As the battlefront crumbled, Diro turned ashen. He tried his best to gather what remained of his soldiers and retreated into the pass. Once again, he rallied his troops and calmed them down. Half of the soldiers were gone, so Diro only had a million or so units left.The Nox Army was attacking the pass. "If Bear's here, then Vermilion Bird's not far behind. Diro's a famous general, but he's serving the wrong master. He should never have tried to fight Faeast."At this rate, Faeast would win the battle. However, the Nox Army would lose a lot of its units, and Black Tortoise did not want that. He wanted a flawless victory. He wanted to make Winterosch submit. If he failed to destroy their conviction, killing these soldiers would mean nothing.Just when Black Tortoise was about to charge into the pass and kill Diro, a wave of powerful aura swept through the town. The nation's fate above the Nox Army rose in strength. The soldiers felt their blood pumping. It was as if they had unlimite
The only way to get rid of the Winterosch threat was to make a fair and smart patriot like Diro their emperor."You make very good points, Lord Nox. I can find no arguments for that, but I am this army's commander. Forfeiting this war is not an option for me. I will fight until my very last breath!"Diro would never surrender. He clenched his teeth and led his guards back to the depths of Winterosch. He wasn't sure if he could make a safe retreat, but Diro was prepared to die for his country.With their commander retreating, the remaining enemies no longer had a leader to look up to. They succumbed to Faeast's offer and laid down their weapons. Diro and his guards broke through enemy lines and escaped into the snowy forest.Bear came up to Nox, looking confused. "Holy shit, milord! You did that on purpose!""Hey, don't you take that attitude with me!" Nox shot him a glare.'He's cussing at me?' Nox slapped Bear and sent him flying into the ditch. A while later, Atlas and his army
Vermilion Bird was surprised that one technique sent the vice-Lord flying away. He was supposed to be a powerhouse even in Mystia. They shouldn't be so weak. 'And what was up with that disgusting smile? And why's he holding the emperor of Winterosch?"The emperor of Winterosch was dying from the cold. He had no idea who Vermilion Bird was, but since she was able to take out Ice Temple's vice-Lord, he demanded her assistance, "Oi, I'm Winterosch's emperor. Get down here and protect me!"Vermilion Bird was confused and annoyed. "I'll show you protection!" She was about to make mincemeat out of the emperor, but Bear's message hit her."Vermilion Bird, the lord wants you to assassinate the escaping aristocrats. I've sent you the coordinates!""The lord is already at the pass? So, I'm not needed there. And ask the lord why an Ice Temple guy is with the emperor of Winterosch," Vermilion Bird said.The Ice Temple's vice-Lord flew back to Vermilion Bird and acted as humble as he could be.
Diro wished he could turn things around and lead Winterosch to prosperity. Even if he couldn't, at least he wanted to stop the upper echelons from sucking the nation dry. Without reform or overthrowing the gods, the only fate awaited them was the fall of the nation.Alas, in a nation where bloodline reigned supreme, someone who came from a poor family would never see success. Despair was everyone's companion. The warriors were exhausted. Even if Nox didn't send his men after them, this forest alone could trap them until they died.Just when Diro saw no way out, the Ice Temple's representative showed up. Following him was the emperor of Winterosch, frozen half to death. The guards perked up at the sight of a god, but when they realized the god was on Ice Temple's side, they were wary.Diro saw the god as his final lifeline. He knew the Ice Temple and the Assad Temple were allies in this war. The Assad Temple's reinforcements didn't show up, but they could work with the Ice Temple and
Though they gave their lives to their nation, the only reward they got was eternal damnation in Helheim. Diro could no longer hold his fury in. He lunged at the emperor and pinned him against the ground."How dare you, peasant? What are you doing?" The emperor was too comfortable with his status, and he didn't think Diro would have the guts to harm him."What am I doing? You started this war! While my people sacrificed themselves for the nation, you pigs went on with your decadence! How the war ends doesn't matter to us! If we win, you swines take the credit! If we lose, my people are condemned to death! What did we ever do to you to deserve this?"Diro roared, "You pigs will destroy Winterosch one day! I won't let that happen! I'm going to take you down today!" He swung his fist at the emperor's head with all his fury. The emperor's head exploded like a watermelon.That did not stop Diro. Again and again, he swung his fist. When he finally vented all his anger, he had a breakdown
Atlas wasn't sure how to handle this, so he consulted Nox."Fine. We'll set up a few cities on the border. Northstate produces enough food to feed a million people, after all. We'll tide them over winter. Winterosch has a lot of ore on its border, doesn't it? When the cities are up and running, we can set up shop here. The place will be rich in a few years. The border trade alone will help Winterosch's economy immensely," Nox said.Atlas knew that Nox wanted to work with Winterosch. He wasn't against it, but Winterosch might turn against Faeast once their economy was up and running. Those bastards were ingrates, after all."The top brass is rotten, but the people suffer for it. You think they want to fight this war? They had no choice. It's all for a better life. I want to destroy Winterosch's top brass and have a fair ruler take the throne. If they can make sure their ruler is fair and just, Winterosch will be Faeast's best partner."You don't have to worry about the ingrates. We
Vermilion Bird took out the remaining soldiers of Winterosch. The heads of the escaped aristocrats were sent to Diro, courtesy of the Shadow Division.Diro and his men were excited to see the heads of their oppressors. It felt like someone had avenged them. That someone was purported to be their enemy, Faeast.Nox was making his intention clear, and Diro was no fool. He knew Nox was trying to make an ally out of him. At this point, he had to consider his comrades' future, so he asked for their opinions.They gave their answer swiftly. Diro would call the shots, and they would go with it. Diro took some time to mull things over, and he sent a scout to gather information at Endriver Pass. They knew the army of Faeast would never kill prisoners of war.Diro thought they must've set up a camp to lock these people up, but when the scout sent the news back to Diro, he and his men fell silent. Faeast's army had mobilized all their logistical units to cook food for the prisoners of war.T
Yet, he couldn't fault Nox for that. The emperor was the root of their problems. If the aristocrats had shown even a shred of mercy, he would never have felt displeased about their rule. If the emperor had been a bit more useful, he'd never have fallen for Nox's trick.Diro made up his mind. He grabbed the goat's leg and started chomping down on it. Black Tortoise announced, "Dig in!" The food was ready, and barrels of wine were served. The Winterosch soldiers pounced at the food and ate as much as they could.Then they cried. The food was one thing. They were supposed to be Winterosch's elite, and yet they never had a meal this nice over the course of this war. Even Diro didn't get to have this kind of luxury."When you were stationed on the border, you used to fight Aldric a lot. You have invaded Faeast many times, Diro. Do you confess?" Nox said, and the air was filled with murderous intent.The Nox Army soldiers who were making food just a while ago were putting their hands on
Their targets were the relics around the altars. The moment the whirlpool showed up, the black energy conjured black walls and kept Brundela on lockdown, cutting off all communications.Possessed by evil spirits, gods from ancient civilizations came back to life. In the underground graveyard, the dead came bursting out of their coffins, and skeletons with phantom flames flickering around them charged at the holy knights and James' secret agents.Nothing more needed to be said. The holy knights' leader led the charge. The other knights resolved to fight to the death as they battled the skeleton gods.James and his secret agents fired off at the enemies, but the bullets did nothing to the skeletons. All they managed was to light a big spark. Only grenades and howitzers could deal damage to them, and even then, the damage was light.The battle was fierce. Though the knights did not fear death, they were still weaker than the prehistoric gods. These skeletons were nigh invincible, and
Nox was hovering higher than the Ice Temple Lord, and he got everyone's attention."Who's that?""It's a Faeastian!""My God, it's the Nine-State Lord!" Nox was known throughout Faeast and the world. Brundela's council members had recognized him the moment he showed up. They had nothing but fear for gods, yet Nox was the strongest man in the Mortal World, so they respected him.The clouds in Brundela's skies were hanging heavily over the ground, and the icy aura they radiated was making everyone shiver. Winter seemed to have come early for Brundela. The temperature was dipping fast.Back in the control center, intelligence agents were watching the surveillance footage closely, and they noticed the altar. The Twilight Order and Ice Temple cultivators were there, strengthening the altars' seal the best they could. There were soldiers guarding the altar as well.For some reason, the secret agents had a feeling something bad was going to happen. Murphy's Law, as they said.Suddenly,
A sliver of energy flew out of the puppet and gathered natural energy around it. Then, the temperature rose at a blistering rate. Fortunately, Bard's reminder came just in time, and Vermilion Bird was prepared for this. She led her team away from the spot.A pillar of fire engulfed the building, and heat waves shot off in every direction, lethal and deadly. The light eventually faded, and all buildings in a few hundred yards were razed to the ground.If Vermilion Bird had killed the puppet without thinking just now, she would have lost all her men and suffered serious injuries. "That bitch! I'm going to make her into a human swine one day! I'll give her hell!" she cursed.Bard gasped. 'Yeah, women can be really terrifying.' Not one General was a normal person.This incident didn't escape Nox, of course. He saw it through his divine sense. "Heh, you can't fight the flow of history? You say that, Aphrodite, but you've done the same thing more than once. Schemes and plots when your ey
Aphrodite was a master manipulator. She knew the weaknesses of Nox's underlings, and she praised Bard, "At least you know where you stand, Bard. You never overreach. Though we failed to make you one of us, I still thought it'd be a shame to kill you."Bard smiled. "Oh, you're such an actor, Ms. Mousse. You know why we don't like you? Queenie is a genuine lady, just like our lord. You're far inferior to her. And don't flatter yourself. Of course, I know where I stand. I can't even reach the pinnacle of martial arts, let alone cultivation."No matter how smart I am, my lack of talents holds me back. I can never be made an important leader." He was only spared because he couldn't become a threat to the Mousses.Nox didn't use schemes because he didn't need them. Absolute power could trump any plot.Vermilion Bird clenched her teeth. "What is the meaning of this? The lord knows that the bitch is here?"Bard shook his head. Vermilion Bird was a smart woman, but Aphrodite made her lose
Aphrodite felt nothing but sorrow, and Vermilion Bird burst into laughter. "I expected nothing less from these people. Your men are just like their employers. Hey, knights, you guys want to find out more about Faeast martial arts? See those Mousse guys? They're masters. Deal with them."Vermilion Bird gave her orders. She knew these people would escape the moment she showed up. The knights flew off, going after the escaped Mousses. The Mousses were a family of warriors, while these knights were cultivators, to an extent. They wore mystical artifacts, and the Mousses' guys didn't have something like that.The battle was fierce but short. The Mousses' powerhouses were taken out, and the rest were dealt with by the Shadow Division."And now only you're left. Interesting, isn't it? Karma always bites you in the ass. You betrayed my lord, and now your men betray you. You deserve this," Vermilion Bird cursed."Yes, I deserve this, but as long as he wants to be the Nine-State Lord, then w
'The beating heart of this land?' The woman's underlings looked grim. They were supposed to be the master tacticians here. Yet, Nox played them like a cheap kazoo. 'He's a far better tactician than we expected!'Nox began his counterattack not long after the Ocean of Death incident. This woman was none other than Aphrodite, Nox's old flame. When she saw Brundela's fate stabilizing, she knew right then that things had gotten out of her hands."Tell the Mousses in Eropa to retreat right away. There is no need to stay here any longer. He's not attacking us because he's waiting for us to do the same. The moment our men try to start anything, he'll swoop in and take them all out. "No one can beat him if he decides to go all the way. Not even me," said Aphrodite.Suddenly, the Mousses' powerhouse noticed something. "I sense bloodlust. Who goes there? Show yourself!" The powerhouses unsheathed their weapons and stood around Aphrodite, protecting her.A group of black silhouettes appeare
Now they had one, and it was Elizabeth. Her speech awakened the bravery and courage lying within the people of Brundela. An overwhelming majority of the council members stood up and chanted, "Long live the queen! Long live Brundela!""Good." Nox noticed something. The fate of Brundela stopped its downward shift and was stabilizing."The Mortal World and mortals. The Realm of the Gods has been here for millennia, and still, I can't figure out how mortals work." The Ice Temple Lord was confused. These mortals were prone to deception and scams. They were weak and frail. Yet, they had the potential to unleash strength that could shock even the gods."It's solidarity. You guys wouldn't get it. You call yourselves gods and lock yourselves up in the Realm of the Gods. You try to enslave the world despite being so out of touch with it."Do you know why I call you false gods? True gods are omnipotent. Their word is law. They can change the rules that govern this world just by saying it, b
Ice Temple's Lord didn't even look at Dickson. The man was so crushed that there wasn't even a hint of arrogance left in his soul. The Ice Temple's Lord's technique locked his spirit. So, it was not severely weakened. Thus, He would die very soon, even without the Ice Temple's Lord attacking him."Please, leader of gods. You are the only true god. I swear my undying loyalty to you. Spare me, please!" Dickson begged for his life.Dickson finally met his match. The arrogant would-be king couldn't even do anything against the Ice Temple's Lord."Oh, I can save you, but what makes you think you're worth it? You're lower than scum, and you think you have the right to ask for my favor? Repent and pray, then I might make it quick for you. Refuse, and only unending hell awaits."That threat scared Dickson. He cried and begged for mercy. He cursed his own soul and put his faith in a god stronger than his master."And you think you deserve the gift of life, maggot? Open your eyes, mortals
Two cultivators were fighting in mid-air, while the other Ice Temple cultivators made an invisible barrier to keep them in, or the council hall would be destroyed from the impact of the fight.The battle was awe-inspiring, and Dickson became smug. So what if his enemy was a leader of gods? Perhaps he was no match for one, but the Assad gods could easily destroy him if a slave could fight him for a prolonged period.Ice Temple's Lord realized that Dickson couldn't feel pain as the essence had nearly devoured his spirit. He was nothing if not feral, and he did not fear death at all. A brilliant idea appeared in his mind. He could create an army of fearless gods if he could get his hands on this technique.Nox said telepathically, "How much longer are you going to take? He's just a useless tribute. Do you honestly want to keep this up until he burns himself away?"Ice Temple's Lord's pupils contracted, and he looked at Nox. Nox looked up from his book. The Ice Temple Lord thought th