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Chapter 321: The Blood God's Plot
🕑 Added 2024-10-11 05:05:19 +0000 UTCIt was as if a chill pierced Kaima's heart, sending a shiver down his spine. The countless battles he had fought honed his instincts, and rather than fully blocking the sword energy before him, he chose to dodge to the left.
Whoosh!
A radiant, almost golden spear, wrapped in a dirt-yellow light, shot in from the side, producing a high-pitched buzzing sound. Originally aimed to pierce through the back of Kaima's head, it instead grazed past his left ear. The shockwave from the impact exploded against his cheek, shattering the silver scales into fragments that scattered into the air, and the intense vibration evaporated the blood.
With a pained grunt, Kaima vanished in a flash of silver light, reappearing several meters away. His left cheek was a bloody, mangled mess, quickly being repaired by the silver mist enveloping him. He stared in shock at the figure who had suddenly appeared behind him.
"Who... who are you? Which kingdom's Saint are you from? Why have I never seen you before..." Kaima squinted slightly, the recent brush with death still fresh in his mind. Had he reacted a moment slower, that spear would have taken his life!
He scrutinized Rhett, his brows furrowed, and the smooth scales on his body twisted into two creases, filled with trepidation toward this unknown Saint. If it were an ordinary spear or other elemental magic, he was confident that his scales could withstand the attack without serious injury. But with the added arcane power, it was a different story—it was a force tied to the very essence of the world. Even as a royal orc, he dared not be careless, and needed to approach the situation with caution.
"Rhett! You... you've become a Saint?" Ankus, recognizing the familiar figure, reacted in stark contrast to Kaima. Though he found it hard to believe, the arrival of a Saint to support them was nothing short of a blessing. Moreover, it meant he no longer had to worry about Rhett being in danger.
Kaima, on the other hand, was taken aback when he heard Ankus call out the name of the unknown Saint. His body trembled, and he mentally screamed in disbelief. Rhett? Did I hear that right? Isn't that the Grand Magister who single-handedly wiped out more than thirty of our high-ranking orcs?
How could he suddenly become a Saint-level powerhouse? Kaima's mind roared with confusion at the absurdity of what he was experiencing today.
At that moment, Rhett's lips curled into a smile, but his gaze was colder than ever as he looked at the Saint-level Dragonman before him. He spoke softly, "You've arrived just in time. The orc army has already been wiped out; only you remain..."
Upon hearing this, Ankus's eyes flashed with satisfaction. He suppressed his inner doubts and complex emotions, laughing heartily as he said, "Haha, that's perfect! This Dragonman was headed straight for you anyway. Let's settle everything here and now."
Kaima's heart sank, his expression growing increasingly grim. He recalled hearing that this person named Rhett had mastered four types of arcane powers, making him far more than an ordinary newly ascended Saint. He possessed terrifying combat power, likely at a peak level. Even facing him alone offered slim chances of victory, not to mention that the commander of the Cold Current Line was also eyeing him intently...
"Your rise has been so swift... Could you be the Child of the World?" Kaima asked, breathing heavily. His entire body was tensed, ready to defend against any sudden attack from the two Saints.
"I suppose you could say that..." Rhett replied, his expression unchanged. He spoke slowly, "In any case, the era of the orc invasion will end with me!"
"You're too arrogant! The orcs are the true rulers here! The entire world is destined to bow at the feet of the orcs. If you choose to side with us, you too can share in the ultimate glory!" Kaima floated in mid-air, attempting to sway Rhett with his halting Common Tongue.
Hearing this, Rhett's face turned cold. He decided there was no point in further discussion. His hands clenched into fists, and the sky began to churn with a swirling storm of sand. The sandstorm was composed of countless tiny earth elements, which, despite their massive scale, had little power. However, when infused with arcane power, the entire world seemed to twist and distort, and the deafening hum of countless vibrations filled the air.
Ankus felt a jolt of shock. Even after being a Saint for over a thousand years, it was his first time witnessing the completed arcane power of vibration. Seeing the dangerous situation, he quickly retreated, cursing under his breath, "This guy! Not even a warning before attacking—does he want to drag me down with him?"
Despite his annoyance, he couldn't help but be impressed by the overwhelming vibration power emanating from behind him. He never would have imagined that the Grand Magister he had effortlessly crushed just a few months ago had now grown to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, perhaps even surpassing him!
Reflecting on a conversation with King Milan from a few months ago, Ankus's expression turned complex, and he sighed inwardly, "With such a rapid rise, what else could he be but the Child of the World? I never thought that our speculation would become reality..."
Ankus's gaze remained locked on the twisted light ahead. Even he couldn't sense what was happening within, only catching occasional glimpses of silver flashes. But before long, like a meteor streaking across the sky, Kaima fled from the distorted space in terror. His silver scales were shattered, blood spilled in the air, and he was clearly gravely injured!
Ankus's eyes lit up. Seizing the opportunity, he charged forward with his sword, slashing out countless sword shadows. Empowered by the arcane power of speed, each strike landed squarely on Kaima's battered body.
Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish...
Without the protection of silver mist and scales, the heavily injured Kaima could not evade the attacks. His body was covered in countless sword wounds, and he let out a horrifying scream.
In the next instant, the scream abruptly stopped. The myriad sword wounds on his massive body exploded simultaneously, causing his form to break apart into pieces, scattering flesh and bone across the sky.
Whoosh~
A gust of wind swept by, carrying a swirl of sand that enveloped the remains, disintegrating them entirely with the power of dissolution, leaving nothing behind.
And so, the battle came to an end.
The yellow sand gradually dissipated, revealing Rhett's figure. He approached Ankus and said, "Where is King Milan? I need to speak with him."
"The King has gone to the Gorge Line for some important matters," Ankus replied, his eyes fixed intently on Rhett. He asked, "Rhett, can you tell me the truth behind your rapid ascension?"
"I would love to tell you," Rhett frowned, pondering for a moment before speaking carefully, "But it's hard to describe. It's like someone is helping me train, smoothing out the path for me. It's impossible to put into words."
"I see..." Ankus nodded, his eyes filled with a complicated emotion as he sighed, "It seems our suspicions were correct. When our world was being devoured by the orcs, as it teetered on the edge of collapse, it’s not surprising that there might be a final burst of energy.
And you are that chosen one, the one blessed by the World's Will, making your cultivation journey seem divinely guided. The world indeed has its unique mechanisms. It may not be subjective or full of emotion like humans, but at its core, it has shown it can resist foreign invasions. The fact that the World's Will exists is undeniable..."
"So that's it..." Rhett murmured in realization. After a moment of reflection, he said with some emotion, "So, I'm the fortunate one chosen by the world? No wonder I always feel cradled by the world around me. It seems the World's Will is indeed inclined to protect its own."
"Haha, of course! It's like having resources—you'd prioritize your own descendants, wouldn't you?" Ankus looked at Rhett with envy and said, "But with such blessings comes responsibility. The duty to save the world now falls on your shoulders. You are the chosen one, and it's up to you to cleanse the orcs and root out the hidden forces in the shadows."
At this, Rhett's smile faded, replaced by a solemn expression. He replied, "Defending our home is everyone's responsibility."
With those words, the atmosphere grew silent.
The two men looked at each other, unsure of what to discuss next...
Ankus hesitated, then broke the silence with a light cough, "Rhett, your contribution to this battle has been immense. When we return to the Cold Current camp, we must hold a grand celebration in your honor!"
"Titles mean little to me," Rhett shook his head and said, "This war has severely weakened the orcs at the Cold Current Line. Shouldn't we seize the opportunity to take over their strongholds?"
"The timing isn't right," Ankus pondered for a moment before saying, "The orcs' stronghold on the Cold Current Line is in a treacherous environment, and it's very close to the orc base. If we attack hastily, our supply lines won't be able to keep up, while the orcs can easily reinforce their positions and encircle us. In short, the orcs' overall strength is still terrifying. The best approach is still to deplete their forces and ambush their reinforcements."
"That makes sense..." Rhett stroked his chin and slowly nodded. "In that case, I won't stay at the Cold Current camp for long. I'll head to the Gorge Line to assist King Milan."
"You..." Ankus opened his mouth but found he didn't know what to say. Although Rhett's current rank and title were still lower than his, it was undeniable that once the war stabilized, these titles would quickly be elevated.
At this moment, he realized it was difficult to command someone with greater strength than himself, so he could only let Rhett act on his own accord...
The next moment, Rhett's figure disappeared into the air, blending with the earth elements as he swiftly departed.
As the wind rushed past him, Rhett suddenly saw a series of notifications appear before his eyes.
[Family member kills an enemy of a higher rank, Destiny Points +1]
[Family member kills an enemy of two ranks higher, Destiny Points +2]
Rhett felt a slight surprise, but it was quickly replaced by joy. "It seems that Bomir has already returned to the Cold Current camp with the orc prisoners, and Telus is executing them on my behalf. This should provide me with several thousand Destiny Points, which could help me further comprehend the Dissolution Arcana and better prepare for dealing with the Blood God!"
"However... with my breakthrough to Saint-level in reality, the changes that follow will be unprecedented, and the course of events may differ significantly from the previous timeline."
With that thought, Rhett considered it necessary to conduct another simulation immediately to see if there was an opportunity to take down the Blood God once and for all in this new timeline.
He activated the system.
[Would you like to initiate a text simulation? Each simulation of one year costs 5 Destiny Points.]
"Yes, simulate one year."
[Kinen Calendar, Year 482, April 17: You successfully broke through to become a Saint-level Magus, reaching the pinnacle of the world. Congratulations! On the same day, you led the armies to crush the orc forces, achieving a resounding victory and, together with General Ankus, killed the Saint-level Dragonman, Kaima.]
[April 19: Using your Saint-level speed, you arrived at the Gorge Line. After some searching, you found King Milan hiding at the northern end of the Bloody River. Upon revealing yourself, King Milan was shocked by your Saint-level strength, especially after hearing about the victory at the Cold Current Line. After discussion, the two of you decided to lay an ambush for the Blood God at the Gorge Line!]
[April 23: The news of the Cold Current Line's victory reached the orc headquarters, causing an uproar. The Orc King was enraged and decided to send reinforcements to the Cold Current Line, the Gorge Line, and the Red Soil Line, dispatching a Saint-level Bearman to personally oversee the battle!]
[April 28: Ankus, covered in blood, arrived at the Gorge Line, reporting that the Bearman led ten thousand orc soldiers in a counterattack on the Cold Current camp. Under the Bearman's command, the camp was decimated, and the soldiers were massacred!]
[This news infuriated King Milan, and you were also filled with grief and anger over the loss of your son. After some discussion, you decided that Ankus would seek aid from other kingdoms, King Milan would continue to stake out the Gorge Line, and you would return to the Cold Current Line to attempt an assassination on the Saint-level Bearman!]
[April 30: Upon arriving at the Cold Current Line, you used your vast Saint-level spiritual power to sense a strange, bloodthirsty force lingering over the battlefield, alarming you. After some searching, you discovered several orc corpses, but none showed signs of organ harvesting.]
[May 2: You continued your search and reached the Eastern Abyss, sensing combat vibrations from deep within the ten-thousand-meter chasm. As you descended into the gorge, you found a Saint-level Bearman locked in battle with a blood-red figure!]
[You decisively joined the fray, immediately targeting the Blood God for elimination! The Saint-level Bearman, having experienced the Blood God's cunning, chose to temporarily ally with you. You unleashed a barrage of spells and used all four Arcana to suppress the Blood God, but the Blood God's blood-red aura, which guarded his body, had a strong resistance to the Arcana, making it difficult for you to inflict significant damage despite your full strength.]
[May 3: After a day and night of intense battle, the Blood God managed to kill the Bearman despite being outnumbered, and your battle with him continued.]
[May 4: The Blood God's blood-red aura grew weaker, while your high-intensity combat began to take its toll on your spiritual power. But in the end, a spear imbued with the power of Vibration pierced the Blood God's temple, and he collapsed, his vitality rapidly fading. You watched as the Blood God died, finally avenging your grudge.]
[May 5: You cleared out the orc reinforcements at the Cold Current Line.]
[May 6: Grieving, you traveled to the defense line in the Kingdom of Helru, joining the local army in a relentless assault on the orcs.]
[May 7: After a day and night of fierce fighting, you and three Saint-level Magi from the Kingdom of Helru killed a Saint-level Shadow Tiger and a Saint-level Bearman! You urged the King of Helru to ensure all orcs were exterminated.]
[May 8: You traveled tirelessly to the Kingdom of Rem, once again assisting the Saint-level Magi there in a major offensive against the orc forces.]
[May 10: After two days and nights of brutal combat, a Saint-level Blood Moon Werewolf, a Saint-level Phantom Venom Serpent, and a Saint-level Shadow Tiger died of exhaustion.]
[May 15: You returned to the Gorge Line, intending to inform King Milan that the ambush was no longer necessary. But on the way, you encountered a severely injured Ankus, who reported that after the Orc King learned of recent battles and your identity, he was furious, identifying you as the Child of the World. The Orc King had rallied the full might of the orc forces to launch a decisive assault on the Kingdom of Kinen. The Bearman Chieftain had arrived early at the Gorge Line and killed King Milan on the spot.]
[June 19: You and Ankus called on the Saint-level Magi from the Kingdoms of Rem and Helru, as well as the Kingdom of the Far North, and returned to the Gorge Line. The Bearman Chieftain had gathered seventeen Saint-level warriors and two hundred thousand orc soldiers in wait.]
[The Orc King insisted that you were the Child of the World and urged you to surrender. You responded with a massive Rain of Spears. The battle between your forces and the orcs was inevitable.]
[June 28: The battle raged for nine days and nights. The Orc King's unparalleled combat prowess far exceeded your expectations; he was able to fight you to a standstill. During this time, both sides lost nearly half of their elite fighters, and the battlefield was reduced to ruins, soaked in rivers of blood.]
[July 1: As the battle neared its end, both armies were running on sheer willpower, and the Saint-level Magi were nearly exhausted. Suddenly, the battlefield was shrouded in a rain of blood, and a massive blood-red meatball fell from the sky. Fifty Pale Knights emerged from the meatball, unleashing a blood mist that massacred the soldiers. To your horror, the Blood God, whom you had killed with your own hands, appeared once again!]
[This time, the Blood God was more formidable than ever, with a blood-red bat hovering above his head. The bat's dense blood-red aura was terrifyingly familiar to you, even filling you with dread!]
[The Blood God and the blood-red bat worked together to slaughter both sides. The blood-red aura they wielded was far more powerful than before, and the blood mist made you dizzy, draining your spiritual power and making it difficult to mount an effective defense. In the end, the Blood God effortlessly killed the remaining Saint-level Magi, turning his attention to you!]
[The blood-red bat swooped down, baring its fangs as it bit into your skull. You felt your spiritual power rapidly drain away, and all the blood in your body was sucked dry. Weakness and helplessness washed over you like a tide. You died.]
[Text simulation complete. Would you like to continue?]
"No!"
"Damn it!"
After quickly reading through the simulation's outcome, Rhett, who had been traveling, abruptly stopped, hovering in mid-air. His expression shifted between light and dark as anger simmered within him.
Sure enough, after reaching Saint-level, the orcs' attention on him became unprecedented. They suspected him of being the Child of the World, leaving no room for the slow, methodical advancesIndeed, after reaching Saint-level, Rhett realized that the orcs' focus on him had become unprecedented. They had likely deduced that he was the so-called "Child of the World," which meant they would no longer adopt their previous, steady approach to slowly erode human defenses. Instead, they were determined to eliminate him entirely.
However, after analyzing the simulation's trajectory, Rhett discovered that the orcs were not the greatest threat. Even though the Orc King was powerful, he was still evenly matched with Rhett. The true menace was the Blood God, who had been lurking in the shadows. With both strength and cunning, the Blood God had lain dormant for a thousand years, remaining unnoticed until the orcs' influence caused the world to descend into chaos, pushing it to the brink. Only then did the Blood God emerge to reap the spoils.
Taking a deep breath, Rhett began to ponder:
"It seems that the Blood God's first 'death' in the simulation was merely a deceptive ruse. If I consider the reasons behind this, it's likely that he figured out I was the Child of the World and anticipated that I would draw the full attention of the orcs. So, he faked his death to lower his perceived threat, then hid in the shadows, fanning the flames and watching from the sidelines as humans and orcs wore each other down. Once both sides were sufficiently weakened, he planned to swoop in and claim victory."
Recalling the entire course of the simulation, the progression of the war, and the Blood God's sudden reappearance at the end, Rhett carefully pieced together the Blood God's entire scheme. The first fake death was undoubtedly deliberate. The Blood God knew that the Child of the World would attract the orcs' attention, and a large-scale war was inevitable.
Rhett quickly analyzed the situation, his eyes flashing as he considered his options.
"Since I've only just broken through to Saint-level, the orcs likely haven't yet learned of my advancement. This means that the Blood God's first appearance and subsequent battle with the Bearman Saint were purely coincidental. The Blood God hadn't set his plan in motion at that point; it was a spur-of-the-moment decision. This period is my opportunity to make strategic adjustments and turn the tables."
"There are still several days left until the battle between the Blood God and the orc Saint..."
As Rhett mulled over how to devise the perfect strategy to take down both the orcs and the Blood God without sacrificing too many human lives, a sudden thought struck him. It seemed that the deaths of several orc Saints hadn't done much to restore the world's original state. This suggested that, despite their immense power, individual Saints were still insignificant in the face of the vast World Will—a mere drop in the ocean.
The primary factor at play was the sheer number of species. While top-tier powerhouses ensured their species could thrive, they had little impact on the corruption of the world itself. The true poison corrupting the World's Will was the proliferation, expansion, and growth of countless foreign species that had taken root.
"My glasses are broken... how frustrating."
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