"I often hear Luna mention you. In her words, you are an exceptional and unique true dragon. It seems she's quite fond of you," the Ancient Silver Dragon said.
Garon was slightly taken aback upon hearing these words.
He glanced at Luna, who was standing gracefully beside him.
A blush crept onto Luna's face as she retorted to Nehemiah, "When did I ever say those things? Grandfather Nehemiah, please don't make things up."
Nehemiah laughed heartily, winking at Garon and teasing Luna, "You might not have said it outright, but your implications were clear. Among all the young dragons on Dragon Island, including the gold dragons, who else have you praised so persistently to me?"
"Garon's name has been in my ears so often it's practically formed calluses."
In Nehemiah's presence, the usually elegant and serene Luna displayed a rare girlish demeanor. Stomping her foot in annoyance, she looked at Nehemiah with frustration, "You're overthinking it. Stop making things up, or I'll stop talking to you."
Nehemiah shrugged.
"Alright, alright, my mistake."
Luna turned to Garon, placing a hand over her chest, and softly said, "Don't misunderstand."
Garon shook his little dragon head.
At this moment, Nehemiah observed Garon, now in his hatchling form, and remarked, "Luna, I was somewhat skeptical of your praises for him before, but now it seems your words were actually an understatement."
Nehemiah's insight was sharp.
From the moment he saw Garon, like the Pope, he recognized his legendary strength.
As legends themselves, they carry a unique aura that's hard to conceal from other legendary beings without special abilities to hide their presence.
Luna was puzzled.
Her impression of Garon remained from their last parting.
That was during their encounter in Mosha Duchy when Garon was still categorized as a super-large true dragon, a bit away from truly legendary status.
"Your young friend has now stepped into the legendary tier," Nehemiah added, looking at Garon with admiration.
He couldn't discern Garon's age, but deduced from Luna's previous descriptions that Garon must have just reached adulthood. Achieving legendary status so young was astonishing among all true dragons.
"Luna, when did you become a legend?" Luna gasped, her voice faltering.
She knew Garon was growing fast, but becoming a legendary creature so quickly was beyond her expectations.
Silver dragons like Luna would need at least three hundred more years to reach the threshold of legend without significant opportunities, just through physical growth.
"Just recently, it was merely by chance," Garon said modestly.
Without the life gem, he felt it would have taken him at least another year and a half to reach his current level.
"You'll become a legend in time too," Garon told Luna, noticing her somewhat disheartened expression.
Luna nodded absently.
Considering Garon's rapid growth, by the time she became a legend, where would Garon be?
In her heart, Luna felt the distance between her and Garon growing further.
She vividly remembered their first meeting, when Garon was only twelve meters long. To preserve Garon's dignity, she deliberately did not reveal her super-large true form.
In just a few short years, Garon, now in his hatchling form, had become a legendary creature.
Luna sighed almost imperceptibly.
Then, Garon inquired again about the reason for Luna and her companions' presence here.
Luna didn't answer, and Nehemiah took the initiative, "I and Yelain have been old friends."
"My days are numbered, and I don't wish to die in slumber, so I decided to travel across Noah once again. Today's visit to the Timo Kingdom was a chance to catch up with an old friend."
Hearing Nehemiah's words, Luna's expression darkened.
He spoke lightheartedly, but Garon sensed a hint of resignation.
It seemed Nehemiah wasn't confident in breaking through to become an ancient dragon this time.
Being of such a high level, he would have the best understanding of his condition and whether he could surpass this life-and-death barrier without false confidence or denial.
The Pope looked at the ancient silver dragon and sighed, "Nehemiah, I've told you, if you're willing to embrace the Light God, the gates of His kingdom are open to you now."
Nehemiah glared back, bluntly retorting, "Join the Light God's kingdom to listen to teachings? I'd rather die."
"I don't even want to go to the Dragon God's kingdom, let alone the Light God's."
An ancient silver dragon would be warmly welcomed into any dragon deity's kingdom.
He could choose any dragon god's kingdom, not limited to dragon gods. Any deity, unless wary of the Platinum Dragon God's interference, would not refuse an ancient silver dragon's entry.
Entering a god's kingdom offers a form of eternal life with the deity's might, but this eternity comes with significant restrictions. Beings in a god's kingdom live in dependence on the deity, essentially forfeiting their freedom and will.
Eternal life is tempting, but not all beings are willing to pay the price of becoming a deity's vassal.
The more powerful the being, the more they wish to achieve immortality on their own terms.
Even if it means eternal death.
The Pope shook his head gently, no longer persuading.
"That's truly a pity."
"Once I ascend to the god's kingdom, we could have been friends for a long time."
He didn't compare the might of the Light God to the Dragon Gods.
Dragon gods are primarily dragons who have lived endless ages, then become gods.
Dragons grow stronger with age, reaching their peak of physical and mental strength at death.
Even lesser deities like Tiamat and Bahamut are formidable, deterring many more powerful gods.
Meanwhile, the Pope turned his attention to Garon.
With a smile, he said, "I've heard of you for a long time, planning to visit you once free from duties. But I've been swamped."
"Seeing you today, just one glance was enough to confirm you possess the strength rumored."
"Truly extraordinary."
As he spoke, the Pope's gaze lingered on the ring of black scales on Garon.
The Holy See's knights had gathered information from necromancers caught in the Bone Wasteland, revealing the protector of Mosha Duchy, the Eternal Dragon, was actually the legendary dragon species, the Time Dragon.
This rumor originated from necromancers who peered into the memories of the dead.
The Pope sensed a subtle fluctuation of time around Garon.
"Oh?" Nehemiah's interest was piqued.
He knew the Pope well; the Pope wasn't one to flatter without reason.
Thus, Nehemiah focused his attention, looking at Garon with renewed seriousness.
Silver dragons are renowned for their mental strength among dragons of the same age, excelling as spellcasters.
However, Nehemiah wasn't just a spellcaster; his legendary status stemmed from his draconic physique, lacking the Pope's mental power, so he couldn't perceive the time fluctuations or the uniqueness around Garon.
"You might not know, since you've just left Dragon Island, but Harlis turned into a lich."
"And he failed in his ambitions, dying at the hands of this Eternal Dragon not long ago," the Pope sighed.
"I've met Harlis before, a brilliant and passionate spellcaster."
"His talent in magic was even higher than yours."
"It's regrettable he chose to become such an evil being as a lich," Nehemiah shook his head.
The Pope spoke in a complex tone, "Spellcasters possess wisdom and knowledge far beyond ordinary people, but this very fact often blinds them with pride, losing sight of their initial purpose."
"Countless disasters and destructions are caused by them."
Garon nodded in agreement with the Pope.
Although he enjoyed studying spells and considered himself a spellcaster, he had to admit the Pope was right.
The Alphatia Empire was a prime example.
Such a powerful empire.
With a council of three thousand seats, each member at least level thirty-six, any one of them was stronger than the current Pope.
Yet, its downfall was caused by spellcasters' internal conflict, a lamentable tale.
Similarly, on Noah's historical timeline, the root of most disasters was spellcasters.
Garon wasn't familiar with other material worlds, but the situation was likely similar.
Then, the Pope looked at Garon, straightening his demeanor, and asked, "What brings you here?"
Garon hadn't come specifically to visit friends; the Pope wondered what could attract Garon to this place.
On the other side, the hatchling straightened its cute yet serious expression.
"You should recognize this," Garon said.
"I heard the Holy See has been looking for it."
With a swipe of his dragon claw, Garon opened the dimensional space and took out the Black Sun Sculpture.
The sculpture, now marked with many cracks from Yuna's play, immediately drew everyone's attention upon its appearance.
The sinister-looking object, though devoid of the evil god's power, couldn't be ignored just by its appearance.
Seeing the Black Sun Sculpture, Luna and Nehemiah were curious but showed little reaction. However, the Pope's eyes sharpened upon seeing it.
The sculpture, resembling a black sun adorned with eyes and tentacles, stood silently in the pure and holy temple.
The Pope stared intently at the Black Sun Sculpture.
Then, he sighed deeply, shifting his gaze to Garon, who had presented the sculpture.
"This is not the sculpture we've been searching for; it lacks the evil power it once carried," the Pope said, viewing the now powerless Black Sun Sculpture as just an ordinary object with a unique design.
After hearing the Pope's words, Garon spoke earnestly, "You're right, it doesn't carry evil power, not anymore."
"But before, I could hear whispers around it, enticing prayers."
The Pope's gaze sharpened.
"What prayers did you hear?"
Garon repeated the words he had heard.
"He was born in the black mist, the creator of the black mist."
"He brings darkness, he brings light."
As he spoke, the temple filled with a surging white light, becoming blindingly bright.
"That's enough!" the Pope interjected.
Garon stopped reciting the prayer, sensing an invisible force awakening and drawing near, echoes ringing in his ears.
The Pope's smile vanished, his expression solemn.
"My apologies for the intrusion," he said.
In the next moment, the Pope's eyes sparkled brilliantly, illuminating the entire temple.
Garon felt no danger.
This was a divine magic for detecting evil.
The light swept over Garon's body, bringing a warm comfort.
Seeing no signs of corruption on Garon, the Pope relaxed.
"You've been in contact with Him, I had to be cautious."
After a pause, the Pope asked urgently, "Was the evil power on this sculpture eradicated by you, or did it transfer?"
"Regrettably, it transferred," Garon admitted.
The Pope wasn't disappointed.
Given by the god, his scepter was meant to destroy evil, indicating mortal efforts were insufficient for its destruction. It was likely, even as a Time Dragon, Garon lacked the power to destroy it.
"The worse part is, I discovered it transferred to the bodies of your Holy See knights."
Garon omitted irrelevant details, sharing the incident's course with the Pope.
"This information might help you."
He conjured images of a few knights and priests, presenting them to the Pope.
After listening to Garon, the Pope's expression turned grave, "This information is very important and crucial. On behalf of the Holy See, I express our deepest gratitude."
"Thank you isn't enough."
"Perhaps offer something tangible," Garon thought, not voicing his expectation.
As if hearing Garon's thoughts, the Pope removed a pure white ring from his palm, offering it to Garon, "Please accept this ring as your due reward."
A legendary item shimmering with elemental brilliance.
"How could I accept this?"
Garon feigned modesty while taking the ring from the Pope, examining it with interest.
"It's called the Ring of Guardianship."
"After absorbing sufficient elemental energy, it can instantaneously cast a ninth-circle protective spell, Greater Disjunction, and a ninth-circle transmutation spell, Greater Disintegration, offering both offense and defense."
Garon's eyes lit up, happily accepting it.
Greater Disjunction, a powerful spell that disintegrates all magical items and spells within an area into raw materials and dispersed elemental energy.
This ninth-circle spell could even potentially destroy artifacts, albeit with a low probability.
As for Greater Disintegration, it's a fearsome transmutation spell.
Targets hit are disintegrated into invisible atoms, commonly referred to as being turned to dust, similar to Yuna's dragon breath.
Garon possessed a spellbook for Disintegration, considered a lesser version of Greater Disintegration but still a high-tier seventh-circle spell.
"Kains!"
After giving the Ring of Guardianship to Garon, the Pope called out.
A towering legendary holy knight entered the temple.
Upon seeing the Black Sun Sculpture on the ground, the knight, who had briefly interacted with Garon, showed a momentary change in expression but quickly realized it no longer contained evil power.
"Pope."
Kains looked at the Pope, bowing slightly.
"Kains, you oversee the Order of the Temple Knights, more familiar with our personnel than I."
"Find these people."
"Evil power hides within them. Remember not to alert them prematurely. Once the targets are identified, I'll teleport immediately."
Understanding the seriousness, Kains didn't hesitate, leaving the temple to track the knights' whereabouts.
"Let's hope it's still in them."
The Pope rubbed his temples, recalling the dark scenes he had witnessed, instinctively clutching his scepter.
"It's been a while since I've seen you this serious."
"What is this?" Nehemiah asked.
Garon and Luna looked at the Pope.
Garon knew the object contained ominous and evil power but was unaware of its identity and any grudge with the Light God, his curiosity piqued.
"Do you know whom this sculpture represents?" he asked the Pope.
The Pope glanced at Nehemiah and Garon before slowly explaining, "The Primordial Sun God, Yahenn."
Garon hadn't heard of the Primordial Sun God or Yahenn, but he was familiar with the concept of primordial deities.
Primordial gods, ancient beings that warred with orthodox deities, wielded primal cosmic forces instead of divine power.
Until now, Garon believed the Black Sun's deity was a malevolent god.
He was surprised to learn it was not a god but a primordial being, marking a significant distinction.
Gods, even malevolent ones, rely on followers and faith.
Primordial beings, however, view followers as mere tools, capable of world destruction, indifferent to faith, acting on whims.
"Is it a primordial god?" Luna asked, surprised.
The Pope nodded, "A malevolent and powerful primordial being, a black sun born alongside the multiverse."
"My lord has battled Him for countless years."
"He only acknowledges His own black light, despising all other forms, seeking to extend His darkness across all worlds."
"He has now set His sights on Noah."
Pausing, the Pope's voice grew heavy, "My lord once bestowed a divine decree, allowing me to witness worlds under the rule of the Primordial Sun God. Terrifying."
The Pope described it simply but vividly.
"Primordial gods," Luna echoed, her face showing astonishment.
The Pope continued, "These beings, unlike traditional gods, don't require worship or followers. They wield the primal forces of the universe, acting beyond the constraints of faith."
"This makes them far more dangerous and unpredictable than any deity."
Garon listened intently, his understanding of the cosmos and its myriad beings deepening.
The revelation of the sculpture's true nature as a representation of a primordial god added a new layer of complexity to his understanding of the universe's forces.
"Thank you for sharing this," Garon said, genuinely grateful for the Pope's openness.
The Pope nodded, a solemn expression on his face, "It's crucial that we remain vigilant. The threat posed by such beings cannot be underestimated."
As the conversation concluded, the group was left with a profound sense of the challenges and mysteries that lay beyond the mortal realm, pondering the implications of the existence of primordial gods like Yahenn.
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