Ch. 471..480

Chapter 471

Before Shang left his inner world, he thought about Lucius' words again.

'I'm not sure how to feel about what I've read,' Shang thought as he furrowed his brows.

'The world is not bad? Maybe, but I don't know. I've felt the effects of the persecution of the other Paths personally.'

'I've seen how the Council and the Dukes suppress the warriors just because they fear their power.'

'The Skythunder Kingdom would be the most powerful Kingdom as long as the Council supports the warriors. The warriors didn't even want to rise up initially, but everything the Council had done over the past decades has pushed them away from them.'

'Everyone is only interested in their own power, and I'm not any better. To achieve my goal, I'm even willing to push the world into a calamity.'

Shang was not someone that loved the world as much as Lucius.

Someone of Lucius' power didn't need to fear anyone, and he could appreciate the beauty of the world.

But Shang was in the middle of a huge war just because he was not a Mage.

A moment later, a different thought entered Shang's mind.

'Although, Jerald is not like the other Mages. Mages, as well as warriors, are willing to follow him. The only reason why we have so few Mages is that they are afraid of fighting against the Council. No one wants to join the side that is most likely to lose in a war unless their very lives are on the line.'

'King Skythunder also doesn't seem to care a lot about warriors and Mages, but that's understandable. From what I know, he has once been a barbarian before he became a Mage. He has a different outlook.'

At that point, Shang thought about the world he had seen around 70 years ago.

The farmers in the Farm Line had peaceful lives, and the students of the Warrior Academy had been in high spirits. They were young children that looked at the future with bright and glowing eyes.

The hunters and Mages had no big conflicts back then, and Warrior's Paradise had been bustling with activity and life.

As Shang thought about the time he had been a teenager, he could imagine finding the world beautiful.

For a while, Shang only evaluated his own thoughts.

'I don't know if I find the world beautiful or not,' he thought. 'Lucius' words don't change a thing.'

'However, if I actually have a chance to get rid of the Abominations without jeopardizing my own growth, I will do it.'

Even though Shang felt a deep connection with the Abominations, there was still a fundamental difference between them.

The Abominations wanted the world to stop existing.

Shang didn't want that.

Being in a lonesome void of nothingness as the only living being was not something Shang wanted.

If he wanted to live, the vast majority of things around him also had to live.

So, despite the deep connection, the Abominations still counted as enemies to Shang.

'Nothing changes.'

After making up his mind, Shang left his inner world.

Inside a humongous cave deep underground, Shang opened his right eye.

"Welcome back."

Shang looked over and saw Jerald beside him.

Jerald had been keeping watch over Shang's body while he was undergoing the trial. Additionally, Jerald wanted to know how everything went.

Shang nodded and stood up.

Jerald began to evaluate Shang with furrowed eyes and hummed a bit.

"You feel different," he said. "I presume this has to do with your reward?"

Shang nodded. "Nobody in the world can see through my real Affinity anymore. That means that I also won't be immediately hunted down by the first beast that sees me."

Jerald scratched his chin a little. "That is great to hear, but it doesn't sound like your power has increased."

"It hasn't," Shang answered. "To be honest, I could have chosen two other rewards that would have increased my power, but I value my future above my current power."

Jerald sighed. "That's not a problem. Making the plan succeed is definitely important, but it is only of momentary importance, and it only functions as an intermediary goal. The true goals we have chosen for ourselves always take priority."

"Sorry," Shang said.

"No, it's fine," Jerald said. "I would have done the same thing."

One of the reasons why they had waited for the trial was for the reward.

If Shang got something that increased his power even more, the plan had a higher likelihood of succeeding.

Sadly, it seemed like the wait had been pointless.

The reward hadn't increased Shang's power, but at least it had given him a more secure future.

Of course, Jerald wished for Shang to have chosen a reward that increased his power immediately. After all, the purpose of the plan was to take revenge for Jerald's fallen territory, his fallen friends, and his dead son.

But Jerald also knew that he couldn't force his own priorities and wishes on Shang.

Shang was already trusting Jerald with his life, and Jerald didn't want to betray that belief.

Shang told Jerald about the trial, and he also mentioned some of the stuff he had learned from Lucius' letter. Naturally, he didn't tell Jerald about the Children of Calamity and their status in the world.

After hearing everything that happened in the trial from Shang, Jerald released a sigh.

"It seems my worries were unfounded," he said. "Your power should be enough for the plan. However, you will still be in danger."

"I know," Shang answered with a nod, "but I don't care. I might seem cold most of the time, but I cared for George and the entire Storm Eagle Zone. The prosperous and lively land from back then no longer exists, and I'm not a big fan of that."

Jerald smiled a little bit. "That's good to hear."

Shang hadn't left the Cave, and he could only imagine how the atmosphere in the Storm Eagle Zone was, but Jerald was there every day.

There were so many guards stationed across the entire territory, and every person was meticulously investigated all the time. The oppressive power and authority of the stationed soldiers intimidated all the normal citizens to the point where they only left their houses when it was absolutely necessary.

Hustle and bustle had completely vanished from Warrior's Paradise, and a cloud of grey uncertainty and fear hung over the entire Zone.

While the dead air in Warrior's Paradise had been an oddity in the past, now it was a suffocating pressure.

The Warrior's Academy had more students than ever, but there was no youthful happiness there.

The increased sizes of classes and urgency eradicated joyful training and replaced it with authoritarian drills.

The students no longer viewed their future with colorful and bright eyes but with cynical, grey eyes filled with uncertainty.

They felt like they were no longer working for a bright future but working towards a gruesome death on the battlefield.

Due to the insane number of powerful warriors living here, even the Wasteland had basically been cleaned of all beasts. It even reached a state where hunting had been strictly prohibited for everyone until the environment recovered.

The same thing was true for the Canyon and the Wild Forest.

Entering the Wild Forest to fight beasts required explicit permission, and it was mostly reserved for the students to gain practical experience.

The Farm Dogs were no longer useful due to the presence of so many powerful warriors, and they simply sat around the farms in a monotone state of boredom. They no longer had a purpose.

The farmers were overworked. They were earning more than ever before, but they didn't want to work anymore. Life was simply too stressful.

In the past, Jerald had been proud of his territory, but now, he felt pain whenever he looked at it.

He didn't want to put everyone under so much pressure, but it was necessary. He couldn't allow the Council to infiltrate his territory and destroy it from within.

After Shang and Jerald talked about the trial, Jerald went to the next topic.

"Are you ready to see him now?" Jerald asked.

Shang nodded. "I think now is the best time. I might not know him, but I can guess how he feels since we came from the same place."

They were talking about the new person the God had sent to this world.

Jerald had already found him a couple of months ago, but Shang was too busy readying himself for the trial.

"So, you will now officially return to the world, huh?" Jerald asked with a slight smile.

Shang nodded again. "I've been gone from the world for nearly 50 years, and I've lived in isolation for all of it."

"Returning to be amongst people feels strange, but it is only natural."

Jerald chuckled a bit, and Shang raised an eyebrow.

"I have something prepared for your return," Jerald said.

For a second, Shang wasn't sure what Jerald meant, but then he remembered.

"Right, I asked you to prepare an armor since mine probably won't survive the trial," he said.

Jerald nodded. "Yes, but this time, I decided to take some liberties regarding its design."

"You will be my second-in-command from now on, and you represent my strongest military power."

"I need you to look the part."

 

472 Chapter 472

A door on the fifth floor of the Warrior Academy's main building opened.

Two people stood in front of the door. One was a tall man with blue hair and a gigantic sword strapped to his back.

The other person was a teenager with black hair, carrying a black spear on his back.

"Enter," the teacher said.

The student hesitated a bit. "Am I in trouble, Teacher Astor?" he asked with a voice that betrayed his nervousness.

"No," Teacher Astor said with a calm voice. "Someone important wants to meet you, and I'm only here to escort you."

"Why?" the student asked.

"I don't know," Teacher Astor answered.

That didn't help in alleviating the student's worries.

Eventually, he just entered the room, and Teacher Astor closed the door before leaving.

The student looked around with anxiety, and he eventually sat down in a chair beside a big desk in the middle of the room.

The student slowly caressed the handle of his spear to give himself comfort. As long as his weapon was beside him, he didn't need to feel so scared.

'Have I done anything wrong?' the student thought in worry. 'Did someone find out that I sneaked into the Wild Forest to fight some beasts? But I didn't kill any of them! I didn't damage the ecosystem!'

The student waited inside the room for several minutes, his anxiety only becoming stronger.

'Calm down, Oliver! Teacher Astor said that you are not in trouble! It's only that someone important wants to meet you... someone so important that even Teacher Astor seemed uncertain...'

Oliver, the student, just couldn't calm himself down. He knew Teacher Astor very well, and he was always friendly, helpful, and forthcoming. He was also a very good teacher!

But, just now, Teacher Astor seemed conflicted, nervous, and uncertain.

That meant that someone of even greater status than a teacher or Vice-Dean of the Academy would want to meet him.

'What would such a person even want from me? I'm barely average in my class. I can't imagine that some powerful warrior suddenly saw my talent and decided to take me in as their disciple.'

'But then, what would such a person want from me?'

As Oliver continued stewing in his thoughts, his eyes darted toward the door of the room.

For some reason, he felt like something or someone was approaching.

The atmosphere in the room seemed to become more oppressive and darker the more Oliver looked at the door.

Clank.

Then, Oliver heard the sound of a heavily armored boot stepping on the ground outside.

Oliver's heartbeat sped up, and he felt like the pressure in the room only increased.

Clank. Clank. Clank!

The footsteps grew louder, and Oliver already started to sweat.

He had only felt this afraid while fighting powerful beasts.

But he was only hearing footsteps right now!

When did he suddenly turn into such a scaredy cat?!

When Oliver heard the footsteps stop in front of the door, his body froze as his fight-or-flight instincts got triggered.

He felt like he was about to die!

Then, the door opened.

The door opening felt like an eternity to Oliver, but it actually opened at normal speeds.

Oliver didn't dare to move and only sat stiffly on his chair as he looked at the black figure that had stepped through the door.

It looked like a black titan or black demon!

The figure was entirely clothed in extremely dense, pitch-black plate armor. Not even a single bit of its actual body showed through the armor.

Additionally, several black spikes came out from the armor, making it appear like a demon king was wearing it.

Oliver immediately connected the armor he was seeing with how many main antagonists in fantasy games looked.

It looked imposing, evil, and powerful!

After a bit, Oliver dared to look up, and his eyes fixated on a single, cold, black eye.

Only then did Oliver realize that this was a person.

The person in front of Oliver only had one eye, and the other eye was hidden behind a big, armored, metal eyepatch with the symbol of a flying sword on it. The metallic eyepatch connected to a metallic ring going around the person's head, and Oliver could see short and spiky black hair above the metallic eyepatch.

As soon as the black titan entered the room, time had seemingly frozen for Oliver.

He didn't dare to move.

His instincts didn't allow him to move.

He could only look in fear at the one eye looking back into his.

Several seconds passed.

Then, Oliver finally took a deep breath.

'Who is that?!' he thought in panic.

He had seen True Path Stage warriors before, but none of them had such a sinister presence and overwhelming pressure.

"Stand up."

A commanding voice came from the figure, and Oliver slowly complied with the order.

The figure in front of Oliver glanced at the chair beside him.

"The chairs in here can't bear my weight, and I don't want to talk down to you. It's better when we talk face to face," the figure explained.

As the figure spoke more, Oliver's tense nerves began to calm down.

The pressure in the room also seemed to lessen for him.

Several seconds of silence passed.

"Don't you have any questions?" the figure asked emotionlessly.

Oliver's nervousness returned, and he took a deep breath.

"Who are you?" Oliver asked, trying to sound unintimidated but failing.

"I am Count Sword," the figure answered.

At that moment, Oliver's eyes widened in shock.

He had heard about Count Sword in history class!

He was the first warrior that had ever gotten a noble title, and it was even said that he managed to take down an entire outpost of the Grandmountain Kingdom on his own while still being at the Commander Stage!

Oliver could scarcely believe that he stood in front of such a legend!

"But you may call me Shang," the figure said.

At that moment, Oliver became nervous again.

Why?

How?

Why would Count Sword tell him, a normal student in the Warrior Academy, to call him by his first name?!

A couple of seconds of silence returned.

"Don't you want to let your spear go?" the figure asked.

Oliver grew more nervous.

The truth about his weapon was one of his biggest secrets, and he knew that he couldn't let anyone realize what kind of weapon he was using. Otherwise, every powerful warrior would covet him!

But at that moment, something shocking happened.

The Great Sword on the figure's back began to levitate on its own, and it approached Oliver.

Oliver felt his spear shake.

,m But he knew that there was nothing he could do.

He was simply too weak.

As the sword approached Oliver, his spear began to levitate on its own and joined the sword.

The two weapons touched each other in the air and simply floated there.

In the beginning, Oliver was scared for his weapon. What if Count Sword's weapon could absorb his weapon?!

But as he saw nothing happen, he felt his nerves calm down.

"What is going on?" Oliver asked.

The figure looked at the two weapons with a complex expression.

It was almost like he was getting reminded of old memories.

"Inheritance," the figure said.

"Now, tell me, did something new happen on Earth?"

 

473 Chapter 473

Shang saw a bit of his young self in Oliver. Sure, Shang had already been different from Oliver back then, but there certainly were similarities.

"Earth?" Oliver asked with a shocked expression. "What do you mean?"

Oliver tried to seem oblivious, but Shang could easily tell that Oliver knew what Shang was talking about.

"You are not the first person sent from Earth to this place, and you won't be the last. These words have been said to me by my predecessor, and now I'm speaking them to you," Shang said evenly.

"Just like you, I have come from Earth. I was sent here when I was in my early twenties, and I was a retired professional MMA fighter back then."

Oliver still looked shocked.

There was someone else from Earth here?!

He had thought he had been the only one!

"So, you also came from Earth?" Oliver asked.

"That's what I said," Shang said coldly.

Oliver flinched a bit at Shang's cold voice. Oliver couldn't imagine someone like Shang being from Earth.

"What was your job on Earth?" Shang asked.

Oliver looked a bit uncertain. "Well, I was researching semiconductors."

"What's that?" Shang asked.

"I basically designed microchips."

Shang furrowed his brows. "That doesn't seem very fitting to this world. Why did the God send you here?"

Oliver scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed and nervous smile. "Well, I also loved playing RPGs, and I-"

"The missile?" Shang asked with raised eyebrows.

"No, not the missile. You know, role-playing games," Oliver quickly corrected.

Shang's brows furrowed. "Please keep your sex life out of this discussion."

Oliver looked even more shocked and appalled. "No, that's not-"

"Why did the God send you here?" Shang asked again.

Oliver wanted to correct Shang regarding the RPG thing, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. The pressure Shang exerted compelled him to follow his commands.

"I was also an amateur strongman. I never really made it to the professional circuit due to my studies, but I enjoyed it."

Shang nodded.

"I think I was chosen because I have been working in research but also because I've had some regrets. My job was paying very well, but it also filled my life with grey boredom."

"Makes sense," Shang answered. "Tell me what happened after you came here."

After that, Oliver began to tell Shang about his life here.

He had been in this world for a little less than three years.

In the beginning, he had lived in the middle of the Empress Cobra Zone.

Living there had been incredibly dangerous, and he had nearly died several times.

However, he learned how to survive by staying in the territory of a very powerful beast. The beast was so powerful that it completely ignored Oliver, while the other beasts didn't dare to come close.

Oliver had no idea where he should go or what he should do. He traveled around, but he only found more swamp wherever he went.

Eventually, about a year later, he came across a Mage that was hunting in his area.

Oliver went to the Mage, and the Mage told him where to go with an annoyed and disgusted voice.

Oliver reached a small village in the Empress Cobra Zone, and he lived there for a couple of weeks.

After living there for a bit, Oliver heard of Duke Whirlwind and the Storm Eagle Zone. He had heard from the God that the strongest warriors in the world lived there and that it would be a good place for him to start.

No one paid a weak Soldier Stage warrior any attention, and he was let through to the Storm Eagle Zone with only a small inspection.

Oliver waited a couple of months for the next tryouts for the Warrior Academy and joined.

He had only barely passed.

"Only barely?" Shang asked with a raised eyebrow. "You lived in the wilds for a full year. How did you only barely pass?"

Oliver looked with shock at Shang. "I had to defeat a Pest Cat! I think a year is a very short amount of time! I was only a normal guy on Earth! A year prior to that, I could have never imagined felling such a mighty beast!"

Shang furrowed his brows.

Then, he looked at the power of Oliver's body.

"You've been in this world for three years?" he asked.

Oliver nodded.

"Why are you only at the Mid Soldier Stage?"

"What do you mean with only?" Oliver asked. "My current body is barely 17. Considering that I managed to reach the level of my current classmates without having any foundation before I arrived here, I would say I've done well for myself."

Shang's brows furrowed.

At that moment, Oliver no longer reminded Shang of his past self.

"How do you train?" Shang asked.

Oliver told Shang how he trained.

It was essentially a high-intensity workout from Earth. It was about as intense as the training routine of a professional athlete.

"You do know that you are no longer on Earth?" Shang commented.

"Of course," Oliver answered with a bit of annoyance.

By now, most of his fear had vanished, and he definitely wasn't the biggest fan of Shang's arrogant and cold demeanor. It was like nothing Oliver did was good enough for Shang.

"Then why are you training like you are still on Earth?" Shang asked. "Have you not realized the power that Mana has?"

"I don't have time for more training," Oliver said.

"What could be more important than training?" Shang asked.

"Seeing the world, having a social life, learning more about Magic, learning more about the surroundings?" Oliver answered with an annoyed expression.

Shang looked evenly into Oliver's eyes for several seconds.

'He's not like George or me,' Shang thought. 'From my perspective, he only has the determination and willpower to become an average Commander Stage warrior at the very most. I don't see any value in training someone like this.'

'However, my perception can't compare to the God's. There must be something special about him that I can't see.'

"Fine, you live your life however you want. It's not up to me," Shang said.

"You're right. It's not," Oliver said with a venomous voice.

Shang didn't get angry.

"I will now tell you everything you need to know. The God told me to inform you about all the relevant things, and I will do that now."

"He told you?" Oliver asked with shock.

He hadn't expected that the God could talk to them when they were already here.

Shang nodded. "First, regarding the trial-"

"Wait a second," Oliver said as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"So, you're only here because he ordered you?" Oliver asked.

"Yes," Shang answered.

Oliver's brows furrowed. "And if he didn't order you? Would you have come here?"

"I have more important things to do," Shang answered immediately in a neutral voice.

Oliver slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

After some seconds, he released his deep breath. "Do you need anything from me?"

"No," Shang said. "I only need to tell you about the relevant things."

"Not interested," Oliver said with a curt voice.

Shang raised an eyebrow. "Not interested?"

"Yes, I'm not interested. You can keep your information to yourself."

Shang frowned. "Are you throwing a tantrum because I'm not helping you out of the goodness of my heart?" Shang asked with a deadpan voice.

"I have morals and standards," Oliver said. "I'm not interested in receiving ingenuine help. If you want to help me, good. If you don't, then don't."

"Are you seriously jeopardizing your future because of some pointless ideology?" Shang asked.

Oliver's eyes narrowed, and his spear floated back to his back. "Do you need anything else from me, or can I leave?" he asked with cold politeness.

Shang looked at Oliver for a couple of seconds.

"You can leave."

Oliver nodded once, said a cold goodbye, and left the room.

Shang remained in the room for a while longer and scratched his chin.

Then, he also left the room.

As he said earlier, he had more important things to do than to pacify some Soldier Stage warrior's hurt feelings.

 

474 Chapter 474

As Shang left the room, he put on his helmet. Count Sword couldn't appear in public yet.

The armor and the helmet isolated Shang from all eyes and even Spirit Senses. They could see the black armor, but they couldn't see behind it. Naturally, Shang had worn the helmet on his way to the academy as well and had only taken it off in front of the room.

As Shang stepped out of the building, the drills in the academy became quieter.

When Shang appeared, the atmosphere turned oppressive for everyone around him.

Funnily enough, this wasn't the effect of Shang's connection to the Abominations. After all, that had been hidden by Lucius' Spell.

The reason for this change in atmosphere was Shang's decades of living in isolation amongst beasts.

When Shang had left Jerald's garden back then, one of the guards had told him that he felt very dangerous to him and that other people would feel the same. After living amongst humans, Shang's aura had retreated.

But now, it had come out again, and he no longer cared about suppressing it.

It didn't matter what others thought of him.

Shang slowly walked through the fields of the academy as many students and teachers looked at him apprehensively.

When Shang left the academy, most students released the breaths they had been holding.

The same thing happened when Shang passed through Warrior's Paradise.

When he reached the gates, he saw some nervous and scared guards.

They had to investigate every suspicious individual, and Shang was more than suspicious.

However, they also felt terrified.

"S-Sir!" one of the guards shouted nervously.

SHING!

Something appeared in Shang's hand, and he pointed it at the guard.

The guard looked at it, and his eyes widened.

Then, nearly all of his fear and nervousness vanished. "You may pass, sir!"

He was relieved that he didn't need to search Shang.

Shang had just shown Jerald's personal emblem to the guard.

This emblem was different from the emblem Shang had received many years ago.

The emblem from back then showed that Shang was Jerald's friend.

The new emblem, on the other hand, gave Shang Jerald's full authority.

Everything Shang said and ordered would be like if Jerald said or ordered these things.

Shang represented Jerald personally.

Not even George had had that luxury back then.

Shang stepped past the gates and walked down the road.

As he continued walking, his speed increased, although it still looked like he was merely walking.

In a matter of seconds, Shang reached a speed of over 200kph without even exerting himself.

After a while, Shang reached Jerald's castle and entered through the front gate. The guards didn't even stop Shang since they had already been informed by Jerald about his arrival.

The inside of Jerald's castle was quite simple compared to its outside. It had a very homey feel to it.

Shang could even see several happy paintings of Jerald with a woman and a young Mattheo.

Shang had already heard about Jerald's wife.

She had died a couple of years after giving birth to Mattheo.

Jerald had lost his family, but he still enjoyed looking at the paintings and remembering them.

Shang walked up the steps and walked to a closed door.

Shang opened it without knocking and entered.

Several humongous Magic Circles filled with piles of valuable materials filled the room, and in the middle of these circles sat Jerald.

Jerald's eyes were closed, and he didn't greet Shang.

Shang went to the side of the room and sat down.

He closed his eyes and focused on his Spirit Sense. This was a sensitive time for Jerald, and Shang was here to make sure that nothing went wrong.

For many hours, Shang only sat there, keeping watch over the surroundings. For once, his mind was not focused on training.

Sword remained at Shang's side and also stayed silent.

They didn't need to talk.

Eventually, night arrived.

Nothing had changed inside the room.

Then, day arrived.

Night arrived.

Day arrived.

Shang remained in the room for seven days, and he didn't move even once.

His mind had also never been distracted during that time.

Then, finally, the Mana in the room emptied as more Mana was pulled in from the outside.

All the materials in the Magic Circles had also turned into pure Mana already.

A powerful wind picked up inside the room. Luckily, there was nothing there for the wind to destroy.

Shang simply remained sitting at the room's wall.

A couple of seconds later, Jerald opened his eyes, and Shang could see a powerful storm inside them.

Shang could also see terrifying rainclouds and lightning being accompanied by the wind.

The storm in Jerald's eyes was truly powerful and intimidating.

As Shang saw them, he felt like these were not three different concepts but one singular concept.

It was a true Storm.

A second later, Jerald closed his eyes again and took a deep breath.

The wind and Mana inside the room calmed down, and it returned to its prior state.

Shang slowly stood up and cranked his neck.

Jerald's body slowly floated upward, and he extended his legs to stand up.

"Thanks," he said to Shang in an even voice without even looking at him.

This was unlike Jerald, but Shang knew why Jerald was like this.

Jerald had kept his emotions and urges suppressed for decades.

For decades, he had acted like nothing was wrong and led his falling territory.

But now, everything was ready.

His mind was no longer focused on being nice but on taking revenge.

He had kept himself in check for too long.

Finally, he could let go and do the very thing he had wanted to do for so long.

"I presume it was a success?" Shang asked.

Jerald slowly nodded. "I managed to combine the Concepts of Wind Movement, Water Drop, and Lightning Spark into a single Concept. I don't know the name of this Concept, but I'm going to call it Storm."

"If I so chose to, I could become an Archmage in a couple of years."

At that moment, Jerald's eyes narrowed.

"But, just like you, I'm not willing to jeopardize my future. Even though I can become an Archmage, I know that I would be wasting a huge part of my potential if I were to do so."

"I've made great strides in the Concept of Breeze as well, and I will not advance to the Archmage Realm as long as I don't understand it."

Jerald took a deep breath.

"But I am also finally at the Peak High Mage Realm. With my current power, I can rival the combined might of the Council on my own."

"Everything is prepared."

Shang nodded.

"When will we start?"

"I'm going to inform King Skythunder. I believe it won't take more than a couple of days."

Shang nodded.

Jerald then looked at Shang. "I want you to stay ready. I will inform you about how things will continue when I'm back."

Shang nodded again. "If it's only a couple of days, I might as well stay here," he said as he sat down at the side of the room again.

"That's fine," Jerald said as he walked over to the door.

"Just wait for me."

"I will," Shang said.

Then, Jerald left.

It was finally time.

 

475 Chapter 475

There were seven people inside a humongous hall that looked like a cave.

This was King Skythunder's throne room.

At the moment, the five members of the main Council, the Archduke, and King Skythunder were waiting for the meeting to begin.

The five members of the Council were not happy to be there.

They had a war to fight, and every second they were away from the frontline was endangering the Skythunder Kingdom.

Yet, King Skythunder had still called them all to gather here today.

It wasn't possible to refuse an order given by King Skythunder.

Even more, the five members of the Council didn't even know why they had been called. They only knew that this was a meeting.

They waited in this place for several minutes. No one dared to speak up or ask.

Eventually, the five members of the Council looked toward the south simultaneously.

Their eyes narrowed, and their brows furrowed.

Someone they didn't want to see at all had just entered their Spirit Senses.

King Skythunder only remained sitting on his throne, a small smirk on his face.

About a minute later, the door to the hall opened…

And Jerald stepped in.

As soon as they saw Jerald, the Council realized that his aura had changed significantly.

Not only was he far more powerful, but the friendly and polite aura around him had turned into cold apathy.

The only thing that confirmed to them that this was indeed Duke Whirlwind was his appearance and his incredible power.

When they felt his sheer power, they had to take deep breaths.

In the past, Jerald had been about equal to the Council, but that was because he was more powerful than four of the five members.

But now, Jerald's power was truly equal to the entire Council.

If all five of the Council members combined their powers and attacked Jerald at the same time, the outcome would be uncertain.

Jerald could fight the entire Council on his own, and this thought terrified them.

However, when they shot a glance at King Skythunder and the Archduke, their emotions calmed down.

Yes, Jerald could rival the Council, but the Archduke was just as powerful. Just like Jerald, she could rival the entire Council on her own.

And then there was King Skythunder.

In front of King Skythunder, Jerald didn't count for anything.

Jerald slowly stepped into the middle of the hall and stopped.

"Are you here to negotiate a peaceful resolution after everything you have done to us?" one of the Council members asked with a cold voice.

Jerald didn't even acknowledge the Council member.

Instead, he looked at the King and bowed politely. "My King, may I start?" he asked.

King Skythunder's smirk widened a bit. "Everyone," he said as he looked at the Council and the Archduke. "I called you all today because Jerald has something to tell us. Jerald, you may begin."

Jerald nodded once, and his eyes traveled over the eyes of the Council members until they landed on the Council Head.

Jerald looked at the dark-haired Council Head for a couple of seconds.

"I've had enough," Jerald said.

The Council didn't react.

"I've had enough of this stupid and idiotic political game."

One of the Council members snorted. "You call this a game? We are running a Kingdom here, and we are doing our best to keep it prosperous and alive. This is not a game, Whirlwind."

Jerald looked at the Council member that had just spoken up.

"Yes, this is a game. You either refuse to acknowledge it because you like playing it so much, or you truly have lost your connection to reality."

"Get your head out of your ass."

After Jerald said that, the entire room fell silent.

Four of the Council members were shocked when they heard that, while the Council Head narrowed her eyes.

The Archduke only smiled in embarrassment as she scratched the side of her head with her right index finger.

No one had ever spoken like that in these halls!

Insulting people like this and using such crass language was not becoming of a leader of this Kingdom!

Yet, Jerald had insulted them like this was some mere pub!

"Whirlwind! Do you realize how heavy the punishment is for disrespecting the leaders of this Kingdom?!" another Council member shouted with an accusatory voice.

Jerald snorted in disgust. "You are delusional. You are so used to everyone playing your little game that you believe everyone has to follow it, if they like it or not."

"You want to punish me? Fine! Go ahead! Try it!" Jerald said with narrowed eyes.

At that moment, Jerald's cold aura expanded until it enveloped the entire throne room.

This was even more disrespectful than the words he had said before!

By expanding his aura like this, Jerald was essentially telling everyone that he was the one in charge.

He was doing that in front of King Skythunder!

"Heresy! Blasphemy!" another member of the Council shouted as he pointed at Jerald. "You are disrespecting our King! For this offense, you will be put to death!"

Jerald's eyes focused on the person. "Do it."

The Council member's eyes narrowed, but his nervousness grew as he kept looking into Jerald's eyes.

He looked at the other members, and they were just as nervous.

"Come on!" Jerald shouted. "Do it! I'm standing right here!"

At that moment, a terrifying storm cloud appeared in Jerald's right hand. It was small, but the Mana inside of it was terrifying!

The Council activated their Mana Shields, but they didn't step forward.

They only looked at Jerald with narrowed eyes.

Several seconds of silence passed.

Then, Jerald dismissed the storm cloud.

"Look at you," he said with disdain. "You shout orders and judge everyone, but you don't realize that there isn't anyone here to carry out your orders."

"If not even you dare to carry out your own orders, who can?" Jerald asked.

The members of the Council were enraged and frustrated as never before.

They wanted to do nothing but just attack and kill him.

But they couldn't!

They could die!

"My King," one of the Council members said as he bowed in front of King Skythunder. "We fear that we are not powerful enough to handle this rebellion. If you don't do something, the Skythunder Kingdom might be doomed."

The Council Head furrowed her brows, but the other members also bowed politely to King Skythunder.

King Skythunder only cleaned the underside of his nails with a smirk.

"Then what's the point of having you?"

The emotions of the Council underwent another upheaval.

"But, my King, he had disrespected you by enveloping the entire throne room with his aura!" one of them argued.

King Skythunder stopped cleaning his nails and looked at the person that had just spoken without any amusement.

"Do you think I'm blind?" he asked.

The Council member went white in the face. "No! No, I would never!"

"Then, do you think I'm stupid?"

"No! Never!" the Council member shouted in absolute horror.

"Then why are you telling me about things that happened mere seconds ago directly in front of me?" He asked with an uncaring voice.

"I must apologize, my King!" the Council member shouted. "I should have never questioned your judgment!"

King Skythunder looked at the Council member for a couple of seconds more before he went back to focusing on his nails.

The Council member released a deep sigh.

"Jerald," King Skythunder said. "I don't like waiting. Tell us what you want to tell us."

Jerald nodded.

Then, he looked at the Head of the Council with a cold gaze.

"The Storm Eagle Zone is officially declaring war on the Skythunder Kingdom."

 

476 Chapter 476

Silence.

The Council and even the Archduke were absolutely shocked by what Jerald had just said.

He had declared war on the Skythunder Kingdom while literally standing in front of King Skythunder!

That was crazy!

That was suicidal!

"You dare-"

"AHAHAHAHA!"

One of the Council members wanted to shout, but King Skythunder's loud laughter interrupted him.

Everyone looked over, and they saw King Skythunder laughing loudly.

"So that's what you meant when you said something very interesting was going to happen today!" King Skythunder said after he stopped laughing.

His smirk vanished, and a malicious grin replaced it. "I expected many things, but I didn't expect this."

"You do realize that you are literally declaring war on my Kingdom while standing in front of me?"

"I am," Jerald said calmly.

"And what gave you the balls to do something like that directly in front of me?" King Skythunder asked as his aura intensified, and Jerald's aura was pushed back like it was a little kid.

Yet, Jerald only looked with an even expression at King Skythunder.

"Because you don't care," Jerald said.

The Council became even more shocked.

Did Jerald actually come here with a death wish?

King Skythunder narrowed his eyes as he looked at Jerald. "And what makes you believe that?"

"Because your shift will be over soon," Jerald said.

Silence.

The Council was unsure what Jerald meant, but at the same time, a small glimmer appeared in King Skythunder's eyes. "Elaborate," he ordered.

"I know about the Lightning Emperor and the Lightning Manor," Jerald said.

The Council furrowed their brows while the Archduke was surprised.

King Skythunder continued looking at Jerald for a couple of seconds. "Interesting. How truly interesting. How did you come by this knowledge?"

"Shang," Jerald answered. "Shang met the Starlight Queen, and she said that the black building belonged to the Lightning Emperor."

"I read about the Lightning Manor in one of the records my late son has recovered from the Old King's Trial."

At that point, Jerald's aura grew even colder as he focused on the Council. "Before you murdered him, just like my best friend."

"Baseless accusations!" one of the Council members shouted.

"Who are you trying to fool?" Jerald asked with a cold voice. "I know you did it. You know you did it. The Archduke knows you did it."

"Everyone in here knows you did it. You are putting up an empty front while everyone knows the truth."

"We did no such thing!" another member of the Council shouted.

Jerald only looked with disgust at the Council.

"Look at you," he said slowly. "You are so lost in this little game of yours that you believe everything in the world belongs to you."

"Have you not realized that there is a far bigger and wider world out there? We have heard of powerful Mages appearing more than once, and we have confirmation of their existence."

"Yet, here you stand, complacent in your little bubble that you can rule over."

"You have been looking down on everyone in this bubble for so long that you have been blinded to the powers that exist above you."

"You have forgotten the most important thing in the world."

"And that is?" asked the Council Head. For the first time today, she had actually spoken up.

"It's not status that rules the world, but power!" Jerald shouted as he created the powerful storm cloud again.

The Council prepared themselves for a fight, but they were nervous.

Jerald was very powerful!

"I am willing to fight right now!" Jerald shouted aggressively. "I am willing to risk my life just to kill all of you! What use is your political power and your status when I just kill you right this instant?!"

Jerald's fury was so great that the entire hall shook. His voice even broke a bit near the end.

This was the fury of someone that had his best friend and his son killed.

This was the fury of someone that had been suppressed for decades.

And, finally, he no longer needed to hold it back!

He hated the Council!

The breathing of the Council members quickened, and even the Head of the Council grew nervous.

The Council looked at King Skythunder with hopeful eyes, but King Skythunder only looked at Jerald with a pondering expression.

"What are you proposing?" King Skythunder asked. "I don't believe you are here to kill my Council right in front of me. You know that would be too much."

When the Council heard that, their world fell apart.

If King Skythunder wanted to kill Jerald, he would have simply killed him by now.

But instead, he was asking about what Jerald was proposing!

Jerald dispersed the storm cloud again and looked at King Skythunder. "The Skythunder Kingdom is no longer what it used to be. In the past, you always interfered when things got too out of hand."

King Skythunder didn't react.

"But that stopped happening as soon as the Star Map appeared. I believe I know what your duty is and why you are here now, but I think you would prefer if I didn't speak about it publicly."

King Skythunder only nodded lightly with an interested expression.

"Everything here doesn't matter anymore to you. You have spent nearly 150 years here, and your merits must have grown to an astounding degree. I know you, and I know that you are not someone that decides to retire in this little place amongst people that are all weaker than you."

"You are not here to live out your life in peace and luxury. No, you are here to earn something that you need to become more powerful."

"And I believe you have already earned it, which is why you no longer care about the Skythunder Kingdom."

"After all, you will be gone soon."

King Skythunder only chuckled a bit. "That's all well and nice, but what is your actual proposal?"

The Council grew even more confused and concerned.

Instead of talking to King Skythunder with respect, Jerald was talking to him like they were equals.

Even more, Jerald wasn't calling him "my King" anymore and simply said "you".

At that moment, Jerald's gaze went to the Council again.

"My proposal consists of only two sentences."

"I will not join the war."

"If a member of the Council joins the war, I will join the war."

"That's it."

The Council grew enraged again, but right now, King Skythunder was speaking for them, and they had no right to speak up.

"What about me?" the Archduke asked with a grin.

Jerald looked over. "I believe you and our King have known each other even before he has become King."

The Council wasn't sure what Jerald meant, but the Archduke only chuckled a little.

"Impressive," was the only comment she gave.

While the Council didn't know what Jerald meant, the Archduke knew it.

Jerald had essentially told her that he knew that she was also working for the Lightning Manor, which meant that she wouldn't interfere as long as King Skythunder didn't.

The Archduke had been impressively impartial for the past decades.

She never involved herself in anything, and she never joined any sides.

She was only doing her job and the bare minimum without helping anyone.

During the meetings, she was also very often overlooked since she never said anything.

She was essentially just there.

While this could be considered normal during peaceful times, these times were anything but peaceful.

The entire Skythunder Kingdom was collapsing, but the Archduke acted like it had nothing to do with her, just like King Skythunder.

"These are the terms of the war," Jerald said as he looked at the Council again. "I don't care if you accept them or not. If you are not happy with them, try and stop me. I would be happy to kill you right here and now."

"You dare-"

One of the Council members shouted, but Jerald simply turned to King Skythunder again. "That was everything. I will be leaving now."

Then, Jerald turned around and walked towards the exit of the throne room.

King Skythunder leaned on his left fist as he watched Jerald leave with an interested grin.

He was not going to stop him.

When the Council saw that, the pressure on their shoulders multiplied.

They were now at war with a Zone that had over a hundred True Path Stage warriors.

But, in the end, they realized that it actually wasn't so bad.

They just needed to send a strong striking squad.

The warriors might be strong, but they couldn't possibly resist an assault of five Mid High Mages, right?

After Jerald left the castle, he turned around and looked at it with narrowed eyes.

'George, Mattheo, I will make all of them pay!'

 

477 Chapter 477

Rain poured down on the border between the Empress Cobra Zone and the Storm Eagle Zone.

Several True Path Stage warriors were stationed at this border. Usually, they were joking around, but today, they were not in the mood for jokes.

Two days ago, Jerald had made it public that they had declared war on the Skythunder Kingdom.

The reactions to these words were very mixed.

Some of the people were happy that they could finally fight for their freedom, while others were scared and thought Duke Whirlwind to be a suicidal maniac.

However, Jerald's following words had calmed down most of them.

He had promised that King Skythunder wouldn't get involved and that he had given his permission for the war.

Additionally, neither the Council nor he would get involved.

The reason for this decision was their united love for the Skythunder Kingdom.

Both parties wanted the Skythunder Kingdom to prosper, but they severely disagreed on the manner in which it should be run.

To not destroy the entire Skythunder Kingdom, it was decided to wage war in such a way.

Sadly, this only transformed the certain doom into a highly likely one.

What were they supposed to do against the Skythunder Kingdom?

They had over 300 High Mages!

Meanwhile, half of their True Path Stage warriors didn't even undergo the Procedure and couldn't even strengthen their bodies with beast hearts.

While half of the warriors could fight Mages on their level, the other half couldn't.

This meant that they essentially only had 50 True Path Stage warriors.

50 against 300.

Today, an emissary of the Skythunder Kingdom arrived at the border.

It was an Initial True Mage clothed in the robes that symbolized that the person wearing them was a diplomat.

The diplomat stopped a kilometer away from the border and took out a luxurious scroll with many seals.

"The traitorous Duke Whirlwind has robbed the Skythunder Kingdom of one of its territories and claimed it as his own. Two days ago, the traitorous Duke declared war on the very Kingdom that he had called home for nearly 200 years."

"Every man, woman, or child that decides to support the unjustified revolution of Duke Whirlwind will be viewed as a traitor and will be put to death under the laws of the Kingdom."

"The Council orders the warriors to leave their stations and enter the Empress Cobra Zone. You will be subject to a Mind Read, and if you are found to be innocent, you will join the Skythunder Kingdom without any punishment."

"In two days, the Skythunder Kingdom will assault Duke Whirlwind's claimed territory with its full force. Anyone that has been found to support Duke Whirlwind will be seen as an enemy and put to death."

"You have two days to decide."

The diplomat closed the scroll, put it away, and walked away again.

His words had hit the warriors hard.

It was one thing to know that they were going to war, but it was completely different when the Kingdom they had once called home threatened them with execution.

If anyone had still refused to believe that this was now their reality, the words of the diplomat now woke them up.

The words of the diplomat had been augmented by Magic, and they had been carried many kilometers into the distance.

Thousands of normal citizens had heard the words, and it would be impossible to keep them hidden from the general public.

The citizens fell into terror, while the warriors grew nervous.

"Citizens of the Storm Eagle Zone."

Suddenly, Jerald's voice echoed throughout the Storm Eagle Zone.

"Anyone below the Fourth Realm is allowed to leave without being stopped. This is not your war, and I don't want you to suffer in this war."

"While the Council believes that it is just to kill every man, woman, or child that merely lives in an enemy border, I am not of that belief."

"When we inevitably conquer the lands of the Skythunder Kingdom, we will not raze everything to the ground."

"When we enter your new home, you are allowed to join us again."

"The Skythunder Kingdom believes that we are weak, but they have not realized our true power."

"If I were not confident in winning, I wouldn't have declared this war."

That was the last sentence Jerald said.

In the following hours, the populace was split in two.

Many of them trusted their Duke.

The old people remembered how everything had been back in the good old days, and many younger people had seen how the world became worse and worse over time.

However, the fear of losing one's life was terrifyingly powerful, and the other part of the populace wanted to run away immediately.

There was no point in gambling with their lives!

Fleeing to the Skythunder Kingdom was the only correct choice because this was the only choice without a risk to their lives!

A couple of hours later, the Exodus happened.

Thousands of citizens left the Storm Eagle Zone in panic and fear.

The guards watched them leave with worried expressions.

The very few Mages that had been in the Storm Eagle Zone weren't amongst the people that left. They had already made up their mind to be here, and they would stay here.

Surprisingly enough, there were also very few Commander Stage warriors that left.

The reason for that was the power of the Commander Stage warriors. They were already powerful enough to feel the authoritarian claw of the Council, and if they hadn't been protected by Duke Whirlwind, they would have probably already died on the frontlines.

They knew how their life in the Skythunder Kingdom would look like if they decided to leave, and they were not interested in leading such a life.

The number of General Stage warriors that left was higher. They could still make a living in the Skythunder Kingdom, and they didn't need to risk their lives on the frontlines.

As long as they didn't advance to the Commander Stage, everything would be fine, and they knew that.

The amount of Soldier Stage warriors that left was terrifying.

They were so new on their path to power that they could still convert to the Mage path if they wanted.

Not everyone had the talent to become a Mage, but even if they couldn't, they could survive as stronger commoners at least.

So many people dreamed of becoming powerful, but as soon as their actual life was on the line, living in mediocrity didn't seem so awful anymore.

Only when morning arrived did the tide of emigrants stop.

The Storm Eagle Zone had lost nearly 40% of its citizens.

Shops were empty.

The Farm Line was mostly empty.

The Storm Eagle Zone looked even deader than previously.

Several hours of silence and anxious calm passed.

And then, a group of five True Path Stage warriors fled.

While the citizens were allowed to flee without repercussions, the same thing wasn't true for the True Path Stage warriors.

These five True Path Stage warriors were now official enemies of the Storm Eagle Zone.

In the evening, another group of five warriors fled.

And early on the next morning, another five left.

The Storm Eagle Zone was now only left with about 85 True Path Stage warriors.

And then, it was time.

The Skythunder Kingdom's striking squad had arrived.

 

478 Chapter 478

The warriors took a deep breath out of fear when they saw the force slowly approaching them.

Five Mid High Mages and ten Early High Mages.

Nearly 40 of the 85 True Path Stage warriors were at the Initial True Path Stage, essentially making them useless against this force.

Another 40 were at the Early True Path Stage, but only about ten of them had undergone the Procedure.

That left only five Mid True Path Stage warriors, and only one of them had undergone the Procedure.

Fifteen people against 85 people.

Yet, this force of merely 15 people severely outclassed the 85 people.

The Mid High Mages would very quickly deal with the Mid True Path Stage warriors, and then they would decimate the Early True Path Stage warriors.

The fifteen Mages stopped around two kilometers away from the border.

"This is your last chance to join the winning side in this five-minute war," one of the Mid High Mages spoke.

The warriors on the border felt terrified.

If they didn't do anything now, they would all die!

Many of the warriors looked at each other.

They had decided to remain part of the Storm Eagle Zone, but when they saw the Skythunder Kingdom's forces with their own eyes, their beliefs wavered.

Silence.

And then, one warrior began to flee.

He was the single Mid True Path Stage warrior that had undergone the Procedure.

He was the third strongest warrior in the world due to the Procedure. Sadly, he couldn't enter the top two due to his mediocre Path.

The two strongest warriors were the Dean of the Warrior Academy, Mervin, and Duke Whirlwind's General. Both of them were at the Mid True Path Stage. Even though both of them hadn't undergone the Procedure, their experience and powerful Paths allowed them to triumph over the fleeing warrior.

When the warriors saw such a powerful warrior leave without being stopped, they felt hope.

Maybe they could flee too?

And then, one warrior after the other fled.

As soon as they arrived at the Mages' side, their Space Rings were confiscated, and they were put into powerful handcuffs that blocked the usage of Mana of any kind.

The Mages didn't take any chances when it came to these warriors. It was very possible that this was a ploy to take the Mages by surprise, and they wouldn't allow something like that to happen.

Over the next couple of minutes, nearly 20 True Path Stage warriors fled to the enemy's side.

The Storm Eagle Zone had only around 65 True Path Stage warriors left.

The Skythunder Kingdom had managed to reduce the Storm Eagle Zone's power by a third without even launching a single attack.

When ten minutes passed without someone leaving, it became clear that this was the point where the fleeing of the warriors ended.

Everyone left in the Storm Eagle Zone was loyal and would fight with their lives on the line.

Meanwhile, in an isolated building near the frontline, five people were watching everything that happened with their Spirit Sense.

"This should be everyone," Jerald said with a dark expression. "I wouldn't have expected for so many True Path Stage warriors to leave."

"It doesn't matter," Shang said, wearing his helmet and armor. "We've talked about this. The warriors that aren't willing to fight for their own future are worthless."

"If you want to live a good life, you have to fight for it. The Council is trying to suppress the warriors, and the 35 warriors that have left are not willing to fight for their freedom."

"They have the power to fight but are too afraid to use it."

At that moment, Shang's aura grew darker. "And if they are not willing to fight for their futures, their futures are forfeit."

Jerald sighed. "It pains me to say it, but you're right."

Then, he turned around and looked at the other three people in the room. "Are you ready to go?"

Right now, Shang stood in the middle of the room, and he was surrounded by several Magic Circles. Vast quantities of Mana surrounded him, and his armor was shining in multicolored light.

Three other people stood around him, and they were casting several Spells on Shang.

About five seconds later, all the light emanating from Shang's armor vanished, but it was replaced by something else.

Red, grey, and black lines traveled across his armor and his helmet. It was almost like his armor had transformed into a volcano with several streams of magma flowing down from the top.

"We're ready to go," one of the Mages said as he stepped away from Shang.

Shang felt a heavy pressure suppressing him, but it wasn't nearly enough to slow him down in any way.

Jerald looked at Shang's armor, and he felt the incredible complexity of the Magic Circles and the heavy pressure of the Mana emanating from it.

The sight was amazing and terrifying.

After so many years, the information Shang had brought back from the Grandmountain Kingdom was finally put to use.

Shang had been the victim of months of experimentation, and the knowledge he had gained from that experience was now increasing his power.

Project Primal Assault was what the Grandmountain Kingdom had called it.

They had put several augmenting Spells on Shang's body back then to push his power far beyond its usual limitations.

However, this project had still been in its early stages, and it had been developed by a couple of True Mages.

After having access to this information for decades, the three High Mages of the Storm Eagle Zone and Jerald had transformed it into something far more advanced.

Instead of putting the Spells directly onto Shang's body, Jerald had designed an armor that could do it for him.

This was not a duel.

This was a war.

And in war, no one fought alone.

If Shang were alone, the force of the Skythunder Kingdom could be enough to kill him.

But he wasn't alone.

He had four powerful High Mages and decades' worth of research on his side.

All four of these High Mages had put thousands of hours of their time into increasing Shang's power as much as possible for this very day.

This was the power of having strong allies.

"Good," Jerald said with a malicious grin.

His revenge was finally here!

George!

Mattheo!

It was finally time to take revenge!

"Then let them see the power of Project Black Scythe."

 

479 Chapter 479

The atmosphere at the border tensed.

The warriors looked with determined but worried eyes at the enemy, while the Mages looked with calm and cold eyes at the warriors.

The pressure in the surroundings was intense.

Suddenly, everyone looked over at the wall.

Jerald slowly landed on the wall with a cold expression.

At that moment, the warriors grew hopeful as the Mages grew worried.

"Duke Whirlwind, according to the proposal you have given, you are not allowed to interfere in the war," the leading Mid High Mage said.

The Mid High Mage was more than worried when he saw Duke Whirlwind.

He knew that Jerald could tear their entire force to pieces on his own.

Jerald calmly looked at the Mages.

Then, he started hovering again and stopped in front of the wall.

Lastly, he turned to the warriors. "Warriors of the Storm Eagle Zone!" he proclaimed. "Today, you have shown that you are willing to fight for a brighter future for yourselves."

"In front of a seemingly overpowering force, you have not capitulated, and you have held steadfast. You are willing to risk your lives so that you and your descendants might live in greener lands with a brighter tomorrow."

"For that, you have my eternal gratitude and my respect."

Jerald bowed politely to the True Path Stage warriors on the walls.

After that speech, the True Path Stage warriors grew more confident. Their leader didn't seem worried, and that gave them hope.

"Your willingness to fight for a brighter tomorrow is everything I need."

"I don't need you to actually fight this battle."

"Today, none of you will die!"

When the warriors heard that, their jaws nearly hit the floor.

They didn't need to fight?

But how?

Why?

"Duke Whirlwind," the leading Mid High Mage said with a threatening tone as he summoned a Communication Crystal. "The main Council and the secondary Council are ready to work together to kill you if you join this war!"

Jerald scoffed as he turned to the Mages.

"I don't need to join this war to win," he said with confidence.

The Mages only furrowed their brows, but they also grew worried.

"The Council's obsession with protecting the prosperity of the Mage Path has blinded them to the strengths of other Paths."

"Is a Mage more powerful than a warrior? Possibly."

"Is a warrior more powerful than a Mage? Could be, but not on the average yet."

"Can I conquer the Skythunder Kingdom with 100 True Path Stage warriors? No."

"Can I conquer the Skythunder Kingdom with 100 High Mages? Maybe."

Then, Jerald smirked in disdain.

"Can I conquer the Skythunder Kingdom with a single warrior and three High Mages? Easily!"

Everyone was shocked when they heard Jerald's words.

What was he talking about?

How could four people compare to a hundred?!

"The Council is blind to the true potential of the warriors!"

"A warrior isn't at their strongest when they fight a Mage. No, they are at their strongest when they fight with a Mage!"

"Count Sword, it is time."

Count Sword?

All of these warriors were over 80 years old, and they had heard of Count Sword.

Count Sword was still alive?

The Mages furrowed their brows.

They had heard of a Count Sword in the past, but that was decades ago. Ever since then, this elusive warrior had never shown themselves again.

From what they remembered, Count Sword was also one of the reasons why the warrior's Star Map even existed.

A couple of seconds of silence passed.

Creeeaaak!

Then, the gigantic gates of the castle opened, and everyone looked over.

And when they saw who had opened the gates, their eyes widened.

How had they not felt this person with their Spirit Senses?!

They could see him with their eyes, but they couldn't see him with their Spirit Senses!

It was almost like this person wasn't real!

Shang's heavy and metallic footsteps echoed throughout the surroundings as he slowly walked through the gate.

But when the warriors and Mages saw him, they were surprised.

Initial True Path Stage?

However, for some reason, they also felt that he was dangerous.

But he was only at the Initial True Path Stage!

Shang's appearance was completely hidden behind his heavy set of black armor, making him appear like he wasn't even human.

It was like he was a walking piece of metal!

It was like he was a demon!

Eventually, Shang stopped in front of the wall as the gates closed behind him.

Jerald landed back on the wall and only watched with a malicious smirk.

It was time for revenge!

Shang slowly looked at the leader of the Mages, and he slowly drew his sword.

Right now, he was in his Long Sword State since Project Black Scythe was designed to be used in this state.

Of course, Shang was going to use his Darkness Element, but that didn't matter.

He knew that he would need to be careful in the outside world, but in the five Kingdoms, it didn't matter what kind of Affinity he presented himself with.

Today, he would show them what it meant for a Mage to fight someone that specialized in killing Mages.

Shang slowly lowered his sword.

It seemed like time was at a standstill.

The Mages went into formation and prepared themselves for a battle.

…

And then, it began.

SHING!

Shang vanished.

A black streak was left behind.

Several explosions echoed throughout the surroundings in such quick succession that it almost sounded like a singular explosion.

The eyes of the Mages opened in shock and horror.

They slowly turned around.

The black figure of Count Sword stood behind their leader…

And he held their leader's head in his left hand!

But what about his Mana Shield?!

He had activated his Mana Shield!

He couldn't have destroyed the Mana Shield in so little time!

Everything fell into a terrified and shocked silence.

Jerald gritted his teeth as fury appeared in his eyes.

He could finally vent all his hatred!

It was finally time!

This was not going to be a war!

This was going to be a one-sided slaughter!

Jerald was not here to fight his enemies to the death.

No, he was here to execute them!

And Shang was his executioner!

480 Chapter 480

An instant after Shang had killed the leader, he extended his arms to the side.

WHOOOOOM!

The surrounding kilometer was consumed by darkness!

Inside his armor, Shang's body had already shriveled to a terrifying degree, but a mere instant later, light blue water came out of his armor, and it immediately got absorbed by his body.

Shang's body regenerated in an instant.

At the same time, a grey cloud of pure Mana came out of his helmet and drilled itself into Shang's head, forcefully refilling the Mana he had wasted by using Shock.

In the isolated building a couple of kilometers away, two Mages furrowed their brows. One of them was channeling healing water into a Magic Circle, while another one was channeling grey Mana.

Count Sword had just used up a terrifying amount of life energy. If they hadn't been informed by Jerald prior to this, they would have been shocked.

SHING! SHING! SHING!

Several Mages used Mana Step as they escaped from the pitch-black domain.

In the next instant, they saw the black domain vibrate as streaks of aggressive black shot out of it and flew in random directions.

The Mages were in horror, and they readied all their Spells.

Then, they immediately unleashed them at the black domain.

The black domain was immediately destroyed, and the darkness vanished.

But what they saw only left a cold feeling of terror in their hearts.

Where the black domain had once been were now the scattered body pieces of three additional Mages!

Inside the building, the Mages were pouring in healing water and Mana like crazy.

BANGBANGBANGBANGCRACK!

A cacophony of rapid explosions echoed through the surroundings again, and the Mages looked over to see another one of their squad getting cut into pieces.

SHING!

A black streak appeared again.

BANG!

Another Mage died!

At that moment, the Mages' terror reached new heights.

Five of them dropped everything and used Mana Step to flee.

The other five launched Spells in panic at the horrifying black figure.

Yet, the figure was just too fast!

Even worse, they couldn't even follow it with their Spirit Sense!

Another black streak appeared, but this one led away from the Mages.

Silence.

An instant later, the Mages that were still willing to put up a fight felt one of their fleeing colleagues' life vanish, replaced by scattered body pieces!

Then, another one.

One more.

The last two managed to leave the area of the remaining Mages' Spirit Senses.

Silence.

Horrifying, terrible silence.

In the isolated building, the three Mages furrowed their brows.

"He left our area of effect," one of them said.

Two seconds of worried silence passed.

Then, the Magic Circles rebuilt the connection to Shang, and the two Mages immediately put more Mana and healing water into the circle.

Shang had lost quite a bit of life energy and Mana, but it was still manageable.

At that moment, the Mages on the frontlines felt more black streaks being left behind in their Spirit Sense, and they were rapidly advancing towards them!

"I surrender!" one of the Mages shouted in terror as he threw his Focus to the side and fell to his knees.

One of the other Mages exploded in anger when she saw that and unleashed her prepared Spells directly at the Mage that had surrendered.

The surrendering Mage had deactivated his Mana Shield as proof of his surrender, and if the Spells hit him, he would die.

WHOOOM!

Suddenly, all the Spells the Mage had unleashed vanished as the black figure appeared between her and the other Mage.

At the same time, the Mages in the isolated building had to pour even more healing water into the Magic Circle.

The area around Count Sword had transformed into a land of death.

Earth, air, water, light, darkness, everything around him vanished.

Then, another black streak appeared.

The Mage that had just unleashed her Spells died in an instant.

"I-I-I surrender!" another Mage shouted in terror as she fell back in tremendous fear.

"I surrender!" a third one shouted as he fell to the ground and cradled his head in his arms.

"I-"

BANG!

The Mage that hadn't surrendered was killed by Shang before she could.

Silence.

There were only three cowering Mages left.

The twelve other Mages had died.

The battle hadn't even taken ten seconds.

The warriors looked with shock at the area in front of them.

They couldn't believe that this was reality.

This was a force that would have killed all of them!

Yet, only a single warrior had killed them faster than even Duke Whirlwind probably could have!

This hadn't even been a battle!

This had been a one-sided execution!

At this moment, only a single thought went through all the warriors' minds.

This was true power!

This was the true power of a warrior!

Right now, Count Sword had stopped near the three cowering Mages.

He had stopped his assault, and he only stood there motionlessly.

It was almost like he had turned into a statue.

Then, he slowly turned his head and looked at Duke Whirlwind, who was still up on the wall.

Everyone else also looked over.

They knew what this meant.

Count Sword was asking for orders on how to deal with the three Mages that had surrendered.

Only a cold and apathetic light was visible in Jerald's eyes.

"If we hadn't had the power to protect ourselves, you three would have been more than happy to slaughter thousands of my people," he spoke coldly.

"Only when you witness true power did you decide to turn back."

"Remember this for your next lives."

At that moment, the three Mages' eyes showed pure terror.

"When you live by the sword, you die by the sword."

Shang turned to the three Mages.

Their eyes opened in horror, and they fell back.

They were in such a panic that they couldn't even formulate any Spells.

Shang readied his sword.

The Mages screamed and screeched in absolute terror.

"NO! PLEASE-"

"I'M SORR-"

"I DIDN'T-"

And their screams stopped abruptly one by one.

The warriors on the walls and the cuffed warriors in front of the walls took in deep and terrifying breaths.

Count Sword stood in front of the corpses, his armor and sword covered in blood.

Then, he turned to the cuffed warriors that had fled the battle before it began.

The warriors' faces whitened in terror.

He wouldn't kill them, right?

They were warriors!

They were part of the Storm Eagle Zone!

They were Duke Whirlwind's people!

The warriors looked with horror at Duke Whirlwind, but Duke Whirlwind only looked at them with disgust and apathy.

"Powerful people that are not willing to risk their lives for a brighter future are a disease to my Kingdom."

"If you are not willing to risk your lives for a brighter future, you do not deserve a future."

The cuffed warriors froze in terror.

Then, they looked at Count Sword.

Count Sword slowly lifted his sword.

Screams.

Terrified screams.

Yet, they all ended abruptly.

Three seconds later, Count Sword stopped in front of the wall again.

Jerald was watching the corpses with a burning fury visible in his eyes.

He gritted his teeth as his entire face tensed into a grimace of absolute fury and hatred.

'I will kill everyone that is responsible for your deaths, George, Mattheo!'

'I'll kill them all!'