As for the mysterious organization operating behind the scenes, William did not spend much time worrying about them. Enemies would continue appearing throughout his journey.
Some would be eliminated before they could accomplish anything. Others would survive long enough to become genuine obstacles that demanded his full attention. That was simply the nature of the path he had chosen to walk. The stronger he became, the more powerful the enemies standing in his way would naturally become.
As long as he continued moving toward his destination without allowing himself to be distracted, it mattered very little how many adversaries appeared along the way.
At present, William stood atop a barren hill swept by cold winds.
All he could see was weathered stone, patches of frozen earth, and jagged cliffs that had endured countless centuries of harsh weather.
Powerful gusts continuously rolled across the ridge, carrying with them the icy scent of distant snowfields while making the long cloaks of the three men flutter loudly.
Stretching before them was an enormous mountain range whose towering peaks disappeared into thick clouds.
The mountains stood like an endless wall dividing the horizon, each peak rising higher than the last until the white mist concealed their summits completely. Deep valleys disappeared between the cliffs, while dark cave entrances could occasionally be spotted from afar, hinting at the countless tunnels hidden beneath the mountains.
Standing to William’s left was Dereck.
On his right stood Helios, the son of the Eternal Sun Empire’s Prime Minister, Theodore.
Dereck slowly raised his arm and pointed toward the colossal mountain chain. "This is the Sunspire Range."
William’s gaze silently followed the direction of his finger.
The mountain range extended farther than the eye could see. Massive cliffs rose one after another like the spine of some ancient beast sleeping beneath the earth, creating a natural fortress that very few armies would ever dare to cross.
"It was here," Dereck continued, "that the Church used to carry out its largest mining operations."
"They extracted Manasterite from the deepest layers of these mountains."
Helios frowned slightly before turning toward William.
"What exactly is Manasterite?"
His voice carried genuine curiosity.
William continued observing the terrain while answering casually. "It is a naturally occurring mineral."
He paused briefly before continuing. "The Church refined it and then manufactured Light Stones before distributing them across the continent."
Helios blinked.
"Wait a minute..."
His eyes widened with surprise.
"Light Stones have a manufacturing process? They aren’t naturally formed?"
William finally glanced at him before nodding.
"Of course. They’ve always been artificial."
"The Church simply monopolized the production process."
Helios looked genuinely stunned.
For as long as he could remember, Light Stones had existed everywhere across Aris. Cities, noble estates, academies, merchants, inns, and even ordinary villages relied upon them for illumination and anti-demonic solutions. Very few people ever questioned where they actually came from.
Like most people, Helios had simply assumed they were a naturally occurring magical resource.
William smiled faintly after seeing Helios’s reaction.
"And now..."
He looked back toward the mountain range. "We’ll be the ones benefiting from that knowledge."
Helios could barely hide the excitement appearing across his face.
The implications were obvious. If the Eternal Sun Empire controlled both the mines and the manufacturing process, then they could gradually replace one of the Church’s greatest monopolies with one of their own.
Seeing Helios’s increasingly excited expression, William sighed inwardly.
"You. Keep your mouth shut and don’t tell anyone."
Helios immediately looked innocent. "I wasn’t going to say anything."
William gave him a completely unconvinced look. He knew that the moment he returned, he’d run straight to Theodore and tell him everything."
Helios awkwardly scratched the back of his head without offering a denial.
William simply shook his head. Fortunately it did not matter much to William since using them for light stones was a lie he told to explain the origin of the light stones that the Infinite Guild was about to start selling in a few weeks.
Although Manasterite was certainly valuable, producing Light Stones was honestly one of the least interesting applications William could think of.
William wanted to find other ways the mineral could be utilized once he understood its true properties.
For now though, William intended to continue mining the ore while storing the overwhelming majority of it. He wanted sufficient reserves before beginning serious experimentation.
There was no reason to rush. Eventually, William took a step forward before calmly rising into the sky.
The cold wind immediately rushed past him as his figure ascended above the mountain ridge. He had not traveled all the way to the Sunspire Range simply to inspect abandoned mines.
He had come for an entirely different reason.
The barbarians.
Not only had they ignored the imperial decree demanding submission, but they had also imprisoned one of William’s own messengers.
One of his slaves.
Fortunately, if the slave had died, the system would have informed him the moment the soul contract was broken. Since no notification had appeared, the messenger was almost certainly still alive.
That alone was enough. Without another word, William flew directly toward the barbarian settlement.
Dereck and Helios quickly followed behind him. Officially, Anastasia had dispatched them as diplomatic representatives.
In reality, all three of them knew diplomacy was little more than a formality at this point.
William had already made his position perfectly clear. Any leader who refused to submit to the Empress would lose their head.
His patience had gradually worn thin over the past several weeks.
If the barbarians resembled the tribes of the Veridian Forest in even the slightest regard, they would have at least returned the imperial messenger after refusing the offer.
Instead, they had imprisoned him. William had already communicated with the captured messenger through their mental connection.
The conversation had confirmed everything he needed to know. The tribe had no intention whatsoever of cooperating. That alone was sufficient reason for William to come personally.
Before long, the settlement came into view.
It rested against the foothills on the opposite side of the Sunspire Range, surrounded by thick wooden walls reinforced with sharpened logs and massive boulders. Smoke continuously rose from numerous fires scattered throughout the settlement, while large beast bones decorated the entrances.
Although they were humans, they looked remarkably different from the people living within the empires.
Most stood well above average height, possessing broad shoulders and powerful physiques that had clearly been forged through constant hunting and warfare. Thick monster hides served as clothing, while heavy fur cloaks protected them from the harsh climate surrounding the mountains.
Many carried enormous axes, crude greatswords, or massive spears that would have been difficult for ordinary soldiers to lift.
William quietly observed the settlement from high above. A spear suddenly appeared in his hand.
At least, that was what it looked like from Helios and Dereck’s perspective.
Neither of them had actually seen the attack. The weapon had been thrown with such incredible speed that it was completely invisible until William casually caught it in midair.
Only then did they realize someone had attacked. William briefly examined the spear before looking toward the settlement below.
The force behind the throw.
It was undoubtedly at the Godhood Realm.
William remembered hearing reports that the barbarian leader had somehow ascended from divinity into godhood after obtaining an ancient artifact.
Now he no longer needed confirmation.
They were definitely true. Without displaying the slightest hint of concern, William calmly descended toward the ground.
Dereck and Helios instinctively tensed after witnessing the surprise attack, yet neither of them hesitated. They trusted William’s strength.
The two men landed beside him as all three slowly walked toward the location from which the spear had originated.
Soon, they arrived before a large open gathering ground.
It appeared to be some kind of ceremonial plaza.
Rows of heavy stone seats had been arranged in a semicircle, each occupied by imposing barbarians whose physiques far surpassed those of ordinary warriors outside.
At the very center stood an enormous throne.
The throne had clearly been constructed from the bones of gigantic beasts. Massive skulls adorned the backrest while countless sharpened horns projected outward, giving it an intimidating appearance worthy of a tribal king.
Sitting upon it was the largest human William had seen since arriving in Aris.
The barbarian chief stood well over eight feet tall even while seated. His exposed arms were covered in scars accumulated over countless battles, while thick braided hair rested behind his shoulders. His expression remained cold and unreadable as his piercing gaze settled directly upon William.
The warriors seated on either side of the throne were clearly leaders as well.
Their clothing was noticeably more elaborate than the others, decorated with monster fangs, ancient symbols, and trophies collected from powerful magical beasts.
Their auras were equally impressive.
William quietly stood before the gathering without displaying even the slightest nervousness. He simply returned the chief’s gaze.
The barbarian leader likewise remained silent.
Neither side spoke.
The atmosphere grew increasingly heavy. After several moments, one of the men standing beside the throne finally stepped forward.
Judging by his attire, he appeared to serve as either the chief’s advisor or personal attendant. Looking directly at William, he spoke in the fluent Arissian language.
"State your name."
Although the barbarian language differed entirely from Arisian, they clearly possessed someone capable of communicating with outsiders.
Ironically, William had specifically chosen the messenger they captured because that slave happened to understand the barbarian tongue.
Apparently, that precaution had been unnecessary.
Even so. William had no intention of replying in Arisian. His attention never left the barbarian chief seated upon the throne; he wanted to converse directly with him.
Silently activating Universal Tongue, William spoke directly in the language of the barbarians themselves.
"There is no reason for me to state my name."
His voice remained perfectly calm. "I came here for his head." He slowly raised a finger and pointed directly at the barbarian chief sitting upon the throne.
"But before I take it. I would appreciate it if you returned my messenger, or else I will be forced to hold a feast instead of a simple meal."
The gathering instantly fell silent; William was not talking about food here.
Every barbarian present abruptly rose to their feet.
Weapons were unsheathed one after another as furious shouts echoed throughout the plaza. The atmosphere transformed from tense to murderous in an instant, and dozens of bloodthirsty gazes locked onto William and his companions.
Helios and Dereck exchanged confused glances. Neither of them understood a single word William had spoken.
However, judging by the explosive reaction surrounding them, they did not need a translation to realize one thing.
William had most certainly not introduced himself politely.