Magic Industrial Age.

Chapter 618-616: The Floating Lion City, ready for battle!
Inside the Mysterious Hall.

The huge mahogany round table was already full of people at the thirteen seats.

The archmages who were busy in various places were all forcibly recalled, including the master of the floating city, who was also pulled over from the location of the Core of Nesser.

They were clearly in a bad mood; a group of archmages who took the academic route didn't like to hide their emotions, and their feelings were written all over their faces.

However, as a high-ranking arcane mage continued to report, his hoarse voice echoed in the empty hall, making their faces even more gloomy.

"The 66th level of the Abyss, the lord of the Abyss Demon Prison, that infamous madwoman, the Spider Queen Lolth, has been defeated..."

"The Lord of the 600th Floor, Buffyment, the King of the Minotaur Abyss, has been defeated..."

"Floor 422, King Yenogu of the Abyss Gnolls, defeated..."

"And then there's Elise, the Dark Maiden..."

"The King of the 23rd Floor, the Ruler of the Frozen Wilderness, the Master of Frost Giant Warriors and Frost Giant Mages, Koschitch.

Please note that this is the person I specifically recruited to deal with that person, but the result is obvious: failure.

He discarded one of his avatars and forcefully ended his contract with me.

"The monarch of the 570th floor, the succubus queen Mechanshute..."

"The evil dragon god Garix..."

"The Wind Demon King, Pazuzu..."

“Lord Grazt the Dark Lord…”

"The last one, the ancient god of death, Yego..."

In the empty hall, each name that was called made the atmosphere even more oppressive.

Even when the Dark Lord and the Ancient God of Death appeared, a mental storm was brewing, intertwining and colliding in the void.

The entire hall remained silent for a long time, and all the archmages felt an immense, invisible pressure.

After an unknown amount of time, someone finally spoke up: "So, he really accomplished the feat of becoming the Abyss King while being a mortal?"

"This is obvious, you don't need to repeat it again and put pressure on us."

"I just... I just find it hard to believe that it's the throne of a king in an abyss!!!"

"In other words, he must be the chosen one, born of destiny?"

“We should have realized this when Ignazio Rivera’s ‘divine resurrection’ failed.”

"Are you saying that we didn't realize it?"
We've encountered Chosen Ones before. Netheril has conquered so many Material Planes and encountered countless Chosen Ones.
Ultimately, they are nothing more than pawns pushed out by the broader consciousness of this plane; faced with an absolute difference in strength, they are really nothing special!

"Then why did this happen? Was it because of your poor planning?"

"Isn't one Abyss King enough?"
The Lord of the Frost Giants may not be widely known, but that's because He keeps a low profile. In terms of strength, he surpasses most Abyss Kings.

"Speaking of which, don't you guys find it strange that a chosen one nurtured in the prime material plane could reach such a level?"
The limits of a plane are there. There are only so many monsters in the multiverse that can become Abyss Kings. It's something that only one plane can support.
Even the ripples in spacetime that fate can create have their limits, right?

"It is said that he also cultivated many sacred techniques, and relied on the position of sacred techniques to build up his current strength."

Then I'd really like to know, how many powerful beings' hidden influences are gathered within him?

"The question is, how did he manage to maintain that balance? Those fallen, great beings were even more insane than the evil gods of the abyss in their quest for resurrection!"

"Is it possible that he is no longer himself?"

"But judging from what he's done, it doesn't seem like it!"
The resurrected, great being, having broken free from the limitations of the underworld, has always been the most insane of all!

If the main hall was silent before, it was now noisy, with a group of great arcane mages speaking one after another.

There were accusations, speculations, rebuttals, and analyses...

The arcanists' pursuit of truth reached its peak at this moment, and a group of them argued incessantly.

Until Michael, the lord of the floating city sitting in the very center, suddenly slammed his hand on the table.

boom!
A loud bang silenced all the archmages, leaving only Michael yelling, "All you do is argue! How many years has this been going on?"

"We've been here since Netheril, for so many years, haven't you had enough of arguing yet?"

"What time is it now? At this critical juncture of life and death, why are you all still unable to unite? Do you all want to die far from home?"

His words were harsh, but the archmages who bowed their heads all wore expressions of mockery.

In fact, if these great arcane mages had acted all loving and harmonious, it would have been Michael who couldn't sit still.

The first person on the left, the portly chief of the Arcane Council, asked, "Lord, what do you suggest we do?"

Michael's expression turned serious. After thinking for a long time, he said, "First, check all the levitation rings, keep them in normal operation, and prepare for a forced activation."

“But if we leave, the divine catastrophe cannot be sustained. I’m afraid the divine kingdom will have to be opened up to allow the native gods of Herka to return.”

"It's alright. When that time really comes, those great beings from beyond the plane will pounce on us like jackals and hyenas, buying us time."

However, this is a backup plan. If things don't go as planned, we can decide whether to fight or retreat.

"Yes!"

"Also, release all the stockpiled weapons of war. Now is not the time to be stingy."

"I'll take care of this!"

"Destruction-level war magic, always ready, and when needed, don't be stingy with your magical energy reserves."

"Yes!"

"Bring out the remaining offerings as well, but this time, I'm afraid not many Abyss Kings and Hell Lords will be willing to come."

"Don't worry, there will always be those who are greedy."

"The rest of you, work with me to prepare the ultimate arcane spell. As long as we finish it first, we still have a chance to overturn everything."

"Leader!"

The order was given, and within moments all the archmages had departed.

They were busy before, and now they're even busier.

Only Michael, the lord of the floating city, remained seated, head slightly bowed, lost in thought.

After a long, long time, a hoarse, murmuring voice rang out, audible only to him: "Don't force me, don't force me! If you really push me too far, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"The prime material plane is vast and boundless, yet it is as fragile as an egg, breaking at the slightest touch."

Looking up again, the lord of the floating city, the practitioner of truth, now had a sinister look on his face, and his eyes were flashing with a mad light.

……

Three days later, in the Flower Forest, inside the Lion Manor.

Saint John rushed into the study, shouting, "Loy, Loy, more news from the church!"

This is the eighth earthquake in the floating city today, and there have been a total of twenty-one earthquakes in three consecutive days. According to the predictions of some old mages in the church, the Arcane Council must be planning something big.

Time, we really are running out of time!

Luo Yi looked up from her desk, somewhat helplessly, and said to Saint John, "I know, I know, I'm preparing for it, aren't I?"
"You've been watching me for so many days, do you think I've had a break?"

"This is a large-scale troop mobilization, and the process is very complicated. You have to give me some time!"

"No matter how much you try to persuade me, I've been in the abyss and fought alongside you."

I know the complexity of war, the importance of logistics, and the costs and losses incurred during the journey.

Now, although we have spatial portals, their throughput is limited.

At this point, he finally revealed his true intentions: "So, what I mean is, you can first send out a vanguard to the Papal States through the portal in the Flower Territory, and then use the Papal States' portal to get to the Floating City."

Otherwise, even if you're fully prepared, you can't teleport so many troops all at once; it's still a waste of time.

Luo Yi narrowed her eyes slightly and asked, "Did the thousand-strong guard I gave you encounter resistance in the floating city?"

Saint-Jones smiled wryly: "I can't hide it from you. They are actually quite fierce. They have ample logistics and can keep up with maintenance."

However, there were simply too few people.

The Arcane Council gathered many legendary experts and armored warriors to block their advance, and they managed to stop their charge by relying on their numbers.

I thought that if there were several such magical legions attacking from different directions, we could disperse their forces.

"You have a point."

Luo Yi nodded slowly, which was considered as agreement, but then said, "However, there's no need to go through all that trouble."

"But……"

Saint-Jon was about to try to persuade him further when there was a knock at the door, and old Hoover, now with a full head of silver hair, walked in.
He bowed slightly and said, "Sir, the troops and war supplies have been transported and are ready to depart at any time."

"Thank you for your hard work. I'll make the arrangements later, and I should be going now."

"Yes!"

Old Hoover turned and left, leaving Saint-Jon somewhat bewildered. He asked, "Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you somewhere. Remember, keep your mouth shut. You can't act so ignorant as a cardinal of the church!"

Despite his curiosity, Saint John almost instinctively retorted: "I've seen the true god descend to earth, and my lord even praised me for my competence to my face. What haven't I seen?!"

"Let's go then!"

...That's what they said, but Saint John was still quite curious.

Then, he followed Loy onto the short-distance teleportation array set up inside the mage tower, and in the blink of an eye, he found himself seemingly inside a train station.

Thanks to the extensive railway system in the flower-lined area, he was naturally familiar with the layout of the station, and he could even tell from the windows on all four sides that this was the East Station of Brussels.

However, just as he was feeling somewhat lost, he was led onto a route he had never seen before and boarded a magical train at the ridiculous 'Platform Nine and Three-Quarters'.

This train, with its streamlined design, bullet-shaped engine, silver-white body, and carriages equipped with temperature control magic, truly amazed him.

What amazed him even more was that he watched as the train pulled away and directly entered a shimmering spatial portal.

When it reappeared, it was in a larger and more luxurious station.

The marble floor was so shiny it reflected light, the massive Roman columns supported the huge dome, and the colorful glass reflected the sunlight so brightly.

From that point on, Saint-Jon's mouth never closed.

He saw rows of tall buildings rising up like a jungle.

I saw neat streets, straight as if they could lead to the end, and what's even more impressive is that they clearly separated pedestrian walkways from vehicle lanes.

The greenery in the middle of the driveway is a real eye-catcher.

At this moment, the sidewalk was filled with a constant stream of soldiers, most of them fully armed, rushing to various places.

Tanks and transport vehicles moved forward in an orderly fashion on the roadway amidst a rumbling sound.

What's even more outrageous is that there are timed traffic lights at that intersection, directing traffic forward.
Every so often, traffic police are on duty to direct traffic!
Saint John swore he had been to the capital of the Habsburg Empire, but even there, in the most bustling streets, he had never seen such a modern city.

Loy underestimated the impact of Lion City, but what was the reality?

Sometimes, when he looked out of the car, his eyes would drift into a brief, dreamy state.

He can't go back. Even with all his strength, he doesn't think he can return to his former hometown.

But in this world, a city that is almost a perfect replica of the one in my memory seems to offer some solace, doesn't it?
At this moment, Saint Yorn finally couldn't hold back any longer: "Loy, my Lord Loy, where exactly is this place?"

"Haven't you noticed yet?" Luo Yi said, stamping her foot.
This reminder alerted Saint-Yon's senses, and in an instant, he raised his head in horror: "Are we suspended in mid-air?"

No, no, no, it should be said that this city is suspended in mid-air.

Although it was only a few tens of centimeters off the ground, it was truly detached from the earth.

So, this is also a floating city?

By the end, Saint-Jon was trembling slightly, and he even denied it with a lack of confidence: "But how is this possible? How is it possible?"

"Why isn't it possible?"

Loy said, "The Herka plane is not without alchemical creations that allow flight. For example, the Eiffel Tower of the Bonaparte Empire can float in the air, and there have been ships in history that flew in the clouds."
In terms of technical expertise, it is not lacking.

However, without a sufficient supply of magic power, it is impossible to create a floating city.

"But with the magic energy pool, both the energy reserves and the instantaneous and continuous output of magic energy have met the requirements."

In other words, as long as there are enough magic energy pools, a floating city can be built.

"But, but, shouldn't there be many mage towers in that case? Why don't I see any?"

"Who says a mage's tower has to be a spire? As far as the eye can see, there are many mage's towers mixed in with this one."

"You can actually do that? You can actually do that?"

At this point, Luo Yi began to pour cold water on the idea, saying, "However, this Lion City was originally designed as a residential city, not intended to be used as a war base."

Later, the situation changed drastically, so it was changed to a floating war fortress. However, much of the infrastructure had already been completed, so it could only be modified.

In addition, due to the immaturity of the technology and the lack of experience, the gap between them and the astral floating cities of Netheril is actually enormous.

Therefore, you must not confuse the two.

Saint-Jon pressed further: "So how big is the difference exactly?"

Luo Yi thought for a moment before saying, "It's at least the difference between the first generation of the King of Land Warfare and the fourth generation, like heaven and earth."

Unfortunately, technology requires not only significant investment but also time to mature.

The magical technology development in Flower Territory has been rapid, but it's impossible for you to catch up with Netheril's accumulated knowledge over countless years.

Saint-Yon couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, but Kroy smiled and said, "However, it's a bit lacking, but it still has the basic functions."

"It's still possible to land using this floating city."

As they spoke, they arrived at their destination: Lion Castle, located in the heart of the city.
The Raymond family's castle, destroyed many years ago, has been rebuilt here, not only larger and more luxurious, but also bearing a more important responsibility.

This is also the core of the entire floating city.

After Roy and Saint-Yon got off the bus, they found someone and asked him to show Saint-Yon around.
He also needed to handle some of the most important matters before the war.

……

The city lord's bedroom

There was some silence, but the work never stopped.

Lilia personally helped Loy remove his clothes, bathe and change, and finally, she dressed him in his brand-new dark red and gold count's robes, one by one.

Luo Yi clearly had a lot to say and explain; he had thought a lot about it before coming.

But at this moment, he seemed to choke, unable to utter a single word.

Lilia, though busy, always kept her head down, appearing extremely depressed.

Only after everything was finished did she manage to lift her head, her eyes red, but still flashing a bright smile: "The children and I are here waiting for you to come back."

Luo Yi hugged her tightly, all her unspoken words condensed into one sentence: "Don't worry, your man is a great being who became a king despite being only a mortal."
No matter what enemy I face, they are nothing but clay chickens and earthen dogs.

A simple sentence is the best way for a couple to have a heart-to-heart talk. The two left the bedroom and saw Klein in the living room next door.

Mira Greenman, with her little one, who was at an active age, seemed restless.

There's also Old Hoover, Maruna, Ang, Sid Francis, and Lord Sid Cruz.

They are all veterans of the Flower Clan, having accompanied Luo Yi all the way and made great contributions.

There's also Oliveira, the Flame Sword Saint Otto, the Iron Knight Phil, and Lady Palacios.

They followed Luo Yi in his campaigns across the north and south, and even experienced the baptism of the source, each of them becoming a legend.

What's most precious is that they've followed Luo Yi all the way, never abandoning her.

Nowadays, there are many people under Luo Yi's command who are stronger than them, not many, but when it comes to trust, they are the best among them.

Luo Yi looked at them, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "Everyone, please help me guard the Flower Territory, I beg you!"

This seemingly simple sentence carries a sense of entrusting one's orphan to another.

Everyone's faces tightened, and no one spoke.

A flash of lightning appeared, and Oliveira stood before Loy. His cheeks were still gaunt, and his eyes were indifferent yet swirling with emotion.

"Chief, you should have taken me with you!"

Luo Yi patted his arm and said, "Professor Oliveira, you know that only when you help me protect my home can I have no worries."

Please, really!

Oliveira pursed her lips, unwilling to speak, while Loy waved her hand and said, "Let's go! Let's go! Let's go now!"

Luo Yi gave the order, but the living room was unusually quiet, and no one was willing to move.

It wasn't until Lilia came out that she hugged Loy again before pulling Klein along and leaving first.

After she left, the others approached Luo Yi one by one, bowed, and then left.

Only after everyone had left did Luo Yi flash to the window and look down.

From this angle, he could see Lilia leading the group, one after another, disappearing into the portal.

Taking a deep breath, Luo Yi turned around and took a step. With each step, all her sentimental feelings and hesitations vanished, leaving only the decisive and ruthless king, who was like a god.

He walked onto the extended open-air balcony, looked down, and saw nothing but fully armed Guards soldiers.

Armed, they stood with their heads tilted back, waiting. When Loy appeared, they cried out in a great voice, "King! King! King!"

At this moment, Luo Yi felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment, which filled his body and even made him feel intoxicated.

Power is the best beauty treatment for a man, and that's absolutely true.

He raised his hand, clenched it, and the unified shouts disappeared. He then spoke, his calm voice resounding throughout the entire floating city.

"Floating Lion City, advance!"

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

The roars seemed to provide boundless power, causing the entire earth to tremble and rumble...

No, that wasn't an illusion; the earth was genuinely shaking.

Under Luo Yi's orders, Shen Lan communicated with the tower spirit, which then gained access to control the energy output of the magic pool.

Suddenly, beneath the earth, the magical runes on the floating ring shone brightly, generating a powerful repulsive force.
And so, the entire city rose higher and higher, little by little, until it was almost disappearing into the clouds.
Propelled by the engines on both sides, it began to slowly accelerate, getting faster and faster, until it disappeared at the horizon.

(End of this chapter)