Chapter 279
Chapter 279: New Streamer Viktor Has Gone Live—Come Send Some Gifts~
Thunder as rousing as war drums tore through the sky.
Dark clouds laden with fury churned beneath the world, releasing a scorched and suffocating aura.
This restless surge flooded into lungs like a tide, drowning and destroying all ease and calm.
Differently colored light flashed ceaselessly through the black clouds. Brilliant hues ripped open the heart of the cloud layer; a force of annihilation drove down like a blade into the earth.
The Padalenbu Sea was not far from the Empire. The upheaval above the ocean, accompanied by its reverberations, spread all the way to the Carencia Empire.
Even the very heart of the Empire—the Royal Capital—was caught in its wake.
The sky turned overcast, as though a divine being had shut its eyelids completely, sealing away all light.
Resonant thunder transformed into a sleeping god's snoring—low, deep, and unending.
Gales suddenly swept across the streets. Wooden signs clattered and snapped against the cobblestones on either side. The stone-paved ground seemed to ring out with dull, jarring impacts.
Fat raindrops fell as though countless things were plummeting from the sky at once, wild and spiraling as they swept across the entire city.
Horses whinnied. Vehicles overturned.
The terrifying downpour and gale seemed capable of sucking everything into the void.
The towering domed roof of the Imperial Palace was raked by the storm. A howling shriek rose and fell endlessly, spreading a ghastly, malevolent edge.
Beneath that pall of darkness, even the enormous Imperial Palace had fallen into incomparable oppression.
Its authority seemed to have seized everything by the throat.
Candlelight flickered to life in every corner, casting the palace's interior in a dim, murky glow.
Dread spread like plague, breathed in by every trembling minister.
Their throats felt as if a shard of broken stone were lodged within—choking, utterly unable to pass.
Beneath the driving gale, the palace's outer gates clanged and rattled without end.
Intense terror hammered ceaselessly at the hearts of every minister in the hall.
The situation had become critically urgent.
Emperor Aubrey, supported by Auréliane, sat upright upon the throne and regarded the ministers to one side with grave solemnity.
Those eyes radiated an overpowering authority, like a lion's—especially prominent in the dim light of the throne, exceptionally bright and sharp.
Like a razor-edged dagger suspended above the ministers' heads.
The ministers, seeing the Emperor's arrival, could only steel themselves and press forward with their reports as swiftly as possible, even as their hearts pounded and sweat slid down their cheeks:
"Your Majesty! Reports have arrived from every corner of the Empire!"
"Besitete has been submerged by torrential rain—floodwaters have already poured into the city!"
"Your Majesty! Ribinia has been struck by extreme heat and drought. Countless crops have withered from the heat within just a single day."
"Metremi has been hammered by thunderstorms……"
The ministers reported one after another, their faces filled with anxiety and shock.
The Element upheaval had affected virtually the entire Empire.
Nearly every city within the Empire's borders had been impacted.
Aubrey narrowed his eyes. He leaned back against his throne, the hand gripping the armrest tightening slightly, and asked slowly:
"Then—where did this calamitous Element upheaval originate?"
One minister, trembling visibly, held a Magic Stone in both hands. He stepped respectfully forward and presented it to Aubrey:
"Your Majesty! This is the scene of the Padalenbu Sea as recorded by Principal Rashel."
The transparent Magic Stone gradually lit up. A scene surfaced from within the pale-blue Magic Power shimmering across its surface—
The surging, churning Padalenbu Sea was likewise shrouded in dark clouds—yet the degree of chaos was incomparably more terrifying than anything over the Royal Capital.
Viktor stood amid the raging ocean. Catastrophe surrounded him on all sides. 4 different colors coiled and clashed together, all semblance of harmony utterly lost.
Terrible lightning blazed through the clouds above. 2 colossal dragons wove in and out of sight, locked together—thunder raging, storms surging wildly.
Gusts laden with lightning fell again and again between ocean and scorched earth.
Across the ocean's surface, purple electrical light darted and threaded actively, blasting the great black rocks standing amid the ferocious waves into fragments.
The swiftly falling lightning and thunder shattered the vast Scorched Earth, sending great pillars of dust billowing skyward, feeding the blazing flames that burned below—as if capable of incinerating the remains of the Gods themselves to nothing.
At Aubrey's side, Auréliane could not help but stare wide-eyed.
Her teacher—how was he there!?
The other ministers, equally ignorant of the full picture, were likewise unable to close their mouths, utterly dumbfounded.
What the hell—wasn't that Viktor?
He was standing alone amid 4 heaven-shaking colossal beasts, surviving in such an extreme environment. It was simply beyond comprehension.
At this moment, the minister continued to speak, still trembling:
"Count Viktor has been here… fighting for 2 full days straight."
Everyone fell silent.
The minister continued reporting below the throne:
"Your Majesty, the Mage Council wishes to broadcast this battlefield to other nations—and so they have come to ask for your opinion."
Given that Viktor was, after all, a citizen of the Carencia Empire, the Mages had deliberated and decided it was best to consult the Emperor first.
Aubrey sat upright on his throne, gazing at the scene before him. His expression was calm—without even a ripple of emotion.
However, he suddenly raised a hand and pointed at the faint white serpentine dragon weaving through the dense cloud layer in the image, and asked:
"Last time—the one that ran from the extreme north all the way to the south—was it that thing?"
The assembled ministers paused, then fell into a brief, blank silence.
One of them quickly nodded:
"Yes, Your Majesty. That great dragon."
Aubrey relaxed his posture and leaned back against the throne again:
"Tell the Council—granted."
"But they are also obligated to lend their strength in this ocean."
He added calmly:
"The ocean must not be destroyed."
***
A teal bird burst out from the black clouds and flew toward every corner of the world.
At this moment, in the most bustling district of the Royal Capital, an enormous projection screen materialized in the sky above.
It hovered in the air—so high that even students tucked away in their dormitories could see the image clearly.
The students stared at the pale blue scene that filled their vision. They crowded beside their windows, holding their breath.
Their gazes looked as though their very souls had been pulled out—blank and unmoving. Their minds fell into a brief, complete emptiness.
So Professor Viktor wasn't at the Academy—he'd gone off to pick a fight.
The Natural Sparrows swiftly rode the wind currents across the world, reaching the location of every Council Member.
The Siminis Mountain Range. The city of Miti.
Inside a tavern, calls and shouts rose one after another.
Right at the center of the tavern stood a Dwarf whose beard nearly dragged along the floor.
He held a goblet aloft in one hand. On his chest was fastened the Council Member emblem—3 shattered human heads.
The Natural Sparrow landed on his hand. The Dwarf's goblet jolted. Then he raised the Natural Sparrow high:
"Hey, fellas."
"Come take a look at this."
The Natural Sparrow's eyes burst open with 2 beams of light. A cerulean-blue scene spread across the sky, and Viktor's silhouette appeared before everyone present.
The Dwarves all stared at the terrifying environment. Even from safely outside the disaster, their hearts trembled ceaselessly.
They were utterly astonished, turning to the Dwarf Council Member at the center:
"What in the world is that?"
The Council Member gulped down a mouthful of ale, crossed his arms, and said evenly:
"The one who's going to make our Council famous."
***
The teal bird soared through the clouds, following a vine that climbed all the way up into the cloud layer, ascending above it.
The heavy clouds churned in the darkness, lightning flickering and glimmering around them from time to time.
A group of winged eagle-folk lived among the towering vines.
They followed the teal bird together, flying toward an even higher point.
Until the bird was caught steadily by an eagle-folk with broad wings.
The emblem of 3 shattered human heads on his chest gleamed faintly in the morning light.
"What message has Rashel sent this time?"
The scene spread across the sky, unfolding a breathtaking vista of the Padalenbu Sea.
The eagle-folk Council Member raised an eyebrow and spoke:
"Ohhh~! Magnificent."
He folded both wings over his chest—then suddenly snapped them open, sending a great gust of wind surging outward.
His eyes fixed with fervent intensity in the direction of the Padalenbu Sea, radiating wild and blazing enthusiasm.
***
The teal bird cut across barren, jagged mountain ranges, passing through heavy dusk and drifting dust.
Watched by countless great dragons who made their home in those mountains, it flew into the lofty peak at the highest point of the range.
At that summit stood several enormous and ferocious great dragons.
Each was different, yet every one of them radiated crushing oppression.
The moment several of the great dragons caught sight of the Natural Sparrow, their brows furrowed slightly, and sparks flickered from between their maws.
But what made the scene utterly absurd was this:
Among them, surrounded by those great dragons, sat a yellow Shiba Inu.
On the Shiba Inu's chest was fastened a Council Member emblem. Its tongue lolled out as it lifted one paw and let the Natural Sparrow land on it.
It tossed its paw forward. The Natural Sparrow took flight and leaped into the sky.
The same scene unfolded at the mountain's peak.
The great dragons, having made out the silhouette of the colossal beasts in the image, seemed to feel a terrifying current surge through their very marrow.
They lowered their bodies, adopting a posture of profound and reverent deference.
***
With all 4 Calamities gathered, disaster had descended upon the world—none could avoid it.
Even in the Kingdom, everyone felt a creeping sense of personal danger.
The Kant Kingdom.
Inside a spacious and luxurious Manor, numerous servants moved hurriedly through the halls.
An elder adorned in gleaming jewels and golden ornaments sat composedly in a comfortable chair.
He reclined beside a floor-to-ceiling window, a cup of tea cradled in hand.
The Grand Duke raised his cup and took a long, unhurried sip.
Then his gaze drifted sideways to the Magic Stone a servant had brought over.
Magic Stones were an ore abundant in the Carencia Empire—within the Kingdom's borders, they were exceedingly rare.
And whenever a Magic Stone appeared within the Kingdom, it meant only 1 thing:
Something of great importance had occurred, and a Magic Stone had been used to carry the message.
The Grand Duke picked it up and projected its power onto the door panel.
In an instant, the terrifying, chaotic catastrophe plunged the entire room into an atmosphere of heavy gloom.
The Grand Duke narrowed his eyes at the scene and began to speak slowly:
"Viktor Clavena?"
"I know him."
He took a sip of tea. His expression remained perfectly calm.
"4 natural Elements… first time I've ever seen this."
"Still—he's what interests me more."
He set his teacup down, picked up the walking cane at his side, and rose to his feet. He began to pace through the room.
He walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, drew aside the curtain, and looked out.
The sky outside was completely obscured by churning black clouds. The dense cloud layer looked as though it might collapse and crash down at any moment, impossibly thick.
Torrential rain raged. A scorching sun blazed.
Thunder struck the earth. Storms howled.
The terrifying sense of apocalypse continued to assault the Grand Duke's vision in wave after wave.
The battle was taking place in the ocean beside the Empire—and yet its reverberations had already spread all the way to the Kingdom.
"By the way, Auréliane's birthday is coming up soon, isn't it."
The Grand Duke narrowed his eyes. Something in his gaze shifted—as though a few traces of fond reminiscence had entered.
The servants behind him stood rigid with courtesy, not daring to make a sound.
"Send a letter to Aubrey. Tell him I miss Auréliane—and have him bring her and her teacher to visit me."
A servant nodded and answered softly in acknowledgment.
The Grand Duke turned to the servant and said:
"Also—pass word to that young King."
"The Council wants to promote Viktor across the Kingdom and other places. There is no reason for us to fall out with the Empire and the Council over this."
"Tell him—I've agreed to it."
The servant still did not dare answer readily. He closed his eyes for a moment, then gave a faint, trembling nod.
The Grand Duke turned back to face the window and let out a quiet, satisfied chuckle.
The walking cane in his hand tapped lightly against the floor.
The sky outside—swallowed completely by black clouds—had its darkness instantly driven away.
As if all the filth in the world had been purged clean, a bright and warm expanse of clear sky was revealed.
Yet further in the distance, dark clouds still churned, and wild thunder rang ceaselessly.
The Grand Duke gazed at the scene before him, in fine spirits:
"Sunny days are just easier on the eyes."