Chapter 193 : Chapter 193
Chapter 193. A Grand Melee
For the past half month, the Gold Legions of the Kroll Kingdom had practically become a mobile mining field.
The sound of hoes and pickaxes striking stone had never stopped. Batch after batch of Spatial Rings had been swapped out, from iron ore to gold ore, from obsidian to Associated Magic Crystals. As long as a resource had a name, William’s people swept it clean.
A thirty-percent share did not seem like much, but the Mineral Veins were simply too dense. The resources transported back to the kingdom every day caused the reserves in the national treasury to swell at a visible pace.
William stood before a newly discovered Crystal Mineral Vein, directing the knights as they set up mining tools. Suddenly, a thunderous roar that shook the mountains and the earth came from the distance, mixed with Dragon’s Roars and the dazzling flare of erupting Holy Light.
He abruptly raised his head and saw a distorted halo light up on the eastern horizon. Shadow and Holy Light were frantically tearing each other apart there, and even the air was trembling.
“Withdraw.”
William made the decision on the spot and waved for the knights to put away their tools.
“Take the ore that has already been bagged and move to the western valley!”
The Gold Legions were well-trained. The moment the order to retreat was given, the knights lifted the Spatial Rings and withdrew in a defensive formation.
William took out a Communication Crystal and infused it with Mana. Runes of the Royal Family Secret Realm appeared on the crystal’s surface.
“Have Lynn come to the front line immediately,” he said to the crystal in a low voice. “Tell him the opportunity has arrived.”
There was a moment of silence from the other side of the crystal before the Commander of the Royal Guard, Prince Kande, replied.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
William put away the crystal, his gaze turning toward the direction of the chaotic battle in the east.
The Holy Radiance Legions of the Holy Light Aresos Empire had finally clashed with the people of the Blackgold Empire.
That was fine. The more fiercely they fought, the safer his side would be.
And the reason he was in such a hurry to summon Lynn was precisely because he had taken a fancy to the “opportunity” hidden behind this chaotic battle.
Every Demigod on the continent valued his life dearly. No one was willing to split off his own Divinity to guide a junior.
That was equivalent to cutting into the foundation of his own power, and it would take at least a hundred years to recover.
Although the Holy Light Aresos Empire could condense Divinity through faith, that required the worship of the entire nation. The price was so great that it was almost unbearable.
Only the remains of fallen gods were the best choice.
Although the residual Divinity within them was mixed and impure, it was enough to allow a person with aptitude to ignite his own flame of Divinity and set foot on the path of a Demigod.
And beneath the land of the Barbarian Tribes, such a remnant Divine Remains lay sleeping.
“Lynn’s Demigod Aptitude cannot stay buried in the Secret Realm forever. It is time to find the Kroll Kingdom a backer of its own.”
William murmured to himself, his fingertips tapping lightly against the hilt of his sword.
The sounds of fighting in the distance drew closer and closer. Faintly, the white figures of Four-Winged Pegasi could be seen weaving through the shadows. The Energy Shockwaves produced by the collisions between Holy Light and black mist caused the ground to tremble slightly.
The Gold Legions had already withdrawn to the western valley. The knights raised their shields and watched the east warily.
William knew that once Lynn arrived, he would have to change from a “miner” back into a “hunter.”
The Fragments of the Divine Remains disturbed by the chaotic battle, and the Divinity scattered by death, would all become the best “nourishment” for Lynn.
As for whether the Holy Light Empire or the Blackgold Empire won?
He did not care.
He only needed a battlefield chaotic enough, a gap that would allow him to carry out his plan silently.
The wind swept the smell of smoke and gunpowder through the valley. William looked at the ever-changing lights and shadows on the eastern horizon, and the corners of his mouth curved into a cold smile.
The days of mining were over. Next, it was his turn to “pick up the spoils.”
A week later, Lynn arrived in a travel-worn state, and William received him warmly.
“Lynn, this is your chance to become a Demigod. Here, this is the secret method for refining Divinity that Dragon Island Grand Elder prepared for me.”
“Study it carefully. I estimate that it will not be long before they begin their decisive battle. We will take advantage of the chaos and fish in troubled waters.”
Lynn accepted the secret method scroll. When his fingertips touched the gilded Runes on the scroll, he could feel the warm current of Mana surging within.
He quickly flipped through it, and his furrowed brows gradually relaxed.
“This secret method… can actually draw scattered Divinity directly into the body. It is a hundred times more efficient than absorbing the light particles the way I did before.”
William handed him a cup of hot tea, his gaze turning toward the distant horizon outside the window.
“The Blackgold Empire is busy appeasing the Ancestral Spirit, while the Holy Light side is also deploying troops and generals. Both sides are stretched taut, only waiting for a fuse.”
“We are caught right between them, which is perfect. We can borrow the Ancestral Spirit’s Divinity to help you break through.”
Lynn nodded and put away the scroll.
“Once an Ancestral Spirit gains sentience, its intelligence opens greatly. If the Blackgold Empire tries to forcibly control it, they will definitely trigger a Backlash.”
“When the time comes, both sides will have all their attention on the Ancestral Spirit. No one will notice us moving in secret.”
“There is more.”
William sneered.
“I have already had our hidden people tamper with the Blackgold Empire’s array. The Ancestral Spirit’s emotional fluctuations will be directly connected to the stability of the array.”
“Once it loses control, the entire Barbarian Royal Court will turn into a vortex of chaos. The Holy Light army will definitely take the chance to launch a surprise attack. We will intercept part of the Divinity scattered by the Ancestral Spirit amid that chaos.”
As he spoke, a deep roar came from the distance, and the earth trembled slightly.
Lynn walked to the window and saw a gray-black pillar of air rising from the direction of the Barbarian Royal Court. Faintly, he could hear the furious roars of the Ancestral Spirit.
“It has begun.”
William rose to his feet and picked up his cloak.
“The Ancestral Spirit is beginning to grow restless. The Blackgold Empire’s appeasement has failed. Lynn, come with me. We are going to the preset coordinates. That is where the scattered Divinity is most concentrated.”
Lynn tightened his grip on the short sword at his waist, and a trace of determination flashed in his eyes.
“The step into Demigodhood will be taken today.”
The two of them quietly moved forward, using the cover of the dense forest to approach the Barbarian Royal Court.
At the center of the Royal Court, they saw a giant bear Ancestral Spirit covered in bronze scales breaking free from the restraints of the array. Its enormous palm smashed apart the Blackgold Empire’s Magic Tower, and the ghostly flames it spat from its mouth burned soldiers into ash.
The mages of the Blackgold Empire chanted frantically, trying to imprison it again, but the Ancestral Spirit sent them flying with one swipe of its claw.
At that moment, beams of Holy Light lit up one after another, directly clashing with the Domain-Level Powerhouses of the Blackgold Empire.
Below, the Holy Radiance Legions entered the battlefield directly and began attacking the Blackgold Empire’s legions. The Dragon-Lion Legion of the Radiant Sun Empire appeared as well, while William led Lynn carefully through the underground.