Chapter 275: The strongest beings

"So what, land doesn't mean squat to us." Replied a female with light blue wings growing from her back. Folded they didn't take too much space, but the sight of them certainly made her one of the more unique ones here. 

"Your right. But what if you are alone surrounded by enemies. Enemies who mean nothing to you, but with years more devil and demons will be born. In these years more devil and demon lords will come, from which more kings will arise. Lastly, there will be more Emperors, and finally, they might just decide to take your piece of land." Athtar retorted.

"What will you do then, after years have passed and everyone else is gone or in the same situation? Sure you might be able to hold out. But is that the life you want? Surrounded by enemies and fighting day in and day out?"

Hearing this everyone became somber, what Athtar painted was a bleak future none of them wanted. They preferred to not be disturbed, most of them had left their families after seeing the greed their families cultivated.

In extreme cases their families, their own children, would slaughter themselves to try and lay claim to something. It was so dumb, instead of working together, they would rather tear each other down.

In less extreme cases these people would still see their children die. Generation after generation, until finally it just became too much for them. Most of them had tried for ten or so generations, but then things starting becoming meaningless. They started losing a reason to live, isolating was much easier. That way at least their research could be a reason to live for.

As such most of these people didn't interact with mortals anymore. Only the elves were lucky enough to only see one or two generations pass. That was why Athtar was considered in the loop, he was still ruling his family. He was still working with normal people.

"What does it help if we go? Won't the same situation happen? Only now we will be in a foreign land, helping strangers?" Asked a more modest-looking person, his visage the epitome of average. Most people would forget to have even heard his voice, some would never be able to recall having met him. 

"Reiben, why would you think you need to fight to the death. What truly is needed is the threat of you being there. It will keep our enemies from using their strongest cards, stalling the invasion, and giving the normal people of the empires more time to learn. They need to learn, adapt, and fight back.'

"While most Emperors are Tier 10, that means they can't do a thing against Devil and Demon Emperors. If we do not act, and one of them does, then an empire might fall in a day. That is what we need to avoid."

"And how do we know that they won't act as long as we are there?" Asked a man covered in pitch-black scales.

"We can't, but if I tell you that there is an Emperor Devil in the neighboring kingdom. Will you act recklessly?" Athtar countered.

"Of course not, I'll try and find him and gain an advantage." The man quickly retorted and felt ashamed at his stupid question right after. 

"And he'll do the same. That is what those from the empires need. They need us to stall, not actually fight. Naturally, you can if you want, but I know none of you want to risk dying."

With that the meeting abruptly turned quiet. After a few seconds Athtar spoke again, "That is all, it is up to you if we will survive or not." With that he turned and leaped off the floating garden, quickly flying to a distant lonely mountain where heavy smoke was coming from. 

Diving straight through the top opening, Athtar landed next to a dwarf who was in the middle of working on a spear. Flakes of metal flying and the entire room hot enough to melt even celestial ores by simply placing them inside.

"What did the buggers say?" The dwarf asked, heatwaves constantly being released by his body. The entire floor would have melted if not for it being made of special material, in fact, no normal person would be able to stand close to this dwarf. 

"They complained, they asked questions. They had nothing worthy of saying." Athtar replied as he circled around to see the spear better. The dwarf's beard seemingly aflame from the heat, though it was actually quite normal. 

Hearing that the dwarf started laughing heartily, "They became sodding relics. There is a reason why you can't abandon your roots." The dwarf replied as he hammered down onto the spear. The entire hammer aflame, the heat so great that even dragons might take a step back.

"Amnur, when are you returning home?" Athtar asked, wondering just what grade this spear was going to end up as. He knew that his friend would never make anything below Tier 10, the question was how much better was it going to be.

"I had planned to wait a decade more or so. But the bloody invasion is a problem." Amnur the dwarf replied, lifting his head and smiling at Athtar. His eyes were a pure purple color, reminiscent of a Mov Crystal. It was the only thing of him that was not related to fire. Even his veins pulses like magma, deep red and alive.

"When you do go home, can you stop at Taurus first?" Athtar asked, wondering how Itireae was doing and if she had learned what war was by now.

"Why?" Amnur asked as he returned to hammering the spear. 

"I had sent Itireae there to experience war, but I fear her inexperience might be a problem."

"Then Taurus was a good choice. One of the strongest dwarven clans is there, even some of my direct descendants." Amnur replied as he thought about it, he truly might as well visit that clan as well. It had been a few hundred years since he last saw them. 

"True, but this invasion is far more than I had thought. I am sure you have gotten news from your people too."

"Yeah, goddam subterrain is also stirring," Amnur replied, wondering why this time that part of their world would also stir. Especially why it would mess with them, though it would certainly mess with anyone if it wanted. They likely just didn't know the damage it had caused the devils too.

"What do you think it means?" Athtar asked, not really expecting much of an answer.

"I still think it is just a coincidence and doesn't involve the invasion. The invasions have always been related to the sun. Which is why I don't understand, how can we be sure the invasion won't be stopped like usual? All it takes is a flare for it all to end, just like how a flare starts it all." Amnur never stopped hammering as they talked, the sound of each hit close to thunder, but it never reached their ears.

"Prophecies, gods, hunches. You know there is no good answer, at least not for us."

"Then do you truly believe it?" Amnur questioned, flipping the spear around and starting to work on the back blade.

"It doesn't matter, we must always prepare for the worst. Right, something that has put me on edge was that weird phenomenon."

"You mean the time freeze?"

"I don't know if that is the correct term, but it certainly felt like a time freeze."

"Nah, it was a time freeze. I was busy working on this spear then already, I could still feel the heat, the mana. Yet everything had stopped, not even my eyes would move."

"Interesting, I had the same experience. It was like my soul was the only thing affected." Athtar paused and asked, "Do you think the others also realized that time was frozen for a time?"

"No idea. You should ask them."

"No way I can do that. They'll wonder if I was the cause. How long do you think it lasted?"

"Few days, maybe a week. You know, the spear kept me company." Hearing this Athtar eyes flew open in surprise "Yeah, but the bugging time freeze killed her. So it had to be at least six days."

This shocked Athtar even more, "Aren't you furious? When was the last time a weapon you made came to life?"

"Of course I am pissed!" Amnur smacked his hammer down against his anvil. Sparks like lighting sent flying from the collision and cracks forming on the walls. Even the Anvil cracked. "She was great, I am now just trying to give her a proper burial." Saying this, fiery tears slowly formed in Amnur's eyes.

Athtar could understand the anger and pain, a living weapon was not like normal legendary weapons. Heck, it could even rival and stump divine artifacts. But that was not what made losing it so painful. No, it was that a part of the smith's soul would go into the weapon. It was their child, and losing a child is never easy. No matter how long you have lived. 

"Do you need anything?" Athtar asked as he laid his hand on his friend's shoulder. The heat generating from Amnur nearly burning even him. 

"Just give me a few days to finish her grave. It is the least I can do for her." Amnur replied through clenched teeth and tears.