Ghost Horror Clan’s Mother World.
In the sky devoid of the cycle of day and night, dark clouds were densely packed, turning the world pitch-black under their cover.
Yet this darkness had no effect on the native creatures of this world.
Groups of undead walked across the gray-white plains, their eye sockets burning with pale soul fire. As the breeze swept through, these soul fires drifted with the wind, igniting ghostly blue flames in the air.
A desolate flute sound echoed across the plains, behind the group of undead, two creatures nearly identical to slender ghostly shadows were playing bone flutes made from leg bones.
Amidst the sound of the flute, they walked slowly, like shepherds herding sheep.
Within the Natural Federation, the Ghost Horror Clan was almost considered the largest clan. But few knew that the mother world of the Ghost Horror Clan was actually a small world, not even a medium-sized one.
In this small world known as the Netherworld Soil by the Ghost Horror Clan, there were no living beings in the usual sense.
The dense radiation of decay eternally lingered over this land, and the only creatures able to survive within that radiation were the blasphemous undead.
Although the Ghost Horror Clan did not admit it, anyone who studied their biology knew that the Ghost Horror Clan was made up of undead creatures.
Ordinary Ghost Horror Clan members appeared very tall, humanoid, with adult heights mostly around two and a half meters, and large blood-red claws grew at the ends of their limbs.
Their bodies appeared very weak, almost skeletal, with extremely pale skin, making them look like skeletons from afar—hence their name.
However, their strength was not weak, even considered strong.
An adult Ghost Horror Clan member could easily kill a tiger or a brown bear, even if they had not set foot on the Evolution Road.
Once they started on the Evolution Road, their strength and speed could easily overpower other creatures of the same level—except the Tree Spirit.
Of course, the Ghost Horror Clan also had their shortcomings.
They possessed very low innate intelligence, even as adults, their intellect was only comparable to that of a fifteen-year-old human.
Reproduction was only possible through the natural breeding in the Corpse Bone Pit of the Netherworld Soil.
However, these shortcomings only existed amongst ordinary people and in peaceful times.
Ghost Horror Clan members on the Evolution Road compensated for the intellectual deficit and gained the ability to acquire the memories and skills of other creatures through devouring corpses and souls, making them the most successful race in this wartime era.
On Ash Plain where the undead were herded, a massive stone Gothic cathedral stood on the horizon.
The Ghost Horror Clan did not adhere to any religion, but they admired these dark, ornate buildings. Almost all of the high-ranking members of the Ghost Horror Clan had their own cathedrals.
In the cathedral, a "Priest" clad in a pitch-black robe was praying before a Divine Statue.
Suddenly, a message emerged from the Void, and the Priest opened his eyes immediately after.
He frowned slightly, his blood-red eyes full of doubt.
"Calling for a Federation meeting... Old Tree, what are you up to?"
This praying "Priest" was none other than Youming, the Breaking Limit Sovereign of the Ghost Horror Clan.
Three days ago, he received news that a dominator from an alien civilization had descended upon the Natural Federation and had a meeting with the Great World Tree. And now, even though he had not left, the Great World Tree was convening a Federation meeting.
Did they learn something from that dominator?
Youming couldn’t understand, but his intuition told him that this meeting was not just a simple one.
Suddenly, a knocking sound resonated in the cathedral.
Youming did not turn around; he simply said with his coarse, strange voice, "Come in, Yuka."
The door’s hinge emitted a harsh foreign noise, and then Yuka, whom Lar had once met at Carlo—the Spirit Medicine Saint—slowly entered the cathedral.
He walked to Youming’s back and said with a very respectful tone, "Grandfather, the Mechanical Clan and the Tide Spirit Clan are at it again. We’ve been attacked at our gathering area in the Federation World, and they seem intent on using public opinion to make us forgo our offensive."
"Public opinion?" Youming showed a hint of helplessness on his face. "Perhaps I shouldn’t have let you stay in the legion all this time.
Don’t look at things only on the surface, delve a bit deeper. Do you think I, or any of the other dominators, care about the views of those beneath us?"
A touch of embarrassment passed across Yuka’s face.
"Sorry, Grandfather."
Youming continued, "These public opinions are just a form of attitude, the Mechanical and Tide Spirits are saying they will not stand by if war reignites. After all, the Federation has been established for so many years, ingrained in the hearts of many, leaving the Federation suddenly would definitely cause great turmoil. Causing some disturbances ahead of time is like a preventive measure."
As he spoke, a trace of a mocking smile appeared on Youming’s face.
"...However, a paper tiger cannot truly frighten anyone."
Hearing this, Yuka was a bit perplexed, he was just talking about attitudes from the Mechanical and Tide Spirits, how did this turn into a paper tiger?
"Yuka, remember, the Federation was never formed by choice. It was a product made to oppose the Curse Demon Empire," Youming slowly said.
"As long as the Curse Demon Empire exists, the worst fate for the Federation would be its annihilation, not dissolution.
Without the Federation, none of our five races, aside from the Old Tree, could survive. Therefore, the Mechanical and Tide Spirits would never let the Federation fall apart."
"But... what if they found another civilization?" Yuka hesitated to ask.
"That outsider Dominator, I feel he..."
"Child, this is a game." Youming interrupted, "The Natural Federation is a special existence. Compared to other civilizations, we are just a group of pathetic ones holding together for warmth.
The other civilizations are too powerful. If they want to ally with other civilizations, they inevitably risk being swallowed by them.
We need to grasp a degree, a degree that allows the Natural Federation to still exist.
We have no room for expansion. If we want to develop, there are only two choices: war, or having other civilizations cede interests to us.
A strange light flashed in Youming’s eyes.
"War is also a good option."
Yuka nodded somewhat understandingly, then suddenly changed the subject, saying somewhat embarrassedly: "Grandfather, do you have any small trinket here that you don’t care for?"
"Hmm? That little fellow from the Tree Spirit Clan doesn’t want the World Tree Branch anymore?"
"Yes." Yuka nodded, then said somewhat indignantly, "That Spirit Medicine Saint has such strange taste. I offered him a branch from a Sixth Level World Tree, and he ignored it. A Tree Shepherd brought some unknown thing, and he treated it like a treasure, even wanting to meet the owner of that thing proactively."
Youming didn’t care about Yuka’s complaining. To the World Masters, the Spirit Medicine Saint was a figure, but in his eyes, just a junior with some ability.
"That’s how it is when you ask for something. You can go to the warehouse later and take whatever catches your eye."
After saying that, a dimensional door woven from tree roots appeared in front of Youming.
Mother world of the Mechanical Clan.
On the vast steel plains, countless gigantic cold-toned structures stood, with the rumbling of mechanical operations continuously emanating from them, never ceasing.
Yet in the center of this vast plain, there was a small building that seemed like a handcrafted workshop.
Inside the building, an old machine-man who seemed somewhat rusty was talking with a Tide Spirit Clan member that looked like an octopus turned spirit.
"Machine Head, your information is well-informed. What is the old tree planning with this sudden federation meeting?" the Tide Spirit Clan member said.
The old machine-man, referred to as Machine Head, shook his rusty head.
"No information, but I suspect this meeting might have something to do with that Youming fellow looking for him previously.
That Youming guy never changes, wants to wage war right after a war ends, quite the bastard."
"Yeah, truly a bastard." The Tide Spirit Clan member sighed, "Isn’t peace good?"
"I feel something is off with him this time," the old machine-man suddenly said, "It’s not surprising the Ghost Horror Clan likes war, but he’s too impatient this time.
The war just ended, and he wants to restart it. That’s unusual. I heard the Ghost Horror Clan seems to have hidden something in their mother world..."
The Tide Spirit Clan member was taken aback by these words, then suddenly slapped the old machine-man’s head with a splat.
"Machine Head, you’re monitoring Youming!?"
The old machine-man swatted the Tide Spirit Clan member’s tentacle away.
"Don’t make it sound so bad. It’s only reasonable to find some information when we recycle puppets because the Ghost Horror Clan uses them too."
"Eh, damn it, I’m going to throw away all of our clan’s puppets when I get back! You sneaky old thing."
The old machine-man glanced at the Tide Spirit Clan member, calmly took out the heated metal ingot from the nearby forge, and shaped it into a gear with his hand.
"Don’t act like you didn’t know. Not a single puppet has ever entered your Holy Land."
"You really are spying on us!" the Tide Spirit Clan member continued to roar.
"That’s called accidental discovery."
The old machine-man quenched the gear in oil, then fitted it into his body.
In the next moment, a dimensional door woven from tree roots appeared before them.
"Let’s go, it’s time for the meeting."
The federation meeting was not held in the dimensions of the Natural Federation but rather in a neutral Federation World.
The areas within these Federation Worlds were divided among five races, not belonging to any single race.
At the center of the Federation World, the Great World Tree and Richard stood in front of the doors of the conference hall, chatting sporadically.
"Honestly, is it really appropriate for an outsider like me to participate in this meeting?" ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel·fire·net
Richard scratched his head, the clashing of crystals producing a piercing cutting sound—out of caution, Richard did not come in person but used a Dominator Puppet as his body for activities.
The Great World Tree glanced at him and replied, "You’re the main character of this meeting. If you don’t come, how can I persuade that stubborn mule?"
A dimensional door suddenly opened in front of them, and the tall shadow of Youming emerged from it, wearing a chilling smile on his face.
"Old tree, who are you talking about?"