Chapter 1714 Chapter 1710 News about the expedition and Agamotto

Chapter 1714 Chapter 1710 Expedition and News of Agamotto

Captain Miller rode on his horse, slowly passing through the rugged road in the woods created by loggers and timber merchants, and behind him was a large group of soldiers also on horseback. They wore the same uniforms, holding spears in their hands, lever-action rifles inserted in saddle straps, simple half-breastplates engraved with thunder and eagles, spikes on the top of the helmets decorated with bright red manes, and the leather inlaid with copper nails on the shoulder armor flapped on the blood-red cloak with the slow steps of the horses.

This is an army, formed by the emperor's order and funded by the temple. The predecessor of this army was the city-state defense force formed by the emperor in the first twenty years of his rule over Eridu. They were all composed of citizens with clean backgrounds, descendants of the first batch of elected people, local aborigines, etc. There were no slaves or foreigners, and the number of people did not exceed 300.

Such an army is enough to deal with all the city-states and villages on the Mesopotamian plain that refuse to surrender, and include them in the taxation and administrative system. The emperor's labor-intensive factories also need enough manpower to produce weapons and equipment and daily necessities. Now the army behind Captain Miller has more than two thousand people. Each soldier carries enough weapons, ammunition and logistical supplies to support five days. Behind the long cavalry team, there are carriages loaded with more food and medicine. Six years ago, when he tried to question the emperor because of the work of his student Kadmoz, the emperor revoked his position. Six years later, Kadmoz rode a horse side by side with him, which was enough to show that his previous efforts had completely failed. The emperor threw him to Egypt without hesitation. He was not the commander of this army, nor was Kadmoz. They were just members of an intelligence team. It was also on that day six years ago that the emperor told Captain Miller about the threats they would face and their plans to expand the army. The emperor relaxed the restrictions on the recruitment of the army. All slaves who were once conquered could obtain citizenship after working for a certain period of time. Some of the young men who used to work in factories were recruited because they were able to abide by discipline. The original 300-man army also became officers of all levels of this army.

Eridu ushered in unprecedented development in the decades of the emperor's rule. The population growth rate far exceeded the land carrying capacity of the city-state of Eridu and its surrounding villages. Even officials in the position of Captain Miller could enjoy melon, raw ham slices and clear beer at afternoon tea time. But now in order to supply this army, the temple and Eridu have almost emptied all the food and gold. Fortunately, the emperor started strategic reserves more than ten years ago, and the lives of Eridu civilians have not been affected for the time being. But if this expedition lasts too long, no one can guarantee that Eridu will not return to the way it was before the emperor's rule.

"In a few thousand years, this place will become a desert."

Cadmoz turned his head, "Why?"

"Because of the climate. The ice age is over, and the climate here will become drier and drier. Do you remember the report from the Coast Observation Tower? The growth rate of the alluvial plain is slowing down." Captain Miller patted a tree passing by. The so-called Coast Observation Station is actually a combination of a series of observation stations and lighthouses in coastal areas. It is mainly responsible for reporting tidal trends to the emperor and pointing out directions for offshore fishermen. It is also a concrete symbol of the influence of the Eridu city-state. The vegetation here is extremely rich, and the oak is the best material for making furniture. Correspondingly, the price of oak wood is also the highest, not to mention that the emperor's factory consumes a lot of wood to make lever-action rifles. In addition, there are pistachio trees and many rose plants. Sometimes people can find ostriches outside the woods. The silly birds have greatly enriched the Eridu people's dining table. After all, no one would have thought that this animal would compete with the Eridu people for the salmon in the Euphrates River.

"That was thousands of years later. The river is still flooding now, and the emperor has to spend a lot of money every year to build dams. My father's first job was to build dams. It is said that he was fished out of the water by the emperor. Before I left home, he talked about it every day and said that it was the first full meal my family had. "Kadmoz shook his head, "Now it seems to be a good thing. I mean the climate." "This land may become a desert, Kadmoz, which is definitely not a good thing. But you are right, that is thousands of years later and it is not worth our concern now. "

Cadmoz shrugged and said nothing more.

The four-month long march had made everyone in the army suffer. Every time they stopped and camped, the army would send out reconnaissance teams to hunt animals while scouting the road ahead. Even so, due to the cooking time and limited spices, even the wild goats with exaggerated horns were not very delicious.

Captain Miller sighed. Even if Cadmoz was his student, he could not share his feelings about this land with him. This was the gap between a person living in the 21st century and a person living in 6,000 BC.

The ancient Egyptians called this place the Turquoise Stairs, because the civilized Egyptians would come here to mine, and the traveling merchants of Eridu would also come here to buy sky-blue turquoise from loggers and local residents. Captain Miller had seen exquisitely carved turquoise jewelry, the most beautiful of which was a gold jewelry inlaid with turquoise, lapis lazuli and carnelian, shaped like a viper or pit viper, and hung around Inanna's neck. It was a gift from a jeweler to the emperor.

But thousands of years later, this beautiful peninsula, once called the Turquoise Stairs, with trees and shrubs and lakes everywhere, will become a desert. The only things worth praising are the mountainous settlements in the southern part of the peninsula, the coral reefs near the coast, and the Monastery of St. Catherine. There is definitely no Monastery of St. Catherine now, and there are no tourist attractions. He suspects that the coral reefs may not be worth seeing.

This is the Sinai Peninsula, the only way to Egypt, and it is less than half a month away from the real destination. Before this expedition, he and Kadmoz had been in Egypt for almost a year, sorting out the intelligence collected by the intelligence personnel sent by the emperor. If it weren't for the question six years ago, he might never know that the emperor had developed an intelligence organization during his nearly thirty years of ruling Eridu. Part of this intelligence organization has penetrated into the Greek region, and another part is in Lower Egypt, investigating intelligence about the "Blue Angel".

The so-called Blue Angel is actually an alien.

Captain Miller is not surprised by the existence of aliens. What really makes him curious is that aliens have come to Earth so early. This made him begin to doubt how many of the myths on Earth were about aliens, and how credible the alien conspiracy theories he had seen on the Internet were. Regardless of whether those blue-skinned aliens would appear in myths, it was clear that the emperor had no intention of letting them have their way, but Captain Miller had some concerns about whether the army equipped with black powder guns could deal with aliens.

The emperor seemed to have similar ideas, so there was a special team of five people at the end of the army. The members of that team never rested or ate with others, and except for necessary communication, they were rarely seen talking to others. Those people were wizards who were educated in a special school in the temple since childhood until the commander of the guard confirmed that they could control their own power.

"You will go back after completing the guide mission this time." Captain Miller suddenly said, "Your son has just been born, there is no need to carry out the next mission. Don't argue with me, Kadmoz, I am your superior in the organization. Inanna has blessed you and your wife, and maybe there is another child waiting to come into this world."

"This is the seventh time since the march. Whether you are my teacher or my superior, my answer is still the same." Kadmoz glanced at the marching team behind him who were talking and laughing. Those soldiers were about the same age as him, and he had a better relationship with the soldiers than the wizard at the end of the team. "No one knows how many people will die when fighting against alien species, and I am not qualified to hide behind. This is too shameful and unfair."

Captain Miller sighed, he felt that he really couldn't persuade his students to do some safe work.

"Aren't you also going to the front line?" Kadmoz said, "Who knows what the alien slaves are capable of."

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He stood at the foot of the stairs in the throne hall, looking up at the human figure shrouded in light.

The light faded, and a young man with a smile on his face and a golden laurel crown on his head stood up from the throne, turning a deaf ear to the various questions raised by Captain Miller who came to inquire. The emperor knew this situation too well. Whenever the moral concepts and the concept of doing things for survival 6,000 years ago conflicted with the personal heroism and foolish values ​​​​shaped by happy education, Captain Miller always had this expression. If a human in the 21st century lived in this era for 20 years, then his concepts should have changed. Captain Miller's stubborn character resisted all sudden changes.

But at least he was able to accept reality, such as the slavery of this era.

Six years ago, the emperor sitting on the throne in the temple hall was surrounded by the afternoon sun shining through the gauze, and the golden laurel crown was shining. The god from the wilderness, the breathtakingly beautiful black-haired goddess Inanna, sat on another throne, wearing a white, slim-fitting robe that could not completely hide her desire for reproduction, and a viper collar inlaid with turquoise, lapis lazuli and carnelian around her neck. This god did not put on airs - in fact, it was not the time to receive pregnant women and unmarried girls in Eridu. Even when Captain Miller walked into the temple, Inanna did not stop chewing sweet cookies - she smiled at Captain Miller, but the latter's mood did not improve.

"This is an expedition, Miller. The enemies we have to face are not just the Kree and their slaves. I need someone to fight against those humans who defected to the Kree, and those mutants who were transformed by the Kree." The emperor raised a smooth round shield. Captain Miller knew that this bronze round shield was definitely not as simple as it looked. In fact, everything around the emperor looked complicated, and he had never thought that a sword could have such powerful power before. He could only attribute it to the technology he did not understand. "You deserve to know what mission you will be loyal to. I promised you twenty years ago that I would let you see my determination and actions. The Holy Shield will be a shield to protect mankind in the known and unknown, against the enemies that hinder human development. In the name of great science, silent mathematics, silent truth, hidden art, and secret alchemy, swear on the Holy Shield and devote yourself to this cause, Miller."

"So, where is your spear?"

Captain Miller pointed to another weapon leaning against the throne. He was impressed by that weapon because a few years ago when the observatory announced that a meteor would fall in the nearby sea, the whole of Eridu saw how the emperor shattered the meteorite with a spear and prevented a possible tsunami. This action further proved the emperor's image as a god in the hearts of the Eridu people. Captain Miller believed that the meteorite was unlikely to cause much damage, and the emperor's action of shattering the meteor was more like some kind of political activity.

"The spear is prepared for another group of people, they are more offensive, and one day, that group of people will set foot on the alien alien's home planet with me. I want to build weapons and shields for the human race. These two organizations with completely different missions are my plan. Shield and spear, Captain Miller, I hope the weapons and armor are equally strong."

Captain Miller left sullenly with the emperor's warning, and even forgot the invitation left by the maid Dina for dinner. The sense of mission, sacrifice and honor brought by the secret organization are irresistible, and Inanna is no exception. The Hydra family, which has not yet been established, can continue for thousands of years, and this lofty sense of mission is also partly due to this. However, "stubborn Mr. Miller" has been baptized by the sense of mission and has no special expectations for joining the secret organization. Even if the emperor told him that the so-called Supreme Council of the Holy Shield will derive a branch called SHIELD after thousands of years of development, Miller was not surprised. Every time he was dissatisfied with the emperor, he would be interrupted by the increasingly imminent threat. Every time he had to use reason to understand the emperor's decision. Twenty years is enough for him to develop feelings for this primitive city, but the emperor's decision will drain all the resources of the city. He can't imagine what will happen at that time.

"Why don't you tell him that there is another alien Zerg coming to Earth."

Inanna frowned rarely.

As an ally of the emperor, she participated in almost all the actions of the emperor after he came to this era, including the intelligence that Captain Miller didn't know. She remembered the body on the dissection bed behind the temple. It was a prisoner sent by the intelligence organization from the "Turquoise Stairs". Although the appearance of the corpse is no different from that of a human, the results of the vivisection show that the chitinous carapace under the human skin and the pincer-shaped snout growing under the skull indicate that the captive was parasitized before being sent here. When the parasite matures, the alien will shed its human body like molting. Since the host's appearance and behavior are no different from those of ordinary people, the intelligence organization also discovered this parasitized host by chance during the operation. Apart from this, there is no information, and the intelligence organization cannot find out how many people have been parasitized.

The only thing that can be confirmed is that this alien species has an extremely strong desire to reproduce.

This is Inanna's domain, and she can vaguely sense the direction and number of this parasite.

"Since you trust him, why don't you tell him about the other threat we are going to face."

"One battle at a time, Inanna." The emperor said, "According to experimental data and today's population density, this alien species will not spread so quickly, and we still have time to figure out what we don't know. For example, where do they come from."

"Then where are you going next?"

"The Himalayas, it's not called that name now." The emperor said, "Lord Agamotto agreed to help me make cross-time and space connections, provided that I help him seal the three demons entrenched there. He plans to build it into a secret fortress to observe the outer dimension and watch over the earth. I am very interested in the organization he is going to establish."

"Agamoto is not dead yet?" Inanna was obviously a little surprised, and even forgot to shake off the biscuit crumbs that fell on her skirt. For this god who once lived in the wilderness, apart from the inorganic life gods whose own mass is enough to cause tides, few things can cause permanent damage to the gods constructed by the natural energy of the earth. The Celestials are more like gods than the Wild Gods. Even the gods who will establish the pantheon in the future cannot treat the Celestials' coming lightly, because the Celestials can kill them completely.

This caused great mental trauma to many gods who once thought they could dominate the world.

For the Wild Gods who only have spirits, mental trauma is far more serious than physical trauma, and may never heal. The war to expel the Celestials caused the extinction of countless animistic primitive gods (some of whom only appeared in animal form). The primitive human civilization could not even remember the names and legends of these gods. They became natural energy again, and only a very few lucky ones were still lingering. Inanna, who had personally experienced the second coming of the gods, had already met the emperor. Although the emperor had not communicated with any of the gods who were the main forces on the battlefield at that time - Odin wearing the Destroyer Armor and the Wizard King Agamotto, but whether it was the holy sword made of the planet itself in the emperor's hand or a group of golden guards, they were extremely conspicuous on the chaotic battlefield of the second coming.

At that time, Inanna was just a wilderness deity who protected animal reproduction. The second coming was an irresistible terror for her. Later, Inanna chose human civilization. As the number of human races grew stronger, when the Neolithic humans placed racial reproduction on the altar, she also took on flesh and gained her own body among the human races in the Mesopotamian plain 10,000 BC.

Twenty years ago, when the emperor first met Inanna, she told him her experience naively and without reservation, and asked the emperor to grant her the authority to fight. Fighting is the instinct of animals, humans, and Inanna. Reproduction in nature is itself a competition. Whether it is a duel between male deer for mating rights, or a male lion driving away all the young male lions in a lion group in order to occupy all the female lions to continue their genes, or even a war between different ant colonies for habitat space, reproduction itself is closely related to war, even humans who claim to have gotten rid of animality cannot avoid it.

Inanna left the wilderness and chose the human race, and used human faith to strengthen herself, so she could not get rid of the power brought by faith. Her soul shines more and more in the vast sea. Once her power is taken away, she will usher in true death. Therefore, Inanna does not care about evil and justice. For her own continuation, she only cares about the reproduction and survival of the human race. She is completely consistent with the emperor in protecting the human race.

The emperor's rationality made him not believe in feelings, but the same interests allowed him to trust Inanna to a limited extent.

In this era, there is no more reliable ally than Inanna.

Although to her, Agamotto is also a mythical figure.

"Agamoto is also a member of the Supreme Council of the Holy Shield, occupying the alchemy seat just like you occupy the art seat." The emperor smiled and raised the hand with three rings. Among the three rings, only a sky blue prophecy gem ring did not emit a dazzling light, which meant that the emperor's contract with Vishanti was not fully effective. "He is dying, so I am very interested."