Chapter 653 (Finale) What We Expect
The autumn of the 342nd year of the Sacred Calendar, which was also the autumn of the 1st year of the Supreme Calendar.
The deceased are not yet dead in this world.
Ferocious beasts were born in this world.
The living try to survive in a world overwhelmed by death and strife, while it seems everything else is trying to destroy the living.
Every day, almost everywhere in this world, people are dying.
Rand could not bear the fact that the people he had trained in his sanctuary had died one after another.
But he, a leader regarded as a hope by everyone, currently sees no hope of solving the problem.
After more than ten years of trials and tribulations in this world, Rand is no longer the young man who had just traveled here.
But the accumulation and improvement of experience and ability seem not enough to solve the current...doomsday.
Yes, the end of the world.
Many people have become pessimistic and believe that the end of the world has come. How can mankind possibly overcome the current predicament?
Rand once again handed over the command to Tanner.
Then he left the Rat City with his personal guards and rode on a dragon-blood eagle.
Rand planned to go outside and see if he could find any opportunities.
The current predicament was completely unexpected, and Rand could only think of a solution in this way.
If it really doesn't work, take your men and retreat to the north, or to the Underdark.
But then humans might become a rare race, and other monster races loyal to Rand, as well as allies such as elves and dwarves, might even become extinct.
The deaths of the students Rand trained and the soldiers who fought side by side with him would become meaningless, and many more would die.
Rand found it hard to accept such an ending.
Many people became desperate after realizing that there was a god of struggle after the undead. Rand could see many people committing suicide. Of course, many more people died at the hands of the undead, plague, rats, and ferocious beasts.
Especially rats.
Rats are numerous in this era. In the past, they were creatures that only lived in the sewers and were hated by everyone. Now they carry a terrible plague and are blessed by the god of struggle, becoming crazy and terrifying.
On the contrary, those undead souls, because of their own death attributes, can receive little blessing from the God of Struggle.
Of course, it's not that no one is fighting. At least for now, the mood of despair has not spread completely. Rand previously arranged for missionaries and believers from the Sanctuary to go to various defense lines to preach, which was a move to stabilize people's hearts and keep the overall morale stable.
This inevitably cost Rand many of his own lives, but it was indeed a correct move.
At this time, Ranta and Chad's defense lines were already fighting firmly.
Ranta and Chad rushed to the front, and behind them, the soldiers roared and charged.
"For the future of mankind, for our families!" Most of the soldiers shouted this slogan.
When the mission was imposed on them, when they realized that they were no longer fighting for the ambitions of a certain nobleman or just fighting to pay less taxes, the soldiers' blood was aroused.
Those who have faith, or who are later willing to accept faith because of the missionaries of the Torch Church and the Church of the Goddess of Harvest and Health, will fight while shouting slogans for the goddess and for His Majesty Rand.
For them, fighting for His Majesty Rand is the future they hope for.
And those who have no faith will also have more or less understanding of His Majesty Rand's ideals because of the influence of these people.
Karin and Bolan still failed to destroy the Yellow King of the Earth, but with the arrival of elite troops from various countries, the pressure of facing the undead elites was much less.
The high-ranking officials of the Sanctuary also went to assist the Red and White Kings.
At least the danger over there won't expand.
Many of the civilians they rescued signed up to join the army after arriving at the rear defense lines, hoping to inherit the will or wishes of those who sacrificed their lives to save them.
Although many noble knights do not care about the lives of civilians at all, they save civilians only because they do not want the army of the undead to expand.
But as the number of civilian soldiers increased, their will and courage were recognized by many nobles and knights.
This battle among the living has allowed many people to understand each other.
Even the nobles and royal families who hated Rand more or less understood some of his ideas.
Unfortunately, the significance of these changes requires a prerequisite, that is, the victory of the living.
Rand spent half a month traveling to many places.
The situation is getting worse and worse.
Both Karin and Bolan had to come back to rest.
Elsa broke through the king level, but still could not change the overall situation of the battle.
Luca was kept alive by Rand, but no one knows when he will wake up.
Rand didn't even find the real body of the incarnation of the God of Struggle.
This god who relies on struggle for authority is more cunning than imagined. Perhaps tricks and conspiracies are also part of the power of struggle.
Rand returned to the Skaven City.
The crux of the problem is already very clear. The gap in strength between the two sides is too great. So what if the strength of both sides can be equalized and made right?
"Tell me, would there be any problems if I resurrected some warriors and had them fight for me?" Rand asked Lysa.
Rand seems to have some risky plans.
"Due to the destruction of the avatar and the severe damage to the original body, the god who controls death has temporarily left. If you decide to use the power of death now, you can indeed rally some undead to fight for you, and you don't have to worry about the undead losing control and turning against you. However, this may not be able to reverse the situation."
What Lysa meant was that as a mediocre undead controller, Rand could only control a limited number of undead.
"Also, it may be difficult for you to explain why you can control the undead. Now that many human kingdoms have been destroyed, everyone is very sensitive. If you do this, then everyone will have to suspect that you are in cahoots with the Apostles of the Scourge, or with the God of Struggle, and that you are betraying humanity in exchange for some benefit." Lysa said seriously, although she knew very well that Rand must have understood this.
"What if it's a living dead person?" Rand asked. "Wouldn't that be a problem?"
"What's the meaning."
"The power of the God of Struggle allows me to give flesh and blood to others or take away their flesh and blood," Rand said.
"That should just be a piece of flesh attached to the surface of the body, right?" Lisa understood the power of the evil gods.
"What if we add the power of the Dark Goddess of Fertility to activate it?" Rand asked.
"That's just living flesh clinging to the skeleton's surface, but it's not a living person. It lacks the crucial soul," Lisa pondered. "However, due to the strong trust many people in the Sanctuary have in you, you can naturally gather some of these souls that haven't disappeared. However, such souls only last a short time. If they were stuffed into an evil creation, they would be easily corrupted by the evil god's power."
Lysa began to understand Rand's thinking, but she warned him, "You will pay the price for forcibly reconciling the conflicting powers of the gods."
"Some risks are tolerable. By joining the power of the Torch Goddess, we can avoid being corrupted by evil forces," Rand said.
"Then this problem is solved. To keep the soul sane, you can use the power related to my guidance." Lisa said slowly.
What was once completely impossible now seems possible.
Since the powers of the gods repel each other, Lysa had never considered combining these powers in the past.
"Then there is one last question left. The soul is inherently fragile. Only those souls that go to the kingdom of God can exist longer under God's protection. How are you going to solve the problem?" Lysa knew that Rand must have a solution.
Blessing 8: Rand's Eternity
Rand was initially puzzled by the purpose of this blessing, and it took him a long time to figure out some of its effects.
It is not very useful. It can allow him to supply power to the soul like a god to keep the soul alive, but if there is no body, this simple survival is meaningless, and the soul may be blown away by a gust of wind.
"I can send power to the soul so that it won't die quickly."
As for where Rand's power came from, Lysa already knew it.
It comes from the Dark Fertility Goddess, who is now the goddess of harvest and health whitewashed by Rand.
This God is the only God who is completely without rationality and subjective will.
Rand can usurp the power of this god and do his own things. This is how he rescued Ranta.
Moreover, Rand had just sacrificed an incarnation of God to the Mother Goddess.
The Mother Goddess should not be stingy in supplying a little bit of power.
"So, let's try it?" Rand asked.
"Let's try." Lysa sighed.
She knew that Rand could not bear the destruction of reality more than the risks and the price he would have to pay.
But some people can't help but think about it.
If something did happen to Rand, would she become like the other mad gods?
But if you succeed, it seems that many things will really change.
If it really succeeds, then in a sense, Rand will be the god of these resurrected people, and the main world will have the nature of Rand's kingdom in a sense.
And because of Rand's weak power, Rand will not be expelled from this world.
Perhaps one day, Rand's power will accumulate to the level of a god and he will be expelled from the world, but before that, Rand can still stay in this world for a long time.
The first choice is naturally Rand's favorite general, the elder of the Sanctuary, Fenris Sheppert. Unlike Taner, he is a Torch Church messenger of noble birth and has long been an indispensable member of the Sanctuary.
He died fighting for the Sanctuary.
When the body was brought back, it was so dilapidated that it was hard to look at.
Rand was in great pain, but now, there seemed to be a way to save him.
"Then, Fenris Sheppert, I grant you the right to be the first to be resurrected."
"First, I command you to awaken by the authority of the incarnation of death."
Fenris's body slowly stood up. It was a body that had been through hundreds of battles and was covered with wounds. However, due to the anti-corrosion measures, it had not yet rotted.
"Secondly, I gave you flesh and blood through brutality."
The dead flesh and blood that were originally broken, scattered, and barely hanging on the bones now fit tightly into their proper places.
"Then, as the head of the Church of the Goddess of Harvest and Health, I will grant you life."
The dead, cold gray, lifeless flesh began to come alive, wriggling and becoming chaotic.
"I guide your soul in the name of Rand, I shield you from evil with the flames of the Torch Goddess, and I grant you sanity with the power of the Moon Goddess."
"I, with the blessing of Rand Nicholas, wish you eternal life."
Lisa watched everything, ready to provide support if anything went wrong.
And now, it seems that it is going to succeed and a miracle is about to happen.
Lysa watched Rand nervously, fearing that Rand might be injured.
When Fenris stood up again, he was quite confused. The first person he saw was Rand, so he was not surprised. It seemed that the so-called "Yellow King" was not that powerful and did not even kill him completely.
At that time, he really thought he was going to die, but he didn't die. He had to say that His Majesty Rand's medical skills were truly miraculous, and he was able to save himself in this situation.
Fenris stretched his muscles a little, adjusted the surgical cloth that looked like a shroud on his body, and tied it around his waist to make himself look more respectable.
He then knelt on one knee and said, "Your Majesty, there are many elite undead warriors in the north. Please allow me to lead the army to assist them and allow me to avenge my previous humiliation."
Rand had no choice but to help Fenris up.
"Are you feeling unwell now?" Rand asked cautiously.
"Well, I feel a little light, but the rest of the feeling is good, no pain or itching. Your treatment method is really amazing." Fenris said here with a bit of sadness. He survived because of the treatment of His Majesty Rand, but those warriors who followed him to fight were not so lucky.
But fighting for His Majesty Rand, his death was a worthy one. Anyway, he would not regret such a death.
Back then, he thought Taner had been fooled by Rand, but now he has become a veteran of the Sanctuary.
"It seems to be successful," Rand said, "Then I can continue."
"Your Majesty Rand, do you have anyone else who needs medical treatment? Then I won't bother you for now..." Fenris was very perceptive. It seemed that His Majesty Rand had more important things to do.
But is there someone else His Majesty Rand needs to heal? Fenris's heart tightened, and he asked cautiously, "Who is he treating?"
Fenris was a little afraid that Serai or Tanr was also seriously injured.
"No, I'm going to explain to you now. You're actually dead," Rand said.
Fenris was stunned for a moment, rubbed his hands, and felt fine.
"So what do I do now...?" Fenris asked.
Rand began to explain patiently.
"So I am not alive now?" Fenris asked.
Rand nodded. "Now you are just souls in flesh. In a sense... If I were a god, you would be my messengers sent to the mortal world. I can't guarantee how long you will last, and right now, I still need your strength to fight for me."
Fenris is now a completely divine creation. Such a body will be much more powerful than his original one, and a dead person cannot be killed a second time.
But at least there should be no suspicion that it is the evil creation of the god of struggle for the dead.
"Of course, Your Majesty, let us fight for you again." Fenris was not disappointed at all. He should have died a long time ago, and now he can live a little longer, which is not a loss at all.
As for fighting for Rand... wasn't that what he expected?
"Please let my sword cut the throat of your enemy." Fenris knelt on one knee again.
…
In the winter of 342 AD, the war took a turn for the better.
The war had already entered its most critical stage.
This is the city of ratmen.
More than half of the ratmen have been injured.
The other defenders in the Rat City also suffered the same proportion of damage.
It is truly a miracle that they are still fighting today.
"Can we really win?" At night, there was still noise outside. It was a roar, and the sound of a sharp blade cutting into flesh.
There was also the sound of falling rubble on the city wall, the roar of monsters, the crackling of undead, and the terrifying squeal of rats.
The constant death of comrades and the months-long fighting made it difficult for even the most determined and physically strong soldiers to endure.
"They are coming again! Hold on, hold on! We must not let them attack us!" The commander's voice was hoarse.
But it did not help the battle situation.
More and more giant rats, ferocious beasts, and huge humanoid monsters kept appearing on the city walls.
Just when Quirrell was about to ring the holy bell again.
Inside the city walls, special soldiers appeared.
That is the emblem of the Church of the Goddess of Harvest and Health.
"Reinforcements, reinforcements are coming!" Some soldiers in the rear cheered.
But Quirrell just spat on the ground.
There are only two hundred people. What's the use of two hundred people? They will all die in one night.
It seems that Rand really has no one left.
Quiruo was also somewhat desperate.
Maybe the Rat City will be destroyed tonight. If not tonight, then tomorrow night or the night after.
But he didn't regret taking Rand's advice.
At least the Rat City allowed the ratmen to build their own cohesion, and many ratmen were sent to the rear because of the agreement between him and Rand.
These rats in the gutter died with honor.
At least now, no human would look down on these short rat warriors.
But he still felt sorry.
Are the rat people going to be overwhelmed like this if they gather together?
First came the Apostle of Natural Scourge, then the God of Struggle, and will there be the Blood of the God of Nourishment or some other god next?
Is there really so much suffering among the living?
Just as the ratman Quiro picked up his weapon and planned to hold on to the city wall himself for a while.
He noticed something different.
Those terrifying and hideous monsters, those huge monsters that could easily crush any mortal, were easily defeated by these church warriors whose armor was worn out and whose steps were in order but who did not seem to have much strength.
These warriors are powerful.
They can easily cut off the arms of giant beasts that are more than ten meters tall.
And it seems difficult to kill. Quirrell can see that some warriors have their hearts pierced but are still fighting.
"What did Rand do?" Quirrel spat blood on the ground again.
He grinned, then picked up his weapon and rushed to the city wall, commanding and fighting at the same time.
No matter what Rand came up with, even if it was something taboo, he didn't care.
As long as there is hope, even a little bit of hope, they can continue to fight.
"Everyone, cooperate with these warriors and let's drive these enemies off the city wall!" roared the ratman Quiro.
…
The special power of the Church of the Goddess of Harvest and Health appeared.
They have some powerful warriors who are hard to kill.
Rand called them Heroic Spirits.
They are strong, determined, knowledgeable and have excellent qualities in all aspects.
This made warriors and even nobles from many countries want to join the Church of the Goddess of Harvest and Health.
In the past, Rand's Church of the Goddess of Harvest and Health could really bring harvest and health, which was very attractive.
And now, such a terrifying warrior can be born.
The turn of events did not immediately change the situation.
Under the siege of the monsters of the God of Struggle, the first line of defense can be said to have been completely lost, and the number of clergymen from the New Holy City who withdrew was only one-fifth of the original number.
Then the pressure came to the second line of defense with Ratman City as the core.
Now there are some trends that cannot be maintained.
Rand didn't care about this. He had already ordered a retreat to the third line of defense.
At this time, the defense line where Ranta and Chad were located received the order to retreat.
"Damn it, how do we retreat?" Gu Li, a soldier on this line of defense, stabbed a giant wolfhound that rushed towards him to death with a spear and cursed loudly.
Now this place is surrounded by the creations of the struggle, and among the comrades there are traitors who betrayed humanity and turned into giant monsters like the struggle.
"We will have support, they will cover our retreat." Ranta appeared in front of the brave soldier.
Now one-third of the people on this line of defense have been lost, and the city walls and other defensive facilities are in ruins. It is time to retreat.
Now these soldiers were real warriors, and Ranta and Chad fought alongside them.
But even these warriors were exhausted and even a little desperate.
They are no longer afraid of death, but does dying like this seem a bit meaningless now?
At this time, reinforcements arrived.
The reinforcements' armor was stained with blood, but it bore the iconic emblem of the Church of the Goddess of Harvest and Health.
"It's a heroic spirit!" The soldiers who were originally somewhat desperate suddenly had hope again.
They had heard of these powerful warriors, and if it was the heroic spirits who came to assist them, then there would be hope.
And just as they imagined, just a few heroic soldiers were able to repel a group of violent monsters.
"Let's retreat." Ranta and Chad breathed a sigh of relief and nodded to the heroic spirits. "Thank you for your rescue."
The heroic spirits returned the greeting.
This is happening in many places around the world.
Many battlefields were held because of the arrival of heroic spirits, or at least allowed the soldiers to successfully retreat.
Everyone gradually began to regard these powerful and familiar heroic spirits as heroes.
The few heroic spirits now available are unable to influence the outcome of the battle.
The god of struggle, who is hiding somewhere, may strike at any time.
But the situation on the battlefield was indeed changing little by little. Although the increasing number of heroes caused some concerns among nobles and royal families, at this time, facing the danger of destruction, no one was foolish enough to take action.
The Heroic Spirits bring hope to many hopeless places.
In the autumn of the year 343 of the Holy Calendar, one year after Rand began the Heroic Spirit Project.
A terrifying three-headed wolf appeared in Rand's residence.
Since Rand started the Heroic Spirit Project, he has returned to the Sanctuary, to the Palace, and to His throne.
"It seems you've finally gotten tired of sitting still." Rand wasn't surprised by the wolf's arrival. "But unfortunately, you're already too late."
Rand smiled.
The wolf just roared.
All the disputes and all the evil in the world seem to converge here.
Rand, on the other hand, was completely unaffected.
The god of struggle finally spoke: "Rand, die."
It seems that even if the God of Struggle is an incarnation, he doesn't have much sanity left.
But its power seems to be much stronger than that of the Scourge Apostle.
It seems that the struggles of the world have provided it with a great supply of strength.
The hall where Rand was located began to twist. The columns, floors, ceilings, and reliefs all seemed to have grown animal heads, ready to devour Rand as he sat on the throne.
Rand simply stood up slowly.
Walk up to the incarnation of the god of struggle.
"Don't you notice anything wrong?"
The god of struggle roared and growled.
And those palace halls that were originally intended to be distorted have returned to normal.
"Found it?" Rand smiled.
The God of Struggle could have benefited greatly from this, but now he is about to suffer a crushing defeat at an alarming speed.
"This is my kingdom of God. Well, just like I once advertised with the photo crystal, this is now the kingdom of God on earth, the land of bliss." Rand laughed.
If a god wants to become a god, he needs enough power and enough faith.
To establish the Kingdom of God, one needs authority.
And Rand had already gathered everything.
Compared to the gods, Rand's own power is pitifully weak, but he can borrow the power of other gods, just like he can usurp the power of the Mother Goddess.
Rand's belief was already firm enough.
As for authority...
At least for now, it seems that the authority of the Lord of Heroic Spirits and the King of Mankind is gradually emerging.
These all seem a bit half-baked.
But it is not difficult to temporarily transform the palace into Rand's kingdom of God.
The God of Struggle had no anticipation for this and made no preparations to deal with it.
The god of struggle roared.
A giant, three-headed wolf-like monster charged towards Rand.
And in the magnificent palace.
Countless warriors suddenly appeared and raised their weapons towards the God of Struggle.
They are fearless and invincible.
After a long time.
Rand, wearing the [Eternal Barrier], walked out of the palace carrying three heads as big as hills.
"The war should be over now." Rand left the metal power armor.
Outside, sisters Bolan and Ellie were there, as was Lysa, while other high-ranking officials or their own people were fighting outside: "It seems that it is resolved."
"Yeah," Rand said.
"What are you going to do next?" Ellie asked.
"After resolving this disaster, I will rest for a while. Then I will establish the Moon Phase Empire and gather all my strength to deal with possible disasters in the future."
"What's next?"
"If I get the chance, I'm going to cause trouble for Grand Duke Vladimir, the Apostle of Natural Disaster, and the God of Struggle."
(End of this chapter)
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