Star Iron, conquer the world from Omphalos

The latter scratched his head and said a little embarrassedly: "On the other side of the mountain... I went to the toilet during a break and vaguely saw these big guys. At first I thought they were something else and I was scared."

It was the middle of the night, and in the dim light, only the shadow of the Earth Beast could be seen. Julius almost thought he had encountered a Black Tide monster.

"That's it."

Ash rubbed his chin in thought.

He had specifically learned about the information of the Earth Beast and the Mountain People. It was rumored that these creatures were once considered peaceful beasts. Due to their personalities, they liked to stay in remote and quiet places like the corners of the mountains. The fact that they were found by Julius was just fate, like stepping in dog shit.

Perhaps it was a sign of good fortune brought by these earth beasts, but since their arrival, several waves of people have come to Tilkas on their own initiative. Ash rigorously screened their backgrounds and, after confirming they were all legitimate, settled them within his territory.

With these people, plus the "refugees" that Ash brought back from outside, the population in the territory of Tilkas once exceeded 5,000.

As the population grew, the pressure of life increased. At first, Old Otto could secretly exchange ore for food from Ohma, but in recent days, Ohma suddenly tightened its food control, making it much more difficult to obtain food.

Ash sent someone to inquire and learned that it was an order directly issued by the Senate. They accused Tilkas of being a bandit in the name of salvation. The fact that the Salta people were destroyed by the Black Tide confirmed this. Because of the Senate's propaganda, the voice of attacking Tilkas was spread everywhere on the communication stone tablets for a while.

"Master Ash, what should we do now? Our tribe's stored food is almost gone," Old Otto said with a worried look on his face. "The garrison has stepped up their exploration efforts and has found almost all the supplies they can find around here. The crops we've planted are still a little short of maturity. What should we do?"

Yaxiu was also troubled. If you don't know how expensive food and daily necessities are, you won't know. No wonder so many emperors in history died of overwork in the imperial study or in the harem. In any case, the emperor's life was one of hard work.

It is a headache, but the real problem still needs to be solved. Food is a big problem in every place under the eternal night. If we can't find a way to solve it, then there is no way to talk about building a country, but destroying a country can be achieved in minutes.

At this moment, Xiadie suddenly spoke, "In ancient times, the Titans' divine authority protected Omphalos. The seeds planted by people grew and sprouted under the nurturing of time. In the very beginning, people relied on the fruits of the seeds nurtured by time to sustain their livelihoods and survive the most difficult times."

Ash tilted his head, "You mean the power of time?"

"Olonius, the Titan of Ages, should be able to do it with His power."

"Although, isn't it a bit of an overkill to ask a Titan to help us dig for food?"

What Ash cared about was whether the other party was willing to do this. This kind of workmanlike behavior didn't quite fit a Titan's identity.

Xiadie shook her head slightly. "I don't know either, but if you have no other options, this is the only method worth trying. I can listen to Titan's words and help you, but whether you try it or not, and whether you can succeed, depends on you."

Another big reason why Xiadie mentioned Oronis is that Ash is different from Ohma. He does not intend to obtain the fire by killing Titans, which means that in essence he is not in opposition to the Titans.

If this is true, then considering that Tilkas is now on the opposite side of Ohma, Oronis might actually be willing to help.

More importantly, the emergence of the power of the Titans not only solved the food problem, but also allowed the newly born Shurima to occupy an important position in the land of Omfalos.

"It's all very well to try, but do you know where Oronis is?"

Ash thought about it and decided that since there was no other way out, he might as well try his luck.

"The Abyss of Fate lies at the deepest part of the Three Phases Palace."

"Okay, let's go."

...

As Ash was on his way to the Abyss of Fate, a huge civil war broke out in the distant city of Xuanfeng.

Wan Di led a large number of Xuan Feng people who tried to resist the rule of King Olipon to launch a war. The battle lasted for a whole night, and finally Wan Di successfully led his men out of the encirclement of the Xuan Feng army.

Wan Di did not let Ash interfere in the affairs of Xuanfeng City. He took a few people to sneak into the city early, contacted the people of the mountains and those Xuanfeng people who were willing to follow him, and secretly planned the entire civil war process.

Who says people with big fists have no brains?

Although Wan Di likes to use his fists to speak most of the time, at least this time his plan was successful.

The key to success was a series of mountain-dwelling rebellions led by Hathonus. He had tampered with the forging process, causing problems after the first successful experiment. When the blade, carrying Nicadori's divinity, shattered, the explosive force destroyed the entire ceremony.

When King Euripon realized the problem, it was too late. The people he sent to capture Hattonus were killed by soldiers instigated by Wan Die, and a large-scale rebellion began.

From the perspective of the Xuanfeng people, it was Maedmos who betrayed them and Nicadori's trust. However, Wandi and the Xuanfeng people he had instigated disagreed. The act of stripping Nicadori of his divinity and forging an immortal body was inherently absurd, a desecration of the conflict itself, and a betrayal of war. While it's unclear why Nicadori agreed to this, it clearly contradicted the original philosophy of the Xuanfeng people.

Believers are not fools, and ministers should not be fools. When persuasion is futile, resistance is inevitable.

So the Xuanfeng people fought against the Xuanfeng people. After a whole night of competition, Wan Di finally broke out of Xuanfeng City based on the pre-arrangement, and led nearly two thousand Xuanfeng people and a large number of mountain people to rush towards Tilkas.

Originally, it was difficult for them to escape, but Wan Di had contacted the tribes that were oppressed by Xuan Feng City. When the civil war in Xuan Feng City broke out, these tribes seized the opportunity to launch a resistance, turning the entire Xuan Feng territory upside down.

For a time, even Xuanfeng City, which had a powerful army, was unable to take care of itself. The angry King Euripon was furious and asked Nicadori to kill the defected criminal Medemos, but unfortunately, all he got was Nicadori's painful voice.

The ritual that carried the divinity was broken, and He was also damaged as a result. It was a mercy to the Xuanfeng people that Nicardoli did not explode on the spot. How could he have the time to care about Olipon?

There was chaos inside and chaos outside. The angry King Olipon could only watch his enemies and his people fall into the arms of Shurima.

Not only that, Ohma took the opportunity to send troops, and the Golden Race led the soldiers to fight all the way, and at one point they almost reached the gate of Xuanfeng City. In the end, they were repelled by the Heavenly Punishment Legion sent by Nicardoli, who had finally "woken up".

Under the threat of the Heavenly Punishment Legion, all the major clans in the Xuanfeng Territory also went into hiding.

But after this battle, Xuanfeng City was severely damaged.

Ash had no idea what had happened to Xuanfeng. At this time, he and Xiadie appeared outside an ancient temple.

"Is this the Palace of the Three Phases of Destiny?"

Ash raised his head and looked at the huge statue shrouded in the cold night.

【...αγζρο...ξνψ...】

An ethereal voice suddenly sounded in the ears of the two.

...

Keep going!

Omphalos's Journey: Chapter 41: Oronis, Titan of Time

"what sound?"

Ash was stunned for a moment.

The empty palace was dark and cold, and he almost thought he had entered Suiyuan.

"That's Oronis' voice." Xiadie frowned slightly. "Go away, you cunning, vulgar man. Are you planning to disturb my peace again when disaster strikes?... It seems He doesn't welcome us."

Ash spread his hands. "This is perfectly normal. Humanity is currently at war with the Titans, and only a few still live under their protection. Meanwhile, the Golden Ones, whom humanity worships, are chasing the Spark and trying to kill the Titans. It's a stretch to believe He would welcome us... Speaking of which, so many Titans have been affected, so what about Oronis? Is He crazy or sane?"

Xiadie: "..."

She really wanted to remind Ash that he should have asked such questions before coming, not in front of Oronis.

"Oronis is one of the few Titans who still retains his rationality, but he is also one of the most mysterious Titans."

Although Xiadie didn't continue, Yaxiu understood. Being mysterious means rarely interacting with others, which means it is difficult to communicate. No wonder he started cursing as soon as he reached the doorstep.

"Olonius, I don't come here with any ill intentions. I just want to ask you for a small favor." Ash said towards the palace.

【...αλμξρχ...】

Ash turned his head and asked, "What did He say?"

Butterfly Translator: "He said... leave, leave, there is nothing here for you... He is refusing to communicate with us."

"It seems that he is still a home-bound Titan." Ash shook his head secretly. These Titans seemed to have quite unique personalities and were very humane.

Judging from the information released by the game at the beginning, there are at least three Commander-level characters born here. Before figuring out the situation of these Titans, Ash actually didn't like to interact with them.

But Oronis is not as crazy as Nicardori. According to Xiadie, he is a very "gentle" Titan... Well, he just cursed and didn't attack directly. Compared with a crazy Titan like Nicardori, he is indeed very gentle.

"Let's go in and take a look first."

There's no point in saying anything without meeting in person. Ash waved his hand and walked into the ruins with Xiadie.

After entering, he found that the Hall of the Three Phases of Destiny was much larger than the ruins of Gioria where he lived, and the existing facilities inside were much more intact.

As one of the three Titans of Fate, Oronis holds a very special position in Omphalos. Even now, in the apocalypse, there are still priests who use the prayer of Oronis to use magical powers to turn back time.

Xiadie had witnessed Tibao using Oronis's power, so she had thought of asking Ash to ask Oronis for help, although she was not sure whether this approach would really work.

"It's amazing. The Golden Race follows the Titans' oracles, uses the Titans' power, but in turn kills the Titans to obtain the fire... Xiadie, don't you think this is contradictory?" Ash wondered.

He always felt that something was not right, but the strange thing was that everyone else seemed to take it for granted?

"The oracle is the guide to salvation, and we have no choice," Xiadie said as they walked. "Besides, the threat of conflict is approaching, the black tide and the disasters before the end of the world are constantly bringing death, pressing us hard. We don't have time to think."

"But..." She paused, then added with some sadness, "I've never felt happy participating in saving the world. This is supposed to be an act of redemption, but I've witnessed too much death along the way."

"So, isn't this even more strange? It's as if there's some invisible force driving the so-called oracle. In words that everyone can understand, this might be Zagreb's conspiracy." Ash shrugged.

So-called conspiracies and tricks often exploit weaknesses and pressurize the opponent, leaving them no time to think, exerting pressure to the point of losing their ability to think normally. If you step back and take a closer look, you'll find that most traps are actually very simple, but they only blind those involved.

And Yaxiu happened to be this character that jumped out, so he felt something was wrong. Of course, it is also possible that the oracle was right and that the oracle's idea of saving the world was correct, but it was just different from his idea.

Xiadie didn't say anything, but just frowned slightly, proving that she was thinking seriously about what Ash said.

【...λμαρχξ...】

Titan's voice sounded again.

"What is He saying again?"

"...I agree. The cursed oracle brings death..." Xiadie said with a strange expression, "He thinks you are right."

Ash was stunned. "This Titan has quite a personality..." He then smiled. "But what I said originally made sense. Kephar sent down the oracle, perhaps with the goal of saving the world, but there are too many loopholes in the interpretation and transmission of the oracle. Even the oracle itself is not unalterable. So, saving the world is a goal, not a task that requires meticulous procedures. The meaning of the oracle lies in its own right. Without the oracle, does that mean there is no one to save the world?"

"Even if some Titans have fallen into madness, there are still great Titans like Oronis who remain rational. Why can't humans and Titans join forces to save the world? How can we know it won't succeed if we haven't tried?"

Xiadie remained silent. She had considered this question before, but because the Golden Race, led by Aglaya, were all determined to follow the oracle, perhaps if she stayed in Ohma for another two years, she would probably become like the others.

【...γζρο...ξνψ...】

Ash looked at Xiadie.

"...Yes, smart humans, you, the others are stupid..."

After Xiadie finished translating, she felt a little confused. Why did Oronis seem to be echoing Ash while talking?

"Right! Oronis thinks so too. In the original Omphalos, the Titans and humans were on the same front. Our first priority should be to deal with the all-consuming black tide."

【..ξνψ..γζρο...】

Butterfly Translator: "...The Black Tide...Terrible, treacherous...Avoid it..."

"Scary, eerie?"

Ash touched his chin. He was somewhat concerned about Titan's attitude towards the Black Tide. So far, there was no information that could give a clear explanation for this.

He initially leaned towards the star core, but after seeing the Möbius strip and the idea that Omphalos was the place where some powerful being or beings created it, no one would use the star core as the fuse to restart Omphalos, right?

Emmm...it's hard to say. The Star Iron World has never lacked lunatics. What kind of things do those geniuses do isn't crazy? And then there's the God of Fun, Aha. Forget star cores. He can even make you an emissary from a bug.

Ash continued to ask a few more questions, trying to get more information from Oronis, but the homebody Titan suddenly stopped talking and only made a few strange and meaningless sounds.

"Oronis seems to be in pain." Xiadie, who resonated with Oronis's voice, also looked a little pale. Ash quickly told her to stop listening.

Since Oronis didn't refuse to communicate with him, it meant that asking him for help was very feasible. All they had to do next was wait until they met.

However, as the two continued to go deeper, Ash noticed prying eyes from inside the dim palace.

"Is there anyone else in here?" he asked in a low voice.

Xiadie thought for a moment and said, "The Temple of the Three Phases of Fate is where the three Titans of Fate are worshipped. It's normal for their followers to exist here."

The temple was not seriously damaged, most of it was just in disrepair. Considering the people who came here to seek refuge, Ash didn't think too much about it. After all, these gazes were just curious and there was no hostility.

About half an hour later, the two arrived at the central room in the center of the temple and were stopped by a group of people.

"Stranger, leave here and don't go any further."

The leader was an old man who looked like a priest.

Among these people, many were people that Ash had discovered before.

"You are?"

"Nodus, priest of Janus."

The old man was still in good health, probably around the same age as Old Otto. "Stranger, no matter where you come from, please do not go any further. The divine authority of fate can no longer bear the weight of this world. The way and the law have been taken away. Oronis of the Ages will see no one again. Even if you cross this door, your efforts will be in vain."

"We have no intention of offending Oronis, nor do we want to seize theocracy. We just have an important matter that requires Oronis's help," said Xiadie.

"Everyone here comes with a desire, but only a few are capable of listening to Oronis's voice," Nodus said slowly. "Leave! Staying any longer is a waste of time."

Ash chuckled, "Don't be so anxious, old man. Perhaps Oronis and I will get along and want to meet us."

"Who are you?" Nodus asked in confusion.

【...ξναο...γζρψ...】

Titan's voice suddenly rang out.

Nodus was startled and knelt on the ground in a hurry, and the people behind him also knelt down.