The morning sun chased away the long night, and a new day dawned at Junka Fortress.

The once magnificent city walls were reduced to ruins. The bodies of the fallen soldiers littered the entire battlefield.

“This is the last stronghold of the Kingdom of Ulster in the south,” Ivy said to Alfonso beside her, sitting on a large rock and sharpening her weapon with a whetstone.

The knight carrying the greatsword stood like a statue atop the ruins, silent, gazing at the colossal tyrant in the distance.

A dozen soldiers knelt before Todd, pressing their foreheads to the ground, listening motionless to the words coming from above.

“Some of you are gladiators, some are children of tribes, and some were once prisoners of war.” Todd, with his enormous monstrous body coiled around a section of the collapsed city wall, addressed these people: “But today, you have earned your right to go to the realm of the gods through your performance on the battlefield!”

Dozens of bone spikes extended and curved from the tyrant's arm, piercing the skulls of every warrior. Seconds later, amidst cries and prayers, each person praised everything in the divine realm at their loudest volume.

"I saw it! I saw it!"

"Asgard has accepted my soul!"

"By the gods!"

Todd waved his hand, ordering the warriors, who were caught up in religious fanaticism, to be taken away. He then withdrew the bone spikes that had materialized and gestured for Alfonso and Evie to come over.

Looking at his two subordinates, Todd asked, "Did you both see the official documents from the Church to Twilight City?"

Alfonso nodded.

Ivy said, "The Kingdom of Muxi has been removed from the parish kingdoms, the Muxi Knights have been stripped of their knighthood, and as for you, as the king, you have not only been stripped of your church membership, but have also been defined by the church as a 'devil in human skin'."

Todd chuckled dryly, seemingly unconcerned about such accusations: "These are not surprising. The key is what kind of military action the Church will take against the Kingdom of Muxi next."

Ivy expressed her confusion: "Your Majesty, things have come to this point, why not simply abandon the so-called Heavenly Father, raise the banner of the gods, and use war to completely conquer all the dioceses?"

“No, this method is not suitable.” Todd pondered for a moment and explained, “The Father’s Diocese includes multiple kingdoms. If we can resolve the disputes by dividing and absorbing them, we can avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble. After all, what we lack most right now is time.”

Ivy didn't continue on that topic, instead asking, "Now that we've captured the last southern stronghold of the Kingdom of Ulster, what's next?"

“Ronka Fortress is the last obstacle between the capital of Ulster and Froststone Camp. There will never be such a fortress in the war to come.” Todd looked at Alfonso and Evie and said, “In the upcoming battles, I intend to hand over command of the army to you.”

Ivy frowned and asked, "Transferring command? Where do you plan to go?"

"I'm going to the Land of Shadows."

Todd's answer made Evie's eyes widen. She asked urgently, "The legendary land of the dead? The dark gate connecting to the underworld?"

“I’ve been there once before, and I’m familiar with the people there. This time, I’m going to seek an answer, an answer that concerns my future.”

Ivy tightened her grip on the sword: "I'll go with you!"

“No, Alfonso will be in charge of the ground forces, and Ivy will be in charge of aerial reconnaissance. The two of you must cooperate with each other on the battlefield; neither of you can be missing.”

Todd looked up and gazed north: "Expand our manpower, attack towns, and expand our territory. Remember, after each conquest, have the tribe's shaman spread the faith of the gods and increase our followers."

Alfonso's deep voice came from beneath the armor: "Your Majesty, as you wish."

Rising from the collapsed city wall, Todd, his scales swaying, left the marching camp amidst the worship of the warriors.

Riding on the back of the griffin Henry, Todd, now back in human form, gazed at the sea rushing past below and fell into deep thought.

These days, Todd uses his Tyrant form, and he can sense the Tyrant virus within him constantly evolving. His body grows larger, his bones harden, and his physical strength increases—all of this constantly reminds him that the Tyrant virus is rapidly merging with his cells and the alien bacteria. Having gained a series of powers, he begins to worry that if this continues, his body might one day mutate or even collapse.

For example, in the past month, whenever Todd falls asleep in human form, he always wakes up in Tyrant form; while he can maintain his Tyrant form for longer and longer periods, it takes him longer to revert to human form than before.

All of this indicates that a series of unpredictable changes are taking place within his body. He doesn't know what the end point of these changes will be, and he dares not guess.

But he knew there was a place where he might find the answer, and that place was—the Land of Shadows.

It was still that misty island, and still that dilapidated temple.

When Todd landed on the ground from the griffin, the first thing he saw was Meredith smiling at him.

Dressed in raven feathers and holding a flute-like instrument, Meredith's first words to Todd were: "I suppose it's about time you came back."

Todd patted Henry's neck, signaling it to leave first, then looked at Meredith with a hint of doubt: "You knew I would come back?"

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