As an 18-year-old man in terms of physical age,
Foster felt like he was barely able to keep himself in check.
"My lord, all glory is due to the edge of your sword!"
The War Maidens chanted in unison, their voices melodious and sweet, echoing through the air.
Foster nodded. "Very well. Please wait for a moment, your fellow warriors will soon be trained."
"Soon, I will need your strength to explore another world."
"Understood."
One by one, the War Maidens knelt and bowed.
On the other side, Agatha noticed the odd expression on her lord's face and immediately realized what was happening. She approached with a mischievous smile.
Unfortunately for her, she was met with Foster's cold rejection.
"Stop! Stop!"
"If you come any closer, I really won't be able to hold myself back."
"Give me some time, Agatha."
Foster hastily refused.
He didn't reject desires or pleasures, but nothing could interfere with his pursuit of power.
"Yes, master."
"I will be patient."
Agatha's eyes shimmered with a moist gleam as she stepped aside.
Foster waited for a moment, then gathered the Knight attendants and opened all the white orbs.
Perhaps because of the excellent rewards from the Blade of Conquest, the orbs dropped by the monsters provided more common rewards.
Foster received a total of 18,000 Gold Coins, 11,000 Wood, 12,000 Stone, and 9,000 Crystal Ore, but no Equipment or Architectural Drawings.
He wasn't too disappointed. After sorting the resources, he quickly chose to log off.
As soon as Foster removed his helmet, he received a notification from the game's trading website.
He opened the site and, as expected, the two expensive resource packs had been sold, with a 10% service fee deducted.
Foster waited for a few seconds.
Ding ding ding~
His phone vibrated with a new message alert.
[Your bank account has received a transfer from card number: 6245…1244, totaling 18,000 dollars. Your balance is now 19,456.45 dollars.]
"Basic living expenses are covered,"
"20,000 dollars should be enough for two or three months. By then, with the power and resources I've accumulated in Heroic Epic, I can sell off some unused Equipment and live lavishly in the real world."
Foster mused, his expression still indifferent.
He casually opened a cup of instant noodles, added hot water, and, while browsing his phone, ate with clumsy abandon.
Foster quickly noticed notifications from various apps.
[Chaos of the day: Over 20 murders occurred across the country today...]
Foster raised an eyebrow and clicked on the news.
Eating always needs something to go along with it, after all.
However, as Foster scrolled through the news, his expression subtly shifted.
[Multiple gruesome murders occurred domestically today. Experts suggest that these may be premeditated attacks by a terrorist organization. The killers did not use firearms or knives; instead, they uniformly mutilated their victims' bodies, leaving them in a state of disarray. According to special police analysis, the perpetrators appear to have undergone some abnormal physical changes, possibly due to drug abuse. Citizens are urged to limit outdoor activities to avoid encountering these unusual killers.
Reports indicate that similar incidents have been occurring abroad as well.]
"Is this the Fallen?"
"How is that possible?"
Foster's mind was in turmoil.
Although the news only provided a few blurry photos, the text alone was enough for Foster to easily identify that the so-called killers were likely the Fallen.
The Fallen were those Lords in Heroic Epic whose territories were breached by the monsters of Conquest and Glory.
After the monsters fully invaded their lands, the negative energy from the monsters would flow into the Heart of the Territory.
The Lord bound to the Heart of the Territory would lose their consciousness, go mad, and become a monster themselves.
In the past, after the Arrival Day, Heroic Epic merged with reality.
Real-world individuals could pray to the supreme will of Heroic Epic to create their own territories.
They too had to face the invasion of Conquest and Slaughter's monsters. At that point, it was no longer a game event, but a trial.
Failing the trial would turn a Lord into a Fallen, driven by a primal instinct to destroy everything.
But the problem was
The Arrival Day hadn't come yet, so theoretically, death in the game shouldn't affect the real world.
How could there be Fallen now?
Foster wasn't stupid; he quickly deduced that the Fallen were definitely tied to Heroic Epic.
Most likely, these individuals participated in Heroic Epic, and after their territories were breached in the game, it led to their physical mutations in real life.
"Although not every player whose territory was breached becomes a Fallen,"
Foster silently analyzed in his mind.
Heroic Epic had attracted many casual players, and on the first day of the game launch, there were probably hundreds of thousands who failed to pass the Conquest and Slaughter trials. If they all turned into Fallen, the world would be thrown into chaos.
So…
What kind of people would actually become Fallen?
Foster frowned, pondering.
He quickly opened several news apps, and as expected, the consistent reports of the murders filled the screens.
Even in the chat group for his class, people were discussing the matter.
[Lufiel: Why are there so many murders today? What's going on with this country?]
[William: I recommend everyone to carry a gun when going out these days.]
[Lufiel: Going out? I'm not leaving the house! Right now, all I care about is playing Heroic Epic! By the way, how's everyone's progress?]
[William: I got lucky and managed to get a squad of Tier 2 soldiers. I feel like I can just walk through everything now!]
[Aiken: This game is too tough. I almost didn't pass the Conquest and Slaughter event yesterday. I don't have many soldiers left, and I need to figure out a way to gather more or I won't make it through today's event!]
[Valer: I also got Tier 2 soldiers, but today's trial was too difficult. I tried to join early and got wiped out. The Heart of the Territory got corrupted, huge loss!]
[Lufiel: You guys are all pros. Tier 2 branches already? Even if you didn't clear the event, you'll bounce back quickly, right?]
[Pharos: By the way, @Foster, you should try this game. It's a lot of fun.]
While the students were unconcerned about the distant murders, they were all comparing their progress in Heroic Epic.
When Foster saw someone @ him, he didn't reply immediately.
Instead, he just looked on as his classmates and friends were proud of having Tier 2 branches, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction.
After all...
Foster had returned to his 18-year-old self, and he felt a bit of youthful arrogance.
He had just recruited 45 Tier 4 soldiers!
Surpassing his friends made him feel on top of the world!
But then, when he saw Valer's message about not clearing the Conquest and Slaughter event and having the Heart of the Territory corrupted, he frowned slightly.
"Isn't Valer a boarder?"
Foster thought, feeling a bit concerned. If Valer really turned into a Fallen, his classmates might be in serious danger.
But after a moment's hesitation, he did nothing.
For one, Valer might be fine.
Even if he did become a Fallen, Foster didn't feel it was his responsibility.
In reality, he had no supernatural powers to help. All he could do was warn his classmates.
But it might not even work.
What if he got flagged by the police for sharing this information? How would he explain where he got it from?
…
Soon enough, Foster logged back into the game.
Agatha, leading a group of War Maidens, was standing respectfully at the place where he had logged off earlier.
As soon as the beautiful girls saw their Lord returning, they all bowed in unison.
"Master, you've returned."
Foster looked at the 46-member team in front of him, feeling a surge of energy as their proud figures moved. He couldn't help but feel once again
Being 18 did have its perks.
"You all ready?"
"Then, let's go."
Foster opened his palm, revealing a strange crystal that resembled a translucent key.
He murmured, "Enter the Ruined World."
Immediately, the crystal began to float slowly, rising into the air.
With a flash of light, the key transformed into bolts of thunder, tearing a rift in the sky. The rift merged with the thunder, forming a dark red portal.
Without hesitation, Foster stepped forward and entered the portal. As he did, he was enveloped by a swirling vortex.
When the spinning stopped, his vision gradually cleared.
What appeared before him was a scene of apocalyptic ruin, with shattered walls and crumbled buildings scattered everywhere.