Magic Industrial Age.

Chapter 602: The War of Gods Begins!
Inside the Mysterious Hall of the Silver-Top Astral Floating City

The enormous round table had been moved away, and the seats reserved for the thirteen archmages had also disappeared, leaving the entire hall feeling vast and empty.

The twelve archmages each opened a portal and appeared directly in the center of the hall. A complex twelve-pointed star array appeared beneath their feet, and each person stood in a specific position.

They weren't motionless; instead, they held their staffs high and, accompanied by synchronized chanting, moved with strange steps.
Rotation can be clockwise or counterclockwise.

As they moved, the twelve-pointed star array beneath their feet also shifted.

It's unclear whether the magic circle moved because the person moved, or the person moved because the magic circle moved.

Undoubtedly, with their movements, a vast amount of magic gathered, surged, and poured into their feet along the staff.

The location of the Mysterious Hall was not chosen randomly; below it lies the core of the Silver Top.

The twelve-pointed star array locked onto a large alchemical artifact resembling a sundial, which had six layers inside and was covered with magical runes made primarily of refined gold.

At its center was a sphere the size of a human head, with sharp edges and corners, gleaming with a crimson glow.

Upon closer inspection, it is not in contact with the alchemical creation, but rather suspended in mid-air, radiating a rich energy fluctuation.

Just like breathing, the energy delivered between flashes of red light is enough to meet the normal consumption of the Silver Top.

This is the ultimate creation of the Netheril civilization, the ultimate treasure of magic, and the energy source of the astral floating city—the Core of Netheril.

Its main material, known as the 'Embers of the World,' is simply the tiny bit of matter left over after a prime material plane was destroyed.

Often, these only emerge from the deepest depths of the abyss, from planes on the verge of collapse and disintegration.

This is also the main reason why the number of astral floating cities in Netheril is extremely limited.

At that moment, stimulated by the magic of the twelve archmages, the corona-like alchemical creation began to operate rapidly, spinning at high speed, and the Nesser Core was stimulated to emit even more red light.

The energy surged like a volcanic eruption, then was absorbed by the twelve-pointed star and flowed into the predetermined channel.

The so-called 'predetermined channels' are actually a network similar to blood vessels, surging like living things, with countless wandering magical patterns embedded within them.

Centered on the Core of Nesser, it spreads outwards to the entire floating city, clearly distinguishing between different levels, and using the Mage Tower as a node for transportation.

When the energy flows smoothly, it's not a problem, but now, the surging magical energy has even caused the 'blood vessels' to swell to their maximum.
Every fiber was taut, and the magic pattern rapidly circulated and repaired under stimulation.

At this very moment, the mage tower, which served as the node, displayed an unusual phenomenon. Stimulated by a massive amount of magical energy, all the attached magical runes were lit up, detached, and flew about, their radiant light covering an area of ​​a hundred meters in radius.

At this moment, the people of Netheril, who were active in the floating city, were all stunned.

They were silent for only a moment before realizing what this meant, and one by one, regardless of their status or strength, they quickly sprang into action.

Those ordinary people were the most terrified!
They dropped what they were doing almost without hesitation and ran desperately toward the shelter.

Descending the spiral staircase into the dimly lit basement, you'll find rows of seats.

They nervously found empty seats, fastened their seatbelts, and pulled them tight.

Then, they could only wait there for their fate to take its course.

Even though this is a floating city, the greatest masterpiece of the Netheril civilization, most of the people here are still ordinary people.

As for the arcanists, they were much more at ease.

They had clearly received orders, but they didn't know the exact time; yet they acted just as swiftly.

Whether by flying magic carpet, teleportation arcane spells, or various other items, they returned to their mage tower in the manner of arcane sorcerers.

Then, they quickly passed the test and immediately went to their posts.

Some arcanists have taken control of a portion of the runes, and when needed, they become part of a massive spell.

Some arcanists began to seal off their laboratories, using special magic to stabilize the space and ensure that they would not be damaged even under violent turbulence.

Some arcanists also activated combat pods, using magical links and mental projection to enter specific magical war weapons.

In those warehouses, rows of steel golems, self-propelled turrets, and remotely controlled aircraft flashed red and green lights one after another.

Of course, this is the way arcane mages fight.

Although Nesseril is an arcane civilization and arcane mages hold a very high status, they have not forgotten their own identity and pursuits.

They did not give up on training their soldiers.

Netheril also has a tradition of martial arts, and it even has a large arena where one can become a powerful warrior even if one cannot become an arcane mage.

Unlike other arcane sorcerers, the arcane sorcerers of Netheril attempted to use magic to enhance the warriors' combat abilities.

For example, a full set of standard magic-patterned armor can integrate battle aura and magical power, achieving ultimate enhancement on both offense and defense.

The most successful example of this type is the perfect unity of soldier and mount, which forms the construct knight.

In a sense, this can be considered another direction for the Knights' development, making them an overwhelming force among their peers.

The Construct Knights are also the most common armed unit in the Floating City.

Another attempt was to combine alchemical creations with the human body.

For example, demon arms, hearts, limbs, etc., after special processing, can be implanted into a warrior's body.
This allows warriors to possess greater strength, even to the point of becoming half-demon.

Similarly, they could also be celestial beings, hellish demons, purgatory creatures, dragons, and so on.

Generally speaking, the mortality rate of this combination is very high, but you can't deny that it is also a breakthrough in pushing the limits of the human body.

If combined with a custom-designed magic-inlaid construct, that would make them an extremely powerful combatant, even capable of fighting opponents of higher ranks.

In the floating city, they are also known as armored warriors.

If construct knights represent the low to mid-range military force of the floating city, then armored warriors belong to the mid to high-end of the power system.

These powerful individuals hold a certain status even in various mage towers; of course, the stability of their armor also requires careful maintenance by the mage towers.

At this moment, both the construct knights and the armored warriors were ready for battle.

Of course, all of this is just in case.

A massive amount of magic power poured into the mage tower, and with the distribution of the arcane mages, nearly 30% of it surged into the sky.

Covered in intricate magical runes, a semi-circular defensive force field, seemingly reaching the heavens, appeared in the sky.

Its smallest structure is the size of a palm, with layers of fish scales that don't look particularly sturdy, but they are the masterpiece of arcane civilization.

It is this special defensive force field, coupled with the well-developed ecosystem of the floating city, that allows this continent to navigate in the astral plane.

Of course, nearly 70% of the magical energy flowed into the bottom of the floating city.

There, countless magical runes lit up, revealing a series of rings.

Small rings nested within larger rings, and these larger rings interconnect to form even larger circles...

From a distance, it resembles a compound eye looking down upon all living beings, a sight that sends chills down one's spine.

In reality, when magical energy surged in and the levitation ring was activated, a tremendous heat wave spread outwards, and a massive thrust was generated in the distorted space.

It was as if a giant was raising his hands, as if to push the floating city out of the Herka plane.

A violent tremor followed, and a rumbling sound echoed throughout the entire floating city, with dust falling in abundance.

Even those hiding in underground shelters screamed in terror.

It should be said that the victory in the Battle of the Stars belongs to the Silver Top, the floating city of the Star Realm.

For the gods of Herka, failing to keep the invaders out was a huge failure.

Furthermore, because the tentacles of the Netheril civilization extended into another plane, a small number of people, coupled with outdated technology, unleashed a bloodbath, causing nearly twenty million casualties.
Furthermore, they genuinely changed the course of development in the Herka plane.

However, the Silver Top was not entirely unscathed.

Putting everything else aside, the most important point is that the damage to the Core of Nesser caused the Silver Top to be stuck on the dimensional barrier.

This is like being stuck in a door crack, unable to move forward or backward!

The Arcane Council's Plan C, which is invincible, simply means breaking free from restrictions and entering the astral plane.

By then, even if a real fight breaks out, they will have the flexibility to advance or retreat, giving them a huge advantage.

This is also the main reason why the sun god was eager to launch a divine war.

If the Silver Top were to actually escape to the Star Realm, they would be at a disadvantage.

Just as the power was increasing and the floating city was about to break free, the sun's rays suddenly became intense and violent high in the sky.

It was as if early spring had turned into midsummer; the scorching sunlight distorted space and could even ignite everything. Even within the floating city, countless people looked up, and then their pupils contracted violently.

Because they saw that the great sun seemed to be rapidly approaching, until their vision was filled with light, and a majestic figure filled the heavens and earth.

He was dressed in golden armor, radiating the light of the sun god, making his face indistinct, and he sat on a sun chariot.

Pulled by the nine-headed divine horse, amidst the clanking of the chains, it made a turn and roared past.

Behind the carriage, dozens of chains were taut and pulled by a blazing sun.

The mere corona of the Great Sun, spreading out like a tangible halo, melted space, causing turmoil in the astral plane wherever it passed.

But this one did not rush to attack. Instead, it drove the sun chariot past like a patrol of the sky, bringing endless light and heat to the Silver Top.

Without sunlight, plants cannot grow; however, when the sun is too close, its intense light and heat can kill everything.

Even with a massive protective force field and a complete ecological cycle system, after layers of filtration, trees wither, grasses shrivel, wild animals howl, and rivers evaporate and dry up.

Even powerful arcane mages showed awe as they gazed at the terrifying sun chariot.

However, the sun god seemed to relish their fear, driving his chariot back and forth several times, as if searching for a weakness.
It's like it's accelerating!
That's right, it's accelerating!
The creation of the Sun Chariot, a divine artifact, originated from the most basic beliefs and expectations of mortals for the world.

After discovering that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, they created a myth that the great sun god would drive the sun chariot from east to west every day, spreading light to the earth.

Over time, the sun god came to possess this divine artifact!

However, a carriage carrying the sun can't go very fast; it needs to run back and forth, gradually increasing its speed.

Until one moment, He suddenly pulled the ropes, causing the nine divine horses to rear up as if startled, abruptly changing direction.

Then, it was as if that great sun had been thrown away.

With a series of loud bangs, the chains broke apart, causing the sun to crash down on the earth with terrifying kinetic energy.

This is not a combat technique, nor a skill for using divine power, nor an exploitation of the rules!

This is the true fall of the great sun!!!

There are no skills involved, it's all brute force!

This attack caused even the twelve archmages in the Hall of Mysteries to twitch at the corners of their mouths, let alone ordinary arcane mages.

However, their reaction was also extremely quick.

Almost simultaneously, the incantation was changed, and three great arcane mages raised their wands and pointed them, and a portion of the magical runes in the sky suddenly became bright.

The transmission outwards caused the mage towers in the area where the Great Sun fell to suddenly flash with light, and the fish-scale-like defensive field in the sky became clearer, thicker, and more solid.

Then, it suddenly rose upwards, opened up, and actively blocked the falling sun.

A series of cracking sounds rang out, and at the point where the sun and the defensive force field made contact, cracks seemed to spread outwards.
The massive defensive force field was also forced to sink.

However, a mountain of magical energy surged into it, filling the swirling magical runes and rapidly mending the cracks.

At the same time, the surrounding mage towers trembled, and the huge fish-scale force field tightened, like a fishing net being pulled, as if trying to block the falling sun.

It's difficult, but you can't deny that the rate at which the sun is falling is slowing down.

It's slow, but it's definitely slowing down!

You have to admit, this massive defensive force field covering the entire floating city is truly outstanding.

An ordinary defensive force field would have collapsed long ago, but it managed to reduce the impact force layer by layer thanks to its unique structure, and even accumulated and rebounded it to a certain extent.

In other words, they were facing a terrifying existence like the falling sun. If it were an ordinary artillery shell attack, it could even deflect the force directly, making it impossible to cause effective damage.

Even so, the kinetic energy that the sun god spent time and effort accumulating for the falling sun was still quite terrifying.

Once the fish-scale-shaped defensive force field was stretched to its limit, it could no longer hold on and was on the verge of shattering.

A great sun is about to crash down on the earth!

One can imagine how terrifying it would be if this attack were to actually happen.

But the remaining nine archmages also completed their spellcasting animations, and a mage tower flew into the air.

At its top, a huge crystal appears.

It was a perfect creation of arcane and divine power, a crystallization of magic produced through thousands of processes.

With it at its core, spiritual power resonates with magical power, amplifying the output of energy.

Thus, a highly destructive blue-white ultra-high-energy laser was born.

This is one of the most dangerous attack methods of the Astral Floating City: Apocalypse!
As the perfectly aligned magic crystal moved, it seemed to be calibrated to target the falling sun.
Then, a laser was fired, piercing the sun and seemingly freezing time and space. But the next second, a violent explosion occurred.

A mushroom cloud rose toward the star plane, at least tens of thousands of meters high. Under the spreading shockwave, the fish-scale-shaped defensive force field seemed to be fully activated, pulsating continuously and thus dispersing the power.

Even so, the entire floating city sank suddenly under the enormous impact!
It's like a body that was trying to break free from a crack, only to be stuck even tighter.

But that's not the worst of it!
Worst of all, the falling sun disintegrated, scattering countless fireballs that crashed into various other places.

The defensive force field of the Astral Floating City is amazing, but it still has to follow some basic rules.

For example, in terms of energy support, other areas become weak, while the disintegrating fireballs have hundreds or thousands of impact points in an instant, thus breaking through local defenses.

As a result, it was like a dog had chewed on it, with patches here and there, creating many security vulnerabilities.

Inside those mage towers, the arcane mages who had been waiting in the wings immediately sprang into action.

One after another, steel golems appeared on the ground, and they were controlled to either put out fires or establish firebreaks.

Construct knights, armored warriors, and arcane legions cast spells, all working as quickly as possible to extinguish the flames and repair the barrier.

Of course, the native gods of Herka would never let such a good opportunity pass them by.

Suddenly, the sky darkened, obscuring the enormous mushroom cloud, and a terrifying entity resembling a long snake with six pairs of wings appeared out of thin air.

This one is the most famous native god of the New World, Quetzalcoatl!

The New World is actually inhabited by humans, and in fact, humans are the dominant species there. Quetzalcoatl is the most revered god among the humans.

In a sense, He is a being similar to the sun god, almost unique.

Unfortunately, He lacked the experience of the sun god in battle. After the Age of Exploration and the migration of the hundred races, other gods also went to the New World, which also compressed His space for faith.

However, you cannot deny its power.

His body was so large that it seemed to cover the entire continent.

It let out a long, thin cry, then wandered around for a moment, its six pairs of wings tearing through the air.

Then, in the void, night appeared, and countless stars filled the sky, their light falling.

From within that starlight, countless legions of supplicants and angels stepped out.

Clad in armor and fully armed, they sang battle songs praising God, displaying unparalleled high morale.

Of course, they also split into different camps.

There are angels radiating holy light, who are basically under the command of the sun god.

With rippling sea waves, its shape resembles a mermaid, and it holds a trident; it belongs to the sea gods.

Some of them resemble wild beasts, standing upright with a cruel and violent aura, as if they could pounce at any moment to tear their enemies to shreds.

This is under the command of the Behemoth orc god.

There was also a lady, perfectly serene as an eternal night, holding a longbow and casting her gaze downwards.

Under His command, all were dressed as elves, tall and slender with pointed ears, standing in neat formations, and fond of riding deer and unicorns.

This is under the command of the elven gods.

This feathered serpent god was truly remarkable; after tearing through space, he precisely connected with the divine realm of the gods of Herka.

As these legions of supplicants emerged one by one, the number of divine war legions in the sky increased, becoming so densely packed that they were impossible to count.

At this moment, in the sky, where the most dazzling radiance resided, the Sun God stood proudly in the void, holding the God-Slaying Spear, his divine power vast and boundless.

He roared like thunder: "In the name of the gods Herka, the war of the gods begins!"

"This battle will be fought to the death!"

(End of this chapter)