Global Lords: Building the Strongest Civilization with SSS Rank Talent

Thousands of miles across the mountains, smoke billowed into the scorching sky above the Third Continent.

Chris Pitt lounged on a massive throne carved from sandstone and gold. He rested his boots casually on the back of a kneeling palace guard. Megan sat on the armrest beside him. She examined her perfectly manicured nails. The grand throne room surrounding them had been reduced to a complete slaughterhouse.

Two Fourth Continent soldiers dragged the local monarch across the blood-soaked marble floor, violently throwing the weeping King of the Sun-Spear directly at Chris's feet.

"Please," the local king sobbed, pressing his face against the stone. "We surrender the city. Spare the citizens."

Chris let out a loud, exaggerated yawn before stretching his arms over his head.

"We already gave you a chance to surrender yesterday," Chris said, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Now we have to make an example out of you. Megan, do you want this one?"

"I handled the royal guard," Megan complained, brushing a speck of dust from her silver robes. "You finish the king, and tell the soldiers to hurry up with the rest of the city because the screaming outside is giving me a headache."

Raising his right hand, Chris summoned a halo of pure golden light above the weeping king. He snapped his fingers, bringing down a localized wave of hyper-dense gravity that flattened the monarch against the marble floor.

Outside the palace windows, the Fourth Continent army marched through the burning streets, slaughtering every civilian in sight as they torched homes and temples alike.

High above the physical realm, the god of that burning kingdom watched his empire fall. The Sun-Hawk manifested within the divine communication network as a glowing avatar of fire and feathers, though his digital form flickered wildly with instability.

[ Send reinforcements! ] the Sun-Hawk broadcasted his panicked voice across the void to the other two surviving gods of the Third Continent. [ They broke the capital! My followers are being massacred in the streets! ]

A glowing counter floated next to his avatar, its numbers dropping by thousands every single second.

[ We cannot spare our armies, ] one of the neighboring gods replied through the network. [ The Heralds will turn on us next if we expose our borders. ]

Desperate, the Sun-Hawk turned his gaze to the inter-continental channel and opened a direct link to the Second Continent.

[ Iron Arbiter! ] he begged, his fiery wings losing their brilliant luster. [ Send your forces! I will cede my northern territories to you! Just save my core population! ]

The follower counter hit double digits, then single digits, as the Fourth Continent soldiers breached the deepest catacombs of the city below to execute the last hidden group of worshipers.

The counter hit absolute zero.

[ SYSTEM ALERT: FAITH RESOURCE DEPLETED. AVATAR DELETION IMMINENT. ]

Sun-Hawk let out a scream as his avatar shattered into thousands of meaningless code fragments and vanished entirely from the divine network.

In the sanctuary of the Seventeenth Continent, a green light flashed across Red's main monitor as the Iron Arbiter's towering steel avatar reappeared on the screen.

[ We just lost another one, ] the Iron Arbiter announced, the massive gears in his chest grinding together. [ The Sun-Hawk is gone. His entire kingdom was eradicated, and once his follower count reached zero, the system deleted him. ]

Absorbing the grim news without a single change in his expression, Red stared at the digital colossus. The Heralds were moving much faster than anticipated, allowing Chris and Megan to tear through the Third Continent with absolute impunity.

[ The board is shrinking, ] Red stated, keeping his dark eyes fixed on the blank space where the Third Continent map used to glow. [ Tell your followers to accelerate their preparations. We are going hunting. ]

Red closed the connection with the Iron Arbiter and immediately opened his primary Sovereign interface. He selected the mass-broadcast function to summon his entire pantheon.

[ SYSTEM ALERT: INITIATING VIRTUAL CONVOCATION. CONNECTING 80 VASSAL DEITIES... ]

The dark void of the orbital sanctuary transformed in an instant. Eighty distinct holographic pillars materialized in a massive ring around Red's hovering chair. The digital avatars of the Seventeenth Continent's conquered gods flickered to life upon their respective pedestals. Avatars of towering beasts, ethereal spirits, and armored titans filled the room with a chaotic blend of divine auras.

Red looked around the circular assembly. The eighty vassal gods fell completely silent under his gaze.

[ You all know about our active alliance with the Second Continent, ] Red projected his voice to the entire assembly. [ You have also seen the intelligence regarding the Fourth Continent's pantheon and their aggressive global expansion. We are officially entering this conflict. You will mobilize your forces and march across the ocean simply because you serve the Spiral and I command it. ]

A low murmur rippled through the digital avatars. The god of the Iron-Tusk Orcs stepped forward on his pillar and slammed a massive fist against his chest.

[ We live to conquer in your name, Sovereign! ] the Orc deity roared. [ Just point us at the enemy! ]

[ You have exactly one week to gather your best soldiers and most elite fighters, ] Red instructed. He brought up a glowing digital timer in the center of the ring. [ Send them directly to the City of the Spiral. Keep your Apostles in your own territories to manage your local domains. I do not need your holy champions for this campaign. I need raw, disciplined numbers to break the enemy lines. ]

Red watched the timer start ticking down. He needed to ensure absolute motivation among these conquered deities to guarantee a flawless mobilization.

[ This war will yield massive territorial gains, ] Red continued, his voice echoing with absolute authority. [ Whichever faction contributes the most to the upcoming battles will receive prime land on the newly conquered continents. You will expand your own borders and grow your faith resources exponentially. ]

The avatars shifted with sudden, ravenous energy. The promise of new territory instantly sparked a fierce competitive fire among the assembled vassal gods.

Red turned his attention to a specific cluster of avatars on the left side of the ring. These deities represented the pacifist races and agricultural domains. Gorr and Brass-Construct were also there.

[ Those of you with non-combatant followers are exempt from the infantry draft, ] Red stated. [ You will instead send your finest support units. Gather your healers, builders, alchemists, and beast-tamers. Send them to the capital to establish our supply chains and reinforce the marching armies. Every single domain will contribute to this war effort. ]

The goddess of the Spring-Bloom Dryads bowed her head respectfully.

[ Our restorative mages and provisioners will arrive at the Spiral within the week, Sovereign. ]

One by one, the remaining seventy-nine deities bowed their holographic heads in total submission. They recognized the unprecedented opportunity to expand their power under Red's terrifying leadership.

[ We hear and obey, Sovereign Rubedo. ] The synchronized voices of eighty gods echoed perfectly through the sanctuary.

The massive ring of holographic pillars dimmed as seventy-nine avatars vanished from the virtual convocation. Only a single projection remained active in the dark sanctuary.

Sylara sat quietly on her throne. She clasped her hands together tightly and avoided making direct eye contact with him.

[ Oh, I was about to ask you to stay behind, but it looks like you read my mind. ]