21. The Country Boy from Crocune Returned to His Faithful Homeland

At the break of dawn in Oronar City, Dick was already packed and ready to depart.

He donned the “Lightforged Armaments” gifted by Narukurei. This finely crafted armor was not the standard issue used by the elite warriors of the Holy Light Legion in Dick’s memories. In this era, the concept of “Lightforging” had yet to be born. Even the Naaru themselves could not have predicted that during the brutal Force Wars, the once gentle Holy Light would become more radical than ever before.

The armor on his body was only given the title “Lightforged” as a name; its core craftsmanship still came from the master blacksmiths of the Eredar.

The bright silver armor was inlaid with purple magical gems that enhanced the armor’s innate durability by improving its magic conductivity. Coupled with Narukurei’s blessing, which manifested as golden holy insignias decorating the armor, it amplified the power of the Holy Light.

In fact, Dick discovered that his character card system had an “equipment appraisal” feature. When he first put on this imposing armor, he could check its attributes in the character stats:

Name: Kurei’s Blessing Armor
Quality: Fine [5/5]
Set Bonuses: Basic Holy Light Amplification · Basic Sword Resistance · Basic Mana Absorption
Set Effects:
[3/5]: Slightly enhances all Holy Light skill effects of the wearer.
[5/5]: Grants the passive skill [Protective Aura], slightly increasing the defense of all allied units within thirty yards.

Equipment Description:
[Although Kurei truly wished to reward outstanding Holy Light walkers, the simple-minded Naaru were obviously not clever enough—at least not clever enough to understand the complicated daily interactions and secret personal preferences of the temple quartermasters.
Unfortunately, you were supposed to receive a cooler, flashier epic-grade armor as a reward for your heroic deeds.
But since you ruined Sachir’s scheme and angered that hidden cult sympathizer among the quartermasters, consider yourself unlucky—or go report him immediately, brother.]

“???”
Dick blinked in surprise, then sighed. He admitted his character card system was great in many ways, but it always added a strangely worded comment after the official descriptions.

Damn it!
Did some bored high-dimensional being mistake this for a livestream? Throwing in random bullet comments? How tiresome!

“I just like blue and green gear! So what if I prefer eco-friendly armor? Wearing all orange gear doesn’t mean you can accomplish great things. Watch me succeed in blue and green—that’s real skill!”
Dick muttered stubbornly.

Feeling a bit wounded inside, he mounted his battle-ready Tabby Ram, pulled up his hood, glanced once more at the sprawling estate of the Maldren Defense Officer, and then set off into the misty morning.

He made sure not to disturb anyone.
On one hand, farewells at dawn disregarded others’ desire to sleep in. On the other, this was a secret mission; the Assassin’s Court was still waiting.
He had no wish to offend those who could directly report to the High Overlord.

With his loyal Tabby Ram’s swift pace, Dick soon arrived at the Oronar City Defense Command, where his nominal subordinates were already waiting.

Captain Nali was yawning as she inspected the accompanying bags. Her chatty assassin subordinate Yura and the witty Malas were still injured and couldn’t come, so only the twins, as rookies, accompanied him for this new soldier’s trial.

Meanwhile, the “Five Little Braves” sat together eating breakfast with their backpacks on.

Dick had specifically requested these five.
They had earned the title “Warriors” for their merits and officially held the rank of Defense Officers, but since their arcane academy courses were not yet finished, they could not enlist. Moreover, the academy was under strict scrutiny, and classes had been suspended.

Rather than wasting time playing cards in the dorms, it was better to join Dick on a trip to Krokuun for practical experience.

Together with Dick, these eight formed the “Holy Stone Explorers” squad.

Though somewhat lean in numbers, considering this was a deep reconnaissance into “myth and legend,” a smaller team was preferable.

When Dick dismounted from his Tabby Ram, the Five Little Braves immediately stood to greet him. He encouraged and praised each of them, filling their chests with pride.

But Captain Nali, a seasoned veteran, was not so easily fooled. Leaning on the nearby railing, she teased in a drawn-out voice:

“I thought we were at least friends, but when something good happens, you don’t invite me. Every time I run into you, it’s trouble. And now you want to drag us into the deep Krokuun wilderness? I’ve never been there—it’s said the locals have a rough culture.”

“The scenery there is beautiful. The Krokuun people are warm and hospitable. The herders make exquisite grilled fish and roasted lamb ribs—delicacies beyond compare. Don’t pout, little Nali. When we get there, it’s on me for a feast.”

Dick smiled and soothed her, then looked at the twins—and found them still applying makeup with small mirrors.

Sigh, delicate Eredar girls are like that.

They were going into the Assassin’s Court, a promising role that required covering their faces most of the time, yet they couldn’t let go of their pursuit of beauty.

“Ahem.”

The more mature Oreseth noticed Dick’s subtle gaze and hurriedly put away her mirror, bumping her sister’s wrist. The latter straightened up and said ingratiatingly:

“If you need, General Diakum—no, General Diakum!—my sister and I can use teleportation to bring you and your followers directly onto the Krokuun grasslands. We’ve recorded the arcane node coordinates from the Teleportation Court.
It’s guaranteed to be fast and stable.”

“Don’t you know that although the Awakener Cult’s coup’s main battlefield is on Mac’Aree, they have agents in every governorate of the country and even in overseas territories?”

Dick shook his head solemnly and explained:

“The inspection of spellcasting teams in other governorates has only just begun. If you don’t want to risk teleportation failure and being cast into the twisted void to face demons, it’s best to take the navy’s aircraft.
Don’t worry, it won’t take long.
Departing at dawn, by afternoon we should reach Naslax Castle on the cliffs of Krokuun’s coast. That’s where I grew up. It’s the only major city and the administrative center of the Krokuun governorate.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, but the twins hesitated. The more outgoing Saloras muttered quietly:

“This is transoceanic flight… It’s not that I don’t trust the Tech Court’s technology, but I heard their aircraft sometimes overheat and break apart on long flights. Although rare, I still prefer the safe and swift magic.”

“Then you two can go ahead and act as our messengers.”

Captain Nali snorted:

“General Dick is the mission commander! He’s not just your gym teacher anymore—this is official business, no bargaining! You two are still on probation in the Assassin’s Court, so act professional!
If you don’t want a ‘work performance unsatisfactory’ comment on your evaluation forms.”

The seasoned Nali knew how to handle workplace rules perfectly—one sentence had these two interns eager for civil servant status thoroughly under control, no longer daring to act up openly.

Because the mission was registered with the High Overlord, the Military Affairs Court provided excellent support. A specially assigned aircraft arrived quickly, landing in the barracks.

This craft was clearly modeled after the Naaru’s unique vessels.

The entire ship resembled a giant “energy gem” with a rudimentary cockpit embedded inside. At the rear, special-shaped energy clusters were exposed, which provided thrust during flight.

For other races, even if they found such a towering gem, the subsequent magical processing would be a huge challenge. But for the Eredar, born with a “jewelry crafting” talent, this was effortless.

Almost every inch of the gem aircraft’s exterior was handcrafted by artisans. Due to lack of mass production, these ships were still rare.

Argus was famed for its exceptional mineral gems with superb magic conductivity.

In the mountain ranges of several governorates on the Antoran Plains, enormous open-air gem mines could be found. Finding such giant jewels was easy, and combined with studying and mimicking Naaru ships, Tech Court engineers managed to create these atmospheric crafts by “copying the cat’s pattern.”

The ship flew swiftly. Its maiden voyage centuries ago circled the world in two to three days. Now, with technical breakthroughs, transoceanic flights could be completed within hours.

Of course, this craft still lagged far behind Naaru ships’ “faster-than-light” black technology, since Naaru ships’ power came from the Naaru themselves.

Indeed, those gemstone starships that crossed galaxies required a demigod Naaru to serve as navigator, pilot, and “energy furnace.” Long star-sea journeys would exhaust the Naaru, sometimes irreversibly.

This was a secondary reason why the Draenei fled millennia later and “crashed” on Draenor.

Fatigue driving kills.

Additionally, regarding “environmental protection” and “clean energy,” the Holy Light Force was ahead of the universe by a hundred thousand years. The Burning Legion, who pollute the star sea with fel warships, had much to learn!

“This place is pretty spacious inside.”

The Five Little Braves were amazed on their first time boarding a military aircraft. Emira hugged her staff and exclaimed like a rustic, only to be mocked by the “bad junior sisters” repeatedly:

“Senior, are you out of your mind? Can’t you see the obvious spatial extension effect? The interior space is at least five times the ship’s volume. This is obviously a troop transport ship.
Fully loaded, it can carry hundreds at once.”

Saloras wagged her tail teasingly, making Emira glare angrily. Dick, disliking their bullying of the earnest child, said lightly:

“I see your eyes aren’t much better. Kids, their spatial extension isn’t fully activated. Normally, the military sets troop capacity at over three thousand per ship, though that sacrifices safety for maximum efficiency.
This is also a hallmark of Naaru ships.
I heard that when Kurei and Lura came to Argus, the gemstone starship ‘Genindal’ they rode could transport nearly a hundred thousand lives at full capacity. And that’s just a small ship in the Naaru fleet. They even have ‘fortress-class’ starships.
It’s said these can transfer millions at once!
The kind-hearted Naaru often use such fortress-class starships to provide disaster relief to their followers or worlds in crisis.
Setting aside some inherent ‘innate problems’ of the Naaru race, their operational capacity alone makes them arguably the most benevolent ‘mythical beings’ in the physical universe.”

Everyone was stunned.

Even the Eredar technicians operating the craft looked at Dick with uncertain amazement.

Nali could not help but ask:

“How do you know so much about the Naaru? Is this really a secret a high-ranking Defense Officer should know?”

“There was intelligence gathering within the Awakener Cult, and I was an undercover agent there for several years. Also, I’m now a Brigadier General! Nali, my rank is two levels above yours. Please address me with respect.”

Dick made up an excuse and cracked a workplace joke. No one could fault him—after all, the Awakener Cult was finished, and no one could accuse him of impersonation.

“Ready for departure, technician?”

Dick approached the cockpit and asked the technician adjusting the controls.

He noticed the nameplate said “Rommel” and raised an eyebrow, marveling at how wonderful Eredar civilization was now.
On any mission, you might run into a legendary Draenei exiled master technician like this.

“Of course, General.”

Rommel, still only a senior technician, lacked the confidence of a millennia-old Draenei. He tried to appear professional, starting the ship per regulations, heading toward the coast.

Dick wanted to learn to pilot but Rommel awkwardly said the General had to pass a Tech Court advanced pilot license first.

This was a polite way of saying, “You’re a muscle-headed Defense Officer—better not try such high-end skills.”

The gentle refusal disappointed Dick.

Because this was a secret mission, no one else was aboard the ship. Dick didn’t want to waste time and found a spot to train with the Five Little Braves.

Martial arts demand constant practice—no days off—especially since some of his combat skills were only at “proficient” level, leaving him uneasy.

Everyone knew skill proficiency below “mastery” was almost as bad as being a novice.

Veteran Nali went to nap in the lounge, leaving the twins worrying in the passenger cabin about their sister’s luck encountering the legendary possibility of aircraft disintegration—even though Rommel repeatedly assured them the chance was less than catching an abyssal whale shark in the Eredar Sea.

A cold joke.
The essence was that no such “whale shark” existed in Argus’s oceans, a fact that made one chuckle.

After half a day, the aircraft completed its mission quickly and smoothly. After eating the “airline meals,” Dick and the Five Little Braves finally saw the iconic petrified forest of the Krokuun governorate from the lookout.

This frontier land was the birthplace of Eredar civilization.

Legend said the earliest Eredar ancestors emerged from this petrified forest in ancient times.

Back then, it was a genuine primeval forest. Now called “Petrified Forest” because the legendary ancestor mage Ogura tamed the world’s elements, triggering a world-spanning “arcane storm.”

It was said the entire world’s landscape was permanently changed by that storm.

Once, Krokuun and Mac’Aree’s mountains were connected by a narrow ridge, but now separated by the Eredar Sea. The primeval forest that nurtured the Eredar was transformed by arcane energy surging into its present form.

Vast forests of trees had turned into ironwood-like stone, turning green woods into a gray wonder.

The plants were still alive but altered in form by energy. The Eredar lost the possibility of returning to their “ancestral lands” because the terrain was permanently changed, leaving no path back to the legendary “Elemental Sanctuary.”

Eredar myths were simple, but nearly every tale involved the “Ancestor Mage,” a mysterious figure no Eredar could avoid.

As a traveler from another world, Dick knew this Ancestor Mage truly existed.

Sachir himself admitted he was the last heir of the Ancestor Mage’s lineage. From Sachir’s information, the Ancestor Mage’s sealing of the Eredar ancestral lands tens of thousands of years ago had its reasons.

He did it to conceal the “Holy Stone” capable of directly communicating with the World Soul.

But it was not to monopolize power; it was to protect Argus’s greatest treasure from ambitious exploiters.

Sadly, the Ancestor Mage could not have foreseen that the real threat to Argus’s soul was never on the planet but in the star sea.

“We have arrived.”

Dick snapped back to the present and turned to those behind him.

“Welcome to Krokuun, everyone. Welcome to my hometown...”

No sooner had he spoken than the aircraft accelerated and ascended, soaring over the sea cliffs hundreds of meters above sea level, revealing the full expanse of the Krokuun grasslands before them.

“Wow!”
Emira gasped, and others’ eyes lit up.

From this high vantage over the vast frontier governorate, they saw gently rolling hills blanketed with lush green grass. Between the mountains were natural pastures and large herds of grazing Tabby Rams. The herders’ towns sparkled like gems along narrow water sources.

Here, as Dick said, there was no city as vast as Oronar, but the natural scenery was equally breathtaking.

Nestled among the cliffs and mountains stood a majestic Eredar fortress: Naslax Castle, the seat of the Krokuun governor, the political center of this frontier, and the place where Dick grew up.

The aircraft, under Rommel’s control, descended and finally landed in Naslax Castle’s dedicated docking area.

As they disembarked, a squad of Eredar light cavalry, mounted on fierce battle Tabby Rams, charged toward them from nearby.

Nali’s eyes brightened, exclaiming:

“Impressive horsemanship!”

“Of course,” Dick replied proudly. “Krokuun people are the best light cavalry in Eredar civilization. Our Tabby Ram knights and the thunder elephant heavy cavalry of the Antoran Plains are two extremes, but equally deadly. During the early Second Co-Governance Era’s chaotic wars, it was the swift Tabby Ram cavalry hunting corps that quickly quelled the unrest.”

Returning home in high spirits, Dick boasted lightly about his hometown.

Though here he was “Diakum,” he felt a deep joy and hurried forward, whistling a long, rhythmic call like a youthful herdsman. The cavalry responded quickly with a hunters’ whistle.

As they approached, the leather-armored light cavalry captain leapt off his mount without slowing, rolled to dissipate force, and strode forward with a smile.

He embraced Dick warmly and said joyfully:

“So it’s really you, Diakum! Early this morning, Old Hatton received the news, and I’ve been waiting for your return. It’s been over thirty years, right?”

“More like thirty-seven years since that bastard Archimonde took me away, Jaid. You’re my best brother from the orphanage.”

Dick patted the tall, formidable Eredar cavalryman without any awkwardness, then introduced him to the others:

“He’s my only friend besides you all. Jaid is the adopted son of Krokuun Governor Hatton and the chief captain of the light cavalry. We grew up together in the orphanage, sharing a bunk for over a decade.”

“Don’t mention it. Your friends are my friends, Brigadier General Dick,” Jaid said with a teasing smile.

His frank local demeanor and warm tone revealed that word of Dick’s promotion had already reached here. The other riders treated Dick with open respect and admiration.

The reason was simple: Dick, an orphan, was almost certainly the first Brigadier General born in Krokuun governorate in thousands of years.

This was the true frontier of Eredar civilization. Though the climate was pleasant, the terrain was rugged and unsuitable for urban development.

The entire Krokuun Eredar population was less than half of Oronar City’s, making it the least developed among the several Eredar governorates. If not for this land being the cradle of Eredar civilization, it might not even have been planned as a governorate.

A nomadic society contributed little economically and was understandably of low administrative priority.

Dick always humbly called himself a “country boy,” a modesty well warranted. Compared to his humble origins, the twins from a small Antoran Plains town could easily call themselves “city folk.”

“Come with me! Old Hatton will be thrilled to see you back. The castle’s chef has already prepared a welcome feast and they’ve started slaughtering Tabby Rams.”

Jaid enthusiastically invited the others.

They brought enough Tabby Rams for mounts and quickly returned to Naslax Castle, where Governor Hatton awaited at the entrance.

This veteran Eredar was about the same age as Velen and Kil’jaeden but dressed quite differently from Mac’Aree locals—not in mage robes, but in attire sewn from beast skins and cloth.

This reflected his status.

He was a shaman priest following the ancient elemental path, a fading spellcasting profession but still influential in Krokuun.

“Governor Old Hatton, I’m back!”

Dick strode forward and bowed deeply in respect, though as a child he had always called this man “father,” since the orphanage where he grew up was established by this very governor.

“My child returns; the wanderer of Krokuun is home.”

Hatton’s smile was warm and grand, typical of Krokuun folk. He patted Dick’s shoulder and praised:

“Good boy. I heard of your journey from my old friend Velen’s letters. Though you lost your way, you returned to the right path and did not bring shame to Krokuun! The first Defense Officer Brigadier General in this grassland’s history, and so young at that.
Perhaps this land will soon be in your care.
Tonight’s feast is in your honor!”

“I don’t want to spoil your mood, Governor Old Hatton,” Dick hesitated, then quietly spoke of his mission:
“We can attend the feast, but we must depart tonight for the Petrified Forest. It concerns the future of civilization. I hope you understand.”

“Hmm, Velen told me in his letter.”

As leader of the Eredar shaman community, Governor Hatton had a long friendship with Velen. His tone grew serious as he led them toward the fortress’s rustic banquet hall.

“Lately, in my communication with the elemental spirits, I often hear the world’s lament… It was occasional before, but now it’s more frequent. Perhaps this means something is truly coming.
Also, Diakum, there is something I’ve kept inside for years. Over a decade ago, the Enlightener Sachir secretly visited Krokuun’s Petrified Forest…”

The governor hesitated, then whispered to Dick:

“I personally took him to seek the legendary Holy Stone, but if I had known his true intentions then, I would never have helped him!”

“So you actually know the exact location of the Holy Stone, don’t you?”

Dick’s eyes lit up as he pressed the question.

Hatton shook his head:

“I only know the approximate direction from our ancient traditions, but the elemental spirits protect that place. I will personally guide you there again. Unfortunately, whether you find the stone depends on you, Diakum.
Ancient elemental legends clearly state that only the ‘chosen’ can find the sanctuary! Only the chosen are honored to converse with the World’s will.
I don’t want to discourage you, child, but do you think you are a brilliant chosen like Sachir?”

“Honestly, I don’t know.”

Dick sighed and spoke candidly:

“But I must find that stone! Fate whispers to me—the storm approaches. For Krokuun and all of Argus… I must seek an audience with It! Whether It wishes to be disturbed or not.”