Chapter 188: Dawn Breaks [Two-in-One]

Chapter 188: Dawn Breaks [Two-in-One]

"For freedom!"

A cry that pierced the heavens echoed through the Imperial Palace, resounding across the entire capital!

The deep night could not conceal the dense crowds surging toward the Ancient Castle. Under the massive beams of light cast by the airship's searchlights, the crowd appeared minuscule yet tightly packed. Yet, the power they unleashed at this moment was nothing short of terrifying.

Defying all expectations, the airships—meant to serve as aerial firepower—did not unleash fearsome tongues of flame. Instead, they illuminated the path forward for the advancing masses.

"Charge!"

Amid deafening roars, a vast sea of humanity stormed into the castle, launching the most audacious challenge against their former rulers!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

In an instant, gunfire erupted like thunder.

Each bullet carried the scorn for oppression, the flames of revenge against exploitation, converging like sparks that ignited the Capital of Infer in its entirety.

The crackling gunfire swiftly spread from the Imperial Palace to every corner of the city.

At the steam train station, the central post office, government buildings, the security bureau… gunfire rang out fiercely in every key location.

The entire city was jolted awake!

Later historical records would describe this moment thus:

At three o'clock in the morning, fireworks suddenly streaked across the sky, illuminating the entire city and awakening it. History turned a new page at this very moment.

Rowell did not know how history would remember them.

At this moment, his eyes bloodshot, he gripped his bayonet rifle, consumed by the singular desire to eliminate every enemy in sight.

Pushed along by the tide of the crowd, he stormed into the castle. Every figure clad in knightly garb triggered his instinct to pull the trigger.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Amid the piercing gunfire, some of his comrades fell, others let out agonized cries, but most charged forward with desperate fury!

Rowell burst into a lavish corridor, where enemies poured in from the ceiling, from the gardens lining the hallway.

Cold mechanical limbs, boiling steam-blood, and the dark muzzles of truth unleashed their glory in the cramped confines of the corridor!

"Thud!"

A steam warrior, appearing from an unexpected angle, suddenly lunged into the fray, tackling Rowell to the ground.

"Roar!"

Rowell bared his teeth in a snarl. A segment of his arm abruptly bent backward, revealing a pitch-black cannon barrel aimed at the enemy's neck—before firing with a thunderous blast.

Boom!

Chunks of flesh exploded in all directions, splattering over him.

Rowell had no time to reflect on killing an enemy. His wide eyes frantically scanned the bloody haze for more foes.

Screams, blood mist, cannon fire, despair… blossoms of sin bloomed amidst the frenzy of slaughter!

Gradually, the cacophony of mixed sounds began to quiet.

"Pant… pant…"

Gasping for breath, Rowell followed the flow of the crowd out of the building and into the inner city of the Ancient Castle.

This so-called "city" was, in truth, a single palatial structure.

Five stories high, perfectly square, surrounded by towering pillars, every corner adorned with exquisite carvings—the colors of the people's sweat and blood.

—It was none other than the residence of the Emperor of Infer.

Now, before the emperor's chambers, more and more armed figures gathered. Each bore bloodstains, their auras murderous, their eyes alight with hope and triumph.

Having fought their way here, it meant they were only one step away from the final objective of their mission.

They eagerly anticipated it.

Yet, why had the army halted its advance?

Countless people instinctively turned their gaze to the front of the formation, toward the emperor's bedchamber.

There, on the second-floor balcony, stood the Emperor of Infer, Arvis, clad in ancient monarchic robes—long sleeves and a flowing gown that draped past his knees, adorned with a gold and gem-studded draped mantle, exuding solemnity and nobility.

In his hand, he held a scepter encrusted with countless jewels, his eyes filled with loathing as he stared at the armed personnel of the Reduction of Working Hours and Increase in Wages Movement gathered before his bedchamber, his expression devoid of fear.

However, in stark contrast to his composure, his noble queen and attendants stood pale-faced, their eyes wide with terror as they looked upon the assembled crowd.

At the entrance of the bedchamber, the remnants of the royal guard loyal to the throne had formed a defensive formation, seemingly prepared to resist to the death!

"Arvis, abdicate willingly and surrender your power, and I can grant you a dignified exit! Otherwise, the Oswald Guillotine will be your final destination!"

Ben Keming stood at the forefront of the crowd, looking up at the Emperor of Infer, Arvis, delivering his final ultimatum.

It wasn’t out of mercy!

Nor was it to flaunt his impending victory!

On the contrary, he simply wished to avoid unnecessary losses among his elite forces in what was already an inevitable triumph.

According to intelligence, though the elite troops of the Empire of Infer had all been dispatched to the front lines, the royal family still controlled a formidable armed force.

Strangely, however, Ben Keming had been unable to uncover any trace of this force.

This made him hesitate, wary of unforeseen consequences.

Now, with the capital almost entirely under his control, as soon as Arvis announced his abdication—or his death—the news would spread.

The Industrial Nobles who had secretly joined the Reduction of Working Hours and Increase in Wages Movement would immediately seize local governance, thereby fully liberating the Empire of Infer.

This top-down armed seizure of power was a strategy he had carefully deliberated, reported to Aji De, and received approval for.

Now, he needed to preserve his strength to suppress the ensuing turmoil, gradually take control of the entire homeland, and resist the invasion of the Farlay Dynasty.

"I’ve seen your portrait, Ben Keming."

The Emperor of Infer, Arvis, looked down at Ben Keming with disdain.

"I must admit, your actions have exceeded my expectations. But do you truly believe you can overthrow the great Empire of Infer?"

Ben Keming frowned at these words, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.

"Every corner of the capital, save for this very building, has been seized by my brothers. Arvis, you have no chance left to resist. I give you ten seconds to consider! If you persist in futile resistance, then don’t blame us for taking power by force!"

"ROAR—"

The armed personnel gathered before the bedchamber erupted in a deafening roar.

The remnants of the royal guard clustered at the palace entrance instinctively took a step back, intimidated by the outcry.

On the second-floor balcony of the bedchamber, the queen and attendants paled at the sound.

"Hahaha..."

To everyone’s astonishment, Emperor Arvis suddenly threw his head back and laughed.

With a mocking expression, he declared, "Do you truly believe the entire capital is under your control? Tell me, does the Original God Church count?"

Ben Keming's expression abruptly changed.

"CRACK!"

A bolt of lightning, stretching from the east to the west of the city as if to split the royal capital's sky, suddenly tore through the heavens!

In an instant, it illuminated the Imperial Palace and the Ancient Castle as bright as day.

It also laid bare the expressions of the masses.

"A bunch of damned commoners, ungrateful wretches! Without the royal family, without the great Primordial Gods, you would only be devoured by endless sea monsters! The Empire shelters you, yet you still complain about not getting enough!"

Arvis roared in fury:

"If you want more pennies, why don’t you work harder? Each of you is as lazy as pigs, wanting to put in pitiful effort yet dreaming of hoarding pennies. Why don’t you ask the soldiers fighting on the front lines, the warriors battling sea monsters on ironclad warships?"

"You think following Ben Keming will lead you to some legendary utopia!"

"No! If wages rise, product prices will inevitably increase. If the products don’t sell, your labor will be meaningless!"

Amid Arvis’ furious tirade, "BOOM!"—a delayed, earth-shaking thunderclap resounded.

"Brothers..." Ben Keming’s temples throbbed violently as he prepared to launch the final assault.

But before he could issue the order, the world suddenly flickered between light and darkness.

In the pitch-black night sky, rolling dark clouds abruptly appeared, with streaks of lightning darting and surging within them, illuminating both the clouds and the Imperial Palace.

"You think storming my bedchamber will force me to surrender power? What a delusion! You know nothing of true power!"

"My authority can only be stripped away by the great gods!"

"Remember this—divine right of kings! My power comes from the great Four Primordial Gods!"

Arvis spread his arms wide, his face fanatical.

"BOOM!"

Wild bolts of lightning flashed down from the clouds, constructing a lightning barrier around the bedchamber!

This sight left the armed members of the Reduction of Working Hours and Increase in Wages Movement utterly dumbfounded.

In their understanding, no human could possibly control lightning!

This was a domain reserved for the gods!

"Brothers, don’t be fooled by this! It’s just new technology!" Ben Keming bellowed at the critical moment, steadying their resolve.

"New technology? Hahaha! Pull your triggers and see—see if the great Four Primordial Gods still favor you rebels!"

Arvis laughed maniacally.

At this moment, the armed men before the bedchamber exchanged uneasy glances, their faces flickering with fearful doubt.

Countless instinctively aimed their guns skyward and pulled their triggers.

But the expected gunfire never came!

All they heard was the clicking of firing pins!

"Click! Click!"

More and more raised their guns and tried to fire.

Yet every single weapon, at this moment, fell silent—malfunctioning, utterly powerless!

—Because the divine patterns engraved on the firearms, even the bullets, had failed.

"You are all blasphemers! The Four Primordial Gods have forsaken you forever! How pitiful, how wretched, hahaha..."

Arvis’ laughter grew even more deranged.

He laughed until tears streamed down his face, until he doubled over.

"What’s happening?"

"Have the Four Primordial Gods abandoned us?"

"No, no... how could the gods... how could they... forsake us?"

The armed personnel before the bedchamber were utterly consumed by terror.

They discovered that all their weapons had failed, including a significant portion of their mechanical limbs!

In other words, anything involving firearms had turned into scrap metal. Only cold, traditional weapons remained as steadfastly loyal to their wielders as ever.

But how could they possibly confront the royal family of the Empire of Infer with just these?

It could be said that even a single squad from the enemy, armed with Vulcan cannons, would be enough to annihilate them all!

Desperation spread like wildfire!

Fear strangled their hearts!

Rowell, his spirit broken, stared down at his gun-arm modification, then lifted his gaze to the churning black clouds and roaring lightning in the sky. For the first time, he felt a flicker of doubt about the Reduction of Working Hours and Increase in Wages Movement.

And it wasn’t just Rowell—at this moment, every armed member of the movement was gripped by fear and despair!

They weren’t afraid of unkillable vampires.

Nor were they afraid of werewolves with heads of bronze and limbs of iron.

They didn’t even fear mechanized warriors armed to the teeth!

Let alone hunger, bloodshed, branding torture, or even threats against their comrades!

They weren’t even… even afraid of being abandoned by the gods!

Because if the gods truly favored them, why hadn’t they wiped out this damned royal family?

But now, they were afraid.

Without weapons, how could they fight?

Ben Keming, his beard grown long, looked at the emperor’s maniacal laughter, at his terrified comrades, at the storm-wracked sky, and at their now-useless weapons—his hands and feet turned to ice.

Was this the end of the movement he had fought for, struggled for, bled for?

"Aji De!"

Instinctively, Ben Keming thought of their spiritual leader—Aji De.

He whirled around, scanning the surroundings, desperately searching for any sign of Aji De.

Though Aji De had never directly participated in the movement, Ben Keming knew he had never truly left. He had always been a beacon of blazing light, guiding them toward victory!

But where was he now, at this critical moment?

"Ben Keming, I’ll give you one last chance! Surrender now, and I’ll grant you the position of Minister of Industry, the title of Count—and I’ll even concede to your demands for reduced hours and increased wages. If you refuse… don’t blame me for slaughtering every last one of you!"

Arvis looked down at Ben Keming and delivered his ultimatum.

He had to admit—Ben Keming was a man of talent.

The Reduction of Working Hours and Increase in Wages Movement had been the most terrifying crisis the Empire of Infer had faced since its founding.

He had exhausted every trick in the book, yet still struggled to suppress it.

The sheer destructive power of their slogans was horrifying!

A man like this—he feared him, but he also admired him.

If he could recruit him, then perhaps he could expand his empire, achieving feats far surpassing those of his ancestors!

In truth, if not for the fact that he had long since bribed the Cardinal to borrow a fraction of divine power, the Empire of Infer would have been doomed today!

Even if he fled through secret tunnels, the shattered empire, surrounded by enemies, would be nearly impossible to rebuild!

"Minister of Industry? Hahaha…"

Ben Keming threw his head back and laughed at the emperor of Infer.

"Arvis, do you really think your pathetic attempts at bribery and division will work on me? Brothers! The ideology of Aji De will never die! The strength of the workers is eternal! We would rather have our heads severed and our blood spilled than kneel and grovel before the wretched royals!"

"Bullshit Aji De! Don’t think I don’t know—Aji De is nothing but a fabricated saint you made up! This person doesn’t even exist in this world! You fools, you’ve all been deceived by Ben Keming! He’s just using your strength to seize the throne!"

Arvis roared in fury!

Ben Keming’s refusal had ignited his rage. He never expected that, even in the face of absolute disadvantage, Ben Keming would rather die than surrender!

This humiliation burned within him.

As Arvis bellowed, the armed personnel of the Reduction of Working Hours and Increase in Wages Movement exchanged uneasy glances.

One by one, they turned disbelieving eyes toward Ben Keming.

They no longer knew whether to trust him.

Or rather—did trust even matter now?

Ben Keming trembled with anger, but this was no time for arguments. Staring at the lightning-wreathed palace, he barked his order: "Brothers, fix bayonets—charge!"

"Trying to leave? Dream on! Kill them all!"

Arvis abandoned all thoughts of persuasion. Raising his scepter, he issued his final command to the hidden red-robed archbishop.

"BOOM!"

The churning black clouds roared once more, the flickering lightning within them converging toward the storm’s core.

In an instant, it coalesced into a colossal ball of thunder, lashing out with countless tendrils of plasma!

"No!"

Ben Keming howled in despair as the blinding light seared his vision.

Instinctively, he raised a hand to shield his eyes. As the glare gradually faded, he pried them open in terror, scanning his surroundings.

But the hellish devastation he expected was nowhere to be seen.

Before the grand palace gates, countless armed personnel exchanged bewildered looks, inspecting themselves and each other—yet not a single one bore any injury from the devastating lightning.

How… was this possible?

"Darkness has shrouded the land for too long. I think it’s time for daylight."

A calm voice spoke—its origin unclear, yet it seemed to resonate beside every ear.

A beam of light descended from the heavens, illuminating a lone figure amidst the crowd, instantly drawing all eyes.

"Aji De!"

Ben Keming gasped in shock.

The armed personnel stared in stunned disbelief.

He… was Aji De?

Bathed in the radiant beam, Aji De nodded at Ben Keming before stepping forward with light, unhurried strides.

As he moved, the beam around him expanded—slowly at first, then faster and faster. The boundary of light swept past their faces, surging outward in all directions like wildfire.

Like the edge of a prairie fire, it consumed every weed, transforming the very color of the land.

Dawn had come.