Chapter 196 : Chapter 196
Chapter 196. The Radiant Sun Empire Retreats in Defeat, and an Envoy Arrives
He snorted coldly and waved his hand, withdrawing all the Golden Lines. The survivors immediately collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath as if they had narrowly clawed their way back from death’s door.
“But I will retrieve every fragment of my body, piece by piece.”
Al’Akir’s gaze swept over the figure of golden light, his hostility utterly undisguised.
“The next time we meet, things will not end so simply.”
Before his words had even faded, his body transformed into a streak of gray light that shot into the sky and vanished into the clouds in an instant.
Tyrwin looked in the direction he had left and sighed softly. The golden light around him dimmed slightly as well.
He turned to look below. His gaze fell in the direction where William and Lynn were hiding, but he did not expose them.
He merely said to the surviving people, “The God of Storms has retreated, but the balance of the Ninth Continent has already been broken. From here on, each of you must take care of yourselves.”
After saying that, his figure gradually merged into the void, as if he had never appeared at all.
The city fell into deathly silence. Only the survivors’ panting and the crackling of burning ruins remained.
William pulled Lynn along, and while everyone was still too stunned to react, they rushed out of Zu’Aman without looking back.
Only after they had put a great distance between themselves and the main city did the two of them dare to stop. They collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
“The God of Storms… Al’Akir…”
Lynn murmured. That terrifying pressure from earlier still left him shaken.
William’s back was also soaked with cold sweat.
After the two of them escaped Zu’Aman’s range, William looked at Lynn.
“How was it? The absorption of the Divinity?”
Lynn shook his head.
“I gained some insights, but it was still far too little.”
William nodded.
“There was no helping it. Being able to keep our lives was already a great fortune. It is fine. There will be other chances in the future, as long as we are still alive.”
Lynn nodded. Then he took William away from the central region of the Barbarian Tribes and arrived in the southern region, where they found the Gold Legion’s encampment stationed there.
The Gold Legion’s encampment in the southern region was set beside an open river valley. Tents stretched on like white waves, and the reflected light from armor joined together beneath the sun.
Lynn escorted William to the camp gate. Only when he saw the soldiers patrolling and training in orderly ranks did his taut nerves finally ease slightly.
“Your Highness, I will return to the Secret Realm first.”
Lynn cupped his fists. The searing sensation from absorbing the Divinity still lingered on his fingertips.
“That power was extremely impure. If I do not refine it quickly, I am afraid it may leave hidden dangers behind.”
William patted him on the shoulder.
“Go. Refining it is more important. Remember to guard your heart. Do not let the power of Divinity cloud your mind.”
He had seen far too many examples in ancient records of people being devoured by power. Lynn possessed Demigod Aptitude, so he had to be even more cautious.
Lynn nodded in agreement, then turned into an afterimage and sped toward the Royal Family Secret Realm.
The river-valley wind lifted the hem of his robe. The young man’s figure soon disappeared into the depths of the dense forest.
William stood before the camp gate and gazed toward the central region of the Barbarian Tribes in the distance. Faint aftershocks of Divinity still lingered there.
The terrifying scene in Zu’Aman replayed in his mind: the pressure of the God of Storms, Al’Akir; the calmness of Tyrwin, the figure of golden light; and those lives that had dissipated amid the Golden Lines…
All of it reminded him that the world they knew was only the tip of the iceberg.
“Your Highness!”
Kru hurried forward and handed over a battle report.
“We have just discovered that the remnants of the Holy Light Aresos Empire and the Blackgold Empire have already withdrawn. The Dragon-Lion Legion is also pulling back its defensive line. Your Highness, did something happen in the Barbarian Royal Court?”
William accepted the battle report. His gaze fell on the column marked “mining progress,” and a faint smile curved his lips.
Amid the chaos, their Gold Legion had not only suffered no losses, but had also taken the opportunity to occupy several of the richest Mineral Veins in the south. This harvest alone was enough to raise the Kroll Kingdom’s strength to another level.
“It is a long story. All you need to know is that I almost did not make it back.”
“Pass down the order. Speed up the mining.”
He said to Kru, “Also, send the Second and Third Gold Legions to the other regions to capture slaves and seize Totem Pillars.”
Kru froze for a moment, then quickly understood. He bowed and accepted the order.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
William walked into the main command tent and spread out the map. His fingertip moved across the territory of the Barbarian Tribes.
The upheaval in Zu’Aman had disrupted many plans, but it had also torn open an opportunity.
William intended to observe the movements of the Three Great Empires. After all, since they had failed to obtain Divinity and had even suffered a hidden loss, only the Barbarians’ territory still held any real value.
A few days later, the region of the Barbarian Tribes had descended into utter chaos.
The reason was that the army of the Orc Alliance had actually crossed the Sea of Despair and arrived on the Eastern Continent.
As soon as they landed, they charged straight toward the Radiant Sun Empire. Because the Radiant Sun Empire’s Dragon-Lion Legion was too small in number, it could not defeat the army of the Orc Alliance.
Their Domain-Level Powerhouses also abandoned the Dragon-Lion Legion and fled for their own lives because they were outnumbered.
After suffering tremendous casualties, the commander of the Dragon-Lion Legion had no choice but to withdraw the remaining Dragon-Lion Legion to a small island in the Sea of Despair.
At that moment, a guest arrived at the Gold Legion’s encampment. It was actually an envoy from the Blackgold Empire.
Outside the gate of the Gold Legion’s camp, the Blackgold Empire envoy’s black robe snapped in the river-valley wind, looking completely out of place amid the surrounding silver-white armor.
Led by a knight, he passed through the formations of training soldiers. The soles of his boots stepped across the sandy ground, leaving uneven prints behind, as though he were stamping traces of shadow into this encampment filled with the aura of Holy Light.
William sat behind the desk in the main command tent, his fingertips tapping on a map of Mineral Vein distribution. When he heard footsteps and raised his eyes, he found himself looking directly at the half of the envoy’s face revealed beneath the hood.
Pale. Gaunt. A faint, ambiguous smile lingered at the corner of his mouth, like a snake hiding in the dark.
“Your Highness William.”
The envoy bowed, his voice carrying a texture like metal scraping against metal.
“The Blackgold Empire extends its respect to you.”
“There is no need for respect.”
William set down the map and pointed at the chair opposite him.
“Speak. Dressed like that, you did not barge into my camp just to offer blessings.”
The envoy straightened. His hood slid back, revealing a pair of pure-black pupils without the slightest trace of white.
“We need a suicide squad to tear open the right flank of the Holy Light Aresos Empire’s defensive line. And your Gold Legion is the most suitable candidate.”
The air inside the tent abruptly froze.