Chapter 64: All Are Actors
"How did you... discover it?"
The Mechanical Dominator looked at Richard, his voice suddenly becoming incredibly calm. A pitch-black asphalt-like liquid seeped from his wounds and quickly healed them.
Behind him, Richard, wrapped in Shan Hai, showed an unperturbed expression.
"Two reasons. One is due to the inherent nature of the Mechanical Clan. The Mechanical Clan is susceptible to erosion, and although you are one race, essentially they are all your sub-units. You can read and write their memories, allowing you to implant curse memes within them."
As he spoke, a trace of mockery appeared on Richard's face.
"I didn't forget about those unfortunate Galaxy Mayflies. Due to the Mind Network, their Great World fell with almost no resistance."
"The second?" the Mechanical Dominator asked.
The chains on Richard moved automatically, a turbulent energy surged within them. The complex rules contained within bypassed the rune phase, directly influencing the form of energy.
"The second reason is that my men witnessed your Mechanical Clan placing pollution devices beside the sub-bodies of the World Tree."
Upon hearing this, the cold black crystal eyes of the Mechanical Dominator flashed with a hint of doubt.
"Is that all? Aren't you afraid of being wrong? The Majestic Commerce contains various creatures; perhaps it was arranged by the Tide Spirit?"
Richard chuckled: "I did suspect the Tide Spirit. However, I happened to know a piece of insider news. Someone says the Clan Leader of the Mechanical Clan is very keen on studying relics from the Previous Civilization, and a few years ago, the Mechanical Clan discovered a gigantic Previous Civilization site.
The various creations within are also beneficial to a Dominator.
And coincidentally, I have proof of this insider news."
As he spoke, the expression of the Netherworld Dominator beside the Tide Spirit Dominator suddenly changed - he slashed the Tide Spirit Dominator to pieces.
A crimson blood mist spread over the wound, emitting constant corrosive sounds.
"Mechanical head, you didn't think only you could eavesdrop, did you?" the Netherworld Dominator calmly said.
On his body, a Miracle Fire suddenly ignited, instantly consuming the power of the Civilization Devourer within him.
The Mechanical Dominator was startled, a crystal eye emerged behind him, staring closely at the purifying Netherworld Dominator, filled with disbelief.
"You have not been eroded! No, this is all an act by you all!"
The Netherworld Dominator chuckled, his face full of disdain.
"Before the Second Federation Meeting began, the Old Tree approached me, wanting me to collaborate in staging a play."
The timeline returns to before the Second Federation Meeting in the period when Richard was clearing the cities of the Tide Spirit Clan.
"Old Tree, what do you intend to convey with these?"
In the Federation Dimension, the avatar of the Great World Tree and the avatar of the Netherworld Dominator sat facing each other, surrounded by a lush forest.
"I actually wish to hear what you intend to say." The Great World Tree replied calmly.
"Don't you want to explain anything about the fact that these polluters have the coordinates of your mother world in their hands?"
"Explanation." The Netherworld Dominator sneered, "This is obviously a setup. Our Ghost Horror Clan does not make a habit of being anyone's dog, much less a monster's."
The Great World Tree looked at him, his gaze calm but with a penetrating sharpness.
"Netherworld, you better speak the truth. If you don't, surely you'll be the one regretting it in the end."
The voice of the Great World Tree was very steady and calm, yet behind this calmness lay immeasurable terrifying power.
As the oldest Dominator of the Natural Federation, the Great World Tree possesses the strongest prowess within the federation.
Even though the Netherworld Dominator assumed he might not lose to the Great World Tree, at that moment, he still relented.
He slowly spoke: "This matter must be traced back to over ten years ago when the war had just ceased, and an anomaly occurred in a world under our Ghost Horror Clan.
A World Master reported that a small world discovered a large Previous Civilization relic.
The large Previous Civilization relic, you know its value. At that time, I and the Ghost Lord immediately sealed the news and personally went to that world.
However, in that relic, we did not find any Previous Civilization technology, only a black slime monster."
"Slime monster?"
Heart moved, the Great World Tree's face briefly showed shock.
"You sealed it?"
As Dominators, the Great World Tree naturally guessed the Netherworld Dominator's reaction when facing that monster.
"Correct, I sealed it," the Netherworld Dominator nodded. "That thing has a tenacious life force, and its power seems inexhaustible.
After sealing it, the Ghost Lord and I began researching it.
Soon, we developed a system, a system to extract its power and feed it back into the world."
"Feed... feed back into the world!?"
If sealing merely surprised the Great World Tree, the extraction of Civilization Devourer's pawn power to feed back into the world completely exceeded the Great World Tree's expectations.
"How did you do it?"
The Great World Tree could ascertain that even the Predecessor Civilization Alliance did not possess such technology.
Extracting the power of the Civilization Devourer... that was too insane.
"Through technology, a method I found while exploring the Endless Dimension," the Netherworld Dominator explained calmly.
"This technology can extract a creature's power and purify it. Once connected to the Earth Veins, this system can be used to feed back the world.
Although the power of this thing is somewhat troublesome, as long as purification materials are replaced diligently, its power can be purified into ordinary energy."
"This..."
The Great World Tree was momentarily at a loss for words. The Endless Dimension was incredibly vast and connected to all the world communities.
In each dimension, who knows how many relics of other civilizations are left behind.
The Netherworld's statement was somewhat far-fetched, but undoubtedly, this could indeed happen, although the probability was extremely low.
However, precisely because the probability is so low, these words seem particularly believable.
Things are too outrageous, and yet they might be true.
"So you guys have been using that thing as an energy source for a dozen years?"
"Yes."
Upon hearing this, the Great World Tree was once more at a loss for words.
"No wonder the insider has targeted you. If you hadn't said it, who would have thought you could do something so shocking?"
"What do you plan to do?" asked the Netherworld.
"It's simple, we need you to help us put on a show," the Great World Tree said calmly. "The Alchemy Wizard is clearing out those pollution zones. Once he's done, I will call a federal meeting.
Then, we'll put on a show. I will go to the Ghost Horror World to investigate, and by then, they'll definitely make a move.
Just follow along with the act and wait for them to expose themselves."
…
"Netherworld, you really are ruthless."
The Mechanical Dominator instantly saw through Richard's plotting behind the scenes, feeling a twinge of regret.
He should have thought there was some plot behind this.
However, there was still one thing he didn't understand.
"To lure us out, you were even willing to abandon the Ghost Lord. That was a Dominator you cultivated yourself!"
Although the Netherworld Dominator hadn't been corrupted, the Ghost Lord had indeed been eroded by the Civilization Devourer.
That was why he'd been deceived.
Who would have thought the Ghost Horror Clan would be crazy enough to use a Dominator as bait?
The Netherworld Dominator's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this.
"The Ghost Lord knows about this; it's his choice. Without taking some harsh measures, how would you come out? How would your landmine go off?"
The Mechanical Dominator was briefly stunned by these words, then a look of relief spread across his face.
It felt like arguing with someone and suddenly realizing the other person was a fool.
The Ghost Horror Clan used a Dominator as bait; it served them right to be lured out.
"Alright, alright, I concede. But figuring it out doesn't mean you can survive!"
With that, an astonishing aura erupted from the Mechanical Dominator's body. Like the Ghost Lord, he broke through the limits and became a Breaking Limit Sovereign.
Meanwhile, next to the Netherworld Dominator, the ambushed Tide Spirit Dominator also quickly recovered, exuding a Breaking Limit aura.
While the Civilization Devourer couldn't create clones of Breaking Limit Sovereigns, guiding ordinary Dominators to become Breaking Limit Sovereigns with its power was not difficult.
At the same time, Ulysses's report also rang in Richard's ears.
"Richard, those octopodes and robots have all turned into Furnace Men and Titans."
Richard looked towards the Mechanical Dominator, the chains on his body swaying like tentacles.
"So it's Breaking Limit; that was indeed a bit unexpected. But..."
Richard paused, his eyes suddenly becoming fiercely aggressive, like a tiger about to pounce.
"But… to dare boast in front of me with such a pseudo Breaking Limit gained through a Civilization Devourer!?"
Richard's voice was like a thunderclap, his chains swinging fiercely.
In an instant, the void trembled, and the shadowy Shan Hai charged towards the Mechanical Dominator like a wild dragon, containing enough force to tear a small world apart.
The Mechanical Dominator's face changed slightly, and a mechanical domain appeared beside him. Countless mechanical creatures worked tirelessly within the domain, swiftly forming a grand empire.
Boom!
With the power of world destruction, the Shan Hai crushed down, nearly instantaneously shattering the domain's defense. The defense constructed by the mechanical beings was like paper against Shan Hai.
The entire domain almost crumbled from that one strike.
Richard had a hint of mockery on his face.
"Breaking Limit Sovereign, your strength is lacking."
The Mechanical Dominator fumed at these words, the memories of being oppressed by the Netherworld Dominator flashed in his mind.
Before Breaking the Limit, he had to suffer indignities. Even after Breaking the Limit, he still had to endure them.
Wasn't Breaking the Limit for nothing then?
He said resentfully to Richard, "Wizard, don't be arrogant. Everyone can pile on power; let's see how many times you can use such attacks."
How many times?
An odd smile flashed across Richard's face.
Talking about energy consumption with a Dominator who has integrated the Four Elements Rules, who said the Mechanical Clan lacked a sense of humor?