by the sphere.

Only those with pure hearts, resolute wills, and the potential to unlock the universe’s secrets could pass the trials and touch the sealed miracle.

For a long time, tales of this strange book passed orally amongst a few wise individuals; despite it being trapped unknown inside an emerald sphere, it still fascinated those yearning for immense power.

The Sapphire Curator was certainly one of them.

“If I could unlock its secrets, there would be no need to return, but alas… I must steal at least one Element of Destruction before It fully awakens.”

“For mortals, even with extensive knowledge, there are still limits… Regardless, I must become a god!”

——

Fischer family manor.

Karno arrived alone at the Grand Hall with tranquility, bowed before the sacred object in the transparent jar, and smiling, he said:

“I apologize, great Lord of the Lost.”

“I am bound for the Terrara Church State in the south, to confront my true destiny… Even though you saved me, I must still return.”

His gaze was resolute, showing no fear of death as he continued, “The soul of that Lost Soul, Bast Leone, is still trapped within the Saint of Sun’s painting, and I cannot ignore this matter.”

“I promised him that no matter what, I would never give up on him, I would certainly go back to find him!”

Karno calmly took a seat in a chair nearby, having already written to the Saint of Sun explaining his purpose, expressing his intention to take Bast’s soul away.

Regardless of whether the Saint of Sun would attempt to kill him upon seeing him, Karno had made up his mind.

He pondered for a moment, then with a smile, he lifted his head to look at the sacred object worshiped by the Fischer family for a century, and declared with unwavering determination:

“Though he was an enemy to the Fischer family in life, in death, he has become my friend, and having made such a solemn vow, I will never betray it!”

“`