You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

When did the battle begin?

"The enemy's golden ships are still in the chaotic star field."

"So, even at this point in time, the other side has no weaknesses?"

The spiritual thoughts of the Silver Clan were rapidly communicating in the void.

From their perspective, the battle hadn't even started before their own Noldos inexplicably vanished, leaving everyone baffled.

However, they possessed extremely high intelligence and had records of the abilities of each hero race, so they quickly reached a conclusion:

The battle had already taken place in another timeline, but Nodos was unable to win. After trying to jump through timelines to find a weakness, he chose the present timeline, but was still defeated.

"Incredible... It can actually resist the power of time."

"If that ship wasn't a legacy of the Golden Clan, then where did this power that defies common sense come from?"

Should we make contact?

"It could provoke more hostile behavior."

"We should retreat now."

"agree."

"agree."

"agree."

...The Silver Clan quickly finalized their next move.

Although intelligence indicated that this golden ship had previously allied with the human faction and was theoretically their mortal enemy, the Silver Clan had no intention of annihilating it at all costs.

Their presence here is more out of interest in the unknown technology contained within the gold ship itself, rather than out of conventional hostility.

Those extreme individuals who believe that "danger must be nipped in the bud" and "weeds must be eradicated at the root" do not make up a large proportion of the Silver Clan.

Their people have a tradition of suppressing their emotions and pursuing absolute rationality, even developing a technology to separate and store feelings and memories separately. This makes them lack emotional fluctuations and gradually forms a cold and indifferent personality.

In addition, it was a nomadic civilization in itself...

The Silver Clan is actually quite disorganized and lacks a unified will. When problems arise, clansmen from several surrounding star regions often gather together for a temporary meeting to make decisions. If circumstances change, it is also common for them to change their minds.

For example, the attack on the solar system a hundred years ago was proposed by the nominal patriarch, who only convinced about a third of the representatives before deciding to wage war against humanity.

—Most of the Silver Clan members never actually voted, nor did they care about what humans were like.

That's right, the Black Iron Clan is prone to emotional outbursts, but the reasons given by the clan leader, such as humanity's potential threat to the universe, are largely irrelevant to most of the clan members.

Just kidding, there are many flawed races in this universe, and humans are not that aggressive by comparison.

For example, this time when Iori was intercepted, it was only through the joint proposal of the clan chief and the executive officer Paeteo that "Nodos of Time" was brought over.

Aside from them, the remaining Silver Clan members came out of a thirst for the unknown, all to study the Golden Ship. Without Nodos overseeing things, they wouldn't have been willing to fight to the death for it.

"We've lost a Northorth."

Should we convene a meeting with representatives from the entire clan to discuss this?

Was the clan chief's decision based on rational analysis?

“I have my doubts about this.”

After exchanging mental messages, the Silver Clan warships activated their hyperspace engines and entered the Star Path just before the Golden Boat broke through the Chaotic Star Domain.

But Paete, who was in charge of human affairs, finally issued an order:

"Summon representatives of the Silver Race from across the universe to negotiate with the Chieftain and discuss whether to invoke our Nodos—'Yotira the Destroyer'!"

Chapter 522 Please put on your pants before you speak.

The universe is vast and boundless. The seemingly numerous stars scattered within it are like a handful of glass balls thrown into the sea. Not only are they far apart, but "deserts" often appear between galaxies, which are unimaginably vast vacuum regions.

Even if one masters the technology of interstellar travel, as long as one cannot overcome the laws of conservation of energy and matter, one must constantly obtain supplies from the outside world in order to survive. Such vacuum deserts are often measured in light-years, and one must be prepared to go decades or even longer without supplies if one wants to cross them.

Many rudimentary civilizations will be trapped at this stage, forever confined to their home star system and Proxima Centauri, unable to travel to more distant worlds.

However, the Golden Clan overcame this obstacle.

They not only developed the "hyperspace engine," a technology for space jump, but also opened up "star paths" among the stars, much like ocean currents or highways, greatly reducing the difficulty of finding coordinates and directions in the vast universe.

They disseminated the technology free of charge, enabling countless weak races to usher in the cosmic era through the "Path of the Stars".

Although they do not claim to be gods, many races do regard them as objects of worship, and some planets with strong religious atmospheres even believe that they created the universe.

The Uranus is now sailing through the Star Path, which feels like being enveloped by a tunnel of light. The concepts of time and space are blurred, and indistinguishable energy is flying around. Because there are no reference points, it is impossible to determine how fast they are going. Only the data records on the hyperspace engine prove that they have long since exceeded the limits of the material universe.

If hyperspace could be observed from the physical universe, from the perspective of the physical universe, this would result in a rather exaggerated figure that would make everyone lose their awe of the speed of light.

How to get to the next service area (planet) is handled by a central computer and a group of veteran sailors, so Iori doesn't need to worry about it. He can just enjoy the beauty of the universe as a tourist.

The captured Lecty is still unconscious. Iori has arranged a separate room for her, which is monitored by AI. Apart from that, there are no other means of restraint, and it seems that Iori is not worried about her causing a scene after she wakes up.

The Silver Clan didn't pursue relentlessly, or rather, they lacked confidence in Iori and the Golden Boat. Currently, they have no fundamental conflict of interest with Iori, so they lacked the courage to go all out.

The Human Federation probably didn't know that Nodos had been captured by Iori, but even so, they were still actively searching for Iori's whereabouts among the stars. Every time they arrived at a transit planet, their presence would attract a lot of attention.

The fact that the Golden Ship defeated the Silver Clan—this was deliberately publicized by humans and sparked considerable discussion among various races.

Although most of them did not have the courage to directly resist the Silver Clan, they still treated Iori and the others with the same respect they would show to heroes.

It is worth noting that the Silver Race effectively ruled over most of the universe. They brought interstellar travel technology to many races, much like the Gold Race did in the past, but their reputation was far inferior to that of the former, and there were countless people who were dissatisfied with them.

It's not that the Silver Clan oppressed them, but as the successors of the Gold Clan, this self-proclaimed rational race displayed a rather domineering side in diplomacy.

Aside from providing guidance, the Golden Clan does not interfere in the internal affairs of any race, and they rarely concern themselves with conflicts and contradictions between different races. As long as it does not cause as much harm as the Hero Clan, they are happy to let things take their course.

However, Romulo, the patriarch of the Silver Clan, felt that as the successor of the Gold Clan, he had the responsibility and obligation to manage this universe, and that weaker races must accept the guidance of the Silver Clan in order to survive.

Simply put, their style of doing things is somewhat similar to that of the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Mobilizing the Bronze Race to conquer the solar system is just the most representative example. There are many other domineering acts by the Silver Race, which naturally arouse the dissatisfaction of many weaker races.

Over the years, humanity has gradually grown into a powerful force second only to the Silver Race. Although most races dare not openly side with them, they are extremely friendly in their attitude.

If humanity were to possess power surpassing that of the Silver Race... it would unleash a massive wave across the universe!

Perhaps in order to shatter the image of the Silver Clan as invincible, the human rulers began to tout the power of the Golden Ark, but they blurred the origins and stance of Iori, leading the stars to believe that he was also a member of the Human Federation.

—Iori wasn't angry.

Although it exposed his true colors, it undoubtedly increased his fame.

Incredibly, the CG image he obtained from "Re:Creators" that grants him "existence and recognition" has begun to refresh in this world!

Perhaps it's because it also affects the "cognition of all mankind"... no, it goes even further, leaving an impression on the minds of intelligent races throughout the entire universe!

The Human Federation's publicity efforts, both overt and covert, have actually contributed a significant amount to Iori's art style value.

This put him in a great mood. He leisurely made his way to the human capital planet to meet the current rulers, while also traveling through the universe with his girlfriends, showing them its wonders.

Of course, the universe is essentially an infinitely empty vacuum. No matter how novel it is, it will eventually become boring. So most of the time, we just take a trip down to explore when we are close to a planet in orbit.

……

This is a relatively undeveloped habitable planet. Looking up at the sky from the ground, you can see a beautiful view of unique star rings and satellites reflecting each other, giving you the feeling of being in a fantasy world.

The Golden Boat entered the atmosphere and landed smoothly on the sea. Iori then led the crew out for a banquet—after continuous hyperspace jumps, everyone had accumulated a lot of pressure.

The "former pirates" were good at creating a lively atmosphere, and the death goddess girls from another world quickly joined in the fun party. The noisy crowd even included two guys, Flame Dragon and Ice Dragon, making it, to put it bluntly, feel like a chaotic dance of demons.

In this situation, even the usually serious Alpha relaxed a bit. Holding two glasses of wine, he tried to find Iori but couldn't. Turning around, he saw his aunt Beatrice also looking for someone.

The two, who looked remarkably alike, exchanged a glance, as if looking in a mirror, and then guiltily looked away.

Alpha was alright, but Beatrice's cheeks were burning. She probably subconsciously put herself in the position of an elder, feeling like she was competing with a child for a favorite toy...

On another note, where did Iori go?

This is a remote, uninhabited mountain forest. Iori brought Sera here and first used an A-class magic cannon to clear a space. Then, she used the power of the Earth Mother Goddess to shape the soil and trees.

Wooden cabins, wells, paths, fences, bathrooms, kitchens... Under Athena's planning, a decent-looking camp quickly appeared.

By the time the basic structure was completed, the sun had already set, and starlight spilled into the quiet forest.

The wooden houses are scattered about, and the wood, which has been magically dried, not only has no dampness but also exudes a natural fragrance and feels warm and comfortable to the touch.

The floor was made of mud, inscribed with magic circles by Sera, which could maintain the indoor temperature within a comfortable range. In addition, there were runes to regulate humidity and repel wild animals and mosquitoes, improving the camp environment and leaving Iori deeply impressed.

"The ship clearly has a better environment, yet we still have to go through all this trouble."

"It's the same principle as people living in the city going camping—it's only when the conditions are a little simple that people can feel the fun and authenticity of life."

After hearing Iori's words, Sera said, "Besides, don't you think this creates a better atmosphere?"

"what?"

"...It's rare to be alone and able to enjoy some time alone with your girlfriend. What are you unhappy about?"

Sera pouted somewhat angrily, smoothly ignoring the objective fact that Athena was also there.

Unfortunately, the goddess of wisdom is bound to her.

Sera could find a time when Esdeath and the others were not around, and she could also take Iori away from the Death Girls group, which was full of "malicious" people, but she really couldn't do anything about Athena and Hippolyta, the two subordinate gods whose souls were bound to each other.

Fortunately, Hippolyta was rather naive and was never her rival, while Athena... ha!

How can someone who uses bra pads compete with someone who is all-natural (?)?

"I just feel that something so obvious doesn't need to be explained."

Although Iori disagreed, she still smiled and said, "Besides, with such a beautiful person by my side, I really don't know where to look. No matter how beautiful the scenery around us is, I have no mood to appreciate it."

"Hmm~"

Sera nodded in satisfaction: "You're smart to know what's good for you. But now I'm no longer ashamed or tempted by such words. As payment for designing the Super Grail, you need to serve me wholeheartedly today, understand?"

This is a lie!

In fact, her heart was already racing, and she even wanted to take Iori right there and then, and have her completely taken advantage of her!

However, a lady cannot be so vulgar; she still needs to maintain a certain level of refinement.

To her great surprise, they found a natural hot spring here. The two of them enthusiastically began to modify it, and with the help of magic, they quickly made it look quite decent.

A circle of smooth, rounded stones, with snow-white veins resembling tree branches, surrounds the hot spring. In the center stands a golden lion-head statue, spewing hot, steaming water from its gaping mouth. A railing made of bamboo and wood isolates the area from the outside world, allowing only the starlight to filter down...

Thus, a luxurious yet simple open-air hot spring was completed.

"Perfect!"

Sera nodded in satisfaction, a slight blush on her face, whether from exhaustion or from thinking about something inappropriate for children, it was hard to tell.

Then she suddenly wondered, "Why separate the pools?"

"Ok?"

"It's just the two of us... is there any need to separate us into male and female sides?"

Sera pointed to the curtain and asked.

"Because if there's no distinction between men and women, mixed bathing would be too direct, and the act of peeping and exposing oneself would lose its meaning!"

"...Mr. Iori, just in case, I'd like to ask:"

You know what kind of relationship we have, right?

"Hmph, the point isn't how much can be seen, but the shame of being seen. That's why hot springs must be segregated by gender, and even when bathing in the wet, one must wear clothes!"

Iori smirked: "This is a man's romance; you would never understand."

"..."

……

"Oh~ Hoo hoo hoo..."

Slowly immersing herself in the hot spring, Iori took off all her clothes, submerging her from the chest down, and completely relaxed.

"It's nice to relax like this once in a while."

Scooping up the steaming spring water and splashing it on herself, feeling the flow of the water, Iori closed her eyes and let out a contented hum.

After soaking in the quiet water for a while, Iori opened her eyes and looked up at the clear night sky, where countless stars twinkled like silver sand.

The soft moonlight, like a light veil, enveloped the world, adding a touch of mystery and tranquility to the already misty hot springs.