Pillars of Ita

The establishment of Mount St. Covenant is, in essence, nothing more than a covenant.

That covenant later became the foundation for the Free Guild; if it could exist in the past, it can certainly exist now.

What is truly important about Mount Covenant is actually Mount Covenant and the Turbid Realm itself.

The foundation of a top guild, frankly speaking, is nothing more than territory and resources, and then people. The output of Mount Covenant and the Turbid Domain supported the massive Free Chosen Guild in the Second World, which in turn fed back into the Free Guilds in the First World, and even to the other side of the Stargate.

The Free Guild of the First World, along with ordinary people from Earth who yearned for the will of the Chosen Ones and Forerunners, became the foundation of 'Mount Covenant,' providing it with a continuous stream of outstanding Chosen Ones.

In this way, the cycle is established.

“Ed, you mean…” Hongye looked at that still somewhat childish face with disbelief.

Fang Zheng nodded. "At present, Vo-Salastiel may only be able to support a first-tier guild, but it is different from any other port in this world. It is a mobile fortress. One day in the future, it will also be able to travel to the Second World with the Seven Seas Traveler. At that time, rebuilding Mount Covenant will become a possibility."

“Of course,” he added, “for now, it is only a possibility. But I extend an invitation to you, the Oak Knights of Tabolis, because I believe you can represent that will, and in the future, more like-minded people will join this cause, and one day, that banner will be raised again.”

Sophie watched Fang Zheng speak eloquently about his vision for the future, as if he were radiating an inexplicable brilliance, leaving her momentarily stunned.

She wasn't stunned by this vision, but because—it was originally a commission from the military to her. Su Changfeng and the military had always hoped to re-establish a banner in the Third Division after the collapse of the Southern Alliance.

"Sophie, the Rosicrucians can always be won over."

"But the Guild Alliance itself has never been our ally."

"In each of the major regions... the Free Chosen Ones there are now scattered and disorganized, but in the Third Region, we have the opportunity to rebuild our beliefs... From the moment the Fenrisians established the Blood Ship Fleet, we actually had an opportunity to build a common goal..."

And the person who created that opportunity was right in front of her.

She couldn't help but ask, "Ed, how did you come up with this?"

Fang Zheng glanced at the other person and fell silent.

When did this idea first come to him? If you had to say, it was a sudden inspiration not long ago. Ever since he surveyed the entire island, the idea had taken root in his mind.

However, the root of this motivation does not lie in this moment, but rather in a much earlier time.

From when?
Perhaps the thought began to take root in his mind the moment he realized who his true adversary was: the guild alliance had already placed itself on the opposite side. In fact, it wasn't just him; everything he had witnessed on his journey, from the Elisa sisters to the sea witch Mia…

From every stranded person on that storm-shrouded island to every victim of the Ash White Disaster at the Hill of Giant Trees, he saw them all standing on the opposite side of him throughout the process.

Or perhaps, it was from the moment he learned that secret from the Imperials, from the moment he possessed the secret of the Dragon Knight Crystal, that he understood he bore a responsibility for this impending disaster.

Every pioneer since the great alchemist Eddard, the saints who have written countless books throughout history, and even the three most eccentric geniuses of the empire, have told him that story.

And they placed a hope in him.

Or perhaps, from the moment he crossed that stargate, his destiny had already been silently being propelled by others, and he had come here to pursue the era of that glorious pioneer.

Therefore, what reason does he have not to pick up that flag again?

In the past, he had no chance.

And now, the time is ripe.

“Furthermore, a major war between the north and south of Colin-Ishri is imminent,” Fang Zheng added. “We have Princess Brienne backing us, and the Ishri, Fenris, and the Northern Craftsmen’s Guild are also on our side.”

"But judging from the news from the front lines, the situation is not optimistic. Since the death of Duke Phoenix and the entry of his eldest son into the Southern Territory, the situation has changed strangely. It seems that another force has already infiltrated the Southern Territory and taken control of the Free Chosen Alliance. Now, it is not only not an ally of the Equine Elves, but is also colluding with the Prime Minister's side."

"It is clear that the war in North Colin may be deadlocked, or even face the possibility of short-term defeat. One of my teachers contacted me not long ago. They have already established a secret base in the Treasure Cane Coast area, and the resistance may shift to the north in the long term."

Fang Zheng was actually referring to Shana and his teacher R. He learned about the current situation in Colin-Ishurian through them and deduced that the Shadow People were the ones causing trouble in the Southern Alliance.

Only filmmakers have that ability to manipulate minds.

He couldn't help but recall his first visit to the Hall of a Thousand Doors in the Summer Solstice Tower, where he had met a Shadowman with the Holy September—Little Ninth Sister (Mei's teacher). That was also his first real encounter with this twisted race.

From this perspective, it seems that the Shadows had already begun infiltrating Colin-Ishurian from that time onwards.

He couldn't help but think of the Empire again. It seemed the Shadowmen were closely connected to the Empire, and the changes in Corin-Ishrian might very well be related to the Emperor's schemes. Now that the Empire had invaded the Hill of the Great Trees, it was hard to guarantee that the Ossyans wouldn't interfere in Corin-Ishrian's war.

Once the Imperials join the war, the Resistance League will almost immediately collapse.

Although this part of the speculation has not yet been confirmed, so he did not say it aloud, everything must be arranged in advance.

Fang Zheng vaguely realized that this was precisely why his teacher and Shana had come to inform him; they might know about his connection with the elven princess. However, plans are subject to change, and R probably couldn't have guessed that he would soon obtain this floating fortress.

Fang Zheng then looked at Hongye, "The Oak Knights are the first organization to be invited, but in the future, Vo-Salastir will become the home of many more resistance fighters. We will set off from here until we raise that banner again—"

He knew in his heart that a catastrophe had already begun.

Although the finish line is still far away, he has at least gradually cleared away the fog and seen who his enemies and allies are—the Empire, the Guild Alliance, the Super Arena League. Everything from the past is now gradually connecting into a line.

Hongye nodded silently.

The Seven Seas Brigade's connection with Princess Brianna was established through the Oak Knights, so she naturally knew some of the secrets behind it.

She roughly knew Fang Zheng's plan—but even with them and Princess Brienne, plus the natives of Colin-Ishurian, it was still far from enough to rebuild the banner of Mount Covenant.

First, we head to the Second World.

For the Seven Seas Travel Group, heading to the Second World may only be a matter of time now, but the real challenge lies in another issue.

Since the failure of Mount Covenant, the foundation of the Free Chosen has been severely damaged, as the path to advancement no longer exists, and many Free Chosen guilds in the First World have long since fallen apart.

After these guilds disintegrated, most of the original free chosen ones were absorbed by the alliance of major guilds, just as only a very small number of people remained after the Oak Knights split.

Furthermore, due to the reduction in the total number of free recruits, the other side of the Stargate has also begun to tighten the allocation of Stargate slots for free recruits.

In reality, apart from the Third Division, which still has a channel for free summoners to enter the Stargate, similar channels in other major divisions have long since disappeared.

Even in the Third District, the situation is far from optimistic. The remaining free summoners—and those promoted each year—will find it difficult to recapture the glory of the former 'Mount Covenant'. And if Vol-Salastiel cannot become a banner, it will be nothing more than a larger version of the Oak Knights.

So the key to the problem is actually people.

“Ed, Mount Covenant is not just a base,” a slightly ethereal voice came from the side. This time, the speaker was none other than the Sea Witch Mia.

The wolf girl stared blankly ahead, her silver eyes seeming to pierce through time, seeing the great battle she had witnessed before. "The core of Mount Covenant is a secret realm."

She knew it very well.

It was that secret realm that became the source of all the covetousness that followed. The independent secret realm of Mount Covenant provided starlight, which was the key for ordinary people to pass through the stargate and become Chosen Ones. It was for this reason that Mount Covenant in that era held an important quota for the distribution of free Chosen Ones.

Only she knew that the independent secret realm she had destroyed with her own hands was the foundation upon which the cycle of the Free Chosen Ones—Mount Covenant—existed. This was precisely why the Guild Alliance hated her to the core at this moment.

Others couldn't help but look at Fang Zheng. Talent is the foundation of everything. Without quotas and more free chosen ones, the banner of Vo-Salastiel will never be the sacred mountain it once was.

But Fang Zheng seemed to have anticipated this.

He glanced at the others silently before speaking, "Everyone, this is precisely why I have gathered you all here."

He took a deep breath, knowing full well that he couldn't keep the secret forever. Because one day, the legacy that belonged to the brilliant alchemists of his ancestors would be unveiled.

Because its original purpose was to completely save the world during that catastrophe.

He involuntarily glanced to the side, where a new window opened. The first thing he saw was the prying face of a Paparaja, but then a hand pushed him aside. "Parker, move aside!"

Then, the face of Lady Aina Laughing, the lord of Oak Shade Hill, appeared there.

She touched the communication crystal with a hint of surprise before asking, "Mr. Ed, is that you over there?"

“It’s me,” Fang Zheng nodded. “Miss Aina, the samples I commissioned you to produce can be taken out now.”

Aina nodded quickly—not long ago—in fact, not so long ago. Long before the Gray-White Disaster was completely contained, Fang Zheng had entrusted her to go to Fairy Hill to contact the fairy craftsmen there and establish several production lines.

Those production lines were specifically designed to produce one of the samples.

Aina silently took out the sample, which was a component of a magic furnace, or more precisely, the core of the magic furnace—the energy conversion device and the core crystal.

Trish's gaze fell on the crystal, as if she recognized something, but she wasn't sure. However, Fang Zheng beat her to it and revealed the answer, "This is the universal core crystal α, mass-produced type."

He looked up and his gaze fell on the others.

"The world's first mass-produced crystal core with no obvious elemental bias, no elemental suitability requirements, and suitable for anyone to use - the Magic Furnace."

Fang Zheng's gaze gradually softened. Because on that crystal, he saw the shadows of countless geniuses and pioneers, and now, he had finally verified this path.

He has already forged the key that leads to all the doors to the future.

From then on, there was no longer any barrier between the two ends of the Star Gate.

……

Sophie glanced silently at her companion—the girl beside her who was holding a spear, and the girl was looking at her in return.

She knew that Akane rarely cared about anything outside of training. But even this taciturn girl could hear the voice knocking on the door of the world in her previous shocking statement.

Crystals without attributes, it turns out, truly exist.

Moreover, these are not the toy-like samples that can only be provided to tourists in the past; they are real magic crystal cores that can power magic furnaces and even lead people to a career in magic.

What does that mean?
Anyone who has even a slight understanding of the rules of the Super Arena will know that from now on, passing through the Star Gate will no longer depend on the pouring of starlight, and the countless tourists who cross the Star Gate can also become Super Arena contestants.

No, even the competition itself is no longer important.

Because the so-called upward and downward channels are artificially created scarcity, and from now on, this scarcity will no longer exist—the only limitation may be the capacity restriction to reach the space station.

But with multiple space elevators already in place, high and low orbit travel becoming commonplace, and even Hoffman transfer orbit spacecraft destined for Mars now permanently stationed, this is no big deal.

Both of them heard the crisp sound of the key being inserted into the lock and the door turning, a sound that was the first chime of two worlds truly merging together.

“Ed…”

Sophie couldn't help but ask somewhat awkwardly, "You plan to make it public?"

“No,” Fang Zheng shook his head, “This is just the first step in promotion. I plan to use the military’s channels to promote this product, starting with the third competition area and gradually expanding to all competition areas, making it an official product.”

“And its earliest production lines,” he looked back at the fortress beneath his feet, “will be built on this port. The reason I invited the Oak Knights to stay here was to have them help manage these initial production lines.”

Sophie quickly reviewed the plan in her mind and found it to be quite feasible. First the military, then the Third Division. Since the Southern Reach uprising, the Third Division was essentially under official control, fundamentally different from the other divisions.

Once the attribute-less magic furnace is widely adopted in the Third Division, other divisions will inevitably follow suit, otherwise they risk being left far behind by the Third Division's massive number of Chosen Ones. This is essentially an open strategy; the only thing to prevent is the re-monopolization of the new type of magic furnace.

However, a monopoly does not align with the military's objectives; at least for now, their goals are aligned. As long as the Third Division officials continue to allow it, other divisions will never be able to monopolize the attribute-less crystal magic furnace, unless they intend to fall far behind the Third Division in the number of chosen ones.

"But the military is unlikely to get involved in the production of the magic furnace."

“I understand,” Fang Zheng nodded. “I just need to use Stargate Port to promote this batch of magic furnaces. I guess the military also has a huge personnel shortage and needs to select people from those who do not have elemental aptitude.”

"What about the strength of these magic reactors?"

"It should reach around level 7-10."

"Is there anything else?" Sophie pressed.

“I already have the subsequent samples,” Fang Zheng replied. “Currently, the most advanced products can be used up to grade 35. Further development of subsequent products is needed, and the mass production of higher-end crystals also requires design optimization.”

Sophie looked at him silently and nodded solemnly.

"That's enough!"

“However, what we need to do right now is to keep it strictly confidential,” she said solemnly, looking at everyone present. “Before the Alpha Magic Furnace is truly widely adopted, everything could fall apart. If word gets out—Ed, you will become the target of everyone’s criticism.”

Fang Zheng nodded. Those he had gathered here were naturally trustworthy companions. Not to mention Sophie and Red Leaf, the Seven Seas Brigade already had some knowledge of the attribute-less crystal magic furnace. And Trish had also participated in the research and development of the attribute-less magic furnace before, and had also passed the test.

Sophie rubbed her slightly stiff face and then remembered that she actually had another reason for looking for this guy. She hadn't expected that Fang Zheng would drop one bombshell after another starting from Vo-Sarastil, which had stunned her and almost made her forget her real purpose.

“Oh, right,” she finally said, “Ed, the military in Stargate Port actually needs to see you. I’m here on their behalf this time.”

Seeing Fang Zheng looking at her with a puzzled expression, the little princess of Silver Visland felt that she had finally taken control of the conversation. And when she thought about how she could only nod like a fool before, she couldn't help but want to tease him.

Sophie looked at the other person and couldn't help but blink. "What, are you a little jealous because I didn't come here specifically to see you?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Fang Zheng immediately felt several scrutinizing gazes fall on him—Sylvie was looking him up and down, Miya was puzzled, and Hongye looked at him and then at the little princess of Silver Visland with a look of surprise.

As for the maid's gaze, it was as cold and sharp as a knife piercing him. If looks could kill, he would have been split in two by now.

...(End of this chapter)