People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

"We have come to Shelag on the orders of General Theresis, the great leader of the Sarkaz, for friendly exchanges."

Manfred said, and Ernst frowned suspiciously. Manfred then took a ticket stub from his pocket and handed it to Ernst.

“Of course we have no ill intentions. Would someone who wants to harm Khelag pay for a ticket and take a bus into Khelag? They would definitely go straight over the mountain.”

Manfred's assertive argument, for some reason, Ernst, Jian, Vina, Holhaya, and everyone in the office except for the bewildered Raphsini, all turned their attention to Hedley, who was holding a teacup in the corner.

Hedley paused, somewhat embarrassed, picked up his teacup, turned his gaze away, covering half his face, and pretended to drink his tea. He didn't hear Manfred's words, nor did he notice the somewhat mocking looks from the crowd.

Manfred wasn't stupid; seeing everyone's expressions and actions, he naturally understood what was going on. But unexpectedly, instead of stopping, he pretended not to understand and continued:

"No way, no way, could someone really have gone to climb over the snow-capped mountains of Shelag?"

Ersula smiled in response.

Hedley: "........."

No, all I did was watch you and Ersula being chased and attacked by the mace, and I didn't help. Was it really that big of a deal?

My teammates got caught, and I laughed and kept spamming, "It's not my fault, who told you to run into a mace?"

In the food chain of Sherag, even Ernst has to give way to the existence of the mace. After all, this man is a complete battle maniac, a chosen madman, and a hardcore ruthless person. Hedley has seen his fair share of good and bad people and things in his life, but he has never heard of anyone joining the avalanche rescue team just to challenge an avalanche!

To be honest, if it weren't for the protection of the great god Yeragand, who always managed to satisfy Mace's bizarre quirks while keeping her alive in "perilous" situations, Mace would have had nine lives if she had dared to defy nature so much.

No one ever tries to offend the protagonist unless they want to experience the "current protagonist UP pool" package where their head is pressed into the snow and their hands are held in place, unable to move.

Wait, what am I talking about?

Hedley gave a wry smile, then turned to Ernst and vouched for him:

“Prime Minister Ernst, these two, the man is Manfred and the woman is Ersula, are both cadres of the Kazdel Military Council and confidants of Theresis. They are here for me this time, and have no ill intentions towards Sherag.”

Before Hintlaya and Mace encountered Manfred and his two companions, Hedley had already chatted with them for a while.

The two were there to verify information, which was naturally the story that Hadley had casually fabricated last time: "The Demon King's former subordinates have become Rhodes Island's representatives in Kerrigan, acting on behalf of Kazdel."

The photos in this intelligence report were blurry, the content was fabricated, and the information was false. Aside from the signature being Hadley instead of He Dalei, there wasn't a single true word in the entire report. But that didn't stop Hadley from knowing that it perfectly suited Therese's taste.

Unexpectedly, this was so fitting that a single intelligence report led Theresis to send two of his most capable lieutenants to Sherag.

As expected, it wasn't so easy to fool Theresis.

Hedley could only cast a pleading look at Ernst, begging for his help.

Ernst raised the corner of his mouth, but did not answer immediately. Instead, he slowly picked up a piece of cheese from his lunch and placed it on his plate. After thinking for a moment, he cut it in half and looked at Hadley.

Hedley gritted his teeth and nodded.

Ernst then said:

“In that case, you will be in charge of monitoring them during this period, Hedley.”

He glanced at Manfred and Ersula, giving them a rather unfriendly smile:

"Since the World's Fair is currently underway in Kjerag, and guests are guests, I naturally have no intention of turning you away. However, as the saying goes, guests should follow the host's lead. I hope that you two will also abide by Kjerag's rules and not do anything that would force me to do something impolite."

"If you two have any needs, you can ask Hadley, and I will grant them as appropriate. If you two wish to participate in the World's Fair... I see that you haven't brought much with you, so it's probably not possible. But if you'd like, you can apply for a venue from Ms. Nasti. She's also a Sarkaz, so you might have something in common."

After Ernst finished speaking, he stopped looking at Manfred and instead looked at Holhaya, who was standing to the side, and gave the order:

"Go find Kal'tsit for me. I have some questions for her."

He pointed to the pocket watch on the table, which Ersula considered to be "broken".

You can ask her anything related to the Sarkaz, and it's free—that's a promise Kal'tsit herself made.

The pocket watch was found on Sarkaz, so it's Sarkaz's business, why shouldn't it be?

Holhaya nodded knowingly: "Understood."

She left the office unhurriedly, her large yet agile tail gently hooking the door shut, leaving Manfred and Ersula looking surprised.

There was so much noteworthy information in what Ernst just said.

First and foremost is attitude, even if it's just about appearances. Sarkaz hasn't heard the phrase "guests are welcome, we won't turn them away" in a long time.

Wherever we go, we are hated by everyone. Apart from Lentinium, which was invited in, where else would people say that Sarkaz are "guests"?

It seems, as General Therese and Hadley's intelligence reports indicated, Ernst's attitude towards the Sarkaz is indeed more moderate than that of other leaders on this land. Perhaps this is because Sherag has had almost no interaction with the Sarkaz?

Secondly, there is Sakazna Sty from Sherag.

Although Nasti's race and heritage are unclear, the fact that she is in charge of the World's Fair venue in Kjerag suggests that she holds a high position. For a Sarkaz to hold such a high post in a foreign-ruled country is quite remarkable.

Manfred was really looking forward to meeting Nasti.

Thirdly, there is Kal'tsit.

Kal'tsit—the name alone says a lot.

Hedley hadn't lied about the intelligence. Kal'tsit, General Therese's greatest enemy, was indeed lurking in Sherag!

Chapter 292 Kal'tsit's Beast Lecture Hall

Kelsey noticed that Ernst had been contacting her unusually frequently these past few days.

This isn't a bad thing; Ernst contacting her first means he has questions. Kal'tsit is never stingy in helping others resolve their doubts; it's just that many people simply don't understand her rather tactful way of offering answers.

The only slight pity was that these unpredictable calls did cause some trouble for her "tour guide" work. Not being able to stay at the World's Fair for an extended period meant she couldn't talk to the representatives of those countries, and naturally, she didn't have enough time to advocate for Rhodes Island's interests.

However, this opportunity was originally given to them by Ernst. Kelsey could tell the difference between a full meal and a regular meal.

"So, Mr. Ernst, what is your doubt this time?"

Upon arriving at the office, Kal'tsit showed no surprise or confusion at the presence of the All-Star lineup, and asked crisply and decisively.

Ernst sat up straight, handed over the pocket watch he had been fiddling with, and placed it on the table:

"Kal'tsit, have you ever heard of the [Clock of Time]?"

Kal'tsit's expression stiffened slightly for a moment, then she gave Ernst a deep look, her rather attractive face twitching slightly.

"I heard."

"【The Clock of Time】, that's the name mortals have given it. In fact, it should be part of the giant beast 【Time】."

"A behemoth [time sequence]?" Ernst frowned.

This was the first time he had heard the name, but just the name was enough to make Ernst wary and take it seriously.

After all, compared to the name [Yeragand], which doesn't quite reveal its specific abilities and strength at first glance, the name [Chronology] is self-evident and obvious.

Time, order.

It's not that Ernst thinks this so-called temporal behemoth is necessarily stronger than Jeragund; it's just that throughout history, in almost all literary works, the power of "time" has existed as the final boss.

As you can see, in Ernst's favorite work, "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure," since the introduction of Stand abilities, DIO, Yoshikage Kira, Diavolo, and the priest all possess time-manipulation abilities, don't they?

Ernst couldn't afford to be careless about a behemoth with such power, but he also noticed another key point in Kelsey's words.

"【Chronology】A part of the behemoth? Why only a part?"

Kal'tsit gave Ernst a few strange looks, as if to confirm whether he really didn't know or was simply making fun of himself.

[Chronology] Why are the giant beasts broken into pieces? How can you, a giant beast collector, not know this?

Could it be that when you tricked Mostima into coming to Sherag with those two staffs on her back, you thought that was all there was to the [Chronology]?

Kal'tsit was somewhat puzzled, but upon further reflection, it seemed not entirely incomprehensible.

Ernst's tendency to collect behemoths was likely at the behest of Jeragand. The terrifying behemoth that dwells in Sherag has a moral compass and social tendencies that are completely different from other behemoths, but it may not necessarily know every behemoth of its kind.

The demise of the [Chronicle] behemoth is indeed quite abstract to some extent. Even Kal'tsit, upon seeing it, could only comment: "It didn't die, it simply didn't want to live anymore."

Who would have thought that a giant beast, after being disturbed from its sleep, would not only not get grumpy in the morning, but would instead start gesturing wildly.

People say, "Why bother going to bed early when you're alive? You'll have plenty of time to sleep after you die," to encourage everyone to work hard and study. But He's got a different attitude—you're right, since we'll have plenty of time to sleep after death, then I'll just die right there and see!

It can only be said that there are differences between giant beasts, and sometimes the difference between giant beasts is even greater than the difference between humans and giant beasts.

However, this seems like a good opportunity to help Ernst learn some knowledge about behemoths. Even if it doesn't stop him from continuing to collect behemoths, it will at least make him more cautious and safer when facing them.

Kal'tsit had finally found a leader who was to her liking in every way except for his hobbies, and she didn't want anything to happen to Ernst.

After carefully considering her words, she began to explain:

“Mr. Ernst, you should know that the behemoths are spirits of nature, right?”

Ernst nodded.

Although no one had ever mentioned it to him, Ernst himself had been researching and exploring the existence of behemoths in his daily life. He had read through the records of Jeragand preserved by Sherag, as well as books on behemoths from Columbia and Victoria. While he was far from being a learned scholar of behemoths, he did have some understanding of what behemoths were.

"The behemoths are the spirits of nature. Each behemoth is, in theory, an embodiment of nature and a part of the Terra ecosystem. When they lie on the ground, they become towering mountains; when they soar through the sky, they become raging storms; when they hide in the cracks of space and time, the waves they create when they move are enough to shake a whole space."

"In Terra, the Yan Kingdom was the first to begin systematic research on giant beasts. In the wilderness, the ancestors of the Yan Kingdom discovered a skeleton as large as a mountain, which was the carcass of a dead giant beast, marking the beginning of the Yan Kingdom's research on giant beasts."

Kelsey said,

"After a long period of time, the giant beast scholars of Yan Kingdom proposed a very interesting theory, namely—the taxonomy of giant beasts."

She paused, then relayed the translation:

"All behemoths can be roughly divided into three categories. Level 1 behemoths are ordinary behemoths that are simply large in size and possess only some basic powers. As embodiments of nature, behemoths are part of the Terra ecosystem. They are born with bodies that can perfectly integrate into the Terra ecosystem, as well as basic and controllable abilities to control the clouds and rain and regulate the natural cycle within a certain area. If the Terra ecosystem is a system, then they are the people who hold administrator privileges and are responsible for maintaining this system."

"Then the Level Two Behemoths, also known as Authority-Level Behemoths, are behemoths whose strength surpasses that of ordinary behemoths, and who have begun to master specific specialized powers. Among them is the [Time Sequence] Behemoth. As far as I know, its ability allows it to travel through the gaps in spacetime without being affected by turbulence, and it also possesses time powers within the scope of human understanding, such as [Subjective Time Slowing], [Time Stopping], and [Time Acceleration]. Rather than calling its name [Time Sequence], it is more accurate to say that it is [Chronological Time], and controlling time is its ability that sets it apart from other behemoths."

Ernst nodded knowingly.

Kal'tsit's explanation was unusually clear and easy to understand. So, this [Time-Sequence] behemoth is actually quite powerful?

After all, Ernst felt that Yeragand did not seem to possess any specialized powers and felt that it still belonged to the category of first-class behemoths.

Ahem, no, no, how could you think like that? That's extremely disrespectful!

Whether it's sequential or chronological, it's still not as good as our great Jeragand. Jeragand is the best!

Ernst touched the somewhat "heart-burning" stone on his chest and quickly banished those strange thoughts from his mind.

But if time is so powerful, how did it break?

Kelsey noticed Ernst's confusion and continued:

"Above the Level 2 behemoths, Yan Kingdom has also listed Level 3 behemoths, which are behemoths with multiple levels of power and are the closest to evolving into a 'second nature'."

"A second Nature?"

Vina, who was listening intently, exclaimed in surprise.

Kal'tsit nodded: "Yes. Behemoths are the embodiment of nature. When behemoths grow to their fullest potential, their theoretical final form is naturally a second nature."

The idea of ​​a second nature might be somewhat abstract or narrow. According to Ernst's understanding, what Kelsey really meant was a "second world."

The behemoth is the embodiment of the rules. When it grows to perfection, it naturally masters all the rules. And when the powers of time, space, life, and so on are all complete, then theoretically speaking, it is indeed not impossible to "refine the earth, fire, water, and wind, and recreate the great wilderness of heaven and earth".

"But is it really possible to do this?" Holhaia frowned. As the only Colombian and a member of the divine race present, she keenly realized something. "Two natures cannot coexist on one land. The existing nature wouldn't allow it, would it?"

As we all know, the behemoth is the administrator, and nature is the group owner. Theoretically speaking, no matter how much the behemoth grows, the administrator can never truly reach a position on equal footing with the group owner.

Kal'tsit nodded, confirming Horhyth's idea: "Yes, so this is only a theoretical existence. A level three behemoth is only the behemoth that comes closest to becoming a [second nature]."

"And such a behemoth should only exist in the records of the Year God."

At the age of 10, before the Yan Kingdom was called the Yan Kingdom, it was the most powerful beast that occupied that land. Later, because it helped the ancestors of the Yan Kingdom to carry out a great hunt, it was cursed by the resentment of the dead beast, was seriously injured, and was betrayed and attacked by the Yan Kingdom.

"After His death, His multiple powers disintegrated. A small portion returned to the world, but the majority transformed into twelve [Year Beast Agents] with their own independent consciousness."

Ernst understood.

Even after a giant beast dies, it doesn't truly disappear. Because it is part of nature itself, its death is merely a process of returning to nature. The same applies to the concept of "year" and the natural order of time.

However, since the [Time Sequence] is not as good as the [Year], after the [Year] is destroyed, the multiple powers can be completely divided, thus creating multiple [Year] Beast Agents with complete single powers. Although these small behemoths are only a part of the [Year] Beasts, they generally possess the ability of a Level 1 behemoth or higher, [mastering a certain special power]. As for whether they can be considered to have reached Level 2, Ernst is not sure.

After all, they are "born with knowledge," rather than comprehending and mastering it through the growth of their own strength. Although they start at a level above the first-tier behemoth, they are also prone to making the mistake of relying too much on their powers, thus never reaching the combat strength that a true second-tier behemoth should have throughout their lives.

As for the Time Sequence, because it only had one specialized power, after its collapse, the power of only one part could not give birth to a complete agent to inherit the power. Instead, it could only be divided into several fragments, which became various kinds of "artifacts".

The fact that the artifact was the gold coins dropped by the giant beast Old Deng was quite unexpected for Ernst.

After all, in other games or movies, divine weapons are forged by gods. Using gods to forge weapons is a bit too bizarre, isn't it?

"Besides Sui, are there any other level-three behemoths? I mean, the kind that are still alive?"

"Jian asked with some curiosity. Ernst glanced at her, somewhat frightened by the fighting spirit on her face."