Chapter 323: Breaking the Neck at the Slightest Disagreement
Metternich spent twenty years of his life on this divination.
This is an extremely high price to pay for anyone.
But for him, a "professional gambler", it seems that he doesn't care at all.
In his own words, if Ryan had not appeared, he would have died on the "Destiny Card".
"Lifespan" is just a number, "luck" is the most important factor that determines how long a person can live. It's like the chips on the gambling table. Only when you win in the gambling game, it belongs to you.
Even if his physical lifespan could have been another eighty years, if he couldn't get over that hurdle, the rest of his life would be completely meaningless.
As gamblers, what we gamble on is our fate.
…
"So...you want to stay with me?"
Ryan was also surprised to hear what Metternich said.
A "three-eyed evil god" with unknown abilities, just having one more person by his side?
If we really want to talk about experts, Ryan has quite a few around him. Not to mention Ymir, Thunder Crow, Tust... and some hidden arrangements. In the Omar Royal Capital, no one can kill him.
If it is really a "death catastrophe", it shouldn't be as simple as just having one more legendary combat force.
Metternich: “Yes.”
Ryan: “Why?”
“…”
Metternich shook his head, indicating that he himself did not know what would happen.
But he explained why he did so.
"In this game of cards, I am the Joker. No one can replace me."
Metternich turned over a black and white Joker card.
He used poker cards for divination.
He also explained the current situation in gambler terms: "There is a saying in our gambler sequence that two 'JOKER cards' together are the biggest cards no matter what the rules are. Unless the opponent has the ability to destroy the entire poker rules."
“…”
Ryan was thoughtful when he heard this.
He has a colored joker, while Metternich has a black and white joker. Put them together and it's a royal flush?
Can it also lead to qualitative changes?
Metternich continued, "It seems that the rule of the Ice Ridge Wasteland is the 'Extraordinary Fifth Order'. Under this rule, no one can be greater than the law and order. I speculate that the evil god does not have the ability to break this rule, or... the things here are not worth it for Him to pay a certain price to break the rules."
After thinking about it, he said, "Moreover, according to what you said, when the Black Emperor Moises was defeated during the Monkel civilization, the enemy was the Three-Eyed People. So I also speculate that the restrictions on the Ice Ridge Wasteland may have been set up by the Black Emperor. It is used to protect this land under the fog and us... the descendants of the 'Seventy-Two Gods'!"
“I see…”
Ryan listened and nodded.
He also didn't expect that Metternich could analyze so many things just by listening to what he said.
But when I think about it, I feel that this statement is the most reasonable.
Whether it was the previous battle in the "Black Wind Territory" or Master Kavo's personal challenge, they both confirmed that the evil god's combat power was indeed invincible in the world, but it did not break through the upper limit of the "Extraordinary Fifth Level".
Moreover, it is highly possible that the humans in the Ice Ridge Wasteland are the descendants of the Seventy-two Divine Generals.
Although this law restricts all extraordinary beings from going beyond the fifth level, from another perspective, it is also a form of protection.
There are real gods in the world outside the fog. It is hard to imagine how a human population can survive without the existence of "god-level powerful beings"?
And at present, at least within the range of level five, the extraordinary people in the foggy world have very strong combat power.
…
The next day, early morning.
There was a bustling scene at the Omar Palace.
Early in the morning, various princes of Omar, hereditary grand dukes, grand marquises... and the heads of major old families who had not attended court meetings for many years all came to the palace.
During the more than half a year that King Spurgeon XV had been bedridden, he had hardly held any large-scale court meetings, and the palace's parliament hall had not been so lively for a long time.
Everyone understood that today would probably be the day to announce the most important issue of succession to the throne.
"Hey! I heard that His Majesty's health is getting worse and worse. I think he will only live for a day or two..."
"Yes, I'm afraid the result will be announced at today's court meeting."
"The princes are fighting overtly and covertly, and the situation in the lower classes of Omar is also unstable. Under the current situation, it would be better if the succession to the throne is settled as soon as possible. I don't know which prince will inherit the throne..."
“…”
Ministers and nobles gathered in groups of three or five, whispering from time to time.
No matter who is the emperor, it makes little difference to these high-ranking nobles who choose to remain "neutral".
The operation of the empire requires them, and their family also controls the population and the mechanical city. No matter who ascends the throne, they must make friends with them.
"Look, people from Black Dragon City are here."
At this moment, someone shouted, and everyone's eyes turned over and the entire council hall fell silent in an instant.
Looking closely, Ryan in a plain white admiral's suit and Ymir in a light blue princess dress slowly walked into the venue.
A group of four people.
Guards were not allowed in the palace, so the only people accompanying him were old man Tust and a young man in a black tuxedo with his hat pulled down low.
Seeing Ryan and his companions enter the venue, the nobles took the initiative to greet them.
"Your Highness the Princess!"
“Ymir…”
"aunt……"
There are all kinds of names.
Many of these white-haired old men are Ymir's elders in terms of seniority.
This is how the old aristocrats are, with generations of intermarriage, the big families are more or less related to each other.
This eldest princess, who was once treated as a "plague" and expelled from Oma by this group of people in Omaha, is now back.
It was the same group of people, but their attitudes had changed dramatically. They were as enthusiastic as if they were their own flesh and blood relatives.
Respect has always been linked to strength.
The incident of the eight hundred mechanical knights of Black Dragon City forcibly breaking through the Royal Academy of Sciences yesterday is still vivid in people's minds. Everyone knows that this once-disgraced princess has an "invincible mechanical army" in her hands. Her rise is unstoppable.
Most of those who spoke were great nobles or relatives on good terms with Ymir, and Ymir had to deal with them one by one.
Of course, she didn't forget to introduce Ryan to everyone.
"Congratulations, congratulations... From today on, our Omar and your 'Black Dragon City' will officially conclude a good alliance. Your Highness Ymir, please take good care of your uncles in your hometown in the future..."
"Ymir... your Black Dragon City occupies a good location. I heard that your Karatwa Basin produces high-quality coal and iron ore resources? I happen to be running some mines in the empire, and I don't lack large-scale equipment. When the time comes, we can exchange business..."
"My territory happens to produce high-quality food. I heard that your territory is developing very well , and it must need a large amount of food supply. If you have any needs, just ask directly. You don't have to be polite when you are a family!"
"Your Highness, I heard that your Black Dragon City's School of Mechanical Engineering is also recruiting students from the two empires? That bastard from your uncle's family happens to have some talent for mechanics, and he's your cousin Thomas. You met him a few years ago..."
“…”
Business hype is always the same thing.
Power, money, resources...an exchange of interests.
Of course, there are also various people who come to establish connections.
No matter from which perspective, "Black Dragon City" is now a piece of "fat meat" with huge attraction.
Resources, technology, population, geographical location... any one of these aspects would make the two empires salivate.
If they were not supported by powerful military force, these guys would have already considered plundering by force.
Ryan was not good at socializing in the upper-class aristocratic circle and sat there with an indifferent expression.
Even if someone greeted him, he would just nod politely.
…
I waited like this for about half an hour.
The court meeting was still not held.
The eunuch came to report that the old emperor was in a bad mental state and was resting, so we might have to wait for a while.
Ryan sat in his seat, but he kept thinking in his mind where the so-called "death disaster" that Metternich had predicted for him was.
Now the parliament hall is divided into four distinct groups.
The neutral nobles, the second prince's faction, the fourth prince's faction, and the eighth prince's faction.
The three princes who had a chance to inherit the throne and the major old families who supported them all stood together, most of them were pot-bellied noble lords.
The guards were all outside the palace, and the few officials who held military power were not of very high Transcendental rank. Looking around, among the hundreds of people in the huge parliament, only a few old generals had reached the fifth level of Transcendental.
But obviously, Ryan felt that these were not things that could threaten his life.
His eyes occasionally glanced at the group of people led by the Second Prince, but he did not see the white-robed missionary from the Glorious City.
I heard that guy is currently using magic to "treat" the old emperor in the back hall.
Coincidentally, just when Ryan was thinking about what tricks the missionary had, the guy just walked in from the front door.
As soon as he came in, the crowd immediately surrounded him.
Everyone started asking, "Master Miriel, how is His Majesty?"
At this question, everyone pricked up their ears and listened.
The missionary responded with a serious expression: "Your Majesty's condition is not too good... but after treatment, he is now fully conscious. After a short rest, he will be able to attend court..."
Hearing "fully conscious", everyone breathed a sigh of relief .
This also means that the decision-making power on succession to the throne is still in the hands of the old emperor, and no one can make a fuss about it.
But Ryan, who was far away, listened and narrowed his eyes slightly.
Conscious?
Haha... I'm afraid it's for the convenience of following your instructions.
Metternich behind Ryan also spoke at this time, with a very strange tone: "Tsk tsk, I never thought that the Glory City had such a method before. No wonder the second prince Karen has such a big chance of winning in the divination result when he is in such a weak situation..."
Ryan touched his chin and said, "So, we must not let someone who has been brainwashed by the evil god inherit the throne."
Metternich smiled and said, "Don't worry. Oma is about to collapse. No one can be the emperor."
When Ryan heard this, his expression changed slightly, but not much.
He naturally believed that this squinty-eyed man had this ability, and said, "The succession to the throne is a small matter, but we have to find a way to stop those guys in the Glorious City from continuing to spread the evil god belief in this way..."
Metternich thought for a moment and nodded, "This is indeed a little troublesome."
As they were chatting, they didn't expect that the second prince Karen actually came straight towards them with the white-robed missionary.
"Aunt, you are here."
Karen politely performed the chest protection etiquette to Ymir, then looked at Ryan beside him and said hello: "Mr. Ryan, it's an honor to meet you. I wanted to invite you to visit my house, but I was too hasty when I met you yesterday..."
"Your Highness, the Second Prince, I am honored to meet you."
Ryan looked at this uninvited guy and a polite smile appeared on his face.
He also guessed that this guy probably thought he didn't know that they had used some means to tamper with the old emperor's cognition.
So, probably he came to show goodwill.
After all, Ymir is a staunch supporter of his brother, which means that once the old emperor announces his right to the throne, "Black Dragon City" may be a powerful supporter of him, Karen!
Karen smiled and said, "I heard that Mr. Ryan is an excellent fighter, with combat power comparable to the top extraordinary..."
"Your Highness, you are too kind. This is just a trivial skill, not worth mentioning..."
Ryan listened to the other party's flattery and said something modestly, but he was a little surprised in his heart.
What on earth is this guy trying to do?
At this time, Karen's eyes flashed with an imperceptible gleam, and he said, "I heard that Mr. Ryan has now reached the third level of transcendence and is comprehending the 'fist spirit'?"
Ryan knew that his information had spread to all major forces, so it was no surprise that the Second Prince knew about it, so he casually replied, "Yes."
Hearing this, Karen laughed self-deprecatingly and said, "I don't have that talent... I still have to rely on potions to advance to the third level of transcendence, and there is no hope of reaching the fourth level of transcendence in my lifetime. Mr. Ryan's outstanding talent is really enviable."
Obviously, Ryan knew that the second prince did not come here just to flatter himself.
Sure enough, at this moment, Karen made a gesture and the white-robed missionary beside him suddenly took out a jade box.
Seeing the puzzled eyes of the others, Karen introduced mysteriously: "This is the heirloom [Sage's Stone] passed down from Master Miriel's family. It has a magical effect, which is to allow people to enter the 'sage state', so that they can easily comprehend the meaning of boxing!"
"Oh! There is such a treasure?"
When Ryan heard this, he became interested.
For Prince Omar II to say so, the effectiveness of this thing must be true.
He didn't expect that there was such a treasure in the world that could help people understand the meaning of boxing?
But...didn't the big guys like Marfa and Kavo say that one can only gain insights on their own?
The threshold of the fourth level of transcendence was really making him feel very uncomfortable. Someone took out such a treasure, which immediately aroused his great interest.
The strange look that flashed across Ryan's face did not escape the eyes of Master Mirel. No one noticed that a smile of success flashed across this guy's eyes.
"nature."
At this time, Karen nodded and said with a smile: "Although Mr. Ryan is the lord of Black Dragon City, from my aunt's perspective, we are not outsiders."
At this point, he motioned to the missionary beside him to open the box and said, "This [Philosopher's Stone] is my gift to Mr. Ryan. You will know the effect of this strange stone once you see it..."
If the things in this box can really help people comprehend the "intent of boxing" and advance to the fourth level of transcendence, then it can indeed be regarded as a treasure.
Especially for Ryan, an ascetic monk who pursues extraordinary advancement.
Originally, Ryan was full of expectations for the "treasure" in the box, but when he opened it, his face immediately changed.
Because at this time, system prompts also came one after another.
[Ding! Serious warning, unknown mental force intrusion, subconscious tampering, progress 0.1%...]
…
In the box was a fist-sized fluorescent stone that emitted a grayish glow under the light.
As soon as the jade box was opened, everyone present felt a spring breeze on their faces, and they felt clear-headed.
For someone like Ryan, who is on the verge of understanding the "meaning of boxing", this feeling is particularly strong.
The feeling of "clear mind" is very pleasant, as if sinking into ice water, and the thoughts are clearer than ever before...
At the same time, he felt a refreshing sensation as if he had suddenly attained enlightenment, which made him feel that he was about to understand something.
At this moment, Ryan finally understood that this guy was not lying.
If he really had this [Philosopher's Stone], he would probably be able to quickly grasp the "fist perception" that was like quicksand in his hands!
Of course, the premise is that there is no system prompt.
Just by looking at it, there is a 0.1% chance of tampering.
If Ryan really took this in his hands and comprehended it, I'm afraid that within one night, some of his own cognitions would be quietly changed!
Hearing this system prompt, Ryan's mouth corners slightly raised.
However, the smile he showed seemed to have some profound meaning.
He looked at the box and asked, "Is this Master Miriel's heirloom?"
Karen thought Ryan was interested, nodded, and said with a smile: "Of course. This was found by Master Miriel's ancestor in an ancient ruins..."
But before he could finish his words, Ryan in front of him suddenly turned into a shadow.
Before everyone could react, a strong wind blew Karen's golden hair up.
Then he looked again and saw Ryan appeared next to Karen.
And in his hand, he was strangling Master Miriel's neck.
However, just when no one could react, there was a sudden sound of a bone breaking.
In front of hundreds of nobles in the parliament, in the parliament hall of the royal palace, Ryan broke the neck of the fourth-level magician without hesitation!
