Chapter 85: Lives as Ants and the Burden of Magic
Chapter 85: Lives as Ants and the Burden of Magic
"Belinda, I'll marry you when I return!"
In the preaching zone of the God of Life, the Grand Duchy of Saint Todd-Rory's central square was packed with a roaring crowd. Countless citizens lined the streets to send off the soldiers who had just been inspected and were now marching to war.
The towering portal stood at the center of the city square, like a gate of triumph.
Just as he was about to step into the portal, the knight Taut suddenly turned and shouted toward the outskirts of the square.
Amplified by his Battle Aura, his voice thundered like a storm, stirring up tidal waves of cheers from the crowd.
Among the masses, a graceful woman blushed furiously as she gazed at the audacious Taut, feeling utterly overwhelmed with happiness in that moment.
Amid the deafening cheers, Knight Taut took a deep breath and stepped into the portal.
Instantly, Taut felt as if he had plunged into a vat of swirling colors, the scenery before him twisting wildly—much like his own escalating excitement.
In the blink of an eye, his vision stabilized.
He found himself on the outskirts of a city.
Vast stretches of emerald-green farmland sprawled before him, the air crisp and cold. Taut scanned the lush fields, his heart swelling with awe.
Is this the allure of the magic nation?
In the Grand Duchy of Rory, only lands blessed by the God of Life remained verdant throughout the year.
Taut greedily drank in the sight of this land.
This should belong to the Grand Duchy of Rory!
No—it should belong to the God of Life!
Taut lifted his face.
Dozens of Life Priests hovered in the air, countless white Life Threads drifting down from their bodies and embedding themselves into the soldiers below.
The moment Taut appeared, a Life Thread descended from the sky and pierced his heart.
A shudder ran through his body, and an intoxicated expression spread across his face.
Through the Life Thread, he felt the favor of the God of Life—an endless surge of vitality!
The sensation was intoxicating.
It made him feel as if he could live forever.
"The God declares: You shall endure! Go forth, my children! The time to prove your valor and glory has come! Slay them all, and let your deeds honor the God of Life!"
A deep voice resonated across the battlefield.
"Praise the God!"
"ROAR!"
Countless soldiers erupted into frenzied battle cries.
Taut was no exception.
With a growl, he drew his greatsword and charged toward the fleeing peasants.
As blades spilled blood,
As the earth was stained crimson,
Endless Life Mist rose like wind and clouds, drifting toward the Life Priests in the sky.
This was the beauty of life in bloom!
"Die!"
Taut cackled madly as he drove his sword into the back of a peasant woman. He could already see the glory of his homecoming beckoning him.
……
……
"Sir, the Magic Cavalry has assembled!"
On the city gate tower, a mage with bloodshot eyes reported to the Pastoral Mage, Stanford.
Outside the city, beyond the thin magical shield, desperate civilians pounded against the barrier, pleading for entry.
A kilometer behind them, the undead army gathered like a tide, advancing slowly.
Above the horde, an undead dragon flaunted its might.
Inside the magical shield, rows of Magic Cavalry clad in enchanted armor stood ready.
They were mere dozens of steps away from the civilians.
Yet in this moment, the distance might as well have been an insurmountable chasm.
"My Lord, you mustn't! The God of Death is using the lives of commoners to breach the magical shield! This is no time for mercy—once the shield is lowered, reactivating it will take at least the time needed to drink a cup of tea. The undead army could overrun Twit Town at any moment!"
A mage beside Stanford immediately objected, his voice urgent with warning.
"My Lord, we cannot stand by and watch them die!"
"Stanford, damn your mother! If you don't lower that shield, I’ll never forgive you, you bastard!"
The mages on the city walls erupted into chaos.
They were Stanford’s subordinates, but more than that, they were his closest friends and former classmates.
Otherwise, who would willingly follow him to the bitter, desolate lands of Twit Town?
The sudden invasion by the Five Great Righteous Gods had completely blindsided the Keville Empire, which had known no large-scale conflict for three hundred years.
When Stanford learned the news from the Empire's official website, the Pastoral Mage of the nearest major city had already been assassinated, its Magic Tower collapsed, and the city had fallen.
Countless refugees were now desperately fleeing toward surrounding cities.
Twit Town, which had only recently been elevated from a village to a city, bore the brunt of the onslaught.
Faced with the uproar among his mages, Stanford barked a sharp command: "Magic Cavalry, prepare the formation!"
"Ha!"
A unified shout rose from the ranks of the Magic Cavalry, lined up in perfect order.
They swiftly maneuvered, forming disciplined squares with gaps left between them—passageways for the fleeing civilians.
The clamor on the city walls abruptly fell silent.
Countless mages stared wide-eyed in shock.
Everyone knew Stanford had made his decision.
The next moment, the magical shield enveloping Twit Town vanished.
The masses of people, who had been crawling on the ground, scrambled to their feet in wild relief and surged toward the town.
At that very instant, the undead army, which had been advancing slowly, suddenly accelerated like a black sandstorm, sweeping forward with terrifying speed.
At the edges where the shield had disappeared, the earth heaved and split open as countless undead soldiers, hidden underground, clawed their way out, rushing into the shield’s former perimeter alongside the commoners.
"It’s over... I knew it... I just knew it..."
"Protect Twit Town!"
On the walls, some mages turned deathly pale.
Others, filled with fervor, leaped down to join the fight.
The Pastoral Mage, Stanford, remained silent, his gaze locked onto the tide of undead in the distance.
When the horde was just three hundred paces from the city, Stanford’s eyes suddenly blazed with light.
Behind him, the Magic Tower erupted with surging mana.
The next second, a blinding radiance exploded amidst the undead—a dense, crackling lightning wall!
"Whoosh!"
A fierce gust swept over the battlements as an undead dragon shot down from the clouds above.
Before it could draw near, Stanford snapped his head up, his electrified eyes locking onto the beast.
"CRACK!"
A searing bolt of lightning, like the spear of a thunder god, split the sky, scorching the air as it pierced straight through the dragon’s body.
"ROAR!"
The dragon howled in agony, the soul fire in its skull flickering dangerously as its massive form twisted and writhed midair.
Desperately, it flapped its rotting wings, struggling to steer itself back toward the undead legion.
It knew—one more second of delay, and it would perish.
True annihilation awaited.
"BOOM!"
By the time the rolling thunder reached them, the lightning wall had already dissipated, and a faint magical shield once again enveloped the city.
The surging black tide was held at bay beyond the gates.
Within the magic barrier, the Magic Cavalry charged and slaughtered the small groups of undead that had broken through.
Twit Town was temporarily safe.
……
……
[Warning: The Keville Empire is under invasion by the Saint-Todd United Nations! All players must return to reality immediately and evacuate to the cities!]
[Warning: The Conquest of Subdomains will soon activate the real-world summoning function. Players who have relocated to cities must summon their earth puppets and gather at the Magic Tower under the command of the empire’s mages to defend the empire!]
Two consecutive voice warnings popped up, stunning Xi Ze, who lay paralyzed.
He had just exited the Conquest of Subdomains when his father, Old Xi, burst into the room with a panicked expression, scooped him up, and rushed outside.
"Run! Forget about the rest!"
Old Xi called out to Xi Ze’s mother as they fled in terror.
Once outside, Xi Ze, clinging to his father’s back, saw that the once-peaceful Dakan Village had already descended into chaos.
Countless villagers, carrying or dragging their most valuable belongings, surged toward the village entrance in fear.
A trembling old man was knocked to the ground by the rushing crowd, unable to get back up.
Around him, villagers stampeded past in panic—no one stopped, no one looked back.
The old man gazed around in confusion, his clouded eyes filled with despair.
Just then, an armored earth puppet suddenly appeared, lifting him to his feet.
Before the old man could react in shock, the earth puppet had already moved on—it picked up a wailing child and handed them to a mother fighting against the tide of people.
Then the earth puppet turned back and shouted, "I am Xi Ze!"
It then hoisted the old man onto its back, just as Old Xi had carried Xi Ze, and joined the fleeing crowd, heading toward the city.
"Everyone, summon earth puppets to help! The Conquest of Subdomains has enabled this function!"
Xi Ze, still on his father’s back, yelled at the top of his lungs.
Most people looked bewildered, but a few quickly grasped the update to the Conquest of Subdomains and followed the instructions, summoning earth puppets to serve as laborers.
Word spread, and more and more earth puppets were summoned.
The same scene played out in countless outskirts of the Keville Empire.
On this day, the internet blared a piercing alarm!
It jolted awake countless users immersed in the Conquest of Subdomains, the Music Sanctuary, the Forum, and the Library!
Even those who hadn’t opened the internet received voice warnings!
In an instant, farmers everywhere spread the news, gathered their belongings, and fled toward the cities.
"What is that?"
As Xi Ze neared the city, he froze in shock.
From the city, a dense tide of earth puppets surged forth.
"Brother, let me take over. You rest."
An earth puppet rushed to Old Xi’s side, unceremoniously took Xi Ze from him, and carried him toward the city amidst the flood of puppets.
"Belinda, I'll marry you when I return!"
In the preaching zone of the God of Life, the Grand Duchy of Saint Todd-Rory's central square was packed with a roaring crowd. Countless citizens lined the streets to send off the soldiers who had just been inspected and were now marching to war.
The towering portal stood at the center of the city square, like a gate of triumph.
Just as he was about to step into the portal, the knight Taut suddenly turned and shouted toward the outskirts of the square.
Amplified by his Battle Aura, his voice thundered like a storm, stirring up tidal waves of cheers from the crowd.
Among the masses, a graceful woman blushed furiously as she gazed at the audacious Taut, feeling utterly overwhelmed with happiness in that moment.
Amid the deafening cheers, Knight Taut took a deep breath and stepped into the portal.
Instantly, Taut felt as if he had plunged into a vat of swirling colors, the scenery before him twisting wildly—much like his own escalating excitement.
In the blink of an eye, his vision stabilized.
He found himself on the outskirts of a city.
Vast stretches of emerald-green farmland sprawled before him, the air crisp and cold. Taut scanned the lush fields, his heart swelling with awe.
Is this the allure of the magic nation?
In the Grand Duchy of Rory, only lands blessed by the God of Life remained verdant throughout the year.
Taut greedily drank in the sight of this land.
This should belong to the Grand Duchy of Rory!
No—it should belong to the God of Life!
Taut lifted his face.
Dozens of Life Priests hovered in the air, countless white Life Threads drifting down from their bodies and embedding themselves into the soldiers below.
The moment Taut appeared, a Life Thread descended from the sky and pierced his heart.
A shudder ran through his body, and an intoxicated expression spread across his face.
Through the Life Thread, he felt the favor of the God of Life—an endless surge of vitality!
The sensation was intoxicating.
It made him feel as if he could live forever.
"The God declares: You shall endure! Go forth, my children! The time to prove your valor and glory has come! Slay them all, and let your deeds honor the God of Life!"
A deep voice resonated across the battlefield.
"Praise the God!"
"ROAR!"
Countless soldiers erupted into frenzied battle cries.
Taut was no exception.
With a growl, he drew his greatsword and charged toward the fleeing peasants.
As blades spilled blood,
As the earth was stained crimson,
Endless Life Mist rose like wind and clouds, drifting toward the Life Priests in the sky.
This was the beauty of life in bloom!
"Die!"
Taut cackled madly as he drove his sword into the back of a peasant woman. He could already see the glory of his homecoming beckoning him.
……
……
"Sir, the Magic Cavalry has assembled!"
On the city gate tower, a mage with bloodshot eyes reported to the Pastoral Mage, Stanford.
Outside the city, beyond the thin magical shield, desperate civilians pounded against the barrier, pleading for entry.
A kilometer behind them, the undead army gathered like a tide, advancing slowly.
Above the horde, an undead dragon flaunted its might.
Inside the magical shield, rows of Magic Cavalry clad in enchanted armor stood ready.
They were mere dozens of steps away from the civilians.
Yet in this moment, the distance might as well have been an insurmountable chasm.
"My Lord, you mustn't! The God of Death is using the lives of commoners to breach the magical shield! This is no time for mercy—once the shield is lowered, reactivating it will take at least the time needed to drink a cup of tea. The undead army could overrun Twit Town at any moment!"
A mage beside Stanford immediately objected, his voice urgent with warning.
"My Lord, we cannot stand by and watch them die!"
"Stanford, damn your mother! If you don't lower that shield, I’ll never forgive you, you bastard!"
The mages on the city walls erupted into chaos.
They were Stanford’s subordinates, but more than that, they were his closest friends and former classmates.
Otherwise, who would willingly follow him to the bitter, desolate lands of Twit Town?
The sudden invasion by the Five Great Righteous Gods had completely blindsided the Keville Empire, which had known no large-scale conflict for three hundred years.
When Stanford learned the news from the Empire's official website, the Pastoral Mage of the nearest major city had already been assassinated, its Magic Tower collapsed, and the city had fallen.
Countless refugees were now desperately fleeing toward surrounding cities.
Twit Town, which had only recently been elevated from a village to a city, bore the brunt of the onslaught.
Faced with the uproar among his mages, Stanford barked a sharp command: "Magic Cavalry, prepare the formation!"
"Ha!"
A unified shout rose from the ranks of the Magic Cavalry, lined up in perfect order.
They swiftly maneuvered, forming disciplined squares with gaps left between them—passageways for the fleeing civilians.
The clamor on the city walls abruptly fell silent.
Countless mages stared wide-eyed in shock.
Everyone knew Stanford had made his decision.
The next moment, the magical shield enveloping Twit Town vanished.
The masses of people, who had been crawling on the ground, scrambled to their feet in wild relief and surged toward the town.
At that very instant, the undead army, which had been advancing slowly, suddenly accelerated like a black sandstorm, sweeping forward with terrifying speed.
At the edges where the shield had disappeared, the earth heaved and split open as countless undead soldiers, hidden underground, clawed their way out, rushing into the shield’s former perimeter alongside the commoners.
"It’s over... I knew it... I just knew it..."
"Protect Twit Town!"
On the walls, some mages turned deathly pale.
Others, filled with fervor, leaped down to join the fight.
The Pastoral Mage, Stanford, remained silent, his gaze locked onto the tide of undead in the distance.
When the horde was just three hundred paces from the city, Stanford’s eyes suddenly blazed with light.
Behind him, the Magic Tower erupted with surging mana.
The next second, a blinding radiance exploded amidst the undead—a dense, crackling lightning wall!
"Whoosh!"
A fierce gust swept over the battlements as an undead dragon shot down from the clouds above.
Before it could draw near, Stanford snapped his head up, his electrified eyes locking onto the beast.
"CRACK!"
A searing bolt of lightning, like the spear of a thunder god, split the sky, scorching the air as it pierced straight through the dragon’s body.
"ROAR!"
The dragon howled in agony, the soul fire in its skull flickering dangerously as its massive form twisted and writhed midair.
Desperately, it flapped its rotting wings, struggling to steer itself back toward the undead legion.
It knew—one more second of delay, and it would perish.
True annihilation awaited.
"BOOM!"
By the time the rolling thunder reached them, the lightning wall had already dissipated, and a faint magical shield once again enveloped the city.
The surging black tide was held at bay beyond the gates.
Within the magic barrier, the Magic Cavalry charged and slaughtered the small groups of undead that had broken through.
Twit Town was temporarily safe.
……
……
[Warning: The Keville Empire is under invasion by the Saint-Todd United Nations! All players must return to reality immediately and evacuate to the cities!]
[Warning: The Conquest of Subdomains will soon activate the real-world summoning function. Players who have relocated to cities must summon their earth puppets and gather at the Magic Tower under the command of the empire’s mages to defend the empire!]
Two consecutive voice warnings popped up, stunning Xi Ze, who lay paralyzed.
He had just exited the Conquest of Subdomains when his father, Old Xi, burst into the room with a panicked expression, scooped him up, and rushed outside.
"Run! Forget about the rest!"
Old Xi called out to Xi Ze’s mother as they fled in terror.
Once outside, Xi Ze, clinging to his father’s back, saw that the once-peaceful Dakan Village had already descended into chaos.
Countless villagers, carrying or dragging their most valuable belongings, surged toward the village entrance in fear.
A trembling old man was knocked to the ground by the rushing crowd, unable to get back up.
Around him, villagers stampeded past in panic—no one stopped, no one looked back.
The old man gazed around in confusion, his clouded eyes filled with despair.
Just then, an armored earth puppet suddenly appeared, lifting him to his feet.
Before the old man could react in shock, the earth puppet had already moved on—it picked up a wailing child and handed them to a mother fighting against the tide of people.
Then the earth puppet turned back and shouted, "I am Xi Ze!"
It then hoisted the old man onto its back, just as Old Xi had carried Xi Ze, and joined the fleeing crowd, heading toward the city.
"Everyone, summon earth puppets to help! The Conquest of Subdomains has enabled this function!"
Xi Ze, still on his father’s back, yelled at the top of his lungs.
Most people looked bewildered, but a few quickly grasped the update to the Conquest of Subdomains and followed the instructions, summoning earth puppets to serve as laborers.
Word spread, and more and more earth puppets were summoned.
The same scene played out in countless outskirts of the Keville Empire.
On this day, the internet blared a piercing alarm!
It jolted awake countless users immersed in the Conquest of Subdomains, the Music Sanctuary, the Forum, and the Library!
Even those who hadn’t opened the internet received voice warnings!
In an instant, farmers everywhere spread the news, gathered their belongings, and fled toward the cities.
"What is that?"
As Xi Ze neared the city, he froze in shock.
From the city, a dense tide of earth puppets surged forth.
"Brother, let me take over. You rest."
An earth puppet rushed to Old Xi’s side, unceremoniously took Xi Ze from him, and carried him toward the city amidst the flood of puppets.
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