Chapter 1016: The City of Behemoth, Ending of the Battle at Sea (Part Two)
Further away, a majestic and giant clay city appeared; it seemed like a giant mountain was dug open and modified into this city. This city stretched to the horizon, and many fortresses made of clay and palaces made from wood and bricks situated inside the city. Flags could be vaguely seen fluttering in the air, and various flight mounts flew in the low sky. Thousands of giant totem poles stood all around, emitting mystical energy that engulfed the entire city.
Finally, some greeneries could be seen here.
Peaceful rivers slowly flowed through the city, and they merged into the sapphirine-like lake in the center of the city. The aura of water brought liveliness to the city.
This was the [City of Behemoth].
"We are going to descend outside the [City of Behemoth], and we will walk into the city. The king clans and the supreme Beast God Palace are all in there."
The giant swan landed about 30 kilometers away from the giant city.
After flying for about 15 hours, everyone in the group finally stepped on land again.
A team of porcupine riders of the Pig Clan was already waiting here.
The porcupine mounts were a bit larger than the horses, and black fur grew on their backs. They looked vicious, and sharp spikes grew out of their bodies and limbs. The spikes were covered by a layer of sand gravel, making them look tough and hard. The riders on these porcupines were all pig-men who had pig heads and human bodies, and they were muscular and more than two meters tall. Also, their strength wasn't low; they were all at low-tier Moon-Class and had impressive auras.
Pig Clan Chief Altis grabbed some green plants from a pig-man and fed the giant swan. Then, he patted Leona's head intimately and let other pig men take care of her.
The porcupine riders of the Pig Clan were surprised that humans came back with orc masters such as Great Priest Nash, and they stared at Fei and others curiously with caution, looking as if they were seeing pandas for the first time in a zoo.
The orcs hadn't seen humans for 1,000 years; their curiosity toward humans wasn't less compared to the other way around.
The land was dry, and it cracked like a dried riverbed. Dust was everywhere, and the air was dry.
This was about 30 kilometers away from the [City of Behemoth], and it was a relatively open desert.
Looking around, all sorts of low structures were built in the area. Most of them were ragged tents, underground caves, and semi-underground houses built with rocks and bricks, looking old and worn-out.
Clear differences could be seen between clans. There were clay fortresses that were more than ten meters tall, protecting these structures inside. Sharp rocks and wooden spikes that were pointing forward at the 45-degree angle were around the fortresses, and their roots were buried underground. Looking from afar, the fortresses all looked like hedgehogs with their spikes pointing outward.
The clay fortresses were about 1,000 meters apart, and many of them existed on the vast desert. They could reinforce each other quickly, and the clay fortresses were built all the way into the black and grey mountains.
Orcs with strange appearances were covered in dust as they were busy working between the clay fortresses. While dust flew, many tamed beasts that were in various forms roared and made noises non-stop.
These clay fortresses were the key to orcs' survival since they blocked out the danger.
According to Great Priest Nash's introduction, most of the clans living outside the [City of Behemoth] were low-level and middle-level clans. Comparatively, the living condition here was good, and it was relatively safe.
Fei's eyes were opened.
The king felt like he came to a loess plateau from millions of years ago, seeing how unevolved humans living the primitive lifestyle.
Altis whispered something into a pig-man beside him, and several pig-men came over with more than 20 mounts. Except for porcupines, there were many other types of beasts.
Fei chose a mount that looked like a velociraptor dinosaur, and he rode with Valkyrie Elena. Little Raccoon simply stood on his shoulder.
Then, the group dashed toward the [City of Behemoth].
Other Chambordians all shouted as they rode these mounts; it was their first time, and they found it interesting.
Chapter 1016: The City of Behemoth, Ending of the Battle at Sea (Part Three)
In the beginning, these orc mounts repelled humans a little. However, these Chambordians were all master and great riders. After riding for several hundred meters, they already tamed these strange beasts.
These beasts looked dull, but their speed was several times faster than the best horses that humans had. Also, since their body sizes were huge, the impact force that they had was much stronger.
Fei couldn't help but think.
These beast mounts were full of strength, and they could carry thousands of kilograms of weight. If they were equipped with top-tier armor and put into a cavalry legion with strong and fully-armed orc warriors, their combat strength could instantly wipe out more than a dozen human cavalry legions.
If the power of totems and the unique abilities of orcs were added to that, the combat strength…
Fei felt like it was terrifying just to think about it, and such a cavalry legion would be the king of cavalry legions.
These beast mounts covered the distance of 30 kilometers in less than 10 minutes, and the group was before the [City of Behemoth] already.
The true magnificence and greatness of this city could only be sensed up-close.
People like Torres were so shocked that their mouths opened wide, and Fei praised silently in his mind.
The Capital of Zenit and the Capital of Leon were all magnificent cities, but they seemed inferior compared to this city. This city didn't have the fanciness and luxuriousness of St. Petersburg and Gerland, but the [City of Behemoth] was shockingly firm and rooted to the ground. If Gerland and St. Petersburg were like noble ladies who were full of jewelry, the [City of Behemoth] was like a hot-blooded strongman who walked out from the depths of a mountain with a giant ax and a big shield. This city had rough edges, been through a lot, and awed others by its valiant aura.
About 20 low-tier Moon-Class warriors of the Bull Clan guarded this gate.
Seeing Bull Clan Chief Nowitzki and others' return, these warriors cheered and let the group into the city without doing many inspections.
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The air in the city was a bit more humid, and there wasn't as much dust in here.
The ground was paved with bricks baked from red clay, and buildings and stone palaces stood on both sides of the streets. Also, there were meticulously planted gardens, and plants that were sprouting grew in rich, black soil. The greeneries that could be seen everywhere on Azeroth looked exceptionally beautiful on the [Banished Land] that had a terrible environment.
Many orcs walked on the streets, and the shouts of vendors resonated in the area. There was finally some prosperity of intellectual society.
When Fei and others entered the city, they already changed into cloaks to cover their faces. Just like how the orc masters behaved in Chambord, these Chambordians hid their identities not to cause an upheaval amongst the orcs.
Even though this was the case, the fine and delicate cloaks attracted many orcs' attention.
The ones who could afford to wear cloth clothing were all influential figures, and the orc masters such as Great Priest Nash who emitted powerful auras seems like guards. Subconsciously, the orcs thought that a big figure of a king clan was out here on patrol.
The journey was quite smooth; the group quickly ventured 60 kilometers into the city, and then they stopped beside a river.
"We need to report to Entus His Holiness in the Beast God Palace about our trip, and the ten king clans are also waiting for us," Great Priest Nash said to Fei apologetically, "They don't know that Your Majesty came back to the [Banished Land] with us. Before the king clans and the Beast God Palace make the decision, Your Majesty can walk around with Chief Altis. We will arrange hotels for Your Majesty and others."
"Eh, that is fine. I was about to ask Chief Altis to lead us around the city, so we can check out the true presence of the behemoth orcs."
Fei didn't voice any concerns or issues.
Chapter 1016: The City of Behemoth, Ending of the Battle at Sea (Part Four)
Boom!
Pedro punched out and shattered the last battleship of Byzantine.
On the sea surface, shattered wooden pieces of ships were everywhere, and the corpses of soldiers on both sides puffed-up after being soaked in seawater for a long time. The blood stained the water, and vultures flew in the sky. As sea waves rumbled, man-eating fishes and sea beasts swam to the surface of the ocean and start devouring the corpses of the dead, having a grand feast.
The smell of blood and death permeated the air.
Terrifying shrill screams could still be vaguely heard from many places.
The soldiers who were severely injured didn't die right away, and they struggled to stay afloat in the bloody water as they took the last glance of the world. They treasured their lives even more, and perhaps they vaguely saw their loved ones such as their parents, lovers, and children waiting for their return.
Soon, the cold seawater and the vicious sea creatures devoured them.
Perhaps many poor souls who sunk into the bottom of the deep sea were still remembered by their loved ones, but they couldn't return.
At the same time, two giant Xuan'ge had retreated to the edge of the battle as smoke filled the sky.
"Fire! Use the godly magic cannons at the bows of the ships! Fire! Destroy him! We have to avenge Constantine His Majesty!"
[Black Pearl] and [Cyclops] each shot out a terrifying light beam that had a diameter of one meter, and they dashed toward Pedro. On the decks of the two Xuan'ge, sissy Sparrow and old fox Barbossa shouted like madmen with anger in their eyes as they swung their sabers; they looked like gamblers who lost everything.
On the sea, Pedro stood on the bow of the flagship and drew two half circles in front of his chest with his hands. Then, he pushed his hands forward, and two red fire pillars shot out.
Boom!
This man blocked the two light beams that the godly magic cannons shot out, and the terrifying energy waves dispersed into the area. Like the radiation of a nuclear bomb, giant waves were created on the sea surface.
Pedro frowned. He tried many times, but he couldn't break the magic shields around those two giant flying barges. Also, the two Xuan'ge lingered around and caused huge casualties to the fleet of Barcelona.
Seeing less than ten battleships surviving the battle, Pedro was frustrated to his core.
Not long ago, he discovered that Emperor Yassin wasn't in the area, and the fist spiritual spatial seals were set up by the King of Chambord half a year ago. The young king who he thought was the King of Chambord was only the King of Byzantine who wasn't famous at all.
This series of discoveries enraged and shocked Pedro.
This man was angry since he tried to guard against Emperor Yassin's sneak attack and didn't help his fleet. As a result, the fleet suffered many casualties and almost got wiped out.
This man was shocked since the strength that Zenit showed was unimaginable! Only the small level 1 Byzantine Kingdom destroyed more than 1,000 battleships in the herald fleet of [Sea God's Spear] of Barcelona and almost wiped out the herald fleet.
"Such a nation. Can we really conquer this empire in a flash as everyone at Barcelona had anticipated? Especially the King of Chambord's strength…" Pedro thought to himself.
Before, Pedro and his peers heard about this little king who was called the Human Emperor of the North and was on the List of Young Lords. Before, they thought that this was a funny joke. But now, Pedro sensed the terrifying power of this man.
"The fist spiritual spatial seals that the King of Chambord set up half a year ago forced me to use a long time to break them down. Then, how powerful is the Chambord Kingdom?"
Behind Pedro, the generals of the navy were all shocked as well; they didn't know what to say.
Everything that had happened today was unimaginable for Barcelonans; they couldn't even come up with something like this in their nightmares.
"Take him down and tell the mages to heal him. I need to understand the real strength of Zenit from him." Pedro exhaled and pointed at King Constantine of Byzantine who was lying on the deck. This king lost two legs and one arm, and he was unconscious at the moment.
Half an hour ago, it was Pedro who moved and captured this resilience young king.
Chapter 1017: Wash Your Neck and Wait (Part One)
Constantine was in a tragic situation.
His lower legs below his knees were blown off, and white bones were showing alongside the mushy flesh. His right arm was severed at the elbow, and it looked horrifying as well. Also, his body was scorched, looking like a piece of coal that was just taken out of the furnace.
This king was in this state after battling Pedro.
Recalling the prior battle, Pedro couldn't calm himself down. Although this little king's strength was far inferior compared to his, the fearlessness that this young man showed in battle made Pedro feel like his opponent was undefeatable in some moments. If Pedro didn't severely injure Constantine to this degree, Barcelonans couldn't have captured this king.
For the first time, Pedro was a little unsure if the empire could conquer Zenit.
A few soldiers picked up Constantine who was still passed out on the ground, and they carried him down the deck.
At this moment, this handsome young man suddenly woke up from unconscious. Perhaps the excruciating pain shocked him, or perhaps this was terminal lucidity, the King of Byzantine opened his eyes and looked at Pedro, and a strange smile filled with pity appeared on his face.
This smile seemed to be telling Pedro that he was done, and this influential figure of Barcelona shivered for some reason.
Then, this young king was carried away and disappeared after the soldiers who carried him took a turn at a corner.
After a moment of silence, Pedro turned into a streak of light and dashed toward the two giant Xuan'ge in the air.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Two powerful magic light beams from godly magic cannons welcomed Pedro's arrival.
Pedro punched out with both his fists, and two roaring fire dragons dashed out.
The light beams and fire dragons clashed, and violent shockwaves dashed outward and created giant waves one after another.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
In the next second, Pedro already appeared in front of the magic shield of [Black Pearl].
In a flash, this man punched out countless times, and the powerful fist strikes created many rapid flashing ripples on the silver magic sphere. The giant Xuan'ge shivered and staggered like a drunken man.
"Attack! Strike! Strike down this b*stard for me!"
Captain Sparrow shouted in anger. His eyes were all red, and he looked like a bull that got its mating partner taken away. He commanded the soldiers to control the two godly magic cannons at the front of the barge and the many ordinary magic cannons at the sides of the ship, and these cannons all fired at Petro as if all the magic supply were free.
The loud booming noises created by the magic cannons resonated in the sky.
However, Pedro's speed was too fast.
This man dashed around continuously, and he repeatedly struck [Black Pearl] with his giant fire fists at different angles. It seemed like he was looking for the weakness of the magic shield, and he wanted to shatter the protective sphere around this Xuan'ge before dashing into the barge and taking care of the situation once and for all.
The soldiers on the Xuan'ge couldn't capture Pedro's location and lock him down.
Every time the magic cannons fired, they only struck the afterimages that Pedro left with his high speed.
Captain Sparrow jumped around and cursed, but it was useless.
[Black Pearl] and [Cyclops] were patrolling inside the Zenit Empire as a part of their daily mission. When they received the signal for reinforcements from the Reverse Whale Battleship that Luffy was on, they instantly moved toward the Byzantine Kingdom. However, the battle was close to the end when they arrived.
People like Sparrow and Barbossa could only see the King of Byzantine getting severely injured and captured; they didn't know if he were dead or still alive at this moment.
Chapter 1017: Wash Your Neck and Wait (Part Two)
Also, they witnessed how the enraged Pedro completely shattered the battleship fleet of Byzantine that was created by both Byzantine and Chambord. There were still about 7,000 Byzantinian soldiers on the ships, and there were instructors and martial teachers that Chambord sent to this fleet to help them get stronger. These people all died under Pedro's strikes.
This one-sided massacre made all the Chambordians on the two Xuan'ge open their eyes wide in anger.
Unfortunately for Zenit, the enemy was too strong. Although [Black Pearl] and [Cyclops] attacked aggressively in revenge and sunk more than 60 moon-class battleships of Barcelona, they couldn't turn the battle around.
After all, the two Xuan'ge came in a hurry, and no top-tier masters of Chambord were with them.
Under the dominating strength of Pedro, except for barely saving a few hundred survivors, the two Xuan'ge couldn't do much. Even [King Alexander], the Reverse Whale Battleship, was severely damaged after Pedro shattered its magic shield with a punch, and it sunk into the ocean. No one knew if the King of Chambord's second disciple, Luffy, and the 500 Chambordian soldiers on it were still alive.
"Sparrow, we can't let this continue. The magic supply on the ships will be depleted sooner or later."
On [Cyclops], the old and cunning Barbossa barely kept his calm. After observing the situation, he knew that if they stayed here longer, it would only be more dangerous for them. He shouted, "Retreat! We must protect these two giant Xuan'ge and not let them fall into the hands of the enemies! Let's go back and find Alexander His Majesty! Then, we can return and fight these b*stards!"
"Damn it!" Sparrow hit the deck of [Black Pearl] with his palm. Although he was unwilling to accept this, his logic won over his anger, and he turned his head and shouted, "Pass my order! Turn the ship around and exit the battlefield!"
Like invincible tiger sharks that were swimming in the sky, the Xuan'ge nimbly turned around and accelerated along the coastline, exiting the battlefield gracefully.
Sparrow and Barbossa were all cunning figures, and they knew that they couldn't retreat by flying toward Chambord in a straight line. If Pedro chased them, he might discover the civilians of Byzantine who were fleeing, and he might kill them all.
Pedro punched out countless times, but he discovered in disappointment that the magic shields of the two Xuan'ge dimmed a little, but they were still firm and tough. After he used his full force, the magic shields didn't look like they were going to collapse and shatter in a short time. Also, the magic shields were perfectly designed, and there weren't any weaknesses or shortcomings.
"Hahaha! What? You don't dare to fight me? So, there are cowards among Zenitians who only know how to escape?!"
Since Pedro couldn't force the two Xuan'ge to stay, he laughed hysterically and tried the psychological tactic.
"Yuck! You dumb f*ck. Don't bring shame to yourself with your meager abilities."
Captain Sparrow stood on the deck and shouted while jumping up and down in anger. He raised his saber and pointed it at Pedro. Then, he spat and said in disdain, "If it weren't for your shameless sneak-attack, our warriors of Chambord would have been prepared, and you b*stards would have been turned into meat paste already."
Pedro laughed and replied, "So, you are Chambordians? Haha! So what? Even if everyone at Chambord came out, what can you do? You are only a little affiliated kingdom. If you all come, you will be turned into ghosts under my fists!"
"B*stard! Do you dare to tell us your name?" Sparrow wasn't willing to say more, and he only asked this question in his cold voice.
"I'm the Head Commander of [Sea God's Spear] of Barcelona, Rodríguez Pedro."
Chapter 1018: Bishop Entus of the Beast God Palace (Part One)
Right after Captain Sparrow said those words, the two Xuan'ge instantly sped up and turned into two beams of light, disappearing into the horizon in a flash. Their speed far exceeded Pedro's expectations.
After a pause, Pedro didn't chase.
From the previous battle, Pedro no longer dared to underestimate the Zenitians.
If the King of Chambord and Emperor Yassin showed up at the same time now, Pedro wasn't sure if he could win.
"I'm surprised! There is such a terrifying opponent in the Northern Region of Azeroth, the weakest region on the continent. I'm afraid that this war is far tougher than what the high-level officials of the Military Headquarters had thought."
Seeing the two Xuan'ge retreating in peace, Pedro felt a little defeated. He turned into a beam of light and returned to the flagship with a concerned and serious expression.
When that sissy-like captain who had a red bandana on his head and the rest of Chambordians on the flying barge stared at Pedro as if they were looking at a dead man, this powerful general of Barcelona felt a sense of chill as if he were targeted by the Grim Reaper. As a result, he felt very anxious.
"Sir, after the mages healed him, the King of Byzantine has woken up. However, his mouth is tightly shut, and he isn't willing to cooperate with our interrogation."
A military advisor jogged over and reported to Pedro in a loud voice.
"Use punishments, until he fesses up!" Pedro sneered and said, "Make sure to heal him and don't let him commit suicide. Before sunset, I want to know everything about Zenit, especially the detailed information about Chambord."
"As you wish."
Pedro stood at the bow of the flagship and thought for a moment before commanding in all seriousness, "Pass my order! Tell the fleet in the back to accelerate and get on land in two hours. Then, instantly reorganize! Before noon, we need to push 50,000 kilometers into the territory of Zenit!"
"As you wish."
…
-The City of Behemoth-
Pig Clan Chief Altis led Fei and others to wander around this giant city.
After Great Priest Nash's introduction and Oleg offering all kinds of delicious food and great liquor, Altis already treated these Chambordians as his close friends, and he told them everything he knew.
Through casual conversations and some intentional questions, Fei already figured out the power structure in the Behemoth Orc Tribe.
The Behemoth Orc Tribe that was living on the [Banished Land] had a giant population of about two billion people, including thousands of orc clans. Except for the City of Behemoth, there were more than 20 other giant cities on this continent, forming the zones for Behemoth Orc Tribe.
Based on factors such as the strength of individual warriors, population, and reproductive abilities, all clans were divided into four tiers, gold, silver, bronze, and iron.
The ten king clans were all gold-tier clans. Altis' Pig Clan had a huge population and was one of the 108 silver-tier clans. The Mouse Clan that Fei and others saw on their way here were weak and lived closer to the edge of the continent, but they were a bronze-tier clan due to their powerful reproductive abilities. The clans that didn't have strong reproductive abilities and combat strength but had unique abilities and features, such as many insect clans, were in the iron-tier. For example, there was the Butterfly Clan; all its members were exceptionally beautiful and gorgeous.
In normal circumstances, it was tough for iron-tier clans to survive in this cruel environment. As a result, they all became the affiliated clans of god-tier and silver-tier clans.
Taking the Butterfly Clan as an example, since its members were all beautiful women and handsome men, it was favored by the ten king clans. Its members were either maids and butlers in these powerful clans, relying on the king clans to survive. In fact, the members could even use interspecies marriage to guarantee the status of their clan.
Chapter 1018: Bishop Entus of the Beast God Palace (Part Two)
Of course, in the Behemoth Orc Tribe where bloodline and inheritance were crucial, the beautiful girls of Butterfly Clan could only be concubines; it was impossible for them to become the main wives.
Fortunately, behemoth orcs had the Beast God Palace.
The only god that the orcs worshipped was Beast God Rexxar, an invincible god during battles in the Mythical Era.
It was heard that Rexxar was the only god who was in the orc form out of all the gods, and it was him who gifted the orcs the power of totems, a type of energy that could rival magic energy.
This was crucial for the orcs since they had no talent in cultivating magic energy.
Of course, not all the orcs could obtain the power of totems, just like how not every human could be a mage. Only those figures who were born with insane spirit energy could obtain the power of totems, becoming the representatives of the Beast God. These people were referred to by the orcs as priests.
The simple-minded orcs were spiritual and had strong beliefs. Therefore, the Beast God Palace and the priests all enjoyed extremely high status. The Pope of the Beast God Palace had the authority to command the entire Behemoth Orc Tribe, and even the ten king clans had to be restricted and disciplined by the pope. As a result, all priests were well-respected by the orcs.
This explained why even though Great Priest Nash was also at peak Burning-Sun Realm, the high-tier clan chiefs such as O'Neal and Nowitzki all respected him.
Without exaggeration, it could be said that the Beast God Palace held supreme authority in the Behemoth Orc Tribe.
Pope Entus, the current pope of the Beast God Palace, was from the Fox Clan, and he had lived for close to 1,000 years.
In that bloody and tragic emigration 1,000 years ago, the previous pope had to battle a godly-king-level demon beast to protect the members of the tribe, and he was severely injured. Soon after arriving at the [Banished Land], he returned to the embrace of the Beast God. Before he passed away, he chose Entus of Fox Clan to take over the position as the pope through the godly selection process.
The new Pope Entus showcased his superior talent and abilities in the long time since then, and he worked diligently to make sure that the entire tribe could survive on this continent that had a terrible environment. He earned the respect from all orcs, and even the ten haughty king clans showed respect to this pope of the Beast God Clan.
To the weak iron-tier orc clans, Entus was their spiritual pillar and the biggest reliance for survival. When this farsighted pope came into power, he proposed the idea that the ten king clans had the responsibility to protect every orc clan, and he wrote this phrase into the Godly Code in the Beast God Palace.
Due to this proclamation, thousands of iron-tier clans were protected and barely survived.
In the last 1,000 years, the orcs stayed at the [Banished Land], yet not a single clan went extinct. This record was a miracle in the history of orcs.
After 1,000 years of giving and hard work, the life energy of this great fox-man was almost depleted. Now, it was heard that Pope Entus already turned from that handsome, godlike young man into an aging senior.
In the last while, various bad rumors were passed around the City of Behemoth. Some rumors said that in order to seek the future of Behemoth Orc Tribe, Entus used his core energy to perform totem prophecy, and he was severely injured by the backlash of Heaven for touching the forbidden zone.
Now, this pope couldn't live for long.
Chapter 1019: The Mysterious Pope (Part One)
Under the Beast God Palace, the most powerful forces were the ten king clans; they were the top ten clans among all clans, and they had a ton of authority. Every single gold-tier clan had many affiliated clans, and the gold-tier clans and their members had the most powerful strength. They were the top-tier combat forces of Behemoth Orc Tribe.
In normal situations, they enjoyed all sorts of privileges and took in resources from low-tier orc clans. However, when the affiliated clans were in danger, the king clans must help with the situation and save them.
Among the ten king clans, Tiger Clan and Lion Clan were the most famous.
Except for the private soldiers of each clan, the Behemoth Orc Tribe rarely had mixed troops as the military. Once there was war, the battles were fought with the clans as units.
"In reality, our Pig Clan is very strong, and we have a large population which is only less than clans that are overpopulated such as the Mouse Clan. However, we are ranked as a silver-tier clan. This is truly unfair!"
On the way, Altis completely showcased the intelligence of a pig and continuously murmured.
Fei only smiled as he listened and didn't pay much attention to it.
In most times, the king's attention was attracted by the various strange things in the City of Behemoth.
In fact, the deeper they were into the city, the more shocked Fei was.
In the city, he saw things such as the sewage system, traffic lights, crosswalks, and even 'traffic police'. These things only existed on Earth and in Chambord! On the way, the group walked by structures such as schools, markets, and prisons. From the building style and their names, they were almost all replicas of everything from Earth.
It was truly unimaginable!
Fei started thinking to himself, "Could it be that in the last 1,000 years where the orcs were trapped in the [Banished Land], their genes mutated, and they walked onto a path of science and technology?"
While walking around the city, looking at the buildings, and hearing Altis' mumbling introductions, Fei was shocked again and again.
Even people like Torres, Pierce, Drogba, and Oleg looked surprised.
The City of Behemoth brought them a very familiar feeling.
Many things in this city were similar to Chambord City, and these Chambordians were curious.
In their minds, many buildings and names were genius creations of King Alexander, and they were unique on the Azeroth Continent. As a result, many other kingdoms and empires were stunned and tried to mimic them.
Right now, Chambord City was the pearl of civilization in the Northern Region of Azeroth, representing progress and vision.
"However, this City of Behemoth built on the poor and backward [Banished Land] has many things that are similar to Chambord City?" people like Flatterer Oleg thought to themselves and wondered if a saint who was comparable to King Alexander was also born in the Behemoth Orc Tribe.
"These are all the creations of Pope Entus." After Fei tried to get an answer by asking some indirect questions, Pig Clan Chief Altis told him everything, "In the beginning, orcs including the ten king clans were unsure of these strange ideas of His Holiness. Many orcs were curious, and some even said that they were useless tricks. However, it was later proven that Entus His Holiness is the greatest genius of the Behemoth Orc Clan. These seemingly random creations completely transformed the lives of orcs, allowing us to survive and live well on this forgotten land."
Chapter 1019: The Mysterious Pope (Part Two)
Whenever he walked about Pope Entus of the Beast God Palace, respect and a sense of pride would appear on Altis' big pig face even though it looked a little unfitting.
After walking for a while, Altis smiled and pointed at an extremely clean and spacious building before saying mysteriously, "I bet that you don't know what this clean palace is for, haha!"
"Public washroom," Fei said lightly.
"Huh?" the Pig Clan Chief was stunned. "You… how come you know? And you know the specific term for it?"
Flatterer Oleg laughed proudly and said, "The public washrooms in Chambord are in the same style as this building. They are just bigger and more luxurious!"
"Oh, I see. It seems like you humans are a little smart." This pig-man's words instantly offended all Chambordians.
However, Altis was simple-minded and didn't think that far, and he continued to speak, "In the beginning, many orcs were confused by the project; they didn't know why the tribe is using so many resources on building many public washrooms. They thought that it was a waste of limited resources and manpower. However, Entus His Holiness was persistent and pushed through all objections, building more than 10,000 public washrooms like this in the 20 plus giant cities of orcs. Later, everyone realized the benefits. Orcs no longer defecated on the street. As a result, the bad smell was gone, the air is fresher, the cities are cleaner, and many deadly, contagious diseases disappeared. On top of all this, Entus His Holiness proposed using the waste from the washrooms as fertilizers for the crops, and we started getting a lot more food! Although it is a little disgusting to use those things as fertilizers, many orcs were starving to death on this land that has a poor environment. As long as we can get full, no one cared about those minor things!"
When Altis got to this point, he summarized with pride, "This is only one of the many miraculous things that Entus His Holiness had done. Without question, in the last 1,000 years, Entus His Holiness was the true savior of behemoth orcs. He is a god who is living among us, and no one can surpass his greatness."
Pierce, Drogba, and Flatterer Oleg all curled their lips in disdain, and they thought, "This is nothing! Our great King Alexander had done all the stuff that you said, and he even did it better and more comprehensive compared to this pope of yours!"
Fei only frowned and didn't say anything, but the confusion intensified in his mind.
A thought that he didn't even have faith in appeared in his mind more than once.
In reality, the king couldn't wait to meet this pope of the Beast God Palace who had been beloved by the orcs for the last 1,000 years. He was curious as to who this legendary fox-man was, and how this man did all this.
Everything that this pope had done was what a traveler from Earth would do!
"Could it be that this pope of the Beast God Palace is also a traveler from Earth? This is too bizarre!" Fei quickly rejected this hypothesis again.
While wandering in the City of Behemoth, the king paid close attention to everything around him and observed everything in detail.
Suddenly, a cute, fist-sized green bird flew down from the sky and landed on Pig Clan Chief Altis' shoulder. Then, it quickly chirped and said something.
"Alexander Your Majesty, the nobles of the ten king clans and the priests of the Beast God Palace want to meet you. They are waiting for you in the Beast God Palace," Altis said.
"Ok, please take us there. I'm looking forward to this meeting."
[TL Note: What do you guys think is happening?]
Chapter 1020: More Stories About the Pope (Part One)
Walking along the path by the river, Altis took Fei and others toward the Beast God Palace by taking a shortcut.
All kinds of buildings stood by the path.
"Wahaha! [2 Bamboo]! Calling Mahjong!"
"Damn! You have [3 Bamboo] and [4 Bamboo]! False Mahjong! How dare you?"
"Stop the BS! I called Mahjong! Quickly give me the money! What? Do you want to deny me my money? I will kill you!"
When passing by a two-story building, Fei heard an orc of the Bull Clan shouting in joy, and a series of chatter followed. The crisp noises sounded like many small rectangular tiles were being knocked into each other, and it startled Fei, almost making him drop to the ground by the river.
"WTF? Damn! These orcs… are playing Mahjong? They are really playing Mahjong?" Fei thought to himself.
[TL Note: Mahjong is a tile-based game that was developed in China during the Qing dynasty and has spread throughout the world since the early 20th century.]
"Haha! These things are fun! For real, you can never anticipate the charisma of those small tiles…"
Seeing the shocked expression on Fei's face, Pig Clan Chief Altis said proudly, "Since the [Banished Land] lacked entertainment, many orcs had nothing to do at night and focused their attention on reproducing. For a while, the orc population skyrocketed. It should be a good thing that represented the prosperity of clans, but problems soon appeared. The resources on the [Banished Land] are limited, and the land couldn't supply enough food to feed so many orcs. Later, a great famine struck, and clans fought each other. Even tragic scenes such as orcs eating orcs appeared. Therefore, Entus His Holiness proposed the idea of family planning. In order to solve the key issue of a lack of entertainment, His Holiness created many novel and interesting things such as this thing called Mahjong. Of course, there are basketball, soccer, volleyball…"
"DAMN!" Now, Fei was at a loss for words. He was almost 100 percent sure that this so-called Pope Entus of the Beast God Palace was also a traveler from Earth.
Otherwise, even if a native fox-man were the most intelligent person in the world, he couldn't create so many things that only existed on Earth and only in Fei's memory. There couldn't be so many coincidences
Now, Fei couldn't wait to see this pope of orcs.
It felt like a man who was traveling the world suddenly met someone from his hometown. Fei couldn't help but feel intimate toward this mysterious pope and want to talk to him.
On the way, they passed by many totem poles.
These poles were carved out of a type of stone that was extremely firm. Complex and mysterious patterns were engraved onto the poles, and they could attract the weak natural elements in the area.
Also, the totem poles released light elements into the city, maintaining the climate and environment. These totem poles were the reason that the cities were much better than other places on the [Banished Land], and they had defense and protective abilities, which was similar to the magic towers in the human cities.
These are all the mysterious powers of the totems of orcs.
While the Pig Clan Chief praised the pope and talked, the group walked for about half an hour and got to the edge of a giant green stone square.
"We are here. The Beast God Palace is here," Altis said.
"Huh?" Fei and others were all surprised. They thought that since the Beast God Palace and Pope Entus were highly respected and held extreme prestige, the Beast God Palace should be the grandest and the most majestic building in the City of Behemoth. However, the empty square in front of them was the complete opposite of the scenes that they had imagined. They had thought that majestic palaces and statues would stand everywhere, many priests would be walking around, and elite orc soldiers would be patrolling the area.
Chapter 1020: More Stories About the Pope (Part Two)
"The unparalleled Beast God Palace is only a big square with some tents?"
It seemed like Altis already anticipated everyone's reaction. This pig-man laughed and pointed at a giant fur tent at the back of the square that looked a little worn-out, and he said, "That is the residence of Pope Entus His Holiness. Right now, the chiefs of the ten king clans and the priests and shamans of the Beast God Palace should be waiting for you. Please!"
After saying that, Altis led the way and walked forward.
In not too far, they saw Great Priest Nash who was standing by the edge of the square. He was smiling, and he quickly greeted them when he saw them.
Seeing the smile on Nash's face, Fei guessed that things were going smoothly.
"Although the ten king clans have questions regarding the alliance with Chambord, Entus His Holiness seems to be really interested in Your Majesty after hearing our report. Everything isn't finalized, but there shouldn't be any problems," Nash whispered into Fei's ears.
The king nodded calmly; everything was within his expectations.
If this legendary pope of orcs were also a traveler from Earth, he would be interested in Fei for sure after hearing about Chambord.
Fei looked around and observed.
There weren't many orcs on the square, but they were all-powerful. The orc soldiers were at least at Moon-Class, and they looked to be the private soldiers of the ten king clans. They should be the guards of the clan chiefs who were here for the meeting.
The square was about five kilometers on each side. Except for a few hundreds of totem poles that were 20 meters tall, there were only a little over 20 tents that looked worn-out and full of patches.
Also, some priests who were in leather robes could also be seen from the edge.
"The Beast God Palace sure is thrifty and efficient," Fei sighed.
Great Priest Nash instantly commented with respect, "These are all Entus His Holiness' decrees. His Holiness has always been against being wasteful. The ten king clans planned to construct a giant Beast God Palace and a Pope Palace, but the projects were all canceled under Entus His Holiness' objection. The resources that were meant to be used to construct those projects were used to build public washrooms, sewage systems, schools, and sports fields in all the giant cities of orcs. Entus His Holiness said that it is Beast God Palace's responsibility to bless the subjects. Priests and shamans shouldn't be in fancy palaces and looked up to by the people. Instead, we should live frugally and frequently go to remote places on this land and educate the poor clans, bringing the light of Beast God Rexxar to every clan! Therefore, these mobile tents are the best residences for priests and shamans. Even Entus His Holiness would live in different cities of orcs each month, and he used the precious power of totems to heal orcs and get rid of natural disasters. Even the iron-tier clans would be blessed by His Holiness' meticulous care and blessings."
On the way, Altis had told Fei and others many things about Entus. However, now hearing this, they instantly respected this pope of orcs a lot more.
"If this is the case, Pope Entus is a saint and is on the same level as King Alexander," every single master of Chambord thought about this, and they greatly respected this legendary fox-man.
"We are here," Great Priest Nash said when they arrived at a tent that was made from old fur and dry aspen wood.
At this moment, more than a dozen powerful orcs of different clans walked out of the tent. With caution, they blocked Fei and others' path with their tall and muscular bodies which formed a wall.
Chapter 1021: Snake Beauty (Part One)
"They are Entus His Holiness' most loyal followers. All of them had been helped by His Holiness, and they volunteered to follow and protect His Holiness. They are the bravest warriors of the behemoth orcs."
While Great Priest Nash explained that to Fei, he said to the followers of the pope, "Guys, these are the honorable guests who Entus His Holiness wants to meet."
These followers all came from different clans. There were 23 of them, and they came from clans such as the Centaur Clan, Bull Clan, Tiger Clan, and Lion Clan. The weakest one among them was at peak Half Moon Realm, and there were also nine low-tier demi-gods. Besides, the blond tiger-man and the red-haired lion-woman emitted a level of aura that Fei couldn't even see through.
The overall strength of this team of followers was shocking!
If they were on the Azeroth Continent, they could create a level 7 empire at least.
Fei felt like he had to re-evaluate the strength of the Behemoth Orc Tribe.
The red-haired lion-woman, who had a shocking level of strength, observed these Chambordians for a while, and she pointed at Fei and slowly said, "Only he can enter. Also, he must take off his weapon, cloak, and storage rings."
"How dare you!"
"Reckless!"
Oleg, Pierce, and Drogba all shouted, "How dare you be so rude toward our lord? Hmph! Even when His Majesty goes to the godly palaces of the Holy Church, he never took off his weapon and belongings. Your request is too rude and offensive!"
The followers of the pope didn't reply; they fell silent and block the entrance of the tent with cold expressions.
Suddenly, the atmosphere was a little heated and combative.
Fei waved his hand and signaled others not to worry. Then, he took off the cloak that covered his head, handed the storage rings to Torres for safekeeping, and allowed the red long-haired lion-woman to scan him with spirit energy.
After not discovering any magic storage items, this lion-woman told others to wait patiently, and the followers moved out of the way and let Fei pass through the entrance.
Unfortunately for them, they didn't know that Fei's belt contained storage space, and the king's main weapons were never kept in storage rings but were equipped on his characters in Diablo World. He could easily summon the things that he needed with a thought.
On top of all that, the king could summon those peak Burning Sun Realm barbarian warriors. With such a powerful force, the king didn't need to worry about safety.
"So, humans actually look so good. This man can rival those gorgeous males of the Fox Clan and Butterfly Clan."
The red long-haired lion-woman probably was still young, and she thought like a teenage girl. When she whispered to her peers such as the blond tiger-man, what she said was picked up by the king who had insane spirit energy. Therefore, the king subconsciously glanced at this muscular lion-woman who should be a great beauty under the standards of orcs, and he laughed in his mind.
"Human, what are you looking at!" The lion-woman detected Fei's glance, and she blushed and shouted.
Fei curled his lips and didn't respond. Instead, he opened the curtain before him and entered the tent.
Chapter 1021: Snake Beauty (Part Two)
Just as Fei expected, this tent that looked worn-out from the outside was actually a spatial item, similar to Akara's little purple tent in Diablo World. The only difference was that this spacious tent wasn't empowered by magic but the power of totems.
The space inside the tent was huge, not smaller compared to the square outside.
A mystical carpet was laid on the floor, and it was extremely soft. The interior decoration made this place look like the interior of a solemn godly palace, and it was simple, ancient, and grand. Although it wasn't luxurious, it was dignified. The faint silver light that was radiating from the walls made people feel comfortable and calm.
The stone pillars in the palace were carved into various orc warrior statues. This seemed to be an advanced totem technique, supporting the giant internal space.
As soon as Fei stepped into the tent, he sensed various cold glares landing onto him at the same time. They were filled with different emotions such as confusion, curiosity, judgment, and doubt.
More than 20 orcs who had been waiting here all stared at Fei.
Although these orcs were from different clans, their presence and attire were more prestige compared to orcs who Fei had seen at other places in the City of Behemoth. Most of them were wearing cotton clothes that were meticulously made and precious fur coats or metal armor and carrying well-polished and maintained weapons.
They all looked dashing, and their strength was on average at peak Burning Sun Realm.
If Fei didn't guess wrong, these orcs were the clan chiefs and high-level nobles who had great power and privileges in the tribe.
Fei glanced at these prestigious nobles and looked toward the depths of the palace.
Unfortunately, the stone chair that was furthest away from the entrance was empty. It should be Pope Entus' seat, but for some reason, this legendary fox-man wasn't here.
"Hey, are you that human king who Little Nash mentioned?"
A half-human, half-snake beauty of the Snake Clan broke the silence. While she twirled her long green tail, this snake beauty moved close to Fei and carefully observed him in curiosity.
"Tsk, tsk. I'm Jankovic, the chief of the Snake Clan which is one of the ten king clans. Handsome Boy, I'm pleased to meet you."
If only paying attention to the top half of her body, this snake beauty was stunningly gorgeous. Her fair skin looked as smooth as jade and emitted a faint light, and her fluffy and curly long hair rested on her shoulders. Her delicate collarbones, watery eyes, cute nose, bright lips, and smooth forehead all made her look exceptionally exotic and beautiful, intoxicating others.
This snake beauty's charm was on another level! Under her beauty, even her long green tail looked pretty.
After being shocked by her beauty for a split second, Fei suddenly realized something.
He slightly backed away and released his vast spirit energy. With that simple move, he instantly shattered this mythical atmosphere.
When Fei looked up again, although this snake beauty was still gorgeous, she no longer made others wanting to instantly kneel before her dress and be taken by her seduction.
It was clear that this snake beauty mastered an enchantment technique, and she could lure any male.
However, Fei's spirit energy was too powerful. With a thought, he instantly broke this secret technique with ease.
[TL Note: LOL, finally something happened. The author did spend many words on the build up.]
Chapter 1022: The Observation of the Ten King Clans (Part One)
The other masters of the gold-tier clans watched this scene and were shocked.
"Hahaha! Jankovic, you coquettish snake! You failed this time!" a strong man who was at least ten meters tall laughed and gloated; it sounded like a series of thunders rumbled in the tent.
This man had light-green skin, and his bulging muscles looked like they were carved from stones. He looked like a violent battle beast, and the horn on his forehead and his tough body told Fei that this man was a master of the Green Rhino Clan, which was one of the ten gold-tier clans.
This man was straightforward and said everything on his mind. Just as expected, he was from the clan whose members had the least amount of intelligence.
After Fei broke her technique, and the green rhino who lacked intelligence teased her, Beauty Snake Jankovic didn't get angry. With a gentle smile on her face, Jankovic raised her arm and placed it on Fei's shoulder.
Then, while winking, she teased Fei by saying, "Hehe, I didn't expect this. You are a 'little white face', but you have some strength. It seems like not all humans are timid and lustful."
"I heard Nash say that your human kingdom is very wealthy and resourceful. There is an endless supply of iron, great wine, honey, and silk… it truly makes me envious. Little Brother, how about we talk about the trade? If you can provide armor and metal sabers to our Snake Clan, hehe, we have many beauties like me in our clan. If you can help us, you can pick anyone. You can even choose me. I'm still a virgin."
This beauty snake was truly terrifying. She was extremely charming, and her moves were coquettish and alluring. With her slender waist, watery eyes, and faint fragrance, she was like a fire that could melt any male. All men would go crazy over her.
Although Fei wasn't a virgin anymore, he still had issues resisting Jankovic's seduction.
As the king slightly frowned, he sent out a hidden energy wave in a flash and knocked this beauty snake's hands away. Then, he smiled and said, "I'm here to talk about the alliance between Chambord and the great Behemoth Orc Tribe. If we do establish the alliance, Chambord can provide armor and weapons to the Snake Clan for sure."
"You sure don't understand a woman's heart, but you are not bad. Little Guy, you passed the first test."
As soon as this beauty snake said that, her aura suddenly changed. She turned from a coquettish and seductive woman to a solemn, noble, and ethereal woman. Then, a powerful sensation appeared on her, making her turn from a call girl to a pure goddess.
This sudden and drastic change presented a huge visual shock, and Fei almost bit his tongue off.
At this moment, this beauty snake seemed to be the real Snake Clan Chief who was one of the most powerful masters in the gold-tier clans.
Seeing this, other orc masters nodded in secret.
Since Fei first walked in, these masters had been observing him. Beauty Snake Jankovic's flirting was one of the ways that they came up to test Fei.
In honesty, the nobles of Behemoth Orc Tribe were extremely interested in establishing the alliance with humans. If humans were now as great as Great Priest Nash claimed, and the stories that they heard about Chambord were true, allying with the Chambord Kingdom was in the best interest of the orcs, especially for the gold-tier clans such as the ten king clans.
However, Pope Entus of the Beast God Palace had a famous quote. "Be not afraid of godlike enemies, but only scared of pig-like teammates."
Chapter 1022: The Observation of the Ten King Clans (Part Two)
Before these orc masters could determine if the King of Chambord were a god or a pig, they were cautious toward the idea of the alliance. After all, in many legends and stories that were told in Behemoth Orc Tribe, humans were described as beings filled with creativity, intelligence, and power. However, they were also known for their greed and violence.
Therefore, these orc masters had to test the character, demeanor, and strength of this leader of their potential ally before deciding on this issue.
Fei's series of behaviors and actions made most of the high-level nobles of the gold-tier clans like him.
Also, Fei unleashed a little bit of his strength to shake off Beauty Snake Jankovic's hand. The power showcased in that split moment surprised many orc nobles.
Of course, these were far from enough.
"I heard Nash say that you are not only the honorable King of Chambord but also a talented and powerful warrior. I, Green Rhino Clan Chief Pippen, want to have a practice battle with you," the giant master of Green Rhino Clan who spoke to Jankovic earlier stated his name and brought up this idea to Fei. It was clear that this green rhino didn't come up with it himself; someone must have taught him this.
However, Fei was never afraid of any battle.
Just as the king was about to open his mouth and accept the challenge, a master of Bull Clan who carried a huge saber on his back suddenly walked out of a side gate in the depths of the palace. He looked like one of the pope's followers.
After glancing at the king, he said in his loud voice, "Entus His Holiness wants to meet this honorable guest first. Clan chiefs, can you let the guest enter the back palace first?"
"Of course! There is no issue about it!"
"Entus His Holiness is being too polite with us!"
"That is good! Is Entus His Holiness feeling better?"
The orc nobles and masters weren't displeased when they were interrupted. Instead, they all nodded passionately and were excited.
Fei could tell that these influential and powerful orc nobles of the gold-tier clans weren't acting and putting on a show to get on the pope's good side. Instead, it was a high level of respect and admiration that came from the bottom of their hearts. It was evident that they loved and admired this pope.
It seemed like people such as Pig Clan Chief Altis and Great Priest Nash of Fox Clan were telling the truth. This pope of the Beast God Palace had the highest reputation and prestige among the orcs. Even the most influential figures at the top of the power pyramid in Behemoth Orc Tribe respected him.
"I will battle you after you meet Entus His Holiness!" the green rhino-man patted his chest and said in excitement.
"Alright."
Fei accepted the challenge and walked through the back door at the depths of the palace by following this follower of the pope.
After going through this door, Fei realized that he was now only at the middle palace.
There were more than a dozen followers from different clans, and they looked at Fei with alertness and caution. After doing the inspection, they led Fei to the last gate at the back of the palace.
"Entus His Holiness is in here. He invited you to enter alone."
Fei took a deep breath before pushing open the door and walking inside.
Chapter 1023: Unbelievable! (Part One)
To be honest, before Fei entered the back palace, Fei had thought about this scenario thousands of times. He wondered what this pope of the Beast God Palace looked like.
"Is he going to be a white-haired, majestic-looking, and noble fox-man? Are his eyes going to be filled with wisdom and vicissitude?
"Is he going to be an ambitious hero who is hiding in stealth and looks dominating and commanding?"
"Is he going to be an old man who dresses simply and looks genial, worrying about and looking out for the orcs?"
"Or is he going to be a slender fox-man who stands tall and is considerate?"
All in all, after hearing the descriptions and stories that people like Nash and Altis told and seeing everything in the City of Behemoth, the king was very curious toward this pope of the orcs who might be a traveler from Earth, and he was anticipating the meeting.
However, when Fei entered the back palace, he realized that all his guesses were far from the truth.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
A series of crisp and familiar noises sounded, waking up the portion of Fei's memory that he had sealed for a long time.
Looking ahead, Fei discovered that the back palace was quite large.
However, the decorations and setup in the back palace made Fei feel like he was back on Earth. The walls were painted white, and many electric lights were installed on them. The blue sky and white clouds were drawn on the ceiling, and a living-room-like space was not far from the entrance. There were a few couches and a tea table, and a LED TV was hung on the opposite side of the wall. Under the TV was a short cabinet, and there were gadgets like DVD players. Around the room, there was an air conditioner, a computer desk, a desktop-style computer, an iPad…
Many things that should never exist in this world appeared in front of Fei, and the king felt like he was dreaming.
A crisp noise sounded from one side of the back palace, and Fei's eyeballs almost popped out of his eye sockets.
There was a young man who looked to be about 20 years old standing further away. He was wearing a white tank-top, a pair of floral shorts, and a pair of Nike sports shoes.
At this moment, this young man was waving a tennis racket and playing tennis in an exquisite tennis court.
On the other side, there was an extremely beautiful woman. This woman had an insane figure and was very sexy. Her long blonde hair looked like a waterfall, and she had a pair of wings that looked like that of a swan. Every time this beauty moved, her chest and butt would bounce alluringly, and she was playing tennis with this young man with a joyous expression on her face.
"Oh yeah! An s-ball! Not bad! Saintess Sharapova, your tennis skill improved again!" This university-student-like young man shouted using the common language during the Mythical Era.
"Your Holiness, you went easy on me!" This beauty of the Swan Clan replied in a cute voice.
While the ball went outside the court, both turned and saw Fei who just walked in.
The beauty of the Swan Clan understood something, and she bowed at Fei from afar before walking out of the back palace with a smile.
Now, only Fei and this university student were in this space.
"Hey, what are you waiting for? Why don't you come here and play a match?" this university student smiled and suggested before throwing a racket to Fei.
As if he were struck by a bolt of lightning, Fei froze on the spot.
The king heard this young man use Mandarin!
This young man spoke authentic Mandarin with a Beijing accent.
In more than three years, this was the first time that such language sounded by Fei's ears. Therefore, the king stood there in a daze and didn't react after a while had passed.
All the answers to the speculations and guesses appeared at this moment.
"Ok, let's have a match," Fei responded using Mandarin which he had almost forgotten.
At this moment, the king didn't know how to describe his feelings.
After several years had passed, Fei thought that he had forgotten about his past life. However, he suddenly saw these extremely familiar items in this back palace, and the distant yet clear memories instantly rushed into his mind like flooding water.
When he lightly grasped the tennis racket, Fei suddenly had the impulse of wanting to play tennis to his heart's content.
Chapter 1023: Unbelievable! (Part Two)
Without needing any more words, the two entered the court and started to battle.
The dense noise of the tennis ball hitting the rackets sounded in the spacious back palace, just like the sand rapidly leaving an hourglass.
This university student's tennis skill was excellent! Even though Fei was a member of the tennis team in his school, he was no match for this young man after not practicing for years. They played three matches, and Fei lost all of them.
Since the king controlled and restricted his strength, he was sweating perfused and became exhausted after playing tennis for a while.
Now, Fei was lying down on the court and breathing heavily.
The university student took out two glasses of water from somewhere and handed one to Fei.
"Are you Pope Entus, the 1,000-year-old saint whom other orcs talk about?" Fei finally asked this question after finishing the glass of water.
"Hehe, it is me."
This university student looked extremely young, and he was bright and open. He looked just like a pure and naïve big boy.
However, when this young man spoke, he had a 'dirty' smile on his face. At that moment, Fei sensed an illusion and felt like everything was a dream, and the person sitting on the ground to the opposite of him was one of his 'dirty' dormmates in his university.
"I'm surprised that I can see these things in here," Fei sighed and said, "Let's get back to the topic. How did you come here?"
"Hahaha! Don't get sentimental first, and don't ask too many questions. I can't tell you much at the moment. To make sure that you are the person who I'm waiting for, you must first respond to my phrases correct according to the agreement from 1,000 years ago," Entus laughed out loud.
From what this young man had said, Fei picked up some sensitive and hidden messages.
"Listen up carefully, these are some important and golden antithetical couplets. Only the person who I'm waiting for will know it. Hehe." Entus didn't have the aura and the presence of the pope of the orcs, and his smile got even 'dirtier.' He said loudly, "The first one! In terms of adult videos, you've got to first recommend Japanese and Korean ones. You got to respond, quick! Quick! Quick!"
"Puff!" Fei spat out all the water in his mouth and coughed non-stop. After a while of being at a loss for words, he responded, "Of course you have to check out Mutou Ran."
[TL Note: These are all famous internet poems in China, and almost every young man knows about them.]
"Hahaha! Great! You sure didn't disappoint me. Listen up! Here is the second one. If you don't know about Mutou Ran…"
Fei replied, "Watching all adult videos is a waste of time."
Entus said, "Even if you know about Mutou Ran…"
Fei replied, "Not watching adult videos is also a waste of time."
Entus said, "It is very natural to watch adult videos."
Fei replied, "You don't need to know about Mutou Ran."
Entus said, "I don't know about Mutou Ran."
Fei replied, "Didn't you just live 100 years for nothing?"
Entus said, "I only got to know about Mutou Ran today."
Fei replied, "You need to borrow 500 more years from Heaven."
…
The two each said a sentence after the other, and they spoke in correspondence with the original poem.
After they were done, they stared at each other in a daze. A while passed by, and they cried and cheered before hugging each other. They were so warm toward each other that it looked like they were long-lost blood-related brothers who were seeing each other for the first time today.
"Homie, it has been 1,000 years! I finally met a real living human! I have been living with these orcs forever! Do you know how hard I had it?" Entus cried and almost wiped a handful of snot onto Fei's body.
"Yeah! In this world, there are full of savage barbarians! Without computers, Weibo (similar to facebook), QQ (similar to Whatsapp), and adult videos, life here is like Hell!" Fei replied to Entus.
"Sob, sob, sob. You got it good! You became a king right after coming here! I need to become a conman and pretend to be a holy pope! It is even harder than passing CET-4 and CET-6! It is f*cked up!" Entus said.
[TL Note: CET stands of College English Test. In China, many students have a hard time passing this and couldn't graduate.]
"What do you know? I somehow took over the body of an idiot! I almost got killed by someone from the beginning…" Fei replied.
"Sob, sob, sob. Can you let go of me? Your arms are hugging me too tight. It hurts!" With tears on his face, Entus struggled for dear life.
Fei was at a loss for words again.
Chapter 1024: I'm About to Die (Part One)
After acting crazy for a while, Fei and Entus changed their clothes and walked into the living room beside the tennis court.
They sat on the couch with their legs crossed, drank freshly-made juice, and started communicating and talking non-stop.
"Never even in my dreams did I think that I can meet a homie like you in this world," Fei said, "I thought that after I traveled to this world, I had to say goodbye to Earth forever."
"On the contrary, I have been waiting for this day," Entus said with slight sadness, "Damn it! I waited for 1,000 years!"
"Damn son! Could it be that you knew from a long time ago that I would come here?" Fei asked with great curiosity.
Entus nodded and said, "To be honest, I sometimes wished that time could pass by faster so that this day would come earlier. This way, I can have someone who can understand what I'm saying and play tennis with me. You are the only person in this world that can understand what I'm saying when I talk about Doraemon, Transformers, Saddam Hussein who got hung, and potential places where this b*stard Bin Laden is hiding. Of course, we can also talk about the essence of Japanese adult videos and… However, when this day came for real, I'm a little reluctant to give up."
[TL Note: You can tell that this book is old since Bin Laden wasn't killed yet. Also, you may already guess that Japanese adult videos are big in China.]
"What do you mean by reluctant to give up?" Fei asked with a smile, "Now, I'm here! You wish is granted, right?"
Entus looked at Fei in all seriousness and said after a moment of silence, "Now that you are here, I'm about to die."
Fei was shocked. After seeing that Entus didn't seem like he was joking, the king asked in confusion, "Die? How come? You still look young, and you don't have any signs of illness and disease…"
Entus didn't respond right away. After a while, he replied, "Fate had already planned all this. Nothing can be reversed. Now that you are here, it means that my mission here is done. Me staying here would become meaningless… Stop, don't ask why. Soon, you will know everything about this."
Fei opened his mouth already, but he didn't know what to say.
This topic was quite heavy.
The king thought for a moment and changed the topic, and he smiled and said, "From what we talked about so far, it is clear that we are from the same generation. How come you already lived in this world for 1,000 years? According to time, China was still in the feudal period 1,000 years ago. You should be someone from that era!"
Entus laughed and replied, "You should know that temporal magic exists in this world. For those beings who are on the highest level, it should be quite easy to make two souls who are from the same world and the same generation to descend on this land 1,000 years apart."
Fei patted his head and instantly realized that he asked a stupid question.
"It seems like 1,000 years didn't change your looks. At least right now, you are still young." Fei continued to change the topic.
"This is one of the benefits that that existence granted me. I can live for exactly 1,000 years, and I can maintain my health and energy. I will always be energetic and won't get sick in these 1,000 years."
"Oh, oh. Forever young? This is an alluring benefit. So, are these items apart of the travel benefits as well? Things like LED TV, computer, iPad, and air conditioner?" Fei was extremely envious.
Chapter 1024: I'm About to Die (Part Two)
"Hahahaha!" Entus laughed proudly and said, "I created all these things myself. They looked like the real deal, but they are only for show. Take a look at it yourself…" Entus passed the iPad to Fei.
After getting ahold of the iPad, Fei instantly started to sweat.
It was a dummy replica that was carefully engraved from a mysterious material. It looked exactly like an iPad on the surface, and it seemed to contain some power of totems and was glowing by itself. However, it only looked like an iPad and had zero functionality.
It seemed like things such as LED TV, computer, and air conditioner were all similar items.
"I had to live in this primitive world for exactly 1,000 years. Therefore, I had to find some ways to entertain myself. These are all items that I carved out when I was bored. Although they can't be used, having them in my room will at least help me recall some of the things on Earth. This way, I won't become a poor bug who completely forgets about the past. Sometimes, when I woke up from my dream, I would feel like I'm still on Earth after seeing these things. Even though the joy might be momentary and short-lived, I was still happy," Entus said with some sadness.
"You seem to reminisce about your past life," Fei asked in slight surprise, "Why don't you open your mind and accept this world? This is also a fascinating world, and you are the supreme pope of the billions of orcs. You can get anything you want, and you have absolute power. Isn't this a good life as well?"
Entus lightly shook his head and said, "I had a great family. My parents loved me, and my little sister is great as well. I was about to graduate from university, and I had already found a job that I liked. I also had a pretty girlfriend. My standards aren't high. A calm and enjoyable life is all that I want. Unfortunately, a car accident took me out of that world forever. It took all the beauty of life away from me."
"Then, your soul traveled to this world, and you became a fox-man and then the pope of the orcs?" Fei wanted to know how Entus came to this world. If others didn't see the white fox tail behind Entus, no one could tell that he was a member of the Behemoth Orc Tribe.
"It wasn't like that. I first met a mysterious existence. He told me that even though he can't revive me, he could give me 1,000 years of life and another extremely thrilling journey. For a plan to be successfully executed, I need to set the path and complete a historical mission. You know the rest of the story already. I then became a priest of the Fox Clan. After the last pope of the Beast God Palace died, I became the new pope," Entus said with a smile. His words revealed too much information.
"A mysterious existence? A plan? Set the path? A historical mission?" Fei obtained a lot of information that was uncertain, and his mind was in a mess.
"Eh, he was a supreme existence. Even in the current Azeroth Continent, including the God Clan and the Demon Clan, no one is more powerful and noble than him. However, I don't know his exact identity. I'm only sure that he is at least above the level of godly king and at the level of supreme god. In terms of the plan, I don't know too much about it. My mission was only to become the pope of the Beast God Palace and help this savage tribe that lacked knowledge survive on the poor [Banished Land], allowing this tribe to return to the Azeroth Continent after 1,000 years."
Chapter 1025: Long Talk (Part One)
At this moment, a lightning bolt seemed to have flashed in Fei's mind, and it lit up something. However, Fei tried hard but couldn't capture the string of information that dashed by.
After thinking for a while, the king could only sigh and give up. Then, he asked, "You came to this world, became the pope of the Beast God Palace, and saved the fallen behemoth orcs. Could it be that the supreme god who talked to you values the information in your head that came from the information explosion era? The information that is far beyond this world? It is strange. According to what you said, since that existence is a supreme god, he should have unlimited power. Then, he can protect and shield the orcs himself; why would he need anyone else?"
Entus sighed and said, "I asked him the same questions 1,000 years ago, and the answer I got was that he encountered a terrifying enemy, and he was in a sticky situation. He didn't have time to care for behemoth orcs. All the forces on his side crumbled, and he was severely injured and couldn't live long. Also, the reason that he found me was that there had been a prophecy; only the souls from another plane have the chance of defeating the enemies."
After saying that, Entus paused for a second before continuing with a self-mocking tone, "I don't know if you believe that, but I do. In this magical world, sometimes things like prophecies are f*cking accurate and bizarre. Once a prophecy is made, you have to treat it as the truth. Haha! The beings in this world, including supreme gods who could do anything, believe in such things."
"That is true." Fei nodded. The king agreed with this point whole-heartedly.
Fei said, "On the Azeroth Continent, there are many prophecies, and their origins couldn't be traced. However, many people believe in them, and the outcomes and events that occurred later all proved that these prophecies are true. The good thing is that the existence who chose you didn't make the wrong decision. You have completed your mission; the behemoth orcs have survived on this land that lacks resources. In the last 1,000 years, this tribe didn't disappear, and you became the saint that every orc looks up to. You have supreme prestige in this tribe. After seeing what I have seen in the City of Behemoth, I have to admit that you did it much better than me."
"Hahaha! Nash also told me about everything that he saw in Chambord City. If you stayed in this world for 1,000 years, you would have done more than me." As Entus said that, he laughed and continued, "Alright, we don't need to flatter each other. I heard that your strength reached an extremely high level, and you are one of the young lords on the Azeroth Continent. I'm quite envious of you."
Since they were on this topic, Fei's interest was piqued. He asked, "You are the prestigious pope of the Beast God Palace, and you have lived in this world for close to 1,000 years. You should be extremely powerful. How come I…"
"How come my strength is so low, and I'm only stronger than a normal person, right?" Entus calmly smiled and said, "For some reason, after my soul attached to this body of a fox-man, I was disappointed by the fact that I can't cultivate warrior energy or control magic energy. In other words, I'm a wastrel who can't use the most popular forms of energies in this world!"
Fei was surprised at first and quickly thought about himself.
"After I traveled through space and time, I also can't cultivate warrior energy or use magic energy. If it weren't for the golden finger which is Diablo World, I would also be a wastrel. I wouldn't be able to achieve any success in the path of Martial Dao and breakthrough so many barriers."
"Could it be that this phenomenon is related to traveling between different planes?"
Chapter 1025: Long Talk (Part Two)
"The bodies that souls from another plane attach to will become insensitive to both warrior energy and magic energy?"
"Or… is this only my hypothesis and not real?"
It was clear that Entus didn't notice Fei's expression, and he continued, "Fortunately, I have a special ability that no other orcs had. I can use the power of totems endlessly. Haha! Before I traveled to this world, I was one of the top ten singers in my school, and I dominated many karaoke competitions. Singing is a piece of cake for me. After I came to this world, I discovered that my singing would trigger the effects of orc battle songs. It is truly mysterious. This is how I'm able to sit on the seat of the pope of Behemoth Orc Tribe."
After saying that, Entus casually hummed a few tunes from the song, Wandering Child, that was written by the famous singer in China, Chen Xin.
As soon as he started humming, streaks of golden light flew out of his mouth. These streaks of light contained mystical energy, and they carved out the symbol of a complex totem on the ground as if they were invisible carving knives.
Then, streaks of powerful and terrifying energy fluctuation flowed out of this symbol, and Fei sensed strong danger even though he was a top-tier master.
It was a terrifying method.
Fei had seen Great Priest Nash use an orc battle song to carve different symbols of totems via sound waves. Nash was one of the ten great priests in the Beast God Palace, and he was already a demi-god. However, he couldn't do it as casually as Entus who looked like he poured a glass of water.
Entus' ability was miraculous and godlike.
Although Entus didn't have magic energy and warrior energy, and his physical strength was extremely weak to the degree where a One-Star Warrior could kill him, he had a group of powerful followers and the ability to freely use the power of totems.
With everything considered, even Fei might not be able to defeat such a monster.
"Your ability sure is shocking," Fei praised wholeheartedly.
"It has been 1,000 years, and I finally waited long enough for you to come here. That existence told me this; when a person from the same place that I'm from appears in this world, my mission would be over. Then, behemoth orcs would have to return to the chaotic Azeroth Continent to redeem their former glory." Entus looked at Fei with unprecedented relief on his face, and he said, "Next, you will protect the fate of Behemoth Orc Tribe."
"Me?" Fei heard Entus' words and felt like this young man was saying farewell. The king quickly replied, "I don't have your level of prestige. For the orcs to return to the Azeroth Continent and occupy a place in that chaotic world, only you can command such a great number of orcs who are simple but are capable of violence and destruction."
Entus sighed and said, "Didn't I already tell you? I can only live for 1,000 years. Now, my life is coming to an end. The Beast God Palace will have a new pope, and it is going to be you."
On top of being shocked, Fei quickly shook his head and said, "That is impossible. I'm a human; how can I become the pope of Behemoth Orc Tribe? Besides, you are full of energy and vitality. You are in your prime right now. How…"
"Are you trying to comfort me?" Entus smiled and said, "You should know that it is already strange for me to live for 1,000 years since I don't have any cultivation strength. Therefore, even if I die right now, everything would be within reason. A supreme god planned our fates, so there is no way that this can be off."
Chapter 1026: Hey, Don't Die! (Part One)
Now hearing that, Fei didn't know what to say.
This wasn't the encounter that he expected. He finally met a homie who was from the same plane as him, and their personalities matched. After talking for a while, Fei now had to face a forever goodbye. Therefore, the sadness and reluctance that he sensed were all-natural.
"What? You are not willing to let me go?" Entus' 'dirty' smile shined on his face.
Instead, this pope of the Beast God Palace tried to comfort Fei, "I actually don't need to stay here any longer. I have already lived on this magical and mysterious world for 1,000 years! Haha! Do you know what that means? The Beast God Palace doesn't have that many laws and restrictions. You are right. I have control over billions of orcs, and I can get whatever I want. In the last 1,000 years, I had slept with more than 10,000 beauties and saintesses of Behemoth Orc Tribe. Haha! I enjoyed my time here. You know, Swan Clan, Butterfly Clan, Fox Clan, Wolf Clan, Bird Clan… all these clans have various exotic beauties. These beauties are either cold, passionate, noble, and proud. However, regardless if they are members of the god-tier clans or iron-tier clans, these beauties are eager to give themselves to me since they see it as a great honor. If I didn't go against everyone's suggestion and abolished the pope's right of sleeping with a noble virgin every night, haha, I could have spread my seeds throughout this plane."
Fei almost spat out a mouthful of water again.
"This guy…. Actually…"
"If his followers and the gold-tier clan chiefs outside this palace know about Entus' real personality, their belief in the Beast God Palace will collapse, right?"
"I ventured deep into the Metal Desert in the center of the [Banished Land], and I killed demon beasts in the True God Realm. I traveled deep into the ocean and collected all kinds of precious treasures. With the great power of totems, I split the land and created rivers for irrigation, and I flattened out mountains and created cities for the orcs. By instilling the orcs with new ideas, I changed the lives and behaviors of behemoth orcs. Even in our previous world on Earth, who else can rival me? In the human history on Earth, who else controlled a race for close to 1,000 years and achieved such milestones? The First Emperor of Qin? Wu Emperor of Han? Hehe, in front of me, everything that they did is like child's play. Sleeping with the most beautiful women, eating the most delicious delicacies, fighting the most powerful enemies, enjoying the supreme prestige, doing the most shocking things, pushing the impossible reforms, changing a tribe that has a population of billions… hahaha! Who can rival me in terms of accomplishments? Anyone in your mind?" Entus stood up and laughed.
At this moment, Entus showcased a level of dominance and supreme arrogance that suited the presence of the pope of the Beast God Palace. Even people like Emperor Yassin and Emperor Juninho couldn't compete with Entus in terms of aura and presence.
Fei nodded in silence.
Everything that Entus said was true. Entus had lived for close to 1,000 years, and he could use the insane power of totems and had insane followers and believers. Such a ruler was surely unparalleled compared to anyone on Earth. At least the emperors and kings in the ancient times on Earth couldn't be compared to Entus in terms of lifespan and individual strength.
"You sure are the biggest winner in life!" The king was a little envious of Entus' life.
Entus sat down and laughed, "Therefore, I have enjoyed everything there is in the world. Even if I die now, I don't really care. The only regret that I have… If I could choose again, I would rather not have these 1,000 years of fascination and instead want to live my calm life of less than 100 years on Earth."
Chapter 1026: Hey, Don't Die! (Part Two)
Fei couldn't really understand Entus in this aspect; his background and life experience were different compared to that of Entus.
Fei was an orphan; his parents both died in a car accident before he was aware of his surroundings. There was nothing that Fei was really attached to on Earth. However, in this world, he had beautiful wives, loyal subordinates, and docile pets. Fei had found a home in this world.
"I already spread out the message. I said that I used a forbidden totem technique to have a clearer vision of behemoth orcs' future, and I was greatly punished by Heaven. Now, almost every orc knows that my life is coming to an end. Therefore, behemoth orcs will calmly accept my leave. Then, everything will be yours. In this era, you are the only protagonist. You are the Chosen One who can tear open the black screen that covers the origin of chaos," Entus said calmly, "The plan that was created from more than 1,000 years ago is working now. The most chaotic yet most fascinating cycle is about to begin."
Fei shook his head and said, "Even if this is all set by a supreme god, nothing is unchangeable. I will find a way to extend your life. If the so-called cycle is real, I will need you to stay and help me."
However, after hearing Fei's words, Entus suddenly got angry for some reason.
"Enough. With so much said, you still don't understand? I'm only a spare tire! I'm like a spare tire to you and already lost the qualification to become the protagonist. Why would you want to reverse all this? Is my life more important or all the fate of billions upon billions of beings on Azeroth more important?"
[TL Note: Spare tires is a Chinese slang that means fallback guy (or girl)]
"The fate of Azeroth?"
Fei heard something from Entus' words, and he asked, "You must know now, right? What kind of plan is this? What kind of cycle is this? What is the connection between me and the fate of Azeroth? Who are you? The fact that both of us traveled to this world from Earth isn't a coincidence, right? It is all planned, no?"
At that moment, Fei vaguely felt like he grasped onto something. But like observing flowers through a layer of mist, the king couldn't see exactly what was going on.
"You don't have to worry about that much. When you obtain enough strength one day, you will understand everything," Entus said with a smile, "I have one last request. You have to remember my real name. On Earth, my name is… Zong Dajun!"
After seeing that, Entus slowly closed his eyes, and his body fell backward onto the couch powerlessly.
Fei was startled.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Don't die! You can't die just now! Don't die! Hey, don't scare me! If you die like this, I can't explain anything to others. Your followers will think that I killed you." Fei quickly patted Dajun's cheeks.
The king thought to himself, "If this man dies here, the Behemoth Orc Tribe will go crazy! What happens next will be unpredictable and hard to manage."
"Hey, what are you talking about? I'm only a bit tired, and I need to close my eyes and rest." Dajun opened his eyes and didn't know if he should laugh or cry. He said, "You know that I'm only a bit stronger than ordinary people if I don't use the power of totems. After playing tennis and talking with you for this long, how can I not be tired? Damn! After all, I'm an old man who is close to 1,000 years old. When one gets old, the body can't be as strong and vigorous!"
Fei was at a loss for words.
[TL Note: LOL, who would you rather be, Fei or Entus?]
Chapter 1027: Tragic Battle (Part One)
When the military of Barcelona pushed about 1,000 kilometers into the territory of Zenit, they faced strong resistance coming from Zenitians.
Under the protection of guards, Pedro stood on a tall hill and looked at the battlefield further away. The battlefield was filled with dust, and shouts and metal-colliding noises sounded non-stop.
Pedro frowned; he never felt like things were going his way while venturing into Zenit.
Although the military of Barcelona destroyed a portion of the navy forces of Zenit at the harbor of Byzantine, Barcelona suffered several times the casualties.
What was more frustrating and infuriating?
When these Barcelonan soldiers finally got on land, their eyes were all red, and they couldn't wait to slaughter Zenitians and rob all the treasures. However, they were all greatly disappointed. The Royal City of Byzantine was now already empty. No one was in the city, and no valuable items were left behind. Not even a chicken could be found in the city, and many chicken feathers floated in the streets.
Byzantinians already emptied out everything in this city.
For a moment, Barcelonans had trouble looking for doors that could be easily turned into equipment for carrying the injured soldiers.
Although King Constantine of Byzantine was captured and tortured by all kinds of terrifying machines and methods for a full day, this man didn't reveal any useful information as if he were made from metal.
In the end, even the jailers who were torturing Constantine almost collapsed.
These people had never seen someone as tough as this man. Constantine's body was destroyed, and then mages healed him back. Afterward, the King of Byzantine was severely injured again before the cycle continued.
Even the gods couldn't endure such cycles of pain. Now, these Barcelonans suspected that this little king's body wasn't made of flesh but something else.
"What kind of power and belief are supporting him, making him endure all this?"
At this moment, even Pedro felt a little admiration toward Constantine.
Since it was truly useless, the interrogation and tortures stopped.
After a short rest in the Royal City of Byzantine, the troops of Barcelona quickly reorganized and dashed deep into the southern region of Zenit through the roads that Zenit built. These murderous and arrogant soldiers of Barcelona imagined themselves to be vicious tigers in a herd of sheep. They thought that they could directly charge into the belly of Zenit, defeating all Zenitians who dared to put up a fight.
However, these soldiers who were from the self-claimed No.1 Super Empire of Azeroth were underprepared for the war, and they suffered great casualties again.
The first collision between the troops of Barcelona and Zenit that happened on land occurred about 200 kilometers away from the Royal City of Byzantine.
About 2,000 Barcelonan soldiers in the vanguard troops were ambushed by a troop in the southern region of Zenit, and about the same number of soldiers were in this troop. Also, [Black Pearl] and [Cyclops] that had disappeared suddenly showed up. Under the attack from both front and back, the reinforcement troop of Barcelona showed up one hour later and could only bury the corpses of their comrades.
The damn Zenitians didn't only take away the corpses of their own comrades. They also stripped all the weapons and armor from the dead Barcelonan soldiers and left behind about 2,000 naked corpses.
Then, while pushing forward, the troops of Barcelona faced an unexpected level of resistance.
Although the loss was within the acceptable range, being raided and harassed again and again was beyond annoying. After pushing forward for about 500 kilometers, Pedro had to order all the troops to stay still and rest while he suspended the battle plan that he had made prior.
Most of the soldiers in the troops were from the [Sea God's Spear], and they were all soldiers in the navy; they weren't great in battles on land. There were about 60,000 of them, and their equipment was top-tier. The main battle legions for ground combat were being transported on the ships in the back of the fleet, and they were just arriving at the Royal City of Byzantine.