Chapter 163: Do You Dare to Enter?

Chapter 163: Do You Dare to Enter?

While Yu Sheng'an was blackmailing the four major righteous gods, the [Magic Forest] he had founded was enveloped in dead silence.

Only the rustling sounds of Eileen packing her belongings echoed through the towering structure, making it seem even more desolate.

She was gathering seeds.

Willis was going to war!

Every mage in the city had been drafted to the front lines—including those from research institutions like the [Magic Forest]. Even ordinary citizens had been ordered to log into the [Conquest of Subdomains] and enter a state of wartime readiness, prepared to be deployed at any moment!

The entire Keville Empire was gripped by panic.

The Internet, in particular, was ablaze with arguments.

At times like these, the downsides of the Internet became apparent.

While it accelerated the exchange of information, it also amplified misinformation.

In the past, with limited channels for obtaining news, most people had to rely on official announcements. Aside from a select few who knew the truth, the majority would naturally choose to trust the authorities under normal circumstances.

Unless a clear defeat was evident, public morale wouldn’t collapse into chaos.

But now, things were different.

There were always those who, armed with shallow understanding, recklessly posted comments—even exaggerating the situation.

In no time, countless doomsaying remarks flooded in:

"The undead are swarming over the hills outside the city!"

"All Five Evil Gods are attacking at once!"

"A friend of mine serving under a Saint Magus knows the inside story—the Empire is about to lose!"

"The Empire’s Saint Magus are planning to surrender to the God of Death!"

"Everyone, withdraw your money from the Interconnected Bank now! If the Empire falls, the bank will freeze all accounts!"

And so on.

Panic spread like wildfire.

Of course, countless users clapped back just as fiercely.

"Laughable. The Five Evil Gods couldn’t take down the Empire even when they joined forces. Sparda was wiped out, and now you think the Dark Web alone can defeat us?"

"Have you forgotten how the Internet God crushed the Five Evil Gods’ alliance with a single strike? I bet he’s just waiting for the God of Death’s army to gather so he can wipe them all out at once!"

"Great Internet God, please open the summoning feature already! This time, I’m definitely earning that ‘Empire Guardian’ title!"

For a time, the two opposing viewpoints clashed endlessly online, fueling public anxiety.

Eileen didn’t know whether the Empire could win this war.

But with Willis now the frontline of the conflict, she had to prepare for both outcomes.

So, on one hand, she decisively destroyed all experimental data—after all, backups existed on the Internet. If this turned out to be a false alarm, she could simply rewrite everything, even if it took extra effort.

On the other hand, she also disposed of most of the seeds, keeping only sample specimens.

Among them were magic plants with highly unstable traits that could only be preserved through asexual reproduction.

These were the true wealth of the [Magic Forest].

She intended to deliver them personally to Lord Ajef.

Once the sample seeds were packed, Eileen stored them in her spatial equipment, threw on her magic cloak, and hurried out of the [Magic Forest].

She had already contacted Lord Ajef—he was waiting atop the city walls.

Leaving the Felix Magic Academy and stepping onto the streets of Willis, she found the once-bustling avenues eerily empty, with only scattered debris rolling in the breeze.

The shops lining the streets no longer displayed their eye-catching Virtual Screen signs.

Through the swaying curtains of the windows, Eileen knew that countless people must be hiding by the panes, watching the scene outside.

No matter the disputes on the Internet, nothing was certain until the war reached its conclusion.

As she walked, Eileen suddenly froze, stopping at a crossroads.

She clearly saw, not far away at a street corner, countless citizens of Willis City crowding together, screaming and shouting.

—That was the Interconnected Bank Willis Branch.

Only then did Eileen suddenly remember—her salary had always been deposited into her Interconnected Bank account.

However, since all her needs were taken care of at Felix Magic Academy, she rarely ever checked it.

Instinctively, she opened the Internet and logged into the Interconnected Bank.

Her expression stiffened.

The number displayed in her account left her stunned.

Only now did she realize that Archmage Ajef had been paying her such a generous salary all along.

How wonderful!

Eileen smiled faintly, closed the Internet, and subconsciously pressed a hand to her chest.

—The Spatial Ring hung there on a chain. She feared wearing it on her finger, lest someone recognize it and rob her.

When she reached the city walls, the guards stopped her. Only after verifying her identity via the Internet did they let her pass.

Once she climbed the battlements, she instinctively looked beyond the city.

In an instant, a bone-chilling dread surged from her feet to her skull, freezing her very soul in terror!

What kind of sight was this?

The vast, neatly divided magic plantations, farmlands, and even the endless emerald sea of forests in the distance—all of it was now covered by an infinite tide of the undead army!

They stood in orderly formations, block after block, stretching to the horizon.

Not a trace of green remained—no, not even the color of the earth.

All that met the eye was a gray-white expanse of the undead!

The rising miasma of death hung like morning fog, engulfing Willis City like a lone reef, ready to be shattered and swallowed by the waves at any moment.

Eileen pressed her lips together.

Now she understood why there were so many pessimistic voices on the Internet.

Anyone who saw this would feel despair!

In truth, even the magic apprentices temporarily conscripted from Felix Magic Academy atop the walls had turned pale, their hands trembling as they gripped their Magic Wands.

The fact that they hadn’t turned tail and fled or soiled themselves already spoke to their mental fortitude.

And it wasn’t just them—even the regular Magic Legion, Magic Knights, and Magic Infantry looked far from composed!

Many of these untested soldiers were visibly shaking in their boots.

"Uncle, please take me away from here…"

Nearby, a magic apprentice pleaded in a whisper to an Archmage.

"Silence! Take this coward who dares to shake morale away!"

The Archmage roared in fury, ordering the guards to drag the apprentice off the wall—whether as punishment or… protection, no one could say.

Eileen took a deep breath and quickened her pace toward the main gate of the wall.

Before she could reach it, a lazy yet thunderous voice suddenly echoed from beyond the city, resounding throughout all of Willis.

"Three Saint Magus, have you made your decision yet? My patience wears thin—I have no time to waste on idle threats. This is your final warning. If you do not correct your ways and submit to me, then when I launch my attack, even if you beg to surrender, I will no longer accept it!"

It was the voice of the God of Death Sawyer!

The faint voice sent tremors through the Keville Empire and made countless hearts in Willis City skip a beat, nearly suffocating them!

At this moment, everyone’s hearts were in their throats.

The three Saint Magus of Keville Empire exchanged glances, their backs drenched in cold sweat!

"I’ll count to three. If the magical shield isn’t withdrawn, I’ll slaughter the city!"

The God of Death Sawyer began his count!

"One!"

His calm voice was like a war horn, a death knell ringing over Willis City.

"Two!"

Countless hearts hung in suspense!

Hands gripping Magic Wands tightened further!

Knights loosened their fingers slightly, relaxing tense muscles before gripping their swords again, making final preparations for the possible war!

The three Saint Magus of Keville Empire, in this moment, were drenched in sweat, their minds locked in a white-hot battle of wits!

"Heh..."

A soft chuckle abruptly echoed across the battlefield between the two armies.

"It’s not a bomb-defusal scene—why so serious? You just want the magical shield gone, right? Fine, let’s drop it. I’d love to see if you dare step inside... dear God of Death."

Eileen’s eyes widened in shock upon hearing the voice.

It was unmistakably her mentor—Ajef!

She was stunned!

The entirety of Willis City, no, the entire Keville Empire, was shaken by his words.

A breath later, the magical shield enveloping Willis City indeed vanished, withdrawn without resistance!

The fabulously wealthy Willis City now stood defenseless, like a frail, unarmed woman facing the God of Death’s five hundred million calamity.

Everyone was dumbstruck!