Pivot of the Sky
Pivot of the Sky - Chapter 172-173

Chapter 172

Translator: adomman

Editor: Snorri

Moses and his people needed a faith to guide them, Metatro and the other disciples also needed a faith to guide them, and Amon, in his solitary quest, needed a faith even more . Amon might not have understood at this moment that the faith he pursued was a wish of an incredibly epic magnitude . To accomplish it, one would require a realm that no ordinary god possessed, and it would surely allow one to master whatever came after transcending eternal life .

……

Amon walked neither fast nor slow, but he did not stop for a single moment . He had entered a trance-like state of being oblivious to everything around him, not resting or eating for many days, as if he was walking in an endless river . It was an unimaginable experience, and there had not been anyone who had passed the test of endless ceasing and arising cycle in the midst of walking and achieving the ninth level of the power of origin as a result, but Amon had done just that .

When that meditating soul finally walked out of the Syah Desert, it was as if it had also walked through many lifetimes . It was like a tiny little drop of water getting through the stormy sea and remaining intact .

How to describe this feeling? When walking in the sun, he was like a drop of water, reflecting and refracting the various colors of the world . He experienced many lifetimes, like a bird flying over a mirror multiple times, each time leaving a clear reflection before disappearing again and again . When Amon opened his eyes to see the world again, he suddenly realized that there were countless numbers of him in different people’s eyes, just like the endless experiences of life . These countless reflections converged on the shadows he left behind in this world, as if they were countless selves which, after experience and verification, shape the true self in turn .

After possessing this kind of achievement, he became what common people would call a god in the continent . He possessed an seemingly endless life, and was now qualified to possess a divine realm, enabling him to receive the power to strengthen and repair his soul . When he came back to his senses, Amon couldn’t help but wonder . If he had not taken this step, there were some things that he would never have experienced . He also thought of another thing – that maybe there was a need to build a place that only belongs to himself .

Amon had realized how dangerous his experience had been . He had actually entered a meditative state in the midst of walking and had passed through the test of endless ceasing and arising cycle . Out of the instinct for self-preservation, he had unconsciously channeled his magical power to conceal his form, and that had allowed him to walk in the desolate desert without being disturbed accidentally . Due to the habit that he had formed regarding the use of magical power, his reservoir of magical power was so deep and vast that he was able to remain invisible for a month . If any of these factors were missing, he could not have done what he just did .

Recalling the time when he was faced with the test of losing his power, the situation had been quite dangerous as well . If he had been on the battlefield or in the middle of some fight, it was very likely that he would not have survived! The price of achievement was great, as the price not only included the test itself but also the environment or situation one was in during the test, and he did not want his disciples to go through the same dangers as he had . If one knew the dangers of the path that one was about to take but continued to rely on luck to advance on the path, that would not be bravery but stupidity .

The place he wanted to build was not a city in the secular world like Salem, but a place like Aeru, the Ennead’s Heavenly Palace, where the emissaries of the Ennead lived . It was separated from the outside world by elaborated spatial magic, and it was a very good environment for training, suitable for the disciples to meditate, and at certain times, it could provide protection not found in other places on earth . Such a place was not a true divine kingdom, but a sort of residence where the gods of legends resided .

Amon had already chosen a location, and he already had a picture of it in his mind . It would be like a garden in the plain grassland . There would be fountains that spring out water all the time, and there would be fruit trees and flowers everywhere . This was a legendary place people sometimes talked about when he lived in Duc as a kid . It was the opposite of the barren, rocky land surrounding Duc in that time . In the garden people could feed themselves with the fruits from the trees, without having to labor all day to trade for the next meal . He called it the Garden of Eden, as the Ducians called it . Right now there were still a lot of things to do, and after Salem had gained a foothold in the Plains of Duc, he would then gather his disciples to make plans for the Garden of Eden .

……

A month later, at a checkpoint on the borders of Syah, an idle soldier was staring off into the distance when a man suddenly came from the desert . He couldn’t help but rub his eyes, thinking that he was seeing things, as the man had appeared out of thin air!

It was only when he lowered his hand that he was sure that he had not seen wrongly, that there really was a man coming from across the desert . The man came without a carriage, without a horse, without even any baggage on his back! He quickly grabbed his weapon and shouted: “Who are you, where are you from, and what business do you have?”

The man replied in a loud voice: “My name is Amon, and I have come from Ejypt to duel Celia, the imperial supreme mage, at her request!”

The entire garrison of the checkpoint was alerted, and the officer quickly blew the assembly horn, leading the soldiers in line to greet him . He stood at the entrance and greeted Amon . “Our esteemed Lord Golier and the Governor of Syah, Lord Samor, have given the orders in advance, no matter where Supreme General Amon entered Hittite from, he should be received with utmost respect and courtesies . Carriages and guards have been arranged to escort you all the way to the city . We have one of the finest carriages here prepared for you, and I will personally escort you to the city . ”

Amon laughed . “I called myself Amon, but I don’t have a token for identification . You also have not done anything to verify my identity, but you are going to give me a grand reception just like that?”

The officer replied: “Other than the mighty Supreme General Amon himself, who else has the ability to cross a thousand miles of desert alone with his hands behind his back . Besides, I have seen you on the battlefield before!”

Amon was ushered into the checkpoint, and the officer wanted to keep him for dinner and had instructed the carriage and guards to prepare, but Amon waved his hand and said: “No need, I am going to a duel now, so leave the grand reception for after the duel . Please inform the city of Syah that Amon has entered the territory of Hittite and will be waiting at the designated place for supreme mage Celia . ”

The officer was a bit anxious and said: “But Lord Golier said that he wants to see you personally . ”

Amon smiled . “We’ll naturally meet when we should, I have some business to attend to, so I won’t bother you for now . ”

After he finished speaking he took a step and appeared in a far away spot, and in a few more flashes, his figure had disappeared, stunning everyone present . Not to mention that these border checkpoints had been ordered to welcome Amon, even if they wanted to stop him, it would be impossible . With Amon’s current achievements, he could already be considered a demigod . The only reason he showed up and walked through the checkpoint was because he wanted to give a greeting to Golier .

……

Amon headed straight for the eastern shore of the inland lake and the southern end of the Charcoal Marsh, which was close to the site of his duel with Celia, and also the location where he had arranged to meet with El Mar . Coming from the Plains of Duc, there was no way to cross the thorny bushes, dense vegetation and large muddy swamps, but that could not stop the King Ironback as this was its natural habitat .

Not only did he see El Mar, but Lynk and Aesop were also there . Two men and one beast greeted Amon when they saw him, and the King Ironback pressed his front paws down and nodded his large head, having learned the movements quite well . It made Amon happy when he saw it, and he smiled as he asked: “I only asked for El Mar to meet me here, why are the two of you here as well? Aesop, didn’t I ask Metatro to take you to Memphis to find Theo, how did you end up here?”

Aesop replied: “Why did you spend so much time on the road? I have already returned from Memphis and have made an agreement with Theo to organize caravans to Salem, but only if there are roads for them to pass through . When I returned to Salem, Lynk and El Mar had already scouted out a route through the swamp . I needed to take a field trip personally to determine how long it will take for the caravan to pass through, what dangers there will be on the way, what preparations I need to make, and calculate how much it will cost . We knew you were coming, so we purposely waited here . In the end, we waited for ten days before you appeared . ”

It was true that Amon had taken a little longer, and even he himself had not expected to be gone this long . But he had passed the test of endless ceasing and arising cycle, and using only a month to do so was amazing enough!

A lot of things had happened in the past month or so, and Metatro had quietly gone to Memphis with Aesop to find the noble and wealthy merchant, Theo . Theo’s business was now getting bigger and bigger, and a year ago he had received a heavy investment from Amon to expand the size of his business in various cities and to purchase large numbers of camels, horses and carriages .

This was obviously to prepare for the large-scale long-distance trade, and for the time being, the money could only be spent without any returns and could not be used to its full potential . But since the money was given by Amon, Theo went ahead with it . When Theo heard about Amon’s departure from the Ejyptian Empire, he became worried about Amon’s situation, as he might not be able to do business that easily in the future . He had worked as a logistics quartermaster for the An-Ra Legion, and was acquainted with many generals during the war, so the majority of his current business were connected to the authorities . Thus losing Amon as a patron was a loss of an important source of capital .

It was at this time that Metatro visited with Aesop, a former slave of this rich nobleman, to discuss a very important business .

A new city named Salem was being built in the Plains of Duc, and Aesop served as the governor . Of course, the construction of a new city required a lot of manpower, resources and financial investment, so Metatro asked Theo to organize caravans from various merchant houses to transport goods to Salem . That way, the rich products of the Plains of Duc could also be shipped out for trade, which was a mutually beneficial business .

Another thing which they needed from Theo was a continuous supply of military supplies . On the other hand, there was no trade between Salem and the outside world as yet because roads did not exist, and people had not seen the potential benefits, so for a big merchant like Theo to take the lead in establishing the trade route could also serve as an example and a guide for others .

Amon’s current situation was a little strange . Although he killed Prince Snek and left Ejypt, he was not publicly wanted by the Empire, and he seemed to have become a figure that the whole country deliberately avoided talking about . One of the reasons was because the scene where he killed Prince Snek was witnessed by nearly a thousand soldiers . It was the Prince who ordered the attack first, and the Supreme General merely acted in self-defense . On the other hand, the reason the Pharaoh sent Snek on this mission was to borrow the hand of Amon to remove him .

Prince Snek was the eldest son of Ramses II, he was not a supporter of the Merneptah’s religious reforms and had his own faction in the kingdom . This contributed to the political instability in Ejypt . Now that he has been killed by Amon, Merneptah could only be happy about it, for he was able to make good use of the Supreme General one last time before he left Ejypt .

A peace treaty had been signed between Hittite and Ejypt, and trade had been resumed, and it was perfectly legitimate for Theo to organize caravans in the name of trading with the city of Syah . Military supplies did not necessarily refer to armor and weapons, and it also included all kinds of items and materials that may be used in the battlefield, such processed materials and semi-finished products .

After reaching Hittite, the caravan would still have to pass through territory controlled by the city of Syah, so one of the things Amon intended to talk to Golier about was to secure the passage .

Aesop privately gave Theo a list of supplies needed for Salem, and also what was being produced in the Plains of Duc . Since it was profitable and also instructions given by his benefactor Amon, and seemed like a legal cross-country trading business, Theo agreed readily and immediately went to make preparations . But doing business required accounting for costs, and in addition to the taxes at the various border crossings, there were also the risks encountered during travelling and the freight costs, and no one could be sure until the road was open .

The road that could be opened in the shortest possible time was found by El Mar together with the four Ironbacks . The discovered route twisted and turned through the Charcoal Marsh, intermittently passing pockets of hard soil that were exposed above the water, and eventually led to the eastern shore of the inland lake . It was not going to be easy to open this road, and it would require filling in the lowlands, removing the thorny vegetation along the way, and cutting through the rugged rocks . If all the manpower in Salem were mobilized, it would take at least half a year .

When Aesop returned to Salem, he requested to take a trip through the planned road so that he could estimate the cost of transportation through the road and the maximum capacity of the caravans that could pass through . El Mar happened to be going to meet Amon, so Lynk brought Aesop along .

Amon frowned slightly and said: “It will take half a year to open this road even if you mobilized all the manpower in Salem?”

Lynk smiled bitterly . “Half a year is just for opening up a path, to completely build a road, it will take at least one or two years with just the manpower that Salem has right now . The Assyrian Kingdom’s people who came over the highlands have already named their city as Enlil City . Their population is growing in numbers, and the walls are getting taller and taller, so I’m afraid it won’t be long before a new conflict breaks out . If this road is not built as soon as possible, very soon we will be in an isolated position in the Plains of Duc . ”

Amon thought about it and replied: “I’ll take care of this problem, you guys will first build the checkpoint and defenses at the other end of the road, then build as much as you can from there into the swamp . As for this end of the road, I will try to have it passable after a month, and after three months make it possible for two wagons to be able to travel in parallel . ”

Aesop exclaimed: “Wouldn’t that be a miracle!”

Lynk, on the other hand, patted Aesop on the shoulder and said: “The things that God Amon does are naturally miracles!” Then he said towards Amon: “I am also curious as to why you are so confident of this . ”

Amon smiled . “The so-called miracles are also created by people, and besides, this isn’t much of a miracle, it’s nothing more than the power of having manpower and resources . Salem is now short on manpower and supplies, but the city of Syah has them, and as long as the terms are agreed upon, the road here can be built with hired manpower . ”

Aesop nodded . “I see, this is also a mutually beneficial deal . We have the treasures of Mourrin, so we can hire men to build the road from the outside as long as the city of Syah is willing to agree . ”

Amon suddenly remembered something and asked Aesop: “It’s good that you’re here, I was just about to consult you on a matter . ”

Aesop was surprised . “You are someone who is like a god, what do you need to consult me about?”

Amon asked with a seeming smile: “I’ve heard you tell the story of Pythagoras, the wise man from afar, and you claimed to have seen it with your own eyes . You are also literate . You weren’t born a slave, were you?”

Aesop bowed his head . “My homeland is far away, and my father had been a bard . He was killed by pirates on a long journey, and I became a slave at a very young age and was sold to many different places . That was the reason why I have been to many places . ”

Amon: “There is no need to talk about the sad past, I know you have been to many places and are very knowledgeable, I have never met anyone who knows the legends of various places as well as you do, have you ever heard of the legends about the Plains of Duc?”

Aesop replied carefully: “There are many stories about the town of Duc, but I know that you were born as a miner in Duc, and I was worried that some of them would be offensive and disrespectful to you, so I never mentioned them . ”

Amon smiled bitterly . “I see, I should have asked you a long time ago! It’s not too late to ask now, but have you heard any tales that are very special?”

Aesop looked up and asked: “What kind of special, are you talking about the war of the gods? There aren’t many folk tales, you once spent time in the archives of the Shrine of Isis, and if you have studied the records there, you should have found more information than the folk tales in circulation . ”

Amon’s eyes lit up . “There’s no need to talk about the war of the gods, since I even know a few of those involved in the war . Are there any older, more ancient legends?”

Aesop frowned in thought and said: “I vaguely remember a legend, a very bizarre story, about a tower . You have been to Bablon City, and you should know that there is a magnificent tower in the outskirts called the Holy Gate . It was built by the successive generations of kings of Bablon to pay homage to the Marduc, and it may have something to do with a story that once circulated on the continent . ”

…… . .

It was said that before the war of the gods, the Anunnaki divine clan was ruled by Anu the god of sky, but Tiamat, Anu’s mother, was the one who possessed the most powerful item of the clan, the Book of Destiny, and she held supreme power . Later on, Tiamat gave the Book of Destiny to her other son, Kingu, in an attempt to make Kingu the king of the gods . This caused the discontent of many gods and eventually led to a split and civil war in the divine clan .

The legendary story of that tower would have taken place before the war of the gods, as the god king in the story was still Anu . At that time there was no town of Duc or its miners, and the area around Duc was hundreds of miles of fertile land . The people who lived there were strong and intelligent, but they were so smart that they became overly conceited and even attempted to spy on the secrets of the gods .

They built a huge city, in where Salem now was, and planned to build the greatest tower that had ever existed in the world, calling it the Tower of Gods . The people worked ambitiously, carving the stones in the hot sun and piling them up with asphalt . The tower grew higher and higher, and they hoped to reach the kingdom of the gods through the tower .

The noise of the people alarmed the sleeping Tiamat, and she called Anu to ask what was going on . Anu reported about the people building the Tower of Gods and summoned the other gods to discuss the matter . It was said that all the gods came together and decided to stop this . So the gods worked together to confuse the people’s language with their powers so that the people couldn’t understand what each other were saying . It was said that this was the reason why there are different languages spoken in the countries of the continent today .

Later on, the gods discussed again and decided that only servants who served the gods were qualified to master the magical powers given by the gods and to know how to sing the praises of the gods and record their instructions in the form of oracles. Nowadays, only nobles in the continent received the permission of the shrines to practise magic arts and learn the Hieroglyph.

As for the Tower of Gods, its construction was halted halfway through and it became a huge relic standing in the wilderness. When the war of the gods broke out, Marduc led the gods and defeated Kingu and Tiamat. As a result, he obtained the Book of Destiny and presented it to Anu. The Tower of Gods was reduced to rubble during the war, and the thousand miles of fertile land became barren, following which the town of Duc came into existence.

Marduc became one of the two god kings in the Anunnaki divine clan, a rival to Enlil, and was also god worshipped by the kingdom of Bablon. In order to pay their respect to the Great God Marduc, successive Bablon kings built a tower in Bablon City, called the Holy Gate. The tower was magnificent, and it had a height of three hundred feet. At the top of the tower, a palace was built for Marduc.

The purpose of building the Holy Gate was not, of course, to ascend to the heavenly kingdom where the gods lived, as the “sinful people” had done in the past, but to listen to the voice of the god and to offer the best of earthly enjoyment to the god. It was said that on the day the Holy Gate was completed, Marduc appeared in the clouds and landed on the top of the tower to bless the people.

The people had never seen the heavenly kingdom in which the gods lived, so they but built everything as they saw it in their minds. At the foot of the tower, there was a shrine where the people gave offerings to Marduc, while at the top, Marduc’s “palace” existed. There was no statue of Marduc in this palace, as it was a residence built for Marduc, and it had a roof made of azure glazed tiles inlaid with gold.

In the luxurious bedroom there was a large, comfortable bed, and the youngest and most beautiful women of the kingdom were chosen to stay here with Marduc. The people were unaware of the pleasures of the gods, but followed the ideals of worldly life and served the god as if he was an emperor. Only kings and high priests of the shrine were entitled to ascend to the top of the tower, a symbol of service to Marduc and listening to the teachings of the god. It was said that by climbing to the top of the tower, one could face the Great God and receive an oracle, hence the name Holy Gate.

Such was the legend of the Tower of Gods, and currently, there was indeed a magnificent tower on the outskirts of Bablon City called the Holy Gate. Amon revealed a look of understanding after hearing this, and he smiled at Aesop. “Thank you, this story has answered a question that has been in my heart for a long time. …Go back with Lynk now, and start preparing everything for the road to be built immediately.”

Lynk maneuvered the shuttle and took Aesop away, and Amon sat in the swamp deep in thought. The legend sounded a bit absurd, as even if people built a tower as high as they could, it wouldn’t lead to the so-called heavenly kingdom, but legends were often again symbolic metaphors that were telling something implicitly. Amon had read the secret records in the archives of the Shrine of Isis, and they contained poems written by ancient bards. Today, when he compared them to this legend, he suddenly understood one thing.

In the legend, the Tower of Gods symbolized a mortal’s path to divinity, and “language” referred to the secrets to becoming a god, the practise of the power of the origin as well as the many tests along the path. In the legends written by the bards, Isis also asked Ra to tell her the “true language”.

The part where the gods disrupted the language of the people so that they could not build the Tower of Gods was a clear indication that the secrets of practising the power of origin were not passed down to the mortals, but had been divided into body arts and magic arts. The magic arts seem amazing, and could only be practised by nobles with the permission of the shrines, and there was a very clear system in place, while the contents were incredibly complicated, but they were not the same as practising the power of origin.

The secret to becoming a god was in the hands of the gods, and they formed organizations of gods, which were the well-known divine clans. Only those who were approved by the gods and guided into the divine clans could share the secret, but they also had to make an oath to keep it secret. For they now belonged to these organizations as well, defining the boundaries between them and mortals.

This was the most important covenant between the gods!

If that was the case, another question arose. In the long history of the world, there was no shortage of geniuses with the spirit of exploration, people such as Crazy’Ole, Bair and others, and Amon had also explored this path on his own. What choices would these people have made? It was possible for them to establish their own divine clans, or to be guided into the known divine clans. After all, even if they knew the path, it would be arduous to get through the many trials. When they truly transcended eternal life, they would also continue to abide by this covenant with the gods.

Such was the desire of Girtablullu, the Scorpion King, to establish his own divine clan and divine realm. The grand wish that Amon made when he crossed the Syah Desert was however, a different kind of wish.

Amon finally understood the meaning of the legend of the Tower of Gods, and when he looked down, he saw El Mar lying on the side staring at him, its long tail still dangling in the swamp, as if to say: “Oh God Amon, you called me here, but why are you ignoring me?”.

Amon smiled. “El Mar, I was just thinking about something and ended up making you wait for a long time. I called you here to ask a question, do you wish to transform into a human form? Just like me.”

There was ecstatic joy in El Mar’s eyes, and it nodded its big head vigorously while wagging its tail, stirring up the muddy water in the swamp. Amon laughed again and said: “I forgot that although you can write, you aren’t capable of speaking yet. It’s not that hard for you, as long as you know how to practise. You and I have had different experiences. There are some things that cannot be taught but can only be understood by oneself, and this process is very long and requires rare luck. But you’re lucky, I already have a bit of experience in the art of practising for a beast who becomes aware of itself, so I can pass the knowledge to you.”

Amon’s so-called experience was naturally what happened after Bastet had become aware of herself as a cat and before she eventually received systematic guidance from Isis. The cat’s situation was not exactly the same as El Mar, but one could always deduce from the knowledge. As long as El Mar could understand it, it could then go ahead and confirm it step by step on its own.

This day Amon sat by the swamp and gave a lecture to El Mar, and although Amon did not open his mouth, he was in fact directly communicating through their souls. El Mar listened very carefully, and in the end, it gradually became absorbed, slowly closing its eyes thoughtfully. The next morning, Amon stood up and straightened the corners of his robe. Then he said to El Mar: “You can slowly understand it later, but for now we are going to participate in a duel. The location is not far from here, so listen to my explanation.”

A voice appeared in Amon’s soul: “We’re going to fight someone?”

Amon chuckled. “You’re really smart, you already figured out how to talk! It’s not a fight, but a friendly communication. You are not allowed to hurt them, because I’m going to take this opportunity to make a deal.”

……

Two days later, at the original site of the camp where Amon had captured King Lucier of Hittite alive, a group of carriages arrived. At the forefront was a carriage made of pure white cedar, its body treated by magic to appear elegantly crystal, but without unnecessary ornate decorations. This carriage was known to everyone in the city of Syah, and when they saw it from afar, they would retreat to the side of the road and bow in greeting, for it was Golier’s carriage.

In the carriage was Golier, with the beautiful and lovely Celia beside him. Raphael, Golier’s pupil, stood beside him with his teacher’s staff in his hand. Raphael was now the high priest of Syah, and his status was quite noble. He had remained standing on the unsteady carriage as a sign of respect for his teacher. The driver sitting in front was someone who Amon also knew. He was the supreme warrior Aruka, the former captain of the guards beside King Lucier back then.

Due to his failure to protect King Lucier, he had been demoted two ranks of nobility. After Asher succeeded to the throne, he was even removed from his position as general of the palace guards, and was now just an idle noble supreme warrior. Amon’s successful sneak attack in the past also embarrassed the supreme warrior, but Aruka was indeed no match for Amon.

Due to his failure, the once exalted Aruka was now the target of jokes. After losing his post as well, he devoted himself to practising his body arts instead of wallowing in depression, and even broke through the eighth-level. Since Enkidu’s death, the continent had yet to hear of another ninth-level warrior appearing, so the eighth-level was already the highest level available for a warrior.

Amon was also a supreme warrior, and although the man he was dueling with was not Aruka, Aruka wanted to see how Amon’s skills were and whether or not he was a match.

In the second carriage sat the governor of Syah, Schmul. Schmul had also brought along with him the quaestor and the head of the barn, while the driver sitting in front was the captain of the city’s guards, the supreme warrior Musenu.

This scene was kind of interesting. Although it made sense for Aruka to be the driver for Golier, why was the noble supreme warrior Musenu also working as a driver for the governor? Ever since Enkidu drove Gilgamesh’s chariot into battle and the Pharaoh of Ejypt had Supreme General Amon sitting in front of his carriage as a token driver, has it become popular for the supreme warriors of the continent to drive wagons?

Musenu was also here to watch the fun, to observe this rare duel on the continent, and since the eighth-level supreme warrior Aruka was driving the first carriage, he volunteered to be the driver of the second carriage. As for Golier, he had been invited by Celia, as only this esteemed supreme mage was qualified to be the judge of this duel.

Golier brought his student Raphael with him to broaden his horizons, while Governor Schmul could not resist the curiosity to come along as well. Golier agreed to leave Warret behind to look after the city, and let the governor come with him to watch the duel. He also told Schmul to bring the quaestor and the head of the barn along, as well as their official seals.

When Governor Schmul asked Golier the reason for doing so, Golier just smiled and said that after the duel there might be something to talk about, and that it would be more convenient if they came. Schmul felt curious as he could not figure out what a duel had to do with the finance and products of the city, the esteemed Golier was too difficult to figure out.

There were more carriages and guards at the back, and there were more than fifty accompanying personnel in total. This was a formidable force, and if they had the intention to harm Amon, he would be in a difficult position!

They came to the place where King Lucier camped, and saw from a distance that a magnificent golden tent had been set up in the forest clearing next to the swamp. In the tent a wide white oak table had been placed, and chairs had been placed at both ends as well sides of the table. A man was currently sitting at the table and drinking wine from a raised cup, and he was the famous Supreme General Amon.

The tent, table and chairs were left behind by the Lion King, and Amon brought them along just in case. The utensils left by the Lion King were very beautiful, and the wine was already served.

Amon saw the convoy coming from afar, and even though it was such a large and powerful group of people, he did not panic at all. Putting down his cup, Amon stood up and greeted them. “Honorable lords, you have come, but why are there so many people?”

When the convoy stopped, Golier came down first and said with a smile: “Supreme General Amon, you are the guest here, but you actually prepared a banquet for us, sorry about that. We all want to see the Supreme General’s prowess today, and witness a rare duel in the continent, so everyone came. As for me, I was invited by Celia to be the judge.”

The servants began to set up the camp, and Golier brought Celia, Raphael, Schmul, Aruka, and Musenu into the tent, a total of six people. Amon apologized slightly: “I didn’t expect to have so many guests, the chairs I prepared are insufficient.”

Raphael smiled. “No worries, I’ve prepared some as well.” Then he waved his wand and four more chairs were set down by the table. Amon nodded and praised: “In less than two years, you’ve also become a supreme mage, congratulations!” Looking at Raphael’s actions just now, it was obviously a spatial magic technique that could only be performed by a supreme mage, and he also had a spatial artifact with him.

Raphael humbly said: “No matter how brilliant the magic is, it is only a personal achievement, I wouldn’t dare to show off in front of the Supreme General.”

Everyone settled down, Amon sat at one end of the long table, Golier sat at the opposite end, while the other five sat on either side. Apart from Governor Schmul, the other party had three supreme mages and two supreme warriors. Even if Amon had the ability of Enkidu, it would be hard to play any tricks here. Although he was on someone else’s territory, Amon waved his hand calmly and said: “Although I am here for the duel, let’s drink together before the duel and catch up on old times.”

The crowd raised their glasses and drank, the scene truly resembling a meeting of old friends. After putting down the wine cups, Golier cut to the chase and said: “Supreme General, I am not only here to be the judge for the duel at Celia’s invitation, I also wish to ask the Supreme General himself about his future plans.”

Amon was stunned. “My plans?”

Golier smiled. “Yes, so we don’t have to beat around the bush, I know that you killed Prince Snek before leaving Ejypt, and apparently have no intention of going back. From the news that came back from within Ejypt, although the Pharaoh did not openly give the orders for you to be wanted, he sent assassins after you. The ones who were appointed to hunt you down are your benefactor and friend.”

Amon sighed and said: “Lord Golier, you are so well-informed. What will come will always come, and when I made my decision, I knew in my heart what I was going to face.”

Schmul said from the side: “Supreme General Amon was originally from the Hittite, but he has made unparalleled contributions for Ejypt on the battlefield, and also facilitated the peace treaty between Ejypt and Hittite. You are not an escaped slave, and should be respected when you return to your homeland, so why should you have to put up with the nonsense from the Ejyptian Empire? Now that Lord Golier has spoken, the city of Syah welcomes you home, and the Kingdom of Hittite welcomes your service.”

Golier nodded with a smile. “On the way here, I talked to Governor Schmul about this matter, and I can assure you that none of the past grudges will be brought up again.”

These words might not carry enough weight if someone else said them, but when Golier spoke, no one from the entire kingdom of Hittite would object, and this was the best assurance possible. When they sat down to talk, it was about the duel, but rather the desire for Amon to serve Hittite.

Amon stood up and poured wine to all the lords in a circle around the table, and other than Golier, everyone quickly stood up to express their thanks. As Amon poured the wine, he said: “I’ve come for the duel with Lord Celia, but we can talk about it afterwards. My hometown is the town of Duc, and my friends have settled in the Plains of Duc. This time I have come with a desire to discuss a business deal with the city of Syah.”

Golier twirled his beard in his hand and smiled. “I have heard of this matter, the situation in the Plains of Duc is currently complicated, although that place is still within the territory of Syah in name, the situation is now going out of control. Since we’re here to duel today, Amon, we might as well make an agreement based on the outcome of the duel. If you win, I will agree to Governor Schmul doing business with you, and if Celia wins, I hope you will serve Hittite.”

Amon finished pouring the wine and returned to his seat. “Alright then, let’s make the agreement according to the result of the duel!”

Golier added: “None of you are allowed to harm each other, and although it is a duel, I hope that it will just be a showcase of skills. As long as the difference in skill is determined, that is all we need.”

Amon simply nodded. “Of course, I never intended to harm Lord Celia, and I hope she can treat me kindly as well!”

Seeing that there was a slightly boastful tone to his words, Celia wrinkled her nose slightly and said: “The Supreme General is so powerful that he can even repel the Uruk Legion. I’m afraid that I’m no match for him, but I will give it my best shot. Lord Golier said this more to protect me, but my summoned beast and I will not harm the Supreme General either!”

Aruka finally managed to interject: “It’s been a long time since the peace banquet between the two countries, but I keep hearing about the Supreme General’s name. I only know that you are a supreme warrior, but I wonder how many levels have you achieved currently?”

Amon wasn’t able to explain much and he only said vaguely: “If we talk about achievements, I actually just broke through to the ninth level not long ago.”

Several of the faces of those seated changed, especially Governor Schmul who nearly couldn’t hold his wine cup steady. Ninth-level Supreme Warrior! After Enkidu, the continent now had another ninth-level supreme warrior! Celia looked a little nervous and she took a deep breath before saying: “Supreme General Amon is truly an incredible talent, and I should start by saying congratulations! Regardless of the outcome of the duel with you, I will do my best.”

Raphael, on the other hand, pointed at Celia and said: “Supreme General Amon, Lord Celia has also recently advanced to the eighth level. Her summoned beast is powerful and magical, so even if you are a ninth-level warrior, you should still be careful when fighting it.”