Chapter 1045: Path to Becoming A God (3) (Part Two)
"You are quite smart; you are about 80 percent correct. However, it is billions of times higher than an ordinary godly realm. How can an ordinary god create a world that could allow a powerless mortal to become a demi-god? Do you think you can kill monsters and level up in every godly realm? Haha! Stop asking these types of questions. You will soon know everything. Next question."
Fei pouted in displeasure.
The answers that this mysterious voice provided for these two questions were vague, still leaving out a ton of mystery and suspension.
"Ok, let me think. Third question; why did you choose me? Why did I come to the Azeroth Continent? Why do I have Diablo World?"
"It is not us who chose you. You chose yourself."
"What do you mean?" Fei frowned.
"You will soon figure it out. All of these won't be questions in a little longer."
"Damn! The same answer again. What is the use of this answer? It is no different from not knowing anything." Fei couldn't hold back and said, "I need to know everything right now."
"…"
"Tell me."
"…"
"Alright, you are the boss," Fei sighed and knew there was no way that he could force this cold and mysterious voice in his mind to reveal the information that it didn't want to.
The king continued to ask, "Then, can you tell me where I'm special compared to others. How come I'm the only one who can see and absorb the floating mystical energy?"
"Hahaha! Special? Of course, you are unique. How can mortals be compared to you? Even the gods and demons can't be compared to you. It is only normal that you find yourself different from everyone else."
"Damn! I'm actually so overpowered?" The king's vanity was greatly satisfied, especially since it was said by the mysterious voice in his head. After being happy for a while, he continued to ask, "Then, can you tell me why am I so awesome? Am I the love child of the God of Creation?"
"What did you say? The love child of the God of Creation? Hahaha! So funny! Say it again! Hahaha! You are killing me. You will soon be ashamed of what you just said. Hahaha!"
It seemed like the mysterious voice had a low-tolerance for jokes. Just from what Fei said that didn't seem funny, it laughed hysterically. If this voice had a body, Fei imagined that snot was even falling out of his nostrils due to laughing so hard.
After a while, this voice finally stopped laughing.
With a dark expression, Fei said, "Are you done laughing? I will continue asking questions then. What is this world connected to the purple teleportation portal? What is it? And why is it connected to Diablo World? Is it special as well?"
"Eh, great. You finally asked the proper question. Just like what you guessed before, this beautiful and peaceful world is the reward for passing Diablo World with all seven of your characters. Also, it is the craziest and most unimaginable reward that you ever got. You just haven't figured out its use yet." The mysterious voice got serious again.
"The biggest reward? What is it for?" Fei seemed to have realized something.
"Since you figured it out now, why are you still asking me? Haha, you are right. It is a perfect and complete godly realm. It is a world that even makes supreme gods jealous. After obtaining this world, you don't need to spend endless time to condense a low-level godly realm. You can instantly leap up and become the most powerful being in this world!" the mysterious voice sounded proud, and its tone contained unconcealed temptation.
Chapter 1046: Path to Becoming A God (4) (Part One)
"But how can I get it? I tried many times, but I didn't find any connection between us." Fei was extremely confused by this.
"It is simple. It is because you haven't refined it yet."
This time, the mysterious voice didn't hide anything, and it tried to explain as patiently as possible. "This is the greatest godly realm since the creation of the world, and we call it the [Primal Godly Realm]. Once someone grasps it, that person will become the ultimate existence. It is the last gift that we prepared for you, and it is the final weapon to fight against those devils. If you want to refine it, you need the power of faith. Right now, you can't sense the connection between you and the [Primal Godly Realm] since you haven't controlled the power of faith."
"Oh, I see." Fei suddenly thought back to the strange phenomenon that occurred when he placed the power of faith into the [Anti-Mage Realm], and he asked, "Could it be that the power of faith only disappeared because this [Primal Godly Realm] absorbed it? Nothing went wrong with my cultivation?" While saying that, Fei suddenly realized something as he said in surprise, "Huh? Did you say something about fighting devils? What devils?"
The mysterious voice automatically ignored Fei's last question and replied, "You are right; that is what happened. Since you already have the [Primal Godly Realm] which is like a miracle on its own, why do you need to condense your own small world like mortals? Besides, your strength didn't come from regular cultivation like other people. In reality, you can't condense divinity and become a god with their methods."
Fei nodded subconsciously. He had guessed about these things, and he finally confirmed his hypothesis with the mysterious voice.
Suddenly, the king thought of another question, and he asked worryingly, "Since I didn't get my strength through the ordinary way, will it disappear one day? After all, it is the power that the gaming world endowed on me."
"Haha! Don't worry about that. First, the power that you have obtained all belongs to you; it will never disappear. Do you think that the experience points that you obtained in Diablo World are just a bunch of boring data? It is the primal godly power that even godly-kings would be jealous over! The process of you killing monsters is a special way of cultivation and absorption of the primal godly power before using it to strengthen your body. Also, you will soon find out that this power is yours. You are just on your path of reclaiming it."
"What? Experience points are primal godly power? Reclaiming my own strength? What is going on?"
Fei was confused by all this.
"You will soon find out." The mysterious voice seemed unwilling to answer this question directly. After a short pause, it said, "Listen, your power of faith is enough to refine the [Primal Godly Realm]. Now, listen up and memorize the method of refining this world. This is extremely important, and you can't stop once you begin the process. If you make any mistake or are interrupted during the process, you will lose the privilege of inheriting the [Primal Godly Realm], and your strength will only stay at peak Demi-God Realm forever."
Hearing the seriousness in this mysterious voice's tone, Fei grew solemn as well.
After inhaling and concentrating his focus, adjusting to his prime state, Fei nodded and said, "Ok, let's continue."
"Listen carefully. If you want to refine the [Primal Godly Realm], you need to…" The mysterious voice wasn't fast, and it recited everything word for word.
Chapter 1046: Path to Becoming A God (4) (Part Two)
Fei had the miraculous skill – [Learn], so he was able to memorize everything he heard and saw. While listening to the mysterious voice, he entered that mystical state of epiphany to sense the power of faith.
The king slowly moved the power of faith that was coming to him from all directions into this endless and beautiful [Primal Godly Realm].
Once Fei truly inherited the [Primal Godly Realm], it would be the equivalent of leaping into the sky from the ground in one step. He would have completed the condensation of divinity and the opening and perfection of his godly realm. With those two big steps completed, his strength was going to transform into something unimaginable.
Soon, Fei entered a mysterious state; he couldn't sense anything. He forgot about the flow of time, about who he was, and about everything around him. His mind was purely concentrated on refining the [Primal Godly Realm].
…
-The Azeroth Continent, the Zenit Empire, St. Petersburg-
Commander [Red Beard] Granello of the Imperial Patrol stood before the watchtower on the southern gate of the city, and he was under an indescribable pressure.
The dense red and blue flags of Barcelona, the endless campsites of the military of Barcelona that stretched to the horizon, and the chilly lights that were reflected from the forest-like weapons… all those added together were like giant mountains weighing down on Zenitians' minds.
This scene seemed quite familiar.
About a year ago when the Ten-Empire United Troops including the forces of Leon Empire invaded, they also sieged all the way up to the outside of St. Petersburg. It was the same kind of depressing scenes, and there were so many flags and weapons that it was truly endless.
However, today's situation was different. The enemy wasn't the Ten-Empire United Troops but the Barcelona Empire, the empire that was known to have the most powerful military on the Azeroth Continent.
If the Ten-Empire United Troops from a year ago were like homeless dogs that pressed onto the gate of St. Petersburg, then the Barcelonans descended in front of St. Petersburg like giant vicious black dragons that were spitting flames. The difference between the two was like the gap between heaven and earth. It was hard to imagine how Zenit could survive under the attack of the giant dragons.
After thinking back to what happened in the last three weeks, Granello felt suffocated.
More than ten Full Moon Elites, a Sun-Class Lord, an amazing general who could rival Zenit's God of War Arshavin, a ton of advanced magic weapons and items from Chambord, more than 400,000 elite soldiers…
This force was enough to wipe through the entire Northern Region, but it couldn't hold against the invaders for more than half a month before being defeated and forced to retreat.
It took 28 days, six hours, and 54 minutes.
This was the time that Barcelona took to occupy the entire southern region of Zenit which was about ten million square kilometers, kill more than 200 million Zenitians, and defeat more than 400,000 elite soldiers. These numbers were shocking and brought desperation to the Zenitians.
Not long ago, Second Prince Dominguez defeated the troops of Barcelona with two battle legions and masters of Chambord, killing five young Full Moon Elites of Barcelona and almost slaying the famous General Pedro who graduated from La Masia Royal Military Academy. For a while, Zenitians were hopeful toward the war.
However, facts proved that all hopes were only beautiful dreams.
After the Barcelonans were hammered, they woke up from their arrogance and put down their ego and pride, treating this as an official war instead of child's play.
Zenitians' defeat came faster than anyone expected.
Chapter 1047: The Sun in the Darkness (Part One)
Granello still remembered how shocked, disappointed, and terrified he and the soldiers who were patrolling on the defense wall of St. Petersburg were when the defeated troops of Zenit appeared on the mountain not too far from St. Petersburg.
Then, St. Petersburg fell into a state of panic and chaos that was unprecedented.
Out of more than 400,000 soldiers, fewer than 100,000 were still alive, and they were all injured.
Granello and his peers witnessed the defeated soldiers pulling back into the city, summing up their supplies, and counting casualties. They heard the whines of the injured and disabled soldiers and the cries of families who lost their fathers, husbands, sons, and brothers, and they also saw the severely injured and semi-conscious Second Prince and the wounded Old Aryang being carried into the Royal Palace to report the situation.
From that moment on, the entire St. Petersburg started moving like an insane spinning top out of fear and anxiety.
Sadness and panic engulfed the region.
Many elite soldiers in bright armor and high-level warriors in flashing warrior energy flames took control of every inch of the defense wall around St. Petersburg, and thousands of magic towers of all sizes started to operate at full capacity. The various runes and magic arrays engraved onto the defense wall started to blink, emitting powerful magic energy that made Zenitians feel a little bit safer. Many vicious-looking magic weapons that ordinary people had never seen before were pushing onto the top of the defense wall, and even the most powerful magic array, [Goddess of Earth's Protection], was activated as well. It created a yellow energy sphere around the city, protecting this ancient city that was hundreds of years old like a giant eggshell.
At this moment, the entire capital city was on lockdown.
This war was like a storm that showed no signs before it appeared and suddenly arrived at the time when Zenitians least wanted it.
In less than an hour before St. Petersburg finished the final preparations and defensive setup, the troops of Barcelona appeared on the horizon. Like a giant flood that was going to swallow the world and bring the doom, the Barcelonan soldiers rushed over to attack St. Petersburg's defense wall and defensive setups.
Later, Zenitians learned that more than 200,000 Zenitian soldiers sacrificed their lives to buy this half a day of precious preparation time for St. Petersburg.
This initial battle lasted a full day.
The powerful magic defense system and the lethal city defense tools that St. Petersburg possessed were immeasurably impactful. After paying the hefty price of the death of more than 60,000 elite soldiers and hundreds of Moon-Class Elites and the severe injuries on three Sun-Class Lords, Barcelonans had to temporarily stop the siege of this ancient city. After a demi-god tried and couldn't break open the [Goddess of Earth's Protection], they had to re-evaluate this ancient city.
This was Zenitians' first-time knowing that St. Petersburg possessed such strong defensive abilities.
Of course, only a few people including Granello knew that the magic defensive system of St. Petersburg was strengthened by the advanced mages of Chambord. It was heard that insanely powerful godly runes were even integrated into the system. Also, the vicious magic weapons that killed Moon-Class Elites of Barcelona one after another came from the arsenal of Chambord.
If the [Goddess of Earth's Protection] weren't strengthened and instead was on the same level as half a year ago, it would have been broken by the demi-god already.
Next, the Zenitians got half a day to reorganize and catch their breath.
After a quick rest, St. Petersburg was going to face the fierce and terrifying siege of Barcelona again. Many warriors and soldiers died in this battle like dandelion seeds that were flying away and disappearing. Like a giant, terrifying meat grinder, thousands of people were turned into meat paste at every second.
Chapter 1047: The Sun in the Darkness (Part Two)
During the battle, a mysterious demi-god of Chambord attacked more than ten times, and Emperor Yassin also showed himself in a dominating fashion. That was how St. Petersburg barely held on and avoided getting conquered.
Like a little boat that was rocking on the surface of the sea during a massive storm, St. Petersburg swayed around and could be swallowed by the vicious waves at any moment.
Last night, Granello finally saw Second Prince who just woke up from his unconsciousness and a few other generals who were in the southern region of Zenit. As a henchman of Dominguez, Granello finally learned about what happened in the southern region and what caused the situation to deteriorate even though there were more than 400,000 soldiers and many powerful warriors and mages.
"After severely injuring the enemy general named Pedro in the victory against Barcelona at Delun Hill, the reinforcement troops of Zenit which consisted of about 300,000 soldiers met up with us, and our supplies got stocked up as well. We were more confident in the upcoming battle. Besides, the Imperial Military Headquarters only wanted us to stall the battle and make Barcelonans waste some time in the southern region of Zenit. We didn't need to defeat them on our own. It seemed like Emperor Yassin His Majesty was planning a counterattack, and it required some time before it could be completed…"
"In fact, we did what we were supposed to do in the next ten days or so, and we were successful at it. The reinforcements of Barcelona were led by a commander named Alves, and he was troubled by Strategist Aryang's tactics and couldn't push forward since he lost all battles that involved more than 10,000 soldiers. After all, we have the numbers advantage as well as top-tier masters like Mr. Hazel Bank and Gold Saint Lampard. Besides, the Xuan'ge of Chambord coordinated with us from the air…"
"Later on, we discovered that a mysterious demi-god assassinated the masters of Barcelona more than ten times, greatly disrupting the enemy's setup. Everything was going according to plan, and Strategist Aryang even planned to take out all Barcelonan soldiers who arrived at the southern region of Zenit…"
"However, everything changed about two days ago. All the good conditions for us changed. Three people appeared on the side of Barcelona; three demi-gods."
"It was clear that Barcelona was prepared. They were bored with the battles on the same level, and they decided to crush all resistances with top-tier strength. The empire is the most afraid of this kind of blatant strategy. After the initial contact, the 400,000 soldiers were instantly defeated…"
"Strategist Aryang thought of everything, and it only allowed the troops to last for four more hours. Mr. Hazel Bank, that mysterious demi-god, and the two Xuan'ge worked together and barely stopped the three demi-gods of Barcelona from killing ordinary soldiers. Even Mr. Lampard was severely injured…"
"You should be able to guess what happened next. If it weren't for the masters of Chambord who protected us, Second Prince His Highness and most of the people here today would have died on the way back. Those soldiers of Chambord are true warriors. If the 400,000 soldiers of Zenit were like them, we would have killed the Barcelonan invaders. Unfortunately, more than half of the 500 elite soldiers of Chambord were severely injured or killed…"
"Strange. How come Emperor Yassin and Martial Saint Alexander didn't show themselves in such a battle?"
Standing on the defense wall, what Dominguez and other generals who survived and retreated from the southern region of Zenit talked about replayed in [Red Beard] Granello's mind. Although the talk was brief, Granello felt like the tragedy happened before his eyes.
"The Barcelona Empire is too powerful…. They are invincible!" Granello sighed.
"How can the empire survive through this? Can we really win this war? When the empire was in danger last few times, it was the King of Chambord who turned the tables and fought against all odds. King of Chambord, where are you now?"
For some reason, Granello instantly thought of Fei. It was like how a traveler in the darkness thought of the sun.
Chapter 1048: The Battle Between Demi-Gods (Part One)
Boom! Boom! Boom!
While Granello was in a daze, three streaks of powerful energy suddenly rose into the sky from the Barcelonan campsites. Like an ancient flood coming from the prehistoric era, the three streaks of energy dashed toward the defense wall of St. Petersburg.
Further away in the sky, three powerful figures appeared in red and blue, tight-fitting armor.
The three stood about five meters apart.
The person in the middle was about 1.9 meters tall, and he had a full beard. His skin was fair, and he was thin. He looked to be about 40 years old, and he was engulfed in burning green energy flames with a deep aura. Mystical light flashed in his eyes, and he looked to be the leader of the group.
The person to the left was shorter but looked much stronger. This man's muscles bulged and made him look like a dragon, and his beard looked tough like needles. He looked vicious, and his green, demonic eyes were filled with murderous spirit.
The demi-god to the right was about 1.8 meters tall, and he was also strong. His black hair was short and loose, and he looked silent and obedient. However, his aura wasn't weaker compared to his two peers.
The powerful energies came from them.
"It is them! The three demi-gods of Barcelona! Busquets, Alves, and Mascherano! The Barcelonans are finally going to use their hidden cards!" Granello instantly got nervous.
[Red Beard] looked around and saw that the Star-Level Warriors of Zenit on the defense wall were already pale-faced, and fear was written all over their faces as the three streaks of powerful energies rushed toward St. Petersburg.
The effect of top-tier masters was indescribable in wars.
Granello heard that the Fist Spiritual Spatial Seals that the King of Chambord left in the bay of Byzantine almost destroyed the herald fleet of Barcelona! The energy seals that a master like the King of Chambord left behind half a year ago could destroy a legion! It just went to show the terrifying power of top-tier masters! Even millions of ordinary soldiers couldn't block the thought of a top-tier master.
Of course, it didn't mean that ordinary soldiers were meaningless in wars.
The herald fleet of Barcelona only almost got destroyed since their commander was too careless. If their commander was a bit more intelligent, or if there were top-tier masters in the fleet who could detect the Fist Spiritual Spatial Seals, the fleet could break these seals or move around it.
Missions and miscellaneous tasks such as conquering cities, occupying the land, and suppressing rebellions had to be performed by ordinary troops.
Boom! Demi-God Busquets of Barcelona who was in the middle of the other two demi-gods raised his hand. A streak of green light flew out, smashing onto the [Goddess of Earth's Protection] that was shielding St. Petersburg.
Heavy shaking occurred, and Granello and everyone else felt like the entire city moved.
Everyone's heart jumped into their throats.
No one knew how long this yellow magic energy sphere that was strengthened by the mages of Chambord could last. Also, for every minute that this energy sphere was active, a ton of magic energy supply was used. Even if this energy sphere was tough, the magic crystals in the storages would eventually run out.
Without the energy shield, St. Petersburg would be like a naked weak woman in front of a tough man, and it would be bullied by Barcelonans at will.
Chapter 1048: The Battle Between Demi-Gods (Part Two)
"Counterattack!"
The ear-piercing siren sounded on the defense wall.
While the military officers shouted, the soldiers concentrated and operated the [Dragon Slayers], the magic crossbows that Chambord manufactured, shooting many giant arrows that were strengthened by semi-godly runes toward the demi-gods of Barcelona in the air.
However, these arrows that could each kill a peak Half Moon Elite were useless. Like toothpicks that were thrown at dragons, the arrows turned into smoke and disappeared when they got within 100 meters of the three demi-gods, let alone hitting them.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Busquets, the fair-skinned demi-god of Barcelona in the middle, continued to shoot out streaks of green energy, hitting the [Goddess of Earth's Protection] from different angles. The giant yellow energy sphere continued to shake violently, and each shake made Zenitians' hearts skip a beat.
"Damn it! He is looking for the weakness in this magic array." Granello suddenly realized this demi-god's intention.
Once this fair-skinned demi-god of Barcelona found the weakness of the [Goddess of Earth's Protection], the three demi-gods could concentrate their energies and shatter this energy sphere in the shortest amount of time possible. Then, St. Petersburg would be conquered for sure.
"What should we do? Damn it! What can we do?" Granello instantly grew even more anxious.
At this moment, the sudden change that all Zenitians were hoping for finally appeared.
Three streaks of powerful presence rose from St. Petersburg. Then, three light beams dashed across the sky and appeared outside the [Goddess of Earth's Protection].
While standing before the three demi-gods of Barcelona from afar, these three powerful masters emitted their powerful presences, guarding St. Petersburg behind them like three unclimbable mountains.
"It is Emperor Yassin His Majesty!"
"Mr. Hazel Bank!"
"Golden Lion Lampard of Chambord!"
The top-tier masters of Zenit finally showed themselves.
Many people who were anxious and afraid suddenly calmed down as if they found their spiritual pillar. Bravery and courage returned to Zenitian soldiers, and many people who had looked lost and confused became determined again.
[Red Beard] Granello was pleasantly surprised.
Emperor Yassin was invincible in many Zenitians' minds, and the other two masters of Chambord were associated with Imperial Martial Saint Alexander, so many people believed in them.
"However…" Granello looked at the current situation worryingly. Right now, Golden Lion Lampard wasn't a supreme master yet. Although it looked like the situation was a three-on-three battle, Zenit was at the disadvantage.
Further away, after Emperor Yassin and the other two appeared, they didn't say anything and attacked as fast as lightning.
Since Zenit and Barcelona were in a hostile relationship, it was either going to be the destruction of Zenit or the complete obliteration of the troops of Barcelona. Any talks would only be a waste of time.
The battle was instantly initiated.
Staring at the battlefield in the sky, Granello was extremely nervous. However, what he saw next almost made his eyeballs fall out of his eye sockets.
Golden Lion Lampard who was the weakest out of the six people moved first. He suddenly raised his hands, and two streaks of faint-silver flames flew out, turning into two spheres of light and quickly imprisoning the two demi-gods of Barcelona on the two sides into them.
"How is this possible? How? The two streaks of light both accurately hit the two demi-gods? What are these two streaks of silver light?" Granello was utterly shocked by what he saw.
Chapter 1049: Kill You in Three Strikes (Part One)
[TL Note: This is a 2-in-1 chapter, so 4 parts it is.]
As soon as Golden Lion Lampard somehow imprisoned Elves and Mascherano, Emperor Yassin and Hazel Bank attacked the fair-skinned Demi-God Busquets who was in the middle.
It was clear that the masters of Zenit prepared this strategy ahead of time. They planned to focus their attention onto one of the enemies and take him down, solving the issue of the disadvantage in power.
Emperor Yassin showed his strength without holding back. His index finger and middle finger came together as he pointed at the sky, and his realm appeared. A giant golden sword that was about 100 meters long dashed out of his fingers with a presence that could destroy the world.
Like a sword god, Emperor Yassin waved his fingers, and the giant sword pierced toward Busquets. The blade of the sword directly cut open the sky, and a black crack that was about 1,000 meters long appeared. That resulted in a terrifying suction force which seemed like it could devour everything in the world. The blade of this energy sword flashed as the sword was as fast as light.
Hazel Bank grasped in thin air and took out a giant, vicious-looking sickle. It had the unique suppression of a semi-godly combat weapon.
As the Undead Mage shook his arm, a faint-black energy permeated the air and formed a dangerous net made of lethal blade energy, enveloping Demi-God Busquets.
In a flash, this demi-god of Barcelona was in a dangerous situation.
Beside him, Elves and Mascherano were imprisoned in the faint-silver spherical prison, and they used their full strength and tried to break free after a moment of surprise.
The powerful energies of these two people created many white cracks in the energy prisons.
However, these two energy prisons were extremely tough. Although cracks appeared under the attacks of the two demi-gods, they didn't instantly break. The two demi-gods couldn't get out and could only watch as their peer fell into danger.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The terrifying energy collisions were ear-piercing as if the world was being destroyed.
The eye-piercing flames made everyone who was paying attention to this battle temporarily lose their sight. The broken giant golden sword, the shattered saber energy, and the green flames that were multiplying and being destroyed repeatedly formed a horrifying scene filled with both light and darkness. Then, a mushroom cloud floated into the sky as if a nuclear bomb went off, robbing away all the colors in the world. Like a mirror that was hammered, the bright sky suddenly shattered.
"Puff!" Busquets puked up a mouthful of blood and got knocked out of the chaotic energy explosion.
The tight-fitting red and blue armor looked dim, and most of it shattered. Busquets' pale face became even whiter, and a greyish-green color could be vaguely seen. It was clear that he was severely injured as his breathing became uneven.
Whoosh!
Another golden sword energy shot out of the chaotic energy explosion and aimed at Busquets' heart.
At the same time, Undead Mage Hazel Bank appeared behind Busquets, and the Death God Sickle drew a terrifying arc in the air, cutting toward Busquets' waist horizontally.
"Damn it!" Busquets was terrified.
Facing the continuous attacks of two supreme masters, Busquets couldn't get a chance to fight back. The green energy flames on him grew even larger, and he unleashed his realm, colliding with the realms of his opponents.
Chapter 1049: Kill You in Three Strikes (Part Two)
At the same time, Busquets used everything he had and tried to dash away from Emperor Yassin and Hazel Bank's joint attacks.
Such a dangerous situation was something that these three demi-gods of Barcelona had never imagined.
No one knew that Lampard who was the weakest out of all six masters had such unimaginable silver energy prisons, locking down two demi-gods and changing the situation.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Golden sword energies attacked Busquets from all sides, and the latter was like a doll that was being hit by bullets. He moved around in the sky and couldn't land on the ground.
At the same time, blood dripped down the Death God Sickle in Hazel Bank's hand.
Of course, the blood wasn't from the Undead Mage; it was from Busquets.
Although Busquets tried to dodge as much as he could, he was put into a disadvantage since the beginning, and he was facing two opponents who were on his level and had immense combat experience. Therefore, Busquets could only barely maintain his life and not die, let alone fighting back.
As time went by, Busquets was having a hard time moving. The Death God Sickle left many wounds on his body, and Emperor Yassin's golden sword energies got into his body and started causing destruction as well.
"Hahahaha! I'm one of the ten famous generals of a level 9 empire! How can I die in such a remote little empire? Damn it!" Busquets shouted angrily as blood dripped down from his eyes.
However, like a monkey who had fallen into a swamp, the more Busquets struggled, the deeper he fell into the trap.
Whoosh!
A golden sword energy hit Busquets on the chest, and it pierced into his green realm and made blood gush out of his body.
"Ah!" Busquets screamed and puked up a mouthful of blood, and his face turned faint-yellow.
Puff!
Hazel Bank appeared behind Busquets like a ghost, and the sickle slashed out horizontally, cutting open Busquets's lower back and severing the latter's spine.
Busquets was almost cut in half, and a ton of his blood that contained demi-godly power dripped down onto the ground, smashing down to create many deep and black craters.
"Hahaha! Die!" Hazel Bank was merciless, and he used murderous moves. The Death God Sickle turned into a streak of silver light and struck toward Busquets' throat, wanting to decapitate this demi-god of Barcelona.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At this moment, Elves and Mascherano broke out of their imprisonment, and they did something completely different from each other.
As if he didn't see Busquets who was in mortal danger, Alves shot forward and dashed toward Lampard in anger, wanting to kill this weak opponent who troubled them for so long.
On the other hand, Mascherano instantly helped Busquets. He reached out his hands and slapped forward, and two streaks of power of realm that looked like two giant orange mountains shot toward Hazel Bank.
The Undead Mage had to back away to dodge this attack. He couldn't expose his identity as an undead mage, and he was a mage, which meant that he couldn't take the full-force attack of a warrior. If he were hit, he would be killed.
Busquets finally escaped from death at this critical moment.
Chapter 1049: Kill You in Three Strikes (Part Three)
While still feeling scared, Busquets instantly backed away to Mascherano's side, and he glanced at Alves while anger and hatred flashed in his eyes. It was clear that he was angry over this peer's decision to not help him.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Golden sword energies flew all over the sky. Emperor Yassin didn't say anything and only opened his Realm of Sword at full force. Endless sword energies flew out like raindrops in a storm, rushing toward Mascherano and Busquets.
Undead Mage Hazel Bank also put away the Death God Sickle, and he changed his combat style. He chanted a series of spells, and a type of gloomy and chilly energy encircled him. Soon, this energy turned into many black spears, attacking the enemies from afar along with Emperor Yassin.
It was too unfortunate for Zenit!
If the silver energy prisons lasted a moment longer, Busquets would have been killed.
Now, with the help of his peers, Busquets could recover from his injuries and restore his combat abilities in about ten seconds after taking potions and getting other assistance. After all, the vitality of a demi-god was insane. Of course, the decrease in his core energy was a hefty price that he must pay.
Now, this battle finally wasn't as disadvantageous toward Zenit anymore.
On the other side, Alves was battling Golden Lion Lampard in anger and hatred.
Lampard was only at peak Rising Sun Realm, still a big level away from peak Burning Sun Realm. He should have no way of defending against a demi-god like Alves.
However, just before Alves got to Lampard, this warrior of Chambord suddenly activated his star power. Streaks of star energy visible to the eye descended from the sky and transformed into the image of a majestic golden lion. Then, this golden lion roared and dashed toward Lampard, turning into many pieces of light fragments before wrapping around Lampard's body.
When the golden flames disappeared, a set of fancy and beautiful golden armor appeared on Lampard.
The streamlined armor and the perfect components covered Lampard's entire body, corresponding with the stars in the sky and protecting the Golden Saint of Leo.
It was a power close to the level of realms as it contained godly power fragments.
Under the empowerment of such energy, Golden Lion Lampard who was a lot weaker compared to Alves grew so much that his aura was strong enough to rival that of a demi-god.
After pulling out his semi-godly giant black sword, Lampard's strength increased again. Instead of backing away, he dashed forward and battled Alves head-on.
"What? How is this possible?" Alves couldn't believe his eyes.
He wanted to instantly kill this weak Zenitian to vent his anger, but his opponent suddenly showcased such power!
"He is only a little warrior in Rising Sun Realm; how come he instantly have the power to rival me? Also, what energy is encircling him? How is it corresponding with the sky? More? A semi-godly combat weapon in the shape of a sword?"
Alves suddenly felt like he was supposed to kick a soft melon, but it turned out that his eyes fooled him, and he kicked a hard rock.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In just a few seconds, Lampard and Alves exchanged hundreds of strikes.
Chapter 1049: Kill You in Three Strikes (Part Four)
Alves' power of realm was invincible against warrior energy and magic energy before, but he didn't get the advantage when his power of realm collided into the thin layer of star energy around Lampard. Instead, it felt like he was at a disadvantage. This finding shocked this violent demi-god, and he looked gloomy.
Boom!
A series of loud explosions sounded from afar.
"Let's end it here!" Emperor Yassin sighed and stopped attacking after shooting out hundreds of sword energies.
Now that the battle got to this point, the two parties had similar strength. At least ten days or half a month was needed for them to battle it out, and that would be a waste of time. Besides, if the two sides got intense, St. Petersburg and everything around it would be turned into a living hell.
Busquets and Mascherano both stopped and pulled away.
"Humph! I won't kill you today!" Alves snorted and dashed away, but viciousness filled his green eyes.
"I will wait for you to come and kill me." Lampard was calm and didn't get angry over his opponent's provocation. He was as chilly as a piece of ancient ice.
Seeing that he had no opportunity to take, Alves back away to Busquets and Mascherano.
"I'm surprised that a little level 1 empire has so many masters! Your Zenit is indeed the No.1 Empire in the Northern Region of Azeroth!"
Busquets stared at Emperor Yassin and seemed to have forgotten that he was almost killed a moment earlier. Right now, his injuries had already recovered, but he depleted too much core energy, which was why his face was so pale.
Emperor Yassin stood in the air and only sneered, not caring to reply.
"However, even though you are strong, you are still quite far away from our Barcelona Empire. If you continue resisting, it would be no different from smashing an egg onto a hard stone. If you really anger Emperor Guardiola, Zenit's bloodline will end here," Busquets said earnestly, "Your Majesty is wise and far-sighted. Why don't you end the war here and become a part of Barcelona? With Your Majesty's strength and talent, Emperor Guardiola will value you. Even if you can't be like Mr. Lionel Messi who is above everyone but Emperor Guardiola, you will become one of the few most prestigious figures in our level 9 empire.
"Is Barcelona truly invincible? Even if gods are invading Zenit, we will fight to the death," Emperor Yassin replied with his hands behind his back.
"Your Majesty, aren't you really not going to consider our offer?" Busquets still tried to convince Emperor Yassin.
"The tens of millions of Zenitians who died in the southern region don't want to see their ruler bend the knee." Emperor Yassin's voice was as cold as ice, and his expression was calm. Suddenly, he smiled and said, "Also, I want to know how powerful the Barcelona Empire, that is rumored to be the No.1 Empire in the Western Region of Azeroth, is."
"Arrogance!" Alves snorted and said, "You are only the dumb emperor of a little empire. How dare you to be so reckless? I will let you understand what it means to die without having a grave to be buried in."
"I will kill you in three strikes if we are fighting one-on-one," Emperor Yassin said to Alves as he looked down at the latter, and his aura was pressing like an avalanche.
"You…" Alves was enraged. Just as he was about to attack, he saw the faint smile on his opponent's face, and he somehow felt cold. Like a bucket of cold water was poured on his head, all the courage in his mind vanished.
Chapter 1050: Queen of Radiance (Part One)
In the next three days after the battle between demi-gods and supreme masters, Barcelona didn't launch any threatening attacks toward St. Petersburg.
To prevent masters of Zenit from raiding them, the demi-gods of Barcelona set up Fist Spiritual Spatial Seals and protective magic arrays around the campsites.
All kinds of magic energy flames were flashing, emitting powerful auras.
As time passed by, more and more troops of Barcelona appeared around St. Petersburg.
As one of the most important figures on the side of Second Prince Dominguez, [Red Beard] Granello was staffed with crucial tasks. He was one of the people who were responsible for the protection of the city, and he looked out of the watchtowers on all four gates and calculated the number of enemies.
On the night of the third day, Granello estimated that about 300,000 Barcelonan soldiers had surrounded the city.
"The good news is that Barcelonans are being attacked by their mortal enemies, the Madrid Empire, in the Western Region of Azeroth, and the situation isn't good for them. Also, the Elf Clan that is in the West Region of Azeroth isn't peaceful. Therefore, Barcelona couldn't send more forces to invade Zenit, and Lionel Messi, the so-called No.1 Young Lord of Azeroth, can't come to the Northern Region. Otherwise, St. Petersburg would be in real danger!"
Granello gradually calmed down after thinking back to all the information that he got from the Imperial Military Headquarters and other channels.
Seeing the blood-red sun setting behind the mountains on the horizon, the soldiers who were guarding the defense wall felt even more suppressed with the appearance of darkness. Although these Barcelonan invaders didn't do anything for three days, everyone knew that it was only the calm before the storm. Once the battle resumed, it would only end with one side getting completely destroyed.
Just as Granello was about to leave the defense wall, a series of noises sounded from the western gate, and lights were all lit up.
"What is going on?" Granello was shocked, and he instantly sent elite soldiers of Imperial Patrol to check on the situation.
Soon, the soldiers returned and reported while kneeling on one knee, "Sir, Fourth Prince Chrystal His Highness is replacing General DiSanto who was the commander of the defense forces at the western gate. They are in the process of transferring authority and exchanging information. According to the tradition, the commanders guarding the eastern gate and northern gate have gone to greet the Fourth Prince. Sir, are you going to do it as well?"
"The Fourth Prince is now in charge of the defense of the western gate? How is this possible?" Granello was surprised and shocked.
Right now, even a beggar on the street in St. Petersburg knew that the Fourth Prince was good for nothing and could only act fancy. This young man loved fighting for power, was arrogant, but lacked any sorts of talent. He got the chance to lead a troop when the Ten-Empire United Troops invaded Zenit, but he was crushed in the southern battlefield due to his carelessness, and he lost the love from Emperor Yassin. From that moment on, he had been given the cold treatment and became an idle royal member.
"How come such a useless and clueless figure got the responsibility of guarding a city gate? Are the Imperial Military Headquarters and Emperor Yassin both confused and lost their minds? We are facing the Barcelona Empire, the empire that is rumored to have the most powerful military on the continent. How important is the duty of defending one side of the defense wall? Even those elite generals who had been through many battles would be diligent and wouldn't even take off their armor when taking quick naps. Letting the useless Fourth Prince guard the defense wall? If he makes a mistake that is utilized by Barcelonans, the entire city will become a living hell, and tens of millions of citizens will be turned into ghosts!" Granello thought to himself.
After thinking for a moment, he decided to visit Fourth Prince Chrystal.
Granello was one of the key figures on Second Prince Dominguez's side, and he didn't need to show the Fourth Prince any respect. However, this situation was too strange, and he had to check it out.
Chapter 1050: Queen of Radiance (Part Two)
-Royal Palace of Zenit, the Imperial Grand Palace-
"Your Majesty, are you comfortable letting Fourth Princess His Highness guard the western gate?"
In tight-fitting, black armor, Execution Knight Captain Akinfeev who was muscular and had sword-like eyebrows stood in the palace like a straight spear, and glints of confusion flashed in his bright eyes.
Emperor Yassin who was in a white royal robe stood at the back of the palace with his back facing Akinfeev, and he was looking at the map of the territory of Zenit. About one-fourth of the map was marked red; it was the southern region that Barcelonans took.
After staring at the map for about four minutes, Emperor Yassin sighed and turned around. He looked at Akinfeev and asked a question that had nothing to do with Akinfeev's question, "Igor, how long have you been with me?"
Without thinking, Akinfeev replied, "56 years, seven months, and 29 days. When Your Majesty was only the prince of a level 1 affiliated kingdom, I was accompanying you as a study buddy."
"Yeah, 56 years, seven months, and 29 days. Now thinking back, all those times flashed by in the blink of an eye." A rare dispirited expression appeared on Emperor Yassin's face as he continued, "I still remember that back then, you, me, Brother Doumbia, Brother Dzagoev… all nine of us were like real brothers, and we studied and practiced martial arts together when we were little. After we grew up, we battle alongside each other and killed enemies together. The people only know that I, Emperor Yassin, battled around the region and established the Zenit Empire, but they don't know that without eight brothers like you, how could Zenit exist?"
"Your Majesty is talented and invincible in the Northern Region of Azeroth. Other brothers and I are proud that we battled alongside Your Majesty," Akinfeev lamented while thinking back to the good old days. Unfortunately, those brothers whom they mentioned were all lying in their cold tombs.
"56 years have passed, and Doumbia and others have bled their last drop of blood for the empire and returned to the embrace of the stars," Emperor Yassin sighed and said, "Only you are still with me. You were like me when we were little, and you are the most talented out of my eight study buddies. All these years, I trust you more than my sons, and you control the Imperial Knight Palace, monitoring all officials and making sure that the empire is in peace. You deserve a lot of credit."
"It is my honor to serve you, Your Majesty." Akinfeev wasn't taking any credit for his work.
"We are only talking about what happened in the past. Don't be so formal." Emperor Yassin pointed at a chair beside him and said, "Igor, sit down and talk with me. About 20 years ago, Jolie passed away, and my third son disappeared, I… I almost died because of that incident as well. To recover my strength, I have been cultivating at every second, and I haven't gotten the chance to sit with you and talk about the past in a long time."
Akinfeev didn't know what to say. Queen Jolie was the only woman who Emperor Yassin ever loved. She grew up with Emperor Yassin and his eight study buddies, and she was a beautiful and smart woman. Although everyone secretly liked this woman, only Emperor Yassin who was a rare genius that wouldn't be seen once in hundreds of years deserved her.
It should be a fairy tale where a hero and a beauty lived happily ever after. After being married, Emperor Yassin and Queen Jolie loved each other, and Queen Jolie was kind and gentle toward all officials and citizens. All nobles and civilians loved her, and she was known as the Queen of Radiance.
Queen Jolie only gave birth to one son, and he was the Third Prince.
Unfortunately, not long after the Third Prince was born, a big change happened in the empire, and Emperor Yassin fell from his peak and almost died. In that incident, Queen Jolie passed away, and the Third Prince went missing.
This incident cut deep into Emperor Yassin's heart and couldn't be healed.
Chapter 1051: Past Events (Part One)
Emperor Yassin was extremely sad at that time. Even many years after that incident, he never mentioned Queen Jolie, and others didn't dare to mention the name of Queen of Radiance, afraid that it would trigger the unhappy memories in the emperor's mind and bring tragedies to themselves.
Ever since that incident, the beautiful and kind Queen of Radiance and the missing Third Prince all became forbidden topics in the Royal Palace, and others tried their best to avoid those topics.
However, everyone knew that Emperor Yassin has never forgotten the Queen of Radiance. After that incident, the position of the queen was always empty.
Although other concubines gave birth to the Elder Prince and the Fourth Prince and a mysterious woman who had never been to the Royal Palace gave birth to the Second Prince, and while Emperor Yassin liked all three of his sons, only a few of the people closest to Emperor Yassin such as Akinfeev knew that this genius emperor who dominated the Northern Region of Azeroth liked the missing Third Prince who he has never met before, the most.
Back then, Emperor Yassin was in his prime and unrivaled, and he went to execute a plan with his henchmen such as Doumbia right before the Queen of Radiance gave birth. However, Emperor Yassin got schemed against by others; he was severely injured, and other seven henchmen including Doumbia died.
Emperor Yassin almost died in that incident. When he barely made it back, he heard the news of the Queen of Radiance's death and the Third Prince being missing.
All these events combined constituted the biggest setback that Emperor Yassin, who was in his prime, had ever experienced.
If the Third Prince were still alive today, he would be about 20 years old now.
Since Emperor Yassin loved the Third Prince the most, if he were still around, he would be the righteous successor of the throne. Regardless of how the Elder Prince and Second Prince fought, they wouldn't be able to compete with the Queen of Radiance's son.
"Your Majesty, don't be too sad. The Third Prince is only missing. Perhaps he will return one day." In the entire empire, only Akinfeev dared to say such things to Emperor Yassin.
"Hehe, haha!" Emperor Yassin suddenly thought of something, and a rare gentle expression appeared on his face. While laughing, he said, "Igor, I told you that you are the only person who I completely trust. Today, I will tell you a giant secret! I have held this secret in my mind for 20 years! It is finally time to unveil it."
Akinfeev was shocked, and he thought, "Something that Emperor Yassin kept as a secret for 20 years? It must be shocking to say the least. Could it be that… it is related to that giant conspiracy from 20 years ago?"
"Do you still remember Miasnikov?" Emperor Yassin walked to the Execution Knight Captain and sat down before him while speaking with a reminiscent expression.
"Of course. The eight of us were Your Majesty's study buddies, and Brother Miasnikov was the steadiest, most detailed-oriented, and most powerful. He was well trusted by Your Majesty. However, Brother Miasnikov went with Your Majesty to that place and died in battle…" While talking about this name, sadness appeared in Akinfeev's eyes.
Emperor Yassin suddenly laughed and looked at the Execution Knight Captain before interrupting him, "If I told you that Miasnikov didn't follow me to that place and stayed behind in St. Petersburg, what would you think?"
Chapter 1051: Past Events (Part Two)
"What?" Akinfeev was shocked. "This… how?"
"Before I went to that place, I handed everything in the city to you, asking you to manage it. Like I said before, out of the eight of you, you are most like me. You are brave, decisive, but a little rough around the edges. Before I left, I changed my mind and secretly asked Miasnikov to stay behind to help you. It was this decision that coincidently covered for my biggest regret in life."
"Your Majesty, you mean…" Akinfeev didn't expect that such things happened 20 years ago. Since he was a clever person, after hearing Emperor Yassin's hint, he guessed something.
"You are right. About 20 years ago, the Royal Palace was raided, and those evil people harmed Jolie and even wanted to kill my third son. You were misdirected by their trick, but it was good that Miasnikov saw through everything in secret, and he saved my child at the critical moment." After thinking back to the viciousness of the enemies, a fierce expression appeared on Emperor Yassin's face.
"What? Could it be that… the Third Prince lived? That is great! This… is this true?"
Even though Akinfeev paid attention to his cultivation and tried to be calm and steady all the time, unlike how he was when he was young, he jumped up from his seat subconsciously and asked Emperor Yassin with excitement. He couldn't believe what he heard.
There was a good reason for his excitement.
Emperor Yassin and his eight study buddies were like brothers from different parents, and their friendships were deep. At the same time, they all liked the beautiful and unique Jolie. Although Emperor Yassin married Jolie in the end, the other eight friends all gave them their best wishes like true gentlemen, and they treated Jolie as their little sister.
When the other seven study buddies who already became famous generals of the empire died in battle, Akinfeev stayed behind in St. Petersburg but wasn't able to protect Jolie as well as Emperor Yassin and Jolie's child. Akinfeev had hated himself for this.
Although Emperor Yassin didn't blame Akinfeev for anything, Akinfeev felt ashamed and blamed himself. Every time he thought back to this incident, he felt like he let down Emperor Yassin and those seven brothers who were now resting in the stars.
Now suddenly hearing that the Third Prince didn't die, and it came from Emperor Yassin, the surprise and joy that Akinfeev was feeling were indescribable.
"Eh, it is true." Seeing hot tears rolling in the Execution Knight Captain's eyes, Emperor Yassin was moved as well.
For all these years, only these eight brothers of his would be happy when he was happy and sad when he was sad.
"Great! This is great!" While talking, tears rolled down Akinfeev's face. The dark cloud above his head suddenly disappeared, and he felt relieved and almost jumped up. After a while, he suddenly realized something and calmed down before asking, "Then… the Third Prince, where… where was he in the last 20 years? Your Majesty, how come you didn't…"
"You want to ask why I didn't move him back to St. Petersburg?" Emperor Yassin asked with a smile.
Akinfeev nodded.
"It is a long story. In the beginning, I thought that I lost the child that Jolie and I made, but things took another turn. On the fourth day after I returned to St. Petersburg, I suddenly discovered the secret code that Miasnikov left in the Royal Palace." Emperor Yassin started to recall what happened.
Chapter 1052: The Third Prince's Whereabouts (Part One)
"What secret code did Brother Miasnikov leave behind?" Akinfeev got excited.
"Eh, I thought that he died in the incident at the Royal Palace. After all, the Royal Palace was turned into a flatland, and countless people died. There were many corpses, and I couldn't even find Jolie's body. However, on the night of the third day, when I went to the collapsed Royal Palace to remember the fallen ones, I coincidentally discovered the secret code that Miasnikov left behind so that I could reach him… I didn't alert anyone at that time, and I followed the secret code myself. I was overjoyed when I discovered that Miasnikov saved the Third Prince on that day and escaped from the Royal Palace. I guessed that the situation must be tragic, and the strength of the enemies was too powerful. Miasnikov couldn't fight back and could only escape while being chased. He didn't have time to notify anyone else and could only leave secret codes for me…"
While thinking back to that day, Emperor Yassin no longer looked like a majestic ruler of the land as he expressed his love toward his wife who passed away, his son who was almost killed, and his brothers who had fallen.
After a pause, Emperor Yassin continued, "Miasnikov was the strongest among the eight of you, and he was the most careful. Although he couldn't defeat those enemies who were after him, he hid along the way and wasn't captured. He was worried that the enemies still had traps set up in St. Petersburg as well as on the path that I would take to come back. Therefore, he couldn't leave my child at St. Petersburg or try to find me. He could only travel north and continued to escape from the enemies. He escaped for more than 20 days and was in critical danger several times, and he was also critically injured. In the end, he got to Chambord City and settled down the Third Prince before passing away. Of course, this is the information that I got after I followed the secret codes and clues."
"Brother Miasnikov was indeed the most powerful and most reliable out of all of us."
Akinfeev was already crying at this moment. He should be the one who was in charge of everything and taking care of everyone. However, he wasn't able to perform and let the tragedy happen. Although the enemies were way too strong for Zenit, Akinfeev still couldn't forgive himself. Now hearing Miasnikov's heroic and tragic story, he got even sadder and felt like he let down his brothers.
"Alright, Igor, you don't need to blame yourself."
Emperor Yassin knew this brother of his very well. Akinfeev was the youngest out of Emperor Yassin's eight study buddies, and they all treated him like a little brother. During the incident that happened about 20 years ago, Akinfeev battled to the end and almost died. He was unconscious when he was found. It wasn't like he didn't try his best; he didn't need to shoulder all the pressure and guilt.
Akinfeev nodded and suddenly realized something in the next second. He asked in surprise, "Brother Miasnikov ended up in Chambord City? So, the Third Prince is in Chambord City?"
"That is right. I followed the secret codes that Miasnikov left behind and ended up finding his corpse and the child that Jolie and I made." Emperor Yassin nodded.
When he thought back to when he finally met his son, a warm smile appeared on his face. At this moment, he was no longer the dominating and cruel emperor; he was only a father who loved his child.
"Then, why didn't Your Majesty bring the Third Prince back to St. Petersburg? If you taught him yourself, he might not be inferior compared to the King of Chambord. He would be a young and talented prince for sure. After all, when the Third Prince was born, phenomenon…" Akinfeev was curious as to why the Third Prince never appeared in St. Petersburg.
Chapter 1052: The Third Prince's Whereabouts (Part Two)
Clearly, Emperor Yassin didn't bring back the Third Prince.
"You still remember the phenomenon that appeared when my third son was born? Images of gods appeared, and godly battle songs resonated in the sky…"
The smile on Emperor Yassin's face was still gentle, and he said heroically with conviction, "Although I didn't make it back in time to see it, all the citizens in St. Petersburg saw it; it must be true. Hehe, the child that Jolie and I made must be unique and influential!"
"That is right. When the Third Prince was being born, holy battle songs suddenly resonated in the sky, and red clouds enveloped the area. Many godly shadows flashed by, and everyone said that the Third Prince must be the reincarnation of a prestigious godly king, and he will inherit Your Majesty's will and ambition and might even unite the Azeroth Continent!"
Although it had been about 20 years, Akinfeev still looked shocked when he thought back to what happened on that day.
"Yeah, the reincarnation of a godly king… This must be the reason that triggered the whole incident. How can those people let the reincarnation of a godly king appear in this world? That is why they chased after an infant who was only three days old while scheming against me," Emperor Yassin sighed and said, "That is why I didn't bring my child back to St. Petersburg. In fact, I didn't even dare to go and formally accept that child as my third son. Once those people know that my child isn't dead, they will come back. Even I can't protect him."
"Oh? That is the reason? So, Your Majesty, you haven't told the Third Prince his real identity yet?" Akinfeev suddenly understood the situation, and he realized what Emperor Yassin was trying to do. He didn't know the phenomenon that occurred when the Third Prince was born became the nail in the coffin. Queen Jolie died because of it, and the Third Prince was almost killed as well.
The enemies were too powerful, and even Emperor Yassin didn't dare to go and let the Third Prince know what was going on.
"Yeah, even though I would sometimes go and look at him from afar, I never told him anything." Emperor Yassin nodded and said, "In the beginning, I felt like this was a blessing in disguise for this child. At least he didn't have to be involved in the grudges and complex connections of his father, especially involving that terrifying organization. Unfortunately, I finally discovered the problem when the child was about five years old. Perhaps due to the injuries that he suffered when he was on the run with Miasnikov, his brain was damaged, and he became dull and dumb. He was inferior to an ordinary person, and he lost all potential talent in cultivation. I tried many methods in secret and wanted to heal him, but they were all useless. Ah! I hated myself and the enemies when that happened."
"How is this possible? The Third Prince… he…" Akinfeev was shocked. "How could such a thing happen?"
Regardless if it were toward Emperor Yassin, the Queen of Radiance who passed away, or the Third Prince who was in danger as soon as he was born, this ending was too cruel. A person who should be one of the most talented figures in the world became an idiot after that tragedy. This child's fate was too cruel.
"This discovery made me give up my plan of nurturing him in secret. Although I still love this child and can die for him, I can't let my personal feelings take over me, and I can't make him the ruler of Zenit. I'm a father, but I'm also an emperor. I need to be responsible toward the officials who are loyal to me and the citizens who love me. After I found out about that, I thought being an ordinary person and living a comfortable and peaceful life might be the best ending for this child who experienced so many trials and tribulations."
Chapter 1053: It Is Him (Part One)
"However, nothing in this world is 100 percent. If a genius is destined to be unusual, no one can stop his rise. Just like that child… I thought that he was going to be ordinary for the rest of his life due to the brain injury, and I was prepared to guard him and make sure that he was safe and comfortable for the rest of his life in this remote kingdom. However, this little guy who had been dull for the first 18 years of his life gave me a huge surprise; it was a miracle." A satisfied and overjoyed expression finally appeared on Emperor Yassin's face.
This expression rarely appeared on this genius emperor's face ever since the Queen of Radiance passed away about 20 years ago. At least Akinfeev never saw this expression on Emperor Yassin's face.
"A huge surprise? A miracle? Your Majesty, you mean that the Third Prince suddenly recovered when he was 18 years old?" Akinfeev was also moved by Emperor Yassin's joy, and a thought suddenly flashed in his mind like a bolt of lightning. An unimaginable idea appeared in his mind, and he stuttered as a shocked expression appeared on his face, "Your Majesty… you mean… you mean… Chambord City… Could it be the King of Chambord?"
"You finally guessed it?"
Emperor Yassin stood up and laughed, "That is right. That little Alexander! He is my third son who had been missing for the last 20 years! He is the Third Prince of Zenit and Jolie's and my child! I, Yassin, dominated the Northern Region of Azeroth in my life, and everything that I did was shocking. Haha, I never thought that this son of mine would be my biggest achievement in my life."
"It is real?" Akinfeev was so shocked that he instantly stood up. "So, Alexander is the missing Third Prince? Hahaha! He is indeed the most talented genius that people have ever seen. A 20-year-old demi-god? How many people are on this level in history? That is right. Only the Third Prince who created such a phenomenon when he was born could have such shocking talent! Haha! This is great!"
At this moment, the Execution Knight Captain, the person who many officials feared and was serious all the time, was so excited that he laughed and cried at the same time as he couldn't put a sentence together like a little kid.
"Eh? Wait, something is off." After being excited for a while, Akinfeev suddenly thought of something and asked, "Alexander is the old King of Chambord's son. Everyone knows this, and there are historical records that can be traced. If he is the Third Prince of Zenit, then where did the son of the old King of Chambord go?"
…
"Granello! You are truly arrogant! Fourth Prince His Highness has been here to take over the defense of the western gate for more than an hour, and the commanders of the eastern gate and northern gate had been here already. You are the only one who is late. Do you still have the Royal Family and the Fourth Prince in your eyes?"
The atmosphere outside the watchtower on the western gate was intense.
The middle-aged officer behind the Fourth Prince shouted at [Red Beard] Granello.
Arrogantly sitting on a big chair covered in fur outside the watchtower, the young Fourth Prince Chrystal's handsome face looked vicious and gloomy under the illumination of the light. He looked smug as he obtained power again, and he looked down at Granello like a coyote as his white teeth were shown, making others feel cold and chilly.
Fourth Prince Chrystal didn't say anything to the officer who scolded Granello, and he stared at Granello with his gloomy eyes. It was clear that he was waiting for Granello's response.
However, Granello was backed by Second Prince Dominguez, so he didn't budge.
"Who are you? How dare you shout at me?" [Red Beard] Granello was never someone who would take it and endure everything. His sharp gaze made that middle-aged officer feel nervous, and that man looked down.
[TL Note: LOL, the foreshadowing had been too strong. I mean, how many of you are surprised?]
Chapter 1053: It Is Him (Part Two)
Seeing this, Granello snorted and said, "I'm the No.1 Commander of Imperial Patrol, and I'm in charge of the defense of the southern gate. I'm also a level 2 noble of Zenit. Who are you? You are only a little officer; how dare you shout at me with someone behind you? You are technically offending a superior; you know what crime this is, right?"
"I… this…" The middle-aged officer was nervous, and he sweated while he stuttered; he didn't know what to say.
Seeing Granello being so dominating, the others in the area were shocked, and their faces changed expressions.
"General Granello, such an overbearing aura." Fourth Prince Chrystal slowly stood up as cold glints flashed in his eyes. Under the light of the flames that were flickering on torches, he looked like a demon beast who was about to eat someone.
Granello wasn't afraid, and he took a step forward and sneered, "I'm not as overbearing as Your Highness. Right now, Barcelonans are right outside the defense wall. The situation is urgent, and everyone is ready for battle. No one takes off their armor when resting, and all soldiers are stationed around the defense wall. Fourth Prince, you just took over the defense of the western gate. Instead of being diligent and shouldering pressure for His Majesty, you are being all arrogant and forcefully summoned the other three commanders who are guarding the other three city gates to see you. Humph! No one is a prince on the battlefield. The four commanders of the four gates should be on the same level. Just the fact that you summoned the other commanders for no reason already violated the military law. If the Barcelonans attack now, the soldiers at other gates don't have commanders to direct them. If something goes wrong, can Your Highness bear the full responsibility?"
"You…" Fourth Prince Chrystal's expression changed, and he was so angry that he pointed at Granello and didn't know what to say for a while. A moment later, he squeezed out a few words between his teeth, "You… you are reckless. How dare you to be disrespectful to me? You… guards! Arrest this arrogant rebel who is disrespectful towards the Royal Family!"
Tink! Tink! Tink!
A series of metal-grinding noises sounded, and hundreds of elite soldiers swarmed out and surrounded Granello and others with weapons drawn.
"It seems like I overestimated you, a wastrel." Granello wasn't afraid, and he shook his head in disappointment. "I really don't know why His Majesty allowed you to take over the defense of the western gate. If St. Petersburg is going to be conquered, it will start from here. By then, you will be the guiltiest person in Zenit."
After saying that, Granello turned around and ignored the hundreds of elite soldiers.
However, bowstring-tightening noises sounded at this moment. Like the cold laughter of the Grim Reaper, the temperature in the area even dropped by several degrees.
Granello wasn't sure when, but the powerful magic crossbows that were stationed on the defense wall were moved over, and they were aiming at Granello and his men. The cold reflections on the heads of the arrows made others feel cold.
These strong magic crossbows were made by Chambord, and they were insanely lethal. When firing at such close range, even Moon-Class Elites would be severely injured, let alone Granello who was only a Star-Level Warrior.
The situation suddenly took a drastic turn.
This was clearly a prearranged trap.
"What? Continue being arrogant! Do you think that you are with Dominguez, the Love Child, so you can disrespect me?" Fourth Prince Chrystal sneered and said with a joyous expression as he had everything in control, "Even if I issue the command and kill you right now, Dominguez can do nothing about it."
Chapter 1054: Chambord's Weapons Can't Be Aimed at Our People (Part One)
Seeing this, the commanders of the eastern gate and northern gate sweated profusely as they thought, "This Fourth Prince is reckless to this degree! He is using the magic crossbows that are supposed for defending the city against our own! Is he crazy? He is a madman! Fortunately, I'm not Granello. If I fall into this trap, I wouldn't even be able to control my own fate."
"Now, if you kneel and kowtow to apologize to me, I won't kill you." The Fourth Prince felt like he controlled everything, and he pushed Granello with a vicious expression.
Granello turned around and looked at Chrystal as if he was looking at an idiot. He sneered and said, "You are such a dumb pig. If you weren't born in the Royal Family, you would have starved on the side of a street. Ridiculous! And you want to inherit the throne? You can't do anything in terms of military or the management of the empire. What can you do to compete with Zenit's God of War? With Second Prince His Highness? I'm going to stand here today. You can try to issue the order and see if you can kill me!"
[Red Beard] Granello had never been so angry before.
Although he had been one of the most trusted henchmen of Dominguez, and he had a high status, he had always been low-profile and thoughtful. Even when he disliked someone, he never showed it on his face. However, it seemed like he changed into another person today.
Granello truly hated the Fourth Prince. Only idiots and crazy people could joke with the defense of St. Petersburg and the lives of millions and millions of citizens.
"You… alright. You dare to insult the Royal Family and look down at His Majesty! What can Dominguez do after I kill you tonight? You are asking for this yourself! Kill him! Kill him!" Fourth Prince Chrystal was so angry that he instantly ordered the soldiers to shoot out the arrows.
Creak! Creak! Creak!
The noises of bowstrings tightening intensified, and it felt like the noises were hammering everyone's mind. People in the area were terrified, and none of them thought that things would get to this degree where the Fourth Prince was going to shoot and kill an important general.
"Chambord's weapons aren't meant to kill our own." At this moment, a calm yet refutable voice sounded by everyone's ear.
A big figure slowly stood out from behind Granello. He was wearing tight-fitting leather armor and carrying a giant black sword, and his long red hair fluttered in the night like a cloud of dancing flames.
This man stood there calmly, but the operators of the magic crossbows didn't dare to release the bowstrings.
Fourth Prince Chrystal and his henchmen's expressions all changed. They recognized this man; he was a powerful master of Chambord, Golden Lion Lampard!
This man was so terrifyingly powerful that he could rival a demi-god of Barcelona, and the [Dragon Slayers] of Chambord were nothing in the eyes of people on his level.
Also, since Lampard walked out from behind Granello, he clearly stated his stance. He was with Granello.
This wasn't difficult to understand. Everyone in St. Petersburg knew that the King of Chambord's relationships with the different princes weren't the same. His relationship with Elder Prince Arshavin was rocky in the beginning, but it slowly got neutral later. His relationship with Second Prince Dominguez was good. Because of Demonic Woman Paris, the King of Chambord's relationship with the Second Prince could be counted as great.
Chapter 1054: Chambord's Weapons Can't Be Aimed at Our People (Part Two)
As one of the most powerful warriors under the King of Chambord's command, it wasn't strange that Golden Lion Lampard stood with Granello.
Now that such a powerful figure appeared, Fourth Prince Chrystal's plans for tonight went to waste.
With an ugly expression, the Fourth Prince coughed awkwardly and laughed, "So… Mr. Lampard, you are here as well. This is… is surprising!"
Although Lampard was only the warrior of an affiliated kingdom, strength was the most important thing in this world. The status of someone who was almost a supreme master was above the emperor of a little empire. Therefore, Chrystal didn't dare to be reckless in front of Lampard.
However, Lampard didn't even look at Chrystal. He said, "Don't aim at our people with the weapons that Chambord made."
After saying that, Lampard, Granello, and others all turned around and left. The hundreds of elite soldiers all moved to the sides and made a path for them.
No one dared to block such a powerful master, and the Star-Level Warriors who were operating the [Dragon Slayers] didn't have the courage to aim at those people.
People only dare to breathe heavily again when Granello and others disappeared after making a turn at a corner of the defense wall.
"Damn it!" Fourth Prince Chrystal didn't know how to vent his frustration, and he somehow cursed out in public.
"Your Highness, this Lampard is too arrogant. He even dared to be so self-important in front of you. We should send the execution knights of the Imperial Knight Palace to capture him and lock him inside the black jail…" the middle-aged officer who was terrified by Granello's glare earlier flattered Chrystal and suggested.
Slap!
Chrystal slapped this man and shouted in anger, "Are you a f*cking idiot? Is your head full of sh*t? How are you thinking about all this? He is almost a f*cking supreme master, and the King of Chambord, a demi-god, is behind him! How dare the Imperial Knight Palace arrest him? Those execution knights who messed with the King of Chambord are all being careful now! Who dares to mess with the King of Chambord and his people?"
The Fourth Prince completely lost it and cursed without holding back, completely losing his temper and temperament.
Others around him all thought to themselves in disdain, "This Fourth Prince sure is a wastrel who thinks he is important."
However, none of them dared to say this out loud.
…
"This is why Brother Miasnikov was smart. While he was being chased by the enemies, he knew that they would soon find him and the child. Therefore, he sneaked into the Royal Palace of Chambord and switched out the Third Prince with the old King of Chambord's son who was less than a day old. Then, he hid in the Endless Sea of Forests for several days. Later, Miasnikov exposed his whereabouts on purpose, making the enemies kill him and the child," Emperor Yassin said apologetically, "The enemies thought that the target was killed and no longer investigated it further. The Third Prince got saved as well. However, I feel sorry for the old King of Chambord as he lost his son."
Now, Akinfeev realized everything and sighed, "There was no way around it. We can only blame the enemies who were cruel and vicious. However, letting the Third Prince of the empire be that old king's son for 20 years is a big compensation for him."
"Although we can say that now, a life is still a life. My child is important, and so was his." Emperor Yassin shook his head and said, "I owe the old King of Chambord too much, and that is why I have secretly been kind toward this kingdom."
Chapter 1055: Lampard's Identity (Part One)
"However, the Chambord Kingdom is on the rise because of the Third Prince. Now, Chambord has many masters and excellent generals. Its level of magic civilization is so high that it's terrifying. Even the Royal Family of Zenit might not be able to compare to it. In a sense, the Chambord Kingdom already received the benefit from this." Due to the hierarchical structure in this world, Akinfeev had little respect toward the old King of Chambord.
In Akinfeev's eyes, the Third Prince was a high-level royal of Zenit, and being inside a little level 6 affiliated kingdom for so many years made up for everything.
Emperor Yassin nodded as well.
"What you said is right. Right now, Chambord's strength is far beyond that of Zenit. Even ignoring the strength of Alexander, the other gold saints, and the Chambordian soldiers who are much more powerful than the elite soldiers of Zenit, just Mr. Hazel Bank and Golden Lion Lampard have combat strengths equivalent to demi-gods. A little 1 affiliated kingdom with two demi-gods? There isn't another force in the Northern Region of Azeroth that can be compared to it. Time seemed to have reversed, and I feel like I'm seeing the scene where Zenit rose from being an affiliated kingdom to becoming an empire."
"This sure is surprising. I also used the intelligence networks of the Imperial Knight Palace to investigate this. Mr. Hazel Bank seems to be a powerful figure who the Third Prince recruited after he became powerful. Even though he is mysterious, this isn't surprising. What surprised me was Golden Lion Lampard's identity. He was only a water-elemental Three-Star Warrior. After he switched to cultivating lightning-elemental warrior energy, his strength skyrocketed. In less than three years, he became a powerful warrior who is close to the level of supreme masters. Such talent is shocking! Although genius generals under the Third Prince such as Drogba and Pierce also increased in strength, none of them are as powerful as the Golden Lion. We don't know his background. The fact that he is following the Third Prince might mean that he is after something else."
Akinfeev appeared a little concerned when talking about the masters of Chambord.
In the last year or so, Chambord had been growing in power quickly, and it threatened the Royal Family of Zenit. Therefore, the Imperial Knight Palace did a ton of secret investigations under Akinfeev's command. Everyone at Chambord was investigated, and everyone seemed fine except for Golden Lion Lampard. This man's growth almost wasn't inferior compared to the King of Chambord, making Akinfeev worried.
Now knowing that King Alexander of Chambord was the missing Third Prince of Zenit, he became even more worried.
"Hehe, you don't have to worry too much about this. This person is 100 percent reliable." As if he knew something, Emperor Yassin smiled lightheartedly and said, "I met with this golden lion a long time ago, and I finally realized that this person was actually Brother Miasnikov's friend. He is the last hidden card that Brother Miasnikov left in this world."
"What? He is an acquaintance of Brother Miasnikov?" Akinfeev was shocked, and he got excited.
Chapter 1055: Lampard's Identity (Part Two)
"That is right. Brother Miasnikov is indeed one of those rare geniuses who are also wise. He considered issues from many angles and was very careful. After he switched the Third Prince with the son of the old King of Chambord, Brother Miasnikov was determined to die. He was planning to use his and the infant's death to eliminate the enemies' worries. This was the only way that they could be fooled. If those vicious and thoughtful people learned that Brother Miasnikov stayed in Chambord for a while, they would have killed all the infants who were recently born along Brother Miasnikov's escape path. Brother Miasnikov's plan did fool the chasing enemies, but he thought about another issue that couldn't be overlooked."
"Another issue? What problem?" Akinfeev was shocked.
"Brother Miasnikov thought about the case where the secret codes and marks that he left in the Royal Palace and along the way weren't discovered by us. If that happened, no one would know about the Third Prince's identity, and there would be no way that the Third Prince can return to the Royal Family. Therefore, before Brother Miasnikov started his plan in Chambord, he connected with his junior brother using their secret method and met up in Chambord. He told his junior brother everything and asked the latter to protect the Third Prince. After this was over, his junior brother could then deliver the Third Prince back to me," Emperor Yassin lamented, "Miasnikov, he was a great brother! He thought about everything for me and the Third Prince, but he didn't think about himself. I owe him big time!"
"Brother Miasnikov was indeed the most talented and intelligent among the eight of us. If he were still alive today, he would have already become a demi-god and would be of great assistance to Your Majesty." It was evident that Akinfeev admired Miasnikov who was like his big brother. After lamenting, Akinfeev asked, "Then, Golden Lion Lampard is Brother Miasnikov's junior brother?"
"That is right. It is Lampard." Emperor Yassin nodded and said, "I believe you remember that Brother Miasnikov was fortunate and followed a mysterious traveling supreme master, learning from this master for a while. He mentioned that he had a junior brother who was a genius and more talented than him."
"You are right. I remember him saying that." After thinking for a while, Akinfeev vaguely remembered Miasnikov saying these worlds. Back then, Miasnikov praised his junior brother all the time.
"This Frank Lampard is a brave and virtuous warrior. About 20 years ago, he was cultivating lightning-elemental warrior energy and already achieved peak Half Moon Realm. He was already a master, and he could have broken through the Moon-Class and entered the Sun-Class in a few years. However, after getting his senior brother's letter and understanding the danger that was involved, he knew that this trip might change his life, yet he still came to Chambord without hesitation. He accepted his senior brother's request, and he also did something shocking."
"What was it?"
"He broke his peak Half Moon Realm and destroyed his lightning-elemental warrior energy. Instead, he switched to the water-elemental warrior energy. Because of this, he was severely injured, and he could barely keep his strength at Three-Star Realm," Emperor Yassin sighed.
"Destroyed his own warrior energy? Why did he do that?" Akinfeev couldn't understand it.
[TL Note: This chapter is a bit shorter, but there are a few longer chapters coming.]
Chapter 1056: Commenting on the Princes (Part One)
"The reason is simple. Miasnikov cultivated lightning-elemental warrior energy, and he learned everything from the same master. As a result, Lampard's warrior energy and techniques were almost identical to those of Miasnikov. It would be easy to discover the connection between the two. Besides, wouldn't it be strange to see a peak Half Moon Elite inside a little level 6 affiliated kingdom?"
After hearing Emperor Yassin's explanation, Akinfeev instantly understood the situation.
Since those enemies were so cruel and cunning, if they discovered a tiny connection and possibility, they would investigate it until it was the end of the world. As long as they started to do thorough investigations, they would soon discover the truth. Even if they couldn't be sure, the enemies would destroy the Chambord Kingdom to kill all possible threats. The enemies were willing to kill tens of thousands of innocent people instead of risking letting go of the real target.
For the safety of the Third Prince, Miasnikov didn't dare to take any risks. Therefore, he did all these things and tried to avoid any possible holes in his story. If Akinfeev were in Miasnikov's position, he wouldn't have done such a thorough job.
"It is rare to come by a man like Miasnikov's junior brother. Lampard treated his promise as the most important thing in the world. He could have stayed out of this, but he directly destroyed his own warrior foundation at Miasnikov's request, and he stayed in the remote Chambord Kingdom for 20 years. Both these men are unique and rare! I rarely admire others, but I will never forget these two in my lifetime," Emperor Yassin said to Akinfeev.
"I see!" The Execution Knight Captain was shocked, and he felt like he was far inferior when compared to his big brother who passed away many years ago. Both in terms of strength and intelligence, he knew that he couldn't be compared to Miasnikov or this junior brother named Lampard.
After a while, Akinfeev sighed and said, "There is such a winding story behind all this. It is fortunate that the Third Prince was saved, and the Golden Lion Lampard received his reward. He went back to cultivating lightning-elemental warrior energy, and he is promoted by Third Prince His Highness, becoming someone who is about to transform into a supreme master. Give and take! All of it was set in fate! Without the accumulated good fortune of the last 20 years, it would be hard for Lampard to achieve his current height today."
"After Lampard destroyed his own strength, he was severely injured. He switched to water-elemental warrior energy and slowly became a Three-Star Warrior, and he suppressed his injuries after many years. He didn't know that I discovered the Third Prince's whereabouts, and he memorized his senior brother's request and came to St. Petersburg many times, trying to get a chance to explain everything to me. Unfortunately, the Royal Palace was tightly guarded, and he didn't get a chance. Later, as the Third Prince grew older and became dull, he was worried that I wouldn't recognize my son like other foolish emperors in history. Therefore, he gave up trying to see me, but he continued to stay in Chambord, taking care of the Third Prince. Later, he coincidently became the old King of Chambord's great friend. When the old King of Chambord passed away, he still stayed in Chambord and protected the Third Prince. In a sense, he is my third son's savior, and he also changed my life," Emperor Yassin said with an apologetic tone.