The Lost Country

Mason didn't hesitate, or in the circumstances, have much of a choice.

"I have one condition. You must teach me how to extract the good and evil in people and how to make crystals."

The metal man promised: "Okay, I will teach you the method after you complete these two tasks. Number One, they will be handed over to you."

The android leaned forward slightly to show that he understood, and the metal face fell silent again. Number One led the two people to another road. The mechanical pipeline in front automatically made way for them. Below them, they could vaguely see rivers of molten gold flowing. The golden-red flames scattered star-like debris around them, and the high temperature quickly made them sweat profusely.

After walking around for who knows how long, the three of them finally reached their destination. It was an iron door embedded in the wall, without a lock or handle, and the door was tightly closed.

“——”

Just as they stopped, a violent tremor came from under the feet of the three people. Oreius supported the boy in time. Mason asked in surprise: "An earthquake?"

“The core is deep in the city, and there’s no way a natural disaster could happen. This is something coming.”

Stronger vibrations came one after another, and the pipes under my feet kept shaking, as if they would break at the next moment.

Sparks flew everywhere. Number One quickened his pace and pushed open the door in front of him: "Go in, inside is the place for learning. As long as any one of you can complete the trial, it will be a fulfillment of the agreement."

"Is it enough if only one person completes the trial?"

"Yes. The trials will start simultaneously, and as long as any one of you passes, you can leave here. If he wants, he can bring another person with him."

"Then let my brother in." Oreius pointed at the boy. "I want to go with you to see what's coming, okay?"

Number One looked at him deeply and said, "I can take you away. But if he fails the test, you will both become new members here."

"He's enough alone. My brother is very powerful."

The red-haired young man raised his lips and replied frivolously, "I want to see what caused such a big commotion."

Now that the tester had made his choice, No. 1 said no more. He made an inviting gesture to Mason, and the linen-haired boy smiled obediently and then strode in.

The bottomless darkness swallowed up the other person's figure, and the metal door closed again. Number One turned around and walked back the way he came, his steps were a bit hurried. Oleus followed closely behind him, silently memorizing the route.

The vest and the main body share the same spiritual power. Since they both start from the first level, there is not much difference between one and two. He wants to know what happened outside.

"Are attacks like this common?"

"It was very frequent at the beginning, but now it is much less. Don't worry, we have His Majesty the King."

Number One led him out of the new exit, which led to the city streets. Oleus turned around and saw that the door behind him had turned into an ordinary house.

Crystal street lights lit up sporadically, and time seemed to have almost reset. The streets were empty and the air was filled with murderous atmosphere.

No. 1 walked towards the wall without hesitation. The tall wall was accessed by a mechanical elevator, and the start button had been worn out. Oleus followed him into the elevator basket and watched the ground gradually become farther away.

Looking down at the city from a high altitude, you can see a dazzling light shining in the square. With it as the center, the whole city is dotted with soft lights, and the light becomes brighter as you move toward the center.

"Darkness destroys people's faith, and light is essential to maintaining human goodness."

Number One explained simply. The red-haired young man glanced at him and suddenly asked, "Are you the only android in the city?"

"Others hold important positions in the city, preventing it from collapsing due to accidents."

As expected. Oreius asked, "The clerk in the crystal shop is one of them, right?"

"Yes. He is number two, responsible for the replacement and sales of crystals."

The clerk at the crystal shop once said that he could be visited at any time, and all residents would join in the prayer at night, which contradicted his words. Since there was a danger that the crystal would turn black at night, there must be a countermeasure. It seems that No. 2 was created for this purpose.

"I still don't understand, why do we worship the Twelve Gods? When this country disappeared, the Twelve Gods should have perished."

“….”

Number One hesitated for a moment, as if thinking about something. When the elevator basket was about to reach the top, he whispered, "The Twelve Gods may not be dead."

The red-haired young man's eyes suddenly widened. He wanted to continue asking questions, but the elevator basket had already swayed and stabilized. Number One retracted his gaze, strode out of the elevator basket, and stood at the edge of the city wall.

There was too much information behind this sentence, and Oreius was very worried. Seeing that the other party had no intention of continuing to talk, he had to solve the problem at hand first.

The view from the city wall was excellent, and the red-haired young man could clearly see the distant scene. After seeing the current situation clearly, he narrowed his eyes.

The vast expanse of black fog surged from the horizon, gradually submerging the tracks surrounding the city. Panicked cries and screams were heard from the moving black fog train. Although no human figures could be seen, it seemed as if countless people were banging on the windows in the carriages, desperately watching themselves being swallowed by the black fog.

As the fog spread, the trains stopped on the tracks one by one. White fungi grew on the surface of the trains. It seemed as if a long time had passed in an instant, and the trains were completely reduced to waste.

Bright car lights went out in mid-air, and this abnormality was still spreading to the city. The red-haired young man couldn't help but feel depressed.

The black fog is coming.

The wound under his clothes was still aching. The monster master was too cruel. Even with the ring, Oleus's wounds had not healed completely. If he found Mason, he would be dead.

Looking at the rolling black fog, No. 1 said in a cold voice: "I didn't expect that He would find my location."

The young man who was the guide's eyes flashed, and he changed the subject guiltily: "What should we do now?"

"Don't underestimate the master's research results over the years."

The light in the center of the square flickered slightly, and the crystals of the entire city began to emit bright light, which spread in all directions and eventually formed a translucent curtain covering the entire city.

The black mist hit the curtain like a tide, and the crystal turned black at a speed visible to the naked eye. Countless mechanical insects flew up from all over the city, dismantling and replacing the crystals in an orderly manner. Under their rapid maintenance, the mist that came into contact with the curtain began to melt rapidly.

Ham is indeed the top researcher in the Mechanical City. The crystal is really effective!

Orelius was delighted, but he saw that the black fog at the end of the sky had undergone new changes.

An unimaginably huge figure slowly approached. Millions of soft tentacles stirred the mist in the sky, and the faces above screamed in unison, transforming into a tangible sound wave that spread in all directions. An unimaginably large number of polluted beasts followed under the tentacles, and countless scarlet eyes were faintly visible in the darkness.

The black mist is His ocean, and at this moment He is a giant beast swimming in the deep sea, shocking all living creatures wherever He goes.

The massive spread of pollution caused ripples on the curtain like rain hitting a lake, and the color of the crystal in the city changed rapidly.

SSS-level monster, [Mica] has arrived.

He is the messenger of nightmares, always accompanying pollution. If Mica is terror, then with him comes death itself.

The figure standing above Yunmu looked quietly in the direction of the city wall, his face blurred, and his low but clear voice reached everyone's ears.

"Give me those who have escaped here."

Even though they were far apart, the red-haired young man could still feel the other person's gaze piercing his face, filled with a cold and determined determination.

Number One whispered, "The King is coming."

The sound of horse hooves came from behind, and the king, wearing a red velvet cape, holding a long sword, looked cold, and the knights followed closely behind. They ignored the existence of Oreius and No. 1 and climbed up the high wall.

He faced the Monster Lord with an extremely cold expression: "There is no one you want here. There are only my citizens here."

The crystal pendant on Orelius's chest flashed a cold light in response. As the other party recognized him, his heart was moved, as if he was really a citizen of the other party and was excited to hear these words.

There was no emotion in the Monster Lord's voice, only the mist was getting thicker and thicker, and the chill was biting.

"It seems that death once cannot teach you what respect is. In this case, I will destroy your country once more."

"We will never surrender to you just to survive!"

The king's eyes burned with rage. His country was destroyed by the black fog, and his people died because of the pollution. When enemies meet, their eyes are full of hatred. Not to mention handing over a person, even if the monster leader wants to make them die, no one will surrender!

He shouted, "Where is the Knights?"

"Even if the temple is about to fall, we will clear a path for you with our loyalty!"

The knights took a step forward in unison, their voices echoing through the air. No, they were not the only ones speaking.

There were only a dozen knights following the king, but at that moment, a huge echo gathered, and the oaths of tens of millions of people overlapped. Oreius suddenly looked around.

One after another, phantom figures appeared on the city wall. They were wearing standard armor and methodically shot arrows and killed monsters. The cannons on the city wall fired at the black mist. The deafening sound of the cannons echoed, and the monsters fell one after another in the hail of bullets, and even the black mist was dispersed a lot.

The sound of gears turning continued to be heard.

An endless stream of figures appeared on the city walls, fearlessly attacking the enemy. They were both men and women, with light grey flags flying high in the sky, stained with blood and glory.

This scale far exceeds the defense capabilities of an ordinary city. In a flash of lightning, Oreius finally understood the true meaning of the "lost country".

“This is the Lost Country...”

It was once a prosperous country that occupied two-thirds of the human territory, but one day it suddenly disappeared. The large area left behind was invaded by monsters, and people since the Dark Ages have been struggling to survive on the remaining one-third of the land.

The string of garbled characters seen in the square was its real name. In fact, Mason had always understood it a little bit wrongly.

The [lost country] is not this city, but this city is the [lost country]!

It can be the only area left when the country is destroyed, or it can be any city in the country. It is no longer referring to a specific city, but the name of the "disappeared country".

Every city in this country is superimposed here, and all the souls in this country are present here. So when the king raises his arm and shouts, there is an entire country's army responding.

How powerful is a country that spans two-thirds of humanity's territory?

Even facing the Lord of Monsters, the Knights still dare to raise their spears!

Crystal became their backer in the fight against pollution, and whenever someone was injured, they would be replaced immediately. When Oleus looked back inadvertently, he found that some residents had appeared on the street. They also had serious faces and were equipped with guns, and it was obvious that they were ready to go to the battlefield.

This is a country where every citizen is a soldier. When all souls gather in the same city, it means that this city has defenses beyond imagination!

Number One said calmly: "Don't worry, as long as your companion succeeds, the matter will be temporarily resolved. In order to ensure the safety of the heir, the core has set up security measures a long time ago. When someone successfully inherits the inheritance, the city will immediately change its position."

Oreius frowned slightly: "You mean this can't stop the monster lord?"

Number One did not deny: "His Majesty the King will protect all his citizens, but the master will not. His Majesty the King's responsibility is to protect the country, and the core responsibility is continuity. If you lose the corresponding value, there is naturally no need to face danger for you."

At this point, he paused for a moment and said, "Of course, it will be a different story once you have truly assimilated into the local community. Even the most ordinary residents are worthy of protection and cherishment."

Oreius touched his nose and said, "Forget about it. I am very satisfied with my current status."

"What a pity! The dangers we face are far greater than this."

Number One retracted his gaze. Mica finally took action. He swam through the sticky black mist, stretching his body to his heart's content. His tentacles lashed at the barrier fiercely, destroying one-third of the crystals. The faces on the tentacles twisted in pain, and the silent screams made people feel the pain and tingled.

Just as only goodness can purify the evil in a person, only evil can pollute the good in a person.

The hatred and joy from the souls polluted the barrier at an extremely fast speed. The monsters took the opportunity to break through the obstacles and rushed towards the city wall.

The sound of close combat continued. As the first monster climbed up the wall, the knight and the monster started a close combat. Although the first monster was killed quickly, more monsters had already climbed up the wall. For a while, the wall was full of the blood of the monsters, and the dead souls disappeared directly on the spot, waiting to be reset the next day.

Oleus killed a spider monster that had just climbed to the top of the wall, and his actions attracted more monsters to approach. Number One took a step back, and he did not add any weapons or equipment.

"You are their target in the first place. If you continue to fight, you will only put yourself in danger."

Leiustan answered frankly: "Indeed, but I can't just stand here."

His words made the king turn his head. He looked him up and down, with a glimmer of admiration in his eyes.

"Good boy, come to my side. You are worthy enough to fight alongside the Knights."

"My honor."

The red-haired young man took a step forward, and was under the scrutiny of the knights. The souls from hundreds of years ago examined this young face, and carefully considered whether to give the other party permission.

Loyalty, faith, fearlessness, sacrifice.

Regardless of nationality or identity, those who have the courage to stand up and fight shoulder to shoulder against the enemy of all life, if such people are not considered knights, then who else can be considered a knight?

"Are you willing to fight the black fog until the last moment of your life?"

"Are you willing to protect ordinary people, even at the cost of your own life?"

"Are you willing to be true to yourself and never betray me?"

"Are you willing to fight alongside us today, even if it means death?"

The questions rang out clearly, probing the deepest thoughts of the person being questioned. The red-haired young man answered without hesitation: "I am willing."

The crystal pendant emitted a burst of warm light, and at that moment, Oleus felt countless souls staring at him. They briefly accepted him, and everything that happened on the battlefield was transmitted through his senses, and the souls firmly formed a whole.

He had always fought alone with Aurelius, and it was difficult for ordinary people to help him.

Now, with his wounds still fresh, Aurelius might be able to do something different.

The red-haired young man cut his palm and pressed it towards the knight beside him. The core looked at him from a distance and then acquiesced to his behavior.

The bright red lines spread rapidly, and the knight roared, and his combat power soared. With the tacit approval of the core, Oleus successfully strengthened all the knights nearby. He was dizzy from losing too much blood, and he was about to fall, but a smile appeared on his lips.

With the help of this shot of cardiotonic, the knights beat the monster back again. On one side was the shield of unity, and on the other side were endless monsters. The two sides formed a confrontation and it was difficult to tell who was stronger.

"I don't know what's good for me."

The Monster Master patted Yun Mu, who obeyed the order and struck the barrier with his long and thick tentacles like lightning. Before the ripples broke, the second, third...many tentacles attacked the barrier like a violent storm.

Accompanied by a slight "pop" sound.

The translucent barrier flickered, then shattered under the weight. A thick mist surged up, rapidly corroding the wall. The souls that came into contact with the mist cried out in pain, and the crystal accessories they were wearing turned black in the blink of an eye.

Their bodies trembled like crazy, and small bumps appeared on their skin. They were killed by their companions before they could completely mutate. Despite the measures taken, the spread of the black fog could not be stopped.

Only the knights strengthened by Oleus stood in the front. The black mist that touched them reacted to the spell first, leaving them no time to fight.

Gradually, the number of knights on the city wall decreased, and then increased. The king, who had been standing still, made a move. He was about to move forward when his clothes were suddenly grabbed.

The bright red lines spread along the edge of the cloak, blending with the velvet, outlining a bewitching outline. The king's momentum continued to surge. Like a majestic mountain range, he stood proudly in front of the citizens.

He looked at the other person in surprise. The pale-faced young man took a breath, and a large amount of blood was lost from his body. His dark golden eyes shone brightly in the darkness, and he chuckled.

"I wish you a triumphant return."