Just as I stepped out of the colossal passage and onto the ground of the Land of Disorder, my body swayed, my face paled, and I nearly collapsed into the embrace of Mother Earth.
Lavishly Karafar and Mifeier also reacted, albeit to different degrees. ‘What is this unsettling sensation?’ I wondered.
Ryan Micheus conjured a Holy Shield, supporting the three of us as he explained, “The Land of Disorder is like this. The power of order here is somewhat chaotic. Try to contain the order within your bodies and prevent it from overflowing; otherwise, you’ll feel quite uncomfortable.”
Upon hearing his advice, I obediently followed it. Indeed, the discomfort lessened considerably. In the Divine Realm, the power of order within me had always harmoniously interacted with the power of order in the surrounding space.
However, the order in this Land of Disorder was utterly chaotic, like garbled code. The moment I encountered it, it swiftly disrupted the internal balance of my own power, inevitably leading to the scene just moments ago.
Yet, despite its chaotic nature, this ‘garbled code’ could still be managed. By channeling the power of order, one could temporarily stabilize a small surrounding area, thus allowing divine spells to be cast. However, their potency, casting difficulty, and energy consumption would be drastically different.
Only after I suppressed the chaotic order within my body did my pale face regain its healthy flush.
Ryan Micheus stretched his limbs, then eyed the wooden box on his back with a hint of curiosity. Such exquisite craftsmanship surely indicated it was no ordinary item.
“Student Ye, what’s in that box of yours?” Ryan Micheus asked, gently touching the box on his own back.
“This?” I glanced back at it. “Guitar strings,” I answered directly.
“Student Ye can play the guitar too? How incredibly versatile!” Ryan Micheus offered a timely compliment, though it seemed to have little effect.
“No,” I replied bluntly.
Ryan Micheus’s expression stiffened once more. It seemed that whenever he conversed with me, his wit simply vanished, leaving the usually eloquent man momentarily at a loss for words.
‘Why would someone who can’t play the guitar carry guitar strings?’ he wondered. Yet, he refrained from asking, convinced it would only further an already awkward situation.
Lavishly Karafar, observing from the side, sighed. “It’s not like that…” she began, then proceeded to explain the true purpose of the strings.
Ryan Micheus fell silent instantly upon hearing her explanation, stroking his chin as he pondered. “These strings are absolutely no ordinary items,” he mused. “We must find a suitable instrument body for them, or their true potential will be significantly diminished.”
For once, the fellow and I were on the same page. I nodded in agreement. “Do you have anyone in mind?”
Ryan Micheus pursed his lips, a frown creasing his brow. “There are a few candidates: the God of Music, the Saint of Forging, and the Goddess of Heavenly Sound.” He continued, “However, it’s perfect timing. The God of Music is currently in the Land of Disorder; he seems to be searching for something. Let’s go find him and see if he has any suitable items.”
As I knew nothing of the matter, I naturally had no objections. The others also had no pressing engagements, and discussions could easily take place at a later time, so there was no rush. Thus, we altered our itinerary: instead of heading to Keli City, we would first proceed to the Great Earth Ruins in search of the God of Music.
****
Meanwhile, a group of people lay in wait.
“Hey, why aren’t they here yet?” – Assassin A
“Just wait a little longer,” – Assassin B – “Patience is paramount for us assassins.”
“But we’ve already waited two days…” – Knight A
Hidden in a nearby bush, the middle-aged man sighed. They lacked even the most basic intelligence gatherers. If they were exposed like this, wouldn’t they be completely annihilated?
‘When I get back, I’ll break their legs! Is this how I usually teach them? What an absolute disgrace to assassins!’
On the other hand, having veered from our original route, our group naturally avoided those “top-tier assassins.” We boarded the Land of Disorder’s flying train, heading directly for the Great Earth Ruins.
Leixar had just sent a considerable amount of information about the Land of Disorder to our terminals.
Essentially, the Land of Disorder exhibited vast civilizational differences, broadly divided into three major cultures. First was the Toss Federation, where I currently resided, which prioritized technological advancement. Second was the Heidi Empire, primarily focused on magic, and third was the Feathered City, which emphasized sorcery and martial arts.
The flying train moved with astonishing speed, not much slower than my own full-power flight. Looking down from above, the landscape resembled scenes from futuristic blockbusters on Earth, appearing incredibly magnificent.
In merely ten minutes, the train arrived at the Great Earth Ruins. It was a rather ancient-looking city, though only relatively speaking. Reportedly, the city derived its name from a massive ruin in its immediate vicinity.
“So, where is the God of Music?” I asked, having no mind to appreciate the city. To be honest, I found myself growing increasingly disinterested in highly technological objects, instead developing a special fondness for classical items. For instance, I was increasingly drawn to the scenes and attire from games set in ancient Oriental backgrounds.
“He should be tinkering with something in his house just outside the ruins,” Ryan Micheus replied. The last time he had sought out the God of Music for a matter, he had found him engrossed in tinkering with incomprehensible objects, completely forgetting to eat or sleep.
Boarding a vehicle that resembled a car, we soon arrived at the house Ryan Micheus had mentioned.
The house was nestled right next to the ruins. Colossal pillars, reaching into the clouds, made the small wooden house appear utterly tiny. Perched atop a mound of yellow earth, the wooden structure felt somewhat out of place.
As we approached, I faintly heard the clinking and clanking of metal from within. ‘Was this a blacksmith or the God of Music?’ I suddenly wondered.
“Knock, knock—” Ryan Micheus rapped on the heavy door, but after a long silence, no one answered.
Ryan Micheus, seemingly having anticipated this, simply kicked open the door. “Thud—” The door crashed to the ground with a dull thud.
“Who’s there! What’s going on!” a voice rang out from within, tinged with annoyance, yet still magnetic and elegant.
“It’s me, Ryan Micheus.” Ryan Micheus walked over and opened an inner door, revealing a handsome blue-haired young man hunched over a workbench. He held a small hammer, meticulously tapping a tiny metal piece.
I frowned at the room’s arrangement. In truth, he was quite similar to my past self, someone who stayed indoors and rarely ventured out. However, gazing at the incredibly messy and dirty environment, I found it unbearable. If it were merely disorganized, that would be one thing, but in the dark, lightless room, poorly maintained, there was a strong, unbearable smell of mildew.
The God of Music looked up. “Ryan Micheus, what do you want? You’ve kicked open another one of my doors. If it’s not urgent, I swear I’ll kill you today.”
Ryan Micheus shrugged. “Provided you can beat me, of course. But yes, I do have something to ask of you this time.”
At the first part of Ryan Micheus’s statement, the God of Music’s face stiffened. However, the latter half offered him a convenient escape. “Alright, what is it? I’m very busy.”
“Actually, I was hoping you could help me craft an instrument,” Ryan Micheus said to the God of Music.
“What? Say that again? I didn’t quite hear you. Craft an instrument? For me?” A string of rhetorical questions burst forth, revealing the God of Music’s agitation. ‘Craft an instrument? And he comes to *me*, the God of Music?’
“First off, this isn’t just any ordinary instrument,” Ryan Micheus replied mysteriously.
“No matter how extraordinary, it’s still just an instrument,” the God of Music declared. “Don’t come to me for help with chasing girls; figure that out yourself.” He waved his hand, signaling us to leave.
Ryan Micheus’s face darkened. He opened the wooden box, briefly revealing the strings inside, then promptly closed it and turned, making as if to leave.
The God of Music’s expression instantly transformed into something peculiar. He lunged at Ryan Micheus like a fanatic. “Wait, hey, wait! Why are you in such a hurry to leave?”
Ryan Micheus merely sidestepped, easily dodging the God of Music’s lunge. “What’s wrong? Weren’t you not going to do it? I’ll just go find someone else to help me win over a lady then,”
he retorted sarcastically.
The God of Music could only let out a dry, hollow laugh. “That was just a joke, a joke! What kind of relationship do we have? Forget one instrument; ten, even a hundred would be no problem at all.”
Ryan Micheus looked at the God of Music playfully. “Alright then, make me a hundred instruments.”
The God of Music froze instantly. “N-no, that, that was just a figure of speech, a figure of speech!”
Ryan Micheus stopped joking, handing over the box and simultaneously explaining the purpose of the strings.
The God of Music, who had received the box with trembling hands, experienced a flash of shock in his eyes upon hearing the strings’ function. The box in his hands nearly dropped to the ground.
He placed the box on his workbench and slowly opened it, his hands trembling slightly as he picked up a single string.
“D-do you, do you know what I’m looking for here?” the God of Music asked, his voice quivering.
He retrieved another string from under his workbench. “Th-this is what I found in the Great Earth Ruins, but it’s only one string.”
However, it was immediately apparent that the quality of this single string differed significantly from my set.
“Ah, right!” The God of Music slapped his forehead, then scurried back into a room. A flurry of clanging and banging followed before he rushed back out.
He held a measuring disc in his hand.
I looked at the disc in his hand, perplexed, unsure of its purpose.
Ryan Micheus explained at the opportune moment, “This is a Divine Measuring Disc. Although its name sounds incredibly grand, its function is simply to test the divine power contained within a weapon or relic.”
I nodded, watching the God of Music busily calibrate the device to himself.
“Alright,” the God of Music announced, picking up his own string and gently placing it on the disc. He then activated it.
A moment later, a flash of white light appeared, and the string on the disc began to emit a faint purple glow.
“What is this?” I asked.
“Divine power is graded. Although every deity’s weapon is a divine artifact, divine artifacts also vary in strength. For example, this string is a high-tier divine artifact, close to epic grade. Divine artifacts are categorized into ordinary, high-tier, epic, and legendary.”
“What about my items?” I inquired.
“They should be at least epic-grade divine artifacts. We’ll see, nothing is certain yet,” Ryan Micheus replied.